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The carriage rocks, and all the passengers rock in unison with it. Lup keeps her eyes on her hands, folded in her lap under gloves and rings and bracelets. If she can focus on that, she won’t have to focus on the man sitting across from her.
But who is she kidding? Her mind can never stray from Barry for long; he’s so brilliant and beautiful and kind…
Her eyes lift, inevitably, to gaze at him. He’s staring out the window, watching the sprawling hills turn to busy townsfolk as they approach their destination. His heavy armor glints in the sunlight; her jewelry does the same. For a sliver of a moment, his eyes meet hers, and they both look away.
The only thing worse than a relationship that can never happen is an unrequited crush you know is mutual.
The diamond on Lup’s ring finger glimmers. Maybe it’s just a trick of the mind, but it shines brighter than any gem or metal in the carriage; both passengers silently avoid it.
Lup swallows, and closes her eyes.
Neverwinter is lovely; Lord Artemis Sterling, less so. But Lup is used to it, royal duties have sent her here before, and she knows how to politely nod as he rattles on about naming legislations or recreational legalizations or whatever it is the boy-king has preoccupied himself with.
They arrive by lunchtime, and there’s a spot set up for them. Or… two spots. Lup is one of many royals, including her brother, to be staying here for the next few days. Obviously, that would require a lot of protection; so much, in fact, that it necessitates a second table. Two parallel lines stretch across the dining hall, separating royal from guard.
She focuses on her food, on the dull conversation, on anything but the fact that fate seated them within eyeshot. She would look up to respond to Lord Sterling or Lady Lucretia or anyone else, but her gaze would shift to the piercing eyes across the way, and they’d have to tear themselves from each other.
“Lup?” Sterling asks, and Lup bites back a blush and a curse in equal measure, eyes snapping back to the Lord. “Did you hear what I said?”
“My apologies, Artemis,” Lup says, forcing a smile. She hates that they’re on a first name basis, even if Neverwinter is her kingdom’s best ally. “Could you repeat that?”
“I was only asking for your opinion on the reason you came here in the first place. I’m sure you have the most interesting thoughts on King Edward and Queen Lydia.”
Sterling’s eyes are trained solely on Lup, so he doesn’t see Lucretia’s eyes dart between the two as if a bomb was about to go off.
Lup’s smile turns venomous. “I’m happy for them.”
She is not. The twins were able to convince their now-late parents to allow them to rule side by side; a king and queen rather than one ruler and one royal sibling. Anyone who knows Lup and Taako knows that they tried endlessly to do the same, but were denied such a luxury. Being raised by a council in lieu of equally dead parents limits royals’ abilities to be so unconventional.
Now Lup is engaged, in an arranged marriage with a man who apparently cannot see how uninterested she is in him. And Taako is doomed to live in her shadow; they will no doubt rule equally, taking both their opinions into account on all matters, but it’s just her that will be the face of their kingdom, rather than both of them. (If anything, she’d prefer Taako to be in that position; he’s always taken to the spotlight so well.) Now they have to attend the coronation and spend this whole trip marked as “the twins who couldn’t.”
At the reminder of the horrible state of things, her eyes can’t help but flit to Barry again. His situation with her is purely coincidental, a wicked and cruel accident. On top of everything else, she’s in love with the “wrong” man, and that sits heavier on her heart than anything else.
This time, she caught him staring; at this point they should make a game of it, but that’d probably only distract her. She can imagine the smirk she’d send his way every time she caught him, a knowing and smug glint in her eye. He’d surely blush and stutter in that adorable way he does, and it’d take everything in Lup to keep from crossing the room and—
She should stop going down that particular path.
“I see,” Sterling says, blind as ever to people that aren’t himself. “You must forgive me for asking, I was only curious to see how one of the other twins would react to the news.”
Lup wants to bury her fork into his neck. “I appreciate your concern for my brother and me,” she says through gritted teeth. If she stabs her fish with too much ferocity, no one comments.
The door to the dining hall opens. In steps Taako and Magnus, the latter trailing a respective five paces behind the former. Taako nods to Magnus, who splits off and goes to join the other feasting guards like a boy allowed to go play with his friends. He slings a comradely arm around Barry’s shoulder in a half hug before serving himself a plate. Lup tells herself that it’s Magnus’ late entrance that drew her eyes to the other table this time.
Taako glides like a (social) butterfly on the wind. He stops every few seats to shake hands or pat backs, trading smiles that only a twin sister can tell are fake. He’s just as tired of this bullshit as her, but he’s a lot better at hiding it.
“Lord Artemis,” Taako says with a wide smile, arms held out as if to hug the other man.
Sterling stands and sticks out a hand instead. “Prince Taako. I’m glad you could make it.”
“A pleasure to be here,” Taako says, taking the hand and giving it a firm shake. “I must apologize for my lateness. There were matters to attend to in Toosun, and we thought it best if our… queen-to-be here arrived punctually instead.”
He sends that smile up Lup's way for just a moment, silently passing the message of “Don’t worry, I’m here to deal with assholes with you,” to her with it.
As he gracefully sits himself down next to her, Sterling says, “Of course, I don’t mind at all. It is a pleasure to have you here, Taako. In fact, I would love to get your opinion on what the chefs have cooked up for us.”
Taako eyes the fish served to him by a maid that disappears as quickly as she comes. He picks up a fork and takes a bite, Lup immediately focusing on his reaction. She’s already eaten it, she knows it’s dry and underseasoned, but she wants to see how he keeps a straight face.
His lips purse for a split second, then relax. One eye twitches, then he quickly chews and swallows. Lup trades a look with Lucretia, who is subtly trying very hard not to laugh.
“This is…” Taako starts, and he looks down at the offending meat with wide eyes. His polite smile is locked in place, and he looks like he’s trying to keep from losing it completely.
“Ah, I’ve sent you speechless, I see,” Sterling says.
Taako nods hurriedly, grasping onto the olive branch he was accidentally handed. “That’s exactly it. This is wonderful.”
Lup quickly takes a sip from her chalice to hide her smile. She and Taako use that adjective to describe things that they loathe beyond all others. It’s come to the point where Edward and Lydia’s kingdom of Wounurith has been nicknamed Wonderland.
“I’m glad to hear it!” Sterling announces jovially, ever unaware of his own assholery.
The meal continues. Boring conversations and inside twin jokes (twinside jokes, if you will), all interspaced with stolen glances across the hall.
Magnus has successfully roped everyone around him into a story punctuated with gestures and flexed muscles. Barry seems as engaged in it as Lup is in Sterling’s stories of the latest happenings in his kingdom. They both keep staring at each other. Lup keeps her eyes on her dead fish but she feels his eyes on her and she has to keep from blushing or crying or screaming that it shouldn’t have to be like this.
A hand gently nudges her side and she reaches down to let Taako hold her hand and squeeze it sympathetically. He draws the conversation to himself, bringing up a topic guaranteed to let him and Sterling talk for hours and distract everyone from Lup and the pressure building behind her eyes.
Lup has met the man she is to marry exactly once. When this whole thing was arranged between her kingdom and his, they both attended the meeting. He gave her a polite smile and a sheepish shrug, and that was her impression of him; he’s a polite, sheepish man in the same position as her, also having to marry a stranger. They haven’t met since, and won’t meet until the coronation; that’s when they’ll have to parade around as a couple for the first time. And Barry, as her personal guard, will be there the whole time, watching her have to pretend to be in love with the wrong man. And she’ll have to watch him pretend his heart isn’t shattering in perfect harmony with hers.
Her fiancé didn’t have a say in this any more than Lup did, and she really shouldn’t hold this situation against him. But fuck , it’s so easy to hate him.
She hurriedly undoes the laces on her gown to get it off of her as soon as possible. She throws it onto the floor and glares at it for a total of three seconds before scooping it up and dumping it into the laundry basket. Alone in the bathroom, she turns to her reflection as she takes off her jewelry. The earrings go first, letting her ears get some autonomy back; they fall down in a clear indication of sadness. Her rings are plucked off and put in the box, then her hands are stripped and the gloves are thrown in the laundry too. As the necklaces and bracelets go, a weight both metaphorical and literal is lifted off of her. In her underclothes, without her gems and gold, she is the most honest version of herself. Very few get to see her like this.
She picks up her nightgown, not nearly as thick or fancy as her day gowns. It’s made to simply preserve her modesty, as her kingdom is known for its warm weather. Just as the name suggests, Neverwinter isn’t cold either, so she’ll be fine as is. Quickly undoing her braid and letting her hair hang loose, she leaves the bathroom behind and enters the bedroom.
Barry’s been unpacking her luggage into the guest room, putting clothes in the closet and books on the shelf. Right now, he’s peeling back the covers on the bed for her, and they make eye contact while his hands are still on the blankets.
They both avoid their gazes again, trying to pretend that helping someone into bed is a normal thing that people who aren’t in love with each other do. His hand holds hers as she lays down, and he pulls the covers up to her shoulders, eyes squarely on the blankets rather than the woman under them. Afterwards, he retreats to the chair by the door, waiting for the next guard to come and take the night shift. But… there’s always an hour or so between now and then.
“There is enough room for both of us,” Lup says, shattering the silence with her soft voice. She makes eye contact with him and… she’s never seen so much emotion in one stare. It’s intoxicating.
“…I can’t,” he whispers back.
She sighs and looks down; that’s always the answer, she really should stop asking. She turns to lay on her side, facing him. If she can’t have the warmth of his body next to hers, she’ll have the warmth of his gaze to lull her to sleep.
He stares back. He takes a shaky breath in and his face morphs into one of pain. “Your majesty, please.”
Lup wants to cry, but she understands. She barely survives when she has to be so close yet so far from him; if she were to fall asleep like this, he’d be subject to the same fate.
She turns her back to him and pulls the covers up to her chin. Taking deep breaths to keep tears from welling in her eyes, she listens to his own breath. They’ve known each other for years— they’ve been at this for years — so she knows that he knows that she doesn’t fall asleep until after he’s gone.
The morning is spent emotionless and empty. Breakfast is as tasteless and uneventful as dinner, and Taako gives her worried looks as she listlessly moves her food around her plate without eating much.
Once she’s all dressed up and royal again, he’s waiting outside her door. Their gazes are heaviest in the mornings. “I missed you”s are silently traded before he has to follow behind her, five gaping paces behind.
She’s encouraged to see the sights of Neverwinter. The castle sits atop a hill, and from the balconies and windows she can see bustling city skylines and gorgeous horizons.
Yes, the view and the gardens are beautiful, but nothing holds a candle to Barry. They’ve been alone together all day, but no words are traded. Words can turn to touches, and touches to kisses, and what would happen if someone found them making out against the topiaries? Nothing good, that’s what, even if her skin burns for the contact.
She’s standing on a balcony now, eyes on the sky but all her attention on the man standing by the entrance.
“I don’t think I can do this anymore,” she tells the clouds.
“…I don’t think we have a choice,” he tells the stone.
The midafternoon air blankets them in privacy. “I die a little every moment you’re gone.”
“I freeze without your warmth, princess.”
Lup swallows around the lump in her throat. “I don’t love him.”
“I know.”
“I love you.”
“I know,” Barry says, “…I consider myself very lucky to have that love.”
“I have your heart and you have mine. What happens when his ring is on my finger?”
“Nothing. I am only your knight, and that won’t change.” He adds, “It can’t change.”
Lup feels a pressure behind her eyes. “I…”
She’s sick of talking to him like this, planning out every word and careful metaphor. She wants to plainly tell him how much he means to her; she wants to kiss his brains out and feel his hands on her skin.
He feels the exact same way, that’s the worst part. If she kissed him right now, the only thing that would pull them apart is the band around her finger.
“I can’t marry him,” she says. She’ll find a way out of it, she’ll fake her death if she has to. There is no way in hell she’s marrying a man that isn’t Barry.
Barry says nothing. What do you say?
Footsteps approach; Lup stands up straighter and focuses her attention on the view as if nothing happened. She hears the clinking of armor as Barry does the same.
“Princess Lup,” a voice says, and she turns with a perfectly false pleasant expression. A short, stout woman in the maids’ uniform is standing there, looking a bit out of breath.
“Yes?” Lup asks.
“It’s your fiancé, your majesty. He has arrived, and wishes to greet you in the courtyard.”
Lup will surely be sick. It’s both easier and harder than ever to keep her eyes off of Barry; if she looks at him, she’d most definitely burst into tears, but at least she’d be able to see more than the faint glimpse of armor out of the corner of her eye.
“Oh?” Lup asks, throat suddenly dry. The maid nods. “Thank you for telling me… um—”
“Noelle, ma’am.”
“Noelle. Thank you. I’ll be right down, please tell him that.”
Noelle flashes a smile and does a quick curtesy. “Of course, your majesty.”
She runs off, and as soon as they’re alone again, Lup’s smile falls. She takes a deep breath, then another, and a third. Determined to get this over with, she leaves the balcony and enters the hallway; on her way out, for a split second, she makes eye contact with Barry in passing. His gaze is strong and steady as ever, and it’s that which helps keep her composure as she walks down the hallways and stairwells to the courtyard.
Her fiancé is waiting for her. His horse drawn carriage and his outfit are funeral black and his touch is cold, but his smile is warm.
“Princess Lup,” he says, bowing. “It is lovely to see you.”
Lup drops herself into a curtsey, head lowered. “Prince Kravitz, I feel the same.”
It’s a lie, and a hard one at that, but she keeps her face neutral and her voice level. When he extends an elbow she puts her hand in his arm and they walk back into the castle. Five paces behind her, she hears the steady footsteps of her true love.
It doesn’t get any better. Kravitz expresses a desire to talk with her one-on-one, alone. She agrees, of course, finding no excuse to avoid it other than the pit in her stomach. Walking into his chambers feels like a long walk off a short cliff, and Barry having to stay outside doesn’t make it any easier.
He stands guard beside the door, and their hands brush on Lup’s way in. She immediately puts the touch to memory, even through two layers of gloves. She lets it be her footing, the thing that will keep her strong through this.
Kravitz’s room is identical to hers, being cookie cutter guest suites and all, but he brought with him books and maps and instruments, all in black covers or casings.
“I’m happy we could have a chance to meet before tomorrow,” he says, pulling out a chair for her to sit in. “I have some things I would like to discuss, if you are interested.”
Lup takes the seat, and he sits down across from her, a small table between them. “Yes, of course. I actually have some things to say as well.”
“Oh! Please, go first,” he says with a polite smile and wave of his hand.
She opens her mouth to speak, but hesitates and closes it again. How can she tell him that she’s in love with a man standing right outside? How would he react? Hey Kravitz I don’t wanna marry you because I’m in love with my knight! Sorry for the inconvenience, but could we reschedule this whole marriage and alliance thing? Thanks!
No. That won’t do. “Nevermind, it was nothing. But, what was it you wanted to say?”
Kravitz looks a bit taken aback by that. Oh no, could he tell? Surely, her lovesick expression is plain on her face; surely it’s obvious that the object of her affection isn’t Kravitz. Obviously she isn’t in love with him— he’s a stranger— but he can see that she does love someone, which complicates things.
He chooses his words carefully, fingers twitching as he thinks. Finally, he settles on, “I’m just… very happy that it was you.” He puts a hand over hers, and sends her that same warm smile.
Oh. Okay. Um. “…Thank you, Kravitz.”
“Of course, Lup,” he says, smile not faltering.
The informal use of names suggests a level of intimacy reserved for important relationships… such as spouses. Neither of them truly know or care for each other in that way and aren’t pretending to, but they should get used to each other. Lup knows it will be hard for her; but… looking at the care in Kravitz’s eyes, it seems that it might be a lot easier for him.
What a predicament: Lup’s fiancé might very well have feelings for her.
The coronation of King Edward and Queen Lydia is… as expected. Grand and dramatic and false in a subtle way that has Lup holding back a yawn in the face of gilded crowns and flowing robes. But she’s done this before and she’ll surely do it again; she knows how to get through it. She plasters on a smile and trains her gaze onto the twins, and lets herself zone out enough to not get bored.
The following party is where these shindigs get fun. She eats and drinks and ropes Taako into a dumb dance or two, and maybe she meets up with noble friends to catch up.
This party isn’t much different. Lup is pretty sure everyone she’s ever met is here, so she never fails to find conversation. The food in Wonderland is much more flavorful than in Neverwinter, and she shares giddy, childlike grins with Taako over their respective plates. The music is lively and never-ending, thanks to the kingdom of Astra.
…Aaand that’s where the problem lies: Astra. Kravitz, Prince of Astra. Kravitz, fiancé of Lup.
She’s on his arm all night, having to share everything with him: conversation, food, dances; even as a twin she’s never had to share this much!
He’s not boring… not completely. He’s a talented musician and a good conversationalist, but his go-to topic of conversation seems to always be the same few things. Lup doesn’t mind, really; she gets it, he seems like a fish out of water, but it’s boring to hear a noble asking what instruments Kravitz plays for the seventh time. She makes sure to bring up interesting new topics whenever she can, and she catches Kravitz’s relieved expression each time.
But as always, Lup finds herself getting bored; and when she’s bored, her eyes wander. Knights are stationed around the perimeter of the room, and Barry’s among them. He sticks out to her and she’s constantly aware of where she is in relation to him all evening.
It’s unbearable. She has to pretend to like a stranger— let alone love him— and Barry has to watch her walk around in misery. It gets to the point where she looks at him, subtly nods in the direction of an empty hallway, and excuses herself to find a bathroom.
She disappears down the hallway and walks until the sound of music and laughter is distant; it takes her to a balcony, overlooking a gigantic flower garden this time. She focuses on the colors backdropped against the night sky until she hears heavy footfalls approach.
“You shouldn’t be left alone, princess,” Barry says.
“I’m never alone,” Lup says, turning. She smiles sadly at him. “Not with you to protect me.”
His smile mirrors her own and he takes a few steps forward, stopping when he’s five paces away. “May I ask why you’re out here? The party’s inside.”
“I don’t care about anyone in there,” Lup says, holding out a hand. “All I need is you.”
Barry glances around. There are no windows, and the partygoers are distant and distracted. He takes her hand, and finally closes the distance between them.
His arms are warm and steady around her, and hers are wrapped around his shoulders. His face is tucked into the place where her neck and shoulder meet, and his breath tickles her skin. They hold each other as close as they can, feeling warmth through fabric and metal and soaking it in. Lup backs up, just enough to cradle his face in her hands, then pulls his lips to hers.
The kiss is heavenly; his lips are surprisingly soft and kind, just like him. She knows she tastes of gold and gems, but he tastes real.
When it ends, Lup instinctually wipes away tears she didn’t know were falling. Her gloves are being soaked through, but they just won’t stop and—
His hand is by her face, hesitant to touch her; he’s treating her like a work of art, look don’t touch. But she presses his hand into her cheek, closing her eyes so she can savour this. His thumb wipes away her tears, and his other hand cups her other cheek to do the same on that side. She holds her hands on his wrists to keep them there.
She opens her eyes and says it again. “All I need is you.”
He smiles, rueful. “A princess with everything… yet she still isn’t happy.”
“That implies that I’m greedy,” Lup says, “Maybe I am, but I don’t care anymore. I’d happily give all of that up just to spend eternity in this moment.”
He kisses her again, sending enough gentle comfort through it to stop the tears. “As would I.”
“Lup?”
Her head jerks; Barry flies away from her as if she burnt him. Standing in the archway is Kravitz, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“I…” Lup trails off, not knowing how to finish her sentence. She can’t exactly say nothing was happening. “How long have you been there?”
They all hear running footsteps as Taako enters the scene. His expression tells Lup he was trying to stall Kravitz, and his timing tells her he was too late.
Kravitz keeps looking at her— his tear-stained and starcrossed fiancée. Then his attention turns to Barry, who ducks his head under the gaze of a prince and says nothing; Kravitz’s expression isn’t angry but it is unreadable. He turns back to Lup.
“We should get back to the party,” he says, and his voice is also unreadable. Lup wants to crack his skull over her knee so she can read what he’s thinking. Even violent anger would be better than the unknown. “But… I’ll give you a minute.”
He looks at each of them, expression conflicted, then turns and leaves. Taako bounces on his toes for a second, rapidly looking between Kravitz and the couple; he gives Lup his best sympathetic look before running after Kravitz again.
Lup’s shoulders sag and she stares at the ground. Tears well in her eyes again but she clamps them shut to keep herself from crying again. She grits her teeth and her shoulders shake around a sob, but no tears fall. It’s all about how good she has to look once she goes back in there; it’s always been about appearances, right?
“I’m so sorry,” Barry says. He is, once more, five paces away. He sounds on the verge of tears, and Lup shakes her head.
“It’s not your fault. It’s not mine.” Her voice wavers. “This was all just… a mistake.”
This never should have happened. She never should have let herself develop feelings for a man that could never be hers, and she never should have roped Barry into this. As a princess, her kingdom comes before herself; she is to marry Prince Kravitz so as to align her kingdom with his. They will be wed, and their kingdoms will grow stronger. That is all.
Lup looks at Barry one last time; his strong jaw, the hint of stubble, those kind eyes. Then she turns, and leaves the balcony. Down the hall, back to the party; Barry stays five paces away.
Kravitz wants to speak with her alone again. They’re back in Neverwinter, and the carriages coming to take them back to their respective kingdoms are on their way. Before that happens though, Kravitz pulls her aside.
His room is cleaner. Things are packed and the boxes sit in a corner. Kravitz sits in the same chair as before, a lot less cordial and more at a loss for words.
Lup sits down across from him, feeling like a kid in trouble. She keeps her posture straight and her hands in her lap, just as she was taught.
“I’ve realized,” Kravitz starts, “that there are a lot of things we haven’t told each other.”
Lup nods. She avoids meeting his eyes, and she keeps her ears from being a clear indicator of her sadness.
“I don’t suppose you have to tell me what secret you were keeping from me,” he says.
“I suppose not,” she says, and even she’s surprised at how emotionless she’s made her tone. With the ocean of feelings in her chest, she managed to not let a single drop spill out of her mouth.
“Then I guess it’s my turn,” he says, taking a deep breath. Lup looks at him curiously until he says, “I’m gay.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh.”
He nods. “Oh.”
“But… you seemed so upset over catching me and Barry.”
“I think anyone would be surprised to see their fiancée kissing a knight on a balcony, gay or not,” Kravitz says, looking a lot more relaxed with the confession off his chest. “I wasn’t upset about you ‘cheating on me’ or whatever, I just didn’t expect to find you two like that.”
She nods. “Oh, well what about earlier? I could’ve sworn I could tell you liked me back. Before the coronation?”
“That?” Kravitz asks. “I could tell you didn’t like me. I didn’t know you loved someone else, but I was just happy you didn’t fall head over heels at first sight like half the suitors I’ve gotten.”
“Oh,” Lup says again. Then, unable to help herself, she starts laughing. It’s appropriate right? Their situation is laughable! A gay prince and a spoken for princess, engaged to be married. How ridiculous!
Kravitz laughs too, and soon neither of them can stop themselves, hands over their mouths to keep from being too loud. They only calm down when there’s a knock at the door.
“Oh, yes! There’s a whole other half that I haven’t told you about,” Kravitz says, getting up to open the door.
He steps aside to let in Taako, who looks between the two of them. “Have you told her yet?”
“No,” Kravitz says, closing the door. “Do you want to?”
“Tell me what?” Lup asks, causing a giant grin to appear on her brother’s face. He plops himself down in Kravitz’s seat and leans on it to speak conspiratorially to Lup.
“You’re not going to marry Kravitz,” he says, “I am.”
Oh. Oh of course! A smile blooms on Lup’s lips and Taako’s smile grows even larger as he nods.
He says, “We talked after the party. I explained everything—”
“And threatened to kill me if I told anyone,” Kravitz says casually, sitting on the edge of his bed with a smile.
“ I explained everything ,” Taako repeats, “and he told me he didn’t even want to marry you either. One thing led to another and… I learned he likes me a lot more than you.”
Kravitz crosses his arms and looks away from the twins, a blush forming on his face. Taako winks at him anyway and Lup laughs.
“So,” Taako says to Lup, “We tell the council it’s me getting married, not you, and we can let you and Mr. Loverboy live happily ever after! Win-win! Taako does it again!”
Lup breaks out into laughter again, this time out of relief. She gets to be with Barry; she gets to love him without hiding it. She couldn’t ask for anything more.
“Okay, let me see,” Lup says, coming into the small side room. The seamstress working on Taako’s sleeve finishes and bows her head to the princess, ducking out of the area.
Taako turns to her with a flourish, arms outstretched to his sides. “How do I look?”
He’s in a crisp white suit saved for the most special of events, chest decorated with medals and accents. His insisted addition of a long and over-the-top cape turns out to have been the perfect thing to make this outfit scream Taako. His hair has been tied back in a bun at the base of his skull, and he looks nice.
“You look like shit,” Lup says affectionately.
Taako rolls his eyes. “I could say the same to you,” he says, gesturing to her dress.
Save for the grooms, all attendees are to wear outfits in the colors of the princes’ nations; this makes this particular wedding a rather gothic affair, as Lup is now decked out in red and black. Her bodice is black and her skirt fades to a brilliant scarlet. It’s sleeveless, and she’s going without gloves today, so her (rather muscular) arms are on full display. Rubies are inlaid in her hair, which match her earrings and necklaces. She looks resplendent and she knows it.
“Yeah, sure, whatever you say, my king ,” Lup says, dropping into an exaggerated curtsey.
“Oh fuck off , stop it,” he says, pulling on her arms to get her standing upright again. She lets him lift her with a laugh, taking it when he shoves her shoulder.
“But seriously,” Lup says, smile turning soft. “you’re getting married. How do you feel?”
He pouts at her genuine expression of emotions, but a smile identical to hers appears on his face. “I’m happy.”
“Yeah?”
He nods. “I don’t love him like a husband, not yet, but that’s the whole thing,” he says, and he looks rather in love. “I can tell I will, one day.”
Lup smiles, taking his hands in hers. “I’m happy for you.”
“I’m… excited? For the future?” Taako says, not believing his own words.
“Weird, right?” Lup asks. She’s felt it too; the weight of dread lifting off her chest. She was born with the knowledge that her life would be written for her, but now she has wiggle room. She can make choices for herself, and that makes the future a lot brighter.
“It’s amazing,” Taako says.
Indeed it is.
There’s a knock at the door, and it hesitantly opens. Barry sticks his head through. “Uh, we’re starting soon.”
Lup nods, then turns back to Taako. She looks him up and down once more, then pulls him into a hug.
“You’re wrinkling it,” he says, hugging her back.
“Kravitz is so lucky to have you,” she tells him, then she’s leaving the room.
Closing the door behind her, she takes Barry’s hand in her own. “You look lovely.”
He looks down at his suit, black and red and a perfect counterpart to Lup’s outfit. “Really? I feel like these pants are, uh, they fit weird.”
“Darling, you are not wearing denim to my brother’s wedding. You just can’t.” She starts to pull him along until they’re walking side by side to their seats, hands intertwined in between them. He’s not wearing gloves either, and she relishes in the feeling of bare skin on bare skin.
“The knights’ armor was more comfortable,” he teases, “Now I’m a princess’ boyfriend, now I have to wear slacks.”
“Oh hush,” Lup says, “You’ll get used to it. Either way, it’s the price you pay for being so gorgeous.”
Barry blushes and looks away. “I can’t hold a candle to you, princess.”
“ Stop calling me that! Just use my name, dear.”
He shrugs, only half apologetic. “Old habits die hard, honey. Sorry.”
Her heart swells at the pet name. Yes, she likes when he calls her by her name, or even when he sticks with her title, but on the rare occasion he breaks out cutesy names, she feels her love for him grow impossibly larger.
She leans in to kiss his cheek. “It’s quite alright, love.”
He stops in his tracks to pull her in for a kiss on the lips. It’s soft and slow and sweet, nothing like the hurried kisses that defined their relationship before now. They can take their time, and it means nothing if someone were to find them right now.
…And someone does. A pointed cough draws their attention to Merle, dressed to the nines and ready to officiate. “I thought it was your brother getting married.”
Lup pulls away and rolls her eyes. “Can’t a woman kiss her lover in peace?”
“How about after the ceremony?” Barry offers, taking her hand again.
“Fine, but only because you said so,” Lup tells him. To Merle: “You have the worst timing.”
Merle scoffs. “Can we go already? I want to see what vows these two came up with.”
“Me too, can’t wait,” Lup says, and the three of them enter the chapel proper, where rows of pews are filled with royals and nobles waiting to see the wedding. The three travel to the front, where Barry and Lup sit in the front row while Merle heads to the front to officiate.
On either end of the room are two doors. In sync, they open, and the two grooms step out. Taako on the left, in his suit and cape, and Kravitz on the right, also dressed in white. His dreads have been pulled into a bun atop his head, and there are golden beads decorating them. He looks stunning, but his eyes are on Taako, a smile growing and growing as he walks to the center of the room. Taako looks awestruck, walking at the same pace.
They reach the middle and their hands join together; their smiles are giddy now, but they’re not taking their eyes off each other. It’s a far cry from the reserved Taako that Lup usually knows, but she’s happy to see the change.
As Mere begins to speak, Barry’s hand finds hers. She glances at him and he’s giving her a loving smile that she reciprocates. She squeezes his hand and turns back to the front.
His hand is warm in hers.