Chapter Text
It was an ordinary summer day in August. Life in the castle was bustling as usual, with the servants tending to its upkeep and the Hoshino family occupied with their own affairs. Except for Aquamarine, who had spent the entire night poring over his father’s documents related to their treasury. Now, Aqua was quietly dozing at his desk, his head propped on one hand, having fallen asleep halfway through a page without even bothering to finish the chapter.
“Oni-chan!” Suddenly, a loud, feminine voice filled the room as the door flew open, letting in a young woman with blonde hair in a dark pink dress. “Aqua, are you sleeping again?”
The noise from his sister’s entrance startled Aqua awake. He blinked, glancing toward the source of the commotion, and saw her—the one who often made his head spin and even kept him up at night with restless thoughts and fantasies. Ruby Hoshino, Aqua’s twin sister. Even understanding that they were twins, Aqua couldn’t shake the thought that he was deeply in love with her. However, despite this he kept all these feelings locked inside.
“Why all the noise? And you barged in without knocking again. Didn’t I ask you to respect my boundaries?” Aqua said, stretching and yawning. Ruby glanced away apologetically but then decided to tease him.
“Oh? Is my big brother up to something improper?” Ruby asked with a mischievous grin, walking over to him, her eyes glinting playfully.
“What kind of thoughts do you have in that head of yours?” Aqua said, closing the book and lightly hitting his sister on the head
“Baka!” Ruby exclaimed, rubbing the spot where he’d tapped her.
“Alright, did you need something?” Aqua walked over to his bookshelf and placed the book back in its place. His bookshelf was quite large, and despite the castle having a full library, he preferred to keep his own collection here to avoid constant trips back and forth just for a book. Aqua loved relaxing with a book in his room, enjoying the peace and quiet—even though the library could offer solitude, he still preferred his room, as even the sound of someone’s footsteps in the hall could sometimes break his focus.
“Oh, right! Mom and Dad said we’re expecting an important guest today, and if I understood correctly, it’s related to the king and the royal family.”
“Hmm… interesting. What could they want from us? As far as I know, Father mentioned that their treasury is far from empty… so it’s not to ask for a loan. And the crown has no shortage of people after the recent war. So what could they need?” Aqua pondered seriously. It wasn’t that he found it strange. His father, Hikaru Hoshino, had a good relationship with the crown, and it wasn’t uncommon for the king to personally invite him to various events, whether tournaments, balls, or even military campaigns. The relationship between the crown and their family was strong, but the king himself had never visited, nor had he sent anyone aside from heralds, who were never considered “important guests.”
“Does it matter? I don’t think we have any reason to expect trouble,” Ruby said, always being the bright opposite of Aqua. While Aqua was thoughtful and serious, Ruby was open and energetic. Sometimes, she seemed to shine like a ray of sunlight.
Sighing, Aqua finally relaxed, deciding there was nothing to worry about. Perhaps it was just a routine meeting on some important matter between his father and someone closely associated with the king. As Ruby mentioned, the guest would arrive soon, and Aqua needed to dress appropriately. He knew exactly what to wear for such occasions, and since he often accompanied his father to relatively important events, he always had a suitable outfit prepared for such instances.
After a few hours, the family was already seated at dinner with their important guest, who turned out to be the king's Hand, Masaya Kaburagi. Aqua was greatly surprised by such a distinguished guest’s arrival and grew even more concerned. The king's Hand, after all, was the second most powerful figure in the kingdom regarding governance, and his presence here meant matters of serious importance. Ruby noticed her brother's unease, but she didn’t share his concern. She had never involved herself in politics and had little interest in it, though she was well-versed in the history of the kingdom and many noble houses. However, politics truly didn't interest her, so she hadn’t considered just how serious the arrival of such a guest was.
She and Aqua had always been different. While she was carefree and cheerful, Aqua was a brooding, serious boy. While she spent her childhood with dolls, Aqua spent his with books. Yet, this never prevented them from being genuinely close. Sometimes, Ruby managed to pull Aqua away from his books to play tag, and Aqua occasionally enticed his sister with a lovely story, even lovingly reading to her before bed and kissing her forehead, making her blush and squeal into her pillow when left alone, clutching it tightly.
“So, have you told her yet?” Lord Kaburagi asked, setting down his cutlery and wiping his face with a napkin. Aqua perked up, while Ruby, absorbed in her food, barely noticed the man's words
“No, I was just about to bring it up over dinner,” Hikaru replied, taking a sip of his wine.
“Tell her what?” Aqua asked, casting a suspicious glance first at his father, then at the Hand.
Kaburagi merely smiled, picked up his wine glass, and stood, tapping it with a spoon to capture everyone’s attention, noticing that the ladies hadn’t been particularly engaged in their conversation. Once everyone looked his way, he began to announce the news.
“If I may have your attention, please. As you know, the king is growing older, and while he may not appear particularly aged, his health is beginning to falter. He fears he may not live long enough to see his son married, as he hopes that when his time comes, the prince will already be wed and able to ascend the throne with his wife by his side. That is why I am here to announce something… my lady,” Kaburagi said, directing his gaze toward Ruby. The meaning of his words quickly dawned on her, and Aqua could see the tension settle across her face.
“What… no, wait, you don’t mean…”
“Oh yes, my child, that is exactly what I mean. You are already fifteen, which is a very suitable age for marriage. The royal family speaks very highly of you, and Prince Melt is eager to meet you in person,” Kaburagi said, taking a sip of his wine. “Your father has greatly valued this offer from the king and is very proud that you have become a person of interest not only to the prince but also to the king.”
Ruby was visibly tense and on the verge of breaking down, a reaction only Aqua noticed. The adults were caught up in discussing this "wonderful news" And barely noticed the change in her face. Ruby couldn’t find the words to respond. Aqua saw how frightened she was, how unwilling she was to marry the prince—and, if it came to that, Aqua didn’t want it either. He was furious with everyone at this table, except Ruby.
“I… I need… I need to go…” Ruby said, her voice trembling, as she rose from the table and left the hall. Only then did Aqua notice the refusal we had made on the mother's face, who looked at her daughter with concern, about to leave the table and follow her, but the father reassured her, showing something like: "She's just nervous. Don't worry, she'll be fine." Aqua no longer wished to remain at the table. The mere thought of his sister marrying a stranger was repulsive to him, no matter who he was. He opposed it, both as her older brother and… as someone who loved Ruby.
“Excuse me, but… I’m quite tired today, so I’ll head to my room. I’ll also check to make sure Ruby is alright.”
Aqua ran as fast as he could. He knew where Ruby was now, and he knew how she was feeling—he couldn’t let her be alone at a time like this. Whether it was a twin connection or just that he knew her so well, he couldn’t tell, but he was right. When he burst into the garden, he saw her sitting on a swing, gently swaying. In the silence around them, the only sounds were the rustling of leaves, crickets chirping, and the soft sobs of his little sister. Without hesitation, Aqua walked over and sat on the swing beside her, wrapping his arms around her. She was startled for a moment, but, recognizing his familiar embrace, she hugged him tightly in return and began crying into his chest.
“I don’t want this, Aqua… I don’t! Why should I have to marry someone I don’t even know?” Ruby sobbed, angry at the unfairness of it all. Aqua didn’t know how to respond in this situation, so all he could do was hold his crying sister closer, trying to comfort her. “Do Mom and Dad… really agree with this? Do they really not care about what I want? Why does no one care if I want this or not?”
“I care!” Aqua replied sharply. “I… I’m as worried as you are, and I don’t want to let this marriage happen.”
“But what can you do? Can we even change anything…?”
Her question caught Aqua off guard, because, as sad as it sounded, Ruby was right. It was a difficult situation, given that it was the king’s decision, and opposing the royal family would be tantamount to treason. Even if their parents agreed to oppose it, the king’s forces could rally under the banner and force Ruby to marry. It was truly a hopeless situation—but Aqua wasn’t willing to give up.
“I don’t know how yet, but I won’t let this happen. I’ll find a way to save you from this.”
“P-promise…?” Ruby asked desperately, looking up at Aqua with her beautiful pink eyes. Aqua wiped the tears from her cheeks, kissed her forehead, and whispered a quiet “I promise,” pulling her close again. His heart was pounding as Ruby relaxed in his arms, a bright blush on her cheeks.