Hollow of the Kings - Bakugou x Male! Reader

Chapter I: Our Story Begins

"Take off the cloak and uncover your face!" Sir Nishiya demanded. The figure's hands shook as he obeyed, his hands reaching the hood of his cloak and pulling it back to reveal–

Everyone was frozen, stunned. It couldn't be, could it?

The Queen was the first to break the silence. "(Name)?" she asked, her voice rising in anger.

You looked sheepish, your face a bright red and your eyes finding home at your feet. "Hi, Mom."

~~~

Okay, so maybe your plan for stealing the forbidden book hadn't been the best. Being the prince, you should've probably assumed that you would have been caught by the guards within seconds. But at this point, you were desperate for answers.

Your mother, though, did not see this as a valid reason. "You embarrassed me in front of my court, (Name)! Do you realize the gravity of the stunt you just pulled?"

"Yes and I'm sorry," you muttered, sitting on your bed with your arms crossed as your mother paced the room frantically. "I know that the Forbidden Book is... forbidden, but how else am I going to get answers about the forest? That book–"

Katsume had heard these shenanigans before and she was not in the mood. Especially not in the middle of the night. "Maybe no one will talk to you about the forest because there is nothing to talk about!"

You sputtered over this boldfaced claim. "Of course there is! It's taking over our kingdom!"

"No it isn't!"

You sighed. "Mom–"

"The forest is not taking over our kingdom! Never has, never will."

You ran your hands through your hair, already having a rebuttal queued. "Have you seen what it's like outside the castle? There are trees and vines everywhere! You can't go anywhere without tripping over them! Our crops are failing in our fields and all the animals we hunt for food are being driven from the land!" You stood. "Our kingdom is being squeezed to death and no one is talking about it!"

It was the Queen's turn to take a seat. "Can't you just drop it? Please?"

You ignored her, continuing on with your argument. "From what I've been able to piece together from gossips and legends, all our problems started a thousand years ago when the two kings challenged each other in the Hollow. That's how the curse began." You inhaled deeply. "Maybe, if we go there–"

Her hands slammed against the arms of the chair she was sitting on, her face and neck suddenly red with anger. "No one is setting foot in the Hollow!" she roared.

You blinked. "Alright?"

She regained her composure quickly. "And even if there was a problem with the forest–which there isn't–it's hardly your responsibility! You're barely more than a child–"

You fumed, your hands shaking by your sides. "Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"Patronizing me! Dismissing me!"

She sighed, tutting and shaking her head. "(Name), you're such an ungrateful child."

"Ungrateful?"

"Yes, ungrateful. We have a wonderful life! We live in a gorgeous castle, and up until recently, the people have been moderately fond of us!" She hissed out a long breath. "Why spoil it all by looking for trouble?"

"Because our kingdom is on the verge of collapse! We don't need to look for trouble, Mom, it's already here!"

Anger flared behind her eyes, but she managed to mask it with a patronizing smile. "Oh, (Name), my poor boy, you have so much to learn about how to rule." She stood and placed her hand on your cheek. "But lesson number one? It's a simple one." She cleared her throat. "Life can be perfect, as long as you don't look too close."