Mizuki threw punch after punch on the punching bag in front of him. He's been at the gym for hours now and he had lost track of time. That's all he's been doing these past few weeks. Working with his dad, going to the gym, sleeping and repeat.
The first few days after Eren was gone Mizuki had been completely miserable and wouldn't leave his room. He was pushing his duties away but he couldn't help it. He was simply moping in his room and thinking of the worst case scenarios of what might be happening to his sweetheart back in Yarisha.
But then Rin had infiltrated his brooding session and dragged him out of the room to go on a run. They had spent the day together and Rin had told him to get his act together and that he needed his head to be straight if he was going to come up with a plan to see Eren again.
Mizuki sighed as he stopped his assault on the punching bag and instead he held it in his hands and took deep breaths to regain his composure.
Suddenly, the doors to the gym slammed open and Mizuki turned around to face his sister who walked towards him with a panicked look on her face. The sight reminded him of that night all those weeks ago when he was told about Roy's death and a sense of dread filled Mizuki.
"Rin? What happened?" He asked frantically.
"I was talking to some people earlier and they were talking about things they heard and they said that's fight for the crown will be happening in Yarisha." Rin said and Mizuki's eyes widened.
"A fight for the crown? Does that mean a fight to the death?" Mizuki asked, alarmed.
"Yes." Rin answered.
"Fuck." Mizuki exclaimed as he took off the gloves that were wrapped around his hands and threw them on the floor.
"When?" Mizuki asked and Rin gulped at the pure rage that was on her brother's face.
"Tomorrow." She meekly replied.
"What?!" Mizuki exclaimed loudly and Rin winced.
"I have to go." Mizuki said as he stormed out of the gym and Rin followed him hurriedly.
"What do you mean you have to go Mizuki?" She asked.
"I have to see him, Rin. I can't let him fight this alone. I won't let him." Mizuki answered firmly.
"And how the hell are you supposed to see him?" Rin asked incredulously and when her brother remained silent her eyes widened in realization.
"You can't possibly be thinking of breaking into Yarisha?" Rin yelled with a hushed tone and Mizuki huffed, stopping in his tracks to turn around and face her.
"Then what else am I supposed to do?" He sighed in frustration.
"But Mizuki, we just made a peace treaty with them. Breaching the country like this will break it and then another war might break out." She calmly said and Mizuki groaned.
"I know." He said. "But I can't-I can't let him fight to the death without at least seeing him first.
W-what if I never get to see him again? What if he gets hurt?"
What if he dies?
The question wasn't said but Rin could clearly hear it and she gave her brother a look filled with sympathy.
"I'm-"
"Your Royal Highness!" A voice called out in the empty hallway and they both turned to see Emilio walking towards them.
"I think you might want to know this but Prince Eren and-"
"I know." Mizuki cut him off and he gave him a surprised look but his gaze shifted to Rin and he seemed to realize how he found out.
"I'm going to go." Mizuki told Rin, disregarding Emilio's presence while the man looked at them with confusion.
"Then let me come with you." Rin declared.
"You can't." Mizuki shook his head. "I'm not putting you in danger like this."
"And I won't let you go alone!" Rin shot back.
"Wait." Emilio stopped them with wide eyes. "Are you saying that you want to go to Yarisha?"
"If you tell my father I will execute you." Mizuki gave him a half hearted threat.
"You can't both go." Emilio replied, ignoring Mizuki and instead focusing on Rin who openly frowned at him.
"Why not?" She asked.
"If the crown prince is putting himself at danger like this then that's his choice but we cannot have the princess doing the same thing, can we?" He asked, taking a step closer to her and Mizuki glared at him because of the way he had said princess and the way he was so casually talking to his baby sister.
"But I can't let him go alone." Rin answered.
"I'll go with him." Emilio answered and both siblings stared at him as if he lost his mind.
"Why would you want to do that?" Rin asked.
"To keep you safe." He answered and her eyes widened as a blush coated her face and she looked down at her feet.
"You don't need to do that." She mumbled.
"Actually I do. I was asked to protect you and that's exactly what I'm going to do." He replied.
"Are you sure about this?" Mizuki asked and Emilio turned to him with a nod.
"I should also be protecting you." Emlio said and Mizuki gave him a look of disgust.
"Don't say the same words to me that you said to her." He muttered and Emilio paled as he looked at Rin who was glaring at her brother.
"But we have to leave today if we're going to make it in time." Emilio said after regaining his composure.
"Alright, let's prepare to leave." Mizuki said and then he left the hallway leaving them together alone.
"Emilio." Rin said, stopping the man from leaving and he titled his head at her.
"Thank you for doing this." She mumbled shyly and he gave her a small smile which he never gave to anyone else.
"I told you before that I'd do anything to protect you, princess. I wasn't lying." He said and she flushed at the use of the nickname he used to use with her when they were at the middle ground.
"Be careful, okay?" She said and he gave her a nod.
"Always."
-
"Ready?" Mizuki asked Emilio and the man gave him a nod.
With one final look behind them Mizuki and Emilio crossed the border both on their horses. It was almost time for the sun to set and Mizuki knew they would be up all night riding through the middle ground.
"You must really care for Prince Eren to be ready to break the rules this way." Emilio said when they took a break for the horses to drink water.
"I do." Mizuki answered, a soft smile coming on his face at the thought of his sweetheart.
"What will you do once you find him?" Emilio asked curiously.
"I'm not sure." Mizuki mused.
"But when Eren wins he'll immediately be king and then I'm sure it might be a bit easier to see him." Mizuki said as he started to feel hope.
"That's true." Emilio said, noticing the way Mizuki said when and not if.
It was nice to see the blind faith Mizuki had on Eren and he hoped that he was right.
"I wanted to talk about something with you." Emilio said after a moment of silence.
"What?" Mizuki asked.
"You know the group of guards that leave every four years?" Emilio asked and Mizuki hummed.
"I want to be part of the group when they leave in the next couple of months." Emilio said and Mizuki stared at him in shock.
"You want to leave? For four years?" He demanded and Emilio nodded.
"With the war with Yarisha coming to an end I just want to take a break. I've been at it since I was 16 and it's like I don't even know who I am anymore. I want to get away for a while." He said and Mizuki nodded in understanding.
"But what about..." Mizuki swallowed his unease before continuing his sentence. "Rin?"
"What about her?" Emilio said and Mizuki glared at him.
"Don't play stupid Emilio." He warned and the man sighed.
"Like you said before she's five years younger then me and she just lost the boy she... loves. There's no point in staying here for something that will never happen. I wouldn't let myself indulge in these childish feelings of mine." Emilio told him.
"Wow." Mizuki said.
"What?" Emilio asked self consciously.
"Nothing it's just... you're really selfless huh?" Mizuki asked.
"I guess?" Emilio answered with a frown and Mizuki chuckled.
"I'm glad you're doing this though. You should start doing more for yourself." Mizuki said.
"Thanks." Emilio muttered awkwardly.
"Come on, we should start moving again." Mizuki said and Emilio nodded as they each grabbed their own horses and got on.
The rest of their trip filled with hushed conversations between them and Mizuki felt himself relax around Emilio to the point where he granted him permission to call him by his first name.
Mizuki had never had any friends before but he felt like he could call Emilio his friend now. Emilio told him about some of the things he did during the war and some stories made Mizuki look at him in a different light.
Emilio really was something.
The sun was beginning to rise again when they finally started approaching the Yarishian's border. They both slid off their horses and started walking to an empty end where Mizuki knew there would be no guards.
They both wore their dark cloak and put the hood over their heads and when they finally reached the border they stopped and stared at each other.
"Ready?" Mizuki asked and Emilio nodded.
"Let's go." And with that they took a step forward, taking their first step in Yarisha.
Hello!
Thoughts?
I love Emilio so much sjsjsj
-till next time <3