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As a child, Foolish of the Defilcin kingdom always thought that love stories were things of falsity.
That wasn’t to say he never believed in love, but Foolish always thought that stories of love were exaggerated, unrealistic to the way real life would be, never the way it was dreamed to be and always drawing you in for inevitable disappointment.
That kind of stance that carried over to much of his life, from the boy of the Defilcin Kingdom to the young man of the DeLuque Kingdom. Despite his whimsical nature and the way he portrayed himself, Foolish was semi-optimistic at most and rather neutral at worst, always preferring to see the logic and impossibility behind everything before he makes his choices.
It’s with these facts that Foolish pulls Bad into doing one of the worst plans they’ve ever bothered to enact together.
“Why are we doing this again?!” Bad yelled, the briefest moments of clarity striking him before it washes away with Foolish’s own protests.
“Because it’s fun!” Foolish laughed as he spoke, running from one hall to the next as the sounds of the party muffled their movements.
Bad was quick to catch up, that curiosity melting away as those wide white eyes seemed to run along the walls.
(It’s a stupid plan they made together, one borne of too many drinks and years of friendship molded together.
“I heard from the o’hers that theres gonna be a party tomorro’” Bad slurred through the haze of alcohol, shaky hands fumbling for the bottle next to him and failing. “How funny woul’ it be if we broke int’ the castle?”
Foolish, only a smidge more sober than Bad, laughed with all the joy his body contained. “And what do we do then?” He said, his clumsy hands taking Bad’s fallen drink to chug down, ignoring his enemy’s protest when his head clumsily bumped onto Bad’s chest.
“We pick the flowers!” Bad cheered, waving his arms around and nearly knocking over their mountain of bottles. “Palace flowers are pretty, right? We should go and pick some!”
“I hate flowers.” Foolish deadpanned, staring up at the too-bright lights and marveling at the blurry, almost dreamlike fuzz of reality.
“Then we can pick something else up! Like…” Bad mulled over what they could pick up from the castle. “Oh, I know! Pebbles! Or maybe some grass.”
“Pebbles?” Foolish muttered, imagining himself picking up pebbles from the castle and showcasing it in a glass box inside his home.
“Yeah! Think of its value!” Bad perked up, his demonic tail waving around happily. “A pebble from the castle! Must be cooler and smoother than the rocks out here.” He said.
Foolish thought about it even harder, and agreed. Maybe the pebbles at the castle had some kind of value that made them prettier than the pebbles of peasants, maybe those pebbles could be the main attraction of his house.
“Yeah! Let’s break into the castle!” Foolish laughed, taking a swig from a new bottle, the both of them raising their drinks in agreement of their plan tomorrow.
Why did the two of them actually go through with it? Who knows.)
Foolish dampened his snicker as the two of them traversed the large castle, it’s walls so grand and opulent he couldn’t help but want to stay, basking in it’s beauty and admire the architecture.
The king could be a man of good taste, but Foolish doesn’t know what good taste looks like aside from the occasional peeks into a noble's home.
“Gosh, the furniture is on fleek!” Bad whispered aggressively, his tail curled around Foolish’s ankle to keep himself from getting lost. If Foolish was too busy admiring the walls, Bad was busy admiring the furniture.
Foolish thinks he’s been eyeing the tables, with their curved legs and saturated wood. It was a nice table, but stealing it would be too much of a hassle.
“You and your obsession with furniture” Foolish muttered, quick to pull Bad away lest he get unnecessary ideas.
Bad grumbled, but quickly perked up when the two of them found the garden.
And god, what a gorgeous sight it made.
The garden, even on a moonlit night, was a sight made to adore. The flowers grew aplenty, varying in shapes and colors alike, blooming like a controlled meadow that could scatter upon the wind. The trees were tall, older than Foolish and Bad combined as they stood like guards over the little flowers, their branches providing a comfortable space to relax when the hustle and bustle of life became too hectic.
Foolish and Bad were awestruck, barely able to get their feet moving as they stepped down the marble staircase and onto the grass of the garden.
“Foolish.” Bad finally said after a long beat of silence, something like mischief in his voice. “Let’s take a tree branch and grow our own tree!”
“Where?” Foolish was dược to snark, moving across the well-maintained grass to admire the flowers and get his promised pebble. “My house doesn’t have the land to plant a tree.”
“I do!” Bad was quick to assure, admiring the tall branches like he was picking which ones to steal. “I live on a farm, remember?”
Right, his farm. Foolish could see the tree getting turned into firewood when Bad eventually forgot its existence.
That’s what he likes to imagine, anyhow.
“If you can take a branch off without making it look ugly.” Foolish conceded, watching Bad struggle to think before he gave up. They didn’t bring many materials to cut branches after all.
And the two of them ran around the large gardens, running on the bridge and watching the rapid movement of a man-made river, running next to the friend of flowers and arguing over which flower to choose and fighting over the Perfect Pebble for their home while also wondering why the guards haven’t come to throw them in a dungeon yet.
“Maybe they’re also having fun at the party!” Bad exclaimed, shaking Foolish’s arm a little too aggressively. “The party has to be super fun if we haven’t seen any guards in the garden.”
“Or maybe they’re just too busy inside to bother watching us losers stealing a pebble and some flowers from the garden.” Foolish deadpanned, physically hearing the way Bad pouted next to him.
“I think they’re having fun, because why would they have a gap in their defense and leave the garden free to access like this?” Bad protested. “I think they left this garden open cause they’re drunk! And they wanna have fun too!”
Foolish rolled his eyes. “Just choose your fucking flowers!”
Bad smiled and pushed Foolish onto the flower bed, seemingly uncaring of how badly the flowers would break.
“Time to get the flowers! They’re gonna be worth so much money!” Bad declared, skipping his way around the garden to choose his favorite flower.
Foolish ignored the man, instead decided to look around the garden and admire it as he picked the dirt from his face.
The garden was a truly beautiful sight, lovingly cared for and adoringly crafted by caring hands, if Foolish were to look from the top down he would undoubtedly see something beautiful emerge from it. But as it was, the sight of it now, with its trees and its flowers and the stone path weaving through it made for a lovely sight on it’s own.
“What the-!” Bad yelped, causing Foolish to jump. “Foolish! Come here!”
Foolish grunted and walked over rapidly, watching as Bad swung his ugly little flower basket and stared down at… a child?
“What’s a kid doing here?” Foolish frowned, staring down at a little girl, hunched between the flowers like she was hiding.
“I don’t know! Hey, little girl.” Bad said kindly, a smile on his features as he crouched down, his basket laid on the grass, Foolish watched the girl. “What are you doing out here so late?”
“What are you doing here?” The girl was quick to remark, her little face so shy yet so brave.
Foolish faked a scowl, something so exaggerated even the little girl didn’t think it was real, if her bewildered face was anything to go by. “We asked you first, missy!” Foolish huffed, protesting when Bad quickly pinched his leg in retribution.
“Don’t be mean to her!” Bad glared before he turned back to the girl with a smile, trying to cajole her out of the garden. “We’re just picking flowers, is all. Are you lost?”
She slowly shook her head.
“Well, so you want us to keep you company?” Bad asked softly, Foolish watched as the little girl slowly nodded. “What’s your name?”
“Leo.” She said quietly.
And Bad beamed.
The two of them stayed to keep Leo company, often bickering and sharing stories as the girl watched with amusement dancing her eyes and giggles escaping her teeth.
Eventually, the little girl jumped in, sharing fantastical stories neither of them really believed to be real, recounting grand tales of her father and his multiple misadventures across the world, all so heroic and awe-inspiring that Foolish couldn’t help his disbelief of the stories.
“-and it’s superrr cool!!” She exclaimed, practically bouncing between the two of them. “And you guys are super cool too! Will you come back to the castle?!”
Foolish laughed. “I don’t know yet, kiddo. It’s getting kinda late, we’ll have to see first.”
Leo pouted, her big eyes staring up at them pleadingly and Foolish could feel his self-restraint breaking. “Please?”
“…Maybe.” Foolish settled on saying, aware of how Bad seemed to become increasingly droopy next to him. Seems like it was time they leave.
“We’ve gotta go, okay Leo?” Foolish smiled, slowly standing up and pulling Bad along. “If we come back, we promise we’ll visit you.”
Leo frowned, but nodded. “I’ve got to go to my papa, anyways. Bye bye misters!”
Foolish waved back and quickly pulled Bad out of the castle before they could get into even worse trouble.
(When the sun is high in the sky, the king would screech about his ruined garden.
“Leonarda!” He’d scold despite his daughter’s adorable giggles. “What happened last night?!”
“Some funny men were around the garden!” Leo would say through her laughter, seeing the splattered shape of the golden man on the somewhat-messy blowerbed. “They wanted to pick a few flowers, papa!”
The king would huffed, angry but unable to go after someone who hadn’t exactly stolen anything. “What did they look like?”
Leo giggled but covered her mouth, like she was keeping the secret and bringing it to her grave.)
The Frostaline Festival was always a sight to see every year.
If Foolish was right about its history, the festival had been named after Mabel Frostaline, a noble woman born in the Defilcin kingdom and a famed sorceress that brought joys and blessings upon the citizens during winter and had been honored through the festival after her death.
Even though current-king Vegetta ruled the land and renamed the kingdom to DeLuque, the festivals and traditions of the common citizens always happened even if the king protested.
And as Foolish watched the decorations light up the town, he couldn’t help but be happy for how stubborn the people were.
The true celebrations would happen during the night, when the people finished preparation and the folk made food so delicious they would sell out every day of the festival. So for now Foolish was happy to buy his necessities before the festival truly began.
As he walked his way through the snow-heavy paths, he came across a rather odd man.
Dressed from head to toe in a dark purple cloak, walking quietly like he wasn’t planning to draw attention to himself in any way.
“Hey!” Foolish called and skipped over to the man with his usual smile. “Are you new around here?”
The person, seemingly a man, seemed to sputter before he replied. “Oh-um, yes. I am.” The man fumbled his words.
Foolish laughed slightly, gently taking his hand to shake it. “I’m Foolish, if you want I can take you for a walk around town! I’m guessing you’re here for the festival happening tonight.”
The man seemed to pause before he nodded rapidly. “Uh- yes! Yes! I am.” He smiled under his cloak, his jawline looked kind of familiar for some reason. “Please show me around! I do need the help.”
Foolish nodded rapidly and led the man with him.
As they walked, Foolish tried his best to explain the history behind every building, adding small, personal tidbits that he knew of before his mind floated away to another store setting up for the festival.
“The king here is surprisingly relaxed.” Foolish commented as he walked. His new friend seemed rather content to let Foolish ramble, only occasionally asking questions or clarifications to assure Foolish the man was interested.
Now, his friend seemed rather curious. “Why do you say that, my friend?”
Foolish chuckled, not looking back to notice the slight tension in the man’s shoulder. “Well, the festival here was affiliated with the previous king, so I kind of thought that the guy would take away all the holidays of before and replace it with his holidays instead. But he let us keep this tradition! So it’s pretty nice of him honestly.”
“…What do you think about the king?” The man asked, something weird in his voice that Foolish couldn’t identify.
“Oh, I don’t know anything about him.” Foolish remarked, buying his potatoes to store away for tomorrow. He should make some soup. “All I know is that he travels a lot and he’s kind of a recluse. Not much for me to form an opinion of him honestly.”
“Oh.” The man hummed, gently putting some coins on the table only for Foolish to push it away to pay for his own things. “Would you like to know about him?”
“Well, doesn’t everyone want to know the king?” Foolish smiled at the man. “If I became his friend, I’d have a lot of benefits, like maybe asking him to execute people for me.” He joked with a laugh. “Honestly, if the opportunity arises then sure, but you and I both know I’m not special enough to be his friend.”
The man hummed. “I think you’re plenty special, Foolish.”
“Aww, shucks!” Foolish giggled. “You don’t need to flatter me! I’m just a guy!”
The man chuckled under his hood, something a little adoring. “No, you’re plenty special in my eyes.”
As they continued walking, the man asked something a little on the odd side. “If the king were to host a ceremony to pick who would be his spouse, would you participate?”
Foolish sputtered. “Okay. Well, there’s a lot to unpack here. One, why would you ask me this? There’s no way that kind of stuff happens.” He continued on. “Second, why would I?”
“What do you mean?” The man asked.
“Well, think about this logically.” Foolish said as he walked through the souvenir isles of the festival. The vendors haven’t opened shop yet, still prepping for the night.“One, if someone like me were to be chosen, that means there’s a way for other people to get in as well, so there’s probably some kind of selection process which means it’s extremely unlikely I’d get picked.”
“Second, If I did get chosen I’d have to talk to stupid nobles all day, and as far as I’m aware nobles don’t like a commoner. If I were to attend I’d opt out just because of that reason alone.”
“And besides, why would the king choose me? I’m just some guy from his kingdom who he doesn’t even know the name of, there’s no way he would pick me. All I do is go there, eat the food and then go home.” Foolish said resolutely, his eyes catching a pretty little trinket of a vendor.
It was a pen, made of dark blue with a feather dyed the colors of the night sky, fading off into a bright and contrasting purple at the very tip of it. Near the base of the feather was a carefully woven flower with a simple five-petal shape to help break off the myriad of blues and purples.
It was pretty. Foolish didn’t hesitate to walk to the vendor.
“How much for this feather right there?” Foolish asked, the vendor’s eyes turning surprised before he laughed.
“I don’t usually sell things at this time, but if it’s for the tourist next to you, I'll make an exception. 9 coins.”
Foolish whistled and gave the coins to the man. “Here! For you!” Foolish laughed as the vendor gifted the feather to his friend.
“H-hah?” The man stuttered, quickly trying to push the gift into Foolish. “No no! I don’t need this! You have it my friend!”
Foolish laughed and persistently pushed it back. “It’s fine! Don’t worry about it! I bought this for you! I can’t guarantee that I’ll see you tonight at the festival, so I’ll get you this gift as a way for you to remember this afternoon, m’kay? Think of it as free stuff! Everyone likes free stuff!”
The man seemed ready to insist, but Foolish was quicker to shut it down until the man gave up. “Thank you, Foolish.” The man muttered, tucking the feather somewhere inside his cloak.
“No problem!” Foolish had laughed.
When they separated, Foolish had quickly given the man another handshake, smiling widely before he left. “I’ll see ya when I see ya!” He cheered.
(When Vegetta tumbled into his bedroom, gasping and holding the feather like a lifeline, he thought of the enchanting man he met.
Eyes the color of emeralds, greener than the grass of the garden and a smile so warm Vegetta believed the sun was inferior.
“I want to marry him.” He whispered to himself, imagining the man as his queen, warming the people with his smile and decorated with all the jewels and gifts he’d desire.
But maybe that’s too unlikely.
…Haven’t his advisors been asking for a spouse?)
Like a weird twist in fate, the royals had decreed a form, selecting 3 chosen citizens to partake in the festivities of a true palace celebration of some kind. Foolish couldn’t care less about the form itself, nor did he really care about the ceremony.
Really, he hadn’t planned on even partaking until Bad egged him.
“Come on! There’s a chance you could meet the love of your life there!” Bad reasoned, his asshole son sitting next to his father and smiling up at Foolish in that stupid way he did. “Besides, you could try eating good food! I heard the higher class people have delicious stuff!”
“For the millionth time, NO.” Foolish huffed, cutting at his bread. He and Bad decided to have their weekly, twice a week, however-many-times a week lunches together, with Bad bringing Dapper along this time instead of letting the kid stew away at his various machines that existed in the basement below the family’s barn. “I’m not interested in that shit. Besides, why would I waste my night with annoying people when I can stay at home instead?”
“Tio could get more friends than me and Papa.” Dapper deadpanned. “Even Papa has more friends than you.”
Ignoring Bad’s scandalized “What does that mean?!” , Foolish rolled his eyes. “I’ll go if Bad is coming with, because I’m really not interested in that party even if there’s alcohol.”
Bad’s eyes flickered in a way that could only spell bad ideas. “Bad. No.” Foolish reprimanded, feeling oddly like an owner looking at his cat second before it pushed his vase off the counter.
Bad smiled wider. “I didn’t even say anything!”
Foolish glared. “Your mouth doesn’t need to open for me to sense the stupid ideas brewing in your head. Stop thinking about it.”
“I wasn’t think of anything!” Bad protested, outraged before quickly swapping to a delighted ‘thank you’ when their food was put on the table.
Lunch passed by like that, nestled in familiar squabbles and snarky remarks of a child as the sun watched from the window.
That wasn’t to say Foolish wasn’t ready to kill Bad when he found the mail at his door.
There’s a guard at his door.
Foolish blinked to make sure he wasn’t just hallucinating when he woke up.
Nope. Still a guard at his door.
The guards Foolish usually saw weren’t men of note anymore, always standing out in their armors made of the best materials only the rich could buy, always patrolling their towns and acting as the heroes for the petty crimes that plagued the city.
This guard, however, was different.
For one, Foolish realized the guard wore his helmet, something people like him hardly saw because the guards around the town preferred showing their faces and made it easier to remember their names.
For two, the guard in front of him had a different style of armor. Where the patrol guards had practical, somewhat beaten armor to aid them during long chase across towns or provide them with protection in case of any attempts, the guard was more covered. Hell, it was more pristine than the ones he saw on the streets, a cape showing the kingdom’s symbol neatly wrapped to fall on his arm.
And bizarrely, the guard was holding a letter.
“Are you sir Foolish?” The guard asked, a rather imposing image at his door on a lovely morning.
“Uhhh, yes?” Foolish stammered, knowing he hadn’t done any wrong but wondering why there was a palace guard at his door. “Did ya need anything?”
“You have been chosen to participate in the ball 5 nights from now and fight for the kings’ affections.” The guard said, monotone as he put the letter in Foolish’s grasp.
Foolish stuttered. “H-huh-? Wha-?”
“All you need to know is in the letter. Your outfit and mask shall be prepared for you, so there is no need to worry about outfits. Have a nice day.” The guard left Foolish standing in his stupor.
When Foolish finally regained his ability to walk, he closed the door on the faces of his shocked neighbors and hastily read the letter.
‘Dear Foolish Noel, we congratulate you on passing the selection and joining our ceremony to choose the kings’ future queen 5 nights from now.
Due to your current status, we felt it is more suitable for us to supply you with the necessary clothing and mask for your special night, no need for fees.
For your outfit fitting, please meet us tonight at the palace gates, show your letter to the guards and have them lead you to where you must go.
We hope you enjoy the night.
-Sincerely, the Royal Palace, courtesy of king Vegetta Kale Lolamine DeLuque.’
Foolish wheezed.
At least he wouldn’t be going into debt if he joined in on the party. Really, did they have to phrase it like that?
After a load of screaming (Bad), scrambling (Foolish and Bad) and yelling (Foolish), Foolish was standing in front of the palace gates, dressed in his most form fitting clothes and feeling the most uncomfortable he’s ever felt.
“Name?” The guard asked gruffly, silently receiving the letter from Foolish’s shaking hands.
“F-Foolish Noel.” He muttered, he wonders if the guards remember him as that guy that once broke into the castle, he wonders if he’d get arrested now, because he dared to come back and participate in a party to choose the king’s spouse of all things.
Foolish wondered when his life got this ridiculous.
“Okay sir Foolish.” The guard said. “Follow me, I’ll lead you to the fitting room.”
And Foolish followed.
When he had broken into the castle all those months back, the halls were already a sight to see with their winding, long roads to the garden. Even now, Foolish mused, with the halls bustling and bursting with colors from the maids fussing over the decor and the lively chatter from the workers in the castle.
That night, the halls were a quiet, almost imposing beauty that made him and Bad admire. Now, the halls soaked the warmth of the people, sinking into the life and care of the maids and burning their touch into the very walls that protect them.
It made for such a warm, warm castle. Foolish wondered if there were any cold halls if it’s a place like this.
“We’ve arrived.” The guard said, opening the door and gently ushering Foolish inside before closing the door.
Foolish’s eyes widened the moment he stepped in.
Fabric as far as the eye could see, towering and almost reaching the ceiling itself in its abundance. The colors seemed to overflow, a chaotic yet orderly mix of fabric that made Foolish wonder if the human eyes could even see the full spectrum.
And there, in the middle, were a myriad of tailors, bustling about and carrying different fabrics, some even sitting on the floor to sketch the fabric pieces of the man in the middle.
Foolish’s eyes flickered to him, standing nervously as the tailors wrapped their rulers around him like a practiced dance. The man himself looked a little smaller than Foolish, with curly brown hair that framed his face like a painting and presumably gigantic scars running down his body.
The moment those wide blue eyes turned to look at Foolish, Foolish realized the man was Cellbit, Bad’s friend and local menace to the patrol guards.
The man smiled at Foolish, as welcoming as he could with the nervousness dancing along his brows. “Hey! Foolish, right?”
Immediately, the tailors whipped their head to Foolish.
Foolish shrunk slightly under their gazes, but managed a small smile back at Cellbit. “Uh… hey, Cellbit.”
He didn’t get much of a word in before the tailors pushed him next to Cellbit, their skillful hands lengthening the ruler like a death sentence before it wrapped all around him, his shoulders, his legs, his neck.
Foolish stood there uncomfortably, but glanced over to Cellbit and gave him an awkward smile. “So.. uh. You come here often?”
Cellbit bursted into a fit of laughter, barely holding himself from lurching by a tailor’s particular sharp glare. “Well, sure!” He chuckled. “I’m guessing you got picked as well?”
Foolish smiled, nodding. “Yerp. Don’t even know how that happened, I don’t know what Bad wrote in my form for me to get accepted.”
“I guess the two of us are pretty similar in that regard, huh?” Cellbit smiled, pulling his arm out so the tailor could properly measure his bicep. “My friends co-filled my form and somehow it got accepted. Now I’m here.”
Foolish chuckled “I feel like you and me are gonna be great pals after this.”
They talked throughout the process, asking each other for feedback when the measurements were taken and they had to choose the fabric they wanted for the ball.
Foolish had gone for something more comfortable and leaned on practicality, while Cellbit had gone all out and chose something more silky and soft to wear, most likely something Cellbit assumed the nobles of their kingdom wore.
(If Foolish were honest, he didn’t know much about fabrics, but the ones Cellbit picked seemed more comfortable than any of the outfits he’s ever seen on actual nobles.)
“How did that take so long?!” Cellbit exclaimed, looking more than exhausted by the end of the day. Foolish could say that Cellbit was weak, but he also found out through their talks that Cellbit had chronic pain due to his scars and nerve endings being fried, so Foolish could sympathize.
As the guard led the two of them back to the entrance, Foolish heard a very loud squeal coming from behind him.
Turning back, Foolish caught sight of a very familiar little girl, dressed in shorts and a frilly little shirt, Leo stared at him in shock before smiling widely and running right into his leg. “Mister Foolish!!!” She said.
Foolish chuckled, leaning down to pat the little girl on the head. “Hey there! How are ya?”
The little girl squealed. “Will you be here for the ball, mister Foolish?!”
Foolish nodded, seeing Cellbit smile and wave at the girl. “Yerp, both me and Cellbit, plus another guy I think.”
Leo bounced excitedly. “Does that mean I’ll see you there?!” The stars danced in her eyes, glittering like those constellations Bad always dreamed of seeing.
“Of course!” Foolish laughed, fondness curling around his heart as Leo smiled a big smile that could pull the skies down to its knees. “I’ll see your tiny self there too, huh?”
Leo paused, seemingly hesitant before she nodded in determination. “Yes you will!”
Cellbit laughed next to him, his blue blue eyes seemingly softened with her determination. “We look forward to seeing you! What’s your name?”
Leo looked up at Cellbit, hesitant for a moment before she gave him a radiant smile. “I’m Leo!”
Cellbit smiled.
As they left, the guards seemed to gossip.
Foolish found his breath taken away from him when he entered the ballroom for the first time, dressed in a teal green vest that cinched at the waist and pearl green pants slimming his legs down enough that Foolish was admittedly impressed with how long he seemed to look. Overlaying the full outfit was a large overcoat that reached his knees, meant to stay as a statement piece in his shoulder and connected together by a golden clasp.
Really, his entire outfit seemed decorated with gold, little golden chains circling his arms, golden buttons on his vest, even golden jewelry and a golden mask!
He wondered why they went all out. Maybe the palace really was just generous.
Quickly enough, he spotted Cellbit.
The man wore black and red, the long cape reaching far down to his ankles and fur draped over his shoulder made him seem more intimidating than he truly was.
Then Cellbit turned around, and Foolish knew Cellbit wouldn’t be attracting a crowd for the night.
Compared to Foolish’s rather extravagant half-mask of a shark, Cellbit wore a full mask of a cat, with a scant few artistic lines to make the mask something note-worthy.
“You’re here to scare people, huh?” Foolish remarked. “How are you gonna eat with that mask on?”
“I adjust it.” Cellbit laughed, whirling around to give Foolish a proper greeting.
“Do you know who our third guy is?” Foolish asked, looking around. The third person that was supposed to join them on the ball wasn’t exactly seen anywhere, not by Foolish anyway.
“Oh, him.” Cellbit seemed pensive, then shrugged. “You’ll see him. There’s no way you won’t know who he is.”
“What do you mean by that?” Foolish exclaimed, his eyes dancing through the glittering bodies of the ballroom, trying to find the guy that stands out too much.
Cellbit sighed, then snapped him back to attention. “The ball is starting, don’t worry, you can find him later.”
Foolish shrugged and heard the rapid beat of the drums to bring them to attention.
There, atop a way-too-pompous staircase, sat the king and two others, presumably the prince and the princess. The king wore nothing but purple, accented by light golds and broken apart by a white shirt. Sitting on that throne, wearing his bright purple and adorned with a beautiful moon mask, the king stood at the center of attention.
(Foolish kind of felt like a mouse in the presence of lions.)
“Introducing King Vegetta and his children, Prince Roier and Princess Leonarda!” The guard declared.
“Princess Leonarda?” Foolish mumbled, the pieces clicking but not quite.
Cellbit laughed lightly behind him.
The party was, for the lack of a better term, boring.
Foolish spent most of it hanging by the food table as Cellbit walked around the room, seemingly attempting to mingle while Foolish ate his heart away.
It seemed like the prince and princess had left the king’s side to mingle with the other party-goers, the prince’s voice rising above the rest like a particularly outgoing young man who didn’t understand an indoor voice.
Foolish kept eating. The food was superb.
Maybe he should greet the king or something?
As he looked towards where the king sat, he found the king staring back at him.
Slowly, Foolish waved. The king smiled and beckoned him over.
Foolish’s feet stuttered to move to the king.
This close, he really was handsome, all angled lines and well-framed body. Foolish could see his broad shoulders, no doubt borne of hard work and back-breaking labor, yet his facial features remained delicate. A strong jawline, a straight nose, burning purple eyes that seemed to eat Foolish alive where he stood.
“Greetings, your grace.” Foolish said, one touch meek as his feet fumbled to get himself into position.
“No need for formalities.” The king chuckled, nudging Foolish to stand straight again. “Foolish Noel, yes? I heard rather interesting things about you?”
“You…heard about me?” Foolish slowly spoke, shock creeping into his system before he tried to relax himself. “How?”
“My daughter, Leonarda.” He said with a kind smile. “You were very nice to her that day in the garden.”
Foolish sputtered, practically denying any involvement in destroying the king’s garden when the king began laughing, pushing at his chest lightly to stop him. “Don’t worry, my friend!” He exclaimed, standing up to grasp at Foolish’s hand. “They are very easy to fix, no harm done!”
Foolish couldn’t help but sigh in relief and smile back. “If you say so!”
The king laughed, seemingly ignoring the wide eyed gazes people shot at them.
“Did you have fun with the king up there?” Cellbit teased as the two of them sat down next to each other, talking quietly as the table was set up. “You two looked like you were having an amazing time.”
“Shut up, should you really be talking of the king in that way?” Foolish hissed. “He’s not picking me, and weren’t you getting real cozy with the prince a while ago? Why don’t you sit next to him?”
Cellbit sputtered, surprised that Foolish even saw him talking to prince Roier. “Oh shut up! Not like you can talk when you cozied up to the king!”
Foolish chuckled as the king stood at the end of the table, his glass raised and his voice booming across to the multitude of people.
“I thank you for joining tonight’s ceremony, I am honored to have you here and I’m overjoyed that so many of you wish for my hand in marriage. Though only one person will be chosen, I hope you leave this room with connections you otherwise wouldn’t have if not for tonight.” The king spoke, Foolish doesn’t know if he was actually thankful or disinterested. “With that, I shall declare my spouse at the end of the night.”
They watched with interest as the people raised their classes, delicate clings chiming like a church bell as they feasted on a dinner only royalty could conjure.
“The food’s really good.” Foolish said after the starters rolled in, some kind of dish that looked like soup boiled with fish and scallops and vegetables that made the dish look like a world of its own.
“Even if the two of us don’t get picked, at least the food is plenty worth it.” Cellbit laughed, adjusting his mask to lay atop his nose to eat. Foolish wondered if he could even see where his food was going.
Most likely not, Cellbit kept pointing it to the bottom of his lips, sometimes even his nose.
(Foolish was just happy the two of them weren’t nobility and would likely never see these people again, if the scandalized gasps and the eyes were anything to go by.)
Foolish looked away from Cellbit and his attempts at eating to the royal family themselves, laughing gently amongst themselves like the picture standard of a perfect family.
Foolish couldn’t help but notice how they seemed to be watching in his direction, laughing and gently gesturing to the two of them. He hoped the family was laughing in a light-hearted manner, else Foolish wouldn’t want to associate with them.
Foolish turned back to Cellbit who had finished his starter and was wiping his mouth, laughing and smiling and not even taking the condescending glances to heart and wondered if Foolish could be as carefree as he was in front of so many stares.
Chatter was oddly loud, Foolish thought to himself.
Not that he could really pay attention, with the eyes of the king boring into his head.
“Sir Foolish, would you accept my hand in marriage?” He had asked, something oddly eager in his voice as his hand held Foolishs.
Would it be blasphemy if I said no? Foolish wanted to ask, but his mouth clogged with a sense to choke and three damning letters came out instead.
Yes.
“Thank you for your participation in the ball today.” The king said, his hands a chain on Foolish’s waist.
Cellbit was looking at Foolish, he doesn’t know what the other saw.
(Maybe he saw Foolish, the scared and worried and terrified one, the one that never wanted to join but was now the kingdom’s future king/queen.
Or maybe Foolish was a master of disguising his emotions, maybe he was smiling right now and he’s unaware of it, maybe he looked so happy the nobles don’t even see his shock.
Maybe, maybe.)
As the party leaves, Foolish is taken to one of the halls in the castle.
“Are you alright?” The king asked, his hands both his death sentence and his comfort. “You don’t seem very happy.”
“I-I…” Foolish pursed his lip. “Isn’t this too soon, my king? It’s just- We just met today, how can I marry you when I don’t know the first thing about you?”
“…Are you rejecting my courtship?” The king muttered, surprise in his voice and his hand loosening on Foolish’s body.
“No!” Foolish was quick to assure, feeling the stare of a little girl stabbing into his back. “It’s just… Why me? You and I just met each other today. I’m not ready to marry someone I barely know about.”
The king seemed to sag in relief for some reason. “Entiendo.” The king was quick to assure. “You want to marry for love, and you are rejecting my courtship because you do not know me enough to love me.”
“I- yes, that’s kind of the reason.” Foolish frowned, adjusting his mask to hide his discomfort.
“Then we will simply fall in love!” The king declared, oddly determined.
“I-I thought you’d call off the engagement-“ Foolish sputtered. “Aren’t you moving too quickly for this? What if I’m only here to steal your possessions?”
“I know for a fact you wouldn’t.” The king was quick to counter, smiling cheekily as he pulled off his mask. “If you stole nothing in my castle the first time you broke in, you will not steal anything now that you live here.”
Foolish froze, his brain processing the new development.
“SINCE WHEN DID I LIVE HERE?”
The bed is comfortable.
The bed is very comfortable, soft and warm as a contrast to the blanket’s chill but soft fabric.
Foolish hasn’t adjusted to his sudden, new life yet.
Don’t get him wrong, his new life was amazing, all the food he’d ever want, all the time he ever needed, an adorable little girl that lived to spend time with him, all the best materials for his sculpting hobby, a very fun and joyful prince who kept asking him about Cellbit.
By all means, this life was better than his old one.
But Foolish simply isn’t used to it.
Some days, the castle felt too big for him, too much for his small small self to traverse. Some days he’ll think of the stupidest quips and the weirdest thoughts and then to his side only to find no one there. Some days he’ll walk into the palace kitchen in preparation for company only to realize there would be no one visiting him, not even his new friend.
Life in a castle is lonely, he thought to himself.
“Mi amor,” Vegetta said one day, his hands running a possessive line down and around Foolish’s newest necklace. “¿Que te entristece?”
Foolish smiles, leaning into his embrace. King Vegetta, despite Foolish’s beginning reservations, was a very good lover, always attentive to Foolishs every need and ready to gift Foolish everything he asked for.
Loving a king was daunting, but Foolish had never felt scared.
“I just miss my friends.” He muttered, feeling those hands slowly travel to hug him. “It’s been a while since I was gone this long. Hard to think I won’t see them as often as I used to.”
The king hummed softly, pulling Foolish close enough that his nose laid in the king’s neck. “¿Quieres que los traiga también? They could work in the palace, you won’t have to be far away from them.”
Foolish laughed, soft and adoring as his lover kissed his nose. “Bad has a kid, I don’t think the Dapper should be living with his dad in the castle when they have a farm and everything they need. Plus, Cellbit has a family, it’s unfair if you dragged him here.”
“A family?” Vegetta asked, both tense and oddly angry.
Foolish laughed and played with his earring, a golden thing with a Marquis-cut amethyst. “Yeah, Cellbit lives with like 4 other guys and they take care of a kid named Richas. Last I heard, the four of them are just co-parents and they’re a pretty talented group of people.”
“I see…” Vegetta hummed, his lips a warm touch against his neck. “Would you like to see them tomorrow, my love?”
Foolish laughed, feeling his touch as the king pulled him down to lay together. “I can go see them?” Foolish said, just a touch breathless from the attention. Who would have thought a king like Vegetta would be such an attentive man?
“You can do whatever you wish, mi sol.” He whispered, kissing him like a brand upon his lips. “Ask for the skies and I shall lay them by your feet, ask for my heart and I shall gift it to you on a silver platter. If destroying this kingdom meant keeping you and my children with me, there would be nothing but rubble by dawn of tomorrow.”
Foolish smiled, kissing Vegetta’s lips and delighting in his company. “You’re giving too much, mi amor.” He whispered, he wishes he could drown in his love.
“Tanto arriba, como abajo.” Vegetta swore. “If you wanted Heaven, I’ll give you Hell as well.”
“Mi Amor.” Foolish whispered, the light of the moon settling like a second skin upon his back. “Don’t you want to go to sleep? It’s quite late.”
Vegetta sat still, smiling as Foolish yawned into his shoulder. “Maybe later, mi sol.”
“I’m tired.” Foolish resisted the urge to whine, thought he most likely didn’t succeed. “Our marriage was only 5 months ago, be nice to your husband and sleep with me!”
Vegetta laughed, kissing Foolish’s mouth shut, delighting in the golden and purple glint of his ring. “Just a little longer, if you would like to sleep I would not mind carrying you to bed.”
Foolish muttered but continued to stay away, clumsily watching over Vegetta’s shoulder as he signed more documents.
“My love, did you know I met you at the festival, all those years ago?” Vegetta hummed, the lines of his age showing through the lamplight.
“Which one?” Foolish asked. Even as the queen, Foolish delighted in personally participating in the festival with the townspeople, dancing his night away with his friends before he retreated into the castle.
It was one of the few times he could publicly show himself without a need to hide, knowing that guards hid away at every corner ready to jump in at any threat on his life.
“Frostaline, all the way back then.” Vegetta hummed. “Decidí colarme en la ciudad ese día, te conocí entonces.”
“When?…” Foolish yawned, his sleep-addled brain trying to remember when he met his husband.
“I wore a purple cloak.” Vegetta lamented, somewhere between a smile and a joking frown.
“That was you?!” Foolish suddenly exclaimed, nearly jostling Vegetta off of his seat on Foolish’s lap. “I thought that was just a random guy!”
“You didn’t make the connection?” Vegetta asked, oh so amused and terrifyingly smitten. “That was why I orchestrated the ball that time, I personally made my advisors pick you as one of our candidates, dio la casualidad de que el novio de Roier también estaba en la mezcla.”
Foolish gasped. “You wanted to marry me for that long?” He asked.
Vegetta laughed, kissing his cheek and smiling like the sun he claimed Foolish was. “If anyone acted the way you did that day, everyone would want your hand in marriage.”
“I just so happened to be the luckiest man alive.”