... Ok, I'm sorry for basically dying for a few months, I've been caught up on things in my personal life, here's the new story.

I present to you: another royalty/fantasy au because I love medieval time prompts sue me! The ending might be rushed, sorry.

Sanemi is a commoner, a jewl-smith, if you will. He is respected and skilled at his craft, he even catches the attention of princess Kanae.

Kanae is a royal, a princess. Her duties often come in the way of her own needs yet she finds herself falling for the jewl-smith.

Shinobu is her younger sister and more rebellious than her older sister. She has more freedoms as she is not expected to become queen.

Giyuu is also a jewl-smith, but he takes more decorative roles in the shop, usually handling the decorative gemstones and carvings on jewlery.
..................................................................

-My dear sister, Are you mad?" Shinobu's eyes were wide as saucers as she questioned her older sister who, at the time, was lying face down on her bed.

-I think I am." She replied honestly. Shinobu rubbed her temple, this was not good.

Shinobu often snuck out of the castle to see the town and hang out with the other younger townsfolk. Kanae was more often than not busy in the castle, but at times Shinobu convinced her to come along on her escapades. One of those outings led to Kanae meeting a man named Sanemi. A hot headed yet somehow polite lad that was respected in the kingdom for his jewlery work. He owned a shop with another man named Giyuu tomioka, or "loner" as Shinobu put it. The two were always at odds bit they did a fine job in their craft.

-You do know it will never work, Right?" Shinobu said bluntly. Kanae only pressed herself more in to the pillows. She would have given away anything, even her title, to be with him.

-I know... I have a duty to my kingdom. He knows that, I know that, you know that.. everyone knows that." She lamented. Shinobu turned her gaze to the ceiling. The room suddenly felt cold, she could see just how anguished it made her sister.

-So then.. why are you still fighting for him?" Shinobu muttered. she knew she was being a hypocrite. The more time she spent with Giyuu the more she understood why Kanae was willing to do anything to keep seeing him. Kanae stayed quiet for a long moment before raising her head from the sating pillows, her hair a mess, her eyes glimmering with sadness.

-He promised to recreate our mother's ring.." she said. Shinobu's eyes widened once more. The ring their mother wore was at the bottom of the ocean along with the rest of her. That ring was commissioned by the princesses father.

-If he does that... Surely father will have to consider him.." Kanae tried to sound hopeful, but they both knew it was a long shot. That ring was imbued with all the affection their father wanted to give their mother. The king had searched for months for the best emerald in the kingdom before choosing. The ring was made of gold, embedded with diamonds and arranged so that it looked like the flower of royalty; carnation. The emerald standing out in the middle... It was one of a kind. Shinobu let out a long sigh, looking at her sister.

-I can't tell you what to do, but I hope for the best... For both our sakes." She mumbled the last words. Somewhere in the distance she could almost feel the storm that was brewing.

.

On another summer day, the two princesses were out in town, hiding their faces as they made their way to the familiar shop that stood just barely out of sight in the central square. When coming in the stinging smell of metal and wood wafted into their noses. Checking that no one was inside expect the two jewel smiths, Shinobu was the first to call out.

-Hey, hey. We're here." She flipped the hood of her coat back, revealing her face. The two men in the shop.

-Kanae." The scarred man's face lit up at seeing the older princess, and Shinobu could see the smile tugging at her sister's mouth. Shinobu skipped over to Giyuu, who was in the middle of doing some fine work on a sword. Before Shinobu could even say anything, Giyuu's gruff voice spoke out.

-Stop buzzing in my ear like a fly." He was lazer focused on his work, his hands steady as he picked up a fine diamond and Shinobu stood back a bit as the still hot steele blade of the sword was fitted with a diamond using metal tweezer. Shinobu couldn't deny it was mesmerizing to watch him work, his black hair tied back, his neck slightly sweaty

-I didn't even say anything" Shinobu huffed. She expected a retort back, but no... Giyuu just completely ignored her. Shinobu wasn't having it, so she poked him.

-Nee, nee, don't ignore me." She demanded. Giyuu didn't answer, and she tried again. No results. She did this for a while before she just stood there and watched him work. Then, she got the (not so) brilliant idea to touch the blade. She hadn't expected it to still be hot, and she yanked her hand back when the blade burned her hand. Guyuu's attention finally snapped back to Shinobu. He sighed.

-Really? Look, I know you're sheltered and all but I at least thought you'd have some survival instincts." He begrudgingly puts down the sword and pauses his work. Shinobu is gritting her teeth in pain as the hot pain shoots down her spine.

-Let me see." He demands. Shinobu shook her head.

-No need." She gives him a tight smile but Giyuu doesn't buy it. He snatches her wrist and forces her to keep it still as he examines the burn. It wasn't anything bad but he should still take care of it.

-Come on..." he drags her with him before she has time to process or resist. He brings her to a kitchen cabinet and gestures for her to sit down on a chair.

-Now what did we learn?" He asks sarcastically. Shinobu Snickers.

-Don't ignore me or I'll get hurt." She replies. Giyuu just rolls his eyes and goes to wet a towel in cold water. He comes back and presses it on the burn which makes Shinobu hiss in discomfort.

-Relax." he urges.

-I am relaxed." She bites back. They can hear Sanemi and Kanae in the other room, their conversation still on going and oblivious to the situation.

-Sometimes it feels like I'm in a romance novel, but they are the main characters and we're the side characters." Shinobu chuckles a bit. Giyuu shakes his head but if you look close enough you can see the amusement in his eyes. It's subtle, but still there.

-True.."

.

The ball was in full swing. The flower arrangements were meticulously planned out over the corridors. The scent of lavender wafts through the castle as the sound of cheerful partying bounces off the walls of the room. The aroma of the flowers is pleasant but Shinobu still feels stuffy in the sea of strangers and other nobility. She suddendly met the exact man she had been looking for. Shinobu collided with Giyuu's chest and looked up to see his masked face.

-Giyuu-" before she could finish Giyuu brought a gloved finger to her lips and signaled with his head to a more private corner of the room. Shinobu followed him silently, already scolding him inside her head. He might get in trouble for this. Trespassing in the castle is already a big no-no.

-What is it? Why the heck are you here?" She asked in a whisper-yell. Giyuu sighed, trying to think of a way to explain.

-Sanemi dragged me here. He wanted to attend even though he knew he couldn't, we snuck in." Shinobu's jaw hung slack in shock for a moment.

-Are you both crazy?" She was scowling behind her mask and Giyuu chuckled dryly.

-He certainly is." He jutted his thumb over his shoulder and Shinobu glanced to see Sanemi approaching Kanae. But... When their eyes met Shinobu couldn't bring herself to be mad. They looked at each other with such devotion, such un-yealding love, it was like if she listened close enough she could hear them getting each other with a 'good evening'. Shinobu shook her head.

-Alright, just don't get caught."

-Wasn't planning on it."

The two hung out. Talking about this and that, while the soft music played and Kanae and Sanemi danced, Giyuu and Shinobu quietly conversed and tried to place bets on which party goers was going to trip over with their extravagant outfits.

-You're an alright guy, Giyuu." She smiled at him faintly. Giyuu did a mock bow.

-How sweet of you to say, princess~" Shinobu brought the back of her hand to cover her mouth as she tried to keep herself quiet. Giyuu's hand reached out on instinct and gently pried her hand away. The two locked eyes, their own reflections showing in the others.

-Ah.. sorry. I just don't think you should hide your smile and laughter." He let go of her hand, the warmth lingering on her skin. Shinobu shook her head slowly.

-No, no.. it's fine." She blinked up at him, suddendly feeling her heart skip a beat.

They didn't have much time to dwell on that moment as a sound of glass shattering shot through the air. An angry shout chilled Shinobu to the core. Her father.

-What is the meaning of this?!" The man yelled. Shinobu could feel every muscle in her body tense and Giyuu set his hand on her shoulder. It was oddly comforting to have him touch her, and her hand instinctively reached up to clasp over his as they both observed the situation.

A guard had already seized Sanemi, holding him by the collar of his shirt as he looked up at Kanae's father.

-I am Sanemi Shinazugawa, sir." He introduced himself politely and continued. "And... I've come here for Kanae." Every pair of eyes in the room was on the stranger. They looked at Sanemi like he was a freak, something to be afraid of. He had no royal or noble blood, but his heart was more true than all of theirs combined. Shinobu couldn't hear anything over the sound of her heartbeat in her ears. Her face remained stunned, even with the mask on, Giyuu knew she was nervous, he was too. Over the chaos, Shinobu took a few steps forward, her face twisting in annoyance and like she was about to defend Kanae and Sanemi. Giyuu quickly grabbed her wrist and shook his head.

-Don't, let them handle this." He squeezed lightly and Shinobu opened her mouth like she was going to argue but Giyuu started to lead her away and she relented.

-Fine..." she seemed annoyed but let herself be led away from the crowds. The two slipped away in the chaos and soon they were out of the castle. The night was slightly cool, but Guyuu's touch on her skin was hot, it grounded her.

-What can we do?" Shinobu paced back and forth, the earth crunching under her heel. She was still in her dress, her well kept nails now between her teeth as she bit them. Giyuu watched her silently, not offering an answer. Then, his deep monotone voice carried into Shinobu's ears.

-If you're frustrated, scream it out." He said simply. Shinobu looked at Giyuu.

-Really? This is the situation where you make a joke?" She sounded annoyed but Giyuu rolled his eyes.

-I mean it. Scream, yell, curse. It helps you feel better... Sanemi taught me that." Shinobu shook her head but thought about it. What did she really have to lose? It's been a rough night.

-Very well." She took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with air and then let out a roar of frustration, so loud it shattered the silence of the night. Giyuu couldn't help the small smile that curved on his face.

T-that the best you can do?" He provoked the woman. It was his way of encouraging her, making her lose all the stress. He was never good at comforting people anyway. Shinobu huffed.

-You do it too, then." She prompted him. Giyuu raised a curious eyebrow at her.

-Scream?" He asked

-Yeah." She answered. Giyuu shrugged.

-Fine, let's make it a competition. The louder the better." He suggested. He could see the worry fade from Shinobu's face as she nodded.

-You're on!"

The two spent the night in the woods, screaming until their voices were hoarse and it felt like they were yelling their throats raw. It was therapeutic in a way. They didn't talk, screaming into the woods that didn't have an answer or a word of comfort to offer back to them.

.

A few months came and went. Things needed up working out after a lot of convincing and now it was a day for celebration; Sanemi and Kanae are getting married!

The kingdom is abuzz with excitement. Shinobu is walking with Giyuu across town. It seems like everyone in the kingdom has decided to celebrate. The bards are playing their tunes, practicing for the big show tonight. The children scamper over the cobblestones. Shinobu can spot a little girl with her dog, waiting by a baker as the villagers set up kiosks in the town square. No doubt she'll sneak a pastry for her puppy. Shinobu has a gentle smile on her face, her outfit is still casual, but it will soon be changed for a lavish gown. Giyuu walks beside her, not even completely aware that he's staring. Or maybe he is? Maybe he just doesn't care about pretending he isn't in love with the woman in front of him. The decorations strung above the city have silver and lavender flowers. The flags are blowing by the harbour.

The day stretches on, soon it's time for the ceremony. Shinobu and Giyuu sit together in the cathedral, the stained glass windows in the cathedral offer a dream like glow with every ray of light that comes in. The ceremony is just as you'd expect. And finally, the rings come out. Shinobu's breath hitches as she sees two emerald rings, just like those her mother and father wore.

The celebration doesn't stop for a while.

-Can you believe it finally happened?" Shinobu smiled softly as she watched her sister dance with her husband. They seemed lost in their own world, and Shinobu couldn't be happier for her sister. Giyuu leaned closer to her, taking her free hand and weaving his fingers through them with ease.

-I suppose this is the best ending we could have hoped for." he admitted. Shinobu nodded at him, a soft smile, like a spring breeze on her face.

-It is."