And All the Prince's Men (haikyu)

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 20

"And you're positive? You're sure?" Lord Takahiro insists, eyes still red from the the news.

Iwaizumi nods. He had grown surer with each passing day after hearing the first news. It was fact in his head, "He's not dead."

"But they said there was blood all over wagon," Matsukawa comments, fingers tugging at his hair, "They even found a dagger soaked in it!"

"Yeah, and Yahaba slept right through that amount of bloodshed?" Kyoutani huffs, fingers digging into his crossed arms, "Calling bullshit."

"Kyoutani," Iwaizumi hisses, a warning to be more polite. They were still dealing with nobility, no matter how familiar he had become with them.

"I heard...Yahaba was the one...who," Lord Takahiro starts.

"Yahaba didn't do it!" Kyoutani growls, "In fact, he probably knows what happened and that's why the King locked him up! Why are we just sitting around doing nothing? They're going to kill him!"

"Kyoutani, we need to stay calm."

"Get the fuck off your high horse, Iwaizumi," Kyoutani snaps, "You've shattered three vases today. Don't tell me to be calm when you can't even get your legs to stop shaking."

"Are all knights so foul mouthed?" Lord Takahiro comments.

Kyoutani whirls to face him, "Don't even get me started on your bullshit, Fancypants."

"Kyoutani!" Iwaizumi shouts, slapping him hard on the shoulder, "Sit down and be quiet!"

"You want me to put a blanket over him? That's what works with my birds," Matsukawa offers, trying to inject some semblance of humor into this terrible conversation. Kyoutani does not appreciate it, but he sits down all the same, scowling at the three but keeping his mouth shut.

Iwaizumi relaxes his shoulders for a moment, turning back to the noble, "He's not dead. He's probably run off somewhere. I don't think he's really thought this through enough. I need to go find him."

"If that's true, he could be anywhere! It's been days," Hanamaki says, frown tugging at his lips.

"I know. But I can't just sit here," Iwaizumi replies.

"What's your plan?" Matsukawa asks.

"Scour every corner of the continent until I can find that idiot and give him some choice words about making us so worried," Iwaizumi huffs, and then he reddens, adding, "Sorry, I shouldn't call the Prince an idiot in front of you."

"You're allowed to call him whatever you want, Iwaizumi." Matsukawa replies, "Nice bandage on your neck by the way. Real subtle."

Iwaizumi flames up, hand coming up to cover the sore spot on his neck. He'd covered it up immediately with some gauze, making up some excuse about a spar gone wrong. Was it really that obvious?

"Anyway," he coughs, returning to the subject at hand, "Kyoutani is right. Yahaba probably knows more than any of us about what happened. We need to get him out of here. He's a good kid."

Matsukawa licks his lips nervously, "He's been charged with the murder of a royal. That's high treason. You don't just walk away from that."

Iwaizumi's face is stern, "I'll break him out and take him with me when I go. The King's already probably searching for an excuse to lock me up to."

"He's been acting so strange since the Queen passed," Lord Takahiro agrees, "Won't talk to anyone. Doesn't trust anyone anymore. Everyone was shocked when he didn't postpone the wedding at all. I heard Prince Wakatoshi was offering to wait a whole 'nother year."

"Not to mention this morning. He's off his rocker." Matsukawa agrees.

"What happened this morning?" Iwaizumi asks. He'd been steering clear of the castle the past few days, trying to lie low as he prepared for his journey, borrowing supplies from sympathetic servants, taking food here and there.

"He sent Prince Tobio off, right on schedule." Lord Takahiro explains, "Kid looked miserable. More so than usual."

"He's not even fourteen yet?" Iwaizumi murmurs, furrowing his brow.

"Not to mention he just lost his mom and his brother weeks apart from each other. Sure the Prince can be a brat, but this is just cruel beyond words."

"It makes no sense," Lord Takahiro continues, "He's putting so much pressure on Prince Tobio to ascend, it's absolutely ruining him. And all this when he's one of the few Kings blessed with two sons. Why was he always so quick to throw Prince Tooru away?"

Iwaizumi swallows.

"Have you guys not figure it out yet?" Kyoutani huffs, unable to keep to himself quiet for long, "Isn't it obvious?"

Iwaizumi flashes him a surprised look, fear seizing him suddenly. Does Kyoutani know? How could he know? Had Oikawa slipped up at some point? Had he seen?

"Prince Tooru's clearly not his kid. They look nothing alike." Kyoutani continues, "He's just a copy of his mom. Of course the King would hate him and want him out. No one likes a bastard."

"Huh," Matuskawa mulls the idea over, "I never really thought of it that way. But it makes sense."

"Did you know Iwaizumi?" Lord Takahiro asks.

"This is nonsense," Iwaizumi replies, trying to calm down his racing heartbeat with the knowledge Oikawa's secret is still safe, "I'm not here to gossip. I'm here to make a plan. I need your help."

Lord Takahiro nods, "What do you need us to do?"