Rui... what was he doing? Or... more precisely... what had he done? That was his own father! How could he? But... at the same time... would Tsukasa have done the same, if he had seen the truth? Probably not.
"Rui... why? Why? Did you do it intentionally, to help me? My kingdom? Or my father? Did you do it solely to help your people? Do your people not fear us? I fear war, and I am a prince with guards. Rui... why?" Tsukasa whispered as he stared at himself in the bathroom mirror.
"Compose yourself. You have all that you need."
—-———————————————————————————————————————————
"Father, I have the information from the crown prince." Tsukasa announced.
"Tell me."
Tsukasa relayed all the information Rui told him to his father, all but the stories of Rui's childhood. And the fact that he had drugged his own father, to help his people.
"Thank you, Tsukasa. Tell the guards to announce that Rui Kamishiro, crown prince, shall be executed on the morning of the next day, at the rise of dawn. And you, child, shall have the honour of executing him."
"...yes, Father. Thank you, Father."
As Tsukasa was walking to the guards post, he felt... a slight sense of sadness, pity and ... another feeling he couldn't name.
What was going on with him? What was going on with Rui?
—-———————————————————————————————————————————
"Okay," the guard replied after Tsukasa informed him of the announcement.
Tsukasa nodded at him and walked towards his room. His room, where Rui was.
—-———————————————————————————————————————————
"You're here." Tsukasa said upon seeing Rui sitting on the floor, free from his chains. "Why are you..."
"Why am I not in chains? They were too tight, and poorly bound, for your information, so I just got out of them."
"If you could escape these chains, why didn't you escape, or try to escape?"
"How did you know I didn't try and fail to escape?"
Tsukasa gave Rui a pointed look.
"Fine, I didn't because... there's no point. Where would I go if I were to escape? My kingdom is yours, I have no family, what am I supposed to do?"
"You could have tried to start a revolution?"
"Thanks for the advice, but my people hate me, and the royal family. They think we're all corrupted and evil, and they're not to far from the truth."
"That can't be true-"
"No, it is. Even if you hadn't so barbarically invaded my country, the people would revolt sooner or later. It's kind of inevitable."
"..."
"..."
"You could have lived."
"...Tsukasa, I don't think you get it. My life has been fulfilled, or as much as it can be I don't want to live anymore, especially if I have no purpose. My people will be happier under you and your father's rule, I trust you."
"...oh."
"Oh, and tell me, when will I be executed, so I at the very least have something to look forward to.
"...tomorrow. At the crack of dawn."
"Why is it so early? I suppose they have to make sure everyone is so sleepy nobody will remember the bloodshed."
"I'll be the one to end you and your family's life."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes."
"That's great!" Rui leaned in to whisper to Tsukasa, covering the sides of his mouth like he was sharing some sort of intimate secret, and said, "Make my parent's death extra painful for my people, will you?"
"...sure." Honestly, Tsukasa felt... numb. He really didn't know what to say.
"Hey, Tsukasa, look at me! Don't blank out!"
"You'll be taken to the dungeons soon." Tsukasa stated.
"That's so sad. Hey! Hey! Tsukasa, are you there?"
"If it's any comfort to you, I'll make your death quick."
"... Tsukasa. Are you listening to me? Of course not. And you don't even know how much I have sinned. Kill me in the same way you kill my parents. I hate pain, but this is my own way of repenting for what I have done."
"What have you done? And aren't you afraid of death? Or pain?"
"We're sure asking a lot of questions today. Yes, of course I'm afraid of death, afraid of the judgment that comes after death, of the pain of death... only a fool would not be afraid of the darkness that lies beyond. But oh, would you hear that, the guards are coming to take me. I better get back into these chains lest they suspect something, shall I?"
"...you should."
"Help me, will you?"
Silently, Tsukasa bound the chains around Rui once again and secured them in place.
"Ow, not so hard! That's too tight! Tsukasa, can't you be a slight bit more gentle? You don't want to accidentally kill me now, do you? Hey, are you there? Fine, if you like the peace, I'll shut up."
—-———————————————————————————————————————————
"Prince? We're here to take the Kamishiro off your hands. May we enter?"
"You may." Tsukasa replied.
—-———————————————————————————————————————————
Rui was brought to the dungeons. Tsukasa was left all alone.
—-———————————————————————————————————————————
Tsukasa went through the rest of the day as per normal, but everything suddenly felt... emptier. Colder, quieter. He didn't know why, but it seemed like a part of him was missing.
—-———————————————————————————————————————————
When he went back to his room to sleep at night, he noticed a note left on his desktop.
He read the note. The note was written a rushed scrawl, but a nonetheless readable handwriting.
"Oh. So that's what you did. Really, Rui? Really? Rui..."
—-———————————————————————————————————————————
My dearest darling Tsukasa:
I don't have much time to write this. I just want you to know the atrocities I have commited, because I can't bring myself to tell you, and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't tell someone the things I have done.
I killed my own people. I drugged my father. I stole from my own family.
I killed my own soldiers so you could win this war.
I drugged my father so you wouldn't be hurt.
I stole from my family's food for random strangers in the streets.
I will burn in hell once I die, but I can at least rest in the knowledge that my father will be there with me.
And Tsukasa, I don't even know why I did all of this
At first, it was only for my people, a pure, undiluted, innocent motive. Then I heard of you. And I thought you could save my kingdom. I hadn't even met you, then, but I had so much hope that you would save my people.
I hear your people are happy. Perhaps my people will be happy if I surrender them to you. Perhaps I have saved them. Or... perhaps I have doomed them. Tsukasa, you will one day take over. I am begging you, be a good ruler. I do not wish to meet my people in the underworld.
Sincerely, and confused, and upset, but hopeful,
Rui Kamishiro
—-———————————————————————————————————————————
"Rui... I'll try my best. Rui..."