royally arranged

Arriving [chapter 4]

You were steadily getting closer to the new palace you were going to be forced to stay in. You had just finished reading your book, now looking out the window at the rather pretty scenery that passed by you.

As far as you knew, the driver hadn't taken any breaks, meaning he had gotten no sleep nor the chance to eat anything.

The sun was now starting to set, the sky being covered in pretty oranges and reds and yellows. You had just arrived in a village, passing by the poorer parts and going straight to the more wealthy area. And even then you didn't stop, continuing to pass by the richer people and heading straight for the castle.

You put back on your corset, patting down your hair to make yourself look more presentable. You draped the cloak over your shoulders, packing all your belongings in your satchel. You had even wrapped the core of your apple in your handkerchief and tucked it away in your bag.

You sat up straighter once passing through some fancy looking gate. You assumed you had made it onto castle property, what with how elegant everything looked. There was a fountain at the entrance along with neatly trimmed hedges. The roads you were riding on was smooth, causing way less noise than when you were traveling on the gravel roads to get here.

"If they make me play the damn piano I swear I'm going to go insane," you mumbled to yourself, shifting in your seat a bit and sitting up the proper way. Well more the way your dad told you was appropriate.

You heard a faint neigh and felt the carriage jerk a bit before coming to a complete halt. There were a few thumps before the door was opened. The coach had stuck his hand out for you to take so he could lead you down the stairs.

You hastily grabbed your satchel, throwing it over your shoulder with ease before standing up and accepting the driver's hand. The gentleman led you down the stairs of the carriage, you giving him a polite nod once you made it down the stairs.

He returned the nod and closed the door behind you before walking back to the front of the carriage where his horses were. He drove off, leaving you (with your bags) by yourself in front of the Todoroki palace.

When looking up you saw the whole royal family looking down at you from the top of the staircase. You closed your eyes, rolling them behind your eyelids while letting out a sigh.

Turning around, you picked up your bags and started hauling them up the stairs with you.

No help at all. Fucking Todorokis...

"Hello y/n l/n," the king spoke first once you reached where they were standing. Scratch that, when you were a few steps away from reaching the family.

"King Enji," you gave him a polite bow even though you held no respect for him whatsoever.

When you get a better look of everyone you saw 5 other people besides the king. A woman stood beside him with white hair. And beside her stood a man with black hair, beside him a girl with white hair and a few strands of red decorating it, beside her a white haired male, and beside him a male with red and white hair that was split directly down the middle.

"I assume you know the current circumstances?" Enji asked with a raised eyebrow waiting for your reply with crossed arms.

"Yes, I do," you nodded your head, watching the youngest step forward with a scowl. He took your bags from you and started making his way into the castle wordlessly.

His actions earned a chuckle out of the two males who you recognized as his older brothers. You took a quick glance at both of them, taking in their features and how their bodies were built.

The older of the two, the one with black hair, was on the taller side. He was a bit skinnier and wore black eyeliner. He had a few bruises on his face, though they were minor and very hard to see. Just a bit of makeup, and he wouldn't have any of them showing.

He wore darker colors for his outfit, and his clothes were more on the comfortable side. Like something you would wear when doing archery or just simply lounging around in your room.

The other brother, the one with white hair, had a more muscular build. He had broad shoulders and wore a kind smile. His clothes were also rather casual, though they were on the lighter side in contrast to his older brother's.

"Sorry about him," the woman beside Enji, who you recognized as Rei Todoroki, apologized for her son's behavior, "He's just a little upset about the situation we are in. I'm sure he'll come around some time soon."

"Yeah," you answered, not wanting to talk much to anyone at the current moment.

"I can show you to your room if you'd like," the girl, Fuyumi, offered.

She was the one with mostly white hair and a few strands of red. She wore glasses and an elegant yet casual dress. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, a few strands hanging out the front and framing her face. She had the kindest smile out of anyone there.

"Yes please," you nodded, finding no signs that said you needed to be weary of the girl.

She turned around, gesturing for you to follow her as she started walking into the castle. Obliging to her wishes, you followed closely behind her, hearing a few more giggles before hearing footsteps behind you.

While walking through the castle, you saw a mirror, seeing Natsuo and Touya were both walking behind you like some sort of escort. They seemed to be roughhousing because every few minutes you heard a grunt from one of them.

Fuyumi took you on a tour, only really showing you the important places that would matter most. Such as the dining room, the ballroom where lessons like piano classes and violin classes would be held, the training grounds, and finally your room.

"There are many, many more rooms as I'm sure you are aware, but I do not have time to show you all of them. I apologize for that," Fuyumi bowed politely, "But if you would like to resume the tour after dinner that would be fine by me!"

You offered a small smile, the first smile you had displayed since arriving, "Thank you. I will be sure to head down to the dining room after changing into my proper attire."

"Ok. I will see you at supper," Fuyumi smiled before walking off.