“Alright, I’ll get up. I’ll get up.” He grumbled through a mountain of pillows and a blanket. From where his maternal servant stood, a lump shifted around under the blankets until they were tossed to one side. Feet touched the cold floor and it sent a small chill through went up his spine. “Kaede, tell me why it’s so important to eat with the family every meal? There is never much to really talk about most days. We see each other day in and day out.” As he spoke, he slowly got ready for the day. There was never really need to rush, considering the routinely manner of his home. 

“Your Highness, I can’t answer that sort of question for you. However, I do believe spending time with family is a valuable thing.” Kaede began to fold the sheets and pick up Hironori’s nightwear. 

“Maybe you’re right. But I spend lots of time around them.” He sighed and then stretched his arms over his head. It was best not to start off the day at such low tolerance. “I can at least try, of course.” He simply shrugged and she smiled, giving him a nod. As he walked out, he heard her add, [i]’It’d be wise to at least try and see their point of view.’[/i] He remembered as a child she would always say how he was ‘just as stubborn as the emperor’. He had tried to see the other side of all the violence and wars, but nothing ever changed his mind. Of course, he wouldn’t admit that when he tried, he really didn’t put in much effort. With a sigh, he ran fingers through his hair, taming the messy bed hair he had. It settled for the most part, not that he minded it being messy, however he assumed his parents would want him to look decent for his future spouse. Something told Hiro that Akito was already well aware of his nontraditional styles as a royal. 

His hands fell behind his back and he nodded when the servants bowed and opened the door for him. With a small smirk, he bowed to his parents. The Empress’ eyes light up to see her son and she beams. The Emperor on the other hand merely raised a questioning eyebrow. “Good morning to you both. And of course, to you as well Akito.” He walked over, this time sitting near his mother, while Akito sat by his father. “See? I made it this time.”

“Still late as usual.” The Emperor replied in a gruff tone. “Luckily the food didn’t get cold.” His wife gave him a quick scowl. Hiro fell silent for a moment, taking the time to actually heed Kaede’s advice. 

“I did sleep in, my apologies. I should probably better schedule.” He left it at that, not wanting to sound forced. Instead he looked over at the Empress, playing along to the typical conversations for mornings. “Did you sleep well?” For a moment, the Emperor watched his son skeptically before sighing. The Empress on the other hand seemed to be quite happy that Hiro was at least attempting to talk. 

“Oh! Well, besides a few uncomfy shifts and movements,” She patted her stomach gently for emphasis, “I slept pretty well, thank you for asking.” It was easy to please his mother for some odd reason, not that she was simple minded, she just seemed to feel happy about even the small things. So, after he made conversation with her, feeling a little accomplished, he brushed a few strands of hair behind his ear and looked over at Akito with a relaxed smile. He assumed his parents had already asked how he slept, so he decided to go for the next best thing. 

“So, Akito,” He stretched his name a little longer than necessary, as if to get his attention. “Now that you have a feel for the place, did you have anything in mind you wanted to do?” Assuming Akito’s usual nervousness, Hiro added on. “Plenty of things to do. Multiple gardens, the board games to learn, the training you enjoy so much- it is a nice day afterall, you could look at the other paintings we skipped. There are plenty.” He tapped a chopstick to his lips in thought. “Well, you get the idea.” He mentally chuckled, realizing even when he tried, he still didn’t have much to say. While the silence slowly began to grow, Hironori decided to begin eating.