𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 ||𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚||

▪️mushroom stew▪️

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said anything" Daichi quickly apologized, he felt bad for bringing up all that stuff.

"No, it's fine. They're not dead, don't worry..." Yokozawa smiled sheepishly, but it seemed like he had more to say. Even before Daichi could open his mouth Yokozawa sighed, he pushed his mug away and looked at Daichi. "Did you notice?"

"Notice what?" Daichi asked in confusion.

"The village. Did you notice what's wrong?"

Daichi thought for a second.

"I mean.. everyone was looking at me all weird and it's so cold... I don't actually know"

"There are no young men in the village. None. Not one is left. My sons are gone too...." Yokozawa's eyes filled with rage. Once Chite placed her hand on Yokozawa's shoulder the other seemed to calm down, he exhaled loudly. "It's July... when was the last time we saw grass? When was the last time our cattle could go out and enjoy the warmth of the sun? Years...many years ago..."

"It's a long story..." Chite chimed in, she placed three wooden bowls of mushroom stew on the table, the steam which rose from it warmed up Daichi's cheeks and finally, some life came back to his face.

"I've got a long time, please, if it's not too much..." the last thing Daichi would want is to anger the kind people who took him in, he failed to even realize that the true reality from which he had come from was placed deep into his subconscious. It didn't matter anymore.

"It happened around 10 years ago I believe? 9 years ago? Back when the King got ill. He got sick during the winter, the sickness got the best of him, he could barely move and speak. The Queen then decided to find a bride for their son and so the search began" Yokozawa dug into the stew, letting Chite follow up his words.

"I mean, the prince at that time was 15, I believe. He was pretty shy and timid and he didn't seem to like anyone. The searches went on for months until something happened in the middle of summer..." Chite recounted the events as if they happened yesterday.

"Yeah, it was like thunder from a clear sky. In the middle of the forest which we passed lives a witch, she has a daughter. The witch thought that her daughter was the best candidate for a bride" Yokozawa said in between the spoonfuls of stew.

"Her daughter still is such a sweetheart. She is such an amazing lady. Back then she had long beautiful honey hair, her eyes were such deep brown color with just a hint of green, you could see the earth in her pupils. She was only 14, but she behaved like a leader. She knew what to do and how to do it. We all believed she would make a great King out of the prince..." Chite's smile faded away almost instantly. "Once the King got to know of this he became enraged.."

"He couldn't handle the fact that a witch offered her daughter. Her daughter wasn't even a witch, she didn't teach her one spell, she wanted her to be normal yet the King was so cruel that he just... he just..." the words got stuck in Yokozawa's throat. He took one more spoonful of the stew and sighed. "He took everything from her... he took her cattle, burned her crops and her house, he took her ingredients and left and her and her daughter homeless"

"That's... terrible. Why would he do that?" Daichi had a hard time wrapping everything around his head.

"He felt insulted I guess? There is a saying here that the worst births from hatred and the witch was more than enraged, she was furious, the world crackled underneath her feet. Yes, she couldn't walk well, but oh man..." the sole memories made Yokozawa shiver with fear. "The worst curse was born from her anger. She told the King that he will never know warmth, not physically, not mentally. No warmth, just coldness. And as a plus, she cursed his son!"

Chite looked Daichi in the eyes. "She cursed his son to never love anyone in this world. No one.... so now we are stuck in winter with a cold and cruel leader"

"Isn't there a way to get rid of the curse?" Daichi wondered.

"The witch regretted weeks after the curse took place, but since it was born from such hatred she couldn't reverse. She has been trying for the last 9 years to do that. She does not know how to get rid of the curse. You need to see her..." Chite took the empty bowls from Yokozawa and Daichi, proud of the dinner she had made.

"I'm so sorry that happened..." Daichi couldn't imagine what struggle they went through.

"We've gotten used to it. We grow plants at home, we have special fruits that grow in the cold. We still tend to our cattle, well, what's left of it. We will get by somehow" Yokozawa smiled warmly, and then he seemed to remember something. "Wait... how come you didn't know about the curse?"

"I'm... not from around here. I actually have no memory of getting here. I can't even recall what I was doing before..." Daichi whispered, his head hurt just from trying to remember who he was before coming here. How come he couldn't recall?

"Sweet Lord..." Yokozawa reached out and placed his hand on Daichi's shoulder. "We will help you. You can trust us"

Chite nodded and smiled agreeing with her husband's words. Somewhere deep in their heads something clicked - this young gentleman in front of them was no ordinary man, he had this aura around him. Warm, oh so warm. He smelled of fresh pine and firewood - yes, he was going to save them.

On the counter by the door, a flower which had once wilted because of cold regained its color again. A little blossom started forming announcing a new beginning.

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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH BACKSTORY TIME. Anyway now with that established we can get to work.

-hatari