Chapter Text
The twins had barely finished breakfast before they were hauled off to get ready for the ceremony. Dream, although he was worried about being without his crutch, aka Nightmare, didn’t have much of a choice in the matter as they were led into different rooms and Dream was promptly shoved into a sweet-smelling bath. The warmth of the water and the scent of the bubbles did little to calm his nerves, but at least it gave him a moment to think as maids worked the knots out of his hair.
Dream was…a little afraid if he was being honest. Sure, he knew nothing bad would happen tonight, his mother was being extremely strict on his brother and his own whereabouts for the evening, and he knew everything he was supposed to say like the back of his hand, but…
He had never been to a gathering like this before, and although he was confident in his manners, he wasn’t sure what to expect from the guests attending. Dream really only had a general idea of the responsibilities of being a prince, and Nightmare had encouraged him that it really wasn’t that difficult, until, of course, you became King, but Dream was still worried that someone might ask him a question he had no way of answering. Their mother may have been getting a little old, but she was still kicking ass and taking names, Nightmare’s words, not his, so neither of them really had to worry about being a ruler until much later, however, Dream still wondered if that would really matter to anyone else. After all, if he was going to be the future ruler instead of Nightmare, then wouldn’t they want to know what he had planned for his future? Truth be told, he hadn’t even thought past tonight. The weight of the role he was about to accept suddenly felt far too suffocating.
So preoccupied by his inner turmoil, he went through the motions of getting dressed and having his hair brushed and dried without paying any attention to any of it. Only when the soft pressure of his cape being fastened to his shoulders and Nightmare’s quiet voice rang out did Dream leave the space inside his head.
“What are you thinking about?” Nightmare asked, fixing the fastening on Dream’s right shoulder and smoothing down the back of his golden cape.
Dream took a breath and his stomach knotted painfully. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”
Cold hands cupped his cheeks, and suddenly he was looking into concerned violet eyes. The contact and the familiar gaze grounded him.
“Hey.” Nightmare said, soft. “Breathe, okay? You’re going to do fine. Everything is going to be fine.”
“How do you know that?” Dream asked, only realising that he was shaking when Nightmare took both of his hands in his own.
“Because, dummy,” Nightmare said, “I know you. And I know mom. Nothing is going to go wrong tonight. You’re going to say all your promises correctly, you’re going to give that heart wrenching speech of yours, you’re going to dance with Cross, and everyone is going to adore you. Okay? Nothing is going to go wrong.”
“But-“
Dream was interrupted when Nightmare’s hands left his own and instead rose to pinch his cheeks, pulling them outwards. The pain causing Dream to wince.
“Say it!” Nightmare said. “Say ‘nothing is going to go wrong’!”
“Ow! Fine!” Dream conceded, rubbing harshly at his cheek once his twin let him go. “Nothing is going to go wrong.”
Nightmare nodded. “Again.”
“Nothing is going to go wrong.” Dream repeated with even less enthusiasm. “What are you doing, Night?”
“The more you say something, the more you’re supposed to believe it.” Nightmare said, shrugging. “Is it working?”
“Not really.”
“Didn’t think so. It doesn’t work for me either.” Nightmare said, gaze falling to stare somewhere near their feet. Both of them were quiet for a minute before Nightmare raised a hand again and placed it gently on Dream’s shoulder. “I’m nervous too. But…I have faith in you and mom.”
Dream felt a smile tug at his lips. “Thanks for trying to help.”
“Always.” Nightmare said. Then, he looked at Dream’s head and frowned, nose scrunching up. “I do not like your hair like that.”
“What’s wrong with it?” Dream asked, raising a hand to his hair. His bangs had been slicked back, away from his face, but that was as far as he knew. It was a strange choice, considering it didn’t look like anything different had been done to Nightmare’s hair. If anything, the other’s dark locks only looked a little fluffier than normal.
“You just…” Nightmare began, walking away for a moment to grab a comb, “you look better with your bangs down.”
Dream was a little concerned that one of the maids might get a little upset about them undoing their hard work, but he trusted Nightmare’s judgement. Wincing only slightly as he hair was brushed out of the position it had been set into, Dream watched the way his brother’s brows furrowed in concentration and how his tongue poked out the barest bit. Chuckling lightly, he held back another wince.
“What?” Nightmare asked, combing out Dream’s bangs so they comfortably framed his face in soft curls.
“Nothing.” Dream answered as Nightmare took a step back to admire his work. When he appeared satisfied, he grabbed Dream by the wrist and dragged him over to a floor length mirror that hung nearby. Pulling Dream in front of him, Nightmare rested a hand on each of his brother’s shoulders and smiled at him from over one.
“So?” Nightmare said. “What do you think?”
Dream admired his ceremonial clothes once again, the way they made him look, the way they made him feel, and even without the crown on his head he felt like a prince. Somehow, with Nightmare grinning at him through the mirror and the comforting weight of the cape on his shoulders, Dream found the responsibility easier to bear.
“I think...” Dream said, returning Nightmare’s grin. “I think I’m ready for this.”
Nightmare’s face brightened. “Good.”
Upon studying his brother’s form in the mirror in front of him, Dream noticed something missing. “Where’s your crown?”
“With yours getting polished.” Nightmare said. “It’s gotten a little…dull…from how little I’ve worn it lately.”
“Mm…” Dream hummed, raising an eyebrow. “Do you know what my crown looks like?”
“Yeah.” Nightmare said. “It’s simple, elegant. It suits you.”
“Aww, I’m glad you think I’m simple and elegant.”
Nightmare snorted, smacking Dream lightly on the back of the head. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it!”
Dream snickered. “I do!”
It was here that Nightmare seemed to…space out. His hands migrated to the opposite shoulder, crossing over themselves and trapping Dream in a sort of embrace. He rested his chin on the shoulder he had previously been looking over, and gazed off somewhere by the bottom corner of the mirror, eyes glassy. Dream smiled something soft.
“Whatcha thinking about?” Dream asked, unintentionally mirroring his brother’s question from earlier.
“Just…” Nightmare said as he blinked himself out of his trance. “Mom has me carrying your crown for the ceremony.”
“Really?”
Nightmare nodded. “Normally, her advisor would hold it but…she wants me to do it. To pass it to her when she crowns you.”
“Do you know why that is?” Dream said, turning his head to look at Nightmare out of the corner of his eyes.
“At first I thought she was doing it as a way to sort of…shove it in everyone’s face that I wasn’t some sort of…bad omen.” Nightmare said. “But she explained to me that it’s more than that. That it’s me…making a promise of sorts. To the kingdom, yeah, but more importantly, to you.”
“…Is it a secret promise?” Dream said quietly. Nightmare met his gaze and shook his head lightly.
“It’s not.” Nightmare said, smirking. “Why? Do you want to know?”
Dream nodded. “Yeah.”
Nightmare hummed, unlinking his arms from around Dream’s sternum, and sparing a moment to ruffle Dream’s hair.
“Maybe I’ll tell you…later.” Nightmare said. “For now, we should go meet up with mother before the guests arrive.”
“Niiiiight!” Dream whined. “Come on! Tell me!”
“I will! I will!” Nightmare said through a wave of laughs. “Just later! We’ve got to get going.”
Still pouting a little, Dream made his way away from the mirror and over to the large double doors of the room, sparing a minute to glance over his shoulder at where Nightmare still stood. Opening one of the doors, Dream extended a hand.
“Come on, then.” Dream said. Nightmare took his hand and the two of them left the room, silent for a moment as they walked down the hall. Dream smiled, swinging their joined hands. “Let’s get this party started!”
Nightmare laughed, and Dream felt relaxed enough to join him.
~
The first guests had already arrived when Dream and Nightmare found their way back to the ballroom to meet with their mother, but the twins avoided them without a problem, finding their mother walking quickly towards them, an advisor following behind her.
“Your Majesty,” the advisor was saying, “I strongly suggest you re-evaluate your decision…”
“And I have already told you,” Nyx said, stopping the man in his tracks, “that this decision is not up for negotiating. I’ve made my choice. You’re dismissed.”
When her advisor took his leave, Nyx turned to her sons and gave an exasperated shake of her head and roll of her eyes that had them smiling. She was dressed elegantly, fitting for such an occasion, and her blonde hair was piled in an intricate looking design atop her head. Her dress was green, rimmed with gold and silver, and her crown was large and extravagant, the emblem of a sun sat proudly at its centre. Something Dream noticed, and his brother must have too if his reaction was anything to go by, was that she wore a long silver pendant around her neck, on which rested a simple crescent moon.
“Mother…” Nightmare said, pointing at said pendant. “You’re…”
Nyx smiled at him, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his cheek, smoothing the skin there soothingly. “I figured it was only fitting for such an occasion. After all, you will be joining us tonight, Starlight.”
Nightmare smiled, but it was small, hesitant and unsure. “Are you…sure about all this?”
“Are you?” Nyx asked. Gently, she took both of her sons by their shoulders. “Tonight is a memorious occasion, and you should both try to enjoy yourselves. Dream, I implore you to mingle with our guests, but I request that you do not let anyone try to tell you how to behave. Mind your manners and your etiquette, but be yourself. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I understand.” Dream said with a nod. “Roughly…how many people will be present this afternoon?”
“Based solely on the responses we received, approximately two-hundred.” Nyx responded. “And that is not including those we haven’t heard back from.”
“Wow…” Dream breathed, apprehension spiking. “That’s…a lot of people…”
“I also have a few guests coming from overseas.” Nyx informed them, leading them on a walk down the length of the ballroom. “They shouldn’t be here for more than a day after the ceremony, but Nightmare I thought I should relocate you for a night or so, as the majority of the guest bedrooms are on the west wing with your own. I would rather not have them near you, if possible.”
“It shouldn’t be an issue to occupy one of the empty rooms in the east wing for a night or two.” Nightmare said, shrugging.
Dream turned to his mother, eyes wide. “Can’t Nighty just stay with me?”
Nightmare nudged Dream’s arm. “Really? Having me two doors away isn’t good enough for you?”
“No…” Dream mumbled, pouting slightly. “And don’t pretend you didn’t have fun last night.”
“I never said that.” Nightmare rolled his eyes, an amused smirk on his face. “But if you’d rather be cramped in a bed with me for a night or so, that’s up to you.”
Dream stuck his tongue out at his brother. “Meanie.”
“Boys…” Nyx said with a laugh. “I’ll get someone to make you up a room, Nightmare, but you two are free to do whatever you wish.”
“See?” Dream said, grinning as he turned to Nightmare. “Mom’s on my side.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Nightmare said. Smiling lightly, he reached out and linked their arms, leaning in to whisper to Dream. “Mom would let you get away with anything though.”
“I heard that.” Nyx called from where she walked a little ahead of them. The twins snickered.
“I love you, mom.” Nightmare said.
“And I love you.” Nyx responded, glancing at her sons over her shoulder with a bemused smile. “But enough joking around. The guests will be arriving shortly, so we should go prepare ourselves.”
Nightmare gave Dream a gentle smile and they followed their mother into a room off of the ballroom, closing the doors behind them.