#'minty we're sick and tired of this au'

[nemirutami]

[Royalty/Retainer AU] Retainers Souji and Yosuke with princess Ayane! Souji, formerly known as Narukami, Retainer of the royal family. Yosuke, second born prince of the Hanamura family. Ayane, former aspiring musician of the royal family. Their outfits are based on an old Oratorian story involving a lost princess who (in the company of only her two most trusted retainers) tries to find a way back home.

Family histories, country, character bios, and details further listed below! It’s very long though so brace yourselves. Extra thanks to @straylize for beta reading this monstrosity that only I and maybe 2 more people will care about.

Family Hanamura (History and Lineage) The Hanamura lineage was originally one of common blood with no hint of nobility. It was the Hanamura’s charisma and leadership that managed to gain them a following to rival that of the royals, a following they would quickly come to wield as a sword. The rulers of Tatsuhime at the time, the Narukami family, were a peaceful people that tried to reason with the Hanamura family’s thirst for power. Their pleading fell on deaf ears. For every plea to negotiate, the Hanamura family struck the kingdom where it hurt the most. They targeted the people, the innocent, and the children. They were merciless in ways that brought the Narukami family to retaliate despite their peaceful outlook on life. Their retaliation was met with fire, and as fire met fire, it burned the path to war. King Narukami was told to forfeit by his adviser, seeing as too many innocent had been harmed, and their military was in shambles.

So the Hanamura family overthrew the rulers of Tatsuhime, and claimed the throne for themselves.

Though that wasn’t enough for them.

The conquering was swept under the rug, and the modern heirs are unaware of the blood that taints the Hanamura name. The Narukami family remained with the Hanamura family after the conquering. The Narukamis were never executed. They were royalty that lost the war, and as such, they were forced into servitude. With time, the context of war was forgotten, and the term slave was later changed to retainer to better mask the nasty truth.

King Taichi Hanamura and his life-long adviser Tohru Adachi continue to keep the peace in Tatsuhime. Unlike the Narukamis, Hanamura's approach to peace appears a little more than… contradictory. The country formed a pact with Velru to ensure prosperity, providing Velru with retainers and military in exchange for Velru's unique resources. The two kingdoms have long since past arranged marriages, wedding Velru natives to Tatsuhime natives.

However, after Souji Seta (formerly known as Souji Narukami) deserted, things took a turn for the worse in Tatsuhime. After both Souji, Ayane, and Yosuke left Tatsuhime, a highly skilled team of assassins snuck their way into the Hanamura palace, and assassinated every last Narukami and Hanamura. Since Yosuke and Souji denounced their titles, any power that comes with their lineage is now moot, and they have no reason to be tracked down and targeted. Had Yosuke not followed Souji, he still wouldn't have been able to claim the throne, given how he's not actually the King's biological son. With no royalty left, the written contracts state that the power of authority shall fall to the king’s closest adviser. That same adviser quickly broke ties with Velru, and invested heavily in the military once he had full control of Tatsuhime. For what purpose? No one is sure yet. Tatsuhime is now ruled by Tohru Adachi.

Family Narukami (History and Lineage)

The Narukami family were the first royals of Tatsuhime, elected by the people. They were generally well-liked by the whole community. The name “Tatsuhime” itself comes from an old shrine that bore great significance to the community, and king Narukami made that landmark the name of their country in honor of his people. However, after being enslaved by the Hanamuras, the family was left no choice but to either choose a life of servitude, or death. The family yielded, hinging their bets on the next of kin to be more lenient and willing to negotiate. In reality, they only sent their whole family lineage down a path of submissiveness, and the Hanamuras exploited their weakness for peaceful change. Prior to the Hanamura family’s invasion, most Tatsuhime resources went into preserving knowledge and maintaining the second biggest library on the continent. Living so close to Velru, the Narukamis learned by example, but that left their military weak enough for the Hanamura family to break through. After the invasion, and after the Narukamis were dethroned, the Hanamura family doubled the military budget, creating drastic changes, and setting the whole country down a different path. The preservation of knowledge was something left for Velru, and the library of Tatsuhime slowly deteriorated with time. Because of this, the modern Narukami family has no idea that Tatsuhime’s people elected them to rule. Though, even the Tatsuhime natives have forgotten the impact the Narukami family made on them, and the origin of their country name no longer holds any meaning for the natives.

Narukami Retainer Behavior and Treatment (What is to be expected) The Hanamuras outsource retainers as a part of their pact with Velru, however, all Narukamis stay in Tatsuhime, and are not permitted to leave the palace unless they are escorting a royal family member around the capital. Breaking this rule invokes a strict penalty, and forces soldiers to keep the suspect under supervision until they can confirm their whereabouts during the time they were missing. They are forbidden from leaving the country, and if any attempt is made to leave, they are banished for life. If they attempt to return after being banished, they are to be detained on sight.

Their retainer uniforms are unique, and differ from that of other retainers. Unlike the standard Tatsuhime retainer uniforms, the Narukami retainer uniforms do not bear the crest of the country on their chest, or on any other piece of their retainer clothing. Their uniforms are almost colorless and washed out, similar to that of other royal staff members (such as kitchen attendants and guards), with silver rather than gold lining. At the very start of the Hanamura Monarchy, they were denied access to weapons, and were prohibited from training with soldiers. Over time, that standard changed, and even the Narukamis are now allowed access to train and become more efficient to serve their king. However, they are still not allowed to speak unless spoken to. Some of the staff members sympathise with the strict rules forced upon the Narukamis, and protect them from penalty whenever they speak to someone first. However, if the Hanamuras find out about it, only the Narukamis are penalized. The royal staff has been conditioned to ignore the Narukami first names, implying each Narukami is the same as the next, and that their first names do not matter given their lower status. While retainers from the Arisato Kingdom take more daring risks and tend to go to the extreme to protect their royal family, the Narukamis are locked inside the palace, doing simple tasks for the royal family almost no different from common servants. They remain the royal family’s shields, but in a different way to that of the Arisato retainers. If one Hanamura happens to break the laws and perform a heinous act, it is a Narukami’s responsibility to take his place and face judgement.

Naoki Hanamura

Age: 30 Zodiac: Beast Birthday: Appene 24, year 739 Mother: Sakura Hanamura Father: Taichi Hanamura Siblings: Saki and Yosuke Hanamura. Birth: Planned birth. Likes: Training, Coffee  Dislikes: Souji, Yosuke, Arrogance Bio: Without a retainer in his early years, Naoki was pushed to train harder in order to defend himself in ways his retainer could not defend him yet. Because of his upbringing to be more independent, he sometimes tends to shun help when he feels capable of completing tasks by himself, insisting that he does not need a retainer if his retainer is incompetent or inexperienced.

Saki Hanamura

Age: 28 Zodiac: Fallen Birthday: Mori 24, year 741 Mother: Sakura Hanamura Father: Taichi Hanamura Siblings: Naoki and Yosuke Hanamura. Birth: Planned birth. Likes: Going out, Food Dislikes: Pettiness, Jealousy, Pushy People Growing up: She was held to a high standard just as her older brother, since she was to be queen in case of an unfortunate event. However, it still left her enough free time to enjoy all the little things Tatsuhime had to offer, and she often had Souji escort her around the capital just as an excuse to get him out of the palace.

Yosuke Hanamura (Second born Prince) Age: 25 Zodiac: Jirae Date of Birth: Charion 22, year 741 Mother: Sakura Hanamura Father: Taichi Hanamura(?) Siblings: Naoki and Saki Hanamura. Birth: Unplanned birth. The king questioned the news when he was approached by his wife, but he never would have guessed she cheated on him with another man… to this day, Yosuke assumes the king is his biological father, and the king assumes Yosuke is his biological son. Only Sakura Hanamura knows who Yosuke’s biological father is. Likes: Souji, Attention, Long Bike Rides Dislikes: Rules, Limitations, Thunder Given Nicknames: Partner (Souji), Hanna (Ayane)

Hanna: At a young age, Ayane was never able to really pronounce the name ‘Hanamura’ correctly, fumbling with the ‘r’ a lot. Since she only ever spoke to Souji and Yosuke, she opted to calling Hanamura “Hanna” instead. Once she learned how to pronounce his surname though… she didn’t stop. He doesn’t have the heart to tell her the name sounds way too uncool and girly because she lights up when she says it. Souji pokes fun at him for it, but doesn’t say anything to Ayane either.

Partner: From the way he protected Souji during his upbringing, to the way Souji defended Yosuke against his older brother’s mean spirited comments, the two have been inseparable and have grown stronger together despite the unfairness that came their way. The two began calling each other ‘partner’ jokingly because of how many times they acted out an old Oratorian folklore where the two retainers in the story fondly referred to each other as ‘partners’.

Growing up: His parents focused all their attention on their firstborn child, so he was given a lot more leeway to be carefree. Because of how little attention was given to him during his upbringing, he was practically raised by the staff, spoiled and allowed to have his every wish granted on a whim. He soon figured out he could take advantage of his power to benefit Souji, pulling him away from his older brother whenever a conflict got too intense.

Bio: Headstrong and loud. He knows he'll never be considered king, since it's tradition for the firstborn to claim the throne. Regardless, it doesn't discourage him from getting his way, much to his older brother's annoyance. Both his older sister and older brother consider him unreliable because of his carefree upbringing… or so, he assumes. Trivia: He commissioned a tailor in Oratorio to replicate three costumes from an old book he found in Velru, all for the sake of accurate theatrical performance. The three costumes consisted of two retainer uniforms and a princess attire. He says it was for a better and more believable theatrical performance, but in reality, he just wanted Souji to own one nice outfit he could call his own, and for Ayane to be inspired to get more confident through the princess in the tale.

Souji (Yu) Seta (Firstborn retainer to the firstborn Hanamura)

Age: 25 Zodiac: Brute Date of Birth: Impera 20, year 741 Mother: Mirai Seta  Father: Yami Narukami Siblings: None. Birth: Late birth. Retainers from Tatsuhime rarely get married unless the King wills it. As such, the chosen mates are carefully examined for their aptitude to provide the best possible offspring. However, the chosen woman had a miscarriage, and it slowed down the process to establish a suitable retainer for the future heir. The king up and refused to search for a new mate, inisting the woman was chosen for a reason, and finding a new mate would take too long. They decided to wait for the woman to collect herself before putting her through the same amount of stress. Some speculate that the woman was trying to stall and get out of this arrangement, but none can say for sure. She was dismissed and escorted out of the palace shortly after she gave birth. Thus, Souji was born years after the royal firstborn, nurtured and raised by the staff. He was born out of necessity for the Hanamura Family, and is therefore younger than the prince he was assigned to protect.  Likes: Music, Jogging (especially during early mornings), Cooking Dislikes: Stubborn Idiots, Opposition, Liars Given Nicknames: Yu-chan (Ayane), Partner (Yosuke), Narukami (Palace staff)

Yu-chan: Souji approached Ayane at a young age with hopes of friendship, but with little to no success. After finding out she’s been told not to speak with the Narukamis or the Hanamuras, he tells her that the penalty doesn’t apply if she speaks to him first, and that even if it did, that only the Narukamis are punished. Seeing her hesitate even after explaining it calmly, he tells her to call him “Yu” instead. That way, she’s not speaking to a Narukami. It was innocent and logical enough for a young Ayane to get comfortable with, and ever since then, she’s fondly called him “Yu-chan”. Partner: Given to Souji by Yosuke. Being held to a much higher standard than the retainers before him, he was often tossed in situations with bad odds. In those moments, Yosuke lent him a hand to ease his burden. While those actions would have been prohibited had they gotten caught, it helped the two bond on a more personal level, and Yosuke eventually opted to calling Souji his partner.

Narukami: Staff are told to only use the Narukami surname when referring or speaking to them. To this day, very few know Souji’s first name. Souji changed his surname from Narukami and took the surname of his mother once he decided to denounce his loyalty to the Hanamura family. Having uncovered the truth behind his own lineage and the history behind the Hanamura kingdom, he seeks his own path, unrelated to the Kingdom and the country as a whole. His retainer outfit (Oratorian greens) represent his change of heart, and a path he’s chosen by himself, believing a brighter future might await in the capital of the Arisato Kingdom. 

Growing up: Rushed to take responsibility, he was often treated unfairly for not measuring up at a young age. The firstborn prince treated him unfavorably because of his slow learning curve, believing Souji should be held up to higher standards than the retainers before him, despite being younger. That is what the first born prince claimed. In reality, Naoki is more annoyed about Souji spending time with Yosuke than he is about his ability to hold his own as a retainer. This strained relationship led Souji to become closer to the second born prince, who actively defended Souji whenever there was injustice within the palace. He shared a room next to a musician's daughter by the name of Ayane Matsunaga. She was… talented, in a way. Being separated only by a thin wall made the despairing cry of her trombone an alarm, and helped him get ready for his duties the mornings she practiced her solo. In the long run, he became fond of it despite its quirks, but his favorite pastime was studying in his room to the tune of a peaceful and harmonic flute that echoed from the very same room.

BIO: Raised and brought up to tend to the firstborn prince’s every need, he rarely found free time to make friends. The only retainer he bonded with was soon shipped to Velru, and from there on out, his only close friends have been the second born prince and a young aspiring musician. Being younger than expected, he had to adapt quicker, and often tried to endure hardships without a single complaint so others would feel safer in his presence.

Trivia: He despises when others call him “Narukami”. The Fall of the Hanamura Family: Souji has no reason to avenge the Hanamura family, seeing what the Hanamuras did to the Narukami lineage, he feels as if justice was served. However, because of his close ties with Yosuke, he refuses to sit by in ignorance, and although he will not fight and get revenge, he can expose the truth that lies dormant within Tatsuhime about King Adachi… whatever that truth may be.

Ayane Matsunaga (Former Aspiring Musician)

Age: 20 Zodiac: Drake Date of Birth: Appene 17, year 745 Mother: Airi Matsunaga Father: Jungo Matsunaga Siblings: None. Birth: Unplanned birth. A musician’s pay is miniscule compared to that of other staff, and the two parents struggled to make by for what the Hanamuras were paying them. Despite playing at every event the family hosted, they were often looked down on for having lax jobs, so their relationships with the rest of the royal staff is a little muddy. They were not comfortable enough to bring a child into the world, but decided not to turn down the opportunity. While the child was not unwanted, it was far too big of a task than the two parents could manage on their own. Likes: Music, Fishing, Souji’s cooking Dislikes: Being mistaken for a kid, Rude people, Intimidating people Given Nicknames: Lady Ayane (Souji), Queen (Yosuke)

Lady Ayane: A nickname that comes from the Oratorian tale of a lost princess and her two retainers, where one of the retainers refer to the princess as “Lady” instead of “Princess”. Queen: The habit of calling Ayane “Queen” comes from their theatre performance, where one of the retainers accidentally calls the lost princess ‘queen’ rather than by her princess title. The tale speculates that the second retainer was a traitor, one sent to kill the royal family, but failed, and is then forced to follow the princess and her retainer around until he can safely strike and kill them too. The second book to the tale is nowhere to be found, so what actually happened to the princess and the two retainers is unknown.

Growing up: She was very shy, and barely managed to make friends with Souji. Her parents often left her to do as she pleased, but warned her never to speak to the Hanamura family or the Narukamis, fearing she might get herself into trouble somehow. She taught herself how to wield a bow and arrow since she needed some form of protection, and it was the only weapon that wasn’t too heavy to lift. Bio: She enjoys old Oratorian folklore and tales from other countries. Yosuke often brings her books from Velru to cheer her up, and all three of them act out long-winded plays together to forget their hardships. The three grew up together, and Ayane thinks of them as her family. Thanks to Souji, she’s become more assertive, and thanks to Yosuke, she’s become more comfortable with both her strengths and weaknesses.

Trivia: She’s more confident as princess in her Oratorian outfit, but breaks character the moment she’s intimidated or threatened.