And All the Prince's Men (haikyu)

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 19

Prince Tooru is dead.

When the news first hits Iwaizumi he does not react. He is stock still in disbelief at the weeping maid in front of him, a woman who had searched him out immediately to relay the devastation. He stares at her, mind broken for a moment.

And then the world speeds up as he returns to reality and he is shaking his head. Because it's not true. It can't be true. She takes his hands in her own, comforting and sorry, tears pouring from her eyes. But his hands are numb in her grip and he can't stop shaking his head.

Because she's wrong.

Because it isn't true.

Because Iwaizumi would know. He would know if Oikawa was dead. Would feel it in his bones, would feel it in the corners of his heart and the depths of his soul. It would be an all encompassing anguish that he would feel in his very core.

But he feels none of this.

He feels nothing at all.

So it can not be true. It is a lie. A terrible, terrible lie. And Iwaizumi isn't sure who created it, if it be Shiratorizawa, the King or Oikawa himself. But he knows it is a lie, and he finds comfort in that.

"Who told you?" he hisses, voice gravelly as he leans closer to the woman.

She takes in a few shuddering breaths, "The King," she murmurs, "He called us into the hall and he read aloud the message the chariot brought back."

Iwaizumi's fingers tense up in her hands and she lets out another sob. She pulls her hands back from him, using them to shield her face as she falls to her knees in absolute sorrow, "Oh Iwaizumi, please, please tell me it isn't true."

Iwaizumi crouches down, hands on her shoulders, "It's not true."

She shakes her own head then, sobs muffled by her hands but still loud enough to tear at Iwaizumi, "His voice did not even waver when he read it," she hitches, voice low so that no one else can hear her but Iwaizumi's straining ear, "His voice felt so cold, Iwaizumi. In the light, God, in the light it looked like he was smiling."

The maid looks up at him, eyes red and puffy, but brow pulled into an expression of such utter disgust in the wake of devastation, "How can anyone smile at the death of their son?"

Iwaizumi squeezes her shoulders.

Nothing stops Iwaizumi from bursting into the Great Hall after he helps the maid up onto her feet. He leaves the barrack's sparring grounds, rushing into the castle, pushing through grieving servants crumpling to the floor around him. No one stops him. If anything they turn away in their grief at the sight of him, unable to look at a reminder of what they all once had.

He finds the King in the Great Hall, ordering morose guards to get back to work. Prince Tobio sits on the steps beside his father, face in his hands, inconsolable. He's not crying, but his eyes are vacant as they stare at the ground. As if there is nothing left for him to give.  There are sobs echoing throughout the hall from maids weeping on the ground, butlers crouched in grief, servants shaking their heads in utter disbelief, all of them sent into another spiral of grief much too soon.

It is chaos.

And in this chaos, Iwaizumi stomps his way right up to the royal family unimpeded. There are no tears in his eyes, there is no falter in his step, there is only fury, painting his eyes red.

"Where is he?" he seethes, staring straight into the King's eyes, hands balled into fists at his sides. He stands up straight, hands trembling only with anger, and the desire to harm.

The King does not seem surprised by his words nor his presence. He keeps his gaze even, barking in turn, "He's dead, Iwaizumi. Taken by bandits coordinated by a traitor. Shiratorizawa will pay dearly for this oversight, do not worry." And the King smiles.