The cursed prince

{17}

Footsteps echoed down the long, empty, and dimly lit hallway, well ignoring the eerily silent guards whose eyes followed the three royals—two of their own and one of the Wind's, the heir to be exact. Finally arriving at the destined chamber, Kurama wondered what important information the fire's royals wanted to inform him that they had to drag him away from the hall and to the other side of the palace. Allowing the guards to open the doors, all three royals entered and kept themselves in complete solitude once the guards closed the doors once again.

"What is it you wanted to discuss about that you had to drag me down away from the hall towards your bedroom?" Kurama asked as he eyed the room in confusion and wonder. Itachi turned towards his cousin, feeling a bit nervous and excited at the same time, making it hard for Izumi to contain her worry for her cousin. "Your highness, prince Kurama, I am princess Izumi, the cousin of prince Itachi and prince Sasuke; it is a great honour to meet you finally, Itachi has told me a lot about you," the princess greeted with a bright smile as she ignored her cousin's confused glare.

From what Itachi could recall, he just informed her about the Wind's heir and his problems today, now he believes that Kurama will think about himself as an obsessed freak. First the constant following and persistance, next the private conversation and isolation, and finally the gossip and interest in him. He has absolutely no doubt that he had further damaged whatever thin relationship they hold at the moment. "Is that so? I would like to ask why I am brought here?" Kurama's voice saved Itachi from his sprial of negative thoughts, which he is clearly grateful for. 

The Uchiha royals looked at each other sensing the coldness and annoyance radiating from the prince standing in front of him. Itachi couldn't help but feel an invisible arrow of emotional pain strike right through his heart. Kurama seems completely different from when they first had a conversation.  "Kurama, I really want to know what I did wrong, please tell me and I will fix it, no matter what!" Izumi was interrupted from initiating a conversation with the Wind's heir by her own cousin who could be seen with a desperate look and eyes clouded with tears. 

Izumi couldn't help but feel sorry for her cousin, he has never felt love of any kind, and now when the chance came, he seems completely desperate to keep that love. Kurama, on the other hand, looked in complete shock and bewilderment, his father informed him that the Fire kingdom's people are known for their acting skills and deception, therefore, Kurama decided to keep his guard up. "What do you mean? I was just informed that you Uchihas are nothing but snakes who constantly rely on deceit and manipulation, I feel embarrassed to actually share anything about myself and my younger brother,"  The young Wind's heir growled as he spat venom when he mentioned the word Uchiha as if it were some curse word.

At the revelation, both Uchiha royals looked at each other in shock. Of course they know about their ancestors wrongdoings but not every Uchiha royal were deceptive or manipulative. Those words couldn't help but bring a pinch of hope towards the young Fire's heir, glad that he hasn't physically done anything to upset the prince standing in front of him. "Your highness, I would have to correct you on that, I would admit that neither I, nor my cousins are proud of our ancestors deeds, but Itachi over here has never even felt a small touch of love in his life until he met you, I admit that the aftermath of your meeting has brought nothing but joy towards both my cousins, Sasuke included as it is his first time seeing his elder brother happy," Izumi rambled on but caused nothing but silence to befall them.

Kurama turned his attention from the princess towards the prince with wide, confused, and shocked eyes, not believing what the Fire princess just said, which Itachi just attempted to hide is flustered, embarrassed and blushing face away from the Wind's prince. "Wait... Did you... I mean... Do you love me? Itachi??" Kurama asked with a confused and shocked expression, ignoring the princess' shock and embarrassment at accidently letting the information of the prince's love towards the Wind's prince. Itachi looked down at the ground with a heavy blush painted across his face.