The Silent Prince (Part 2)

Title: The Silent Prince
Author: KrystalKatz
Genre: AU, Action, Romance
Rating: R
Length: Chaptered.
Pairings: Ohno Satoshi/Ninomiya Kazunari,
Disclaimer: I only own the plot
 
Ohno stared at his grandmother in disbelief, Kana had put down her knitting needles and was staring at him seriously “I should I have realised when he said Lotus Cottage, that was his mothers former home when she was young... He looks just like her when she was his age, such a sad ending to such a lovely girl” She sighed wiping her eyes sadly, “Forced to marry the king, to settle a debt and then she killed herself leaving that poor boy...”
“She killed herself?” Ohno said his mind automatically going to Nino, wondering how he had coped with that.
“The king is no kinder to his family than he is to his people, it seems... Though I can’t understand why the prince would be all the way out here...By all accounts the prince was kept almost like a prisoner in the castle...”
“Grandma, how do you know all this?”
“People, more so village people, like to gossip... As you, your self should already know... Satoshi...”
“I know” Ohno murmured softly “I wasn’t planning on letting that happen again, grandma...”
“He seems like a sweet boy and he’s very cute, but remember, he is a ‘boy’” Ohno sighed his grandmother was a sweet woman, and she had taken him in with no judgment when that had happened but she didn’t understand that he couldn’t help the fact that he found boys cuter than girls, it had always been the same.  Kana hobbled over to him and put a hand on his shoulder “At the very least remember he is the prince... If something were to happen the king would have you killed before you could even bat an eyelid, maybe it would be best if... If you stayed away from him...”
“I’m not going to rape him, grandma; I can be around a boy as a friend... Sorry” He said dipped his head quickly as he saw the pained look in the old lady’s face “He just looks so lonely... I can’t imagine it’s been easy for him not being able to talk”
“You have a kind heart, Satoshi, and I worry about you...If you’re seen together in the village...”
“I know...But I can’t let Nino down” He mumbled, though it did cross his mind that he would do more damage to Nino if people suspected he had the same ‘warped’ nature he did. “Do you think anyone else would know he’s the prince?”
“I shouldn’t think so; I only knew he was Lady Aimi Kazuki’s son because I worked for the family for a time...”
“Kazuki? So he didn’t lie completely...” Ohno smiled as he heard the name and then remembered the name of the prince ‘Ninomiya Kazunari’ and decided he liked Nino best it was cute like he was. He also decided that until Nino told himself, he wasn’t going to mention the prince thing he looked at the written notes on the table, he could see the ones that were messy from where he had been talking about card tricks, the pen had moved so quickly then and he knew Nino just wanted someone to talk too. Kana felt her heart sink at the smile on her grandson’s face wondering if he was even aware that he was already falling for the boy. She sent up a silent prayer, begging the gods to watch over her grandson.
Nino, despite his best efforts fell asleep in the carriage; his body was just too exhausted to stay awake. It wasn’t long before he was having that same dream again...* He was at the castle his birthday party was in full swing he was almost trying to disappear into the walls, this party wasn’t about him, and in fact he doubted if any of the guests even knew who he was. That wasn’t the only reason he wanted to leave, his cousin and main tormentor throughout his life had been flashing him dangerous smiles all night and he knew the older boy was plotting something. He tried to stay as close to Yori as possible, but at some point the knight had been called away. Nino took the time to leave the great hall, he’d been there long enough for his father to be satisfied, he wanted to get into his bedroom and lock the door by tomorrow afternoon his cousin would be gone and he would be safe. He was walking through the hallway when he suddenly felt two hands grab him and start pulling him backwards...*
“Nino? Nino... Are you okay?” Yori asked shaking him awake; Nino opened his eyes staring into his guardian’s friendly eyes, Yori gave a smile and used his thumb to wipe away some tears that had formed “A bad dream?” Nino nodded thankful when Yori didn’t ask what about, there were two bad dreams he kept having one from when he was very young and the one for just a few weeks. “That boy seemed very nice” Yori murmured trying to distract him, as he carried his prince into the cottage, Nino nodded smiling again as he thought about Ohno. The older guy had been very nice to him, paying attention to everything he ‘said’ he was happy that he had agreed to come to visit him but he knew Yori would be surprised by his readiness to trust a guy so easily, but there was something harmless about Ohno, but there was also a feeling that he was a little broken like he was. During their talk Ohno had mentioned that both of his parents were still alive and lived in the village, at first Nino assumed he was staying with his grandmother to help out but there was something else in Ohno’s eyes. He wanted to ask but he knew that would have been rude. Yori smiled as he saw the excitement in his young charge’s eyes. He had been worried when he had read the message, for the past few weeks Nino looked like he wanted to die, but now there seemed to be the old spark of life in Nino’s eyes, and that made the knight happy. Yori smiled as he settled him into a chair, after the dream he didn’t think the Prince would want to go to bed any time tonight, Nino took up a pen and paper
>You can go to bed if you want, Yori, I’ll be fine< He wrote flashing him a smile, Yori shook his head sinking into a chair facing him, Nino let out a silent sigh, see the tired shadows under his guardians eyes he frowned writing quickly >Seriously, I’ll be fine... Go to bed< He said underlining ‘Go to bed’ a few times. Yori gave a chuckle and then nodded
“Very well, your highness” He murmured getting to his feet again “Do you want anything?” Nino shook his head and picked up a pack of well worn playing cards from his table and began shuffling them staring at the fire, which Yori made up again before he said ‘goodnight’ and went upstairs. Nino shivered slightly when he was left alone, but he pushed the thoughts away to think about the tanned guy with the kind smile. Nino wondered if he was weird for being so happy that a guy was being nice to him, more so after what had happened, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself from wanting to see the farmer again. He looked at the clock seeing that it was 1.30, he let out a sigh, as he practiced a new magic trick Yori had shown him. When Yori came down as the sun was coming up, his prince was sleeping peacefully in the chair. He quickly picked up the fallen cards and put them on the table, it wouldn’t be long before the prince was awake again but he hoped he would be able to have at least some sleep free from the dreams. Yori silently did his work, wondering about this ‘Ohno Satoshi’ he would have to investigate him in the village but from what he had seen he had seemed a good man. He smiled sadly as he looked at Nino’s pale face he hoped that after nearly 13 years of being alone he hoped Nino would make a friend. Nino opened his eyes slowly, shrugging off the blanket that Yori must have placed over him, looking at the sun streaming in through the window he realised  he must have fell asleep at some point, it was after he realised the jumper he was wearing smelt vaguely of the outdoors and sunshine. He guessed it must be Ohno’s smell and that relaxed him so much he couldn’t help but be lulled to sleep. He stretched and looked around smiling at Yori
“Did you sleep well?” Yori asked surprised when Nino gave a nod “No bad dreams?” the prince shook his head looking just as surprised as his guardian and then taking his pen and paper
>I didn’t have a dream< he wrote and then gave a bright smile
“How’s your ankle?”
>It’s fine... Stiff but it doesn’t hurt any more< Nino answered, Yori nodded 
“Do you want a bath or do you want something to eat first?”
Nino looked thoughtful for a minute and then started writing on the note pad, chewing his tongue, Yori frowned his eyes narrowing when he saw what the prince had written >Does it bother you that you had to stop being a knight to play nurse maid to the useless silent prince?<
“You’re not useless, Nino, just because you can’t talk doesn’t make you useless...”
>I know father would rather have Ryuu, as a son, I’m going to make a lousy king< Nino wrote, Yori put his hands on the prince’s shoulders and stared into his eyes
“You’re going to make an amazing king, because you’re an amazing person... Even if you can’t speak...Ryuu isn’t even worth the time it takes to talk about him” Yori spat hating the very mention of Nino’s cousin and the prince of Airith; if he ever saw him again he would more than happily slit the man’s throat.
>It’s not just that though...< Nino wrote >I can’t do anything by myself, how can I be a king when I all I can do is magic tricks?<
“Nino, you’re like your mother” Yori told him and Nino’s eyes widened, it was the first time his guardian had told him that, he couldn’t remember his mother very well he only knew that they looked alike. He’d heard from servant gossip and his father a few times when he had been drunk, that she had killed herself to escape her life in the castle. It had hurt him to think that she had chosen to end her own life rather than stay with him, until Yori had told him that it wasn’t true. Nobody was sure of the true events that had taken place that night, the guardian had been positive that his mother would never have taken her own life. He never openly said that his father had, had her killed but Nino knew it was in the back of his mind. He also knew that Yori had been in love with his mother and at one point they had even been engaged to marry until her father had given her to his father to settle a bad debt. When he was younger he had wished that one day Yori would tell him that he was really his father, but he never had, plus it was blindingly obvious that he was his father’s son because although he had his mothers looks he also looked like his father. “Your mother was an amazing woman, Nino, I don’t care what castle gossip says she was well loved by everyone that knew her... And you are just the same, you just have always been too nervous to show it... And I would make the same choice about coming here with you...”
Nino gave a smile >Thank-you< Nino wrote with a trembling hand. Yori gave a nod and a smile before excusing himself to go and run the prince a bath. By the time he’d bathed and eaten it was already afternoon, Ohno hadn’t told him what time he would be coming but Nino couldn’t stop himself from watching the clock, as time wore on he slowly began to give up hope but at about 3.30 he heard a gentle plodding of horses, and with a glance out the window he saw the tanned farmer coming to the house
“Hello” Yori smiled opening the door with a polite bow, Ohno felt strangely nervous until he was led into a small library and he saw Nino grinning at him, maybe his grandma was right he thought, as he felt his heart thump quickly at the expression on the young prince’s face.
>Hello< Nino held up a prewritten note, and Ohno found himself smiling happily as another card was held up >Thank-you for coming and for yesterday<
“You’re welcome thanks for inviting me... Is your leg okay?” Ohno asked him, Nino nodded and then they sat in silence for a few minutes, until Yori brought in some cool drinks and snacks “Thank-you” Ohno said while Nino held up another pre written note. Yori nodded with another smile before giving a polite bow and leaving the room “Wow this is nice” Ohno murmured while Nino smiled, the older guy took some time to look around the room, his eyes rest on the cards on the table, and remembered their talk from last night “Could you show me some tricks?” Nino blushed but nodded slowly putting his drink down and began shuffling the cards. Ohno smiled at the glimmer of excitement in the prince’s eyes as he showed him the tricks. He was baffled by most of them, no matter how hard he concentrated he couldn’t work out the trick, Nino gave him a silent chuckle as he tried to show him how each trick worked. The time passed and Nino found himself more and more relaxed around Ohno, the older guy never asked about his inability to talk, not that there was much to tell and Nino wasn’t sure if he could explain, he wanted to talk, but whenever he tried to form words nothing ever came out. Yori had taught him to form words with his lips when he was young but even then the knight was the only one that tried to understand him. Yori had gone to the village awhile ago after making completely sure the prince would be okay alone with Ohno. He was fine with being alone with the sleepy famer, but he was upset when it was time for Ohno to go, until the older guy suggested that he come and visit him at the farm the next day.
>Really?<
“Well I have a lot of work to do, but if you want you can help out...”
>Yes please< Nino wrote enthusiastically, >though I won’t know what to do<
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you” Ohno smiled wondering how a prince could get so excited about doing farm work, Nino hadn’t told him about being a prince, and Ohno had kept his own promise of not mentioning it.
>Really? Nobody has ever trusted me to do anything before< Nino told him and then looked down at his hands before writing >I guess my girly soft hands will let me down?<
“No, I shouldn’t have said that... You have cute hands” Ohno said with a grin, enjoying the smile Nino gave him and the way his cheeks flushed
>What time?< The prince asked
“Whenever you want, if you can come in the morning we can spend the day together” Ohno told him, and then frowned hoping the prince wouldn’t hear the excitement in his voice when he said that. Nino followed him out and watched him get on the horse he had brought. “I’ll see you tomorrow then” Nino nodded still smiling. He watched until Ohno was just a spec in the distance and then went back inside, where Yori was waiting for him after coming back from the village for supplies
“Did you have fun?” He asked giving a small smile when Nino nodded before taking his pen and paper
>I want to go to the farm tomorrow... Is that okay?<
Yori smiled wondering how the prince could doubt he was going to be a good king, he was happy Nino had a nice time, though tomorrow he would have to have a talk with Ohno about the things he’d heard about the young farmer in the village.
 
A/N: Part 2, I get the feeling this is going to be rather slow moving, sorry I hope you enjoy ^.^