Chapter Text
Prince Squall de Loire leaned against the sill of his window as he gazed down at the courtyard. It sat so far below that the children who played there were moving blurs (he could only make out their hair color). Ever since he was a child himself Squall had always avoided such places; they were seen as the meeting spots for temporary relationships (a sort of friends today, but gone tomorrow deal)... It didn't behoove him to indulge in such short-lived company, even in youth.
Today, however, he sighed and thought that seemed rather lovely in comparison to the reality he was to face in a few days time: he was to pick and marry a stranger at his eighteenth birthday ball. Squall slumped against his window and nearly ached for the freedom of childhood, including in the harsh ritual of constantly acquainting himself with new friends he'd never see again, if only to play like a normal child just once (a luxury he had denied himself).
Those days of possibility were gone, however. The Prince was no longer a child, but instead a teenager on the cusp of manhood wondering why he couldn't just force himself to be okay with the whole ordeal. It wasn't as if this was news to him; he had been told what his responsibilities as the next royal heir would be since he was a child. He had known for years what freedoms and the lack-there-ofs his position granted all his life.
At least he got to choose his fiance, to some degree.
The brunette stood and shuffled his way to the bed, which he flopped across with a great sigh.
Mother and father worked out, he reminded himself solemnly. Then again, mother had been a Inn Master father was lucky enough to meet before his eighteenth. Though it was (almost) love at first sight, they were still strangers when the two had wed. It was perhaps luck that they turned out to be perfect for each other.
"Knock knock knock!" Came a cheerful, feminine voice as she rapped upon Squall's door.
Squall groaned into his comforter in response, but otherwise didn't move or speak. He tried to pretend to be napping.
The door creaked opened and in walked a young girl in untraditional clothing: she had a band about her forehead and a male's servant outfit customized to her shape for a uniform. She walked into the room with a bright grin.
"Gooooooooood morning, your highness!"
Squall tried to sound as if he were snoring. He heard the girl chuckle, but not as she made her way to the bed. He only knew she had arrived after she began to shake his shoulders.
"Oh, my dear sleeping beauty!" The girl said dramatically. "Your father wants to see you, so either get up or I'll sing you my favorite war ballad again!"
That caused Squall to sit up so fast his head nearly knocked his attendant in the chin.
"Ha! Knew that'd get you up!" She said proudly, but then tapped her chin in thought. "But wait... should I be offended by that?"
"What is it that father wants, Yuffie?" Squall asked with a tired roll of his eyes.
"Oh! Not sure. Probably about the ball tonight."
Squall groaned as if in pain and closed his eyes with a cringe. "Tonight...? He sped it up?"
"Not the engagement ball, if that concerns you," she amended with an apologetic smile. "That one the invitations and announcements just went out today. Gotta give people time to get ready!"
"Then what ball?"
"Don't know! Maybe an early birthday? How about you ask him when you meet him?"
Squall flopped back down onto his bed. "Tell him it can wait..."
"The King said if you're not there in fifteen minutes, you'll be made to eat with the family for a week in the dining hall."
Squall twitched. "Ugh..." He sighed. "Tell them to make it twenty-five minutes... I want to take my time getting dressed."
Yuffie giggled, "The King thought you might say that so the royal dressers were sent. They'll be here in a minute."
Squall growled with annoyance and grit his teeth. "...Go... away... Let me die... in peace..."
"But you're my favorite prince! I couldn't do that to you!"
Something akin to a whine whistled from the Prince just as the dressers arrived with another knock. He clenched his fists and fought the oncoming headache threatening to blossom at the edge of his temples.
oo00oo00oo
The Prince stood at the large double-doors of his parents' lounge room wearing much stiffer, more formal attire than what he would usually wear when having a simple conversation with his father... Which, of course, meant this was a more serious matter. Yuffie stood by his side and knocked on the thick, hundreds-years old wood with the usual enthusiasm and confidence. Squall always wondered how she never hurt her small hands when slamming them into hard surfaces.
"His highness, Prince Squall!" Announced the miniscule (at least compared to Squall) girl as soon as she was authorized to open the doors, which she did with a flourish.
The king and queen sat at a round table and chuckled at Yuffie's antics.
"You know you aren't required to formally announce him?" The queen asked as she raised her teacup and drank.
"Yes, ma'am, your highness, but I like making him a spectacle. He gets that twitch in his eye..." Yuffie looked up as Squall moved to walk past her to join the king and queen at the table. She pointed and said, "Yeah! That one!"
"Stop teasing him," the king said with a smile. It raised all the lines in his still handsome face--lines earned from years of laughter. "Go annoy the chef! He has your favorite cinnamon buns."
"Right-o!" Yuffie saluted, bowed, and skipped out to leave the royals alone.
Squall shook his head as he pulled a chair out for himself and sat unceremoniously onto the cushion. He stared blankly at his parent as if they were about to sentence him to the gallows and he was prepared to go.
"Wow, so serious," the king said playfully as he leaned his elbow on the table. "You always seem so much older than your age..." It was a wistful comment as the man looked upon his son with pride and affection.
Squall continued to frown back.
"Anyway," his mother began with a clink of cup on saucer, "you may have guessed, but we have bad news." Her voice was soft and comforting, and her smile was quiet but still full of love (love... and a little sadness) as she turned to her son.
King Laguna sighed and turned a pair of puppy-dog eyes on Squall, who had no chance of replicating it even if he wanted to. It was another sign of trouble when the king tried to look cute. "We have moved the engagement ball to tonight--"
"What?"
"Now, son, let me finish--"
"I don't even get the three last days I was promised? It was already bad when it was on my birthday!"
"About that--"
"Will I at least get to wait to actually marry them next year, like you did?"
Queen Raine placed a hand on Squall's forearm, which immediately silenced him. The Prince hadn't even noticed he had been leaning over the table or how high his voice had gotten until she murmured, "Darling, my little lion... You're so outspoken, and I love you dearly. However, you still lack listening skills." She released him with a giggle. "No matter what the outcome of any ball or when it's held, you must learn to remain calm. If you yell, you have already lost the battle."
Squall sighed and nodded. He moved to clench his hands into his lap (teeth grinding wasn't allowed).
"So, the engagement party," Laguna cleared his throat, "is tonight, but the bad news doesn't end there..."
Squall remained silent this time, but his knitted brows were clearly writ with dread.
"You must also marry on your birthday," Laguna spoke quickly, and even more speedily leaned close to his wife as if he planned to use her as a meat shield. Raine stared at her husband flatly.
"... Why?" Squall said as steadily as he could.
Laguna sighed with relief and sat up straight. He visibly linked hands with his wife on the table and seemed to draw strength from that.
"To establish yourself as the new king."
"Why me? You have Uncle Auron..."
"Why you?" Laguna asked incredulously. "Because we know what you're capable of!" Laguna exclaimed almost too loud as he grinned as bright as the sun. "You're intelligent, tough, you don't take sass from anyone--not even when you were four!--you're beautiful like your mom, charming when you feel like, and you know what you're doing. Your uncle, as brave as he is, even thought you had more courage than anyone when standing up to bullies twice your size and arrogant adults alike! Your speech about hubris at your school when you were a boy, filled with more vocabulary than I knew existed, commandeered you a lot of early respect. You are meant for this role!"
It was rare Squall felt much pride (he had pride enough to be willing to fight when disrespected, though not much in way of his own achievements) but hearing how excited his father was to brag about his exploits and better characteristics nearly caused him to turn pink. He cleared his throat instead (considerably less angry now).
"... You... really think that...?"
"Yes!"
Raine again laid her free hand on Squall's arm. "... Your father and I are getting on in years. You may not think so, but we are quite old by the standard." The queen rubbed her son's wrist gently. "There was so much turmoil, and my being a peasant was such a hurdle... Your uncle being my brother and an unpredictable man doesn't adhere him to the people. The reason your father had to wait was so he could fight to marry me, otherwise he would have been in the same position as you."
"Does that mean if I'm stubborn enough--"
"Nope."
"Damn..."
"Language!" Laguna huffed.
"We worry you'll be alone forever."
"And we won't have grandkids!"
"Darling," Raine said in a voice full of warning.
Laguna ignored her. "I want at least three, you hear?"
"... Do I still get to choose my fiance?"
"To an extent." Raine brushed some hair from Squall's face and beamed when they locked eyes.
Laguna laughed. "We had hoped you would choose one of your play-mates, but every time we set you up with some you would scare them off!"
The brunette Prince grunted at that. He took a deep breath and allowed both his parents to take his hands as he considered all they said and what the implications of their words truly meant. "... I see."
The king and queen looked on expectantly, but Squall only nodded, released them, and stood.
"... No complaints?" Laguna quirked a brow. "Who are you and what have you done with our baby?"
Squall rolled his eyes and turned on his heel to leave.