Chapter Text
"Princess, come take a look at this~"
Satoru's voice ringing through the church library lifted your nose out of a thick, old tome. A stack of similar titles and manuscripts lay sprawled on the desk in front of you, the stained glass windows bathing them in colorful shadows. It was the same table that held the cracked mirror of visions you'd encountered on your first visit, but this time Yuta had taken the liberty of clearing the restoration items away.
Despite your cumulative hangover from two successive days of drinking, the two of you were up early digging for information on Sukuna. It was Satoru's idea, he'd woken up even earlier than you this morning— and cuddled you until you'd woken up naturally.
You two hadn't gone all the way last night. To your surprise and disappointment, Satoru didn't make a move on you this morning either. If you were going to marry Sukuna... You'd rather give your virginity to Satoru.
You peeked at him, appreciating the way his white hair was pushed up by the bandages sitting high on his forehead, his striking features focused on reading. What kind of expression would that face make when he was deep inside? Would it be like the expression he made when he stuffed his cock down my thr—
"Are you coming or not?" Satoru glanced up at you with a playful smirk, startling you. It was almost like he could read your mind. But you were grateful he couldn't.
Feigning nonchalance, you set your open book down on your chair and walked towards Satoru. "What did you find?" You leaned over to peer at Satoru's equally old book and he wrapped an arm around your waist. Your body instantly welcomed his touch.
"This book on... anatomy," Satoru said, some hesitation in his voice. "Did you know about this?"
Satoru had the book open on a weathered page with messy scrawls of ink. It had the feel of somebody's notebook rather than the neatly transcribed texts like the one you'd been reading earlier. You squinted to read the passage where Satoru was pointing at, but your thoughts wandered away from the tiny scribbles and onto the length and thickness of his fingers, the feeling of his arm around your waist, wishing he would touch you someplace else.
After a long silence from your end, Satoru turned to face you, his expression growing serious. "I need you to focus, Princess. If you're going to marry Sukuna and live in the North with him, you need to find out everything about him and his kingdom. Everything— his abilities, weaknesses, history, anything that can help you prepare or give you an advantage over him... including this."
"Um, Ryomen Sukuna has four arms in his true form," you began reading aloud, "but few know that they are also accompanied by two..." you swallowed in shock, unable to finish reading the passage. Yup, you couldn't risk your first time experiencing—no, enduring—that. You looked at Satoru, fantasizing about what it would feel like to have his cock inside of you for the first time, but he didn't seem happy. His pretty blue eyes were swirling with jealousy.
He snapped the book shut and pulled you into his lap.
"Why are you blushing." Satoru tightened his grip around your waist and gave you an accusatory half-frown half-pout. Now that he was familiar with the way lust appeared in your gaze, he believed it was directed to Sukuna.
"I'm not!" You bit your lip and scrunched your brows together. There was no way you could admit to Satoru what you were really thinking, but this revelation about Sukuna did concern you. "Are you sure that's true? I can't tell how many of these texts are myth and legend and how many speak of actual history," you said, flustered. "Besides, who even wrote this?"
"That's not important." He placed his other hand on your inner thigh, fingertips nearly touching your mound. Your pussy throbbed. "Darling, I can show you that all you need is one," Satoru whispered huskily, shifting to angle his hips against yours.
"Right now?" You breathed, letting your fingers hook into his waistband. You know you're already wet. You've been craving this all day—your willpower and care for propriety has all but faded. Satoru's gaze darkened as he tensed beneath you, slowly pulling your skirts up.
Lord, forgive what I'm about to do.
"Ahem." The sound of Yuta clearing his throat by the doorway made you flinch and scramble off Satoru's lap for modesty. He was in pristine white robes, ink black hair short and neat—freshly cut. "I hope I'm not interrupting you two," Yuta said dryly, giving the two of you an amused look. His arms were piled high with old scrolls and books, but he carried them like they weighed no more than a piece of paper.
"N-Not at all," you chirped, unable to meet his eyes as you smoothed out your skirts in embarrassment. It was a Sunday, Yuta had just finished a three-hour sermon for the townspeople and was doing a big favor for you by helping the two of you dig through the books. You cringed. God, what was I thinking? Trying to sleep with my cousin at church.
Unlike you, Satoru was unfazed. He returned Yuta's gaze without a shred of shame. "Just getting a closer look at this text," he said casually, conveniently hiding his erection with a large book from the table.
Yuta sighed and shook his head, keeping his expression controlled. "I need not remind you that this is a church." Arms full, he stepped forwards and you hastily made space on the table for him to set everything down. Dust floated around the air as Yuta unfurled a yellowing scroll about an arms' length long.
"This scroll speaks of Sukuna's death and resurrection, around a hundred years ago. It's unclear how he died, whether he was killed or died of natural causes. He transcended death by preserving himself into twenty fingers, each from his four hands. These fingers became cursed objects from their high levels of cursed energy and were indestructible. From the fingers he was revived and continues to live in our current era."
You gave Satoru a worried look before turning to Yuta. His dark blue eyes were solemn, accentuated by the dark shadows beneath. "If he's already died once and came back to life. Is it even possible to kill him again?" you asked, despite being afraid to know the answer.
"Yes," Satoru swiftly stated. Taking on a jesting tone, he continued. "He certainly can be killed, but keeping him dead on the other hand... or rather, hands—ah!" He yelped as you tugged on his ear and gave him a searing glare. "How do you know for sure?"
A ghost of a smile appeared on Yuta's lips at your little exchange. "He is the King of Curses, not the God of Curses. If he has died before he can die again."
You were cautious to believe that he could be killed through regular means. Even if half of what was written on those books were real, Sukuna was basically untouchable.
"The problem is we've gone through so many books already and haven't found any weaknesses," Satoru bemoaned, leaning back in his chair with his legs spread wide. "We're chasing shadows here."
Your voice was defiant when you answered. "Even if shadows are all we have, it's more than nothing." There has to be a weakness, a way.
A smile softened Satoru's features and he leaned forwards. "You," he murmured, closer to you. "Always so optimistic. But that's one of your best qualities."
Trying to fight the warmth heating up your face, you rolled your eyes at him. "Hmph. Keep saying stuff like that and you'll distract me from saving the kingdom."
Satoru's smile widened. "Noted."
"You two. I think I've found something," Yuta interjected in a serious tone.
Yuta flipped through the pages of a thin black book as you leaned over to get a better look. Despite the old pages yellowed by time, the ink covering them was mysteriously dark and clear as if freshly written. "This grimoire contains instructions for making a poison that just might work."
Satoru raised a silvery brow, clearly skeptical. "A poison? Against Sukuna?"
Yuta nodded without looking up from the grimoire, his navy blue eyes scanning the pages from left and right. "According to what's written here, this poison was specifically designed to be deadly against those who have vast amounts of cursed energy. It works by poisoning and turning the ingester's own cursed energy against themselves."
Your heart quickened with excitement and hope. "Are you sure it can work?" You took a step forward to peer over Yuta's shoulder at the grimoire. The pages had two columns of cursive writing and some illustrations of what looked to be herbs, roots, and berries, all foreign to you.
"Perhaps so. The writer was a witch renowned for her writings on jujutsu handsign spellwork and potionmaking... the only challenge will be finding these ingredients and extracting the poison."
Satoru looked unconvinced. "I don't mean to put a damper on things, but I genuinely don't believe a poison is going to kill someone like him."
"Your doubts are valid," Yuta said, acknowledging Satoru's concerns. "But it's our first lead, and a method that suits our Princess. Beating him fairly in combat may not be possible, but something like this might be."
You nodded in quick succession. "If there's even a small chance, it's worth pursuing. We've spent enough time reading about myths and dead ends. May I see the ingredients?"
Yuta handed the grimoire to you with a thoughtful look in his shadowed eyes. "The book is yours, Princess... I just ask that you tread carefully and with caution. It's probably best you commit it to memory. Bringing a grimoire full of deadly spells and potions to the North is unwise."
You accepted the grimoire politely with both hands, clutching it tight as you glanced excitedly between the two men. Satoru was beaming at you, Yuta had his arms crossed but he wore a small smile. Little sparks of hope were igniting within you again.
──✩☽︎────────
After a few more hours, Satoru teleported both of you back to the castle. You shared a quick meal in your chambers, with Ruru curled up in your lap as you ate on the chairs next to the fireplace. Finally not thinking about sex for once with the discovery of the poison granting you a new goal, the two of you discussed Sukuna's abilities from his mastery of fire to his domain expansion and canvased rough plans on how you'd assassinate him and escape.
Your thoughts kept returning to the grimoire. What if it was too good to be true? Lifting your chin up from your plate to face Satoru, you spoke. "I was so caught up earlier that the thought didn't occur to me. Why would Yuta have a book like this—full of dangerous spells and poisons—in his private libraries?"
"Hmm." You could tell Satoru was deep in thought despite his bandaged eyes. "You and and the others likely won't be able to tell. I'm not sure I should reveal this."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, Yuta... he only appears unassuming. Using my Six Eyes, that man is working hard to hide an immense amount of cursed energy. He's crazy strong," Satoru's voice was lowered secretively. "No idea why someone like him is wasting their talents away in a church—no offense."
You nibbled at your bottom lip, an image of Yuta flashing through your mind again. Always wearing his calm and serene expression, giving you guidance where it was needed. But there were signs alluding to what Satoru was telling you. He had secrets you didn't know anything about. The shadows under his eyes, and possessing something like the cracked mirror that gave you the terrifying vision the first time you'd visited.
"Do you think we can trust him?" you asked warily. "You remember what happened with the mirror."
"What mirror?"
"Huh, I didn't tell you? It happened the day before my birthday. Remember, the day I returned to the castle with Toji and you were there waiting for me."
Satoru listened wordlessly as you recounted your terrifying experience with the mirror— losing consciousness while seeing a very real "vision" of your monstrous transformation, the sight of everyone you loved fighting yet being overwhelmed in a bloody war. The only part you left out was when Yuta comforted you in his arms and said a prayer for you after. It didn't seem necessary.
He was silent for a minute as he processed the information. "There's clearly more to him than meets the eye. But what does he stand to gain from lying to us?"
You absentmindedly ran your fingers through Ruru's soft fur. "I agree. There's no reason for him to lie. If only we had a way to test the poison first." You set aside your meal, only half-eaten due to the thoughts and emotions filling your head. Thinking about this further wouldn't bring any more answers. You had to do what you could right now.
"Train me properly this time. I have to master Infinity."
He studied you beneath bandaged eyes, then nodded. "Alright. Let's head outside."
You set Ruru on the ground gently, stood up, and promptly looked down at your dress. "Ok—let me change first."
The two of you started out training in the area between the stables and Toji's house. You focused intently on channeling and controlling your cursed energy, trying to maintain your Infinity barrier for longer periods.
As your mother was a part of the Gojo Clan, you inherited the technique, but you were miles away from true mastery. Satoru was probably the only person who could truly master it. His Six Eyes let him have absolute control and use Limitless to its full potential. He was one of the few sorcerers who were Special Grade. Without the Six Eyes to control space with atomic precision, Limitless wasn't the strongest skill in the trade.
Bandages pushed up, Satoru circled you while his sharp blue eyes assessed your feeble attempts to keep your barrier up. "Keep trying," he instructed, as he watched you channel your cursed energy only for the barrier to rapidly fizzle out. "Control your breathing and focus on the sensation of letting your energy encase you."
You tried to slow down your breathing, but exerting every ounce of focus and effort in your body under the hot daylight sun was taking its toll. He made it look so easy. It wasn't.
After a few more tries you were finally able to maintain a barrier for a few minutes.
A droplet of sweat trickled down your knitted brow, joining the sheen of sweat covering your body. Your thin white training shirt clung to your skin enticingly, particularly around the chest. You were painfully aware of how your breasts were outlined under the damp fabric, especially when Satoru's eyes kept flickering down with that infuriating smirk of his.
It was exhausting, but you noticed there was some progress. You could hold your barrier more consistently than before, but not long enough to withstand a real, prolonged fight.
"Now try keeping it activated while attacking," Satoru said, slowly demonstrating hand signs for you to copy. You raised your hands and motioned in the way Satoru taught you.
"Like this?" You swung your dominant hand in an uppercut aimed at Satoru's side, a crack of pure force ripping through the air where your barriers collided against other— the modest shockwave sent you staggering back with a jubliant cry, but Satoru stood firm and untouched. "Harder, Princess." He was grinning like a madman.
You tried striking him again, but it proved difficult to activate your cursed energy while going on the offense. Satoru kept dodging your attacks or lazily parrying them, and touching you whenever your barrier flickered out.
He was enjoying this, toying with you. "Focus," he whispered, behind you in the blink of an eye. His breath tickled your ear, sending a shiver up your spine, and you felt his fingertips ghost over the small of your back. Your nipples hardened into stiff peaks. A mix of frustration and desire bubbled up within you—he shouldn't be able to touch you—but you wanted more, ever since the morning.
Twisting back as quickly as your body could move, you attempted to strike again, but he stepped just out of reach. You tried to concentrate on channeling your energy, but the sight of Satoru's muscular body in action was interfering with the limits of your focus. Why hadn't he even broken a sweat when you were nearing your limit? Frowning and blushing, you gritted your teeth. Damn Satoru, he just has to be so infuriatingly handsome.
Satoru laughed. He found you endearing but was also mocking you. "Aww, Princess. You seem distracted," Satoru taunted, staring markedly at your nipples jutting out in your shirt, waiting until your barrier evaporated again to close the distance between you two, one hand on your back, pressing his bottom half against yours. "Try again." Satoru laced his fingers through your open hand and leaned in beside your ear, his voice a luxurious purr. "Don't be shy~"
Your heart pounded harder at his provocation. But try as you might, your desperate blows never landed on the white-haired man. The power of each strike dwindled until your barrier dissolved for good. Satoru's smirk deepened as he took in your flushed, disheveled appearance, noting the way your breathing has changed not just from physical exertion.
The world shifted around you, Satoru's arm around your waist. He had teleported. The castle grounds were replaced by an isolated grassy field surrounded by dense forest.
Right away his hands were on your shirt, lifting it up in a slow, deliberate motion, exposing your skin and letting your breasts bounce free. The cool air stimulated your aching nipples. Your breath hitched in your throat as his fingers traced their way up your ribs, blue eyes thick with lust, staring at your tits.
"You've been working so hard, Princess," Satoru murmured, his hands finally moving upward to cup your breasts. "Should I give you a reward?"
He let his thumbs brush over your sore nubs, the contact sending a jolt through your entire body as you arched into his touch.
"Yes," you gasped, a sweaty mess. He responded by squeezing both boobs gently, watching your every reaction.
"But you can't even keep a barrier up, let alone inflict any damage to me in your attacks." Satoru's voice was seductive but cruel, despite feeling a twinge of irritation you kept quiet because his hands hadn't stopped their exploration.
Satoru pulled you up against him, pushing his hand down the fabric of your pants, making you moan. His blue eyes were fixed on you as he licked his lips in a predatory manner. "Fuck, I love it when you're such a mess. I could eat you," he growled, leaning down to lock lips with you, letting his fingers tease your clit through your drenched panties.
You kissed him back with all the pent-up need from this morning, tongue fighting for dominance in his mouth. Satoru pulled back, a string of spit still connecting the two of you. "Satoru," you whined at the loss of contact. The string broke. He smirked and shoved his fingers past your panties, entering your hot, wet cunt with a squishy sound.
He didn't wait to start moving, his fingers pumping in and out of you making more lewd sounds. Your body was hit by wave after wave of pleasure, all you could manage was to clutch his strong shoulders for support as you rode the waves.
"Satoruuu~ This is—ahng—what I wanted," you cried out in bliss, body shaking under his rhythm. His long fingers kept hitting your sweet spot and you were starting to feel lightheaded.
He felt your walls tightening. "Let go. Cum for me, Princess," he whispered, fingers working hard to push you over the edge.
And you do. Your climax rippled through your body, the sound of your cries echoing in the forest as you convulsed in his arms. You went limp with post-release satisfaction.
"We're not done yet." Satoru gave you a forehead kiss and guided you gently down onto your knees. The grass was soft beneath you. He stood and undid his pants, pulling out his hard and throbbing length. "This is part of your training too."
Training? You looked up at him with doe eyes, gaze flickering between his cock and his eyes, licking your lips expectantly. You're enjoying the way he's towering over you.
"I want you to use your barrier to control your gag reflex. You'll need to focus just like in combat, but this... is a lot more fun."
Your cheeks burned with nervousness and arousal. How roughly is he going to do it? Nodding, you closed your eyes and tried to summon your barrier exclusively around the very back of your throat and your uvula.
"Open up," he softly commanded, your mouth parted obediently, and he guided himself in. The head of his cock pushed past your lips, you savored the sweet taste of his precum covering your tongue.
Surprisingly, it was a lot easier to maintain a barrier like this. Possibly because there was less area to cover. You opened your mouth wider as his shaft penetrated deeper into your mouth, until his cock was fully buried in your throat.
"Good girl." His expression flickered with pleasure when you swallowed in reaction to his words, putting pressure on his whole dick. "I'm going to go faster now," he warned.
With a hand on the back on your head, Satoru thrusted into your throat as you kept your eyes focused on his, shutting them whenever you felt like your barrier was about to dissipate. God, that expression. You couldn't get enough of it. The way he lustfully looked at you like nothing else mattered except for teaching your throat a lesson. He was picking up speed now after noticing you could take it.
"Such a fast learner," he groaned, your own moans around his cock adding to the sensations. Satoru's other hand joined at the back of your head, pushing your throat down even deeper on his shaft. He's so deep you're kissing the base of his shaft where it connects to the rest of his body, slobbering so much that it's dripping down to the grass.
"Your mouth feels so fucking good. I'm going to lose it if you keep this up," Satoru growled. He stared down at you with an expression so feral it made you clench both bottom and top holes, his hips were bucking into you now, he was losing control as his pleasure grew. "I'm going to cum, Princess— keep that barrier up." His voice was strained with effort.
With one final deep thrust, he climaxed with a deep and guttural moan. You swallowed his essence, barely managing to keep the barrier intact, every sensation new and intense. Despite how rough he was, you hadn't gagged or choked once. Maybe you could get used to this technique.
He pulled his dick out of your mouth, looking down at you with both pride and lust. "That was incredible," he complimented you, wiping your lips clean and joining you on the ground.
You laced your fingers through his. "I'm exhausted," you sighed, still catching your breath. "But I feel like I'm improving."
"You are," he said, pride in his voice. He squeezed your hand affectionately. "If I had to guess, your power puts you at about a Grade 3 sorcerer, maybe even low Grade 2. But you're going to need way more practice— especially in real combat scenarios."
You had to stop yourself from cringing. It was a blow to your ego to hear your how low your grade level was. "Can we do this again tomorrow?" Your time was running out.
"Of course," Satoru promised. "Oh, if we're talking about the throat technique your power is definitely Special Grade."
You laughed, wrapping your arms around him in a loose hug. "You're such a naughty teacher." You drew back from him to look in his eyes. "Will you be there for dinner with my father and the others tonight?"
"Not tonight, darling. The clan elders are making a fuss with all the work backlogged from my absence since your birthday." Satoru seemed apologetic and a little annoyed at the prospect of returning to his castle.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Ok... can you bring me back now? I would kill for a bath."
Satoru brought you back to the castle, but he had to teleport back to Castle Vervaine to take care of his duties as Duke. He promised you again that he'd back the next morning for more training. You watched him disappear, an unpleasant feeling settling in the air now that he was gone.
───⭒ ݁₊ ☽⊹ ݁˖ . ݁───
After bathing, you lay facedown on your bed, clean and unclothed, while Momo and Miwa gently braided your freshly oiled hair and massaged your back. They were even more attentive than usual and reluctant to leave your side, now that news of Sukuna's attack and your engagement had spread through the castle like wildfire.
"Miwa, what do you say about a bit of knitting this evening. Your Highness needs more winter clothes," Momo said, fretfully glancing at the blue-haired girl. "I've heard it's always winter in the North." Her hands kneaded your shoulders. "Agh— Princess, your shoulders are so tight."
Miwa's brow furrowed in thought. "We could knit a few more sweaters." She put both hands on your left shoulder, working the knots loose. "I can't imagine what it's like. It's so far away," she sighed, her expression growing forlorn. "Princess, we're really worried for you. Sukuna... he's..." The blue haired girl was unable to finish her sentence, so she let her hands speak instead. They kneaded your shoulder anxiously.
"I know." You closed your eyes and buried your face in your pillow, as if to hide from the reality before you. "It has to be done. It's my duty."
Momo and Miwa shared a troubled look. Momo's eyes were watery when she spoke. "Then let us come with you to the North. We're forever loyal to you, Your Highness. We won't let you go alone, let us accompany you and serve you there."
You were torn. You'd really taken so much of what you've had for granted— your life at the castle, the people around you, and how they treated you.
"No." Your voice was firm despite your heart's protests otherwise. "I can't guarantee your safety there. You two are better off staying here, safe, in the castle." You continued more quietly. "Don't worry. I have a plan."
The sound of a bell and a servant's announcement that dinner would be ready soon interrupted Momo and Miwa's barrage of attempts to convince you to bring them. They began dressing you, lacing up a corset and then putting you in an off-white silk damask dress with a boat neckline.
You still wouldn't budge an inch on your decision, knowing you'd be unable to protect them. You examined their youthful, girlish faces. They were gentle and soft from a relatively peaceful and protected life in the castle. They were sure to have a comfortable future staying here in the castle, but who knew if girls like them could survive the North? The thought made you shudder, knowing these thoughts could just as easily apply to you.
A series of knocks on the door pulled the girls apart from your side to answer the door. It was Yuji and Megumi, standing in the hallway. Yuji wore a boyish grin while Megumi's expression was calm and stoic. Both were dressed in flattering, neatly pressed shirts for tonight's dinner.
Momo and Miwa curtsied to them politely. You gave them a nod of dismissal, and they curtsied to you before heading off.
"Good evening, Princess," Megumi greeted you as they stepped in, both boys looking approvingly at you in your silk dress. "Yuji and I are here to escort you to dinner." Yuji's gaze landed on the big bouquet of roses perched on the windowsill where you'd kept them after your birthday. "Hey, the flowers look good placed over there," he said, pointing to the bouquet.
An easy smile grew on your face. "Right? I'm going to use sorcery to preserve them so they last an eternity. They're too beautiful, I couldn't stand to see them wilt."
Megumi's dark eyes flicked to the bouquet then back to you, a memory resurfacing. "Did you open the gift I got for you?"
You paused for a moment until you remembered when he arrived on the morning of your birthday. "The one you left in my room? No, not yet," you replied.
The creamy silk of your dress flowed around you as you walked to your vanity. Sliding open one of the drawers, tucked in one corner was a small box with a purple ribbon. You tugged at the corner of the ribbon, unwrapping the box while Megumi and Yuji stood nearby, watching as you opened your gift.
A delicate charm about half the length of your wrist sat in the velvet-lined case, a star-shaped compass with a tiny dial that gleamed in the candlelight. It could have been crafted by a watchmaker judging from the the intricate carved details in the silver metal. "Oh my. It's beautiful," you said, looking appreciatively at Megumi.
Megumi gave you a small but handsome smile. "It's a magical item," he explained. "The dial points in the direction of a place you wish to go to. It can guide you anywhere, as long as you know the name of the location."
Your smile brightened as he told you this. As much as you loved beautiful things, a gift that had a function beyond physical appearance was more valuable to you. "It'll thread perfectly onto Yuji's bracelet," you said, reaching for the drawer that held your jewelry boxes. You took out the red threaded bracelet and paused, puzzling over how to get the charm on.
"Let me help you with that." Megumi held his hand open for the bracelet while you and Yuji watched intently. With a quick motion of his hand and surge of his curse energy, he fused the charm to the bracelet, beside the onyx rose charm that was already there. You extended your wrist and Megumi slipped it on, his fingers brushing against your wrist.
Yuji nodded approvingly. "Looks good. But how does it work?"
"You need to focus some of your curse energy into it while speaking the name of the place you want to go." Megumi stepped closer to you, holding your wrist with one finger on the charm. He gently guided your hand as he spoke. "Bahramis."
The star-shaped compass glowed faintly with a purple light, the dial whizzing in circles until it settled, pointing in a precise direction. Fascinated, you and Yuji kept your eyes on it until the light pulsed once and faded. The dial was still pointing in the same direction.
"Incredible," you said, giving Megumi a glowing smile. "Thank you." A faint blush popped up on Megumi's normally emotionless face.
A wide-eyed Yuji leaned closer to inspect the compass then looked at you. "Cool! You'll never get lost now."
You smiled, holding your hand close to your chest. "Do you think," you asked softly, your smile fading slightly, "if I asked the compass to take me home, would it know where that is?"
Megumi gave Yuji a look, their expressions clouding over. "Yes... it would know from your cursed energy where your home is and point to it," Megumi answered, then patting your shoulder awkwardly in an attempt to console you.
"Let's head down for dinner," Yuji chipped in, trying to steer your mind off things. Yuji's positive and upbeat as usual, but something tells you that it's more of an act than him being his normal self. He's been more affected by the news of your engagement than he lets on around you. But the pink-haired boy won't admit that around you.
You summoned your smile again, not wanting to burden your friends. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make things so heavy again." You used a lighter tone when you took one of their arms each. "Let's go."
───⭒ ݁₊ ☽⊹ ݁˖ . ݁───
Tonight's dinner was held in one of the smaller dining rooms, more intimate than the grand hall but still opulent by design. A long polished wood table took up the center of the room, surrounded by elegant high-backed chairs. Candles glowed on the table, it was set with golden tableware.
You entered with Yuji and Megumi, the three of you clearly the last ones to arrive judging from the exact amount of place settings around the table.
Toji sat to the left, his large frame relaxed but simultaneously guarded. When his gaze settled on you, the corner of his mouth tilted up in a smile.
Next to him was Geto, sitting up straight with his back not touching the chair. He was twirling a strand of his long back hair between his fingers, eyeing the three of you with interest.
Nanami was seated beside him. His hazel eyes were obscured behind sunglasses and he was wearing a pale grey tunic surprisingly without a formal jacket, and there were no plates or cutlery in front of him, save for a goblet of wine.
At the head of the table was your father, his jeweled crown glinting in the candlelight. You hadn't apologized to him yet for your outburst yesterday, and was slightly worried he would be irritated by your tardiness. But he casually motioned for the three of you to sit, so the three of you took your seats across from Toji, Geto, and Nanami.
The servants at the back of the room stepped forward out of the shadows and out the door in single file once everyone was seated, signalling the start of dinner service.
When you settled in the seat closest to your father and across from Toji, two unsightly figures you hadn't noticed earlier caught your eye. They were separated by an empty chair beside Nanami, and also had nothing but wine goblets in front of them. Judging from their uniform-like maroon robes, you figured they were your father's councilmen. One of them had an ugly boil on his forehead and the other was built like a scarecrow with a bowl cut. Neither of them faced anyone directly, and thankfully their gazes were fixed downward. Their appearances unsettled you, you weren't sure why they needed to be present.
A pleasant aroma of roasted meat and herbs filled the room when the servants returned bearing dishes piled high with saucy meat and vegetables, woven baskets of freshly baked bread, and cold jugs of wine. They spread out and served each of you. Though the food was delicious as always, there was a quietness in the air that made it hard to feel at ease.
Mid-slice into a roasted carrot, Toji's deep voice broke the silence. "So how's your training coming along?" he asked, eyeing you from across the table.
"It's going well," you replied bashfully, setting down your knife with a clink and a blush. Satoru's... unorthodox training methods were on your mind. "I hope it didn't interrupt you too much. Gojo and I had to teleport away." The way you answered had Toji curious for more details, but he decided to butter his bread instead.
Yuji turned to his left to face you. "That was you?" he exclaimed. "I heard a few explosions in the afternoon. Didn't realize it was you."
You smiled sheepishly, cheeks heating up as the table's attention fixed on you. "Ah, sorry. I didn't know it was so loud."
Megumi gave Yuji a side-eyed glance. "It was obviously her cursed energy," he said, sipping wine. "You've stayed at the Castle of Valerys this whole time with her and couldn't tell?"
Yuji opened his mouth to retort back as the three men sitting across from you chuckled.
"To be fair, Yuji and I haven't had a proper teacher for jujutsu since we were kids," you said, coming to Yuji's defense. "You have one of the best teachers in the Five Lands."
"Exactly!" Yuji echoed.
You glanced at Geto, a slow grin was spreading across his face. He liked being complimented by you in front of the other men.
Megumi sighed. "It's not all peaches and cream, Princess. I've never missed a day of practice— he works me like a slave." He massaged his right temple with his fingers and shot Geto a pointed look. Toji snorted and bumped Geto's wine glass with his own, waiting for the other man to lift his before downing it. Megumi glanced between the two with a disgusted look. You and Yuji burst into laughter as Toji winked and dug back into his steak.
With a mischievous grin, Geto swirled the remnants of his wine glass around, his large hand dwarfing the glass. "If Your Highness would ever like to come train under me, i'm not against giving you special treatment." You giggled. What would Geto's 'special treatment' entail? "Maybe i'll take you up on that offer."
Coughing loudly, Nanami set his wine glass down.
"Hey, what about me?" Yuji blurted, eagerly straightening up in his chair. Geto considered him for a moment. "You'll get the same as Megumi," he said, making the younger Fushiguro smile smugly. "No fair!" Yuji protested, deflating back down.
"Yer gonna have to work hard to catch up with my boy." Toji crossed his arms and gave Yuji a smug expression of his own. Your heart warmed as you noticed Megumi's eyes widen briefly in embarassment before looking away from his proud father. "Challenge accepted," Yuji shot back, grinning.
When everyone had all but cleared their plates, the King cleared his throat, capturing everyone's attention.
"I have an announcement to make regarding the Princess's journey," he began, using his kingly voice. His violet eyes rested upon you and you intuitively knew his next words would come to you as the King and not as your father. "You will depart the castle tomorrow afternoon."
You froze in sudden terror. "Tomorrow?" you asked, your voice incredulous. "But I thought there'd be more time. Even Megumi and Lord Geto are staying until Tuesday."
His gaze was firm. "The situation is urgent. It'll take a day and a half to travel to Mynsk and we can't afford delays. Sukuna still holds the town hostage."
A heavy silence settled over the table. You stared down at your plate. That left you with barely any time to prepare.
"What if I stayed a little longer and have Gojo teleport me to Mynsk on Tuesday?" you asked, a hint of desperation in your voice. "It would save time."
Before the King could respond, one of the councilmen finally spoke up from their corner. It was the man with the forehead boil, his voice nasally and smug. "Sending Duke Gojo would be unwise," he said, peering at you, emphasizing Gojo's title to point out that you'd slipped up by forgetting to use his proper title just now. You cursed him in your head. "Given his reputation and strength, it won't take much for Sukuna to perceive us sending him as an act of aggression. If it escalates into conflict, there will be a lot more than the town of Mynsk on the line." The crow-like man nodded in supportive agreement beside him, both their shifty eyes focused on the man who had the final say in the matter.
The King stroked his chin, considering his councilman's advice. "Then the escort must be small. One, perhaps two men at most." The men exchanged hideous but triumphant looks.
Yuji spoke up immediately. "I'll go," he said resolutely. "I'll protect her."
"No," the King answered so quickly, Yuji was taken aback. "You must remain here at the castle."
"But why, Your Majesty—" Yuji's objections were cut short by the King raising his hand in the air. The men around the table exchanged glances.
Toji leaned forward. "I can go," he said plainly.
Nanami joined in. "I can accompany the Princess."
Yuji tried again, voice strained with controlled frustration. "I can do it. I—"
"Enough," the King said with an air of finality. His gaze swept one by one over the men seated at the table, settling on the younger Fushiguro. "You. You will escort the Princess to Mynsk."
Megumi inclined his head calmly and respectfully, without behaving in any manner that could be interpreted as a reaction. "As you wish."
You looked worriedly over at Yuji. As expected, he wasn't taking his friend being selected over him well. His face was distraught and confused. He seemed like he was about to speak again, but Megumi stopped him with a hand to his arm under the table.
"I'll make sure you arrive safely," he said to you, though his words were quiet, they were rich with confidence.
You nodded, inhaling and exhaling once deeply. Tomorrow was way too soon. Was your father still mad about your outburst at Toji's house? You regretted not apologizing sooner.
It was Geto's voice that pulled you out of your thoughts. "If I may," he said, his tone polite but assertive. "Once Megumi escorts the Princess to Mynsk, it would be appreciated if Duke Gojo retrieves him and teleports the both of us back to Bahramis. That way, it doesn't interfere with our schedule."
The King nodded slowly. "A reasonable suggestion. I shall speak with him."