Yuuri couldn't get off the boat.

One glance outside his window was enough to see that the dock was teeming with people, all of whom were no doubt trying to get a look at the soon-to-be Prince Consort. But why? He was just a no-name earl from an island most of them probably had no idea existed, not some...some mysterious royal sweeping in and taking over the kingdom.

No.

Wait.

Word must have gotten out about last year's disaster. They were here to judge him. To try and find out why the prince would choose such a wreck to be his husband. Well, the joke was on them, because Yuuri didn't know, either.

Just as he was planning to stay on the boat until either the crowd dispersed or he died (whichever came first), there was a quick knock on the door. He swallowed as he heard a crisp voice on the other side call, "Lord Katsuki?"

Well. Time to face the wolves, then. Yuuri took a deep breath, then took his bag. "Yes, come in."

The door opened, and a man in a driver's uniform stepped into the room. "I've come to transport you to the palace. His Highness has arranged a plan to get you there with as little attention as possible."

Yuuri stared at the driver, surprised. Did Victor know he was bad with attention? Well, probably, if he even vaguely remembered the year before. Still...it was nice of him. He took his bag with a small smile.

"All right, then. Let's go."

~

"...this was supposed to keep us from being noticed?"

"The prince doesn't always think through his plans."

Yuuri and the driver were currently in a rowboat, with the driver rowing as fast as he could away from the ship. Not that they were actually going fast. Yuuri huddled under the thick blanket he'd been given as the crowd from the dock eagerly followed the rowboat on the shoreline, sending out a roar of excited shouting toward them. He broke his gaze from the crowd to the driver, who was puffing hard as he rowed.

"Do you want me to take over?"

"No. This is my job, my lord. You just..." He paused and panted for a few minutes, then resumed rowing. "You just sit back and enjoy."

Yuuri pressed his lips together, but quietly sat back. "I didn't know winter came this early on the mainland."

"Well, we are farther north than Sagashima, my lord." The driver puffed again. "Works out for me. His Highness wanted me to row you up the river, but it's already frozen. We'll be taking a carriage once we get to shore in a few minutes."

Victor's plan did have at least one benefit: the crowd got bored keeping up with the rowboat. So, by the time they finally reached the carriage, the two of them were alone save for a couple particularly determined stragglers. Regardless, Yuuri was bundled inside, and then it was off to the palace.

As the carriage clattered along, Yuuri looked outside at what would be his new home. It was already growing dark, and the way they took to the palace was indeed removed from the main streets of the Capitol. The buildings were dark, architecture obscured by the growing shadows of the evening, and the area was quiet. Yuuri could almost pretend he was back in Hasetsu.

The illusion was broken, though, as they came up to the palace. For the moment, Yuuri forgot his fears and disappointments; all of his thoughts were struck away as he saw the beautiful building with golden light filtering out through every grand window. In the day, it was a stunning testament to the kingdom's rich history, but at night...at night, it was like the entrance to another world.

The driver slowed the carriage, shushing the horse as it knickered. Yuuri started to open the door, but stopped as it seemed to open on its own. He peeked his head out, coming nearly nose to nose with the manservant who held the door open.

"Lord Katsuki." The manservant bowed his head respectfully as Yuuri stepped out. "Welcome to the palace. If I could take your things?"

"Er...sure. Um, I mean, thank you." Yuuri dipped his head in thanks, then handed the manservant his bag. He looked at it curiously, then back up at Yuuri.

"Is the rest on the other side? Or in another carriage?"

Yuuri blinked. "Well, I was only told to bring two weeks-worth of clothes. Be-before the rest of my things come in."

"So this is all you brought?"

"Yes?"

"Hm." The manservant bowed again. "Well. I'll take your bag to your quarters, then."

"Uh, thanks." Yuuri watched the manservant dart out, then jumped as another one appeared at his arm.

"I'll show you in, Lord Katsuki," the second manservant said. "The prince is awaiting your arrival."

Yuuri swallowed. Of course he was. Even in the limited times they'd seen each other, Victor had always shown that he was a gracious host. He certainly wouldn't let his fiancé come in without a welcome.

"I...uh, good. I'd like...I'd like to give him my thanks for his generous proposal."

The manservant nodded, then guided Yuuri into the palace. Like the other two times he had visited, it took all of Yuuri's willpower not to gape at the carved doorways, the giant portraits, the delicate light sconces. The palace really was like something straight out of a dream; he just wished it was a slightly better one.

Finally, they reached a set of large, heavy doors. The manservant gave a nod to the two doormen, who slowly began to open the door. Yuuri stood up straight, adjusting his spectacles with a deep breath. This was it. Time to see his betrothed face to face. The doors opened...

...and Yuuri was promptly knocked to the floor by a barking brown blur.

There wasn't any time to be shocked, though, because less than a moment later, the dog was sniffing him eagerly, tail wagging. He started to get up, only to fall back and laugh as the dog started to lick him.

"Makkachin!"

Yuuri finally pushed himself up, still holding on to the dog, and he froze as he realized it was the prince who had called out. He looked up with wide eyes as Victor—still just as absolutely breath-taking as he'd been a year before—stood over him. He quickly scrambled to his feet.

"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness, I..."

"No, no. I should have kept a better grip on her. She gets excited when new people come to the palace." Victor grinned as he leaned down to give Makkachin a quick rub. "But now I know for sure that you were the right choice. He has your approval, doesn't he, Makka?"

Makkachin gave a bark in reply, and Yuuri managed a small smile before Victor stood up straight.

"But I'm forgetting my manners! Welcome, Katsuki Yuuri, to your new home!"

Yuuri looked up in surprise as he heard a small smattering of applause, and he stiffened as he saw Yakov Feltsman, a few barons he vaguely remembered from the year before, and a scattered group of other various probably-important people in the ballroom he'd entered. All of whom had seen him act like an idiot with Makkachin. He stiffened even more as he felt Victor slip an arm over his shoulders. He looked up at him as Victor tilted his head with a wink.

"My plan was foolproof, wasn't it? I bet no one saw you at all."

"Um. A-absolutely, Your Highness."

Victor tsked at him, pulling his arm way to wag a finger back and forth. "No. Don't call me that."

"Wha—?"

"You should call me Victor! We're engaged, so it's only right if we address each other by our given names."

Yuuri stared at him, then let his glance slide over to the others in the room. None of them looked too happy with the scene unfolding in front of them; a tiny vein appeared to be throbbing in Feltsman's forehead. They knew this was a mistake, that Yuuri didn't belong here. They...

"Don't you agree, Yuuri?"

He blinked as Victor said his name carefully, taking care to pronounce it with the Sagashima accent. He looked up at the prince, a few butterflies in his stomach dusting off their wings as he met those bright blue eyes.

"I...I guess you're right. Victor." Victor's face split into a wide grin as Yuuri said his name, nearly making him melt in place. But wait! He was forgetting protocol! He quickly bowed. "And thank you for choosing me as your betrothed! I...it is an incredible honor to be..."

"Ah, we can do the pleasantries later." Once again, Victor had an arm around Yuuri, guiding him inside as Makkachin trotted beside them. "For now, we can get our welcome celebration started! We thought you'd be here sooner, but I heard you couldn't use the river? That was a shame. But that means you and I have being late in common now! I'm sorry I couldn't organize anything bigger, but we still have a full orchestra and champagne and..."

Yuuri was sure that Victor continued talking, but he couldn't hear him over the static that started building in his head. He had become all too aware of all the eyes on him, appraising him. Probably wondering why Victor chose a dime-a-dozen earl from a tiny province instead of the throngs of royals that were much more to the prince's caliber. His clothes were rumpled from the journey and Makkachin. Did he track mud from the river in? Oh, god, he looked like a wreck and no doubt this was going to reflect badly on Sagashima and then word would get out that the new Prince Consort was a disaster and the kingdom would face a decline in tourism and trade and then a war would probably happen and it'd all be because Yuuri didn't think to wipe his shoes before coming in to the—

"Yuuri?"

Yuuri gasped as Victor's voice pulled him out from his thoughts, and he looked up at the prince with wide eyes.

"I...I'm sorry, Your Hi...Victor. But I...I'm exhausted from the journey, and...and I think I-I'd like to retire for the night."

The disappointment was clear on Victor's face, but only for a moment. He gave Yuuri a smile.

"Of course! It's a long journey, isn't it? I'll show you..." Victor looked up as Feltsman cleared his throat loudly, then sighed. "I'll have someone else show you to your rooms." He pulled his arm away and looked around, finger pressed to his lips. "Georgi!"

One young man close to Yuuri's age looked up, his dark hair bouncing in its intricate style.

"Show Yuuri to the North Wing. He's in the Blue Suite."

Georgi knelt his head respectfully, then walked up to Yuuri. "If you'll follow me, Lord Katsuki."

Yuuri followed Georgi out quietly, just barely holding back a sigh of relief as he didn't have to greet anyone or pretend he actually was happy to be there. As they walked through the massive halls, Georgi turned his head back to look at him.

"So you really are engaged to Prince Victor?"

Yuuri pressed his lips together before nodding resolutely. Might as well look confident, even if he couldn't fake being pleased.

"I was engaged once."

Yuuri's faux-confidence mask dropped, replaced by slightly sympathetic confusion. "Oh?"

Georgi nodded, a pained look crossing his face. "To my darling Anya. She was beautiful and kind and...and now she's gone." He pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and dabbed at his eyes.

"I'm so sorr—"

"Gone to a marquess! As if she doesn't know that having a greater title means nothing if there's no love!" Georgi stopped, posing resolutely. "But I won't give up! I'll get my Anya to see reason, and we'll be the truly happiest couple in the kingdom!"

Yuuri felt a bit of violent discomfort creeping up in him, and he pointed to a blue door. "Is...um, Is that the Blue Room?"

"What? Oh, yes." Georgi walked forward and tucked the handkerchief away before opening the door. He knelt his head as Yuuri walked in. "It was a pleasure, Lord Katsuki."

"Er...yes, likewise. Thank you." Yuuri entered the room quickly and started to close the door, only for Georgi to slam his hand against the door to stop it.

"Don't let love slip away, Katsuki," he whispered, eyes wide and still watery. "It is all we have."

"I'll...keep that in mind. Thank you!" Yuuri quickly shut the door, then leaned against it and sighed. Less than an hour in the court and it was already madness. How was he going to survive this?

He walked into the room slowly, looking around. "Blue Room" was an apt name, considering everything inside seemed to be some shade of blue. Midnight blue carpet, sky blue wallpaper, blue paint on the bedframe and blue silk hangings on the window. Just...a lot of blue.

The one bit of not-blue came from his gray silk pajamas, carefully laid out on the bed. Well, that was nice of whichever manservant did that. He shut his eyes and leaned against one of the bedposts. The silence was nice. He finally had a moment to just breathe. In and out, in...and out. A bath would be nice. The bed looked outrageously comfortable. He had the rest of the night to himself, so he could get his head sorted.

As he headed to the ensuite bathroom, he heard the door open.

"Good evening, Lord Katsuki."

He whirled around, only to find two maids entering. They both quickly curtsied.

"His Highness thought you might like a bath once you arrived," one said. "We're here to help you draw it and undress."

Yuuri stared. When he didn't respond, one headed straight to the bathroom while the other quickly went up to him and started pulling off his coat.

"Hey, stop! It's fine, I don't..."

"Please, Lord Katsuki, I'll need you to relax," the second maid said, tugging on his coat. "This material will crease if you struggle too hard."

"I can take off my own clothes!" He looked up as he heard the water start in the bathroom. "Really, you don't need to do this."

"We were instructed by Prince Victor..."

Yuuri finally pulled himself away from the second maid, now-tangled up in his coat. "But I really don't need it," he said, working to pull his arms free.

The first maid poked her head out. "Are you dismissing us, Lord Katsuki?"

"Yes! I mean, yes, I am. I-it's appreciated, but I'm fine. Thank you."

The first maid looked to the second maid, who shrugged. They both curtsied again.

"Very well, Lord Katsuki," they said in unison, then took their leave.

Yuuri waited until they left the room, then let out a sigh of relief as he got his coat off. All right. Now he was alone. He headed to the armoire to hang up his coat, but froze as the door opened again.

"Good evening, Lord Katsuki."

He twisted around, brows creased. A young man in plain clothes held up a few metal tools.

"I'm here to stoke your fire, sir. His Highness says you might not be used to the cold."

Yuuri frowned, looking over at the already blazing fire in the fireplace. "I think it's fine. Thanks."

"But His Highness said..."

"And it's very kind of him, but you're, uh, dismissed. Thank you."

The young man blinked, but then bowed. "Very well, Lord Katsuki." He left, and Yuuri sagged. Okay. Now he was...

"Good evening, Lord Katsuki."

God damn it.

An elegant-looking man in a black suit bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Belyakov, and I'll be your personal valet. Now if..." Belyakov was interrupted by Yuuri pushing him back to the door.

"I'm fine! You're dismissed! Please just leave me alone!"

"But His Highn—"

"You're dimissed!"

"Very well, Lord..."

Yuuri shut the door and turned the heavy lock. He leaned against it, taking a few more deep breaths. Societal expectations be damned, he wasn't about to have a bunch of strangers around him at all hours. He'd have enough of that outside of his rooms.

Finally, once he was sure that no one else would come in, he finally was able to take his bath. It was no hot spring, no, but a few minutes after sinking into the steaming water, he felt the tension in his body start to slip away. He did his best to scrub away the stress from the day; he wasn't completely relaxed by the time he got out, no, but he wasn't wound so tightly that he wouldn't sleep, at least.

So, clean, relaxed, and in his pajamas, Yuuri finally settled down into the bed. He'd deal with whatever came tomorrow, but now...

A knock came at the door. Yuuri waited, hoping whoever at the door would leave. The knock came again. Yuuri continued waiting. There was a pause.

Then there was a flurry of knocks.

He sighed, slipping out from underneath the covers to unlock the door. He opened it a crack, just enough to poke his face out. Victor was smiling back at him.

"I was thinking, you might be lonely staying in a strange place all by yourself. So why don't we sleep together? I mean, we are about to be married and..."

Yuuri shut the door.

Then he gasped in horror at what he'd done.

He threw open the door, catching sight Victor's surprised face, and yammered out, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I've just...the stress is really getting to me and I...I just need some sleep and I'll be able to...I mean, if you want you can...I can't really say no, but...I just...I mean...respectfully..."

He trailed off as something pressed against his legs and entered the room. He looked down, catching Makkachin wag her tail before hopping on the bed and laying down. He turned back as he heard Victor chuckle.

"Well, looks like you'll have a bedmate after all. And she's much harder to kick out than me," the prince said with a wink.

"I wasn't, I mean, I didn't..." Yuuri quieted as Victor took his hand and lightly kissed it. For a split second, Yuuri thought he was having a heart attack from the way it fluttered in his chest.

"Will you at least join me for breakfast tomorrow, Yuuri?"

Yuuri let out a slow breath. "Of course."

"Perfect! Then I'll see you in a few hours." Victor stood up straight and smiled at Yuuri. Well, at least he didn't seem too disappointed. "Good night, Yuuri."

"Good night, Your...Victor."

Victor took the door to shut it, but called over his shoulder, "And don't be surprised if you wake up on the floor. Makkachin gets selfish with the bed sometimes."

The door shut, and Yuuri let out a breath. He flexed his hand, still very aware of where Victor's lips had touched his knuckles, then turned back to the bed. He couldn't help but smile as he saw Makkachin wag her tail at him.

"You're the most helpful person I've met today," he said as he settled in bed beside her, rubbing her head and scratching her ears. She gave a little huff of contentment as she stretched out next to Yuuri, and he smiled before blowing out the lamp beside him and settling down beside her.

"Let's see if tomorrow's easier, Makkachin."

~

Yuuri overslept, and now he was panicking.

He should have figured out how to set the alarm—he was prone to sleeping late, after all—and no doubt he'd missed meeting Victor for breakfast. What would this be, a bad fourth impression? For all the years of wanting to prove himself to Victor, he seemed to only be good at proving that he was a complete fool.

He ran down to the dining room, Makkachin galloping alongside him as if it were a game. He skidded to a halt in front of the doors, buttoning up his coat and taking a breath before stepping in. To his surprise, Victor was still seated at the table. How long had he been there? Yuuri quickly bowed.

"I'm so sorry, Your Highness. I didn't think to set an alarm and I should have known better but..."

"Yuuri."

Yuuri swallowed and stood up straight. Victor stared at him seriously. Was he angry? Annoyed? Both? Probably both. He braced himself for a reprimand about wasting the Prince's time.

"What have I said about calling me 'Your Highness'?"

Yuuri blinked. Victor smiled and relaxed in his seat, gesturing to the seat beside him. Yuuri nodded and walked over; an attendant pulled the seat out for him.

"I'm sorry, Victor."

"You apologize a lot."

"I'm sor..." Yuuri caught himself, and Victor laughed as a few other attendants brought out a mass of dishes, alternating serving between the two men.

"Did Makka end up pushing you out? I wake up on the floor half the time she sleeps in my bed," Victor said, patting the dog's fluffy head as an attendant poured tea beside him. Yuuri shook his head.

"No, she was wonderful." He smiled a bit. "She reminds me of my dog."

"You have a dog?" Victor's face lit up.

"Yes. Well, I did. He looked like a much smaller version of Makkachin." Best not to say that he'd deliberately copied Victor in that sense. He was already zero-for-four in terms of good impressions.

"What was his name?"

Well, looked like it'd be zero-for-five. "We called him Vicchan." He quickly took a bite of a thin pancake with berries to avoid explaining the name, eyes widening as the taste hit him. Whether it was because it really was that delicious or simply because he hadn't eaten since getting off the boat didn't matter; it was one of the best things he'd ever eaten.

Apparently his pleasure was evident as he ate, because Victor beamed around his teacup. "Do you like it? I told the cooks to put out our best food for you. And if there's anything at all you want, just let someone know." His brow furrowed slightly, and he leaned back. As Yuuri took a drink of tea, he asked, "By the way, I heard you dismissed every servant I sent your way. Were they not to your standards? I could hire others, if you'd like."

Yuuri nearly choked on his tea. Oh, god, he hadn't thought about Victor hearing about all the dismissals. He must look incredibly ungrateful. "O-oh, no. No! It was very kind of you, but...ah, well, I'm not really used to servants."

Victor blinked. "But you're not a commoner."

"Well, no. But my father was before he married my mother. Plus, Hasetsu has a pretty small population, and my mother's always thought it was better for the people to do work that will benefit them rather than benefiting us." He laughed lightly as he set his teacup down. "I didn't know how unusual that was until I started traveling."

"Ah, you studied abroad, yes?"

"Yeah. I mostly stayed in Bellezza, but..." Yuuri stopped, feeling his cheeks pink. "I'm sorry, I must be boring you."

"Not at all!" Victor leaned forward with a smile, eyes locking directly onto Yuuri's. "We are engaged, after all. We should know everything about each other."

Yuuri tried his best not to melt at Victor's gaze. "I guess that makes sense."

"Great! So tell me, did you have any lovers in Bellezza?"

"What."

"Or anywhere! Don't tell me I stole you away from someone else."

Yuuri knew he was a blushing, sputtering mess. "I-I really don't think—"

He was cut off as the dining room door was kicked in, a black boot still in the air as the door shot back and slammed into the wall.

"HEY, VICTOR!"

Yuuri just about jumped out of his skin, while Victor merely smiled.

"Oh, look who's joining us for breakfast," he said brightly, as if an old friend had dropped in rather than the young man—still bundled in a frankly ridiculous amount of furs—stalking up to the table and glaring daggers at Victor. The man—boy, really, he couldn't have been older than fifteen—stood in seething silence, and Victor turned to Yuuri.

"This is Yuri Plisetsky, Grand Duke of—"

"Cut the crap, Victor!" Yuri Plisetsky, Grand Duke of...somewhere snapped. He slammed a hand on the table. "You know I'm next in line, and you know they were planning my coronation. So then why did you pull this marriage bullshit?"

Victor blinked, then smiled. "Did I not send you an announcement?"

"No!"

"Oh, it must have slipped my mind."

As Yuri seemed to actively be keeping himself from imploding, Yuuri leaned over and asked, "Next in line?" Victor nodded.

"This feisty kitten..."

"I heard you call me that!"

"...is a cousin of mine—several times removed, but still the closest in the kingdom. Most others have married into other royal families. If I..."

"When he messes up, the crown goes right to me," Yuri interjected. "Even if he marries some loser from nowhere, I'm still next in line." He scowled at Yuuri, lowering his voice. "And don't think I don't see through your game, either. You think being engaged to Victor makes you special? Ha. You won't last out here. You're just..."

"Oh, I haven't introduced you yet," Victor interrupted. "This is Katsuki Yuuri, from Sagashima." He blinked, then laughed. "And now we'll have two Yuris in the palace! We'll have to find a way to keep your names straight."

Yuri's scowl deepened. "You think I'd be confused for this hick?"

Yuuri winced at the name-calling, then looked at Victor. So was it true that Victor had been passed over? But then why have a marriage so soon? Surely Victor hadn't been insanely smitten by Yuuri's blanking out last year. So why...

"You know, Yuri, if you want to join us for breakfast..."

"I don't want to eat with you!"

"Anushka made blinis."

"That won't convince me!" Yuri glared at the both of them, then stomped back out of the dining room, grabbing the door to slam it behind him. Both Yuuri and Victor sat in silence, only broken when the door slammed open again.

"Only because Anushka made them," Yuri snapped as he sat as far away from the other two as he could. As the attendants set up his place at the table, he glared at Victor as the prince laughed lightly at the scene.

Yuuri glanced between the two of them, feeling strangely outside the moment. For all of Yuri's bluster and anger, he and Victor clearly knew each other well. Betrothed or not, Yuuri was still the stranger here. He looked down at his half-finished plate, appetite ruined by the way his stomach twisted, and he quickly stood up. Victor looked up at him in alarm.

"Where are you going?"

Yuuri shook his head. "I just need some air," he said quietly. "Still...still recovering after the ship." He met Victor's gaze. "I'll be back in a little while, Victor."

He ignored the scoff from Yuri and quickly left the room. The driver yesterday had mentioned the river being frozen. Maybe checking that out would help him feel better.

~

He'd had to ask for a coat heavy enough for the cold weather outside, but soon enough Yuuri was out in the snow. The cold air bit at his cheeks and ears, but it was surprisingly refreshing to get out into the cold. Carefully, Yuuri made his way down the palace's grounds, stepping lightly to keep from slipping on slick patches.

He stopped every few moments to admire the way the sun, weak though it was, peeked through the clouds and made the snow-covered landscape glisten. Winter had always been his favorite season, and apparently it was quite long on the mainland. He could, at least, enjoy that part of his new life.

Finally, he reached the river. The top was indeed frosted over—well-past being row-able. It seemed fairly thick, but Yuuri wouldn't know unless he tested it. So, very carefully, he stepped out onto the ice. He moved slowly, not wanting to risk falling through, but kept his steps hard enough to gauge how solid the ice was.

A few cracks popped up as he walked, but a wide swathe of the river was solid enough for normal walking. Perfect. Now if he could just...

"Lord Katsuki!"

He turned, seeing the driver from the day before on the shoreline. He seemed agitated.

"Are you trying to commit suicide? The prince isn't that bad!"

Yuuri shook his head as he made his way back. Even with just his boots on, he glided part of the way. "Just testing the ice. Most of it's safe."

The driver sighed in relief as Yuuri reached the shore. "Well, His Highness is worried about where you'd disappeared to. Thank god I didn't have to fish you out."

"Sorry." Yuuri pressed his lips together, glancing back at the ice. "Er...Victor said to ask if I wanted anything."

"Do you want something, my lord?"

Yuuri looked at the ice for a moment longer, then turned back to the driver. "Would it be too much trouble to get a pair of skates?"