My Stories

Shinsou cleared his throat briefly before he began to explain the situation in his typical monotone voice: "The samurai who was supposed to relieve me for the moment cannot be found. However, traces of blood have been discovered where the carriage was previously standing. Shoji-san and Koda-san are already searching the area." Cursing, Bakugou clenched his hands into fists as he turned meaningfully to Kirishima. He, too, appraised him with a concerned expression as he carefully lowered his ladyship onto her own legs, then propped her up with a proffered arm. Shortly thereafter, the Shogun lowered his attention to his wife, who nervously held onto the red-haired man's shoulder to relieve the pressure on her injured ankle. (Y/N)'s fingers clawed quaveringly at the red-haired warrior's armor as she returned her husband's gaze, searching for answers. The young woman did not dare to speak. Too much tension was in the air, while all eyes were on Bakugou, waiting for the instruction on how to deal with this situation. For a moment they looked at each other in silence before the Shogun looked back up at his closest confidant. "Double the number of guards until we know how to proceed! Have Kaminari and Shinsou stay with her. At least one of them is always near her. Without exception! Choose the most loyal people to assist you with the guard. No one else is to even approach her without my permission." "Understood!" both samurai replied as if from the same mouth. "As we had already guessed, the last-minute changes in travel arrangements have left security gaps. I want them closed as soon as possible. Kirishima, double-check every person accompanying us. We do not trust anyone who has not proven their loyalty to us or who can be identified by someone they know as a member of this convoy. Also, bring me the coachman. The horses could not have broken away so easily, and the formation of the carriages should have made such a maneuver difficult as well," Bakugou continued analyzing the situation at hand, while (Y/N) listened anxiously to her husband's words. The young shogun looked like a person who would normally leave nothing to chance. The way he clenched his jaw suggested how unacceptable he found this chaos right under his watch. Guilty of having put him in this position, the young lady tried to take a step toward her husband. She was aware that the changes in travel arrangements had taken place because of her. Her careless action at the feast a few days earlier had led to these late consequences and had only caused her newlywed husband more inconvenience than she had already been aware of. Worse yet...she had put them all in danger. Again.

As she tried to put weight on her injured ankle, (Y/N) buckled to the side, gasping in pain, which is why she began to lose her balance. Immediately, Kirishima's grip on her upper arm tightened to stabilize her.

Bakugou's arm also shot out to reach for her as he gloomily watched her facial expressions. Guiltily, she looked up at her husband as she tried to stand up straight again. She wanted to apologize to him. To ask for forgiveness. But when she had regained her composure and carefully tried to start a sentence, not a single word escaped from her quivering lips. Bakugou, also silent, took in the pained expression on his wife's face and then tightened his grip on her upper arm for a brief moment. Beneath the grim facade of his stony countenance, the expression of concern flashed in his eyes for a few seconds, but it was gone as quickly as it had emerged. It had seemed as if he too had wanted to say something to her before turning away after a moment of hesitation to gesture Kaminari to take care of his wife, while he kept his silence towards her. He watched as the latter dutifully stepped closer and offered his wife an arm, which she accepted, disappointed in herself, while carefully letting go of Kirishima so as not to lose her balance again. Only when she had shifted her weight to the other man did the Shogun finally let go of (Y/N) as well, turning to her guards one last time: "Send for her personal maid and have her injuries treated as best you can. Have her do this as quickly as possible so that we can make further arrangements on short notice if necessary," Bakugou ordered curtly before turning away from them to be followed by Kirishima to take control of the situation.

Nervously, (Y/N) bit her lower lip as she looked anxiously after her husband. It was hard for her to comprehend how routinely he could act in spite of such chaos, while she had difficulty even thinking clearly. She followed him with her gaze until he disappeared behind a wall of soldiers running around, busying themselves  cleaning up the mess of the escaping horses. Only when Kaminari tried to lead her gently in the opposite direction, she finally turned away with her head down in shame to follow him slowly.

In a society like theirs, a young lady was considered an adult as soon as one had married a man. In the eyes of her fellow men, she was now a part of a completely different world than she was used to. But basically she still felt like a little girl, dressed up in her mother's clothes, trying to mime a person she was supposed to be, but wasn't really yet. As if she was just playing pretend. She was afraid that Bakugou saw exactly the same in her. A young girl who was nothing more than a burden to him. Not fit to fill the role of the new lady of his household. A burden that had been imposed on him by his emperor, much to his disgust. Perhaps this also explained why he avoided her so much. She was probably just another helpless stupid sheep in his unloved flock of needy people that he had to take care of. Not only had she apparently disappointed Bakugou in their marriage bed. Her husband had now had to rescue her several times from various situations, as if she were just a careless child who kept going astray. How many times would she maneuver him into awkward situations? Never before had she felt so foolish and simple-minded as in the past days. It seemed to her as if she was committing one mistake after another and at the same time not even being able to identify many of these mistakes, even though she herself had always striven so hard for perfection and was always praised by her mother for her self-reflection. She knew the etiquette and behaviors of the society in the capital. She had been taught to fulfill her role as a young well-mannered lady satisfactorily. But now she felt like she had unlearned everything, or at least that none of it seemed applicable in the presence of her newlywed husband. (Y/N) felt lost and scared. Unprepared and overwhelmed. This was no place for someone like her and yet she was bothered by being so dependent on the people around her. To be so disoriented in the flow of events. Feeling like she was drowning.

But she didn't want to feel that way. She wanted to be more of value. She wanted to be a person who had earned the respect and trust of her husband. Just like the men who just led her from the chaotic clearing, but on a completely different level of course. She was no worrior, nor does she want to be one. But she was his wife but only in title it seemed.

Thoughtfully, she wondered if she could have contributed something helpful to the situation if she hadn't been hurt or simply knew better what to do. How was a young lady to behave in such a situation? How could she support her husband in such times without burdening him even more? Should she stand quietly on the sidelines and wait for others to take care of the mess? Was there nothing she could do?

Sensing his lady's discomfort, Kaminari patted her arm reassuringly with an encouraging smile on his lips. He slowed his gait a bit while leaning down to discreetly address her: "Don't worry. We have everything under control. Nothing will happen to you!", he misinterpreted her mood confidently, while Shinsou spoke to two more samurai a few meters in front of them, who started to follow him instantly. Immediately, (Y/N) gave her companion a faint smile while she nodded her thanks. She had almost forgotten in her self-pity that they were in an avoidably dangerous situation, but she covered her surprise as best she could before replying: "I have full confidence in all of your abilities, Kaminari-san." she replied placatingly to keep up her facade as they flanked her on all sides and safely led her to a more secluded but manageable spot.

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Breathing in sharply the fresh spring air, (Y/N) placed her trembling hand on her cramping thigh while trying to keep her leg as still as possible. Her long-time maid wrapped clean strips of cloth around her injured ankle as carefully as she could after rubbing it with a cooling ointment, but she couldn't quite prevent the pain her lady felt in the process. Just like the rest of the servants and soldiers, Mina had assumed a tense posture since the incident with the carriage. No one could explain how such a situation could have evolved. But all of them secretly feared the worst. Contrary to her usual disposition, Mina had been gloomily silent since arriving at her lady's side, having convinced herself that she had suffered only scratches and bruises besides her injured ankle before treating her with gentle care.

In such a situation, what did one say to each other to lighten the atmosphere a bit?

Just the idea that someone might have tried to make an attempt on her mistress triggered an uneasy feeling in the young girl. Her attention kept wandering over the numerous trees that circled the clearing like lurking shadows, while she tried to suppress the trembling in her lower lip. "How could such a terrible thing happen?" the usually bright maid murmured dejectedly, finally making her concern known, but (Y/N) shook her head directly, waving it off, not wanting to show how worried she was as well now that she had been able to collect herself. "Bakugou-sama is about to find out what had caused all of this. We should just stay calm and wait. He will know what to do," (Y/N) replied hesitantly after she had weighed her thoughts internally. Nodding, the young maid agreed with her mistress before sighing softly. "Who would have thought a few weeks ago that we would soon find ourselves in such a situation?" she then whispered softly while shaking her head in disbelief.

With her travel fan flipped open, the young lady covered her pained expression as she patted Mina's arm guiltily. "I'm sorry for tearing you away from your life in the capital," (Y/N) apologized dejectedly, but Mina only shook her head vehemently in response. "I don't regret my decision to follow you, milady! I won't be deterred that quickly. If any hoodlum even gets too close to me or you, they're going to get the shock of their lives. Nobody messes with us!", protested Mina with newfound self-confidence. As a demonstration, she clenched her hands into fists and threw them into the air with momentum, as if she wanted to punch an opponent under the chin. Immediately, her mistress' shoulders slumped a bit as she visibly relaxed, according to her companion. Suppressing a soft giggle, (Y/N) nodded in agreement before turning to look at the four guards who surrounded her on all sides. All of them stood with their backs to the two ladies in order to keep a close eye on their surroundings and at the same time to give their lady a certain amount of privacy as long as a part of her skin was uncovered. But (Y/N) thought she could recognize how Kaminari's shoulders started to tremble slightly after her maid's statement, as if he would have to suppress a laugh despite the atmosphere. Since she couldn't look at his averted face, she turned back to her maid to confirm her statement: "When one has you as a guard, one doesn't need to be afraid anymore," the young lady confirmed mildly joking, while Mina, with a small smile on her lips, finally fastened the bandage to her mistress' foot and reached for a clean stocking to carefully slip it over her leg.

It didn't take long for the mood to fade again, however, after silence returned between them. Both women were hung up on their own thoughts, and yet they were going in the same direction. Who would have thought that just a few days after leaving the capital, something like this could have happened? And how many times would they be exposed to such a situation? Was this now a danger they could expect at any time?

It felt completely surreal. Not even a week ago, the young lady had lived sheltered in a handsome mansion in the center of the capital, while now she was sitting surrounded by countless strange men in a forest unknown to her. She had not been prepared for something like this. How could she have prepared herself for something like this?

The warm spring air and the lush green of the leaves in the treetops made her situation seem deceptively idyllic, but secretly she was aware that, according to her husband's statements, the accident with her carriage probably could not have been caused by a series of coincidences. Concerned, (Y/N) raised her fan a little higher in front of her face, so that only her eyes flashed out over the rim decorated with gold thread. Attentively, she looked at her surroundings with a critical gaze, as if she would be able to recognize a potential enemy purely from the body language of the people, if she would only look attentively enough. But what should she pay attention to? Except for a handful of people, all these people were unknown to her. Even her guards were strangers. Only Kaminari had been a person she had barely known from her past in the capital, before she had met Bakugou. So how was she supposed to interpret the body language of the people around her?

Shrouded in silence, (Y/N) watched as a few meters away from them, the shogun followed by Kirishima paced furiously up and down past his warriors while keeping a close eye on his men. However, it was not long before one of his samurai, followed by another person, stepped out of the crowd to approach Bakugou. Stumbling, the second man, who turned out to be the coachman, stepped in front of his master before he threw himself to the ground at his feet and pressed his forehead against the floor. Darkly Bakugou stared down at him while silently listening to the words of the samurai who had accompanied the scared coachman. The latter pointed to the part of the woods that had been behind (Y/N)'s carriage, while the kneeling man remained trembling on the ground.

She would have liked to know what they were talking about, but the young lady was too far away to understand what the men were saying. Only the sheer panic written on the old coachman's face when he briefly looked up to clearly answer a question her husband must have asked him, told (Y/N) from her position that it must have been very bad news.  

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"Explain to me why some of the horses were able to escape and why my wife's carriage was apparently not properly secured!" the Shogun ordered somberly, after having had it explained to him why he had had to wait so long for his men to find the coachman in the forest with some of the runaway horses. "I-I cannot explain it, master. We went through the steps as usual. One of my assistants had fastened the horses as usual, while I had secured the carriage with wedges under the wheels as usual. I then went to the soldiers to take a break. Normally, the assistant should have been on hand to check the carriage's axles, as my legs are not taking the long kneeling on the ground very well anymore. Before I could return, however, the horses had already bolted," the older man explained tremulously, before pressing his forehead anxiously against the stony ground once again.

 Snorting with rage, Bakugou glanced over his shoulder to have Kirishima confirm the coachman's statement. The latter nodded after a moment as he recalled the arrival at the rest stop in his memories. "That's right. I can confirm that the carriage had been secured by the gentleman before I joined you."

"What about the assistant?" continued Bakugou, after turning back to the old man. The latter thought for a moment before quivering his voice in reply, "I haven't seen him again after the incident. I was busy securing the captured horses. Actually, it would be his job to help me with that." Bakugou and Kirishima then fell silent for a moment as they processed what had been said. "Describe the boy to us so we can have someone look for him!" the red-haired samurai echoed in a calm voice as he took a step closer to his master.

"H-he is quite a small fellow, almost petite, and doesn't stand out much because of it. However, he is quick and skilled, which is why I hired him on short notice after you quickly ordered more people to join the convoy. At first I thought he was a girl because of his soft features and big eyes. He always wears a cap, so I don't know what color his hair is, but his irises are the color of honey," the coachman described gesturing before continuing timidly, "I-I just pulled this out of the hind leg of one of the horses, though, which had dragged its leg a bit behind it," the kneeling man stammered before pulling an object out of his pocket and holding it up with trembling hands. Silence spread among those present as they looked at a small distinctive throwing knife. Blood had dried on the tip, which probably came from the injured horse. With a serious expression, the Shogun took the small weapon from his subordinate's hand and examined it insistently before giving him an appraising look, "Did you observe anything else?" The coachman then shook his head vehemently before replying, "No, Your Grace. Forgive me!"

Vigilantly, Bakugou watched his counterpart's every emotion before finally turning away from the older man, "You may go. See that the horses are supervised throughout. If something like this happens again on your watch, you will have operated a carriage for the last time," Bakugou threatened dangerously calm as he finally dismissed him. The shogun waited as his subordinate gratefully departed before giving Kirishima a meaningful look. "The samurai who was supposed to guard the carriage was found dead a little deeper in the forest. He was found with a stab wound just above the throat. Normally we probably would have had trouble finding the body, but one of the escaped horses was found there and happened to blow the cover. For one thing, to kill a samurai in this manner, the person would have had to have been somewhat smaller and quite agile to be able to stab upward so precisely past the throat guard. Also, the person would have had to get close enough to him first without arousing direct suspicion. The assistant is small and inconspicuous and, moreover, can no longer be found. We should keep this in mind. Judging from the forging of the knife, one of Shigaraki's assassins has sneaked in among the servants and is trying to make the attack look like an accident for the time being so that he can disappear into the chaos afterwards. I will have the servant searched to verify this assumption," the red-haired samurai concluded quietly as he let his gaze roam over the soldiers and servants. "We must still assume that the assassin remains in the vicinity to make sure that his mission has been accomplished. There may be others lurking among us as well. On the other hand, the assassination attempt was quite messy. Shigaraki seemed to have wanted us to know he is behind all of this. Otherwise there would be no evidence like the knife that was found, but that doesn’t mean that there would be no other attempt. We need to get my wife out of here as quickly as possible and then figure out how to proceed," Bakugou decided grimly as he looked thoughtfully over at (Y/N), who was guarded away from the convoy by four of his samurai. "The carts are slowing us down too much and making sure she'll be an easy target now after the cover that her carriage had provided is gone..." he muttered more to himself before turning back to Kirishima. "Get the fastest horses ready! You will take her with Kaminari, Shinsou, Koda, and Shoji to the next town. There, you are to rent smallest inn as possible that can be easily supervised and wait for us. From there we will discuss our further procedure!", the Shogun ordered after a short moment. Kirishima nodded resolutely and beat his fists demonstratively against each other in front of his chest. "You can count on me! I'll make sure nothing happens to her!", the red-haired samurai confidently proclaimed before turning to get the horses ready.

The shogun strode purposefully towards the group guarding his wife. Once there, he turned to Kaminari and pointed to Kirishima who was hurrying in the opposite direction. "Follow him and help him get the horses ready! You, Shinsou, Koda, and Shoji will ride ahead with him to get my wife away from here," Bakugou ordered before walking past him. Without asking further, the straw-blond young man nodded before going on his way. Surprised, (Y/N) stared up at her husband as the shogun walked up to her without further ado and leaned down to her. "Come, Kirishima will take you away from here!" repeated Bakugou curtly before lifting his wife, without hesitation in his arms to move her away faster. Inhaling sharply, the young woman sought a hold on her husband's shoulders as she looked up into his face in alarm. "W-what about you?" she asked quietly, while she cast a quick glance over his shoulder to glance uncertainly at the rest of the guards, who followed them silently.

"I'll take control of the convoy here with the rest of my men and catch up with you later," he replied after lowering his gaze to her for a moment. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders as she blinked at him from under her lashes. For a brief moment, she was silent as she weighed whether to speak her thoughts freely. "... Isn't that dangerous? What if you're attacked?", she finally asked with concern, but Bakugou only snorted derisively in response before shifting her weight in his arms. "Shouldn't you be more worried that you'll be attacked?", he growled resolutely before pausing briefly and clearing his throat: " Which you don't have to. Your guards are capable of protecting you!", he added harshly, as if he awkwardly tried calm her after his statement. Before (Y/N) could say anything in reply, the clacking of hooves sounded behind them. The young shogun turned to the small group of samurai, who approached them with brisk steps before nodding to Kirishima. When the young lady caught sight of the horses, she turned again to her husband in alarm. She faltered briefly as she realized what she was about to reveal, but she shook her head in embarrassment as her husband lowered her to the ground, before attempting to lift her onto one of the horses a moment later. She gently tapped her fingers against Bakugou's upper arm to get his attention before quietly clearing her throat, "I'm sorry, but I never learned to ride," she murmured softly. The Shogun rolled his chimney red eyes before pressing his heavy hands to her waist right under her ribs. "You're riding with Kirishima!" he countered as said man stepped closer towards the couple, giving his ladyship an encouraging smile.

Before (Y/N) knew it, she was jerkily put on astride the huge warhorse on which Kirishima usually sat alone. When the mighty beast beneath her began to shift its weight, the young woman clung awkwardly to the animal's neck, which pawed unimpressed with one of its hooves. Only when she felt Kirishima sit down behind her and grab the reins around her body, she began to had the feeling not to fall down at any moment. Only then did she dare to take her attention off the huge colossus and look over to Bakugou one last time. The latter returned her gaze grimly before tapping Kirishima's forearm dismissively and stepping back. "See you later!" the redhead announced with a confident smile on his lips before putting his spurs to his horse. Immediately, his companions did the same, each covering one unprotected flank of Kirishima to offer them as much protection as possible through this formation. (Y/N) had no time to turn around to the clearing. She was too busy wishing she would not fall down breaking her neck at the speed. With cramping fingers, she held onto the saddle while pressing her thighs against the horse's rump. "Don't worry, milady! Just try to match the horse's movement. Otherwise, your legs will cramp after a short while!", shouted Kirishima past the whirring wind after interpreting her stiff posture. “You are going to be safe, promise!”, he added before he whistled to spurr his horse even faster after that, while leaning forward a bit to defy the wind. The cool metal and leather of his armor pressed against (Y/N)'s back as she tried to match him. It was strange not to be near her own husband and be in the presence of another, but the thought fled right back out of her mind as she anxiously began to ponder what lay ahead of them, as well as behind of them.

"Mother, Kacchan is almost ready to leave. We'll have to cut our goodbyes short.", Izuku spoke to distract himself from the topic before wrapping his sister in his arms after she hesitantly broke away from Lady Midoriya. Both siblings breathed in deeply, taking in of each other's familiar, comforting scent as they hugged each other one last time in the private of the empty entrance hall. "We're going to miss you! Take care of yourself, (Y/N)!", Izuku whispered sadly as he pressed his sister firmer against his chest. "I will miss you, too!", she sobbed into his shoulder as she tried to suppress the tears as best as she could. "If you ever need my help. Write to me! Do you understand? I will always be there for you!", he urged as he rubbed his scarred hands over her shoulder blades. Trembling, the young woman clawed at the silken fabric which covered Izuku's broad back. When the young lady broke away from him again, she nodded gratefully.

"This is not a permanent goodbye. You will surely be able to visit us in the future. Or we may travel to visit you instead. Wouldn't that be nice, Izu-chan?", spoke Lady Inko as she softly tried to appease her two children with motherly love sparkling in her warm eyes. "Yes, mother. Once some peace has returned in the capital, I'm sure we can plan such a trip.", her son replied after a moment's hesitation, knowing it would take some time before they could plan something like that.

"Excuse me, but we are ready to leave, milady!", Mina suddenly interrupted the small family moment, after she had entered the house in silence. With quick steps, the energetic girl approached them to pick up the last bag, which would contain utensils they could use during the carriage ride. With a heavy heart, the newly married lady finally detached herself from her brother before she turned to the now open front door. For a moment her gaze glided over the armed men who were getting ready to escort the Shogun and his wife. (Y/N) had been surprised at how many people had gathered outside the shogun's mansion when she had looked out of the window some time ago. Around an ornate carriage and two luggage carts, several servants and quite a few soldiers and samurai had gathered in the huge courtyard to embark together on the journey towards the northern lands. The only faces among the crowd of people that the young lady recognized besides Bakugou were her two maids Mina and Toru, as well as Kirishima and the heir of the Kaminari family, who surprisingly also seemed to come along. The two gentlemen followed their leader through the ranks of soldiers before turning to the carriage in which the shogun's wife would be transported. (Y/N) could see them gesticulating as they probably discussed logistics and safety measurements, before she turned to her family for one last time, taking a deep breath to ground herself.

“I-I think I am ready!”, the young lady hesitantly began to speak. “…Thank you for everything!”, she spoke with a forced calm voice, before she placed her shaky hand on her brother`s arm, turning quickly towards the entrance before the tears could come up again at the sight of her sad looking mother.

Discreetly lowering her hand to reach for the fan her husband had gifted her on their engagement, (Y/N) hid a part of her face in a practiced manner, to shroud her anxiety behind graceful, exercised dignity. With her head held high, she let her brother lead her out of the grand house, while she kept her gaze fixed firmly on the carriage in front of her path. "From now on, you will move outside your usual environment. Be careful who you trust!", Izuku whispered softly as he discreetly leaned down to his sister, while they ignored the feeling of several curious eyes landing on their frames, as they continued to move forward. "Bakugou will take care of your protection, but after the incident a few days ago, it doesn't hurt to be on guard anyway!" Nodding, (Y/N) tried not to let her gaze slide nervously over the many unknown people that surrounded them, hoping to hide her nervousness behind a blank expression.

A strange feeling spread through her as she crossed the square with her back pressed through. She had to appear strong and inviolable in front those strangers. No matter how much she would have liked to turn around to run back to the safety of the empty mansion. She had to act like the wife of the shogun now.

Arriving at their destination, Bakugou turned towards his wife to appraise her for a moment with his analyzing, somber gaze, barely acknowledging her brother by her side. His gaze slid over his engagement gift, which she still held in front of her face like a spiritual guardian that could hide her from harmful eyes. For a moment, he looked over her shoulder at her weeping mother who decided to wait near the entrance of his estate, before looking back down at (Y/N) with tense shoulders. "Ready?", he asked in a raspy voice as the corners of his mouth turned downward. It was the first time he had addressed her today. Bakugou's side of the bed had already been cold when the newly married lady had risen to take a quick bath. Neither at breakfast nor afterwards, had he paid her a visit while he was busy handing out orders outside his mansion.

Only very lightly she lowered the accessory to be able to convey to him with her eyes that she was as ready as she could be to leave her home. Nodding bravely, she led go of her brother’s arm, passing her husband to let him help her into the carriage.  His rough fingers closed around hers for a short moment as he silently supported her to get inside. Not for a second too long did he hold the chaste physical contact as his wife finally settled into one of the cushioned seats, but even when he had released her, her fingers still tingled slightly as she began to look expectantly in his direction. Seeing that he wasn't following her, she began to open her lips in hesitancy: "I presume, that you're going to ride?", she asked cautiously as she remembered that he didn't like sitting in a carriage. Bakugou nodded curtly before pausing briefly. "I will ride ahead, but Kaminari will flank the carriage accompanied by a second samurai, while Kirishima will ride right behind you!", her husband informed her in a businesslike tone, after he decided to indulge her for a bit.

"Don't worry, milady. You can rely on us completely! You could hardly be safer than in our care.", Kaminari's cheerful voice rang out as he tried to look past his leader into the carriage to get another glimpse of his new lady. Bakugou pushed his grinning companion aside as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Whatever. Make sure you are alert. Don't make me regret mentoring you with this task, Dunce Face.", Bakugou nagged as he let go of the carriages door to stomp past his blonde samurai in annoyance. "Don't worry, Bakugou. Denki isn't guarding your lady alone, after all. We'll watch over her together.", Kirishima placated with a laugh as he wrapped his arm around the pouting Kaminari's shoulders. "Whatever!" the shogun grumbled passively as he swung himself onto his horse.  He gave (Y/N) one last look as if he wanted to say something else, but finally decided to turn to her brother instead: “Don't screw up, Midoriya!”, he hissed with a tense jaw as he gave him a meaningful look before spurring his horse. The two men watched their leader in amusement for a few moments as he spurred his horse to the head of the front.

"Ahh, what a manly trait to worry about his wife's safety!", commented Kirishima good-humoredly, to which Kaminari nodded knowingly. The red-haired man then reached for the door Bakugou had left open after Mina and Toru had joined their mistress.

"Do not worry, my lady. Bakugou would have not assigned us this task if he did not trust that we can make sure you are safe at all times. However, I must ask you to leave the carriage only under strict permission. Since you are now our mistress, it is our duty to make sure that no danger threatens you.", Kirishima explained kindly, but with a serious tone. "Whoever has the confidence of my husband must have outstanding qualities. So, I have complete confidence in you as well. Thank you for protecting me during our journey, gentleman.", (Y/N) replied with a gentle smile as she elegantly tilted her head to the side in thanks. It was strange to suddenly outrank men like him and Kaminari in title, but (Y/N) was not so deluded to know that in the end she should still listen to the words of these men no matter who she was married to. Her thoughts, however, hung on Kirishima's previous words.

Was a man like Bakugou really worried about her? He seemed much too distant for such feelings. The men beside the carriage bowed blushingly before Kaminari spun around to beckon another samurai to join them. (Y/N) followed his gaze and spotted a purple-haired warrior not far away, his eyes looking startlingly alert despite the bags under his eyes. As the man stepped closer accompanied by two horses, he bowed politely to his lady before standing back up in a relaxed posture. "My lady, this is Shinsou Hitoshi. He will be joining me in guarding the flanks of the carriage.", the blonde man enthusiastically introduced Shinsou, while the purple-haired samurai bowed once more to his new mistress. "It is an honor, my lady!", Shinsou spoke in a calm, almost passive tone before handing the reins of one of the two horses to his energetic friend. "The honor is all mine, Shinsou-san!", replied (Y/N) with a smile still half hidden behind her fan. "We should now take our positions. Should you need anything, don't be afraid to approach one of us.", Kirishima finally announced before slowly closing the carriage door.

With a heavy heart, (Y/N) pushed the curtains aside and watched from the window as her husband exchanged a few last words with her brother, while his men gradually took their respective positions. Finally in the almost private solace of her carriage, she lowered the precious accessory with a heavy sigh escaping her trembling lips. The young mistress ignored the pitying looks she received from her two servants, who wrapped themselves in silence out of respect for their lady, even after they had long since left the shogun's estate.

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The crackling fireplace was one of the few sounds that broke the silence inside the room. Outside the small but clean room, the voices of the drinking soldiers filtered through the thin walls, gathered in the heart of the small inn to end the exhausting first day of their journey. (Y/N) sat on her half of the futon with her legs bent as she waited for her husband. She had rested her head on her knees some time ago, while her eyes watched the lambent flames at the end of the room until they finally left only glowing coals after they vanished slowly but surely. Every now and then she had heard soft footsteps behind the closed door, while dark shadows could be made out through the high-quality rice paper, but not once did a person stop outside her room to enter.

The day had dragged on eerily due to sitting quietly in the carriage. At first, the constant change of scenery had been a small distraction, but soon the young lady had grown accustomed to the sight and drifted once again into mopey thoughts that she had tried to avoid to no avail.

Sighing, (Y/N) straightened her back and let her hands slide over her covered, bent legs. How late could it be already? They had only arrived before nightfall at the small inn on the outskirts of a small farming village that lived by growing rice for the capital. Despite this, Bakugou had not yet found his way into their short-lived chamber. Not a word had she been able to exchange with him during the day. It was almost as if he was avoiding her, for even when they had taken a break, he had always not approached her in any way.

How many times today had she asked herself if she was on the right path? Whether she could or should have changed something? And how often had she tried to shake off this thought again? But what could she have done differently, when so many decisions were taken away from her?

Flinching, (Y/N)'s fingers clawed into the blanket, which she pulled up protectively in front of her, when suddenly the door to her room was pushed open. Eyes wide with shock, she looked up at her husband, who was looking down at her with an unreadable expression on his stone hard face. She had waited forever for him to finally come, that she had drifted so deep into her thoughts when he had finally decided to come to bed, ripping her out of her mindset so suddenly.

After pausing for a brief moment to read his wife's body language, Bakugou entered the room with heavy steps. His gaze had momentarily darkened a bit, but the young woman had not been able to see much of it, as he had averted his gaze directly. With his back turned, he had begun to remove his excess clothing after closing the room behind him. The dismissive attitude and the icy silence of the man caused a surge of uncertainty in the stomach area of the young woman. All the questions (Y/N) wanted to ask, once she finally found a quiet minute with him, fled from her consciousness like startled birds surprised by the shot of a hunter. Nervously, she fiddled with the end of her blanket as she watched him silently, but the young shogun apparently made it a point to skillfully ignore her gaze now. After finally wearing only a light yukata, he settled down beside her without fussing, only to turn away from her afterwards.

Only when his wife still hadn't laid down after a few minutes did he sigh in annoyance before addressing her in a harsh voice: "Lie down and sleep now!"

The sharpness in his voice made her wince slightly before she could comply with his command. Breathing shallowly, (Y/N) lay down as well while staring fixedly up at the ceiling. Nervously, she chewed on her lower lip, wondering if she should dare to start a conversation despite his mood. The minutes passed little by little, while the window of opportunity slowly but surely passed without her saying anything.  

Maybe they are going to find another moment to spend in each other’s presence. His mood couldn’t be that bad all the time.

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According to Kirishima's description on the next morning, the journey would last about a week until they would finally reach Bakugou's lands and a day and a half more to reach his estate. Due to the lady's carriage and the additional luggage carts, the shogun had to adjust the route at short notice, which is why they were now heading for more cities than initially planned. This had extended the travel time, however, which is why they traveled partly even after sunset. The first four nights they spent in inns, which had welcomed the Shogun and his small entourage with eagerness, hoping to gain a few good coins.

Despite their shared sleeping quarters, Bakugou avoided his wife as much as possible since their wedding night. He only exchanged a few words with (Y/N) when necessary and turned his back on her with a proper distance as soon as he lay down on the futon next to her, joining her far later with each passing night. During the day, he left her in the care of his closest samurai and her maids, while he stayed away from her as usual.

(Y/N) had been silently observing the behavior of her newlywed husband while she pondered how to change this situation without only driving him further away from her. It was one thing that he was too busy leading his people, but she had the feeling that he was deliberately avoiding her, after she saw him eating with his companions every upcoming meal, but she didn’t dare to intrude in any way. Brooding, she had stared out the open window of the traditional carriage hour after hour as the towns slowly turned into vast flowering fields and adjoining woodlands.

(Y/N) had left the capital just a few days ago but she already felt more lost than ever. How was this going to continue once they arrived at his home, where he would only find more chores to do to avoid talking to her? The several hours without occupation ensured that she had too much time to think about things like that.

Sighing, the former Midoriya leaned her head against the frame of the window as she watched the passing trees, as she tried and failed to enjoy the light breeze on her soft skin. Shinsou, who was riding alongside the carriage at her height, gave her a quick, scrutinizing glance out of the corner of his eyes. He had been doing it for the past few days, but he had never said a word about what he was able to find in her facial expressions.

“We'll be taking a break in quite some time, so once we've made sure the place holds no dangers, you can stretch your legs a bit if you wish.", the purple haired man emphasized casually, before he directed his gaze in front of him again.

Nodding, (Y/N) put on a grateful smile before quietly replying to the samurai: "If it's no trouble, gladly." Like before, the two fell into silence, while Shinsou occasionally gave her another scrutinizing glance. He did not, however, address her again before they reached their destination.

It took them a while until they finally reached their designated resting place, but after her guards had checked their surroundings, (Y/N) had been allowed to stroll around the area as promised. Sighing, the young lady moved past the resting soldiers accompanied by the always calm Shinsou and her maid, Mina. The young servant filled the silence of her companions with irrelevant comments, but (Y/N) did not manage to concentrate on them. Her thoughts still hung on her fragile relationship with Bakugou. She still didn't know how to bridge the gap between them. On one hand, she didn't want to cause him more trouble just because she wished to get to know him a little more, but on the other hand, the radio silence that had existed between them for the past few days was tugging at the young woman's nerves more and more. Of course, she was glad that despite his distance he always seemed to make sure that she lacked for nothing, but it seemed rather as if he perceived this minimum out of a pure sense of duty and this seemed to be unfitting for a relationship. If you could even call their political connection a relationship.

After a while, (Y/N) spotted Bakugou under the shade of the trees a few feet away from her position, talking with Kirishima and Kaminari in silence. Pondering, she watched the trio for a moment before Mina's voice snapped her out of her thoughts: "Milady, how about we sit under the shade of one of the trees and have a snack as well!", she suggested good-humoredly as she stood next to her mistress and pointed at the dining soldiers behind her. The young lady threw her maid a thoughtful smile as she went over her options. She could dine in the company of her maids as she had the days before or take a step towards Bakugou and ask her husband if she could join him for lunch. It would be the most offensive action she had dared to take since her wedding night, but wasn't it her mother who had told her herself that she thought Bakugou might prefer a woman who could take the initiative? Maybe it was wrong to let him distance himself and wait for him to approach her again. Perhaps she could approach him instead, waiting for a moment when she could speak to him undisturbed, without jerking him out of any action. Just like this moment.

Making a daring decision, (Y/N) shook her head before replying to Mina: "Go ahead and get something to eat. I might join you in a minute." Gathering all of her courage, the young lady dismissed her maid before turning to the man she decided to finally approach after days of waiting in vain. With her heart beating wildly, she strode toward Bakugou, followed closely by Shinsou, who continued to watch over her calmly.

The shogun stood with his back to her, which is why he could not see his wife heading toward him. His companions didn't seem to notice her either, while they talked to their leader with serious looks on their faces. When (Y/N) came within earshot, she picked up Kaminari's voice, who was scratching his head in thought: "I don't know, man. She looks incredibly down all the time. I think you might want to speak with her." Surprised, the young lady paused when she heard the words leaving her blonde guard.

What were they talking about?

She could feel a hand suddenly resting on her shoulders to get her out of earshot of the men. “Now is not the time!” Shinsou also seemed to have noticed that this was not meant for his lady's ears, but before he could act further, her husband replied in his raspy, echoing voice: "I don't care what emotional little problems my wife has. I married her for political reasons. I make sure that she is safe and that she lacks nothing. In doing so, I have done my duty. Let her go cry to her maids. I don't care!"

Frozen, said wife looked at the back of Bakugou's ash-blonde head as her stomach tightened uncomfortably. She could feel his harsh words lashing out on her naked heart, bruising her painfully while she embarrassingly realized that she could not hide her feelings from her guards as well as she had hoped. Kirishima gaze flew past the shogun and landed in shock on his young mistress, who gulped and suppressed the tears that were welling up in her glistening eyes. Stealing her expression, she took a step back. "My lady!" he groaned as he slowly lost the color in his face. Immediately, Bakugou and Kaminari spun around to look into (Y/N)'s countenance like Kirishima did. Shinsou let go of the young woman as she threw herself into a curtsy while turning her gaze to the ground.

The Shogun stiffened at the sight of his wife and clenched his jaw grudgingly. "What do you want, girl?" he spoke, without a word of apology. "I-I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit before I retire back to the carriage. I didn't mean to disturb you, Your Grace!", lied (Y/N) in a shaky voice after she had straightened up. She did not dare to look at Bakugou again, for fear that she would not be able to keep the rising tears in her prison. Accordingly, however, she didn't see her husband pull back his shoulders to take a defensive stance: "You didn't manage that last part very well!", he grumbled unfiltered, while Kirishima and Kaminari flinched slightly and cursed softly under their breaths.

Her husband's words hurt (Y/N), but did not surprise her further after hearing what he had said about her to his companions. Sadness, but also anger, raised within her core when she thought about the fact that she had actually wanted to ask him if he wanted to have lunch with her. Now, however, she threw that plan out the window, while she finally looked at him with a trace of hurt pride in her expression. She didn't mind that her eyes were glazed over as she answered him with a certain sharpness: "Well then, I will correct my misbehavior at this point. If you'll excuse me, gentlemen!" Turning on her heel, (Y/N) didn't catch how Bakugou looked for a moment like an inner conflict was brewing behind his stony facade. In the blink of an eye, however, the shogun had regained his steely countenance as he turned and stomped past his companions, shoulders tense, in the opposite direction of his wife.

(Y/N) fled into her carriage without paying further attention to her surroundings after asking Shinsou to give her some space. The latter had only barely nodded after glancing angrily in his master's direction. Inside the wooden vehicle, the young lady had thrown herself into the pillows that had been laid out, letting her angry tears run free behind closed doors. Sobbing, she clawed at the fabric of the cover as she wondered how she could possibly bridge the gap between her husband and herself. How could a man be so forgiving one moment and so heartless the next? Of course, he was right. Their union was closed for political reasons and yet (Y/N) didn't understand why one couldn't still try to make the best of the situation.

It took the former Midoriya what felt like an eternity to calm down, but she was glad that no one came near the carriage to check on her. She did hear sounds of footsteps echoing on the stony ground through the open window, but the person watching over her out there had the decency to leave her alone, fortunately.

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Furious, Bakugou trudged past his soldiers as he increased the distance between his wife, his closest friends, and himself with each step. He didn't feel the need to dwell on this sentimental nonsense. The whole situation was already agitating him much more than he wanted to admit anyway.

After Bakugou had looked down into his wife's tear-stained face on his wedding night and at the bruises he had accidentally left on her body, he had hardly been able to sleep well through a night. Over and over again he thought of how she had stared up at him with quivering lips while her fingers had twitched uncontrollably after he had finally let go of her wrists. He didn't know why the memory of his trembling wife got under his skin so much. Bakugou had experienced and executed far worse things without batting an eye, but he couldn't help but wonder if she was as afraid of him as Deku had been at her age. She had said that she wanted to join him in bed, but after he had seen her lying there, he had no longer been sure whether she had not affirmed this purely out of a dumb sense of duty or not.

Without meaning to, the memories he and Izuku had shared blurred together, replacing his face with his sister's. Bakugou had done many things in his younger years that he had learned to regret in relation to Izuku, even if he would never openly admit it in front of his rival. The mild-mannered young man had felt the worst of Bakugou's bruised ego over and over again, and yet the older Midoriya had always risen from the muck and reached out to his rival. It had taken many years before they could reasonably work together without going at each other because of Bakugou’s hot headed and pride filled mindset. However, even if they were no longer the kids like they were back then, that didn't let their past go undone.

"This is so dumb!", the Shogun growled angrily as he kicked a pebble aside. More soldiers approached him, not dodging the mighty warrior fast enough as he stomped purposefully toward them. "Get out of my way, extras!", barked Bakugou loudly as he rammed one of the men with his strong shoulder. Startled, the soldiers jumped apart before looking after their master in bewilderment, but he paid no further attention to his subordinates as he was too busy turning his uncertainty into anger.

Taking a deep breath, the ash-blond Shogun finally came to a halt next to his horse, while taking a few seconds to finally take a deep breath. Closing his eyes, Bakugou gripped the reins of his companion as he began to organize his thoughts.

(Y/N) was not Izuku, even if some of her behaviors strongly reminded the shogun of the new heir to the imperial throne. Bakugou was also no longer the impetuous boy he had been back when he was a samurai novice, even if he still didn't put a filter in front of his mouth.  His experiences over the years had shaped him into the man he was today, and even though he was not ashamed to be himself, he had learned that not all of his decisions had always been the right ones. But even this knowledge didn't help him to properly sort out his frustrations and certainly not to find out what he could do about them. The situation did not get easier considering that he now had to communicate with a squeamish woman. Which was not exactly one of his strengths.

A sudden commotion snapped Bakugou out of his thoughts and made him instantly spin around in order to inspect the situation. With a keen eye, he watched as the horses near his wife's carriage suddenly roused and charged off in different directions within mere seconds. Many soldiers tried to catch the animals before they could escape, but everything sank into chaos. The Shogun, however, had no time to wonder why they were not properly leashed, when suddenly the carriage in which (Y/N) was normally transported took on a life of its own, while it slowly started to roll down the slope. Immediately a cold shower run down his spine, as Bakugou realized suddenly that his wife had said that she would retire in said carriage just a mere few moments ago.

Without hesitation, Bakugou swung himself onto his horse, cursing sharply, before breaking into a hasty gallop. In horror, he saw how no one managed to stop the carriage in the chaos, which quickly picked up speed on the steep path. Gritting his teeth, he tried to push his companion to go faster in order to catch up with it as soon as possible. Out of the corner of his eyes, the Shogun could see Kirishima also jumping on one of the captured horses, but Bakugou had long passed him before he could gain speed.

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Panicked, (Y/N) tried to hold on to something while the carriage plunged down the uneven ground at an incredible speed. Unsuccessfully, she slipped consistently on the smoothly polished wood, as she tore down one of the curtains when she missed to get a hold on something solid again. Gasping, (Y/N) crumpled to the side, injuring one of her ankles as the vehicle went through a pothole. The burning sting caused tears to well up in her clenched eyes, but she tried to find her footing again despite the pain. Whimpering loudly, she took a deep breath get a hold of herself in order to figure out what was going on outside her carriage. With agitated fingers, the young woman crawled back to the wall as best she could and stretched out her arm to reach for the window frame, on which she could finally pull herself up. Cautiously, the young lady tried to lean out of the window to see why the carriage was moving at such a speed.

The green shadows of the trees and bushes whizzed past her as she searched for answers, but when she realized in horror that there was no horse attached to the wooden vehicle her heart almost stopped in shock. She was heading at full speed towards a wall of trees. Frozen, (Y/N) clawed at the wood as she realized that the impact would most likely destroy the carriage. A collision would be her death sentence. For a moment she wondered if she would have a better chance if she just jumped out of the carriage, but she realized that the speed would probably break her neck. Looking for a way out, she tried to stay on her feet while the clatter of the carriage shook her deep within her limbs.

The sound of approaching galloping hooves snapped her out of her panic and caused her to turn in the other direction. When she caught sight of her husband, a sense of relief swept through her. "Bakugou-sama!", she cried breathlessly, before once again losing her footing as the carriage's wheels went through another pothole. Screeching, she landed painfully on her knees before once again trying with all her might to hoist herself up.

"(Y/N)!", her husband's piercing voice rang out as he finally caught up with the carriage. Bakugou rode as close as he could and extended an arm toward her while clenching his jaw in a concentrated manner. "Open the door and grab my arm!", he shouted with determination as he tried to lean closer to her. With all the strength (Y/N) could still muster, she pulled herself towards the door by the frame of the window before desperately pushing it open. With the force, she almost fell out of the moving carriage, but she had managed to catch herself at the last moment. "Hurry up!", shouted Bakugou, while he tried to keep his horse from distancing itself from the carriage.

Taking a deep breath, the young lady dared to look into the gap that was between the carriage and the galloping horse. She almost lost her courage after looking down while she clung to the frame in fright. “Don’t look down! Just jump! I will catch you!”, Bakugou encouraged her once more. (Y/N) looked at her husband with panic in her eyes before she nodded and leaned out of the entrance towards him. Before she could lose her footing, a strong arm wrapped around her body and pressed her with a jerk against an equally firm chest. Immediately, (Y/N) wrapped her arms around her husband's shoulders holding on for dear life, while his horse began to gradually slow down at Bakugou's command. A few moments later they came to a halt, while some distance away the carriage crashed into the thick tree trunks with a loud crash, bursting apart as anticipated.

With rattling breaths, the couple clung to each other as they tried to realize what had just happened. Bakugou lifted his wife a little higher to place her on the saddle in front of him, while (Y/N) clawed the fabrics on her husband’s back in fear. Trembling, she pressed herself against Bakugou, hiding her face in his damp neck, as she began to sob silently within his arms.

“Katsuki, are you hurt?!", Kirishima's worried voice rang out from behind the pair as he caught up to them as quickly as he could. Panic glazed his red eyes as he looked at them with concern. Bakugou shook his head as he took a deep breath. "Nothing that can't heal in a few days!", he hissed as his wife still hung around his neck, quivering. His arm tightened around her smaller frame, as his eyes began to darken in fury.

The young lady nodded understandingly as she watched how Toru began to sniff on various vials of different scented oils, comparing their flowery fragrances, while the other two servants began to gently dry her off. It was strange to be assisted by so many girls at the same time, after all (Y/N) was normally only used to Mina giving her a hand, but this seemed to be one of those things that just changed when you became a shogun's wife. The attention that the young girls gave her was a bit too much for the young lady, but she did not want to keep them away from their work on her very first evening as their mistress. Accordingly, (Y/N) endured the procedure in silence, waiting for them to finish their tasks with lowered eyelids.

"What do you think of Jasmine, milady? I'm sure Bakugou-dono would like the scent very much!", Toru's voice rang out next to the young lady as she held up a small vial.

Again, (Y/N) nodded absently as she raised her head to let her gaze glide through the unfamiliar room as if she had not spent her whole bath looking at her surroundings like a lost child. After her arrival she had been led into the Shogun's chambers, while he had left her with his servants to do who knows what. It was already clearly to see that his estate had been prepared for his upcoming departure. Like the rest of the grand house, she had seen on her way to his private chambers, his room was large, suitable for the master of this household, but it also revealed nothing about his personality. The lack of personal belongings made it seem almost uninhabited, despite the quality of the remaining inventory. It was like a home that was waiting to be filled with life. Everything that seemed to not be necessary anymore was packed away already, leaving only blank spaces and a thin layer of dust behind. (Y/N) felt almost unwelcome and out of place, like a splash of color on a white background.

"You have really beautiful skin, milady. It is so delicate and soft!", one of the girls gushed admiringly as she gently began to embalm (Y/N)'s arms and legs with the scented oil which Toru had selected a few moments ago. Torn from her thoughts, the young lady tore her gaze around to blink at the young servant who had spoken to her, before she tilted her head down in embarrassed gratitude. "T-Thank you.", (Y/N) murmured in response while she watched with heated cheeks how the servant applied more of it on her collarbone and neck, leaving a thin layer to soak on her tingling skin. The pleasant scent of the perfumed liquid rose to the lady's nostrils as she waited for the nameless girl to finish her task, while the headmaid suddenly stepped behind her to address the other one: "Go ahead and get a light dinner for the lady. We can manage the rest on our own.", Toru spoke silently while she took the towel with which the other one had just squeezed the excess water out of her lady's hair. Surprised, (Y/N) listened attentively before she slowly turned around to look at the maid who was in charge. "Isn't Bakugou-sama having dinner with me?", the former Midoriya asked uncertainly as she sought the plain servant's gaze. Hesitating, Toru shook her head apologetically before answering her mistress's question: "I am afraid no, milady. His lordship is still busy with some preparations. I am sure that he will join you later this evening."

Disappointed, (Y/N) lowered her eyes, nodding silently in understanding as she bit her lower lip. She was not used to eat her meals alone, always surrounded by her loved ones. Normally, she ate together with her family, who attached great importance to maintaining this tradition, despite how busy their lives could get. So, the thought that those times were over now, made her once again unbelievingly sad, as she began to ask herself whether from now on, she would have to eat all her meals without the company of her new family, her husband.

Not daring to speak again, Toru helped her mistress to slip the night robe over her stiff shoulders. It was airier than (Y/N)'s usual night attire and was held together only by a silky bow on the right side above her ribs. The thin flowing yukata-like garment covered her almost to the fullest, but it was so gauzy that she could feel every single breeze on her skin. Nervously, the young lady bit her lips as she imagined Bakugou seeing her in something so revealing, as she avoided to look at herself in the tall mirror that stood next to her shivering frame. Hesitating briefly, (Y/N) looked down at herself before slowly opening her lips to voice her concerns: „Actually, I'd like to put something else over my nightgown. It's a little breezy.", (Y/N) mumbled while she carefully let her fingers glide over the thin skirt. The headmaid paused for a moment to look at her lady with widened eyes before she shook her head apologetically: "I-I'm sorry, milady, but only this garment has been set aside for tonight, as everything else has already been packed for tomorrow's departure.", the inconspicuous servant replied as she looked to the side with an embarrassed expression on her face. "I-I could bring you a blanket, though, if you're cold, milady!" Gripping the soft fabric, (Y/N) shook her head in defeat, before smiling flatly at her maid: "It's alright! Thank you for your concern though."

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Silently, the young lady ate dinner while Toru had carefully brushed her damp hair to help it dry a bit faster. Perhaps the young girl had realized that her lady was uncomfortable dining alone or maybe she just wanted to finish one of her last tasks without thinking at all. No matter despite the silence, (Y/N) was glad at least not to be left completely alone just yet. However, the moment came eventually when all the tasks had been completed. The young girls had cleaned up the room before leaving the headmaid to finish the rest on her own. (Y/N)'s hair was still a little clammy when she finished her meal, but it would dry on its own in quite some time. Shortly after, Toru had led her to the waiting bed before she hesitantly left her alone, with a brief good night on her lips.

Silence enveloped the young girl as she nervously stared up at the ceiling, waiting for her husband to join her eventually. A small candle flickered on her nightstand, providing a tiny bit of light in the otherwise completely darkened room. Alone in this unfamiliar bedroom, (Y/N) felt more at lost than before. It was creepy to be in a place that was completely unknown to her at this hour. Every creak, every crack sounded strange and unusual in her ears, startling her several times until she finally sat up to look around the room. Restlessly, the girl swung her legs over the edge of the bed before grabbing the thin bedspread from the foot of the bed to drape it over her stiff shoulders. Reaching for the candle on her nightstand, the young lady tried to look around the big room, searching for another source of light to ignite, before her bare feet led her to the candles in the corner of the room to light them up.

When (Y/N) passed the tall mirror in the corner of the spacious chamber, she raised her head to glance at her shadowy figure, pausing briefly. With a slight tremble on her lips, she began to examinate her ghostly form that reflected her image on the glassy surface. The small light source illuminated her face in an ethereal manner, but the rest of her body was engulfed by the surrounding shadows. She almost remembered herself of the descriptions which were used for wandering spirts, which were living in the realm between life and death, searching for a way to find their final rest. It was an image that creeped her out and forced her heart to frighteningly jump in her chest. Hurriedly the young lady turned away, to set her candle back on her nightstand. Instead of going back to bed, however, her feet led her across the warm carpets, over to the window, which was covered by heavy curtains.

Exhausted, (Y/N) leaned her heated forehead against the cool surface of the windowpane, after she had pushed the opaque fabric aside, directing her gaze outside. Due to the darkness, hardly anything of the backyard could be seen, but the familiar sight of the stars and the moon illuminating the clear sky made (Y/N) finally calm down a bit. She stood there for a few moments, looking up to the night sky until all at once the sliding door to the bedroom was pushed open. Startled, the young lady wheeled around, but she exhaled her halted breath when she recognized her husband, who entered the room with a candle in his hand.

Not finding his wife in bed, Bakugou's gaze wandered around the room until he finally spotted her next to the curtains of the window. He paused for a short moment, looking at her, before he continued his way through his chamber. "It's chilly, you shouldn't be barefoot on the cold floor," he remarked gruffly. (Y/N) lowered her gaze to the ground, looking at her naked toes which curled upon the cool wood beneath her before she gently pulled the curtains to close them in conscience. Taking a few steps into the room, she nodded briefly in agreement. Before she started her way back to the bed, however, she paused as she touched the carpeted floor a few steps away from him. With trembling lips, she pulled her blanket a little tighter around her shoulders, feeling the shogun's gaze rest on her, while she tried to find her voice to address him finally.

Bakugou strode purposefully toward the small table where his wife had eaten her dinner some time before. There he put down his candle before placing his katana next to it. Only now had the young girl noticed that he had brought it with him. The visible parts of metal, which was not covered by the scabbard, shone mysteriously in the candlelight, but (Y/N) tore her gaze away from it to look at the man who normally wielded this weapon. Bakugou looked as if he had also taken a bath a short time ago. His hair was still a bit clammy, and he was also no longer wearing the kimono he had worn during their brunch.

After recognizing her hesitancy, he let go of his weapon to slowly walk towards her. His calloused fingers brushed softly over the wood of the table before he moved too far away from the piece of furniture. With steps muffled by the carpets, he slowly approached his bride until he finally stopped in front of her. (Y/N)'s heart began to beat strongly in her chest all at once as she looked up at her husband with a shaky breath. With quivering lips, she stared into his eyes, not knowing what she had wanted to say to him anymore, as he began to analyze her facial expression carefully.

She could see his jaw tighten again, as he read the nervousness in her eyes. "Are you afraid of me?", he asked in a rough, hissing voice as he leaned down closer to her without touching her in any way. Swallowing, (Y/N) shook her head as she bit her lower lip nervously. "No, Your Grace!", she breathed softly as she saw his features darken. Bakugou bared his teeth as he breathed deeply through his nose. "You're trembling all over and your pupils are dilated. Do not lie to me!", he growled angrily, but (Y/N) shook her head vehemently again before replying: "I-I am not afraid of you, Bakugou-sama. It just makes me nervous to blindly blunder into a situation without knowing what is going to happen. I do not know what to expect or what I need to do now. I... I do not want to disappoint you!", she declared truthfully as she wrapped her arms tighter around her body, without taking her eyes off the man in front of her. Realization flashed in Bakugou's eyes. It softened his features considerably when he finally nodded in understanding. "I see!", he murmured thoughtfully, before averting his gaze for a moment to consider how to deal with the information. (Y/N) was also thinking about what to do now. Her mother had said that Bakugou would touch her. She did not know exactly the extent of what she had been talking about, but she had said that it was the first step in setting the foundation for a loving bond.

"Will...", the girl began nervously before taking one deep breath to continue speaking: "Will you touch me now?", she breathed softly as she lowered her eyes in embarrassment. Bakugou jerked his head around to lower his gaze back down to her. He watched the way she dug her teeth nervously into her lower lip as her fingers played with the ends of her blanket. "If you want me to do that, I will. Otherwise, I will not touch you tonight.", he replied after a moment. A shiver ran down the young bride's spine as she realized his answer.

"But isn't it of necessity? My mother said it is expected of the groom and his wife on the wedding night!" "I will not be told what must be done. I have no interest in imposing myself on you any more than necessary!", he grumbled stubbornly as his shoulders tensed dangerously. Despite his sharp tone, her husband's words warmed her heart a thousandfold and caused a pleasant tingling in her stomach area. The feelings he triggered in her with his gestures overwhelmed (Y/N) so much that it left her speechless. For a few seconds, the newlyweds looked into each other's eyes with scrutinizing glances. However, when the young bride saw Bakugou finally turn away from her, she panicked and reached into the fabric of his sleeve to stop him. She did not want him to turn away. It felt like a step back from their shaky relationship. If she allowed them to grow apart rather than find each other, she would be breaking the promise to herself. So, she was going to fight for their relationship, no matter how much it made her nervous that she was not knowing what was going to happen.

"I want... I w-want you to touch me though! P-please do not turn away!", begged (Y/N) with a thin voice after she had scraped together all her courage. Breathlessly, she stepped a little closer to Bakugou with trembling legs as she looked up at him, waiting for him to initiate something... anything. She gasped as she felt his rough fingers brush her cheek, but it was not reluctance that had made her sigh. Bakugou seemed to realize this as well, watching the young girl lower her eyes as she pressed her heated cheek against his hand hesitantly. "You know the rumors about me! I am not an effeminate man like your brother! So, you should be aware of what you are getting yourself into!", the Shogun spoke in a harsh voice as he wrapped his arm around her waist, giving her a tug to hold her against him. (Y/N)'s breath caught as she collided against his muscular chest. "I do not care for rumors. I had put my life into your hands this morning. So, I will put my trust in it as well.", (Y/N) replied with conviction as she tilted her head back enough to look at him again. "Naïve, brat! You should not say something like that!", he grumbled sharply. When she felt the rough Shogun quietly cursing as he leaned further and further down toward her, the young bride instantly closed her eyes in anticipation.

(Y/N) would have thought his lips would be as rough as his fingers, but the softness of his mouth, made her shiver pleasantly as he finally pressed them against hers. She could feel him moving his lips against hers, releasing a surprisingly tingling sensation inside her. Following her mother's advice, she tried to follow his lead, mimicking his gesture and moving her mouth against his a little more awkwardly than he did. She could feel his fingers grip her face tighter for a moment before he slid them over her open hair. As if in a trance, (Y/N)'s grip on her blanket loosened, which then slowly slid down her body. With a swoosh, it landed on the floor as she lifted her arms to instinctively place her hands on his broad shoulders. For a moment, the rugged Shogun detached himself from her to look down at his young wife with red flaming eyes. His gaze was unreadable, and yet his quickening breath was an indicator that he too seemed to sense an effect within his body.

Bakugou ran his thumb over the puffy skin of her lower lip before his hand slowly traveled down her chin and across her neck. Swallowing, (Y/N) felt his fingers graze the spot where her pulse sent blood rushing through her veins until they finally brushed the hem of her collar. Blinking, (Y/N) opened her eyes to look at Bakugou from under her eyelashes with a glazed expression. She was overwhelmed by the feeling that the man's few touches had already evoked in her. Was this what her mother had meant? Was this closeness the foundation on which they were to build their love?

"Was it already that? Would you... Could we do it again?" the young girl breathed uncertainly as her fingers dug deeper into Bakugou's sleeve. The blond man grinned cheekily in response as he raised an eyebrow to look at her almost teasingly. "I haven't even really started yet!", he bragged confidently, while his chest barely noticeably jutted out with an expression of pride after her statement. Her eyes widened at his statement as she wondered what was to come. "Do you want to find out?" Shocked, (Y/N) realized that she had spoken her thoughts aloud, but Bakugou only continued to investigate her nervous looking face with an arrogant smirk on his lips. Heat rose to her ears and cheeks as she inhaled sharply, but he remained unimpressed by her gestures. Nervously, the young lady bit her swollen lower lip before nodding her agreement.

Instead of kissing her again, however, Bakugou disappointingly broke away from her to take her hands in his and lead her to the bed. "Lie down!", he ordered softly as he pushed her in the direction, he wanted her to be. (Y/N) obeyed the instruction with fluttering heart and carefully climbed onto the sleeping place she would share from now on with Bakugou. She felt his gaze rest on her as she slowly lowered herself onto the mattress, before watching him with her arms folded in front of her chest as the blond man followed her. The flickering candlelight cast dark shadows over his intimidating face, but at the same time it made sure that some of his hardness disappeared from his features. Silently, he knelt next to her before slowly leaning over her to take her face in his hands once more and kiss her with more passion than before. Again, it took the young girl's breath away as his lips moved against hers. Gasping, she lifted her fingers against his muscular chest to dig into the collar of his night robe this time. Instead of pushing him away, she unconsciously pulled him down a little closer to her, while Bakugou's hands began to wander over her smaller frame. Once again, he stroked her hair, while his other ran down her neck to her trembling shoulders.

Rough fingers traced along the edge of the hem of her collar, caressing her collarbone until they reached the base of her clothed breasts. Gasping, (Y/N) opened her lips as she felt him lightly push the fabric aside, loosening the bow over her ribs with his other hand. His tongue took the opportunity to enter her mouth without hesitation, searching for hers in confidence. Overwhelmed, the young lady flinched. Her thighs instinctively clenched together and began to rub against each other as he thrust the tip of his tongue against hers in a demanding manner. Flinching again, she backed away for a moment, before she pressed her lips back at his, breathing unsteadily while they kissed each other. In a way their actions seemed inappropriate in her hazy mind, but on the other hand it felt not wrong at all. As if it was perfectly natural, what they were doing in the solitude of Bakugou's chambers. She did not know what had gotten into her as she pressed herself up against the young man who bent over her with one hand next to her head to steady himself. All she knew was that she wanted more, though she could not have named what it was. Her fingers moved from his chest to his shoulders, where the tips of his ash-blond hair gently tickled her shaking knuckles.

The satisfied rumble that escaped Bakugou's throat sounded like music to his wife's ears. It spurred her to let her tongue tap against the man's as well, which he immediately used to let his circle around hers, while he began to push aside the fabric of her nightgown more brashly than before. Rough fingers wandered over the soft skin of her breast, before his hand embraced it rather gently. His thumb rubbed over the soft bud until it slowly began to harden under the touch of his callused skin, bathing hers entirely in goosebumps. This caused (Y/N) to pant and break away from Bakugou's lips to gasp for much needed air. With dilated pupils, the young girl investigated the face of her newlywed husband, trembling under his heated gaze. "W-What are you doing?", she breathed quaveringly before looking down at herself in shame. The night gown already revealed a large portion of her upper body, places a man had never glimpsed before. "In order to continue, I must undress you. Do you want me to stop?", he declared slowly as his gaze wandered over his wife's form. Taking a deep breath, (Y/N) tried to concentrate, shaking away the foggy sensation which clouded her senses. Heart pounding, the young girl shook her head before the fierce shogun leaned down again, to let his mouth roam over her jaw, only to follow up by passionately kissing her neck. "If you want me to stop, say something! Otherwise, I'll keep going." "I do not want you to stop! Please!"

Complying with her plea, the blond man hummed and sucked at the thin, sensitive skin beneath her ear as his hands pushed the fabric of her robe even further apart. (Y/N) understood why such intimacies should be shared exclusively with her husband. She could not imagine letting anyone else get that close to her, but she briefly wondered if every girl felt that way after being married. Rough fingers stroked over the base of her breasts again, down over the sides of her ribs and waist, only to press his fingertips into her soft flesh for a brief moment, eliciting another sighing moan from the young lady. When (Y/N) realized what kind of sounds she was making, she made moves to cover her lips with one of her wrists, but Bakugou grabbed her arm and pushed it gruffly next to her head, where he fixed it for a moment. "Don't do that!", he growled against her ear. "As my wife, I will not allow you to hide anything from me!"

With her upper body quivering, the former Miss Midoriya stared up at her husband as he slowly lifted one of his legs over hers, only to place it between her own. (Y/N) watched as Bakugou leisurely rose a bit to look down at her without having to support himself with one of his arms anymore. One of his free hands wandered once more to the bow on the side of her dress to finally untie it completely, while his other hand crept past the slit of her robe to wander from the calf of her bent leg up her soft thigh. A shiver made the girl tremble all over her body as she allowed her husband to expose her more and more with her arms bent against her sides until the dress finally fanned out around her. (Y/N) had never felt so vulnerable as she did at that moment, but she did not want to let her anxiety win over her mind. It felt good, but so unfamiliar and scary at the same time. Eyes that shone like a beacon in the light level of the candles drank in the sight of his wife, while the girl stared up at him quivering.

As if he had all the time in the world, he eased away from his wife's body with slow movements to untie the bow on his own yukata. Without hesitation, he slipped off his night robe before positioning himself over her again. Completely confident, Bakugou knelt exposed between his wife's legs as he looked down at her with a serious expression. Shyly, but with a hint of curiosity, (Y/N) looked at her husband's body for a brief moment before averting her eyes nervously. When she felt Bakugou slowly reach for her hands, only to press them against his bare chest afterwards, she turned her attention to their connected skin. With tingling fingers, (Y/N) felt the shogun's strong heartbeat against the pads of her fingertips as his hands began to wander again. Hesitantly, the young girl mirrored the man's movements, carefully running her own over his defined torso. Bakugou also positioned his second leg between his wife's knees, causing her to spread her thighs a little wider. Her body stiffened as he did so, quivering with tension at the unfamiliar closeness. Once again, Bakugou kissed the former Midoriya with passion before shifting his weight so that their loins were touching each other. She felt his hips push her legs further apart as one of his hands slowly but surely traveled downward. Breathing faster, she focused on the warrior's rough fingers as they sank from her belly button down between her legs. Gasping, the girl winced as he touched a spot, she was strangely sensitive to. Breathing heavily, she broke away from Bakugou's lips as he began to stroke her between her legs. His face pressed into her hair as he breathed deeply in and out without changing his movements. An unfamiliar feeling spread through (Y/N), causing an overwhelming tingling in her body. Slowly but surely, something began to build up between her center, causing her to gasp now and then.

His lips kissed again and again along her neck and jaw, while she pressed her head against his naked shoulder in search of support. "Relax!", Bakugou ordered gruffly, while he briefly left her center to press his hand against her tense thigh to emphasize his statement. When she felt his fingers moving a little deeper between her legs, finally slowly penetrating her in a strange way, (Y/N) fingers instinctively clawed into her husband's upper arms. She gasped silently, while she pressed her feet against the soft mattress beneath them, trembling more than ever because of the weird intrusion. Breathing heavily, she felt one of his fingers tilting inside her, caressing a spot that caused her entire body to rise uncontrollably, letting her see stars behind her closed eyelids. "Bakugou-sama!", (Y/N) squealed against her husband's chest before she felt him gently pull his fingers back out of her. Dazed, the girl let herself sink back into the pillows as the Shogun let go of her for a few moments to reach between his own legs. She could feel Bakugou shifting his weight to press something wider than his fingers against her damp flesh.

"Hold onto me!", he commanded into her ear, growling, before slowly flexing his hips forward. The muscles of his back tensed under his wife's fingertips as he penetrated her inch by inch without pausing. Despite this, Bakugou was more cautious than one would have expected from a man like him, and yet he could not stop it from feeling like he was almost tearing her to pieces in the process. Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she pressed her face against his neck, whimpering softly. Her fingernails clawed into the sides of his muscular ribs as he sank inexorably into her. His heavy breathing and her soft sobs were all that filled the room with sound until he was finally fully united with her.

Clicking his tongue, Bakugou tightened his fists into the pillow on which his wife's head rested as he paused for a few seconds. After a short moment, however, he began to move his hips again, this time to withdraw from her, only to penetrate her again. This movement he repeated over and over again. First slowly and then gradually faster and faster with each movement. Jaw tightened, Bakugou tried to block out his wife's sobs, hoping the pain would pass in time. And so it was. The pain between (Y/N)'s legs ebbed away, making it easier to relax her body again. Slowly, but surely, the pleasant feeling that her husband had caused before he had entered her, built up again. Moaning, the man pressed his face into his wife's hair as he began to move his hips more and more violently against hers. It seemed as if Bakugou was relinquishing some of his control, succumbing to the good feeling she gave him. All at once as he grabbed her hands, which had begun to move from his ribs to his chest, pulling them above her head where he would press them briskly into her pillow.

Instead of being intimidated by this gesture, (Y/N) gasped quiveringly as an unstoppable feeling spread through her. Gradually, the nearly forgotten tension built up between her legs once again, causing the young woman's spirit to float higher and higher away, until all at once she was brought back to earth with shocking speed. Whimpering, her body twitched under her husbands as her muscles continued to contract. Bakugou's movements began to become halting and erratic all at once before he slowed down with a groan until he finally paused entirely above her.

With hearts beating wildly, the couple remained in their silent position until the Shogun finally straightened up slowly, as he let go of his wife's wrists. His gaze wandered from the bruises he had left on her arm to her tear-streaked face before he rolled off of her, cursing silently at the sight that spread before his eyes. Bakugou ran his hands through his spiky hair as he rose tensely from the bed. His jaw clenched tightly again as he averted his gaze in a grave manner. Completely caught off guard, (Y/N) watched the fluctuation in her husband's mood as she wondered why suddenly, he looked like he wanted to smash something. How could he have gone from the passionate husband to the furious warrior in a second? Had she done something wrong? Was it not pleasurable for him?

Unsure, (Y/N) instinctively pulled her arms and legs to her as she felt moisture running down her thighs. She did not quite understand what had happened moments ago, but the closeness they had shared a moment ago had overwhelmed her. It had felt so intimate, almost sacred. So why was he pulling away from her again now? Did he not feel the same?

Cautiously, the young woman turned her head to the blond shogun, who stomped around and blew out the candles in the room, before he lay down next to her again with a proper distance between them. An uncomfortable feeling spread through (Y/N)'s stomach area as she turned to the side to stare at her husband's back in the darkness. "Bakugou-sama..." she breathed softly, but the Shogun only gruffly pulled the blanket over them both before replying snottily without looking at her: "Sleep now. You have to get up early tomorrow!"

Soon she would no longer be a part of her precious, warmhearted family. She would have to discard her last name in order to take Bakugou's, leaving her home and abandoning everything that was known and dear to her.

How had she ever believed that she had been ready for this?

Each passing day brought her closer to a future that was unfamiliar to her. Not knowing what her life would be like after she married the fierce shogun frightened her immeasurably. So much, that she would have liked to ask for the wedding to be delayed a little longer. At least until she could get to know her fiancé a little better, to assure herself that he was truly a good man, but she was aware that this was not possible. Not after the incident at the Spring Festival, which had taken place a few days earlier.

So, she told herself minute by minute that she was in no need to worry about her future....

That everything would turn out fine...

That the gods had chosen her path on purpose...

That she needed to have faith...

This was her mantra for all the fleeting moments until the day of her wedding finally came. But no matter how many times she had told herself to stay positive, no matter how hard she tried, those words still felt unbelievingly empty even as she climbed the stone steps with trembling legs towards the Shinto Temple beside her silent groom. Her footsteps, echoed on the cracked, mossy stone slabs, reminding her of looming drumbeats, mixing itself with the pounding of her loudly beating heart. Stressed out by the situation, (Y/N) hardly noticed her surroundings anymore. Everything around her simply seemed as if it were too much for her overtaxed senses. The sun shone too brightly, while the birds sang too loudly. Her multi-layered, intricately designed white kimono was too heavy on her shoulders and her legs too weak to carry her reasonably. Nothing seemed right to her anymore and everything blurred before her wet eyes as she fought to push her emerging tears back.

(Y/N) wanted to go home, hiding herself in her fluffy covers, waiting for the nightmare to finally end and yet she continued to stride unceasingly toward the ever-approaching temple. With lowered eyelids, the young bride strode towards her destination, while a temple servant held a traditional red umbrella protectively over her and her groom, shielding the fresh morning sun from their festively dressed frames. The paper umbrella was meant to protect the couple from the gaze of malevolent spirits, but (Y/N) wondered almost sarcastically if this might not have been too late for them, considering the start this union had already had to go through.

Her tightly corseted obi nearly cut off her breath when they finally entered the musty smelling temple. Pausing beside Bakugou in front of the altar, (Y/N) tried to swallow down her emerging tears again while she tilted her head a little lower than she had already done before. Almost mechanically, she bowed to the worldly treasures of the gods that manifested their spirit to this place, pleading them to have mercy on her. She could feel her groom's gaze on her, but she did not dare to return it for fear that she would finally start to panic, offending both him and her family in front of the eyes of the gods. Her heart was beating up to her throat as she noticed the temple servants and the shrine master positioning themselves around her and her groom to begin the ritual that would bind her to the fierce Shogun forever.

Covered by the large white hood, (Y/N) had closed her eyes, inwardly sending one prayer after another to the heavens above, while she tried to listen as the shrine master announced their emerging union. "We have gathered here today to join his Lordship, Bakugou Katsuki, with her Ladyship, Midoriya (Y/N) before the eyes of the gods.", the frail old man began in a solemn manner, before continuing his speech after a short pause, but no matter how hard the bride tried to concentrate, his words reached her consciousness only in fragments.

It felt as if time had literally flown by before the servants suddenly began to traditionally pass one of the three bowls filled with sake after another to her brooding groom. The shogun dutifully sipped from the blessed beverages before placing the half-filled porcelain one by one into the trembling hands of his bride, showing the gods that he was willing to share his life with her from now on. Taking a deep breath, (Y/N) communicated her approval of the ritual by also taking in the contents of each of the three bowls. The liquid left a bitter aftertaste on her tongue as she swallowed the contents with careful gulps, but she drank it non the less. After that she listened to Bakugou as he began to read the pre-set wedding vows to the gods. With a wildly beating heart, she paid attention as the blond shogun promised them that they would honor and respect each other, that he, as her husband, would protect and nurture her, and that she, as his wife, would serve and follow him for the rest of her life. Together they lit the branches of an evergreen tree which would carry their thoughts and prayers on to heaven before the temple master finally declared Bakugou and (Y/N) husband and wife after the completion of the elaborate ritual.

After that, the young bride finally dared to raise her head, peeking out from under her hood to catch her first glimpse of her newly wedded husband with quivering lips. Bakugou also looked down at her with his stormy, vermilion eyes. His hard gaze betrayed nothing of the emotions that were hidden in his deepest inner self, but he was kind enough to nod reassuringly, showing her that he felt no displeasure at that moment. It was then while she looked up at him thoughtfully that (Y/N) became aware for the last time that from this point on, as painful as it was, she was no longer a Midoriya. Now that they had united before the gods, the young girl belonged to this man alone. Bakugou was all she had left. From now on, he would be her family.

Taking a deep breath, she took her time to look at him completely attentively, absorbing every single detail of his appearance. His masculine, yet at the same time thoroughly aristocratic features were framed by his wild ash blond hair, giving him a rather rakish appearance despite his exceedingly traditional attire. She could not deny that Bakugou was a truly handsome man, even if he did seem intimidating and sublime. A few seconds passed in which the pair looked at each other closely, but when (Y/N) tried to give him a cautious smile, the shogun hastily averted his gaze, to bow in front of the temple master in thanks.

Blinking, (Y/N) tried to hide her disappointment as she slowly turned away. With a sinking heart she searched for her family members, only to find her mother with glistening tears in her eyes but also with a soft smile on her freckled face. She clung to the arm of her sad-looking son, who proudly nodded to his sister. Kirishima Eijirou also smiled kindly at her as she began to follow Bakugou out of the temple. The young bride returned the gesture as best as she could, pausing for a short moment before she joined her husband on the courtyard.

The green leaves of the surrounding trees danced in the calming breeze, creating a gentle rustle that melodically surrounded the temple facility, while Bamboo sticks of various lengths hung from the great archways beating rhythmically against each other as the wind set them in motion. Numerous colorful birds jumped through the countless branches, completely unimpressed by the guests who strode along the path below them. Full of affection, they sang their songs to celebrate the blooming spring, as the sun's rays sparkled through the green canopy.

It was strange to pass through the several archways with only three wedding guests behind them, but at the same time it gave of something surprisingly peaceful. It may have been uncharacteristic for nobles of their rank to hold such a small ceremony, but (Y/N) was glad about the almost intimate gathering. The idyllic, mystical atmosphere managed to make her calm down for the first time in days. The young bride was still afraid what her path held in store for her, but in that tiny moment she briefly managed to find peace in the presence of the deity's that resided on this sacred ground. However, she also had no choice but to accept the situation. There was no turning back now. She had placed her future in the hands of the gods who had participated on her wedding despite her fear and now after she had done it, it was up to her to continue to follow their lead.

Taking a deep breath, (Y/N) pushed her hood a little higher to get another glimpse of Bakugou while she walked silently beside him. Thoughtfully she observed her husband's profile from his cheekbones down to his pronounced jawline, which twitched from time to time under the tightening pressure of his tense muscles. Even at his own wedding, he still looked like the vigilant, ruthless warrior he was. He radiated a predatory aura, seeming to be always ready to fight if necessary. Without being interested in his surroundings, he looked at the path that lay ahead of them, eager to leave this place behind. So, it surprised (Y/N), when Bakugou suddenly slowed his steps a bit to give his bride a chance to keep up with him despite her long hemline. His eyes flicked down to her for a moment before he straightened them again with a grim expression on his face.

Taking a deep breath, the young lady closed her own eyes shortly, smiling bittersweetly before she began to listen to the quiet voices of her brother and Bakugou's redhaired companion. The sounds of nature drowned out the words of their conversation, but just hearing the bright tone of Izuku's voice coming through to her was like another set of balm to her strained nerves.

When they arrived at the stairs that would lead them down from the higher grounded temple complex, however, (Y/N) once again looked up at her husband in surprise. She had tried to lift her skirt a bit in order to safely maneuver herself with the train of her wedding kimono but Bakugou had silently extended a hand to assist her in the descent of the sacred place. His rough fingers closed around her smaller hand to support her with a steady grip, as he led her down to their waiting carriage. The touch caused a tingling feeling in the area of her stomach, tickling her like the fluttering sensation of thousand little butterflies. It was strange to feel his skin on hers for longer than a fleeting moment, yet surprisingly it felt completely right to let her hand rest in his. His skin was incredibly warm and calloused from the countless battles he must have already fought in his life. It felt warm and soothing but also exciting and stirring at the same time.

Feeling a rising heat in her cheeks, (Y/N) sheepishly lowered her head to hide her face once again under her white hood. Nevertheless, she gratefully accepted the gesture while she began to hesitantly lean on him for support. Clearing her throat softly, the young bride searched for her voice before shyly whispering her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Grace."

.

.

.

If (Y/N) had learned anything about her newlywed husband during their few encounters, it was that he seemed to be a pragmatic and stubborn man. He was not someone who encouraged conversation out of politeness. When he preferred silence, he was silent and when he felt like talking, he straight out said what was on his mind. But it did not seem as if he would do anything, just because a certain action would be appropriate in a certain situation. He seemed to act far from the rules of society, to move to his own tune. At the same time, he showed that he was more principled than most of the other nobles she had met in her young life. Even for a man of his status, he seemed to be an extremely complex person, but (Y/N) believed that in time she would learn to adapt to him.

Now, however, it was extremely difficult for her to assess how he was feeling and how she should act in his presence. Was he in a good mood? Was there something he disliked? Could she do anything to better his stay in her childhood home? It was hard to tell, considering that the shogun always seemed disinterested if not a bit annoyed of his surroundings. But Izuku also seemed more tense and irritable than usual in Bakugou's presence. So maybe that was why Bakugou was silent for most of the wedding celebration within the Midoriya estate. She was glad that Kirishima and Kaminari managed to lighten the mood a bit with their friendly and exuberant manner.

After the late feast, the young bride had excused herself for a quiet minute to the more isolated part of the garden in the backyard of her childhood home, while the gentlemen talked with the emperor and his general, who had appeared in person to congratulate his two students on the union of their families. With her eyes closed, she enjoyed the last rays of sunshine while she sat on the stone bench under the blooming magnolia. Only when she heard soft footsteps crackling the lawn, the girl opened her eyes to investigate her mother's approaching body. "How do you feel, my child?", asked Lady Inko softly as she settled down beside her daughter. With gentle movements, she brushed a few petals from her daughter's richly embroidered, colorful kimono, which she had changed for her white robe before the meal.

"Nervous!", whispered (Y/N) truthfully, as she gazed up into the blossom canopy of the tree. "Any minute now, Bakugou-sama might decide that he wants to return to his own estate, and that means I'll have to leave you for good.", she added in a shaky voice as she blinked away the tears that were welling up. Taking a deep breath, (Y/N) tried to calm her fluttering heartbeat as she continued to look up into the treetop. "Oh, my sweet, loving daughter! No matter where you are, we will always be your family and love you with all our hearts.", Lady Midoriya began emotionally as she tried to steady her voice. "I know, a change is never easy to bear but you will adept to it in due time! I promise!", she added, after swallowing her own tears, as she reached for her daughter's hand.

Silence spread between the two ladies, both lost in their own thoughts until her mother suddenly cleared her throat in a nervous manner. Cautiously, the elderly lady looked around, to make sure that they can talk in private before she started to speak up again: "N-Now that you are married, there is something you and I should talk about!", murmured Lady Inko with blushing cheeks as she turned her upper body a little more in her daughter's direction. Curious, (Y/N) lowered her gaze to look at her mother with a questioning expression on her face.

"W-well... as you know, a lady is only allowed to share the room with her husband, let alone... well be alone with him.", Lady Midoriya tried to explain as she watched her daughter uncomprehendingly furrow her eyebrows, not understanding what her mother was getting at. Wildly gesticulating, the older woman tried to find the right words while visibly struggling for composure, as she tried to continue her speech: "As your husband, Bakugou-sama has.... well, he has the right... a-and of course the duty... to touch you in some way. Even more so today during your first night as a wedded couple."

"During our first night?", the girl repeated in a whisper, pondering over her mother's words. Nervousness spread inside of her, as (Y/N) gazed towards the silhouettes of the men who were sitting on the engawa of their house. She observed how Bakugou bowed to the emperor in thanks, while Toshinori-sama patted him on the shoulder, with a warm smile on his thin face. Before she could avert her eyes again, her husband suddenly turned his gaze on her as if he had felt her stare on his body. For a few seconds, they looked at one another, searching for something they could not find right away, before the young bride finally avoided his flaming gaze shyly by tilting her head away.

"It is the final ritual that shall bind you and your husband together from this day forward.", her mother explained hesitantly as she grabbed her heated cheeks, trying to cool them down a bit. Alarmed, (Y/N) looked up as she realized that she was not prepared for another wedding tradition. What would she have to do to perform the ritual? Why hadn't they told her about it before?

"It is your duty to offer yourself to him, but it is also the way to conceive a child. I don't know if you remember, but when you were a little girl, I explained to you that I could conceive both your brother and you because of the love your father and me shared for each other. Well, this is one part of the truth. You and your husband will have to share some kind of affection for you to conceive a child, and this is what you are going to try to do for the first time!" "And how do I make him love me like that, Mother? He does not seem to be very affectionate.", (Y/N) then asked shyly while she let her fingers run along the hem of her sleeves in a nervous manner.

"True love takes time my child, but you take the first step by letting him guide you tonight. He knows what to do and you will experience that in the end this is the most natural thing a couple can share with each other.", her mother continued to describe before pausing briefly to lean her head to the side thoughtfully. With her index finger, she tapped her lower lip in a brooding manner before starting to explain once again: "It's... It's like he has a s-special key that fits a lock that you own. All you have to do is give him the space to use it.", Lady Midoriya seemed satisfied with her explanation as she nodded and looked back to her daughter, but (Y/N) didn't quite understand what exactly her mother was getting at. She did not know of any lock she was supposed to have, nor had she perceived that Bakugou was carrying a special key with him. Sighing, Lady Inko stroked her daughter's cheek as she searched again for words: "Try to imagine it as a dance between you and your husband. He will come close to you, but do not be afraid. Relax and let him guide you through the steps while you simply follow his lead!"

The more her mother tried to describe the following tradition to her, the more abstract (Y/N)'s ideas became towards it. Overwhelmed, she gave up trying to wrap her head around the vague description her mother had offered her, so that she could use the remaining time to ask more questions before she finally had to leave: "What if Bakugou-sama doesn't want this love? He does not care about social customs and seems so aloof! What if he does not want me at all?", whispered (Y/N), hoping to get some more advice. For a moment, her mother looked at her pityingly before she began to smile at her daughter with a soft expression on her face again. Lady Midoriya opened her lips to answer her daughter but paused when she saw one of the servants approach the two ladies. Sympathetically, she patted (Y/N)'s arm as she turned to the person, who bowed respectfully in front of them: "Milady, Bakugou-sama wishes to leave the festivity. Your maid is putting your luggage for tonight into the carriage right now.", he announced bustlingly.

Swallowing, (Y/N) expelled the lump from her throat before nodding gratefully. Taking a deep breath, the young girl rose before seeking eye contact with her mother. The latter also rose from the stone bench before turning to her daughter and placing her hands on her cheeks. "Give it some time. I am sure you will find your way to each other. You can be very persistent when you want something. Show him your true colors, I have a feeling he will come to appreciate you!"

While the young bride was not entirely convinced by what her mother had said, she nodded in affirmation before breaking away from her, smiling bittersweetly, before she turned toward the entrance of her childhood home. "I shouldn't keep my husband waiting!", muttered (Y/N) before she moved briskly toward Bakugou, who waited next to the back entrance of her family's estate.

"Are you ready to go?", the young man asked when she reached him. His wife nodded in confirmation before tentatively closing her fingers around his upper arm to be guided by him. Bakugou stiffened slightly, when he felt her soft touch against his biceps, but he did not push her aside as she had fearfully anticipated. With a deep bow, the couple thanked their guests for having honored them with their presence before they were being led out by the bride's family.

The sun was already beginning to set as (Y/N) turned to face her brother and mother one last time for the evening. Sadly, she detached herself from Bakugou to approach the head of her family, searching for his warmth before she had to depart. "We'll come to see you in the morning before you leave to say goodbye.", Izuku murmured dejectedly as he embraced his sister. The young girl nodded against her big brother's shoulder before hesitantly breaking away from him. Suppressing the rising tears, she turned once more to her mother, who pressed a loving kiss to her forehead, gifting her daughter with an encouraging smile.

Bakugou bowed to the remaining members of the Midoriya family before he extended a hand to (Y/N) to help her into the carriage. Taking a deep breath, she placed her fingers on her husband's as she leaned forward to enter the wooden vehicle. After the young girl sat down on one of the two padded benches, Bakugou followed her, to sit on the opposite side of his wife. Silence spread between the two, when the door was closed by the coachman. The only sound that surrounded them was the clacking of the horse's hooves and the rattling of the wooden wheels on the stony ground, as the carriage began to move away from her former home.

(Y/N) took a moment to tear herself away from the sight of her family, but when she noticed Bakugou shifting his weight again and again, she finally turned to face him. His face looked tense as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, gloomily looking out the same window she had looked out earlier as well. When he noticed that his wife was watching him, he turned to stare her down with a twitching eyebrow. "What?", he asked in a raspy voice, suddenly looking rather annoyed. Blinking, the young lady considered what to say as she nervously brushed the wrinkles from her kimono. "Are you unhappy?"

Bakugou's jaw twitched slightly as he clenched his teeth. He was silent for a brief moment, averting his gaze to look out of the window again. The young girl did not expect an answer anymore when he finally replied after all: "No, I just don't like to sit in carriages.", he mumbled gruffly, while he let his fingers drum impatiently on his tense arms. (Y/N) nodded acceptingly, as she made a mental note to store this information about her husband. "The view is limited. I prefer to sit on a horse where I can see everything myself.", he added, surprisingly. Realization flashed in (Y/N) eyes as she nodded again in understanding. "Ah, I see... Do you like riding?", the young girl replied spurred on by the fact that her husband had revealed more to her than had been necessary. This time, however, Bakugou only grumbled vaguely while he shrugged his shoulders in disinterest. Once again, silence spread between the two as (Y/N) thought about what her mother had said to her moments ago. Would she really be able to make this man learn to love her? As hard as it was for her to admit this to herself, he didn't seem like someone who cared about such things. He had married her because their emperor had ordered it. Their marriage had been for political reasons nothing more.

"Your brother told me that you like to read and learn new skills.", Bakugou broke the awkward silence again after clearing his throat. Immediately, (Y/N) looked up in embarrassment as she was about to apologize for her curious side. What had Izuku been thinking in telling the Shogun about this? Most man would not like for their woman to spend her time with something like that. "I own a huge library on my estate in the north. As my wife, it is now yours as well, so use it as much as you like as long as you don't neglect your duties as my wife.", he grumbled, gloomily averting his eyes. Blinking, (Y/N) looked at her husband speechlessly as she let what was said sink in. She was about to thank him when he spoke up again: "If you want a tutor on a certain topic, talk to me, or contact our subordinates... I don't care!" Swallowing, the young bride stared speechlessly at her husband before her eyes took on a poignant gleam. "Thank you very much, Your Grace. I appreciate your kindness. This... This makes me very happy indeed!", his wife replied gratefully as she pressed her hand over her pounding chest.

"Damn Deku! Are you really that fucking starry-eyed to take a chance like that? Your sister was attacked a mere few hours after you were publicly declared as the heir to the throne! As if she would be safe anywhere else than with you or me."

"P-Perhaps no one realized what happened on the festival. Even if, such a swift action will only make people more suspicious, maybe even casting you in a bad light! In the worst case they'll think you've laid hands on her before your wedding."

"What do I care about that? Let them think that I couldn't keep my hands off of her long enough. In their eyes, I'm already the bad guy anyway. It's better than having followers of Shindo trying to spread lies and people to start questioning the hell out of you in response. When they are going to question her reputation, they are going to question yours as well!"

"Like that's even remotely better, when they are going to question yours!"

"Are you deaf, you dumbass? It does not fucking matter! They should fear me anyway!", the shogun interrupted his interlocutor in a sharp voice before continuing his explanation a bit more quietly but just as urgently after he paused for a second to take a breath:"He could lay a claim on her, forcing you to concede, if you want to prevent a scandal. You'd be forced to break off the engagement between her and me to give her to Shindo at worst. Do you really want to give that slimy liar the power he would automatically receive as the brother-in-law of the next emperor?", Bakugou growled dangerously agitated behind the closed doors of Izuku's study.

All the servants of the household had to retire earlier that night by Lady Midoriya's instructions in order to put the illusion of privacy to their noble masters minds. The now dead silence in the halls of the mansion was only broken by the dull sounds of the quarreling men which sounds penetrated through the thin walls, giving the lonely almost creepy mood a dramatic atmosphere. The banging of shattering porcelain and the vigorous shouts of the men, startled the two lady's who were standing in the hallway all alone by themselves. Sobbing, (Y/N) pressed her head against her quivering mother's shoulder, flinching every single time when either one of the men exchanged too harsh words with one another. Both ladies listened to the heated argument between the furious shogun and the equal upset head of their family, not daring to interrupt them in any way. With trembling fingers, the young girl clawed at the fabric of Lady Midoriya's kimono, hiccuping every few seconds due to the endless tears that streamed down her face. Her mother tried to calm her down by gently stroking over her now loose hair, but the resounding sounds of the quarrel, made her flinch over and over again.

"I'm so sorry... I-I'm so so sorry!", (Y/N) repeated desperately against her mother's neck, who tried to soothe her daughter, by rocking her back and forth like a child that cried out of the loss of its most precious toy. "Shh, you're not to blame. Everything will be fine!", she whispered into (Y/N)'s hair as she hugged her tighter against her soft, motherly chest, hoping to shoo her daughters inner fears away. Clanking and rumbling sounds came from the study as Bakugou began to shout again:"Do you think I feel like tying a damn, troublesome woman to my leg right now? I've got more important things to do than to deal with your family's shit, but we don't have a fucking choice, because all the other ways this could turn out are even shittier!", Bakugou's aggressive voice echoed through the walls, like the roaring of thousand thunderstorms as he loudly stomped around the closed room like a rampant bull. Wincing, (Y/N) dug her face deeper into her mother's shoulder as she heard him talking about her like she was a nuisance. The young girl clutched at Lady Midoriya, like she was the only thing that prevented her from drowning in her own sorrows. As if the woman was the only one that could save her from the path she would have to take after that life changing night.

How could she have been so careless? What had she done to deserve that fate? By a single moment of not thinking straight, her entire world had turned upside down once again. Only to boost her unstoppable fate to the immeasurable. With each passing second her control over the situation had slipped away, like grains of sand incessantly trickling between her fingers. She had conjured up a disaster that had fueled his dislike against her and her family and had managed to become a burden for her brother and her fiancé in a mere few hours. How should she survive such a start to her predetermined future and turn it around for the better?

"Kacchan, please! It was not my sister's fault that she was attacked. If anything, it was my fault. I should have taken better care of her. I should have anticipated that people would try to use her to get to me.", Izuku replied in anguish. Even through the barrier, (Y/N) could hear her brother's voice breaking as he blamed himself. He, too, was on the verge of tears. She heard it loud and clear. Her compassionate brother blamed himself, though he could do even less about Shindo's act than she could. If she had just stayed with him, or asked him to accompany her, none of this would have had to happen.

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It had taken an eternity until both men had calmed down enough that their voices could no longer be heard through the thin walls. Another eternity had passed until, all at once, heavy footsteps sounded near the door before it was pushed open with a loud thud, revealing the illuminated study. Wincing, mother and daughter pulled apart as the looming shogun appeared in the doorway. His vermilion eyes scanned the hallway until they finally landed on his quivering fiance. When he caught sight of her teary eyes, his grim expression softened minimally, while he beckoned her over with a gesture of his right hand:"Come here, girl. There are some things we need to discuss!"

Nodding obediently, (Y/N) followed her future husband into the room where her brother was standing by the window, looking dejectedly through the cold glass. The darkness swallowed up the details of the garden behind and plunged everything into barely discernible shadows. The dimmed light of the individual candles, gleaned on the glassy surface and reflected Izuku's lamenting face. Without hesitation, the young girl knelt down on the soft tatami mats before stretching out her hands in front of her in a pleading pose, asking for forgiveness. Her forehead almost touched the ground as she quietly raised her thin voice: "My actions has brought grave repercussions upon our family. No matter what the consequences will be, I will endure them without hesitation!", the youngest Midoriya announced with a trembling voice, before she heard her brother draw in his breath sharply. "By the gods, (Y/N)! You can't help what happened tonight! I should kneel before you and beg for forgiveness!", exclaimed Izuku after turning to his sister, trembling resentfully. With brisk steps, he had run up to the youngest Midoriya to hastily pull her up by her upper arm, pressing her against him in a firm hug. Bakugou was silent as he watched the spectacle for a few moments with an unmoved face, before shortly after he cleared his throat to draw the sibling's attention:"We don't have time for this sentimental nonsense!", the blond shogun growled softly as he turned his gaze exclusively on his fiance's quivering frame, to address her directly:"It doesn't matter at all who is to blame for this fuss. As you had said, we're in a predicament now. So either way, you're not going to avoid having to endure the consequences.", he added as he busily began pacing the room with long strides. Izuku broke away from his sister, nodding sadly, as he placed his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "Bakugou is right.", the newly appointed heir confirmed as he briefly pressed his fingers against his sister's collarbone, looking her straight in the eyes. Nodding, the young girl bit her lower lip as she waited for the consequences to be revealed.

An uneasy feeling spread through the area of her stomach as she gazed with teary eyes from her brother to her grimly looking betrothed, just to look back to Izuku, when he spoke up again: "I am sorry, sister, but we do not have time to wait for the proper engagement period to be over. To counteract certain rumors we will have to hold the wedding at the end of this week. That means you'll be leaving together with Bakugou in a few days to accompany him to his lands!", Izuku explained softly as he sadly averted his eyes.

A shiver ran down (Y/N)'s spine as her brother uttered the words she had secretly feared to hear. She hadn't even noticed that she had been holding her breath with pent-up tension, but she couldn't explain otherwise where the slight dizziness came from after she finally exhaled thin air out of her aching lungs. Nodding dejectedly, the youngest Midoriya clutched the thin fabric of her robe before letting her gaze drift to the side to look ultimately at her future husband's face. When her glassy eyes collided with Bakugou's vermilion ones, her breath caught within her throat for a brief moment. All of a sudden, it felt as if the youngest Midoriya's heart had burst out of her chest with all its might. It raced in unison with her thoughts as she slowly became aware of the full extent of her situation, clenching achingly, as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

Gone was the time to prepare herself for her inevitable future. Gone were the future opportunities to get to know Bakugou before their wedding. Gone was the vast amount of time she previously had left with her family, suddenly vanishing into thin air. All at once the memories she could have collected with them before her departure were torn away from her because of one single moment. One single mistake. One single power hungry man. In a mere few days she would belong to Bakugou Katsuki. She would have to ultimately leave her home to go with a man she had met only twice. Never in her life had she left her family for more than a few hours at once.

Forcing herself to come to her senses, (Y/N) ripped herself out of her depressing thoughts, shaking her head absently, before she averted her gaze away from the Shogun's captivating expression. She nodded again, accepting her fate, as she swallowed hard. "I-I see!", she murmured relentingly, as she turned her saddened gaze back to her older brother, who's eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"Good, then we can now move on to the short term planning. We don't have much time to prepare, since I can't postpone the journey.", declared Bakugou bluntly, without trying to sugarcoat the situation as he sat down at the table and picked up a quill and some sheets of paper. With a faltering breath, (Y/N) listened to her future husband's words, after she and her brother had joined him at the table. Izuku sighed heavily as he briefly reached for his sister's hand to give it a firm squeeze before responding to his guest's statement: "...That would mean we barely have time to organize a proper ceremony!", he remarked gloomily as he briefly glanced in (Y/N)'s direction. Bakugou, however, just shrugged disinterested, before replying nonchalantly: "I don't mind. I'm not interested in throwing a huge celebration and having my feet kissed by some lickspittles, anyway.", the shogun grumbled, before he suddenly paused, turning his eyes towards his fiance. (Y/N) took a moment to realize that Bakugou was looking at her questioningly. He hadn't said it, but it seemed surprisingly like he was waiting for her opinion. The young girl blinked a few times before she dared to speak up: "A-ah.. a small ceremony sounds pleasant, I guess. P-Perhaps only with our closest confidants. It would be quite... private.", she breathed uncertainly, though truthfully, while she tilted her head to the side in thanks. When Bakugou nodded in satisfaction, the youngest Midoriya relaxed a tiny bit, watching how her betrothed began to write down some notes on the blank paper. The scratching of the quill on the paper echoed unnaturally loud in the otherwise silent room, before Izuku cleared his throat to share his own thoughts as well.

"We already handled most of the details in the previous contract. However, I have decided that I would like to send my sisters personal maid with her, so that she has someone around her who is not a stranger to her...", Izuku began slowly, before hesitating for a moment. He watched as the blond man included his request in the supplemental contract before the heir began again: "A-As for the dowry..." "I'm still not interested in the dowry, Deku. Save it for your sister, or do something else with it.", the Shogun interrupted brusquely, surprising (Y/N) who listened in astonishment. Her dowry was extremely high. She had never thought anyone would let that much money slip away, but Bakugou brushed it aside as if they were talking about some pocket money. Izuku caught himself, clearing his throat before nodding in defeat:"Very well, then, as it is customary from the bride's family, we will at least cover the cost of the wedding ceremony. I'm sure we can get the temple master to organize a mass in short notice when we offer a larger donation.", he murmured as he also reached for his own quill to write down a few sentences in the process. It took some time for Bakugou and her brother to finally agree on all the last minute changes, but in the end they both signed the amended contracts, finalizing the youngest Midoriya's short-term change of fortune.

Finally, Bakugou clicked his tongue as he rolled up his copy of the contract. Rain pattered against the pitch-black window, which successfully warded off the cold of the looming night. Red eyes gazed scrutinizingly in the flickering candlelight over the masses of scrolls and books which rested on the shelves against the walls, while the shogun let his rolled-up document disappear into the inside of his traditional robe.

"We are getting married this Saturday and will leave early the next morning. Use the rest of your time to prepare yourself.", the Shogun spoke as he turned his attention to his fiance. After receiving a sad nod from (Y/N), he slowly rose from his seated position. Izuku did the same to escort his future brother-in-law out of their home, but before Bakugou started to move, the blond man silently bent down once more to place a small box on the tabletop in front of the young girl.

"I would have actually given it to you before I left, but now that you're coming along, you get your second engagement gift now!", the blond shogun grumbled dismissively as he turned his face away with the corners of his mouth pulled down. Astonished, (Y/N) glanced up at Bakugou, before she accepted the gift as she slowly reached for the small box.

When she opened it, she caught sight of an ornately designed fan. The intricate woodwork of the dark handle was set with gleaming auspicious-looking copper-colored gems, while the silken fabric shone in a velvety black. Gulping, the young girl carefully lifted the gift out of its box so that she could open the fan with equal care. On the dark background, forest green and blazing orange lines formed a carefully drawn stylized dragon, which was surrounded by its own brightly burning fire. In its sharp claws it clasped a white flower, protected from the flames that surrounded the majestic beast. The motif seemed almost bizarre to her. As if the monster would want to crush the fragile flower in its paws, while at the same time it almost seemed as if it wanted to guard it. Its sharp eyes flashed dangerously up at her and reminded her in a strange way of the man who had given her this gift. A shiver ran down (Y/N)'s spine, but she tried to pull herself together in front of her fiance. Never in her entire life had she seen anything so fierce looking on such a delicate object. Holding her breath for a short moment, (Y/N) gazed at the precious craftsmanship before looking up again to try to smile gratefully at the Shogun. "It is beautiful, your grace. Thank you!", she breathed truthfully. Bakugou nodded briefly in response before turning away from her. (Y/N) could hear the two men moving away from her as she looked back down at her engagement gift. Her fingers carefully traced the fine lines of the sublime dragon as she took a shaky breath, asking herself if her fiance associated her with the delicate flower just as she had associated him with the mythical creature which gloomily looked up to her.

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"Knock, knock!", sounded the gentle voice of Lady Midoriya, who cautiously entered her daughters chambers some time after the shogun had left their estate. Startled, (Y/N) spun around from her position at her small table, but smiled sadly as she caught her mother heading towards her with a tea tray in her arms. Her young daughter had been sitting alone for what felt like an eternity, unable to fall asleep after that dreadful night. "I thought a soothing tea would be just the right thing right now.", she murmured in a put-upon cheerful tone as she carefully set down her favorite tea set.

"Thank you, mother!", murmured (Y/N) as she rose slightly from her kneeling position to reach for the warm pot in trained expert fashion, to pour her mother and herself a soothing cup of warm herbal tea. Silence enveloped them as they both let their gaze drift aimlessly around the room after (Y/N) had leaned back again. Sighing, the older lady ran her fingers through her green hair, untied from it's usually elegant knot, before finally turning to her daughter and smiling lovingly at her. Seeing her grown-up girl dejectedly trying to suppress the quivering of her lips, Lady Inko raised her hand to place it reassuringly on (Y/N)'s shoulder. "Don't worry, my little one! It'll be alright!", she whispered comfortingly as she patted her daughter's arm.

Hoping to take away some of her mother's worries, (Y/N) tried again to put on a small smile, but she failed miserably. Taking a deep shaky breath, the young girl tried to sort out her thoughts, before she dared to speak her mind: "What do you think about the Shogun?", she finally asked uncertainly, reaching for her cup of tea to occupy her fidgeting fingers. Rain pattered against the cool window, which was covered by velvet curtains to block out the darkness of the night. A few candles illuminated the comfortably furnished room in dim light, wrapping it in a soft blanket of warm shades. Humming silently to herself, Lady Inko lifted her gaze toward the ceiling as she pondered over her daughter's question.

"Well... The Shogun is an excellent match.", her mother replied after a moment. "Despite his reputation?", (Y/N) quietly probed further after taking a sip of the warm liquid. Lady Inko nodded after a moment's consideration before looking at her daughter again. "You know, your father and I are old acquaintances of Lord and Lady Bakugou. The young Shogun's father, worked side by side with your father in the Emperor's court. And Lady Bakugou is from the same province as me. I have known Mitsuki since childhood. We lost touch after she moved to the countryside with her husband, but I know that she is a good person just like her husband. They wouldn't be able to raise a cruel man. It's a pity that the two of them can't attend the ceremony, but by the time they would have arrived in the capital, you would have left long ago.", her mother began, smiling bittersweetly. Seeing that she had (Y/N)'s full attention, Lady Inko continued her descriptions with mild amusement:"Probably the shogun got his brusque trait from his mother. You should know that Mitsuki was incredibly fierce even back when we both were still unmarried. I remember that she never minced her words, no matter who was in front of her."

The youngest Midoriya's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at her mother in disbelief:"But it's not looked upon favorably when a woman simply speaks out what she thinks." Giggling, Lady Midoriya nodded in agreement. "You're right, but just because the noble society determines what's proper and what's not, doesn't mean there aren't people out there who think differently. Besides, not every man prefers a silent woman, you know? And hardly anyone shows his true face in public. I think there's more to the Shogun than the cold-blooded warrior everyone thinks he is, and I know you feel the same way."

Thoughtfully, (Y/N) let her mother's words sink in while she fixed her gaze on the liquid contents of her cup. On the moving surface, she could see a distorted vision of her own face, but instead of looking at it, she tried to imagine the man she and her mother were talking about.

In less than a week she would have to leave her entire life behind to follow Bakugou. The thought frightened her, no matter how much she tried to give herself courage throughout, but her mother was right. She truly believed that there was more to the Shogun than what met the eye. He was temperamental and aloof, and yet he had proven that he intended to protect her in spite of it all. He had told her in the gardens that he would not agree to marry a woman who let herself be trampled upon and had encouraged her to speak for herself.

It had been the first time she had stood so obviously in public. Her introduction to society had lasted only a few moments, and yet her future husband had been able to notice so many specific details of her attire. The thought that Bakugou had been there, standing in the crowd as she strode towards the emperor, made the fine hairs on her upper arm stand on end. Goosebumps littered her soft skin, sending anxious shivers down her spine. How perceptive did a person have to be if such small details had stuck in his mind?

"Would you like to wear the hairpin tonight, Miss (Y/N)?", Mina asked curiously, after she stepped away from her mistress to follow her gaze towards the pretty jewelry. Caught off guard, the youngest Midoriya looked up, as she thought about how to answer the question her bright natured maid had phrased eagerly.

Was it too daring to wear that piece of jewelry right away? Or would Bakugou be offended if she didn't wear it tonight? Every decision she made could cause her to sink or rise in his esteem. The uncertainty stirred her eerily. It wasn't even clear if he would really attend today's festivity, and yet (Y/N) couldn't help but to anticipate that he would.

With fluttering eyelids, the youngest Midoriya took a deep breath before finally making a hesitant decision: "...Y-yes... However... do me a favor and lay out a warming kimono in the appropriate color scheme to go with it. The festivities will drag on until late after sunset and I don't want to catch a cold.", she answered nervously, before she lost herself again in her agitated thoughts.

Bakugou was like a parasite that had taken up residence in her mind and it was so incredibly frustrating that they had exchanged less than five sentences with each other until now. Every single gesture, every single word of his she had thought up to the smallest detail. Inwardly pleading that she would find some mannerisms in his behavior to fuel her hope that may had passed her mind beforehand. All she knew was that he was a stubborn and brooding man. Hardly a friendly word had he uttered in her presence until now. His posture seemed entirely dismissive and his vermilion eyes calculating and temperamental, while his reputation makes her tremble with fear at night when she was alone.

And yet, the youngest Midoriya caught herself wishing that she had a chance to learn more about her future husband. That he would also attend the festival tonight. Even if she would only be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him. She wanted, no, she had to know what kind of person she would marry soon, in order to preserve her own salvation.

Despite the fact that (Y/N) hardly knew Bakugou, he was able to confuse her beyond measure. How did someone manage to appear so distant and brusque and yet be so attentive and prepossessing at the same time? Was she that blinded by the wish that there could be more behind their future union than duty to their country? That she had already caught his eyes before the emperor had ordered their engagement? Was it naive to hope that he concealed someone behind his cold-blooded facade she could learn to love someday? That he hid a man behind his cruel mask that was capable to love her as well? But what else could she have done if she wanted to hope for a better, love filled future?

Her destiny was already sealed. She did not have the power to change it. However, it would have done no good to condemn her future, even if her unpredictable fate instilled her with immense fear. (Y/N) didn't want to give up that easily. Even if the stars seemed to stand at a bad constellation, when it regards her future. All she could think about was her fiancé, hoping that she could have a chance for a good life by his side.

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Even though (Y/N) had hoped to at least catch a single glimpse of Bakugou Katsuki, now that her wish had been granted, the young shogun felt even more unattainable. Like two identical magnetic poles pointing towards one another, they repelled each other, both shifting into groups that seemed reluctant to connect. It was not that he explicitly avoided her and her brother. It was just that the young shogun hadn't really moved from his spot at the edge of the celebration to even approach her or Izuku, since the emperor had officially proclaimed her brother as his heir at the beginning of the evening.

Since then, every noble had seized their chance to win Izuku over in some way or another. They had tried to get on her brothers good side, buttered him up now that it was clear that he would be taking the throne in the future. All except for Bakugou. The disinterest he showed made her feel insecure, even if she could guess that he was not a person who liked to occupy himself with groveling courtier's. It made her question her thoughts she had while she had prepared herself for the evening. That maybe he just wasn't interested in dealing with her and her family in general.

For hours, the young debutante had caught herself looking steadily for the blond man, asking herself what she was doing wrong or if he truly would want to get to know her. She had inwardly prayed that he would join them for a moment, but Bakugou remained grimly in one of the more secluded corners near the entrance that led deeper into the more private parts of the imperial gardens, while other nobles flocked around the newly announced heir of the imperial throne.

Together with his companion Kirishima, and surprisingly at times the easygoing noble, Kaminari Denki, he had spent his time with light conversations, while he drove away other approaching persons with gloomy looks. It was strange to observe the stoic man interacting with two such lively individuals, but apparently both noblemen felt comfortable enough to even laugh in the young shogun's presence. This picture which simply did not want to be reconciled with his bad reputation, surprised (Y/N) and made her wish all the more to find out more details about this man.

But of course, contrary to her wishes, the youngest Midoriya had to spent the entire evening obediently following her brother, like the well groomed lady she was. It would not be proper to run off without an escort, especially if she had to represent herself at her best, while Izuku was too busy filling the role of the guest of honor for the evening.

The head of her family had been strangely distant after the negotiations with Bakugou, which only fueled (Y/N)'s insecurity's all the more. While he normally didn't neglect his duties as her guardian, he seemed to be distracted by his own thoughts more often than usual. He was more inattentive than typically. In addition, all the noblemen seemed to distract him even more during the festivities. So much so that he didn't even notice how one of his former fellow pupils had repeatedly approached her in an unpleasant manner.

A few other lords from his years as novices, had engaged Izuku after some time in a deeper conversation as Mineta approaches grew bolder with each attempt. Spurred on by her brother's inattention, Lord Mineta had at some point begun to occasionally brush the fabric of her robe almost as if by accident. He did not seem to notice that his advances were unpleasant to the youngest Midoriya. No matter how much she tried to retreat discreetly, he followed her almost instantly.

Swallowing, (Y/N) dodged the obnoxious heavyset man's gaze as she felt a few stray fingers brush against her wrist. Seeking help, the young debutante looked to her brother, but she was crestfallen to find that he had turned away from her, not sensing his sisters distress. Even his interlocutors also appeared not to notice the man's intrusive gestures, while they were too busy reminiscing old adventures they had endured together.

"You are truly beautiful. I hope my parents are able to put in a good word for me. Maybe they can negotiate an union between us." Mineta spoke in a nasal tone of voice, while he again discreetly tried to step a little closer to her. Surprised, (Y/N)'s eyes widened when she heard the man's statement. Did he missed that the youngest Midoriya was already promised to another man? Or did he not fear the wrath of her fiance?

Wanting to correct the emerging misunderstanding, (Y/N) discreetly shook her head, before starting to speak in a soft manner:"... M-My Lord...M-My apologies... but-", (Y/N) began, struggling for words, as she unobtrusively tried to gain distance between the man and herself without drawing any inappropriate attention to them. She broke off her sentence when she felt several eyes resting on her figure, for fear that these received a false image of the situation. Her fingers clutched at the crystal glass of her refreshment as she continued to stubbornly gaze at the floor, thinking hardly how she should form an appropriate sentence without causing a scene. She felt left alone and helpless, but what was she supposed to do in such a situation without causing a commotion? She was a unmarried woman surrounded by powerful men who did not like to see a lady rebel.

What would her fiancé say if she misbehaved? Defending herself was out of the question in public. She couldn't just kick Mineta in the shins, even if she wanted to. Her behavior could damage her family's reputation.

Due to the fact that (Y/N) was looking for a way out, she did not notice how Mineta tried to approach her again: "You really do smell dreamy!", Mineta's unpleasant voice rang out against her ear as he leaned in to her once more. Wincing, she gasped in disgust, while she abruptly jerked back. Her fingers lost their grip on her drink for a tiny moment as she recoiled, causing the entire contents to spill onto her own garments. The clink of the glass falling on the ground beneath her feet finally made Izuku and his conversation partners turn towards her in confusion, but at that moment she wished she could have sank into the ground rather than be the center of attention. Embarrassed and close to tears the youngest Midoriya took another step back while looking at the damage on her kimono. All at once the pressure of the last few days became impossible to bear, while she looked down at herself, starting to tremble.

"(Y/N), are you alright?," she heard her brother's concerned voice rang out. Instead of being glad that he was finally paying attention to her again, his words seemed to her like the last straw that broke the camel's back, because, no, nothing was alright. But who cared that a young unmarried girl began to realize that the pressures of society weighed far heavier than she had expected, even after she had worked so hard on herself. No one had prepared her for the emotional chaos that would await her once she was introduced to society. Who would have thought that emotions and rational thinking could mess her up so badly? Moreover, she had grown up so stupidly sheltered that all of a sudden everything felt so incredibly overwhelming.

With trembling lips, (Y/N) briefly glanced once at Mineta before looking at her brother and finally shaking her head barely visible. At that moment, the situation just became too much for her. She was afraid that if she continued to stay in that place, she would burst into tears in front of their company. Taking a step back, she mustered up her courage to speak: "E-excuse me, please. I'll go clean my kimono!", she breathed with as much decorum as she could muster before instinctively turning on her heel all at once and ultimately disappearing briskly into the crowd. Had she not been so upset, she probably would have registered that she had run past an enraged Bakugou just a few feet from her point of origin, who was stomping furiously toward the small group. The youngest Midoriya was so agitated, however, that everything around her began to blur behind a veil of tears. Without thinking about the potential consequences, she fled as inconspicuously as possible to the more secluded area of the gardens to retreat behind the high hedges.

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.

.

With a clean handkerchief, (Y/N) tried to pat the tears away from her wet cheeks after she had rubbed the stain from the expensive fabric of her attire. She was incredibly disappointed in herself. The whole situation had been so incredibly overwhelming, but she should have tried to keep calm and yet she had not been able to stand it any longer. Now she was alone, sitting on the stone facade of an ornate fountain in a secluded part of the imperial gardens, completely frustrated with her own behavior. The tall hedges that surrounded her, swallowed most of the sounds coming from the celebration. Trying to let the soft splashing of the small fountain calm her senses somewhat, she breathed in the fresh evening air, while the small lights on the surface of the water provided enough light to keep her from sitting there completely in darkness. Sinking into self-pity, the young girl sobbed out once again.

Suddenly a crack which seemed to come from a breaking twig disturbed the silence behind her. Startled, (Y/N) wheeled around, shocked to realize how much darker this place was compared to the festival area illuminated by the lanterns. Nonetheless, she recognized how a man unknown to her slowly stepped into the clearing. An uncomfortable shiver ran down her spine as she rose from her seated position, pressing her handkerchief against her quivering chest.

"Ah, honored Miss Midoriya, what a delightful coincidence to have found you! Your brother is already beside himself with worry!", he greeted her in an emphatically friendly manner as he moved ever so slightly closer towards her. In the shadows of the clearing, his features were a little harder to make out. For a moment she might have thought the man could have been Izuku himself based on his hairstyle, but his face was one she had never seen before. Dark eyes, which were framed by equally dark hair, looked at her insistently, as the man slowly but steadily approached her.

"Excuse me, but I don't remember us being introduced, My Lord.", breathed the youngest Midoriya. Protectively, (Y/N) pressed her bent forearms against her throbbing chest as she thought in alarm about how to escape this situation as quickly as possible. Despite his friendly posture, the man frightened her. The thought that she, an unmarried, betrothed lady, could be discovered alone with another man in a place like this caused panic to spread through her body. She could be accused of immorality if she was found here. That could clearly damage her brother's reputation, as the new heir to the throne. Not to mention, she was troubled by the thought of how Bakugou would react when he heard of this situation. Would he direct his anger at her entire family when he learned of this matter?

"Ahh, forgive me. My name is Shindo Yo. I am a good acquaintance of your brother!", he replied while he indicated a friendly bow. His smile spread across his face as he tilted his head to the side to keep her in view. He was an acquaintance of Izuku? Then why had she never heard of his name before? Normally, her brother was someone who was very talkative when it came to describing people he had already had the pleasure of meeting.

Swallowing, (Y/N) nodded cautiously before trying to discreetly circle the young man, without getting closer to him. "I see... T-Thank you for pointing out that he was looking for me then. I should return to him as soon as possible, my lord!", she breathed affirmatively, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. Before the young Midoriya could scurry past him, however, calloused fingers had closed around her wrist all at once. Gasping, the young debutante jerked her head around to look up at the man in panic. Without (Y/N) being able to react in time, Shindo pulled her towards him with a jerk, so that the impact against his muscular body caused a brief dizziness in her head.

"Ahh, I'm sorry, young miss. But I'm afraid I won't be able to let you go just like that. I mean... how surprising it would be to find an unmarried girl alone in the arms of a man in the back of the imperial gardens. How... unheard of! And that too from the future princess. Who would have thought that? I wonder what your fiancé will say when he hears about this? It is said that he and the crown prince are not necessarily favorably disposed towards each other! I wonder what could trigger such a situation between them?"

"No! Let me go, please!"

Sheer panic caused (Y/N)'s body to release a huge amount of adrenaline all at once. Immediately, it awakened the flight reflex in the young debutante, so she desperately began to fight back against the stronger man, punching him with her free hand while trying to tear her other arm away from him. Cursing, Shindo tried to grab her wildly flailing arms, but before he could do so, the youngest Midoriya instinctively grabbed the hairpin her fiancé had given her two days ago. Without paying attention to her hairstyle, she tore the piece of jewelry out of her hair, only to ram the two long pointed teeth of silver metal into her attacker's shoulder. With a cry of pain, Shindo disengaged from her as he staggered back disoriented. Dark blood dripped from her improvised weapon as she held it protectively in front of her. Gasping, (Y/N) tried to widen the distance she had gained between them by backing a few steps away from him, but in doing so she had failed to notice the bump in the turf, which is why, she tripped over her own hem and fell to the ground with a frightened cry.

Full of terror, she realized that Shindo now had the chance to grab her again, but that moment was never to come.

It was only a few seconds later that (Y/N) had registered that Bakugou Katsuki himself had rushed past her to ragefully give her adversary a right hook. The blow seemed to hit Shindo so hard that he almost instantly fell to the ground unconscious.

"Miss Midoriya, are you hurt?", a warm, masculine voice rang out beside her, causing her to instantly startle in panic. Instinctively, she raised her bloodied hairpin in front of her body to defend herself if necessary. However, when she recognized the face of the red-haired companion of the Shogun, (Y/N) immediately relaxed. Instantly, the young debutante shook her head and tremblingly grasped Kirishima's hand, which he had extended to her in offering to help her up. Her body shook like leafs in the wind barely able to keep her to stand upright, but nevertheless, she immediately turned around to look for the person who had come to her rescue. Bakugou bent with clenched fists down towards the man lying on the ground to strike him again, but (Y/N)'s pleading voice made him pause for a moment.

"B-Bakugou-sama!", the young Miss Midoriya gasped in panic as she broke away from his red-haired companion as quickly as possible. Immediately, the blond man spun around, breathing heavily as he returned the frightened girl's gaze. Analyzing, he looked at the stage in which his fiancée was. Her hair had been partially torn out of her hairstyle, while bloodstains adorned the white fur that her maid had previously draped around her shoulders to protect her from the evening chill. Bakugou's whole body radiated a tremendous anger when he saw how frightened she seemed, but as he watched her approach him faithfully, his muscles relaxed instantly. At that moment she forgot all the terrible rumors about her future husband, glad that he had come to her rescue. Seeking safety, the youngest Midoriya extended her fingers to reach into the Shogun's kimono sleeve as her gaze swung timidly to the unconscious Shindo.

"I defended myself. I-I didn't know any other way to help myself. I am sorry.", she whispered in a shaky voice. Bakugou allowed the young girl to claw at his arm. With deep breaths, he studied her expression searchingly. After a moment he shook his head in a dismissive manner before answering her statement:"You did the right thing.", he grumbled, before looking back down at Shindo. Immediately, (Y/N) followed his gaze while she tried to suppress an upcoming shiver that ran down her spine. "Is... he dead?", she asked frightened, when she saw that the man on the ground was not moving at all. It was too dark to make out any injuries, but she knew that he must be bleeding profusely from his shoulder. Snorting, Bakugou shook his head, while his shoulders stiffened again a little. "Not yet!", he growled as he made moves to approach Shindo again. His free hand reached out to grasp the handle of his katana, but (Y/N)'s fingers dug deeper into the fabric of his sleeve as she stepped closer towards her fiance.

"Your Grace. We should get out of here before someone discovers us. Your reputation could ge-" "What do I care about my reputation?", interrupted Bakugou angrily as he spun back around to face her. Overwhelmed, the young girl looked up at him as she searched for a new approach. Shindo had attacked her. He deserved to be punished, but (Y/N) did not want to witness him losing his head because of that. Tears still glistened in the girl's eyes, but no more flowed down her cheeks as she finally began again:"I-I can't be seen here either. That would also damage Izuku's and my reputation!", (Y/N) pressed out uncertainly.

Immediately, realization spread across the blond man's features before he began to curse in annoyance. "Then what are you waiting for? Get the hell moving out of here!", he blustered angrily as he began to push her out of the clearing. "Dunce Face, go find Deku and discreetly explain to him what had happened. I'll take his sister away in the meantime!", he ordered Kaminari, who surprisingly stood a few feet behind Kirishima, nodding dutifully. As he left the clearing, he threw (Y/N) an encouraging smile as he passed her, but he did not hesitate further to carry out his order. "Kirishima! I want you to take care of him! Find out what exactly was going on here!", the Shogun growled in the direction of his other companion, while he gestured towards Shindo with a nod of his head. A serious expression spread across Kirishima's face before he nodded obediently as well.

With her head bowed in shame, the youngest Midoriya left the dark clearing accompanied by the blond shogun, but instead of heading back in the direction of the festival, he led her in the opposite direction. "Going into a secluded part of the garden alone by yourself was reckless, girl! You should be glad that Kirishima had seen you disappear in here! Something more terrible could have happened to you otherwise!", dispraised Bakugou as he dragged her along behind him. Stumbling, (Y/N) moved in the direction she was being pulled, while trying to sort out her appearance as best she could.

"I know!", (Y/N) replied dejectedly.

"That rotten bastard deliberately followed you! You shouldn't have moved away from your good for nothing brother under any circumstances. As a fucking Midoriya, you have a huge target on your back, you hear me? Your brother is going to be the next damn emperor! So you have to be more careful, brat!", added Bakugou angrily as they scurried past the tall rose hedges.

"I... I know.", the youngest Midoriya whispered again. His choice of words hurt the young girl, but she tried not to burst into tears again.

"If you wouldn't have just put up with everything beforehand and just directly told that damn pervert at the party to keep his fucking mitts off of you, it wouldn't have had to come to this in the first place!", the young shogun continued to chide her darkly, giving all of his frustration an outlet. However, the young Midoriya was also still running partly on the increased adrenaline release, which is why she finally looked up to give Bakugou with a pained expression on her damp face. Had she not been so upset, it certainly would have surprised her that he had even noticed the situation at the party. After all, he hadn't seemed like he wanted to give her any attention in the first place. But at that moment, all she could feel was how all of her frustration wanted to burst out of her.

"Yes, I know!", she replied in a sharp voice before taking a deep breath. "I know it now, that going into that part of the garden was incredibly reckless, and I regret it too. But please. Please, don't judge me for trying to ignore Lord Mineta's advances. It was not my place to covet. Causing a commotion in public would have only caused more problems. I didn't want to disgrace you and my brother. Believe me, if it had been up to me, I would have loved to fight back.", (Y/N) blurted out before she could catch herself. Trembling, she pressed her hairpin to her chest, no longer thinking about the fact that the blood sticking to it could stain her clothes even more.

Abruptly, Bakugou spun around after he registered the young debutante's words to glower down at her, snorting with rage. Jaw tightened, he gritted his teeth as he bent down dangerously slow over her smaller frame. "Listen, girl! I will not allow my future wife to be molested by anyone. I order you to fight back, damn you! Do you understand?", growled Bakugou firmly, while his hand tightened around her trembling wrist. Despite the pressure, however, he seemed careful not to hurt her unnecessarily, but this was the least thing that occupied (Y/N)'s mind at the moment.

Shaking her head disbelievingly, she tried to form words of refutation: "But... Y-Your Grace-", the youngest Midoriya began to stutter, eyes widening in shock as she gazed speechlessly into her fiancé's vermilion eyes, unable to form a decent sentence. "I don't expect you to directly ram your jewelry into everyone's shoulder, but use your fucking voice and put people in their place. That perverted little rat wouldn't have dared to approach you if you told him that you were my fucking fiance!", hissed Bakugou angrily as he unconsciously pulled her closer to him.

Silence spread between the mismatched couple after Bakugou's last words. For a brief moment, they looked at each other in silence with rapidly moving chests, until all at once an appreciative grin settled on the mans full lips. This expression literally took the remaining wind out of (Y/N's) sails. How could he seem so amused all of a sudden when he had been furious not even a moment ago?

Before (Y/N) could ask where his change of heart came from, the Shogun once again interrupted the silence between them:"While I had not given you the hairpin with that intention, I cannot deny that I was impressed that you had used it to your advantage.", the young shogun remarked with an amused look as he pointed to her improvised weapon. Speechless, the debutante looked down before an uncomfortable heat shot up her cheeks. Forgetting that he had chided  her just a few seconds ago, (Y/N) lifted her shoulders in shame. "I am sorry!", whispered the young girl, but Bakugou only shook his head, before he indicated to follow him again.

„Bakugou is a loyal man of the crown who always act in its interest."

„He is a strong-willed and talented swordsman, who would be able to provide a safe home for you."

„He may be said to be rough tempered, but I am sure he will always treat you well."

It hadn't felt like Izuku had tried to lie to her. In a way, he had seemed to be convinced of his statements... and yet... no matter how many positive words he had used, his face had allways betrayed how worried he had been nonetheless. As if there had been a number of concerns that had slumbered right under his surface, which he eventually had not dared to express. (Y/N) had quickly realized that her brother had deliberately kept his true opinions to himself. She knew that he only had wanted to encourage her, but at night, while she had been all alone by herself, she had not been able to prevent her thoughts from wandering along darker places.

It was said that Bakugou's eyes were tinted in the blood of his enemies he had shed over the years as a Samurai. Those cruel red eyes hunted her within her dreams, followed her no matter which direction she had turned and found her no matter where she had tried to hide herself.

His mercilessness and explosive personality were almost as notorious as his talent with the sword. It was said that he had no qualms about turning his blade even on innocent people. These rumors, created the visions of screaming shadows within her sleep. Their cries echoed like panicked pleas to be spared by him, but the ground on which (Y/N) had stood was flooded in red non the less. Those imaginations had plagued the youngest Midoriya through the entire night, haunting her mercilessly until she had lain wide awake in her bed. With widened eyes she had stared up at her ceiling, while she had tried to imagine the man who was going to be her husband.

When (Y/N) had got up a few hours later, she had been incredibly exhausted. She had tried not to let it show, but she could not prevent her thoughts from drifting away over and over again. She had spent the morning as usual at her mother's side, who, in addition to her usual duties as the female head of the household, had also received several guests. Some of them had been mothers of various bachelors, who had cautiously tried to win Lady Inko over for a potential marriage, but all of them had been discreetly put off by the mistress of the house, without her telling them about the still unofficial engagement between Bakugou Katsuki and her precious daughter.

Now, however, the young girl sat alone with her mother and brother, lost in thoughts, at a richly set table that had been placed in the shade on the roofed engawa of their estate. The young debutante ponderously let her gaze glide over the well-tended garden, unable to fully absorb the true beauty of the scenery which spread out in front of her. With dulled thoughts, (Y/N) contented herself with impassively observing the birds as they bustled about the branches of the flowering magnolia in the middle of their courtyard, while she pondered over the missed opportunities to collect more marriageable candidates for her to choose from.

"I wish I could cheer you up a bit, my dear.", Lady Inko snapped her daughter out of her mopey thoughts after a few minutes of silence, as she carefully set the ornate teapot down between them. Slowly, (Y/N) raised her gaze, only to find that her mother had poured tea for her and her brother, although this would actually have been the youngest Midoriya's task. Swallowing, she bowed her head apologetically before gratefully grasping the warm porcelain of her cup. "Thank you, mother.", (Y/N) whispered, before she carefully pursed her lips to cool the warm liquid with gentle puffs.

"Do not despair. Who knows maybe you will learn to feel deeply for the young shogun. The gods sometimes shape the strangest paths for a person and yet it all makes sense in the end.", Lady Midoriya carefully reassured her daughter as Izuku tried not to choke on his own drink. "Who knows, Izu-chan probably would have introduced you to gentlemen like the youngest son of the Iida family, or the heir of the Kaminari family, who also have their residents in the capital. Both of these gentlemen are known to you. What do you think of them? Wouldn't the gods have led you to them if they thought that they would be the right choice for you?", she asked, knowing what her daughter would think, while gently patting her son's arm in reassurance. "Mother...please! I don't really think that this is helpful.", Izuku mumbled into his teacup as he averted his eyes from the ladies of his household. The latter, however, just waved it off with a soft smile before pushing the plate of pastries in her children's direction. Gulping down the warming tea, (Y/N) suppressed a sigh before engaging in her mother's musings:"Well... ", she began cautiously, taking a deep breath, before she continued: "I'd say one of Iida-sama's greatest qualities is his erudition! He's a very intelligent man.", the youngest Midoriya murmured vaguely, but at the same time she thought of his stiff manners. He was a strict man who did not seem to welcome curious woman. (Y/N) was a passionate reader, who acquired all kinds of knowledge. This would certainly not be a problem, she thought, but with theoretical knowledge often came the need to try out practical skills, and this was not always appropriate for a girl of her status. What would Iida say if he knew that the little sister of one of his best friends, for example, liked to shoot with a bow?

"and... Kaminari-sama's energetic nature is quite contagious and exhilarating!", (Y/N) added after a short pause, having remembered her mother's questions again. Thoughtfully, her mind wandered to the open-hearted blond man, while she remembered how she had often observed him flirting shamelessly with various ladies. Moreover, she had been dismayed to discover in the past that, unlike Iida, he seemed to avoid reading of any kind. It would have made it difficult to have a conversation with him that went beyond superficial topics. When she thought about it, these men would certainly not have been people with whom (Y/N) could have imagined a future on the first sight. Perhaps just like her mother had said, she should actually remind herself once again that not everything had to make sense immediately. Maybe the gods had actually set a path for her. But it was just so incredibly hard to see the positive in her situation and to keep herself open minded. She took it upon herself, but the thought that her mother might be wrong made her skin crawl in anxiety.

"I think it's all a matter of adjustment. After the gods have given me a path, it is up to me to walk along it.", she finished her terse answers half-heartedly.

The debutante's enumeration came to an abrupt end when her personal maid, Mina, announced herself with an apologetic clearing of her throat. When (Y/N) turned around, the young girl was surprised to see another unfamiliar female standing next to her, her upper body almost completely covered by a huge bouquet of colorful flowers. The various blossoms shone in full bloom, some of which normally should not even have been in their actual blooming season. No matter who had sent this bouquet, it must have cost a small fortune.

"Forgive the intrusion, my lord, but I was instructed to lead this young girl to you and your family.", the cheerful servant began, bowing as she folded her arms behind her back. The unassuming girl next to Mina also bowed dutifully, despite the fact that the bouquet certainly did not make it easy for her. "T-This is a gift for Miss Midoriya, my Lord!", the girl explained quietly, while she showcased the flowers with a bowed head. Izuku gave the young girls a gentle smile before raising his scarred hand in a placating gesture. "What a splendid bouquet.", his mother remarked with curious gentleness before turning to smile bittersweetly at her daughter, who had also put on a discreet smile on her lips. "Which of the noble lords had send this bouquet, Mina-chan?", asked (Y/N) with mild curiosity as she rose to take a closer look at the flowers. She knew better than to be lulled by anyone other than her fiancé, but the plants seemed so expensive and rare that it would be a shame not to give them some attention. Even more so when a maid of the local household brought them over personally. It could be taken as an affront against the noble,if she would simply ignore the gift.

"They're from the young shogun, Bakugou-sama, Miss (Y/N)!", replied Mina excitedly, as she clapped her hands together in front of her chest. "He also sends word that he will be visiting Midoriya-sama towards the evening to negotiate the wedding matters.", the unknown servant added. A loud clang sounded behind the girls, who flinched in surprise. Shocked, (Y/N) turned to her brother, whose teacup had slipped from his hand. A multitude of emotions spread across the face of her brother, but his discomfort seemed to stand out the most. The tension in his face clearly showed that Izuku was not happy about the news, but he nodded non the less.

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The knowledge that Bakugou Katsuki would enter the Midoriya family estate that very evening had caused an incredible uneasiness in (Y/N)'s stomach. Uncertainty and curiosity tried to gain the upper hand of her shaken feelings, while she had tried to continue her day as usual, but even the surprise visit of her friend, Ochako, had not been enough to successfully distract her. No matter how hard (Y/N) had tried to follow her friend's recounting of her evening last night, the young Midoriya simply hadn't been able to block out the loitering feeling of nervousness.

Izuku had retired to his study some time ago when a servant had informed him that the shogun had finally arrived. The ladies of the house had not yet seen their second guest of the evening, but all present had felt the tension that had settled around them like a thick fog. At this very moment, Izuku and her fiance negotiated about important aspects, which would determine her entire future life. Lost in her troubled thoughts, (Y/N) imagined how they possibly were talking about her dowry at this moment, or setting the date of their wedding, while the young girl did not even know what her future husband looked like. Would he introduce himself to her tonight? Did he even care that they were actually only a few meters and a few thin walls apart from each other at this very moment?

"Hey... (Y/N)... how about we take a stroll through your backyard, streching our legs out for a bit?", Ochako carefully interrupted her friend's train of thought when she noticed that (Y/N) was starting to drift off again. Surprised, the young girl tore her gaze from the bouquet of flowers that had been placed on an ornamental table next to the salon's open sliding doors. "I'd love to.", (Y/N) answered as she blinked a few times, before setting down her cooled teacup, that had rested in her palms unmoved for a few minutes. Followed by the brunette debutante, she entered the gardens of the Midoriya family estate, which directly bordered the salon in which they had sat before.

The gentle breeze that playfully blew around them made the leaves and branches of the plants dance to the music of the birds, while the rays of the late afternoon sun engulfed their surroundings in radiant light. In the midst of a sea of lush green trees, lawns and bushes, the blooming magnolia that her grandfather had planted for her grandmother many years ago as a testament to his true love towards her, stood out in its proud splendor. Since then, it has bloomed every spring with its soft pink and white blossoms in the center of their small idyllic paradise.

Sighing, (Y/N) looked up into said treetop as she arrived at the precious memento accompanied by her friend. "My apologies for being so absent today.", the youngest Midoriya murmured before turning to Ochako, who looked at her with a sad expression on her round face. Shaking her head, the young brown-haired girl put on a smile as she folded her hands in front of her. "Don't worry about it. I understand how you feel. It's certainly overwhelming to be promised by the emperor to one of his subordinates right after your performance the day before yesterday."

Nodding hesitantly, (Y/N) stroked the gauzy white fabric of her upper robe, smoothing it over the lower burgundy wide sleeves. With erratic fingers, she then ran them over the gold threaded embroidered obi, adjusting the decorative ribbons that hung down the sides of her traditional gown. Seeking distraction, (Y/N)'s gaze wandered to the closed doors of her brother's study, which also adjoined the gardens they were strolling through. Knowing that behind those thin walls, hidden away from her gaze, was her fiancé speaking to Izuku, made her incredibly nervous. Quickly the youngest Midoriya turned away to look at her friend again, not able to gaze towards her home any longer. She didn't dare to look into the round window, which was supposed to let daylight into the room behind, for fear of having to face reality once and for all. At the moment her fate was still completely surreal for her, but what if she would see the man she was going to marry soon? It would make her whole destiny so much more real.

"I know it is an honor that the Emperor himself asked for this allegiance, but I must admit that this sudden change of events churn me a bit!" Ochako nodded in understanding before also looking thoughtfully in the direction of the house. "You know... The other side of the coin has its downsides, too. My father can barely afford the standard of living we have to lead as nobles. It will be difficult to find a family that will be satisfied with the little influence and the small dowry I am able to provide...", she murmured gloomily. Briefly, the young Miss Uraraka's expression changed as she looked longingly at the window that leads to her brother's study. How could (Y/N) have thought so selfishly only of herself, when she knew that her friend had it at least as hard as she did. With a fluid motion, the youngest Midoriya placed her hand on her friends upper arm as she stepped a little closer to her. "I wish I could support you somehow!", (Y/N) murmured comfortingly. "You know, you are really very very lucky. Your brother... I mean, Midoriya-sama will definitely make sure that you'll be fine by Bakugou-sama's side! He would never let him hurt you!", assured Ochako again with newfound energy as she confidently turned back to the daughter of the house. The sadness that had previously gleamed in the brunette girl's eyes had vanished without a trace. Sympathetically, (Y/N) smiled at her friend, knowing that she did not want to talk about the subject any further. Just as she was about to change the direction of their conversation, the sound of sliding doors distracted the two girls instantly.

Immediately, (Y/N) looked up to direct her gaze towards the house, only to finally discover her brother in the doorway of his study. When she realized that there were two other unknown figures standing behind him in the shadows of the room, the young Midoriya's breath caught for a moment. Two finely dressed, tall men slowly stepped into the light of the sun and, accompanied by Izuku, headed purposefully towards the young ladies. One of them had ash blond spiky hair, who was followed by a red-haired warrior. The clothes and the traditional katana they carried distinguished them as nobles of the sword, but it was quite clear even from a distance that the blond man stood rank-technically above the redheads. His attire was a bit more finer, than the others, but it was mainly the nature of his attitude that betrayed him the most. He came towards her as if he owned the ground on which he walked. Everything about his aura demanded that they had to submit to him.

Bakugou Katsuki.

At the sight of the handsome, albeit somber looking man, (Y/N)'s heart began to take a few leaps until it finally began to pound wildly against her chest.

"O-Oh, by the gods. Th-That has to be the shogun.", Ochako breathed softly. The young Midoriya could hear the trembling in her friend's voice, but she had to give her credit for standing firm just like (Y/N), trying not to let her intimidation show. A tepid breeze caused the light hanfu robes the two ladies wore, to dance around their legs, while a few petals of the magnolia blossoms rained down upon them. Despite the fact that she was surrounded by fresh spring air, (Y/N) felt like she couldn't catch her breath while facing the formidable gentleman. However, she didn't know if it was due to the unawareness of the powerful man's reaction towards her, or if perhaps this feeling had a completely different origin.

The expression in the gaze that Bakugou Katsuki had directed at the figure of the young Midoriya could only be described as penetrating, attentive and calculating. She had never met a person who was able to conjure up such an aura with only his bare focused eyes. Only briefly did he detach his attention from her to look at Ochako with his sharp gaze. Izuku's posture was tense as he walked up to his sister beside the shogun. Bakugou, on the other hand, looked as if he wasn't the least bit interested in the whole situation. He strode confidently towards his fiance, while his chimney red eyes once again stared down at her warily.

His gaze had been enough to free (Y/N) from her rigidity and ensured that she finally managed to get herself to move accordingly. Just before his arrival, she fell into a deep curtsy, which at that moment was more of a testament to her brilliant muscle memory, than a conscious act. But she managed to remember her manners, chastely lowering her gaze and remaining in the offering position long enough for the gentlemen to come to a stop in front of her and her close friend.

"So, this is your sister? Well, she truly is a lovely creature, Midoriya-san.", interrupted a friendly but unfamiliar voice the emerging silence. (Y/N) attributed it to the red-haired man, because the pitch seemed too friendly to belong to the notorious shogun. With downcast eyelids, she listened how her brother thanked his guest as he slowly moved to stand beside her smaller frame. The youngest Midoriya still hadn't lifted her gaze entirely, knowing that it was not proper for an unmarried woman to lift her eyes without further ado. However, her mind remained by the fact that the red haired men had spoken up before her fiance had said a word. It had surprised (Y/N), after all he was in the company of someone who outranked him. She had rarely seen anyone dare to speak openly in front of those who were above them.

"Oi, lift your gaze and look at me, girl!", growled Bakugou suddenly, without uttering a word of greeting. His companion clicked his tongue softly when he heard how his leader approached his fiance, while Izuku began to tense up in front of the shogun. Immediately, (Y/N) raised her fluttering eyelids and fixed her gaze on the nobleman's handsome face. Did Bakugou want her to look him in the eyes?

Despite her inner uncertainty, the young Midoriya's gaze wandered over the sharp edges of his contours until finally they slowly collided with the young shogun's iris.

Vermilion

His eyes had a vermilion color.

(Y/N) could understand why so many scary rumors circulated about the color of his eyes, but her first association was not the one she had heard from others. She could see why people associated them with the blood of his enemies, but the youngest Midoriya first thoughts were of the deep red of the sky as soon as the rising sun blinked out just a few inches above the horizon. Then, when the world was almost still haunted by the blackness of the night, before it was slowly but surely chased away by the first warm rays of pure light.

With quick breaths, (Y/N) looked speechlessly at her future husband while trying to suppress the nervous trembling of her body. She could sense Ochako behind her, shifting her weight, shocked as she tried to take in the spectacle in front of her as well. (Y/N), however, continued to do as she was commanded and looked bravely into the face of the shogun. It showed the indomitable will which lay dormant in the depths of his body. The will that was able to break even the strongest fighting spirit of his opponents. The youngest Midoriya knew that she should have felt fear at the sight of him, but all she could think of was the envy that arose in her when she realized what a strong character must reside in this man. How much power he posessed at such a young age.

Silence spread like a heavy blanket over the five nobles, all waiting for the highest ranked to speak again, but Bakugou seemed to be in no hurry. Almost testing, he delayed the moment as he looked down at her in a scrutinizing manner.

"Bakugou Katsuki.", her fiancé finally introduced himself impassively after nodding towards her. For a moment she had thought that she saw a positive emotion in the features of her future husband, but after just a single blink, the moment had already passed away. One more time, (Y/N) sank into a curtsy before putting on a shy, shaky smile. "Midoriya (Y/N). It's an honor to meet you, your grace.", she replied kindly. Silence spread out between the present, while the young couple looked at each other closely. However, Bakugou's companion broke it again before it was getting to be too awkward, waving at her with a radiant smile on his lips:"If I may introduce myself as well. My name is Kirishima Eijirou. I am one of the samurai who followed Bakugou-sama's lead. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Midoriya and Miss eh?"

Surprised that the young man next to the young shogun had again simply spoken up without hesitation, (Y/N)'s attention briefly swung to the red-haired, muscular samurai. How was it that he dared to speak even though his superior was standing right next to him? Bakugou, however, didn't seem to mind, as he waited a short moment, while Ochako hastily introduce herself, without taking his eyes off of (Y/N).

After the brown-haired girl finished her introduction, the shogun  cleared his throat in desinterest. He paid no further attention to his future wife's guest, clearly intending on keeping the conversation as short as possible as he began to declair in a business-like manner: "The negotiations for our engagement have been completed. After the proper engagement period has passed, I will come back to the capital to perform the wedding with you. Until then, I will travel back to my estate in the north." Overwhelmed by the statement, the young Midoriya swallowed down the rising lump before nodding hesitantly: "W-When will you be leaving?", the young lady asked after collecting herself. "In a week!" "In a week? But...", (Y/N) gasped, before breaking off her sentence. It was not her place to object, but she had hoped to at least meet Bakugou a few times before having to marry him.

Kirishima quickly stepped in again, smiling and trying to lighten the mood a bit, after noticing that his leader would say nothing in reply: "Duty calls, milady. But once we're back in town, Bakugou-sama will certainly be able to take up more time to get to know you before the wedding.", he suggested with a bright smile as he bumped his fists against each other in a confident manner. "Maybe... but now Kirishima and I will have to leave! The negotiatons took too much of my time already.", the shogun gave out without showing any interesest in indulgin any of them.

Surprised, (Y/N)'s eyes widened at the curt statement. Had she done something wrong? Why did he want to leave so soon, if he would be gone within the next week? Was he upset that she hadn't been able to hold her tongue? Swallowing, she searched the man's face for an answer, but could find no clues in his closed off expression. Strangely, a trace of disappointment spread through her as she watched the blond man resolutely incline his head in a farewell. Immediately, the youngest Midoriya and Ochako fell back into a deep curtsy as they bowed their heads in supplication.

Before (Y/N) could straighten up again, however, she felt a small oblong box being pressed into her hands. For a brief moment, rough, long fingers brushed against hers, but when she looked up in surprise, she realized miserably that Bakugou, who gave her the gift, had already turned away from her. With a wildly beating heart, she pressed the wooden box to her chest as she watched how Bakugou, was walking away from her without any hesitation in his steps.

How could she face her destiny and fight for her happiness when she was given no choice to do so? If she let him go without another word, wouldn't she have already failed in her purpose? She had to use the time she had left and pray that the gods would lead her graciously. On impulse, (Y/N) took a leap forward despite her intimidated self, before trying to build a bridge between Bakugou and her, even if it meant that she had to use her voice:"T-The spring Festival!" A shiver ran down her spine as the youngest Midoriya saw the shogun pause and turn to face her. "The festival to celebrate the cherry blossoms. The day after tomorrow evening in the emperor's gardens. W-will you be there, your Grace?", she asked, after having scraped together all of her courage. She could see Kirishima turn around as well and look at her with another radiant smile, while her brother looked like he was about to faint. Bakugou, on the other hand, looked at her appraisingly for a few moments before raising his shoulders in a vague gesture. "I'll be busy with the preparation for the following journey!", he replied impassively as he spun around again. Dejectedly, (Y/N) lowered her gaze, before she suddenly heard how her fiancé continued to speak: "I'll see if I can spare some time."

With a suppressed groan, Toshinori settled into the ornate chair at the head of the table as he nodded to his dark-haired general, while he placed his hand over the badly healed injury he received a long time ago. His gaze wandered intently over the huge map of his kingdom as he considered the small figures carefully placed on the neat leather. "We will have to reinforce the borders there, there and there. Shigaraki is getting more and more brash every time, attacking small villages and troops regardless of losses.", the Emperor replied, equally exhausted, before turning to his youngest Shogun, who had taken a seat at his table:"Young Bakugou, you took over the late Shigaraki's lands after the attack against the throne was averted. His forces have been crushed, but there are enough signs that he is still moving within your and Aizawa's borders. I will order that you receive men from the other shogunates to better contain the danger. So prepare yourselves for the gathering of new samurai and soldiers." The young man who was addressed by Toshinori nodded somberly before scribbling something down on the paper that lay on the table in front of him.

"However, I have not called you together today mainly to discus matters of war.", once again sounded the clear voice of the frail emperor, who had once been the strongest of all samurai. However, this was before his time as the head of his empire. Back when his mentor had ruled over this country and he had been his loyal general, as the symbol of peace. But this had been in the past for what felt like an eternity. "We will have to talk about the fact that I have neither heirs nor living family members who could take my place should I loose my life early. My health is not what it once was. So it is urgently time, now that the situation is getting worse, to talk about my legacy if we are to prevent a war for the throne if I may pass away!", explained Toshinori as he looked each person firmly in their eyes. His bony hand wandered over his ribs massaging the old injury that had made him the man he was today. Despite the fact that his body was only a shadow of its former self after the tragic attack, his eyes and voice still showed the sharp mind that Toshinori possessed. No one dared to raise an objection as he steered the topic in that direction, knowing full well how urgent the matter was. "Now that my health is slowly declining, many have their eyes set on the throne and enough have already tried to seize it by force," he continued to speak as he saw his loyal men tense at his ominous words. Midoriya Izuku swallowed hard as he heard his mentor's insinuations. The thought that Shigaraki himself had almost succeeded in putting these plans into action sent a shiver down his spine. "Accordingly, after much thought, I have decided to declare Midoriya Izuku as my heir. With the young Todoroki Shoto, who will inherit the largest shogunate in the south in due course, and with Bakugou, who will guard the northern borders. I see this as a steadfast cornerstone for the coming future.", Toshinori finished his speech without further ado, while he looked into the now shocked faces of his former students. General Aizawa, on the other hand, did not seem surprised to hear the emperor's plans.

"Your H-Highness. I-I'm not sure if I'm up to this!" breathed Izuku in shock, while Bakugou on the other side of the table snorted derisively. The young shogun was one of the most loyal men of the crown, and yet he wasn't exactly known for having a friendly disposition. He and the green-haired samurai did not have the most loving relationship with each other. Since childhood, they had learned the way of the bushido together under the protective hands of Aizawa and Toshinori. Side by side they had grown into the men they were today, but their different personalities had always ensured that they could never completely let go of their rivalry, even if they had already proven in the past that they could work together if they had to. Bakugou detested Izuku's indulgent, soft traits. That a man of his disposition had managed to keep up with the proud and talented boy had put a damper on him over and over again. Bakugou was a goal-oriented and fierce young samurai who had worked his way to the top with only his own strength and steely will. He was stubborn, ruthless and temperamental, but he had proven many times, that he was a good leader and loyal comrade despite his personality. His reputation as a bloodthirsty warrior however, made even the most experienced swordsmen tremble, perfect for the role as the warden of the northern borders. Someone like the young shogun would only take orders from someone he truly respected. It was therefore completely inconceivable to Izuku that someone like Bakugou would ever accept him as his emperor.

Worried, the green-haired man looked briefly at his former fellow pupil who stared him down in surprising silence with his deadly red eyes. Actually, Izuku would have expected Bakugou to be enraged after the emperor said that his rival should become the next heir to the throne, but instead of freaking out, the man just clenched his jaw and watched him with an iron expression. "You are well trained, young Midoriya. I am certain, that you will grow into this role, with my guidance. Of course, I am equally aware that you and young Bakugou have a somewhat bumpy relationship. But neither of you is a fool, which is why you know full well that such an alliance is exactly what this country will need in the future. You will have to face many people in your life who will question you. However, with Bakugou by your side, you will be able to overcome them. You as my heir will become the new symbol of peace, while you should consider young Bakugou as your future general. He as your sword and shield should be able to secure the future we all strive for in the depths of our being, don't you think?" Toshinori confidently assured before turning to Bakugou, who was now glaring down at the table with his arms folded in front of his chest. He had averted his gaze with a snort after the emperor's last words, but to everyone's surprise, he had not voiced any objections.

"In fact, a desirable thought occurred to me yesterday during the introduction of the young debutantes, which is why I have come to the conclusion that I would like to solidify this alliance I envision for the future with a consolidating bond.", the emperor declared after a short break, while he pulled out a prewritten contract from one of his long sleeves. "W-What do you mean?", rang out Izuku's indignant voice, while he was giving Bakugou an anxious look out of the corner of his eyes. The young shogun also seemed to wonder in which direction the conversation seemed to lead, but he remained silent as he waited concertedly for his emperor to continue speaking:"Well, you and Bakugou have reached an age where it makes sense to marry and start a family. Bakugou my not have any siblings, but coincidentally, you possess a younger sister of marriageable age. What alliance is more solid than that of a family brought together?" "B-But isn't this a somewhat hasty decision! I haven't even had a chance to look around for other families who would be sufficient for her.", Izuku tried to object as he imagined in horror of having to give his sweet, loving (Y/N) to his ruthless, temperamental rival. "Are you saying I'm not good enough for your damn sister, Deku? Or were you not listening just now? We are on the brink of a fucking war!", the blond shogun growled angrily as he slammed his fist down on the table, while his patience was wearing thin. Bakugou's body tensed dangerously as he made a move to rise threateningly while staring down at his former fellow pupil in offense. Panicked, Izuku looked from the emperor to the shogun, only to shake his head hurriedly to placate the temperamental man.

"N-No, it's just... I... didn't think you would agree... a-and... well...", stammered the green-haired man, while he hurriedly waved off that he was not happy about the outcome of this conversation. Of course, Izuku saw that this would be a solid alliance when viewed from a political perspective, but it did not change the fact that he did not feel comfortable with the thought of having to give his sister to Bakugou. "I think this is an excellent opportunity to bury your hatchet. An official connection between your two families will strengthen the throne on which you will sit in due course, Midoriya. Fewer people will dare to go against you if it is clear that the two of you support each other.", General Aizawa interrupted his former students with a bored tone as he placed his hand on Bakugou's shoulder to stop him from jumping over the table and strangling his rival on the spot. "Then it is decided! Young Bakugou will marry Young Midoryia's sister.", the emperor declared with a confirming nod. Swallowing, the head of the Midoriya family dropped his objection when he realized he was outvoted. Tormented, he thought about how he should prepare his sister for a man like Bakugou, while said man was surprisingly cooperative and collected despite the fact, that he will have to marry the little sister of his childhood rival.

.

.

.

The presentation of the debutantes at the imperial court had been a resounding success for the venerable Midoriya family. No other young lady had received such high praise like the daughter of this house. Not only her mother, but also her brother, Izuku, had beamed with pride and embraced his sister directly in his strong arms after they escaped the piercing eyes of society when they had finally arrived at their home after a long afternoon.

The young girl, however, would not have thought that the euphoria would be dampened just one day after the festivities, but when Izuku had returned from the audience with the emperor, he had looked exhausted and unhappy. Reddish spots from the stress he had experienced covered his cheekbones that was dotted with freckles. His green eyes shone with sorrow as he retreated unceremoniously to their late father's study, leaving her alone with their mother in the parlor, without much more than a tired greeting.

His little sister had made such a flawless performence, which even he had only been able to admire with bated breath. Jealousy had almost gripped him a little when he had observed how fearlessly and successfully she had been able to face up to this task at her tender age. Despite the fact that he was now one of the most powerful noble warriors of his generation, even nowadays he was still a rather reserved and shy man. When he was her age, he would not have been able to step so fearlessly towards the emperor of that time. But does that mean that his gentle sister would also be strong enough to be able to stand by the feared shogun's side? What if Bakugou turned his dislike of Izuku to (Y/N) just because she shared his blood? He couldn't bear the thought of the latter possibly suffering from their difficult relationship.

Izuku's hands had buried themselves desperately in his full, wavy hair as he had bent over the emperor's written order. The hours passed in the small stuffy room without the young lord truly registering it. Only the wandering of the sun, which constantly changed the incidence of light through the window, testified that time had not stopped, but no matter how long he sat there, the young lord would not think of a solution to this precarious situation.

How could he explain to his sister that she had been promised to a man just one day after her debut? Izuku had wanted to give her a say in the matter who she was going to marry in the future, but now his hands were tied, for even as the heir to the emperor, he did not have the right to ignore the crown's decision. The entire situation was an unbelievable catastrophe in the eyes of the young head of the family. He doubted that a simple wedding would allow him and Bakugou to put aside their differences. Even worse, the man now had something in his hands that Izuku loved with all his heart. The green-haired heir was a family man. He adored his mother and sister and wished only the best for them.

Bakugou, on the other hand, was a person who had forgotten how to feel tender feelings for someone else after he had buried his vulnerability under all the blood he had shed in the past. He was someone who had learned how to hate more than how to love. Izuku could not imagine that (Y/N) could be happy at this man's side. That was what bothered him the most. His childhood rival was not a bad person, although he had done some pretty bad things in the past. He trusted Bakugou to do the best for his country's security, but was a brute like him also able to protect the fragile heart of a sheltered girl? Bakugou hated Izuku. That much was certain. So would he hate his sister, as well? The thought that she might be stuck in an unloved marriage caused Izuku's heart to contract painfully.

Completely lost in his own thoughts, the young householder only noticed how much time had passed, when a servant had served him tea and food in the early evening. As if spellbound, he had been looking at the letter that sealed his sister's fate. With a deep sigh, the young man slumped down before lifting his head to rise his gaze at his servant:"Bring me my sister, please!" Izuku commanded before watching him bow and leave.

It had taken only a few moments for (Y/N) to enter the room with a look of concern. She had neither kneeled nor indicated a bow when she had entered the study, as such formalities were not expected in front of Izuku. He and his sister were very close, even if he hadn't spent much of his life growing up with her. "Is everything all right, brother?" she asked cautiously after approaching the table where Izuku had been huddled, unchanged, for several hours. "I have important news for you!" he sighed as he gestured with his scarred hand for her to sit across from him. "The emperor was very fond of you.", her brother began with a sad smile as his sister sat down. He watched as she placed her hands demurely in her lap and returned his expression gratefully. "... In fact, he was so excited that he had personally ordered a wedding between you and one of his closest followers.", he explained hesitantly as he watched sudden surprise appear on his sister's countenance. Completely perplexed, (Y/N) looked up at him as she absorbed the pronounced information. For a brief moment, her attention swung to the document bearing the Emperor's seal before she looked back at her brother, gulping. This turn of events had been completely unpredictable for her. The youngest Midoriya's heartbeat stopped for a moment when she realized that her fate was already sealed with this document, before different families could have come to them at all. The thought of not being able to control the further course of events made her truly afraid, even if she tried not to let it show. She didn't want her brother to feel even more agitated than he already was, because neither of them could do anything about the emperor's decision. "W-Who is it?", she asked accordingly without making any effort to speak out against the decision. However, the pained expression on her brother's face only caused more unease to spread through the pit of her stomach.

"... Bakugou Katsuki!", replied Izuku after a long hesitation. A shiver ran down (Y/N)'s spine when she heard the name of her future husband. Silence spread between the siblings for a moment, while (Y/N) tried to swallow the rising lump in her throat. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes before quietly clearing her throat: "Isn't he one of the other two lords who had studied together with you under the emperor?", (Y/N) asked silently, while she tried to hide the shaking within her voice. Unfortunately, her brother had not often mentioned Bakugou in his stories, so her information on him was exceedingly sparse. However, she knew enough rumors that circulated around this man, although of course it was impossible to tell which ones actually held a shred of truth. Nodding, Izuku cleared his throat as he reached for his teacup, which already felt rather cool in his scarred hands. "He is the youngest man to be elevated to the rank of shogun. He rules over a large part of the northernmost lands. He... is, in consideration of his status, an... excellent match...", he explained hesitantly, before covering part of his pained expression with the richly decorated porcelain. (Y/N) was thoughtfully silent as she weighed this detail internally. A man appointed to the rank of shogun by her current emperor could not be a bad person, could he? What kind of man was Bakugou Katsuki? Was he the bloodthirsty warrior like everybody whispered behind his back, or was he a loyal supporter of the crown, who was just misunderstood? Izuku did look unhappy, but maybe it was just because Bakugou was his rival. That much, after all, she was aware of. With clenched hands, (Y/N) tried to tell herself that this man didn't have to be her downfall, however, she could feel uncertainty raising in her stomach. No matter how she twisted or turned it, she would have to somehow come to terms with her situation without falling into a panic attack.

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.

Clicking his tongue, Bakugou downed his tea before brashly taking his dinner, while he ignored his companion. "Tell me, why are you in such a bad mood tonight?", Kirishima persistently inquired for the third time, while he also helped himself to the food that the servants had provided for their master. One of the kitchen maids blushingly placed a bowl of rice in front of him and received a beaming smile from the charming, always good-humored samurai. Bakugou grunted meaninglessly and continued eating in silence without giving his companion a proper answer. "We could be at the Kaminari family's celebration right now. But you decided to throw our plans out the window.", the red-haired man sighed in dismay as he watched his best friend closely. "The festivities at the Kaminari family would certainly have been a good start to get to know the families of the young unmarried ladies. If you want to comply with your family's requests to finally find yourself a wife, you're going to have to start dealing with people.", he added testingly after a brief pause, receiving a contemptuous snort in response. "It's too late for that shit now anyway. So I might as well stay at home where I don't have talk with all those lickspittles.", the blond man hissed in annoyance, not looking up from his dinner.

Surprised, Kirishima began to sit up straighter after Bakugou had finally answered his questioning properly for the first time. Deciding not to give up, he leaned forward a bit to watch the blond man closely before continuing with his questions: "Why is that? Have you already found a suitable wife without my knowledge?"

The way the young shogun paused for a moment gave the curious samurai exactly the answer he was looking for. Interested, Kirishima watched as his counterpart's red eyes lost focus and Bakugou began to drift off in his thoughts. In the Shogun's mind's eye, the figure of his rival appeared, who's expression was filled with horror, when he began to understand that the Emperor had ordered his sister to be married to Bakugou in order to strengthen an alliance between them. With clenched teeth, he then imagined the young girl who had been presented to the emperor two days ago as a debutante. Soft and innocent, she had strode past the crowd and bowed in front of the crown with ragged breaths. She had seemed braver than Izuku could have been at her age, and yet Bakugou could not shake the image of her looking up at him in fear, much as her brother had done years ago. A tearful, frightened girl was not exactly the kind of woman he imagined at his side, but what could he do about the emperor's decision? He had come to the capital with the intention of finding a wife, but this was not how he had imagined it. Not with the little sister of damn Midoriya Izuku.

"No matter which lady you're thinking of, I think you should send her a bouquet of flowers, or better yet, pay your respects to her family right away! I bet they'll greet you with a kiss on the hand if you've already made up your mind.", the red-haired gentleman interrupted the silence. Immediately, Bakugou turned his scowl on his best friend and gave another disdainful snort before replying:"No way!", he barked angrily as he clutched his chopsticks so tightly that they began to crack dangerously. "Well... You'll have to know in the end. But nothing comes from nothing. If you want that girl to like you, you're going to have to be benevolent towards her.", Kirishima replied with a grin, as he folded his arms behind his head. "So if I were you, I would start courting her before someone else does. Or perhaps the family has already rejected you because your reputation doesn't appeal to them?"

That comment was the last straw that broke the camel's back for Bakugou. Bursting, the chopsticks broke in the temperamental shogun's hand. What did he care if others were interested in the girl? Even if the emperor had not ordered a marriage between them, his rival could not have refused the courtship of a shogun. Even without his title, no one could have refused Bakugou if he wanted something. Especially not such an effeminate person as Midoriya Izuku. Not that he cares anyway. He couldn't care less who was going to be his wife, as long as she was able to fulfill her damn duty's.

However, it was a complete waste of time to worry about such things. In the end, the current emperor had taken the decision of what would happen from them either way. She would become his wife whether he sent her flowers or not. Bakugou hated it when people tried to force something on him. If the order had not come from the emperor himself, the person who would have dared to do such a thing would have had a tongue for the longest time. He would have ripped it out without hesitations. But Toshinori was damn right that Bakugou was no fool. The ash-blond man had seen the extent of the rebellion in the north with his own eyes. The opponents of the crown grew bolder now that they thought the throne stood on sawn, wobbly legs. Despite Deku's effeminate personality, he was a good candidate for the crown. The young shogun would never admit it openly, but Midoriya's self-sacrificing and solution-oriented nature would make him a good emperor if Bakugou stood by his side to strike down those who would take advantage of his good nature. A marriage union between Bakugou Katsuki and the future emperor's sister would make a powerful statement. It would change conditions on the border as well as in the capital for the better, but did he have to spend more time than necessary with Deku because of it? Hell, fucking no!

"No ten horses will make me seek out Deku if not necessary!", Bakugou stated icily, before realizing that he had now given the unknown girl an identity. Realization flashed in Kirishima's eyes as he heard who the young shogun was thinking about. "The girl in question is little Miss Midoriya? I didn't think it would be her who would steal your attention. Even though I'm sure she left a lasting impression on many the day before yesterday. I heard that the matchmakers also spoke highly of her. A true gem, I've heard." Gritting his teeth, Bakugou turned away from his friend as he heard all the compliments about his future wife. He had no interest in talking about her, but the latter still seemed reluctant to drop the subject.

"Well, probably you should actually leave her alone...", Kirishima finally relented. He paused briefly for the dramatic impact, gleefully eating some vegetables, watching as the young householder slowly taxed him again with a piercing gaze:"What are you trying to say?" "Well... I guess the tension that exists between you and Midoriya-san certainly wouldn't be beneficial to such a connection. After all, you've never quite been able to put aside your youthful rivalry. I am sure that he would not be very enthusiastic if you tried to court his little sister all of a sudden. Actually, I'm sure he'll reject you outright.", Kirishima replied innocently as he inwardly counted to three.

Only the most important people were powerful enough to receive the honor to get a tailored role in such a glorious play, while the rest served only as cheap, unappreciated extras. However, it did not matter at all whether the nobility was absorbed in their role's descriptions or if they would have preferred to step off that pretential stage. Every single one of them was obliged to play their part. If they did not, they had to expect that it would not only be their own end, but often for their entire family and subordinates as well. In that case, all that could save them was the favor of the crown itself, which usually was as fickle and impressionable as the rough sea.

In a world like this, you didn't decide for yourself who you were...

No, not really...

It was the tongues of the others that had the power to deform the image of your identity. They decided who you were and what was best for you. They defined what was right and what was wrong and were able to destroy you at the slightest misstep. So, bearing a title was a privilege and a burden all at once.

As a noble it was not only important who you were and how well you fulfilled your own part in society, no, it was important who you knew and what contacts you had cultivated. Your connections were what made you powerful. So it was common that unions were closed around various families to secure better conditions for their offspring's or to form better alliances to gain power over the emperor's curt. In a society like this, everyone looked for their own benefits. Compassion was a rare treasure, which could only be found in the fewest individuals. Sons were raised to rule, while daughters were only used as bargaining chips. They must humbly serve their families by marrying powerful men, to obtain alliances. They had to bind themselves to those who were raised to rule over them, without ever getting a chance to decide for themselves.

So... how can anyone romanticize such a morbid spectacle? Why are there such big differences between the rights of various people? Why are the deeds of the powerful always glossed over, while the weaker were oppressed?

Noble warriors, who fought for glory and honor...

Fine diplomats, whose silver tongues could melt every single heart...

Mighty kings, who hold their hand protectively over their people...

Well-guarded ladies, whose beauty and elegance could made a whole hall shine...

Weren't these colorful descriptions only empty paraphrases, in order to be able to hide the cruel faces of reality?

But...

Who told of the blood of the innocent that dripped from the warrior's blade?

Who mentioned the lies the diplomat had spun to achieve his goals?

Who wrote about the wars the king instigated to expand his empire?

Who acknowledged that a lady's supposed beauty and family status was the only means to even have the prospect of a rosy future? And even this was not an indicator that her destiny would not be her downfall, because the rules were set by those who wielded the power and if she was unlucky, they were the ones who took advantage of it without thinking of her well-being.

Yes, even the carefully planned and detailed balls and parties, looked at first glance like dreamlike picture perfect background's. They blinded onlookers to what was behind the scenes, but those who lived in this world for long enough, knew that even these were literally only bloody battlefields disguised in beautiful shining robes. It's was a spectacle full of lies.

True love?

A spark of equality?

Boundless trust?

What most rare wonders they were in her hypocritical society and yet (Y/N), young and unreserved, hoped to find them in spite of everything. What a blessed life she had led until now. She was lucky to be born into a wonderful family. Despite her status, its members were warm-hearted and free-spirited. But she knew that this was not the norm and was wise enough not to take her privileges for granted.

With a wildly beating heart, she stood next to her mother and waited for her call to finally be presented before the Emperor and his guests as a marriageable debutante. Normally, the Empress would review the new young ladies year after year, but she had passed away in her own childbed some time ago, and so the Emperor, bless his suprisingly kind soul, took over this task, with a nostalgic smile on his fragile face.

In the midst of the whole crowd of young ladies and their mothers, (Y/N) stood and called herself to patience while she tried to fade out her competition as best she could. Some of her fellow competitors she knew personally, but only a few she had a closer, more sympathetic relationship with. Somewhere at the other end of the waiting area she had spotted Miss Uraraka with her mother. But unfortunately they had only been able to give each other a fleeting smile before she was already called. Ochako was one of her few childhood friends, but she too was unfortunately on the hunt for a good match and was now in some ways as much her competitor as all the rest of the unmarried girls. So all (Y/N) could do was to hope that this season wouldn't drive a wedge between them and at least one of them would get hitched safely.

However, no matter how much she would like to think about her friendships at this moment, the young girl had to use what little time she had left to mentally prepare herself for her own appearance. Breathing deeply through her chest, the budding debutante stretched her back while pulling her shoulders taut. The stiff, floral-embroidered obi was cinched very tightly around her waist, making breathing a little more difficult, but not as impossible as it seemed with some of the other ladies. Testing, (Y/N) tried to put on a charming smile as she interlaced her fingers in front of her body in a demure pose before turning her frame with trembling lips to her mother, who was already looking at her with affection. "I hope I can bring honor to our family today!" the young girl spoke softly as she gazed hopefully into the green eyes of her counterpart. Lady Midoriya regarded her daughter with a moved expression, raising her well-groomed hands to fix the blooming magnolia blossoms she had personally placed in the elaborate hairstyle that morning for one last time. Satisfied with her work, she let her fingers glide gently down over (Y/N)'s ears, only to finally cup the young girl's cheeks in a delicate manner. "You already do, my child! And I know you will continue to do so!" the older lady replied confidently, while placing her slightly wrinkled, yet still delicate fingers under (Y/N)'s chin to lift it decisively. "You are beautiful, intelligent and kind-hearted! You have inherited your father's strong will! He would be as proud as I am to see you like this. Just like your brother, you put all your passion into your tasks and diligently learn what is expected of you. You, my child, will be able to go your way and overcome any stumbling block. I am incredibly sure of that!" Lady Midoriya added emotionaly before she cleared her throat softly, hoping to catch herself again. Tears glistened in her eyes like raindrops on an evergreen branch. The words of her mother gave (Y/N) the necessary strength to suppress the slight trembling of her lips. Slowly but surely, the nervous lump that had spread in her throat dissolved and disappeared along with her fear.

Yes, her mother was right! (Y/N) had inherited the will of her father and had prepared herself in the best possible way for exactly this moment. She would face the emperor fearlessly and make her family proud. On this day and on each still coming!

"Lady Midoriya. It is now your and your daughter's turn!" the stiff voice of the herald's assistant rang out, snapping them out of their brief emotional moment. Nodding, (Y/N)'s mother started to move and placed herself with perfectly executed etiquette in front of the closed red and golden double doors that would lead them into the throne room. The remaining debutantes and their mothers, who were waiting for their momentto come, gave them appraising looks, but (Y/N) tried to ignore them as much as possible. Each of them knew how privileged the youngest Midoriya was, her own brother being one of the three former students of the current emperor. But she would shine today because of her own abilities. Today she would not stand in the shadow of her talented, kind-hearted brother. Taking a deep breath, the young girl followed her mother and positioned herself half a step in front of her while she waited with galloping heartbeat for the herald's introduction.

This was it...

This was the moment on which everything depended. All eyes would be on her to determine her own worth. As soon as those doors opened, she would take the first step to be able to grab a good match for herself. It would be one of the most important steps that would determine the rest of her life and she could not help but dare once again to let hope for a good future arise in her. Conscious of her duty, (Y/N) lowered herself onto the pillow and took in a bowing posture. With her head bowed and fingertips touching, which hovered in a rehearsed posture stretched out in front of her just a few millimeters above the ground, she took one last look at her beloved mother. Making the final decision to take Lady Midoriya as her role model, (Y/N) set herself for the very last time the goal not only to achieve an excellent match and honor for her family, but also to fight for the oh-so-rare love that only a few were truly allowed to experience. Even if her future could not be determined by herself, she did not want to leave her entire destiny solely in the hands of the gods, for only those who proved virtuous and courageous would be truly heard by those same deity's. She had prayed and pleaded that she would be able to feel for her future groom as her mother once did for her beloved husband, but to achieve this she would have to fight in her own way.

"Your Majesty, honored guests, we now present Miss Midoriya (Y/N), younger sister of the head of the family and distinguished samurai of Shizuoka Province, Lord Midoriya Izuku, one of the three former disciples of the Symbol of Peace. His Imperial Highness, Toshinori-sama. The young lady is accompanied by her mother, Lady Midoriya Inko," the clear voice of the herald echoed through the hall, while the richly decorated double doors were pushed open as if in slow motion. As she had been taught, the introduced debutante slowly counted to three before elegantly rising from her bowing position, only to just as slowly lift her eyelids to cast an innocent glance around the hall. In a culture like hers, aesthetics and elegance were invaluable. They were taught to one from childhood. Like a graceful mask, she wore the delicate, demure garb of etiquette expected of a young girl of her station.

'Do not speak unless you are addressed personally.'

'It is better to be seen than heard.'

'A young girl's weapon is not her voice, but her manners and countenance.'

'Be a work of art that all the world wants to admire.'

Even though (Y/N) wanted to be independent in her deepest heart. Even if she would have loved to use her own voice not only to be seen but also to be heard, she knew that for that she needed a man who was kind enough to give her that very chance. Her gently, encouraging brother would not always be her guardian. In a society like hers, a woman alone was worth nothing. Her status was measured by that of her husband and only that man would be able to shape her further life. He alone would have the right to decide whether to lock her in a golden cage and let her wither away or to give her the wings she would need to continue to develop freely. So she had no choice but to be exactly what was expected of her if she wanted to attract as much attention as possible. The family name she carried could not be her only trump card. She had to portray the perfect, well-mannered bride. A girl that was worth fighting over. Beautiful and quiet. Attentive and discreet. Talented and elegant. For this reason, she had poured her heart and soul and perfectionism into this very charlatanry. She wanted freedom! She wanted to be able to hope! Hope that the seed her family had planted in her would be able to blossom! Hope to be able to attract the attention of a man who would be her blessing and not her downfall.

Without losing her balance, the young girl stood up, while with purposeful flowing gestures, she placed her hands hovering over each other under her chest. When at last the seat cushion was discreetly moved aside, the debutante stepped into the packed hall with shining, soft eyes, closely followed by her venerable mother. A slight implied smile, meant to exude modesty and delicacy, played around her lips as she resisted the need to look around the room.

Look at me. I am everything you have ever dreamed of.

Her gaze rested on the hem of the emperor's multi-layered robe without once losing her focus as she strode past his wealthy guests, who were spread out on either side of the hall and focused their full attention on (Y/N). The young girl knew that somewhere in that crowd was her big brother, Midoriya Izuku, watching her intently just like all the others. By the gods, she hoped that he felt pure pride for his sister, just like their mother. He was probably even more nervous than she was at that moment. Perhaps he was even quietly whispering push prayers into his non-existent beard to give his sister all the blessings in the world. No matter. This thought alone warmed the debutante's heart as she took one step after another toward the emperor until she finally came to a stop in front of him. Without lifting her eyes, (Y/N) curtsied as deeply as her legs would allow and then waited with bated breath for the crown's reaction.

Silence reigned in the hall, so pervasive that one could have heard a pin drop on the floor. Like a mantra, the words, Look at me, I bring honor to my family, echoed in the mind of the youngest Midoriya. The sudden clap of the emperor, which echoed through the room like lashes of a whip, almost made (Y/N) wince, but she had managed to pull herself together. Calmly, the young girl waited while she made sure to take deep breaths through her chest so as not to fall prey to dizziness. Out of the corner of her eye, she could observe the emperor nodding warmly in the direction of his guests. "As one would expect, my student's little sister is shining brightly!", Toshinori's voice loudly and warmly pierced the silence of the room.

"Have there been any critical incidents in the meantime?" asked Sinbad gravely as he settled into his cushioned armchair, before he placed his arms on the sturdy desk in a businesslike manner. Ja'far paused briefly before shaking his head: "No. No one is allowed through who is even minimally off thegrid, and the presence of the guards greatly intimidates most visitors.... So much so that Salome has sent some of them away."

When the Vizir observed Sinbad's facial expression darken a bit, he directly made an effort to continue: "It is to be observed that the general mood among our people seems to be even better than it was a few months ago. Her presence raised the general well-being, as you had predicted. Among the visitors are many who seek comfort and advice after the loss of a loved one or during hard times."

"Excellent", Sinbad replied thoughtfully, nodding at the good news as he pulled out the scroll from his tunic that Isaac had handed him a few days ago. Still frowning, Sinbad's gaze slid to his open window as he absently turned the scroll in his fingers. "I do not want the guards to leave their posts, however. Sindria may be safe in principle, but there have been people after her in the past.", the king spoke in an emphatically casual tone, while his jaw tightened slightly, barely noticeable. Immediately, Ja'far nodded and began to jot down a note as an aid to his thoughts. "Of course!" he replied dutifully, before turning the page to move on to the next item. When he read what item was next on his agenda, he paused for a brief moment before clearing his throat. "My informants report that Salome seems more unbalanced by the day. Master Isaac seems to be putting a lot of pressure on her and the fact that she is not to leave the castle for the time being seems to be affecting her as well. One of my employees said that he overheard a conversation between her and her brother in which she expressed her wish to go to the city. Her brother, however, also said that she was attracting too much attention at the moment, as people were beginning to recognize her from the many visitors she had already received." Ja'far recited carefully before looking up to observe Sinbad's reaction. The king frowned even more, as he ran a thoughtful hand over his clean-shaven chin. Instead of answering, however, he turned to the woman who was also in Sinbad's study: "Yam, tell me about the archpriest!"

"As I reported a few days ago, he is quite a powerful mage of the light type and also, like me, highly skilled in magical artifacts.", the young woman began expertly.

"Master Isaac conducts daily training sessions with Salome. For one thing, he explores with her the variable uses of Alexander's light magic so that she can learn to use it to its fullest potential. For another, many of his teaching sessions consist of meditation exercises.", Yamraiha reported, fully in her element as she walked toward the king's desk and presented him with her documented observations. Sinbad slowly leaned forward to flip through the slips of paper with interest as he continued to listen to his chief court mage. "As I wrote in the first part of the report, it can be observed that she can use magic both defensively and competitively.", she explained, gesturing at the documents. Sinbad nodded in understanding, but otherwise remained silent as his eyes followed her handwriting. "The light aspect she already controls quite well, however the magoi usage is immense, causing her to quickly become exhausted." "Has she already shown signs of using time and space magic?" asked Ja'far as he looked up from his own notes. The water magician, as well as their king shook their heads. "No, after the incident in Dalmasca, Salome has shown no signs in that direction. She has also not yet mastered the full Djinn Equipment. She is, however, able to summon Alexander's staff," Sinbad added as he again ran his chin thoughtfully before also looking up and giving Yamraiha a questioning look: "Did you write down anything about the meditation exercises?"

Nodding, the mage pointed to her documents as she gestured for Sinbad to turn to the next page. "The meditation exercises are meant to help her control her magoi more precisely, for one thing, and to increase it gradually. It seems the dalmascian priests have their own practices to encourage this. It is actually most remarkable. Everything I could find out about it is in the report but like any culture, they try to keep their secrets to themselves as best as they can. If I have observed correctly, in Salome's case, the practices are also about her learning to act in harmony with the Rukh. However, Master Isaac did not answer my questions in detail. But it seems the more in tune she is with them, the more clearly she seems to be able to understand their voices.", Yamraiha told them, before pausing briefly as she stroked her teal hair thoughtfully. "I did, however, overhear Master Isaac questioning her repeatedly about the Black Rukh. More specifically about their Masters plans and whereabouts. However, she doesn't seem to be able to find any answers to that. Probably we can combine this with Ja'far's information." Again, Sinbad nodded thoughtfully before sighing and leaning back. Salome had not brought this up in front of Sinbad, which he did not like at all. "I'll bring it up with her later.", he murmured softly before sliding the scroll, which he had not let out of his hands, back into his tunic.

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.

.

A gentle breeze brushed through Salome's various strands of dark hair that had come loose from her simple braid, framing her delicate features with soft locks. Leaning against a large orange tree, she enjoyed the warm rays of the sun, which flashed through the lush green leaves. The specks of light performed a playful dance on her tanned skin, warming her skin all so gently. Only in the presence of a few birds that lingered in the branches of the surrounding trees, she sat all by herself in the small private garden, which bordered exclusively on the purple leo tower. A little away from her stood the richly decorated memorial stone on which all the names that had lost their lives during the fall of the first Sindria were engraved. A peaceful silence surrounded her, but inside she could not reproduce the feeling of balance. The young prophetess tried to make out the whispering voices that were bustling around her and this idyllic place. In vain. For days she had been trying to find answers to the questions Isaac had been asking her incessantly, but the Rukh had been unable to reveal them to her. After the exhausting morning she had spent under Isaac's supervision, she had needed some time to herself, hoping to think more clearly away from the company of others. Sighing, however, the young woman shook her head in despair before slowly opening her eyes and gazing up at the sky in frustration. "I wish I could understand what you are trying to tell me..." she muttered dejectedly as she closed her eyes again in exhaustion.

Soft footsteps suddenly echoed on the paved part of the garden, jolting the young prophetess out of her dull thoughts. Immediately Salome lowered her head and looked in the direction of the sound, only to be delighted to find that the king of Sindria was approaching her. Immediately her heartbeat quickened. A shy smile crept onto Salome's lips while a red glow spread across her delicate cheeks. Sinbad returned her smile, but it seemed a little more forced than usual. Immediately the young woman rose to greet her counterpart appropriately as he strolled casually towards her "Good evening, Sin." the prophetess announced shyly as she folded her arms behind her back. "Good evening. I've been looking for you.", the king replied in a gentle tone before taking a quick look around to make sure they were alone. "O-Oh, really?", replied Salome as she looked up at him curiously. When Sinbad turned back to her, he leaned down with a sly smile, pushed a few strands of hair out of her face, and pressed his lips against her temple for a brief moment. With a fluttering heart, Salome closed her eyes while she let the gesture take effect on her.

Since she had kissed him a few days ago, the king had begun to steal such intimate gestures from her now and then. About what built up between them, they had not spoken, however. Somehow the young woman hadn't dared to bring it up on her own, after all, it was she who had taken the step first, after deciding that she couldn't just be friends with Sinbad. But... while she was willing to put her heart blatantly and defenselessly on the line, she wasn't sure if Sinbad would actually do the same. Therefore, after her obvious confession, she had sealed her lips and resolved to wait and see. The king of Sindria knew how she felt, now it was up to him to decide what he wanted to claim from this union. Sinbad, however, still acted little differently, except for the fact that he occasionally acted more overtly toward her, lulling her with words and gestures.

"Come, Salome, I'd like to go on a walk with you.", Sinbad whispered against her temple, which snapped Salome out of her thoughts. Blinking, the young woman opened her blue-green eyes and slowly looked up at the man, who made her heart beat faster without much effort. Like a cavalier, he offered her his arm, which she shyly took before letting Sinbad lead her through the castle without a destination in mind. His body felt warm against her side, lulling her in even more.

"Tell me about your day so far.", Sinbad asked in a casual tone as he pulled her arm closer. "I spent most of my time with Isaac. He accompanied my meditation exercises. And yours?" the young woman replied as she let the king guide her through the open corridors. The latter gave her a scrutinizing glance before waving it off with a smile: "Loads of paperwork. Boring work and not worth telling, I'm afraid. How are the exercises going?" The gleam in her eyes faded for a moment as she sighed. "Well. I guess I'm getting better at controlling Alexander, but the meditation exercises are proving a bit difficult at the moment..." the prophetess began to reveal, but paused thoughtfully. Actually, she had not wanted to burden him with this. As the king of Sindria, he had enough to worry about, and now she couldn't even manage her own tasks. "What's on your mind, Salome?", echoed Sinbad softly as he turned to her and raised his free hand to playfully tap his fingertips against her forehead. Smirking, she pushed his hand away, but then heaved another sigh before giving in and shrugging helplessly. "I'm trying to find the answers that will get us further in regards to the black Rukh, but I'm not able to understand what they're trying to tell me. I'm sorry I didn't mean to disappoint you!" Abruptly Sinbad stopped and detached himself from her, turning her body around to face him. Appeasingly, he placed his hands on her shoulders and shook his head in denial. A gentle expression was in his gaze, yet a trace of curiosity also gleamed in his honey-colored eyes. "You do not disappoint me. You said yourself that you can't force such a thing, Salome. Especially when the Rukh don't see it as wise to give you that information." Shaking her head, Salome looked up. "No, it isn't something like that. I just can't understand their answer..." Frowning, the king looked at her questioningly as he tilted his head. Gloomy, the young woman pushed out her lower lip as she helplessly averted her eyes from Sinbad.

"I don't know if I can explain it well, but it feels like the black Rukh want to disguise the answer. Solomon's Rukh know and control the normal flow of time, while the black ones cause the abnormality. It's like both time streams are pushing against each other... like a test of strength.", Salome described as she gestured, pressing her palms against each other before slowly spreading her fingers a bit and demonstratively sliding them into the open gaps. "Normally I would be not able to get information of the black Rukh, but Isaac said at this interface the information seeps into each other and some of it can even reveal itself to me. But that takes practice and an inner balance." Realization flashed in Sinbad's eyes as he nodded in understanding. Letting the information sink in, Sinbad folded his arms in front of his chest calculatingly before nodding again and putting on a confident smile: "I think I understand the process. It reminds me how I need to balance them within myself so they don't fight each other.", Salome looked up at the king with wide eyes as she absorbed the information. Lost in thought, she wondered if she could do something like that, but immediately dismissed the thought because, unlike Sinbad, she didn't have black Rukh. Sighing, she turned her gaze from the man and briefly watched the golden birds that happily surrounded him. There was no trace of their dark counterparts. "Maybe you're trying too hard and need a break.", Sinbad broke the brooding silence between them as he reached for Salome's hand to clasp it between his. "Come on we'll both take a break!"

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Giggling, Salome tugged at the loose linen robes that covered her slender body. The clothes she wore belonged to a Sindrian maid, whom the king had spontaneously found after their conversation. Her hair was also covered with a white linen scarf, casting a shadow over her face. Her beaming gaze wandered up to Sinbad, who was also wearing the clothes of a servant and had hidden his hair as best he could under a turban. "We are looking so silly. Do you really think no one will recognize us?" laughed Salome questioningly as she strolled down the side street beside her king. Despite her statement, her body posture revealed how happy she was at that moment, looking excitedly at her surroundings like a child in awe.

Sinbad had decided to take a trip into the city despite his own orders and was now heading for the lively marketplaces of his kingdom together with Salome in disguise. The chains of his metal vessels tinkled softly, hidden beneath the somewhat rougher fabric, as he turned his attentive gaze to the young woman beside him and smiled down at her. Her radiant face, for a brief moment stimulated a tingling in the area of his stomach. He liked how happy the trip seemed to make her. Pleased with himself, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her onto the main street where he unobtrusively mingled with her. "Of course. My plans never go awry!" he lied boastfully before pointing to the market stalls that dotted the entire street. "Today I'm going to show you the shopping district of Sindria. The pride of my country!", he announced quietly as he watched Salome look around with interest.

Numerous merchants were flaunting their wares, while others were passionately bargaining with their customers. Laughing children dodged the large carts, which were busily pulled through the area by donkeys and oxen, moving large quantities of goods. The shopping people bustled around the stores, eagerly inspecting goods and comparing prices, then successfully haggling over every last piece of silver. Dried and ground spices exuded their fragrance and mingled with the sweetness of the fresh tropical fruits offered by the various vendors. Some stalls displayed shiny jewelry and beautiful richly decorated fabrics in all imaginable colors. It was as if you could find everything your heart desired. Clothing, food, handicrafts, from jewelry to furniture and tools. Simply everything. "Wow, there's so much more going on here than on the streets of Dalmasca.", Salome admired the scenery as she placed her hands on her cheeks in delight. "Sindria is flourishing because of its successful trade policy. Goods from many different countries are offered here. Fabrics from Balbadd, gems from Artemyra, metals from Sasan, remedies from Heliohapt. And many many more. Many of these countries use Sindrian trading posts, as an interface.", Sinbad proudly explained as they passed some stalls. "Many of these countries are part of the alliance you've formed over the years, aren't they?", asked Salome with interest, promptly receiving a nod from the king. "That's right. Besides the trade pacts, there is an alliance between many of these countries that serves to protect the small nations.", replied Sinbad, who was completely in his element on the subject.

The couple strolled exuberantly from stall to stall while the king kept describing new details about trade and goods to her. Every now and then he told anecdotes of his adventures while pointing at objects and people that reminded him of the stories he had experienced in his youth. He paid for small dishes for her to try, enjoying the happy face Salome gave him in return. It was easy to forget that they were both more than two simple people passing their time in the bazaar. Despite this, the king did not miss how they sometimes received interested glances from some passers-by, even if they wore completely inconspicuous robes and basically blended into the crowd. Judging by their staffs, most of them were mages, who probably perceived the Rukh buzzing around Salome and Sinbad. But none of them had come up to them and approached them in the open, and so the two had spent a quiet evening as the sun slowly began to set.

"Oh look. That's jewelry made from Sasan." commented Salome as she bent over the wares of the stall they were currently visiting with a delighted smile. "Oh, your wife has an excellent eye for quality, if she can tell it´s heritage, good sir!", the older merchant replied as he smiled kindly at the pair. Surprised at these words, Salome straightened up in embarrassment as she abruptly blushed. She was about to clarify that they were not married when Sinbad laughingly put his arm around her and hugged her a little closer. "Yes, isn't she? She's very observant!" replied Sinbad, amused, while the merchant tried to ingratiate himself a little more with the couple, "What an indulgent man you are to teach your wife such things, and a beauty she is as well. Perhaps you would like to give your wife a small gift to enhance that beauty.", Sinbad smirked inwardly as the man tried to get him to buy something from him with a sordid sales ploy. It was amusing to watch the man trying to ingratiate himself with him. "In my eyes, she's already the most beautiful woman I've come across.", the disguised king replied before pausing and turning to his companion to engage her in the conversation in a velvety voice, "But if I can make you happy with something, then of course you're worth it to me, my little dove!"

Quite superficial if someone would have asked the young girl nowadays. She had never understood how one could act like a damsel in distress. After all, Namine had always been a very independent person since she could remember. She was not a petty, helpless girl who needed a handsome boy, who thought that she was in need of a hero, who had to save her from any dreary fate. On the contrary, she actually, was good in solving her own problems and by all means had a very normal and completely relaxed life so far. So she couldn't complain at all.

She was born in Miyagi, in Japan and lived there with her loving, hard-working father for as long as she could remember. They had a good relationship, even if he spent a lot of time at work. But, hey, that only helped to form her into the very independent young girl she was today.

Of course, like any adolescent teenager, she had had to deal with the day-to-day difficulties that growing up had brought with it. Puberty was a bitch after all. She had to learn how to make friends, to deal with disappointments, to cope with the physical and psychological changes of her mind and body and how to somehow find oneself in all of this disturbing chaos. She had to learn what she felt to be right and wrong, to whom she wanted to confide and what she hoped for from her future self.

Well, at the current age of 17, she felt that she was actually well on the way to solidifying herself. Sure, maybe she was sometimes too quick to judge other people and had the tendency to pigeonhole them. Often during her worst times, she didn't like to show her true feelings, even in front of her closest friends and family. She didn't like being ripped out of her comfort zone and was a bit overly cautious at times. Better to be safe than sorry was her motto after all.

Namine was not very popular in highschool and stuck her nose most of her time a little too deep into science fiction novels, to really care for all the superficial drama around her. Maybe she was a bit stuck up in her own nerdy way, for thinking that she was better than most of her peers. After all she couldn't look into someones head, to really know what was going on inside of others, but who was actually perfect? The important thing was that she was satisfied with her life, wasn't it?

She knew how to distance herself from drama as much as possible and mostly swam under the radar of the cooler part of her fellow students, even if she occasionally experienced a few awkward dropouts. Nowadays she was easily overlooked, inconspicuous, no risks involved. She lived a predictable life. Just the way she liked it.

In junior high she had actually been one of the cooler kids herself, hiding herself and her nerdy interests behind a pretty facade. But that had only made sure that she had to experience how shallow and selfish the people around her could be. Especially athletes and the peers who were drawn to such people...

Sure, it was probably not fair to lump every single one of them together, but those were the experiences she had made and no one had yet been able to teach her better.

With the start of her time at her high school she had decided that she didn't want to be a part of it anymore, had clearly distanced herself from such people and had a much more relaxed life since then. Those years were much quieter and far less dramatic. All she had to do was staying away from people who loved to be popular and everything else would be staying the same. She was pretty sure of that. She didn't need those people anyway. She may not have many friends, but she had some really close ones. Even if they didn't necessarily share all of her interests, or were not as preoccupied with the same life questions as she was sometimes. She really do care and would always be there for them, because despite all of her not so charming quirks, she was a really kind and gentle soul who cared more about the well-being of her friends than about her own.

But sometimes she wished, that she had someone in her life with whom she could discuss even the most uncomfortable and weird topics. A person who shared her interest in science fiction and dealt with her and her sometimes really stupid train of thoughts. A person to whom she could show all her weaknesses and strengths without being judged. Someone she could dare to completely open up to. Not in a friendly way, however, no! She wanted something more. Something deeper. Not someone who things she had to be saved, but someone who was at eye level with her.

But even if she had not yet found such a person among her current circle off riends, it was clear to her that she would also not find this person among the famous people of her school, so she really didn't have to look there, right?

But who knows? Sometimes things turn out differently than expected.

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"God, I am through! The classes today were particularly exhausting!", Namine's best friend, Mikawa Ayame, grumbled, while she stretched her back extensively. The dark-haired girl next to her hummed in confirmation as they strolled down the hall together, in order to get to the stairs that led to the first floor. A faint smile crept onto the quiet girl's lips, as she listened how her blonde friend continued to complain about their classes. Math in particular. "I really don't get it. How can someone be good in math? Mr. Fukushima is going to kill me! I swear!", she rambled seamlessly.

Shrugging, Namine's gaze lowered to the well used book, which her arms pressed gently against her chest, while she zoned out of their small conversation for a brief moment. Her light blue eyes traced the lines of the small piece of her colorful bookmark that peeked out of the sand-colored pages, but it was impossible to see what kind of motif was drawn on the laminated paper, from her point of view. "I don't know, Aya-chan.", Namine responded half heartly, knowing full well, that the both of them knew, that she was quite good in the subject. Ayame snorted softly and gave her a somber look.

The corridor was full of students who were either enjoying their break or taking their time after their classes had ended, to get their individual tasks done, before their extracurricular activities are going to get started. Looking up again Namine and her friend avoided two soccer players who rushed past them and giggled when they were chided by a passing teacher for running though the halls. "Hah, serves them right!", the blonde girl joked, before she fell into a comfortable silence. After a brief moment, Namine's gaze wandered from the well-filled corridor to Ayame in order to look at her questioningly. "You are going to be busy with the newspaper club, right?", she asked, changing their topic smoothly. Her friend nodded and grinned, while she replied with a new found motivation: "Yes, come along, too. You haven't signed up for any of the extracurricular activities yet. I think you might really like it.", she suggested after confirming her friend's question. Namine shrugged her shoulders thoughtfully, before she carefully answered: "Maybe another time. I wanted to go straight to the library. I still need a copy of the book that we have to read in english and I wanted to see if they had it there."

A pout formed on Ayame's lower lip, ready to debate against her best friend, when the squeaking of some random girls on the lower floor caught their attention. Curiously, the two friends strolled down the stairs, to find a cluster of female peers, who had gathered around a young man who went to one of their parallel classes. He was wearing a volleyball tracksuit with the school insignia imprinted on it. Like a Superstar, he stood casually in front of his audience, while he was grinning mischievously at his female companions, listening quite satisfied to their praises.

It was Oikawa Tooru, Captain of the Aoba Johsai Volleyball club. One of the greatest heartthrob's of their school. Namine really had no idea why everyone was making such a fuss about him. Well, yeah he was quite handsome with his chocolate brown eyes and windswept hair, but she found his fake manner incredibly unsympathetic. However, the girls around him doesn't seem to share her opinion at all.

"Oikawa-kun, you are so cool!"

"Oikawa-senpai, I baked cookies for you!"

"O-Oikawa-senpai, I'll keep my fingers crossed for your next game!"

The high voices echoed through the corridor of the first floor and reached Ayame and Namine, who just committed to descend the last few steps of the staircase. The dark-haired young woman rolled her eyes at the scene that transpired in front of her. Really now, how could someone hang on a guy's sleeve like that? It was incredibly silly and somehow quite self-degrading how each of these girls were trying to get his attention, by batting their long eyelashes at him. Didn't they have any dignity? Urgh, she really didn't like athletes and their little lap dogs... they were just so annoyingly ridiculous.

Quite humored the two friends watched the scene in front of them, as the young man thanked his admirers with a charming smile on his full lips. Namine clicked her tongue, when she saw how the girls giggled coquettishly at the Volleyball captain, looking at him like starry eyed puppies. A little further away some other guys in the same tracksuits leaned against the walls in a cool manner. They seemed to be waiting for their occupied friend. Two of the three boys grinned playfully and made some frivolous gestures to each other, but the third seemed rather annoyed and impatient, while he kept throwing his volleyball into the air, before catching it again shortly afterwards.

Loosing her interest, Namine turned to her friend and gave her a brief smile before raising her hand in goodbye. "Well... See you tomorrow, Aya-chan!", she mumbled with a soft smile on her lips. The two hugged each other before they broke away. Giggling, Ayame squeezed Namine's fore arm, before they parted from each other. "Please humor me and think about it, okay Nami-chan? The doors of the newspaper club are always open for you. You could be our little star photographer!", the blonde girl took up their previous topic one last time, rising her hands in front of her eyes to mimic taking pictures, before she started to leave in the opposite direction as her friend. "Okay, okay. I'll think about it!", Namine answered loudly, as she took a few steps backwards and waved her hand one last time.

Turning on her heel, she sighed quietly, before she quickly headed for the library. When she turned around, she had fixed her gaze on the floor, circling the small crowd of girls in order to avoid them. Unfortunately she hadn't seen how one of the Volleyball players had started to break away from the wall on the other side, while she rushed past the group of female students. Before either of them could react properly, they accidentally crashed into each other. With a thud, her book landed on the pale linoleum floor, while the young man had also lost his grip on his volleyball, which rolled a few feet away from them. The dark-haired girl looked up in surprise and raised her light blue eyes towards his dark ones, which were also looking down at her in astonishment. She immediately recognized him as another boy from one of her parallel classes. It was Iwaizumi Hajime. Perplexed, she watched his eyebrows contract slowly, while his lips curled in annoyance, waking her up from her state of shock.

"Ah, sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going", Namine mumbled quite embarrassed, while she bowed apologetically in front of the guy, before she averted her eyes to look for the ball, which had been lost because of their collision. When she discovered it, however, it was already picked up by that teammate with the pinkish brown hair. "No problem!", the other person answered grumpily, while he leaned down to pick up the book that Namine had accidentally dropped. Her gaze snapped back to him, as she took a step away. The serious expression on the dark-haired boy's face took on a slightly softer look for a brief moment, but he couldn't quite drive the annoyed sting out of his eyes, while he held her object up to her, as he kept looking past her to his buddy, who still seemed to be busy. She gratefully accepted her book, before she decided to walk past him with another apologetic smile on her lips. She had seen, that he wanted to say something more, but she was a bit quicker: "Sorry again. I... better watch out where I'm walking from now on."

With an awkward wave, she hurried off, before the dark-haired guy with the gloomy expression could utter another word to her. She ignored the curious look Hajime threw after her as she hurried around the corner, but she could still hear his deep voice echoing through the hall, while he seemed to yell at one of his friends, after she had already been out of sight: "Shut up and come on, Shittykawa! We don't have all day!"

Third person / Oikawa, Tooru's POV.

He was the great king of the court. Captain of the volleyball team of the private high school, Aoba Johsei. Oikawa Tooru. Tall, successful, determined, popular, charming, intelligent, handsome. In many eyes of his peers he was like the perfect specimen. He had it all. Other guys wanted to be like him, while the girls fell in front of his feet, wishing to be his girlfriend. For some of those girls he was like the epitome of their knight in shining armor, ready to strife their demons in their most secret dreams. They imagined him to be the perfect man for them. Some would argue that there was nothing that he, Oikawa Tooru, couldn't achieve. Guys like him knew no boundaries and got everything they wanted. Problems? What's this? People like him had  no problems, everything flew right into his hands and no obstacles were ever put in his way.

That was utter bullshit, of course, but who cares? If they wanted to think that way, they could all do assume that he and his whole life was a picture perfect story. People tended to think what they wanted anyway. Of course, it was also clear to him that his behavior only strengthened such thoughts. But he didn't saw the need in proving to others that he wasn't the perfect young man he was claiming to be. Actually he really do liked his life and his image so far and he knew that they were right in one point: He really had quite a bit of a better chance in life than others. Good looks and intelligence weren't everything, but it helped non the less.

But no matter what they all thought about him, the truth was that everything Tooru had gained so far, had been the fruits of his hard work. In everything he had done he had put all his focus on improving himself. Even if people thought he was a natural, he knew that everything he had achieved so far was a testament to his steeled determination. Furthermore he actually didn't like to be titled as a natural, because he wasn't one... He would never be one. He was just incredibly hard working, when it comes to archiving his goals!

And Volleyball was the one thing he loved the most. He lived for this sport. He would go through the fucking hell for his passion and prove to everyone that he was exactly what they all thought he was. The goddamn great king of the freaking court! He had worked hard for his position and wore this mask of skillful perfection like one of these so much hated naturals. Well, he could be pretty manipulative, he knew that. His best friend loved to remind him that he had a narcissistic, inflated streak, but hey, who was actually perfect? The important thing was that he was satisfied with his life so far,wasn't it?

If someone had asked him if it was more important to him, to be loved or to be feared, he would have replied that he wanted people to be afraid of how much they loved him. Because he had learned that outside his passion, it was all about the image, to be outstanding.

Of course it would be nice to have a someone outside of his team. Not in a friendly way, however, no! He wanted something more. Something deeper. Not someone who worshiped him, but someone who was at eye level with him. To have someone with whom he could held deeper conversations that broke though the surface of superficially. To have someone who appreciate him for himself, even if they knew what an ass he actually could be. Someone who could live with the fact that Volleyball occupied a huge place in his life. He wanted to be able to speak as freely as he sometimes did with Iwa-chan, but even with him he couldn't talk about everything that would occupy his mind. But that was probably the price for being popular. He had to keep the well-polished facade, because that was what they all wanted to see anyway, right?

But who knows? Sometimes wishes can come true in the weirdest ways.

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Grinning, Tooru accepted a self-made cookie that one of the many faceless girls had baked for him and tasted it to her satisfaction in front of the entire gathering. "Hmm delicious! Thank you, honey!", the brown-haired captain purred, while he took the effort to close his eyes with feigned pleasure. The girls sighed dreamily as they watched him do it. When he opened his eyes again, he saw out of the corner of his eyes how his best friend had stepped into his field of vision. But Hajime had turned his back away from him and was watching a dark-haired girl who was disappearing around the corner, before Tooru was able to take a proper glimpse at her. Curiously he saw how his other two friends laughed mischievously and approached their grim-looking buddy. Issei smacked Hajime on the shoulder as he pointed in the direction the girl had disappeared, but they were too far away for their captain to hear, what they said to each other.

Quickly, the handsome young man turned back to the girls who were still flocking around him in admiration and smiled apologetically down to them. "Ahh, I'm sorry, ladies, but I shouldn't keep my friends waiting. However, I hope you guys watch us training later!", he said quickly, while he gifted them with a winning smile, before he fought his way to his teammates. Although he heard the disappointed sigh's of the girls, he didn't bother to care as he slowly walked up to his best friend to put a hand on his shoulder blades.

"Well, am I dreaming or has my dear Iwa-chan just flirted with a cute girl?", the handsome young man asked teasingly, while he watched as the addressed young man turned around to send him a deadly glare. Coupled with a targeted slap on the back of Tooru's head, his best friend replied angrily: "Shut up and come on, Shittykawa! We don't have all day!"

Rubbing the emerging bump, Tooru bowed his head, eyes narrowed in pain, while he heard the rest of his snickering teammates slowly pull away, to follow their ace, who had stomped away, after hitting his Captain. He was just about to hurry up to his friends when something colorful caught his re-opening gaze. Curiously, the handsome young man leaned forward and picked up the item before realizing that it was a bookmark that had been lying next to him on the floor.

It was designed quite nicely. For people who would be interested in something like that, it would probably be quite pretty. It seemed to be homemade. The colors merged neatly, as if the artist had spend a few more hours on it than necessary. Not that he was one of those people who would actually be interested in that. Nevertheless, he had noticed it any way. Actually, it wouldn't have been something he'd payed special attention to, but the motive had piqued his interest, because little drawn aliens and UFOs filled the entire front in a cute way. A small smile spread across his lips as he examined the neat, but often used, laminated paper. There was no owner's name on it, but when he looked at its back he found the words 'Is anybody out there?#43705LadyStardust' drawn within a starry nightsky in italic handwriting, while a female silhouette was sitting on top of a small drawn hill, seemingly looking up to the stars. Tooru turned on his own axis, searching, to see if anyone was looking for their lost bookmark, but no one seemed to care.