Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

Pairing: KaitoxShinichi

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Fantasy

Summary: One was the charismatic court magician, the other the young prince everyone ignored. It was a forbidden romance in a kingdom on the verge of war. Their story wasn't a fairytale, but they dreamed of a happy ending.

Blood Red Roses

Chapter 1 - Seed

The moon was full that night when they first laid eyes on one another. Kuroba Kaito, newly appointed court magician, had just parted ways from the servant who'd been assigned to show him around the grounds. Having decided to begin his work by placing a few new shields around the castle, he'd been strolling along the open-air walkways of the garden when he'd spotted a slender shadow standing in the gazebo by the lake in the center of the rose garden. Curious, he had made his way over on silent feet. As he drew nearer, the shadow resolved itself into the figure of a young man around his own age. The stranger stood a little shorter than himself, with a slim frame and black hair that was much better groomed than his own wild locks but for a single tuft that curled up cutely at the back. He was looking out over the lake with a wistful expression in beautiful, clear blue eyes.

Like gems, the magician thought.

Coming to a stop a few steps away from the stranger, he cleared his throat. "Excuse me."

The boy started and turned quickly, gaze sharpening as it swept quickly over Kaito before his expression morphed into a frown. "Who are you and how did you get in here?"

Kaito raised an eyebrow at the accusing tone. "My name is Kuroba Kaito, and I'm the court magician. That means I'm in charge of this place's magical defenses. How about you?"

"Oh, I heard a magician was coming today," the boy murmured, realization dawning. Then he bowed slightly. "My name is Shinichi. It's nice to meet you."

"Shinichi…" He'd heard that name before. "Ah, so you're his Majesty's son then, am I right?"

A shadow flickered across the other's face, but it vanished in a second to be replaced by a polite smile. "Yes, I am. I hope you enjoy your time here."

"I'm sure I will." Kaito smiled back, though inside he was frowning. He didn't like that look on the other's face. It was cool and composed and entirely fake.

Shinichi nodded and excused himself, turning to leave, but a strong hand caught his arm and pulled him back.

"Hey there, wait a moment."

Taken aback by the unexpected gesture, Shinichi turned back to face him, surprise and confusion evident in his features. "Did…you need something?"

Letting his smile broaden into a grin, the magician slid his hand down Shinichi's arm to catch his hand. Lifting it, he bent and placed a kiss on Shinichi's knuckles. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I am still somewhat unfamiliar with the capital. Perhaps, when you have some time, you could show me around?"

He was rewarded by the sight of a blush spreading over the prince's pale cheeks as he nodded.

"I—of course."

"Would tomorrow afternoon be all right?"

Shinichi nodded again mutely.

"Great! Then I'll meet you here tomorrow after lunch."

Later, as he headed back to his own quarters, Kaito smiled to himself, the image of that blush and a pair of wondering, blue eyes replaying over and over in his mind. He liked that expression much better. It didn't look so lonely.

It was strange when he thought about it. No one knew much about the Kudos' only son. Most people in the kingdom knew he existed, of course, but no one seemed to know what he was like. Kaito had heard the rumors that the boy had beautiful eyes, but that was about it. From what he'd heard, the boy was rarely seen by anyone, though he didn't know why. There were rumors about that too. Some said he was ill, others that he didn't care about the kingdom's affairs, etc. Now that he'd seen the boy, Kaito had the feeling that none of the rumors knew what they were talking about. Although he supposed he couldn't make much of a call after just one meeting.

Well, he was looking forward to finding out.

-0-

At the beginning, Kudo Shinichi hadn't really known what to think of the new court magician. He'd heard the newcomer was the son of Kuroba Toichi, the man who'd been called the greatest magician the world had ever seen, and he had originally been looking forward to meeting the man. But then he'd had that argument with his father and forgotten all about the magician's imminent arrival. Then again, by that time he hadn't really wanted to meet or talk to anyone. Not that there was anyone to talk to.

There never was.

Sometimes he wondered where he'd gone wrong.

When he'd been little, he'd spent a lot of time with his mother. She loved dressing him up in a variety of "cute outfits" and taking him out to parties or meetings with friends where she could show him off. As he grew older and less willing to be dolled up and shown off, however, she'd drifted to other hobbies like the theater. She still attended a lot of parties and spent long hours with the other court ladies, but she rarely if ever asked him to go with her anymore. There were times when he could go days without actually even seeing her.

The situation with his father wasn't any better. He used to look up to the man. He was smart and good with words, and when Shinichi had been little he'd thought the man knew everything. Now he knew that no one knew everything, but that wasn't the problem. It was the way his father spent so much time on pointless things like countryside vacations and his wife's parties when he should have been tending to the kingdom's affairs. His councilors were always having to hunt him down, and often it was to no avail. Oh, the man still dealt with the major problems when they came up, but the rest of the time he devoted his attention to finding ways to slip away from work. It drove Shinichi nuts!

In an attempt to make up for what he saw as his father's laziness, he'd started doing his own research on current affairs and taking his notes and conclusions to council meetings. He'd wanted to be helpful. But the councilors looked at him askance whenever he came. They would nod and smile and listen as he spoke then leave and do whatever it was they had originally planned. He'd gone to his father about it, and the man had told him that it was only natural. He was still young and inexperienced. So he tried writing letters of advice with detailed explanations of his thoughts to the various courtiers and councilors. They complained to his father and he was told that while he could sit in on meetings, he should let the people who knew what they were doing work and keep his thoughts to himself until he was ready (though ready by whose standards, he didn't explain. Why did it seem like everyone insisted on thinking he was still a child?).

Lately, he'd found himself wondering what the hell he was even doing here. He wanted to be helpful, but no one wanted his help. No one cared what he did with himself as long as he didn't try to actually do anything of significance. He'd even seriously considered running away from home, but a sense of responsibility prevented him from actually acting on the thought.

So he spent his days in the library, the gardens, or sitting in on meetings, formulating ideas he wrote down just in case the day ever came when someone would actually want to hear them.

Kaito's arrival, however, changed everything.

-0-

It began with the city tour.

-0-

"What's up with the glasses?"

"Oh, um, it makes me feel more comfortable if people don't know who I am. So, if you don't mind, while we're out, could you please call me Conan?"

"All right, but I think it's a little strange that you feel the need to hide."

Shinichi shrugged. "I guess it's just an old habit. I had a bit of an accident when I was seven. After that, my parents decided I should stay on castle grounds unless I was with them. But eventually they got busier with other things. The guards wouldn't let me out without them though."

"So you started sneaking out?"

Shinichi flushed a little but his expression was defiant. "I'm not going to spend my whole life behind these walls. Besides, I'm allowed to go out by myself now, I just—got used to the disguise."

Kaito laughed. "Of course not. I'll keep your secret. But what was the accident?"

"I don't remember it all that well," Shinichi admitted as he led the way to one of the castle's back gates. "I think I was kidnapped."

Kaito's grin morphed into an incredulous stare. "You call that an accident? I'd say it's somewhat more serious than that."

"Like I said, it was a long time ago."

The careless way he dismissed the issue struck Kaito as a bit weird, but he let the matter drop for the time being. For now he listened as Shinichi began to point out and describe various important buildings and landmarks to him. Around them, the city bustled, totally oblivious to their presence. Every now and then someone who seemed to recognize Shinichi would wave and call a greeting, but they only ever called him Conan.

There was the bookstore owner, an old man who went by the name Agasa, who came out of his store to tell Shinichi he'd held on to the last copy of a new novel for him. He'd asked after Shinichi's parents, whom he seemed to think were textile traders. When they parted ways with the old man, they were ambushed by a trio of kids who wanted Shinichi to play ball with them.

"I'm sorry, but I'm supposed to be showing my friend around today," Shinichi began only to be cut off by the magician.

"Actually, let's play ball. It should be fun. You three don't mind if I join in, do you?"

"Of course not!" the little girl, Ayumi, beamed. "It's more fun with more people."

Shinichi gave the magician a surprised look but didn't argue.

It seemed, Kaito thought later as they turned their steps homeward, that Shinichi was living two lives rather than one. There was the quiet, polite prince with the sad eyes he'd seen last night, and then there was this Conan character, who was rather more cheerful but just as false in many ways as that polite smile he'd detested yesterday. It was odd and unexpected, but it intrigued him. He decided that they were going to be friends.

-0-

One afternoon became two then three. Soon, Shinichi found himself spending almost all his free time with the magician when the latter didn't have his own work to tend to.

-0-

"I was inspecting the city boundaries when I found this place last week. So what do you think?"

"It…has a nice view," Shinichi said dubiously, his eyes flickering from said nice view to the plate in front of him and back. This little restaurant was nestled at the corner of a rather tall building and they could see half the city laid out below them outside that window. It was truly breathtaking. The plate, however, was breathtaking for entirely different reasons.

Kaito hid a grin behind his mug. "So aren't you going to try the food?"

Hesitantly, the blue-eyed boy picked up his fork and poked the heap of nameless weirdness that the magician had ordered for him. "I'm sorry, but are you sure this is edible?"

One dark eyebrow rose. "Don't you trust me?"

Shinichi didn't buy the wounded tone of voice for a second. If he'd learned anything about Kaito in these last few months, it was that he was as good an actor as a magician—that, and he had a wicked sense of humor that found amusement in the strangest places and the mind of a master prankster to go with it. The head of the castle guard was still peering around corners and jumping at shadows after what Kaito had done to him last week under the pretext of testing the man's alertness. Needless to say, the poor man hadn't passed the test. On the flip side, he really had become more alert. Although the degree of paranoia he was currently exhibiting just made Shinichi feel sorry for him.

He looked back down at his plate. It was heaped high with something brown and mushy. It smelled okay—faintly sweetish and chilled. Appearance wise, however, it left much to be desired. Sticking his fork into it, he lifted a chunk of whatever it was. Long, sticky strands of it trailed back down to the plate. He grimaced and lowered it again.

"I ate mine," the magician pointed out encouragingly. "I guarantee it's good. Just trust me."

"Alright. Fine." Bracing himself, Shinichi picked up the sticky forkful again, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth. Even then, it took him several seconds before he could make himself put the fork in his mouth.

On the other side of the table, Kaito found his gaze being drawn to the thin strands of glistening, brown caramel that trailed over Shinichi's lips. He felt the sudden urge to lean over and lick them. He shook his head. What was he thinking?

At that moment, blue eyes popped open in wonder and Kaito smirked in triumph.

"So? What do you think?"

"It's…actually pretty good." Surprisingly, Shinichi added to himself.

The knowing gleam in the magician's eyes suggested he knew what Shinichi was thinking. "You see, what'd I tell you? I happen to have excellent taste."

Shinichi laughed. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Good. So next time you'll trust me then."

"I will."

"Promise?"

Shinichi paused only a moment before deciding it couldn't hurt. "Promise."

"Good." The magician watched as Shinichi finished off his dessert (his own having long since disappeared down the bottomless pit of his stomach) before speaking again. "You know, you have a beautiful smile. You should show it more often."

Shinichi blinked across the table at him then blushed as the meaning of the words sank in. "Um, thanks, I guess."

Kaito burst out laughing.

-0-

Kaito had always prided himself on his ability to anticipate outcomes and manipulate people and situations to achieve his goals. It was a talent he'd inherited from his father, and he was damned proud of it. But this feeling… He hadn't expected this. It worried him.

-0-

They were playing ball in the streets with Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko again when a trio of masked men came bursting out of an alley followed by a loud cry of, "I've been robbed!"

Several things happened at the same moment. Shinichi, who'd just caught the ball one of the boys had kicked, dropped it and kicked, sending it rocketing into the leading robber's head. The man let out a cry of pain and toppled over, dropping the case he'd been carrying. The second man tripped over his fallen comrade and he would have fallen on top of a frozen Ayumi if Kaito hadn't dove forward and scooped her up and out of harm's way. The third leapt over the two with an angry yell and lunged at Shinichi, sending him crashing to the ground with a yelp. Light gleamed off steel and his cry turned pained.

Kaito saw red.

An instant later a bolt of lightning cracked the air, blasting the robber off Shinichi and across the street where he crashed into a building wall with a sickening crunch. His knife splashed in a molten puddle of metal on the cobbles. A small crowd was now gathering and several people gaped. Shinichi sat up clutching his left arm.

Kaito hurried to his side, frowning at the blood seeping between his fingers. "How bad is it?"

"It's just a scratch," Shinichi assured him before he suddenly went pale. At the same time, someone screamed.

All heads turned to the man who'd tripped earlier. He had gotten back to his feet and seized the nearest child, who turned out to be Mitsuhiko. Pressing a dagger to the boy's throat, he glared around at the frozen audience.

"None of you move!" he warned, beginning to back down the street away from where Kaito was helping Shinichi to his feet. "Move and I'll kill 'im!"

No one moved. The whole street seemed to be holding its breath. One step, then two, then five.

Once he was a dozen yards away, the man suddenly dropped Mitsuhiko, turned, and bolted. Shinichi immediately chased after him, calling to the onlookers to call the guard.

Cursing, Kaito ran after him. He'd already been forming a lightning spell, but now Shinichi was in the way. Putting on a burst of speed, he caught up to Shinichi and grabbed his uninjured arm in a vice grip, unceremoniously yanking him back so hard that Shinichi stumbled and ended up sitting on the ground. His other hand shot forward, hurling the crackling bolt of electrical energy he'd been gathering. It caught the running man square in the back, knocking him right off his feet and carrying him another dozen steps down the street before he landed in a graceless sprawl, out cold and smoldering gently.

-0-

When he'd had time to think about it later, Kaito realized that it hadn't only been the robber he was angry at. He'd been angry at Shinichi too. Not for getting hurt, of course not, but because he had deliberately put himself in danger by chasing after the armed robber. It wasn't the first time he'd done something so reckless either, if Kaito was to believe some of the stories the kids had told him.

He understood that Shinichi had a strong sense of responsibility, but that didn't mean he had to be reckless. And yet, at the same time, that selfless determination to do what was right was one of the things he admired about his new friend.

Friend… He knew by now that that wasn't quite the right word for the way he thought of Shinichi, but he still hadn't decided how he was going to deal with that. He'd always had a knack for reading people, but he honestly wasn't sure how Shinichi felt about him. He suspected Shinichi himself didn't know either. The boy was, he had found, rather clueless about such things. It was cute, but not very helpful.

-0-

"Hey, who's this?"

Shinichi looked up from the library desk to see Kaito holding up a small painting. He blanched. "Where did you find that?!"

"What do you mean? It was in the castle gallery. The frame was chipped so I took it out to get it fixed. So? Who is it? Do you have a sister I don't know about?"

Shinichi groaned. "No, it was mom."

Kaito did a double take. "What? But your mother's hair isn't black."

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I mean it was mom's fault. She used to like to dress me up when I was little."

"…You mean this is you?"

Realizing his mistake, Shinichi stammered a hasty denial, but it was already too late.

"Aww, you were such a cute little princess~!"

-0-

To Shinichi's horror, the nickname stuck, though Kaito was thoughtful enough not to use it when anyone else might hear. After a while though, it stopped bothering him. Instead, he found himself feeling…strange whenever Kaito said it. Warm and a little giddy.

He didn't understand it.

-TBC-