It was bizzare really. The whole situation weirded him out. He was totally not prepared for this.

Because somehow, he had always known that he would marry one of the advisor's son or daughter and give them kids. The Dominants had been eager to court him and most of them was just because they wanted to be in the King's favour so he was not really that in a hurry to pick out anyone. He preferred to quietly observe them with his special ability, his lack of presence, which made him hiding from any possible suitors fairly easy, before deciding whether this person could be trusted or not.

Kuroko was one who believed in love in a relationship. So when the message arrived that he was being proposed by a stranger from another country, he knew that dream would be shattered because the marriage between their countries was too good an opportunity to be passed up. It mostly benefited Seirin more than Rakuzan. So, there was a constant nagging at the back of his mind, making him suspicious of their intentions. What could a small kingdom to offer to a kingdom with all the riches in the whole realm really. And the last time he checked, he was not a beautiful gem, just another plain person on the earth with a lower than average skill in archery and his speed and agility brought all the wood elves to shame. Seriously, he was just not marriage material except the fact that he's the King's half-sibling. It should not interest someone of great importance such as the heir of Rakuzan. Except maybe it was his special ability. He liked to think it was special because it was what made him unique but it was actually nothing when compared to assassins. All in all, he was a dull person.

So why had he been picked? Marriages between kingdoms were rare mostly because they had rather choose someone with the same element to avoid any war from breaking out which might put one party at a disadvantage so intermarriage in the family was practiced. Except in Seirin, of course. Marriages between partners of different elements were encouraged to promote unity between elves of different elements so it was actually rare to find couples of the same element. The children born to parents of different elements gain far more extensive knowledge than the rest because they were educated in more ways than one. They were taught about not only the element they have but also the other which they do not possess. Scholars formed up a theory that one day there might be someone who would be gifted with two elements rather than one and the children were eager and hoped that it would be one of them.

The teal-haired male was given a few days to give his answer whether he should accept or not but everyone was pointing him in the direction to say yes and be shipped off already. It was his decision entirely and it was not like they were the ones being married off to so he did not appreciate their input at all. They had no idea how he feels at the moment because if they knew they would not have forced him. Alex was being neutral. She just gave him the smile that says, whatever you choose, I'll support you. But her smile looked pain, like she did not want him to leave. So, it tore his heart to see the agony-filled expression on her face, making him look away more than once.

Then came the day when he finally made his decision. He had dragged it for far too long and the emissary was getting very anxious with his answer. He was going to regret this, he knew it. But he knew that he would regret it too if he had chosen the other option. He was thinking in his kingdom's best interest and he did not mind a little sacrifice on his part just to make his people happier now that they had better access to a lot of items on the market once Rakuzan and Seirin were officially related.

He relayed his answer to Alex and the emissary that evening and the latter had sighed in relief like he had just been pardoned from being executed, which got him thinking, were the Rakuzan royalties that formidable? Suddenly, he was fearing for his life but he had given his answer and there was no turning back. Turning back was a sign of weakness.

The next morning, everyone in the castle was busy preparing for his trip to Rakuzan (more like trip to Hell because he just knew something bad was awaiting him at the end of his journey. He just knew it. Call it sixth sense or whatever. The trees had been silent too, which he did not know whether it was a good sign or not.). He was dressed in travelling gear, prepared to saddle his beautiful white mare with cerulean mane and tail, which matched his hair. He liked to think that they were made for each other.

He took a final look around his surrounding, breathing in the scent of his kingdom deeply. He was going to miss everything here. Unless the King of Rakuzan would permit him to visit once in a while. He really hoped to see Alex, his wife and Alvaerele again.

The people gathered in the streets, wanting to see him off and wave him a goodbye, wishing him well in his new home. It saddened him to leave them because he had gotten to know a number of them personally from his regular visits outside of the castle. He straightened up his posture to show his confidence and climbed his horse gracefully, his hair swaying gently in the wind.

His half-sister's family stood close to the door leading into the Great Hall of the castle. Queen Aida was waving at him with a small smile, not bothering to hide her tear-filled eyes while Alex was looking at him with a regretful expression plastered on her beautiful face. Kuroko gave her a reassuring smile, relaying the silent message to her. Whatever it is, it was not her fault. It was his decision to marry a king of a distant kingdom.

However, it was the face of young Alvaerele which caused him to have second thoughts about leaving. She was wailing, asking him to not leave and it hurt his heart to do this to her, to deprive her of her uncle and playmate. She struggled against her Naneth's firm hand clutching on her small frame, refusing to give up. When she was finally free, she ran up to him, stretching out her arms widely for a hug. Alex approached them and picked up Alvaerele. The little princess gave him a tight embrace in less than a second with his nose buried in her brown curls. He was going to miss her the most and vice versa.

The trumpets sounded and it was time to leave or they would never make it to Rakuzan in exactly three days by horse. Probable bandits might delay their journey but he prayed that he would not meet any along the way. Kuroko gently plucked Alvaerele from his arms and passed the little girl to the King. She kicked and slapped Alex's hand for her to let go but Alex was strong and quick to restrain her. She stopped and cried at the top of her voice, the sound piercing the air and his heart.

Squaring his shoulders, he rode to the gate and gave one final wave to his family before passing the people outside of his castle, smiling to them as the women tossed flowers to the street while the men waved and the children yelled goodbye to him.

He had no idea when he could see them again. They would remain his people even after he marries. As he neared the trees leading to the border between Rakuzan and Seirin with the emissary and a troop of warriors posing as his personal guards, he sagged a little, his smile disappearing.

One of his personal guards, his closest friend, a submissive as well, gave him a gentle squeeze to his shoulder. At least he would still have a few friends even though they would be living amidst unfamiliar faces in a foreign land.

The group continued their journey through the forest at a steady pace, stopping only when the horses needed rest. Kuroko was quietly munching away his lunch as he watched the river when he was joined by someone who settled on a rock next to him.

"Ogiwara," He acknowledged him, giving him a small nod.

"A penny for your thoughts, Your Highness?" Ogiwara picked up a pebble and tossed it far from them. It bounced off the surface of the river a few times, causing the calm water to ripple. A big stone joined the pebble and the fished fled as fast as their tails allowed.

Kuroko glanced up as Ogiwara glared. Kagami, a boisterous man, the leader of his personal guards joined the duo. Well, Kagami was not as boisterous as Ogiwara but when the two of them were together, Kuroko knew he would never find peace anymore. They were a good distraction from his thoughts though.

"Kagami, that's not how you throw. And you should have chosen a smaller one!"

"That's Sir for you, Ogiwara Shigehiro," Kagami teased and Ogiwara's cheeks coloured. If Kuroko did not know any better, he would say they would make a good couple but they were both Submisives despite Kagami's huge muscled body. His Dominant would have to be able to match his strength or be stronger than him or it would be weird to see Kagami bonded to a lithe man. Unless, his Dominant is a Scholar instead of another warrior.

The shortest of the trio watched as his friends bickered as if he was not there. He was used to it any way. Pointing a finger to the water, playful Kuroko summoned some seaweeds to grow at the shallow end of the river and when they reached his fingers, he let them slipped by and circled around his friends' legs. Both of them yelped and started yelling at him instead. He smiled, amused and watched them squirm out of those slimy creatures.

"I'll strangle you, Kuroko, prince or not, once I get these seaweeds settled." Kuroko snorted, knowing that Kagami, being a Fire Elf, has no way of dealing with the plants unless he burns them but the chances of that happening was zero to none because as much as a huge man the redhead is, he is soft on the inside and would not even hurt a single fly. Ogiwara, on the other hand, slapped a hand on the earth, causing the seaweeds to retreat. Damn Elf shared the same element as he and actually has better control over it too.

Ogiwara looked up at the sky and squinted. "Think we better get a move on now or we won't make it in time. And I really don't feel good about this part of the woods at night."

"Well, help me. Damn it." Poor Kagami. Ogiwara snapped his fingers and the seaweeds disappeared before the brown-haired man joined the rest of the warriors. The redhead cursed as he guided their prince back to their group of 25.

Three days passed with not much of an incident. Maybe Kuroko had been wrong with his assumption when he thought something bad was going to happen. He shook his head. It was still too soon to think that. Just maybe it might happen later.

The emissary was led away to deliver the good news to his King while the rest of them were shown to their rooms. While Kuroko was admiring the Rakuzan palace which looked old but grand, he started feeling a tingle run down his spine. He trembled a little and Ogiwara glanced at him, clearly concerned for him. Kagami was as oblivious as ever. The cerulean-haired male flashed a small smile which made Ogiwara looked away, appeased. Hopefully, his friend would not ask him about it. Because he really did not want to talk about the feeling of being watched. If he ever utter a word about it, Ogiwara might devise a plan to kidnap him and that would ruin Seirin's reputation.

When he finally reached his room, he sighed in relief. It was so tiring to travel and his butt was really sore from all the riding. Poor horse of his must be exhausted too.

It was nearing night and supper was sent to his room. His personal guards took turns to guard their prince's room as he ate silently.

Kuroko could feel his anxiety escalating as he thought about tomorrow and what it might entail. He wringed his hands together and started pacing. Ogiwara shot him a look while Kagami started stuffing his face with Kuroko's leftovers as if he was pregnant with twins. Seriously, that man could eat during the war and gory images would not stop him from enjoying his meal.

"Sleep, your highness."

"I don't think I can. I'm afraid," Kuroko admitted as he slumped back against the uncomfortable-looking chair, which was surprisingly soft and silky.

Kagami stopped eating. "Hey, now. None of that. Just remember what made you decide to marry that bas-Oof!" The muscled Elf was punched in the gut by a frowning Ogiwara.

"Watch what you're saying, buffoon. We're not at home anymore."

Kagami rubbed his abdomen, making a cute pout and Ogiwara had no choice but to forgive the man.

"I can't promise you that it will be fine but what I can promise you is that, we're here for you and nothing can make us leave your side. Not even the King of Rakuzan." Ogiwara gave a small pat on Kuroko's back.

Kuroko smiled as he was enveloped in a group hug. After that, he slept restlessly, trying not to wonder about the next day.

The Seirin prince woke up to sunlight streaming through the large windows and a mumbling Ogiwara. A knock sounded and a timid-looking lady delivered a message to him.

"The King has requested for your presence," she squeaked, her voice going a pitch higher when she spotted Kagami looming over her.

"Quit it, Kagami. You're terrifying the lady." The redhead was pushed away and was replaced by a much friendlier looking guard. He offered her a billion dollar smile and her face flushed. However, she managed to compose herself before saying, "I'm Lailah, your personal attendant. May I help you dress for the morning?"

"Lailah, it's fine. I can dress on my own," Kuroko said softly as he got out of bed but she looked frightened once more as if she had managed to offend him somehow. As much as the prince of Seirin was not used to people helping him dress, he relented and allowed her to pick his outfit while he took a dip in the huge bathtub with golden lion heads decorating the white-tiled walls.

It was so quick. The King was already requesting his presence. He was not ready for this. He could feel himself panicking but tried to calm down by submerging his head under the water. Lailah, alarmed, reached in to pull him out of the water while screaming for help, soaking herself in the process. His personal guards had rushed in but was quickly ushered out when they found out that he was completely fine, naked and not under attack. He finished his supposedly soothing bath and wiped himself dry before entering the bedroom assigned to him.

Trust Lailah to choose something really frilly for the first encounter with her King. He put on the white dress shirt laid out on his bed as Lailah fussed over every crease she saw. Next, he donned a pair of tight-fitting pants, which was insisted by Lailah, to show off his lovely assets. A few other clothing thrown together and he was finally deemed perfect to meet the King for breakfast. He never knew that dressing up to impress was that tedious until today.

Two guards stood outside waiting to escort him to the dining hall. Kuroko was flanked by two of Rakuzan's guards and his personal ones from Seirin as all five of them took a long walk to their destination. Well, it felt long to the short Wood Elf when it was not.

Destination reached, they stood waiting as a bearded man opened the high oaken doors to announce his presence.

This is it. The moment that he had been dreading and anticipating at the same time. The moment he and his future husband meets. He wondered briefly if sparks would fly as in the romance novels he found himself immersed in back when he was in Seirin. His heart skipped a beat.

Taking heavy steps towards the long table which was already filled with unfamiliar faces, he managed not to trip over his own two feet. Not only was he unattractive, he was clumsy as well. How could the King possibly desire him?

When he finally caught sight of a pair of heterochromatic eyes which belonged to no other than the King himself, he swallowed an imaginary lump in his throat. Oh Lord. All the good genes was somehow snatched up by the Elf in front of him.

As devastatingly handsome as the dominant is though, his unwavering glare could make everyone who looked into his eyes fall to their knees. And he almost did. Except the fact that Kuroko was not easily noticeable. Surely, the man himself had not spotted him. Reminding himself of his own lack of presence, he felt more assured now that the King would not be able to pick him out from the far end of the dining table.

Continuing to approach the King, somehow he could not shake off the feeling of being watched. It was the same feeling that he had yesterday. Kuroko looked up and was caught in a deep gaze between himself and the King. The leader of the Fire Elves watched him like a hawk, like a predator eyeing his prey, while he made his way over to greet the other.

Everyone else was still unaware of his presence, caught up in their conversations. But this man, this good-looking man who demanded his presence to be acknowledged, managed to locate him easily, too easily. Why?

"Quel amrun (Good morning), your grace," Kuroko whispered as he curtsied, hoping to appear as small as he could. His palms started sweating and he clenched them tightly by his sides.

Red and golden eyes watched him carefully before a deep voice greeted him, the words rolling off his tongue as if a person caressing his lover, "Quel amrun, prince of Seirin."

Kuroko shuddered as he let the words enveloped his being. This person was to be his husband. What was to be his future?