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Lance sauntered down the main road on the way out of town with only a tune in his heart and a backpack of light provisions.
He wasn’t entirely sure why he was taking a fairytale seriously but he figured worst case scenario he spends the whole day hiking through the forest. Best case, he gets to rescue a beautiful damsel and sweep her off her feet.
His friends always teased him, saying he was a hopeless romantic and, while Lance couldn’t deny it, he also wasn’t a total airhead. He wasn’t parading around the forest looking for a fairytale with no foundation on truth or direction. He had a semi-reliable rumour, thank you very much.
A few weeks ago, at the tavern laughing with some of his fellow junior knights, the fairytale of the beautiful princess locked away in the tower had come up. It was a common tale in the city. Lance had first heard it when he was a boy. They had all laughed about it, but then Guard Captain, Sir Shirogane, had said something that rattled around Lance's brain - and he just couldn’t forget it! The little brainworm plagued him until here he was, on his day off hiking through the forest.
You never know. All fairytales have a seed in reality. Shiro had smiled at them and moved on, but Lance swore Shiro had given him a look .
‘A seed in reality’. Okay fine, so maybe it wasn’t a strong basis and maybe he was a hopeless romantic. Maybe he would spend his whole day off hiking the forests for nothing but the exercise and fresh air. Maybe he would get nothing but cramps and a miserable day at work tomorrow but he had to try!
He just couldn’t shake it from his head! Why would Shiro , the youngest knight ever to receive the honour of captain - and Lance's personal hero - stop and comment about a seed in reality .
Lance was willing to stake his day off on Shiro’s words regardless of his friends' heckling.
The sun shone through the trees from directly overhead now. He had been following the main road for the entirety of the morning. He wasn’t sure exactly where the alleged tower was supposed to be but it couldn’t be too close to town, right?
By now, though, he figured he was far enough out. He hadn’t seen a house in miles and he was well and truly into the woods.
When he came across a small side trail, he had a decision to make. He could either ignore the path and keep walking down the main road or he could see where it led. Lance thought that the tower from a fairytale wouldn't be along the main road, or it would be a known place and not just a story. So, he decided to turn off and follow the smaller path.
It looked seldom used - just wide enough for a horse and cart. He couldn’t decide if that was encouraging or not but he tried not to over think it as he continued walking. He contemplating stopping for lunch when he came to a rise in the path. He decided to get to the top and then stop for food.
He gasped when he reached the peak and saw the view sprawled before him. All thoughts of lunch disappeared as he gazed down on a fairytale tower.
He had believed it existed but he was still shocked to find the abandoned tower sitting in the little valley. The weathered cobblestones were covered in decades of ivy; little windows peeked out here and there behind the green curtain.
A little creek cut its way through the emerald valley adding to the picturesque fairytale image.
Lance lifted the spyglass from his belt to get a closer look. There was an open window on the top floor. He thought he could see a whisper of movement through the window, but it could have been a curtain wafting in the breeze. After scanning the rest of the tower, he determined it was the only opening. Not ideal, but it was a start.
As he lowered the spyglass from his eye, about to continue down the path, he thought he caught a flash of red at the corner of his eye. Quickly bringing the glass back up, he scoured the roof but after a minute of seeing nothing but the ancient wood tiles, he chalked it up to nerves and his overactive imagination. His Mama always jokingly scolded him about it.
He reattached the spyglass to his belt and continued down the road into the valley. The road turned into a pathway with a little bridge over the creek and stopped directly at the base of the tower.
A door that he had previously missed, hidden by the ivy, stood in front of him.
He couldn’t believe his luck. He wouldn’t have to climb the outside after all! He reached out and turned the knob. It didn’t budge. It was securely locked.
The evil witch of the fairy tale must have the door locked to keep the princess trapped within. Or the dragon had blocked the door. There were a few different versions of the story. The locked door only strengthened his belief and his resolve to save the maiden within.
With a deep breath, Lance set his backpack on the ground and took out his grappling hook. He would have to do it the hard way after all.
A straight shot to the open window was impossible from the ground - it was too high up. He assessed the tower and thought he could get to the shuttered second floor window; from there the open window was possible. It would be a couple of incredibly difficult throws, but he was confident in his abilities. He was naturally gifted with ranged weapons after all.
After a few attempted throws, a couple slips, and a curse or two, the hook was finally secured. He gave a couple test tugs before trusting his full weight on it. Finally happy, he scaled the outside of the tower. With more determination than grace, he scrambled up and into the open window.
He stood in the open frame with a hand on it for balance, surveying the room within. It was sparsely but tastefully decorated, not what Lance had imagined for a princess but it definitely wasn’t an abandoned tower. A mix of pride and excitement swelled in his chest.
A soft thud and rustle of clothes snapped Lance’s attention through a doorway to the kitchen where a beautiful woman stood.
Her back was to him but he could already tell she was stunning. Her dark hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders. Her tight pants and dark shirt clung in all the right places to accentuate her lithe form. She was quite tall, Lance guessed about his own height, with broad shoulders and a slim waist but it worked for her. She was graceful and strong as she set a heavy looking bag on the counter.
Lance figured this was the perfect time to announce his arrival and took a deep breath to steady his rising nerves. As much as he denied it, he did get nervous around pretty girls and this woman was on a whole other level.
“Princess!” He waved one hand dramatically. “I am here to rescue you!”
The woman spun on her heel, a knife in hand, eyes wide with surprise and a curse on her parted lips.
Lance was instantly struck by the beauty of her eyes. A deep violet set under thick brows. He tore his eyes off hers to briefly appreciate the rest of her.
She had high cheekbones, a sharp jawline and a… very flat chest.
“ What -” The person hissed through clenched teeth in a much lower tone than Lance was expecting.
“Uhh..” Lance’s mind raced but couldn’t find any suitable words. “You're not a princess…”
“-the quiznak are you doing?” Anger burned in those gorgeous purple eyes.
The man held his knife far too comfortably for Lance’s comfort. Lance swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry and his cheeks flushed and he tried again.
“I came to this tower to rescue you,” Lance answered more feebly than he wanted.
“Rescue me?” The man’s voice was a mix of anger and indignation. His brows furrowed with confusion, his eyes never leaving Lance’s. “I live here.”
“But-but the fairytale!” Lance’s voice lost its cool edge and came out high pitched even to his own ears.
“You believe those?” The man retorted, unbelieving.
“And the door was locked!”
“Uhh, yeah. Do you not lock your doors?”
“And there’s so much ivy on the tower!” Lance knew he was clutching at straws but he couldn’t stand feeling like such an idiot. He had to find some defense.
“It’s called aesthetic??” The man said incredulously.
The man took a cautious step toward Lance. His grip was still tight on the knife and his posture wary of the crazy man in his third floor living room window.
“What about the dragon keeping you captive?” Lance asked miserably, sinking to his knees in the wide window frame.
“I mean, she’s a little big to realize she’s not lap-sized anymore but I don’t think “holding me captive” is the right term.” The man’s eyes narrowed as he tracked Lance’s movements.
“You….have a pet dragon?” Lance looked up at the guys' striking eyes hopefully. He took a moment to really look at the guy. From his handsome but stern face to his strong build and the way he held himself. Owning a dragon honestly wasn’t as surprising as it should have been. “Of course you do.”
Lance wiped his hand down his face as he struggled to think of a single reason he was so confident this morning when he set out that this would turn out well. He had already botched this so bad that it couldn’t get much worse from here. He shifted his weight to sit in the windowsill and let his feet dangle into the living room. At least he was physically comfortable now.
“Well if you’re such a regular guy why doesn’t anyone ever see you?” Lance asked mockingly, waving one hand wide.
The man stared at him for a second, trying to figure out if he was serious. “First of all, rude. Second of all, I’m an introvert not a quiznacking hermit. I go out!”
Lance ignored the explanation and looked around the room critically. The decor was well loved and well taken care of. Food from yesterday’s market sat on the kitchen counter. Everywhere he looked he just saw the comforts of a nice home. He held onto the window sill harder now. More to feel something solid under his grip as everything spiraled so out of control than from fear of falling.
He had planned to rescue a fair maiden, flirt shamelessly, and regale her with stories of his heroics but what he had actually managed to do was break and enter into a private home and piss off the man that lived there.
“Do you really think that I go buy my produce in regal outfits and a big crown and have criers announce my presence? Or that I sing to the wildlife as I walk through the city?” The guy asked venomously.
“Uhhhh.” Lance knew there was no good answer to that but it was more in line with what he had envisioned. “Yes?”
“Unbelievable,” The tone of incredulous disappointment made Lance feel stupider than he had even a second ago.
The man slowly lowered the knife to his side. As much of an idiot as the guy thought Lance was, at least he didn’t see him as an immediate threat anymore. He’d take his victories where he could get them.
Lance lowered his head and rubbed the back of his head. “I may be beginning to see where I made some assumptions…” He admitted sheepishly. He took a breath and steeled himself for a very presumptuous question. You miss all shots you don’t take and all that. “Since I’m here though…”
The man’s face instantly closed off again, hand regripping his knife, suspicion radiating from him in waves.
“Could I see your dragon?” Lance looked at the stranger hopefully, using his best puppy eyes.
Dragons weren’t uncommon but they were still rare and Lance loved the magnificent beasts. He might even consider this complete train wreck on an encounter a win if he could see the dragon even for a second.
“I- What?” The man asked, confused. He seemed a little taken aback by the request. Lance got the impression that he didn’t interact with too many people. Although, if a strange man burst through his living room window and asked to see his dragon he would be taken aback too, so he couldn’t be sure.
“Dragons are so beautiful,” Lance said wistfully “I’ve really only seen one up close once and it was forever ago. Only the rich and famous have such exotic animals and I’m just a junior knight.”
“Uhhh… I guess?” The man finally said reluctantly. “Though she’s her own person, I won’t force her.”
As if she was summoned by the praise, a magnificent red dragon appeared in the doorway. She studied Lance critically with intelligent, slitted eyes. It could have been a trick of the light but Lance swore they glowed.
Lance inhaled sharply at the sight of her. Her scales ranged from a deep burgundy to vibrant copper, glinting in the sunlight. Her leathery wings were folded neatly on her back and her tail swished decisively behind her. Four large silver claws tipped each of her large paws. Her gaze pierced right through him, stripping away all his walls and layers. He held his breath and hoped she liked what she saw. The moment stretched but Lance dared not look away from her. If she decided he had overstayed his welcome she would make short work of him.
“She doesn’t like many people,” The man broke the silence. “I wouldn’t take it personal-“
The dragon cut him off with a snort and unfolded her wings, stretching them wide. She dropped her chest to the floor in a big stretch, much like a cat. Then she trotted up to Lance, her large claws clacking on the wooden floor. She planted both forepaws on Lance’s shoulders and started snuffling around his clothes and face.
Lance wasn’t expecting the sudden weight and nearly fell from the window but he grasped the window frame with both hands just in time.
“Woah, easy big girl,” Lance said as he adjusted his posture and released the window frame to pet the large dragon, stroking her smooth scales. They were cool but solid under his palms. He could feel the muscles ripple as she moved her head back and forth.
“Aren’t you gorgeous,” He crooned as he petted as much of the dragon as he could reach. “You are so pretty! Look at these scales.”
Red preened under his compliments and shifted so he could scratch different areas. A low purring sound rumbled deep in her chest.
“Huh.” The man crossed his arms with a puzzled look. “She doesn't usually warm up to people this quick. She’s usually pretty aggressive.”
“Well, I did scale this tower just to see her,” Lance replied smugly.
“I thought you came to rescue me from her,” The man said indignantly.
Lance waved his hand dismissively. “She is definitely the princess here.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Lance saw a smile tug at the corner of the guy's lips and his hold on the knife relax, almost dangling from his fingers now. Not that he needed it to get rid of Lance, a word to Red and Lance would be dead at the bottom of the tower. But it still made him feel better to know he wasn’t seen as a threat anymore.
“I, uh, guess I didn’t introduce myself,” Lance said, embarrassment creeping in on the edge of his voice.
The man snorted and Lance supposed he deserved that.
“The name’s Lance.”
“Keith,” The man - Keith - replied.
“Nice to meet you.”
“I guess?” Keith quirked his head, still trying to figure Lance out.
Lance’s hands had slowed their ministrations over the dragon as he looked at Keith. Red huffed and pushed him with her nose.
“Okay, Okay, I’m sorry,” Lance laughed as he resumed patting her and gave her his whole attention.
“Look… I was just about to make lunch, so…” Keith said awkwardly.
“Oh! Lunch! I’d love some!” Lance exclaimed.
“No, that wasn’t-”
Lance ignored Keith’s protests and jumped up from the windowsill - no small feat with Red all but pinning him in place. “I’ve got some food in my pack I could share. I left it outside on the ground. Maybe I could use the door this time to grab it?”
Keith huffed, scowled, and pointed to a staircase in the corner of the room that Lance had previously missed.
Red whined as Lance walked away but he was quick to assure her he’d be back soon.
“I’ll bring you a little treat too,” he whispered. “Something tells me Keith doesn’t spoil you enough.”
Lunch was actually kinda nice. Keith clearly didn’t have visitors very often and sat quietly while Lance filled the silence with meaningless chatter. He didn’t really know why he had insisted on staying and eating but there was something about Keith that made him want to get to know him better. If he ran away before getting to know him, he knew he would never come back and the beautiful, mysterious man in the tower would plague his thoughts for the rest of his life. So, Lance had grabbed his jerky and the fancy pastries he had brought with him and run back as fast as he could. Keith had begrudgingly made him a plate with some fruit and cheese.
Keith laid down a plate heaping with raw meat for Red as they sat down at the table. So maybe he did spoil her enough but that wouldn’t stop Lance from giving her a few treats of his own after lunch.
“I hate that I’m saying this but these pastries are actually really good,” Keith grumbled as he finished his first and reached for a second. A glazed flake of pastry clung to the corner of his mouth as he spoke.
“I know right?! My BFF Hunk made them. He’s so talented,” Lance boasted.
“Wait…” Keith’s pastry stopped in the air, halfway to his mouth as his brain worked. “Hunk as in Hunk’s Bakery ? For real?”
Keith set the pastry down on his plate and looked at it with new appreciation.
Lance smirked. “Yup. Only the best pastries for the damsels I rescue.
Keith shot him an unimpressed look. “I’ve never had his pastries before. It’s soooo gooood. By the time I get to the market, he’s always sold out. There’s usually a few rolls or loafs left over, but never the sweet stuff. Not that there’s anything wrong with the regular bread!” He tacked on quickly.
“I understand.” Lance nodded. “Why don’t you just ask him to put some aside for you next time?”
Keith stared at him skeptically. “I hardly think that’s fair….”
“Oh dude. Hunk’s a sweetie, he would totally do that if you mention that you live out of town. I think it’s unfair that you’ve never had one cause you have so much further to travel than most of us.”
Keith thought about it, the conflicting views warring in his eyes as he stared at the pastry. In the end, the pastry won out. He took a bite and hummed in delight. “Yeah, okay. I’ll do it next time I’m in town. The only time I get to enjoy Hunk’s pastries are when Shiro brings me some, but he never brings the best ones like these. It’s alway the bready almond ones or the cinnamon raisin buns - without icing.”
“Those ones are super mediocre. Hunk only makes them because they are popular with the older generation. If you want, I can-” Something clicked in Lance’s brain and the rest of his offer fizzled out. “Wait… Did you say Shiro ? As in, captain of the guard, Sir Shirogane?”
Keith’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Yeah… Why? Do you know him?”
“Know him?!” Lance cried, his hands flying in front of him. “He’s my boss ! He’s the one that told me…” Lance trailed off as more points connected in his brain. Quiznacking Shiro and his ‘seed in reality’.
“What did he tell you?” Keith growled.
“Uhhh, to not discredit the princess in the tower rumours?” Lance’s voice raised an octave, sensing this was going to set Keith off.
“That meddling bastard.” Keith scowled. “I swear to god, he’s asking for it this time.”
“I didn’t mean to get him in trouble…” Lance looked down at his mostly empty plate, feeling slightly guilty.
“You didn’t. He got himself in trouble,” Keith retorted.
“I wonder why he didn’t correct my gender assumption..” Lance asked mostly to himself. “Or any assumptions for that matter…”
Keith scowled at his half eaten pastry, not offering any end to the uncomfortable silence stretching between them.
“So, uhhh, how do you know Shiro?” Lance asked, hoping to move on from the tense moment.
“It’s… complicated,” Keith said slowly, his face turned contemplative as he thought.
“Ooookayy.” Lance cocked his head. Keith was so strange and intriguing and Lance wanted to figure him out.
“I’ve known him since I was born. He’s like a brother to me.”
“That’s really sweet. It’s nice to have friends that become family like that. That’s Hunk for me.” Lance smiled encouragingly.
“It’s different with Shiro though.” Keith shook his head, the loose hair of his bangs swayed over his eyes. “It was his job. He didn’t have a choice. I worry he still looks out for me out of duty.”
Lance frowned and studied the puzzling man. That didn’t make any sense to him. It did sound like Shiro to take his duties that seriously but he wouldn’t go that far for someone he didn’t genuinely care about.
“The Shiro I know wouldn’t secretly encourage junior knights to go visit someone he didn’t genuinely care about. It’s about more than duty for him.” Lance laid his hand on Keith’s forearm comfortingly.
Keith finally looked at him and smiled, just a small tug at the corners of his lips but his whole face softened. Lance’s heart stuttered and he quickly averted his gaze, realizing he had been staring.
“What job did Shiro have before?” Lance asked, mostly because the curiosity about Keith’s history was burning him up and partly to move past the sudden tightness in his chest.
“He was still a guard before,” Keith answered.
“Keiitthhh, you’re killing me,” Lance whined. “Are you secretly royalty? Ran away with Shiro to avoid the responsibilities?” He said the most ridiculous scenario he could think of in hopes that Keith would give him some actual details.
“Well, yes. And no,” Keith said with a half shrug.
“What does that mean?!” Lance cried. “You are royalty?”
“Not really anymore.” Keith said quietly. “I suppose you’ve heard of the Kingdom of Marmora…”
Lance stared blankly. Everyone had heard of the Kingdom of Marmora… and their downfall. The Galran empire had attacked and conquered their neighbour when Lance was a kid. The Galran’s war crept closer to Altean borders every year and everyone was on edge fearing they would be next. King Zarkon had killed the Queen of Marmora but stories were inconsistent about the young prince. Some said that a guard had taken the prince and escaped but nobody knew where they had ended up.
Lance’s eyes widened with dawning realization.
“O-Oh. I’m so sorry.” Lance stammered as he withdrew his hand from Keith’s forearm. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories… well I guess I did but… Gah.” Lance’s cheeks burned with renewed embarrassment and he dropped his face in both hands. “I broke into a prince’s house. I just burst right through the window.”
Ketih snorted and Lance peeked through his fingers at the other man.
“Hey, don’t combust on me now.” Ketih gently grasped Lance’s wrist and pried his hand from his face. “After everything this afternoon that’s what gets you? I used to be a prince?” Keith chuckled.
The sound was light and airy, pure amusement ringing through the air. Something loosened in Lance’s chest.
”You climbed a tower to rescue a princess after all, this is just a slight difference.”
“I guess when you put it like that…” Lance conceded and willed his cheeks to cool down. “I’m an idiot.”
“You won’t hear me disagree.” Keith teased.
“Hey!” Lance squawked.
“But yeah, that’s how I know Shiro.” Keith drew his hand back from Lance’s wrist slowly. “He doesn’t think I get out enough. This is his way of ‘helping’.”
“Yeah, he does like to meddle with personal affairs.” Lance chuckled.
“And I can’t even order him to stop!” Keith cried, flinging his arms wide before crossing them tightly over his chest. “He took on the older brother role and now he thinks he knows what’s best for me!”
“My condolences,” Lance said seriously with a shake of his head, patting Keith on the shoulder. “With us junior knights he’s more of a dad than a boss. It’s always,” Lance put his hands on his hips and dropped his voice in his best impression of Shiro. “‘Lance, you need to be more serious on your patrols. You can’t keep flirting with every single cute girl or guy you meet.”
Keith laughed again, the sound put a stupid smile on Lance’s face.
Keith uncrossed his arms, putting one hand on his hip and wagging one finger in front of him.
“Keith, you spend too much time in that tower,” Keith said in his Shiro impression - it was much better than Lance’s. “You need to get out and meet more people. Or you leave me no choice but to send strange men to burst in through your window.”
Laughter bubbled up Lance’s chest. He tried his best to squash it as he nodded very seriously. “It was a mission of the highest importance.”
Ketih snorted and Lance lost his fight with the giggles.
“It’s not even that funny,” Lance finally gasped. “I am really sorry for barging in.”
Keith heaved a big sigh and grudgingly admitted, “I guess it was nice to have some company. And you had the decency to bring good food at least.”
“I’m nothing if not considerate,” Lance agreed, sticking the last bite of his pasty in his mouth. “I should probably go now though. I’ve already interrupted your day.” Lance fiddled with the edge of his plate. He didn’t really want to leave Keith. He wanted to get to know him more. What if Keith didn’t want to know Lance though? What if this was a one time lunch and Keith was happy to never see him again? He wouldn’t know unless he asked. “Would I be able to come back? Maybe next week on my day off?”
Keith’s brows furrowed and his lips lost the happy tug they just had.
“To see Red again!” Lance added on quickly, not wanting to be rejected and make things awkward. “Can’t leave such a gorgeous girl alone for too long!”
Keith heaved another resigned sigh, but there was a softness to it, like he didn’t mind as much as he wanted Lance to believe. “Fine. Just, please knock next time.”
“I can do that.” Lance chuckled. He pushed his chair back and got to his feet. “I’ll even bring more of Hunk’s pastry’s.”
“You better.” Keith stood nodding. There was a suppressed smile in his voice now.
“Until next week, my damsel not in distress.” Lance winked with a bow.
The blush that tinted Keith’s cheeks would definitely occupy Lance’s thoughts for the week until he could see the beautiful man again.
Lance was very grateful he had trusted Shiro’s words and his own romantic nature and went looking for the princess. It had turned out so differently but so much better than he ever could have imagined. Lance could tell this was the beginning of a great friendship and, maybe if he was lucky, more than friendship.