Ethereal ◆ Shoto Todoroki x Reader

The Blind King

◆ Part 2: Chapter 1 ◆

The Blind King

◆

"Watch your step," you say, leading your brother through your former home.

"I would if I could." He sighs, trying to make a joke of the situation.

Your heart is heavy for Hiro. After the fire burned his corneas and stole his sight from him, he's been trying to hide it from his subjects. He wants everything but to be known as the blind king.

"Your Majesty," a guard bows, addressing your brother as you pass with him. You smile at the title.

You're visiting for your brother's coronation that took place two days ago; he's now officially King Mizuki.

But he'll always be Hiro to you. He'll always be your hero. You try to tell him this as much as you can; very few things make him happy these days, and honestly, you worry for him.

He's been faring surprisingly well since he lost his sight after the fire. Nobody outside of the palace knows of his disability, except for the Todoroki Kingdom. Not even his subjects know.

"I don't want them to think I'm weak," you remember him telling you. You remember crying together, grieving over the past. Whenever you look into his glazed over eyes, you try to remind yourself that it wasn't your fault.

But you could've done something.

Now he's gotten better, and you've been helping him search for a guide dog since you'll be leaving soon.

You're going to return to your palace tomorrow, so you've been spending as much time with him as you can. Shoto went home a day before you did, saying that he didn't want to intrude on your 'siblings time'. You have a feeling he didn't get much when he was a kid.

"Okay Hiro," you say triumphantly, "these dogs have all been specially trained for you. Now you just have to pick one."

You've led your brother to the courtyard, where a line of dogs sit in waiting. The dog trainer bows when Hiro walks by. "Your Majesty," he hums, petting one of the dogs, "I hope you can find a good partner for yourself."

The trainer has an accent, one you can't place. If he trains his dogs as well as he keeps his hair, then you're sure all will go well.

Hiro kneels, giving a short whistle. The four dogs chosen walk up to him, sniffing the king as he pets their heads.

"Could you tell me their breeds and genders, please?" Hiro asks, not looking up from the ground. The trainer smiles, as if waiting his whole life for this moment.

"This one," he says, placing a hand on Hiro's, which is resting on a brown pup. "is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. His name is Budd."

Budd licks Hiro's hand, which makes your brother smile. 

"And this one?" He says, placing his hand on a black and brown dog.

"That's Tashi," the trainer explains, "he's a German Shepard."

And they go on like that, until Hiro pets the last dog, a pure white one with a blue and brown eye. "This one?" He says, petting it.

"Ah, that's our little shining star," the trainer grins, "she's a mutt. We're not sure where she came from, but she was just so smart we couldn't turn her down."

"Her name?"

"Her name," the trainer looks up, "is Kyuen."

◆

Kyuen was given her own special bed, right next to Hiro's, and as the two get to know each other, you prepare to head back home. 

You walk through the halls of the Mizuki palace. It's the same as you remember it. It's always been.

You want to tear down the pictures of your father. They seems to be everywhere since he died; really it's not his death that bothers you the most, but how he died. He was murdered.

The two guards who stood outside his tent when he was killed say they were paralyzed; obviously work of some quirk. People have started referring to Mizuki's murderer as the King Killer.

You shudder, and take one last look in the mirror before you leave your old room. You take one last look at your previous life, vowing to never go back to the girl you were back then. 

A child, easily manipulated.

Now, you're going to become queen. 

◆

After saying goodbye to Hiro and returning to the Todoroki palace, the first thing you do is plop onto your bed. You let the silk sheets envelope your body, sighing. 

The new room is completely different from your old one, and maybe you're grateful for that. The palace is completely different, if you could even consider it a palace. It's smaller than the one that burned, but the southern territory was perfect for the change.

It's in a more private area than the former palace was, and now that the royals moved here, so have some villagers. And so, they've started calling the territory Hajimari.  A fitting name, really.

Your daydreaming is interrupted by a knock on the door, and for a second, you're back in your old room, waiting for Takahashi to escort you to dinner. But you're snapped back into reality when the door opens and your new guard is there.

"Your Highness," he says, tipping his hat, "the prince is here."

You stand as he opens the door wider, and there stands Shoto. You run up and hug him, your heart swelling with warmth.

"How's Hiro?" He asks, giving you a peck on the cheek.

"He picked out a dog, and thankfully wasn't too stubborn," you say, taking Shoto's hand and leading him to the hall, "I think he'll be okay."

"How's he handling . . . " Shoto starts. " . . . the thing?"

"Oh," you blink, knowing he means your father's murder, "he's been fine, I guess. He was especially happy since his betrothal was cancelled. Apparently the bride-to-be backed out when Mizuki was murdered."

"That's good, I suppose," Shoto hums, "but, I have even better news."

You smile. "Yes?"

Shoto leans down to your ear, whispering, a smile on his lips. "Takahashi's awake."