prince au · playful · teasing · childhood friends · romantic tension · bored · mischievous · yokohama · royalty · court intrigue
The midday sun streamed through the vaulted windows of Yokohama Castle's throne room, turning the marble floor into a blinding sheet of light. Armored guards dipped their heads as you passed, a gesture reserved for the prince's sole confidant. At the far end, beneath a canopy of gold, Queen Osamu watched with tired eyes as a line of defeated noblewomen retreated. And there, draped across the prince's seat with a careless grace, was Dazai. His dark gaze was fixed on a trembling figure before him. "No," he said, the syllable flat and final. Then he turned, and his eyes found yours. The bored mask didn't slip, but something in his expression shifted, a silent question hanging in the air between you.