Chapter Text
Hamato Yoshi resided in his own chambers, sat at a desk in thought. It was morning, early enough that the sun hadn't yet risen.
In the past, every prince and princess had married in their late teens. Leonardo was already nineteen, and he's shown zero interest in marriage.
Yoshi didn't understand. Leonardo has had plenty opportunities at relationships, and yet they've all failed because Leo showed little interest.
It was always the excuse of "I just didn't really click with her" or something of the sort. He didn't seem to grasp the fact that he had to marry soon.
Yoshi sighed. He was losing ideas on how to encourage marriage and birthing an heir to the throne for the next generation.
—
"Your Highness-"
Leonardo turned around, pausing his footsteps down the hall of the palace. Chizu approached him, earning a curious look from Leo.
"Yes?" Leo asked.
Chziu stood up straighter, before clearing her throat. "The king wanted me to send you a message."
"Today, at 3 PM in the garden, there will be a gathering that is in your position to host." Chizu recalled smoothly. This wasn't the first time she had been a messenger for the king to one of the sons.
Leo's eyes lit up a little at something to do, before Chizu unknowingly shot it down by saying "He believes it will be beneficial in finding you an eligible bachelorette."
Leo frowned slightly. Of course that was the reason. His father wouldn't stop bugging him about finding a woman to marry. It's not his fault no one's caught his eye.
"…Right," Leo straightened his expression. "Thank you, Chizu."
Chizu nodded, before walking off, leaving Leo to stew over this gathering.
—
Usagi had no idea why he of all people was assigned to this little royal gathering. Honestly, he got the feeling he was being used more for decoration than protection.
Usagi didn't recognize the other dozen or so knights who were always assigned as stand-by for this gathering. Well, maybe except that big rhino that Kitsune called "Mr. Moral Code".
Usagi doesn't think he's seen so many fancy people in one place. Poofy dresses and carefully embroidered suits lined his field of vision as they entered the garden. Usagi stood at the entrance.
Two princes greeted the guests as they arrived. He remembered the blue one, but the one dressed in purple was a new face.
Usagi's never hated standing statue still in one place more, but unfortunately, that was his whole job.
Usagi glanced at the guests entering, before looking over at the rhino next to him.
Usagi thought about what Kitsune had said. Make the best of it, huh?
Usagi discreetly leaned in towards the rhino, before whispering in attempts to strike up conversation. "How long have you been doing this?"
The rhino merely glanced at him, before looking back ahead. Clearly he actually followed the rules of the job.
Usagi made a slight face at being clearly noticed but gaining no answer.
"Okay," Usagi muttered, "What's your name?"
Once again, no response. Kitsune was right when she called him Mr. Moral Code.
Usagi huffed, before turning away. Then, a small smirk crossed his expression, and he leaned in again.
"Okay, fine. How about a joke then?" he whispered. He took a moment to think, before he spoke again. "What is the loneliest cheese?"
The rhino glanced over at Usagi, not very thrilled the hear the answer.
Usagi answered anyways. "Provolone."
Usagi stared at the rhino with a grin, who just sighed.
Usagi thought he heard a stifled snort sort of sound somewhere, which prompted him to turn his head. His eyes landed on one of the other physically closest people to him: that prince dressed in blue.
Leonardo had a straight (if not slightly strained) look on his face. Usagi just shrugged. He must've heard something else.
"The name's Gen." The rhino whispered in hopes that Usagi would refrain from any more attempts at humor, which pulled Usagi's attention back to the conversation.
Usagi smiled a little. "Good to know."
All of a sudden, an elderly looking koala approached Usagi. Usagi and Gen straightened themselves quickly.
The koala hummed, examining Usagi as if he was an art piece. Did this guy know nothing of personal space?
"A rabbit?" The koala acknowledged, tilting his head at Usagi. Usagi fought the urge to take a step back from the koala. Were rabbits rare or something? Wasn't this guy supposed to be entering the garden?
"What's your name?" the elder questioned. Usagi didn't respond, positive he probably wasn't supposed to.
The koala looked displeased at the lack of response, his eyes narrowing. "Excuse me! I asked you a question, young man."
Usagi hesitated, tied between protocol and not wanting to be scolded by this guy. It was literally his second day, what is he even doing here?!
"…Yuichi Usagi, sir." Usagi eventually answered, looking straight ahead of him and not at the koala
"Usagi? How dreadful!" the koala gasped, appalled at the name. "Have you ever considered just going by Yuichi?"
"No?" Usagi replied, now looking down at the koala, dropping the professional tone.
"Well, you should. It's quite disrespectful." the koala replied bluntly, looking disgusted. "At this rate, you might as well get a tattoo across your forehead saying "TRAITOR"."
Usagi's eye twitched, angry now.
"Who do you think you are?!" Usagi snapped. Gen perked up in alarm at Usagi's reaction.
—
Leo conversed with different people, a small crowd swarming him, like elders would do to a child at a family gathering.
"You know, I remember seeing you when you were just a baby!" a woman gushed, earning a slightly awkward laugh from Leo.
"I'm sure you did," Leo nodded, definitely not remembering the woman.
"When are you going to marry, huh?" a man asked. "You know, I had three kids when I was your age."
"Yes, i'm working on it- wait, three?" Leo muttered the last part, shooting the man a questioning look.
Another older woman appeared at Leo's side, smiling in thought. "I have a daughter, very lovely. I'm sure you two would get along."
"Of course-" Leo continued awkwardly replying, before another a knight ran up to Leo.
"Your Highness!" the knight exclaimed in alarm to get Leo's attention.
Leo turned to the knight with a kind, but slightly exasperated smile. "Yes?"
The knight simply jabbed her thumb to somewhere behind her, and Leo's smile instantly faded.
Leo pinched the area between his eyes, before he walked away, leaving behind the guests he had been talking to.
Meanwhile, Usagi had been verbally tearing the koala a new one while the koala went on, yelling about how the rabbit was "degranged". Gen held Usagi back.
Behind the arguing group, they heard a loud demand of "What is the meaning of this?!"
Usagi and Gen turned their heads slowly, greeted with the sight of a glaring Leonardo.
Usagi smiled awkwardly, letting out a nervous, apologetic laugh.
—
Usagi felt his anger melt away, worried now that the prince was glaring directly at him.
Gen dropped him, Usagi landing on his feet.
"Your Highness- I apologize on his behalf-" Gen immediately began to apologize formally, giving Usagi a side-eye for lashing out, but it fell on deaf ears.
"You. Come with me." Leonardo pointed at Usagi. Usagi gulped.
Usagi was about to begrudgingly follow Leonardo, but he was suddenly grabbed firmly by the wrist and was dragged off instead.
Usagi frowned as he was dragged through the open garden area. This was a little unnecessary.
"Donnie," the prince spoke, stopping in front of who Usagi assumed was one of the other princes. Leonardo gave some weird flail of his hand to signal Donnie to keep the guests entertained for him in the meantime.
This supposed "Donnie" looked confused at the scene, but before he could question Leo, they were off.
As Usagi was dragged away from everyone else, the thought of "should I fight back" became less prominent, and a new thought of "OH NO" dominated.
Well, this is it, Usagi began to think. Sorry, Auntie. Looks like i'm getting the guillotine just like my ancestor.
Usagi was bullied onto a bench. The force put into sitting down brought an "oof" out of Usagi.
Usagi looked up, glaring at the turtle as he rubbed his now sore wrist. "I'm not a toddler, you don't have to drag me around like that!"
"Really? Because you sure were acting like one." Leonardo scoffed, crossing his arms.
"What were you doing? What could be so important that you had to cause a scene like that? Are you trying to embarrass me?"
Before Usagi could answer, Leo went on. "I can't have one good thing without someone messing it up- I have an image to uphold, you know!"
"What is your name?" Leonardo demanded to know.
Usagi kept his glare. "Yuichi Usagi, Your Highness."
"Ah, of course." Leonardo let out a bitter laugh. "I guess violent disobedience just runs in the family."
"Are you serious?!" Usagi exclaimed, exasperated. He was starting to get real sick of the reactions he got every time he said his name.
"Hey, the chocolate fountain isn't working," a voice could be heard in the distance.
"You know, it's an honor to serve as a knight for the Hamato clan." Leonardo stated, standing up straighter in an attempt to look more put together.
Usagi grit his teeth at the prince who he was quickly labeling as conceited in his mind. "Why don't you take that honor and shove it right up your-"
"Is anyone going to fix this chocolate fountain?!" a voice cried out in the distance once again.
The argument between Leo and Usagi paused, the two opting to look over at the now distressed gathering in sync, equally baffled.
Leonardo sighed. "Just- go home. You're done for the day." Leonardo ordered, already walking off to go get Donnie so he can fix something as trivial as a chocolate fountain.
Usagi got up, glaring at Leonardo's back. In a childish act of retaliation, he blew a raspberry at the prince. He definitely didn't see it, but at least it felt a little gratifying. Usagi would gladly leave.
"Oh," Leonardo stopped and turned to look over his shoulder, "and make sure you use the back entrance. There's no need to cause more of a scene."
Usagi simply grit his teeth. "Of course, Your Highness."