Request by: @ToukenNochi & @ExerilloX
I may have changed some parts of the request you've given me.
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Krieg = war
War AU. Ken will be having black hair but at the same length as Shironeki's.
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The year is 1823 and the war is between Britain and Germany has just started. Many male soldiers were sent out to war and the remaining that were not sent—the women, children and few men remained in Britain to make sure the country continues functioning even if the bulk of the citizens are at war.
Arima Kishou, one of the Great War Generals in Britain, has retired and chose to live peacefully in the city while still contributing to the army in other ways. His adopted son, Kaneki Ken, will soon be his father's successor. But to be a successor, it is a requirement by the army for him to get married to a lady of good status and one who is able to bear a child for him so that the family can carry on the family name in the army.
--
"Ken," Arima called.
"Yes, father," Ken answered as he stood in front of the desk that his father was sitting at.
The white-haired male slid a photo across the desk to Ken and he stared down curiously at the picture of a beautiful long violet haired lady. "You will marry Lady Kirishima Touka. The wedding will happen in 2 months so I suggest that you attempt to get along well with her before the marriage. To do that, General Kirishima, her father, and I have arranged for the two of you to meet this Saturday."
"Yes, father."
The day of the meeting soon came and it was held at General Kishou's house. The servants welcomed the Kirishima father and daughter into the house and guided them to a guest room, where Arima and Ken were waiting at. Upon arrival at the room, General Arata immediately stepped forward to give General Kishou a hug. "It's been a while, Kishou."
Arima let out a rare smile as he embraced Arata. "Yes, it has, my friend."
It seemed the both of them had been friends ever since they were young and had promised that they would have both of their children marry one another when they grew up.
The two men separated and Arata patted Ken on the back. "What a handsome son you have, Kishou. I'm sure he'll get along just fine with my daughter. Oh! Where are my manners? Touka, come here and introduce yourself!"
From behind her father, a lady walked towards them and stepped in front of Arima and Ken. She held her dress up slightly, bent her knees with one foot forward and lowered her body into a bow. "My name is Kirishima Touka. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, General Kishou, and Lord Kaneki."
This is how Touka's dress looks like.
This is Ken's military/army & normal outfit.
"Likewise," Arima said.
As Touka raises her head, her midnight blue eyes met Ken's grey ones and his eyes widened at her beauty. Beautiful was an understatement, she was stunning as he gazed at her starting from her smooth and long violet hair that was pinned to the side, to her delicate face and jawline, to her round button nose and her smiling pink lips before his gaze went back up to her two jewel-like orbs again. It was as if those eyes were sucking him in and he was too mesmerized by her beauty that he didn't hear his father calling for him to introduce himself.
Arima shook Ken and he snapped out of his trance. "I'm so sorry. My name is Kaneki Ken. I am also pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Sorry about my son. It seems he fell for your daughter at first sight." Arima joked and Arata laughed when Ken's face turned tomato-red.
"Now then, shall we two old men go out and drink and leave the two youngsters to chat?" Arata suggested and Arima agreed. They left the room, leaving Ken and Touka behind.
"..Would you like to take a stroll in our garden?" Ken asked and the female figured it would be nice to see another garden apart from her family's one. "With pleasure."
As Touka was admiring the different kinds of flowers in the garden, she was aware of him fidgeting behind her and thought that he's probably the type that doesn't know how to approach women. Oh well, she'd take him over playboys or those who sing high praises every time they open their mouth. But that doesn't mean she approved of this marriage.
"Lord Kaneki, to tell you the truth, I do not think much of this marriage. Although it was a promise between our fathers, I would very much rather marry because of love instead of an arrangement. What do you say we tell our fathers to break off this engagement?"
Kaneki froze. What happened to the beautiful and stunning lady that stood in front of him earlier? Her voice now is full of coldness and he was appalled at the choice of her straight and brutal words. He then thought carefully about his reply. "Lady Kirishima, while I do agree with you on that aspect, I'm afraid I have to refuse your proposal of breaking off this engagement. This kind of arrangement has been done for decades and is very important in ensuring the future of the army."
"I guess you're one of those army idiots who devote your life to the army. Being loyal is not a bad thing, I would say. But think about it this way—" she paused for a moment to step directly in front of him, "Can you bear having a child with a woman you do not love and spend the rest of your life living with someone you do not like just because it is important to the army?"
Given the proximity, his cheeks turned red and he stepped backward to give himself some space. "I—I believe love is something we can grow into overtime. At the very least, I can honestly say right now that I do not hate nor dislike you. If I were to use a word to describe how I feel towards you right now, it would be 'admiration'."
At his words, her eyes widened and she pulled back with a blush forming on her cheeks. Admiration. This is the first time anyone has ever said that of her. Other men would tell her that she's beautiful or pretty and it just shows how they only care about her appearance. She's starting to think she might get along with him after all but she can't let her guard down yet.
Touka folded her arms. "Hmph. If you say that you admire me, tell me one thing that you like about me."
"Your eyes." He found it surprising that he did not even hesitate when he answered her question and it seemed that she was also stunned. "W-when I first saw them, I thought they were as beautiful as a pair of midnight blue gems. They're a very pretty color."
The female turned her back to him with her arms still folded. She could feel her heart race in her chest. No man has ever made her feel this way. To cover up her shyness, she pretended to be aloof. "Is that so."
--
Upon reaching home, Arata grinned at his daughter. "So how was the boy? Do you think you can get along with him?"
"It's too early to judge whether I can get along with him but I would say he's...interesting."
"Aww. Don't be shy, Touka. I know you're quite fond of him. If you weren't, you would have told me to call off the engagement as soon as we left their house." Arata teased, to which she blushed furiously. "Please keep quiet, father!"
Well, what her father said wasn't entirely wrong. If she really disliked him, she would have complained a long time ago.
—
Next Saturday...
As Ken stood in front of Touka's door, he looked down at his outfit. I hope this will be okay...
This is his outfit since it's in the 1800s.
He found himself trembling with nervousness and excitement. Today was their second time meeting, their second 'date' as Touka would call since she was the one who suggested that they meet again. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Then, he pressed on the doorbell.
A servant answered the door and hurried back into the house to get Touka. She soon came to the doorstep, looking as beautiful as ever, if not more, now that she's in a black flowy gown with frills that complemented her dark hair.
This is Touka's outfit.
Her pretty eyes met his and his heart fluttered. "G-good afternoon, Lady Kirishima. It's a pleasure to see you again."
From behind him, he brought out a bouquet of navy blue roses and Touka's face turned into a pleasantly surprised one as she took the flowers from him. "Oh! That's a pretty color."
Blue roses symbolize mysteriousness, new beginnings, and love at first sight.
Her cheeks flushed when she realized the last meaning. She was then reminded of the way he had gazed at her the last time they met, those grey dazed eyes of his, staring at her as if she was the most beautiful being in this world. She buried her face into the flowers and took in the pleasant scent. "Thank you for the flowers. I love them."
"A-ah no problem! I thought that maybe you would like them! I'm glad that you do!" She chuckled at his flushed cheeks and passed the bouquet to the servant after instructing them to place them in a vase.
"Shall we go on our date now then?" She asked.
"Y-yes!"
--
After bringing her out for lunch at a nice restaurant, they went to see a play and then had a stroll around the park. It came to night all too soon and Touka found her heart dropping as their feet slowly brought them to the doorstep of her house. Although she admits that the date was fairly average, typical of men who court women even, she enjoyed it more than she thought she would and she knows that it was because she spent it with him, and not any other guy. He was not snobbish like some lords would be, nor someone she couldn't stand to be with. She enjoyed his company in fact, and she could tell that he was a very nice guy.
The way he would try his best at jokes to make her laugh, the way he would listen attentively to her and the way he's so considerate and caring of her that he even removed his jacket to place it around her shoulders when he noticed that she was shivering from the cold air.
It then dawned upon her that she had fallen in love with him. In just 2 dates, he managed to capture her heart which she thought she would have never easily given to a man.
They stopped at her doorstep and turned to face one another. Touka looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you for bringing me out today. I enjoyed it very much."
"T-Thank you too for your company. I enjoyed it too. W-will we see each other again?" His heart jumped in his chest as he looked hopefully at her and waited for her response.
She smiled again. "Of course."
Kaneki sighed in relief. "T-then I'll see you again soon. Good night, Lady Kirishima. I will be taking my leave—"
The female pulled on his sleeve to stop him from leaving and he stared down at her who had her head tilted upwards and eyes closed. Is she asking me to kiss her?!!! He swallowed and moved to caress the cheeks he held underneath his palms. Then, he leaned in and kissed her.
--
The couple got engaged and married 1 month later. They were given a small cottage on the outskirts of town to enjoy being newly wedded. Although it was smaller than their own homes, it was comfy and just right for the two of them. After Arima handed his General position down to Kaneki, he became extremely busy and worked for the army day in and day out. He would often come back late at night and fall asleep before showering and head out early the next day before Touka woke up. With the ongoing war, he couldn't afford to take even a day off.
--
After a few weeks, he was finally able to get permission from the higher-ups to be released earlier.
"I'm home!' Kaneki announced as he removed his boots at the doorstep and Touka helped him out of his jacket with a smile. "You're early today. Do you want to eat or have a bath first?"
"A bath."
"I'll go get it ready for you then."
After finishing his bath, he walked into the kitchen to find his wife standing in front of the stove, holding a ladle in her hands as she stirred the soup. "Dinner will be done soon. Take a seat at the dining table first—"
He hugged her from behind and leaned his chin on her shoulder. "I'm sorry for not being able to spend time with you lately. I actually asked my superior to let me off earlier today so I can be with you. With the war going on, we can't relax. Maybe when it's over, we can go on a trip? Just me and you. Where do you want to go?"
She turned around and pulled him down for a kiss. "It's okay, Ken. I understand that you're busy. Thank you. I'm really happy that you're early today. How about going to Paris or London? I've always wanted to go there when I was a little girl."
Kaneki cupped her cheeks and captured her lips again. He pulled away hesitantly and had a sorrowful smile. "I'll bring you everywhere you want to go."
Touka buried her fingers in his jet black hair and frowned. "Hey.. don't be like this... Smile for me?"
He forces one which he knows isn't convincing when her frown doesn't go away. His hands gripped her waist tightly and he kissed her again. They headed to the bedroom and fell down onto the bed together. Every loneliness they felt was expressed through their frantic kisses and embrace.
Afterward, he held her close to his naked chest and kissed her sweaty forehead. He inhaled a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm going to the battlefield tomorrow."
Touka froze in his arms. How could life be so cruel to them, to separate them just 1 month after getting married? This can't be... oh, she knows! This was another one of his jokes where he's getting her to laugh.
She let out a chuckle. "You're joking."
When he doesn't reply her, she stopped laughing. "...you're joking."
"I'm not. I'm really going."
Tears brimmed in her eyes as sad memories of her little brother, Ayato died on the battlefield a few years ago starts to resurface. She doesn't want to ever go through the pain of losing a loved one ever again. "You can't go. I won't allow you to go. I'll lock you at home even if I have to!"
Kaneki wiped her tears away with his thumbs as they continue to fall. "I am the General, I have to lead my troops. If I don't go, who will? Please understand. I promise I'll be back then we can go to Paris and London and—"
"You can't promise that! Ayato did and he—" she sniffed, "he never came back. Ken, please don't go... I don't want to lose you."
He can't stand her being sad, his heart hurts. "Touka..."
She turned her back to him and buried herself under the blankets.
"Touka, please don't do this. I don't want us to separate while we're having a fight..." He pleaded as he tried to pull the blankets away but she refused to budge.
"We won't be fighting if you don't go tomorrow."
"..Touka, you know I can't do that.."
She doesn't reply to him anymore after that and he sighed before laying down on the bed. He glanced over at her who still had the blankets over her head and frowned.
--
When Kaneki woke up the next morning, he sighed when he didn't see his wife in bed with him. He got up groggily and got changed into his army uniform before heading to the kitchen to get some breakfast. If she was still angry, she probably wouldn't cook for him...
He was honestly surprised at the number of dishes there were on the dining table and how his wife placed the utensils down nonchalantly. Touka raised a brow as she stared at him. "What are you waiting for? Sit down and eat."
Doing as he was told, he took the seat opposite hers and watched her put some vegetables and meat onto his plate of rice. "Eat up. You probably won't get nice food to eat when you're there."
His hands grabbed hers and her eyes widened in surprise. "You'll let me go?!"
"I thought about it this morning and it was selfish of me to not let you go. I was just afraid that you wouldn't come back, like Ayato... I'm sorry, Ken." She averted her eyes and mumbled.
"No, you don't have to apologize. I understand how you feel." Kaneki removed the cross necklace he was wearing and placed it in her open palms. "I'll leave this with you. Whenever you're lonely, I hope it'll remind you of me and how I'll always be by your side. It's also my promise that I will come back to you."
Tears brimmed in her eyes and she quickly put on the necklace. "You must come back, okay?"
He leaned over to give her kiss on the cheek. "I promise."
"Okay, eat as much as you can. All of these are your favorite dishes. I'm still cooking the steamed egg behind."
"WHA—you don't have to cook anymore! We already have 5 dishes, Touka!" He exclaimed.
--
The bus soon came to pick him up and he walked towards it after giving his wife a last hug. Halfway towards the bus, he dropped his bags and ran back to her. He tackled her with a tight hug and cupped her cheeks to capture her lips onto his. Tears escaped his eyes as he rested his forehead against hers after many kisses. "Wait for me, Touka. I'll be back in the blink of an eye."
Her tears stained her own cheeks. "I'll be waiting."
--
In those days where there weren't any devices they could use to communicate with one another, they write letters.
--
The first letter came after 3 weeks, after he reached the camp and settled down. They were planning their ambush and was waiting for the right time. He tells her that he misses her already, wanting to finish this and see her as soon as possible.
The second letter came another 3 weeks later, after ambushing the 1st enemy. One-quarter of his troops were lost to the battle, with many others injured. He managed to escape unscathed because his soldiers protected him. He even joked about how he would want her to treat his wounds if he got hurt.
--
By this time, Touka started to feel unwell and called for the doctor. He examined her and found her to be pregnant with a boy. She was overjoyed and quickly informed her family and father-in-law. As for Kaneki, she would leave it as a surprise for when he returned.
--
The third letter came 2 months later. Kaneki said that they were going to fight another enemy who has twice the amount of troops they have and prays for this to end safely so he can finally go home to her.
The fourth letter never came.
--
When the fourth letter wasn't delivered to her, Touka went to the post office thrice a week to ask them whether her letters reached the camp or were there any letters for her but they told her no each time. She continued this for 2 months until an official-looking envelope came to her house.
Judging from the red seal, it was definitely from the army. Her heart raced as she slowly opened the envelope. Kaneki was finally coming home! The first sentence she read was enough to throw all of her excitement down the drain.
As of November 9, 1823, Kaneki Ken is deemed MIA, captured by enemy forces or dead.
She held in her tears and continued reading.
We have attached the remnants of his belongings found at the battlefield inside this envelope. Please accept our heartfelt condolences on the loss of your loved one.
With trembling hands, she reached inside for a photograph. Her heart sank to the bottom of her chest and she dropped to the ground sobbing whilst holding the photo tightly to her chest.
It was the photo they took on their 2nd date.
—
Please leave comments and let me know your thoughts! Part 2 coming soon!