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In the days that passed when he remained in Cacao’s company, Vanilla was mostly bored. And this was to be expected… He came to stay a few nights unannounced. His friend had not prepared any riveting forms of entertainment. (“Drinking water is… over there…”) And forms of entertainment would’ve been scarce no matter what… Cacaonians and their ‘no fun allowed’ virtues.
They were separated for a while then. Vanilla picked up a book, and quickly immersed himself in the story. The vanilla orchid hung over his shoulder, facing the open book in his lap, and allowing the monarch to read it. His mind trailed off, while he was reading a chapter—trailed off to remind Vanilla of something Cacao told him a few days prior…
Didn’t Dark Cacao say that he hasn’t left the palace’s walls since months?
Was that an exaggeration? No, no, Cacao is not one to exaggerate stories like that. And suddenly Vanilla got an idea.
“—On a walk?”
Cacao asked skeptically from behind a tower of documents. “I actually meant to finish this, and then propose that idea to you.”
“Ah! How splendid!” Vanilla clasped his hands, “But wait, I thought you’re abstaining from work! What is the meaning of this?”
“I wanted to read over and touch up on some of the work that my assistants took. They’ve been handling double the amount of work than usual, even though it is me who should carry the weight of responsibility, and so…”
“But you shouldn’t sit in that position for such a long time. And in this stuffy room! In this high up tower, where the atmosphere clogs your sinuses! A break would do you good.”
“…I suppose you’re right. We can go to the gardens, then…”
“Gardens?” Vanilla shook his head, smiling, “No, not the gardens. We should go out on the town. Descend, touch the soil!”
Cacao looked pale. Something that Vanilla did not see— But he did hear the lack of response from his comrade.
“…What is it~?” He sung. He prophesized that that suggestion would earn a reaction out of Cacao. He was prepared to argue.
“P… Pure Vanilla…” Cacao took off his reading glasses to pinch his temples. “Coming down from the castle is a bad idea. Trust me, I have been wanting to do it too, but there’s no way I can do so without garnering unnecessary attention.”
“It’s winter! It’s even more freezing cold than rest of the year. If you wear one of your thick and heavy king robes, nobody will notice your pregnancy.”
“Aah,” Cacao shuddered, “That’s not all of it, though.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’ll garner attention no matter how I look. I’ve been absent from the public eye for so long… There is no way that nosy Cookies won’t gawk at me if I just descend out of nowhere… Especially in your company.”
Vanilla’s tone lowered, “…And? Are you scared of that? …Of Cookies gawking?”
Cacao looked as if he just realized something that he hadn’t noticed until he actually said it out loud. A nervous tuck of hair behind his ear. “…It is very uncomfortable.”
Vanilla knitted his brows. “Oh no,” he gasped, “Dark Cacao, you can’t let that feeling fester.”
“What, why do you sound so frightened?”
Now both of them were giving each other urgent stares.
Rapid Argumentation Time—!
“Elaborate, Cacao, why are you afraid?”
“…What if my water breaks in the middle of the street?”
“You’ll be assisted to go indoors and deliver there.”
“It’ll go against my plan. I don’t want everyone in the capital to find out that I’m pregnant. Have been pregnant.”
“You’re afraid of being afraid… That’s it!”
“Uh…Huh?”
“Dear friend,” Vanilla’s hand grasped Cacao’s, disregarding that he was holding a pen, “You’re afraid of leaving your home. From the way you’re talking, I can tell that this fear won’t magically vanish the moment you return to your prime condition.” He placed his second hand atop of it, “No matter what may or may not happen, it won’t ruin your life. I promise you that it won’t. We’ll just go around the streets of the capital, and then we’ll return~”
Uneasy, Cacao looked down at the warm grasp Vanilla had on him, and then looked into his eyes.
Nothing worse than an agoraphobic king.
“In this coat, is it possible that I’ll overheat, and hurt the baby?”
“Would you overheat in this coat normally?”
“...No…”
“What if I get lightheaded— and faint? If I fall to the ground, what if it hurts the baby?”
“Dark Cacao, love, you are such a scaredycat.”
“They’re possible scenarios.”
“Maybe we should wait until dusk. Less Cookies are outside at that time.”
“Isn’t that when snow lions and other beasts come out to hunt near the citadel’s walls?”
“Ga- agh!! You are right, Pure Vanilla, good witches, ahh!”
“I don’t think I’ve seen you this distraught and shaky since at least eighty years.”
A bittersweet guard, having caught a bit of the conversation between the two ancient kings, humbly approached Cacao with the offer— “My gracious king, would it bring you comfort if a bodyguard came along on your stroll?”
Dark Cacao thought about it. He pressed his fingers into his chin with such a force that it left a dent in his skin for a second. The king’s anxiety was so infectious that even Vanilla began doubting if this was a good idea after all.
“No, no, I don’t need anybody.” Answered Cacao finally, “Anybody except Pure Vanilla Cookie.”
Hearing that, Vanilla radiated a warm and reassuring light. In a literal sense. “Count on me, friend.”
——And although Dark Cacao bickered for a while as they began to descend, by the time they approached the main entrance, there was a serious expression on his face. Vanilla guessed that the other had accepted his fate.
“I don’t wish to go farther than the capital village. Should I bring a sword?” Cacao muttered questions Vanilla’s way, “I hate to go anywhere without a sword… But maybe it’s risky…”
“Though I doubt that it will come to a point that requires violence, I am very much capable of defending you and myself with magic. I do more than just healing, you know.”
“...” Cacao turned away from the proposed sword, “I know.”
The wind howled as it traveled between narrow corridors and rooftops. The snowfall was not slow, not calm, but not restless enough to make a stroll unpleasant. Visible footsteps were all around the courtyard. Even without Cacao’s direct input, everything in the kingdom proceeded normally. Watchers patrolled at the right times, builders worked to enhance the strength of the citadel’s walls. Cacao felt reassured, seeing that nobody noticed him and his companion leaving the palace.
“Are your clothes warm enough for this weather?” Asked Cacao the other. Pure Vanilla nodded, “Of course, I am wearing the same robes as everyone else is. It is quite kind and considerate of you, to have commissioned several sets of robes for me, just for when I stay over in your kingdom… those few times a year…”
“Mhm. I am glad you appreciate it.”
They passed slowly between snow-covered pines, the snow crunched under their feet. Cacao sighed, his breath visible in the cold air.
“Winter in the Dark Cacao Kingdom… brings more death than any other time of the year.”
“Mhm.” Vanilla listened pensively to Cacao.
“I… I, as king, give the order to construct hundreds of coats and weapons, and send them all over villages and tribes within the kingdom’s borders… In an effort to lower the mortality rate. Most Cookies starve to death. Beasts starve as well. They’re more aggressive and desperate. And a hungry wolf greatly outpowers a hungry Cookie.”
“...”
“It is this time of the year that I associate with the gruesome, and death. And… At this time of the year… Despite all odds… A new heir to the Dark Cacao throne will be born. Somehow, a cause for celebration…”
“That idea makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.” Vanilla chuckled, “It will be a beacon of hope for the Cookies of your nation, won’t it?”
“Hopefully so.”
When they reached the main outdoor gate, Cacao hesitated to pass through it. Vanilla stopped walking when the other did. He took a step closer to the king, and snaked his arm around Cacao’s elbow.
Even if he made those pitiful attempts to disguise himself and hide the late-term pregnancy, surely the way he stood and walked gave it away. Cacao thought about this in silence for a while… What’s the point trying to hide any longer?
He resumed walking, in synchrony with his colleague.
“Blessings, your majesty!”
It wasn’t long before he heard the voices of his warriors, noticing his arrival and greeting him. Not many would have the courage to approach Dark Cacao, even as he strolled calmly through the streets that were built in his name. It was Pure Vanilla’s inclusion that compelled Cookies to pause what they were doing and smile.
“Pure Vanilla Cookie is still here! Greetings, heroes!”
Cacao turned down an eye at Vanilla when they waved back at denizens and warriors. Maybe that’s good. The Cookies seem to be focusing on them instead of himself.
Good, good…
“His majesty has not been seen outside the fortress’ walls since months…”
“It’s so strange.”
Hushed whispers reached his ears. He kept walking along with Vanilla, he didn’t react.
“My king!” A Cookie skipped to approach Cacao and Vanilla from head on. A cacao eagle was perched on their shoulder, and a notebook with a pen in hand. “Our wise leader, could you make a statement on your absence from the public eye? Many tribes from the farthest outskirts of the kingdom have only scarce news about what happens in the Black Citadel, a-and newspapers take a while to spread around. Worries have been sprouting among many Cookies— Could you reassure them with a public statement?”
Dark Cacao answered without missing a beat; “I hope it can reassure Cookies all over the Dark Cacao Kingdom to know that everything is well. There have been no outstanding threats. I am in good health, as are the armies. Rest assured I have never been absent and did not abandon my people.” he added, “Truth be told… Something very important has been in the works in the meantime. It is close to reaching its baking stage. It will be news that will, hopefully, fill all Cookies with pride and joy, and mark a new era for the kingdom as a whole. Stay tuned until then.”
Vanilla was so surprised by the monologue that he gawked up at the king with widened heterochromatic eyes. The reporter had an equally stunned expression, before immediately bending down to note down the acquired information. “I-I didn’t truly expect a detailed answer from the king himself…!” They wrote rapidly, “Thank you, thank you for your time, my lord!”
“Of course. My oath is to protect Cookies of the north. If my words can calm your spirits, I’ll speak as much as necessary.”
Concluded Cacao as he began walking away, with Vanilla still attached to his arm.
“You really do have a way with words. It got me excited and curious, even though I know exactly what your vague words actually mean…!”
“That’s relieving to hear.”
Ahead of them was a family of Milk tribesmen; the father at the front leading the way, with a massive yak stomping slowly alongside them. A small child sat atop the yak’s back. She gazed around the town from her high-up perspective, kicking the air playfully… until she spotted Dark Cacao’s figure approaching her family. When Cacao looked up to make eye contact with her, she was already glaring right at him. It earned a spike of uneasiness from the king.
Neither the family nor Cacao & Vanilla stopped walking, they were simply walking past each other on the street. But the prolonged eye contact between the girl and the king felt like a core memory. Especially since her gaze eventually fell down onto Cacao’s midriff. The robes he put on would make anyone look huge… But the intense judgment present on the girl’s face made him convinced that she recognized he was… hiding something.
Phew, finally they lost sight of one another. Cacao exhaled through his nose, pressing Vanilla’s arm closer to himself.
“I stand out… I think it is noticeable that I look strange…” he admitted nervously.
“I believe your people are more so concerned and weirded out by the lack of a weapon in your hand, than by your bulky clothes.” pointed out Vanilla. “But, would you like to head back now?”
“No, let’s keep walking for a while longer.”
Their feet dragged through the snow at a slow pace. Eventually they came to a point close to the outskirts of the city by the citadel. Warriors stood alert by the thin walls protecting the city. Cacao could not fully admit it to himself, but he was winded.
“Now we’ve walked quite the distance, Cacao.” Vanilla’s arm left Cacao’s, and he began to stretch his arms, “Ahh, stretching one’s arms and legs is beneficial to anybody. How are you holding up?”
Cacao bent and pressed a hand to his lower back, “I am holding up.”
“Holding up… well?”
“Holding up.”
Vanilla tilted his head curiously, “Ah yes, let us sit down before heading back.”
“It’s those contractions again… Uuugh…” Cacao complained under his breath. He placed his hands on the sides of the stomach.
“Excuse me, dear Cookies,”
Cacao perked up, hearing that Vanilla was talking to two Cookies seated on a dark, wooden bench. “Could you please sit elsewhere, and allow us here instead? The king, Dark Cacao Cookie, is not feeling well.”
The two were young lovers, both bow-wielding warriors— startled by Pure Vanilla’s presence, and then double startled by Dark Cacao some meters away.
“Ah! T-The heroes?! I mean, of course!”
“The king comes first! Of course!”
They got up and ran, holding one another’s hands.
“Ahahahaha. What an intense reaction~” Vanilla chuckled, “You are a bit of an enigma to your own people, aren’t you?”
“Mhm…” Strained, Cacao came closer to Vanilla, “If this were your own kingdom, you’d just sit down next to one of your followers, and they wouldn’t even bat an eye, hm?”
“It gives me peace of mind to be able to interact with my people like they’re just my neighbors.”
Sitting down on a bench suited for average-height Cookies, as a heavily pregnant Dark Cacao, required very slow and careful effort. …Or did it? Really, he might have just been overdoing the carefulness. Acting as if his body is on the brink of crumbling with one wrong movement was a bit too much.
“So how does it feel to be outdoors again?” asked Vanilla.
“Well, I feel less lethargic.” mumbled Cacao in response, “Once we drag our old bones all the way back to the citadel, I will surely drop dead atop a bed.”
“Hmm~ I’m reminded of Hollyberry again~” Vanilla reminisced happily, “Pregnancy made but a small dent in her spunky personality back then.”
“It’s a heavy burden to carry…”
“Don’t call it a burden .” Vanilla elbowed Cacao’s arm, and continued joyfully, “Hollyberry… I wonder how she’s doing!”
“I wonder too… She actually… She wrote me letters a couple of times in the last few months.”
“Oh~ what did she write about? Would you share?”
A sheepish smile was on the verge of appearing on Cacao’s face, before he hid it behind his hand. “—Federal secrecy.”
“Oh please~”
“Nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary. She wanted to visit… with her son… a few months ago… But I had to turn her away.” Cacao was sad to admit that, “She sounded sad in response to that, but seemed to understand my need for secrecy pretty well…” he squinted at Vanilla, “Unlike some people.”
“Whoopsie.”
“With the usual… hugs and kisses… and pet names thrown in it…” Cacao scoffed gazing into the snow with fondness, “What a fool of a woman. She’s amazing.”
Concluding with that, Vanilla slowly slid into Cacao’s line of sight, “You really like her, huh.”
“W-Why, of course. I treasure all of you very much.”
“My keen senses tell me that you treasure her particularly.”
“Pure Vanilla, are you about to be a fool too?”
“No, but… it’s heartwarming to see you blush at the mere thought of her.”
“What—?”
Cacao fell into the trap like a total prey animal. Of course, when the other man said that, he instantly felt hot and red in the face. Vanilla chuckled villainously at how red the other got.
“I’m just playing with you, dear friend! Do not feel embarrassed! I really like Hollyberry too!”
“I-It’s not what you’re thinking.”
“Hmm……… is it though?”
“We’re going back.”
Vanilla went after Cacao, still laughing— “Hey, hey! Don’t be so sensitive, Cacaaa~ooo~!”
When they came back to the Citadel, an air of relief fell upon their shoulders. But especially Cacao’s. How warm and pleasant were the indoors compared to that weather. Without his command, a servant came to remove the heavy garments off the king’s shoulders, and he freely allowed it. Sighing, “That went… better than I thought.”
“See?” Vanilla politely declined help from a servant that approached him, and sat down to put on his indoor boots instead. “You were scared of the new and unknown. The people of the Black Citadel are more respectful and understanding than you think!”
“Mhmm…” A fatigued answer. “Indeed…”
When he was left standing in his regular robes, Cacao stood and waited for Vanilla. The blonde stood up, reaching for his staff. “What shall we do now, hmm?”
“You know what… I think I really will go ahead and lie down for a bit.” He said, promptly cracking his neck, “…If you don’t mind.”
“Ohh, not at all! Don’t worry about it.” Vanilla gave a light clap on Cacao’s back, “I’ll entertain myself. I’m sure there’s some Cookie that might need healing around here.”
“…In that case, farewell.”
The king did so with a curt nod, and began to head in the direction of the main staircase.
Vanilla remained in his spot for a moment, hesitation made him chew his lip. A double take between Cacao and the direction they came from—“Hey, Dark Cacao, wait!”
Cacao halted, “Yes?”
“…” Vanilla held his hands in front of himself, like a polite young gentleman. “How about I escort you to your bedroom?”
“…” Cacao blinked. “Yes… I’ve nothing against it.”
A warm light radiated from Pure Vanilla when he smiled—running quickly to join and accompany his friend.