the wolf and the lamb » kageyama x reader

19. Moving to the Future, Staying in the Past

Oikawa blinks, narrowing his eyes. "I'm sorry, (First Name), could you say that again?"

You bow your head and stare at the ground as your fingers wrap tightly around your journal. My heart is with Tobio, and my home is with him, too. But why can't I say that out loud again?

There's a soft clink and a rushed sound as a lady of the court drops her fan and moves quickly to pick it up, not wanting to intrude upon the tense moment you're sharing with the king of Aoba Jousai.

"Ha! Tobio, my ass." Yuri's loud bark breaks the silence stretched taut between his pained gaze and your trembling form, still collapsed on the floor. "My lord, you have a liar in your court," she curtsies as she nods at the king.

He waves a hand in her direction, dismissing her outburst as he fixates his attention upon you. "When I speak, I expect an answer," he murmurs as he squats down to your eye level. "Maybe that wasn't the case with Tobio, but that's the case with me."

You shake your head, at a loss for words.

The king grabs your chin with slender fingers, lifting your face so that you're forced to meet his stare. His digits graze lightly over your lips as he cocks his head, watching you through his sultry lashes and freezing you with his narrowed gaze. "Answer me, (First Name). That's a direct order from your king."

"It's nothing," you murmur, reaching up and brushing his hand away from your chin. "Please don't touch me so casually, Your Highness."

The brunet stands and looks down at you. "I'm almost certain it wasn't nothing."

"It was. Really. Nothing, that is."

Oikawa turns to look at Yuri and her gang. "Ladies, if you could leave us...? I would like to speak with (First Name) here. Alone."

"No, it's alright. They don't have to," you mutter, standing up shakily as you clutch your journal to your chest like a newborn child. "I'll be taking my leave, my good lord. If I may," you say, curtsying jerkily as you hunch over and practically run out of the room.

"(First Name)—!"

The king's cries are far behind you as you keep your head down, biting back tears as you dash through the halls, almost running over several messengers and mowing down quite a few attendants in your hurry to get back to your room.

Once you're there, you lock the door with a trembling hand and press your back against it, sliding down the wooden palisade to rest on the cold floor. Your chest is tight as you fight back tears, wiping away the salty liquid with rough movements.

「♚」

Dearest Mother and Father,

I've been at Aoba Jousai for a month now. I'm gradually adapting to life in the castle and while it's a far cry from that of Karasuno's, the palace is rather nice. The culture is rather different, and it was difficult at first, trying to adjust to life here!

I do rather miss both of you, as well as Kai and Mei – do tell me in a return letter how they are faring nowadays. Remind him not to tease his little sister too much, please, or else his older sister will come back and scold him!

Are you all doing well? Has Shadow come back home? I wish I could visit someday, but alas, that's not likely to happen in the near future. I shall have to resign myself to correspondence via post to hear all of the latest news.