Reclaim (Haikyuu Kingdoms!AU)

King's Duel

Tsukki poked at the sausage on his plate. "When did you start?" he asked.

"I started when I left the garden last night," the king replied, mouth full of fish. "I saw you in your window like a cute maiden waiting to be rescued."

Yamaguchi raised a suspicious eyebrow. Tsukki swallowed his food with a look of displeasure on his face. "Don't compare me to a helpless damsel," he sneered into his plate.

Kuroo whistled quietly. "Is he always like this?" he asked Kageyama.

"I'm not the person you should be asking," he said as he took a large chunk of his rice. 

"Mmmf mrph mmm!" Hinata exclaimed with vigor in his eyes. Kenma's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, trying to decipher the strange dialogue Hinata was spouting. 

"I believe he's trying to say that he loves the food," Ennoshita translated with a small sigh. Hinata nodded rapidly. "I get that. This is better than my mush... not that I wasn't ungrateful for my mush."

"Good, because I made that mush! I made it for the whole team one time!" Tanaka yelled, before stuffing his face once again. Everyone laughed. 

"I must say, that mush was heaven back home," Suga chimed in with a glowing smile. "But this is on a whole other level!"

Kageyama chewed quietly, not wanting to join in on their reminiscing days. If he told them that it was nothing compared to the castle food, he would most likely be chased out by everyone in the dining hall. 

"We need to talk about our next move," Daichi announced, placing an open hand on the smooth table. 

"Aw, c'mon! Just enjoy this temporary luxury," Noya said between bites, pointing his chopsticks towards the leader.

Daichi sighed at Noya's suggestion. "We don't have long. If we don't stop him soon, he's going to continue his conquest. Aoba Johsai isn't a kingdom anymore- it's an empire."

"There's a difference?" Hinata asked.

"There is! Empires expand, while kingdoms kind of stay the way they are," Yamaguchi explained.

"That's nerd stuff!" Tanaka yelled.

"He was answering a simple question," Tsukki shot back. "You probably didn't know the difference either."

Tanaka fell silent at that comment as all eyes stared at Kageyama's silent body. He looked up with wide eyes. "I... well- I need some time to think."

Daichi nodded, understanding. "We can't stay here for long. We should probably leave by the beginning of next week." He looked at the king. "Your majesty, do you mind if we train in your courts? We would like formal training." He stood up and bowed down. Everyone started to follow his action, with Kuroo only seeing the tops of their heads.

"Fine with me!"

"Sir-" Kenma jumped in, but Kuroo put his hand up. 

"We're next on Oikawa's shopping list."

When breakfast ended, everyone dispersed into their rooms. Suga ran up to Daichi, who was heading to his room. "I hope Kageyama knows what he's doing."

"At first, I didn't trust him. Hinata bringing in a stray dog got us all on guard, but I think he's going to help us become equal to those in the Inner City."

Suga sighed, looking down at the floor with a dreamy smile. "I never thought I would be inside a castle. Maybe we could get married in one!" he giggled, reaching his hand out to his fiance's.