Chapter Text
Pure Vanilla Cookie, the Prince of the Vanilla Kingdom, sat in his room with a scroll. Pale, slender fingers moved swiftly over the embossed paper. He could read the braille with practiced ease, but he knew he wouldn’t have to for long. The young prince’s sister promised that, upon being crowned the queen of the Vanilla Kingdom, she would find a mage or magician powerful enough to form some sort of guidance that allowed him to see without functional eyes.
Pure Vanilla raised his head when he heard the door open. He focused his pale-coloured eyes on where he was fairly sure the door was. By the three soft knocks, Pure Vanilla knew it was his mother, a soft and gentle Queen who was deeply respected by both her family and the people.
“Good evening, mother,” Pure Vanilla said as he put his scroll aside. He tilted his head to the left slightly, curious what could have led his mother to visit him personally instead of sending a maid.
“Good evening, my dear,” his mother smiled, “if you would be so kind as to follow me? I have someone I’d like you to meet.”
Mildly surprised, Pure Vanilla stood up and followed his mother. He pulled himself lose from her hold, not unkindly, as she tried to lead him through his own door; Pure Vanilla had lived in this castle for sixteen years, he knew very well where everything was.
“Is there a possibility you can tell me about the reason for your excitement before we get there?” Pure Vanilla asked curiously as he walked beside his mother. He was a little more than one head taller than the queen.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to find out for yourself,” she replied. The playful twinkle in her eyes was heard in her voice, and was most certainly not lost on the young prince beside her, who merely raised an eyebrow.
Finally, they arrived in what Pure Vanilla recognised to be the Grand Hall; the most impressive, heavily decorated hall the royal castle had to offer. Pure Vanilla thought it smelled a little like lemons and berries; not that strange of a thought, seeing that their most frequent visitors were their neighbors, the citizens of the Hollyberry Kingdom.
Heavy footsteps alerted the arrival of Pure Vanilla’s father, the king. He was built a little more muscular, unlike Pure Vanilla’s tall and slender build. It was clear his sisters had inherited those genes from their father.
“Son,” the King greeted him, “I am pleased to see you here. There is something I would like to discuss with you.”
Pure Vanilla only nodded. The King’s ‘discussing’ really only went one way; no speaking back, no arguing. Pure Vanilla prepared to nod until his head fell off.. that was, until-
“We’re opening trade routes with the Cacao Kingdom.”
“..what?”
“Come now, come now.. don’t be so surprised,” The King sighed. “They would have to accept our offers sooner or later. The Cacaoian Kingdom is very closed off, this is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
“Uhm,” Pure Vanilla began slowly, “and why is that, exactly?”
“Because their Crown Prince will be visiting today!” Pure Vanilla’s father said cheerfully. “The King himself is awfully busy, so his firstborn son will come.”
“..when?” Pure Vanilla asked.
“Right about-” The King began, before he was interrupted by a guard that burst through the gates.
“Your Majesty!” She cried. “Forgive my rude entrance, but his Royal Highness has arrived!”
~•~
Dark Cacao stepped out of his carriage, a mighty claymore resting at his hip. His father insisted he got out his regular armour - make a nice first appearance, he said. A nice first appearance for some weakling Vanilians that Dark Cacao only knew from their lack of battle. Hm.
The Crown Prince was mildly annoyed to be escorted in the castle, his own personal guard pushed to the side. Nevertheless, he shielded his true feelings behind his regular blank, stoic mask.
After entering the long hall, Dark Cacao couldn’t help but feel respect for the strong figure at the end of it. He sank to one knee, lowering his head.
“Your Majesty,” Dark Cacao greeted respectfully, “your Highness.”
“Please, your Royal Highness, stand,” the King chuckled. “We are equal here.”
Dark Cacao stood straight. He was a little taller than the king in front of him, but Dark Cacao noticed the clear difference in experience. That was also when he first laid his eyes on the youngest prince.
Never had Dark Cacao seen eyes like that. One blue like the birds that sang their song in honour of the sun, and the other as yellow as the flowers that opened their petals to the very same star.. was that even possible? While Dark Cacao was certain the younger prince must have seen his initial surprise -not adoration of cours, anything but that-, prince Pure Vanilla stayed silent.
The king, however, definitely noticed.. only he thought it was for a different reason whatsoever. “Ah, yes, I see you’ve noticed… unfortunately, my youngest son was born blind. But I assure you, he makes an excellent prince!”
“I didn’t doubt it, your Majesty,” Dark Cacao said once he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.
“Right. Pure Vanilla, lead his Royal Highness to the room he will be staying in,” Pure Vanilla’s father commanded. “You will collect him in two hours for the meeting.”
Pure Vanilla nodded. He turned around and opened a door, signaling for the taller prince to follow.
Dark Cacao, after having been told the leading prince was blind, shamelessly allowed himself to stare at Pure Vanilla. Back home, everyone looked the same; darker skin, dark hair with highlighted strands, piercing eyes, white icing, but this boy…
“Are you an angel?” Dark Cacao blurted out. Immediately, he wanted to hit himself; he was always very careful with his wording, and he had no idea what had overcome him at that moment.
Pure Vanilla only smiled. “I’m not, unfortunately.”
Dark Cacao marveled at the sound of that voice, soft and wise beyond the prince’s years. He didn’t like speaking, but he felt like asking more and more questions, just to hear that voice again.
When they arrived at the chamber, Dark Cacao sat down on the bed quietly. His sharp, dark-purple eyes lingered on the star-shaped mark on Pure Vanilla’s forehead.
“I can feel you staring, you know,” Pure Vanilla said with a small smile.
“I wasn’t,” Dark Cacao said a little too quickly. He cleared his throat.
Pure Vanilla sat next to him with a small chuckle, non-seeing eyes moving over Dark Cacao’s face. They were just a little off, and Dark Cacao moved back on the bed to meet them perfectly with his own.
“Now I’m curious to see how you look,” Pure Vanilla murmured, placing his fingers on the sides of Dark Cacao’s neck. “May I?”
“Yes,” Dark Cacao breathed after his initial nod.
Pale fingers traced over dark skin. They went slowly, from Dark Cacao’s neck, to his jawline, to finally cup his cheekbones. There, they stayed. Dark Cacao leaned in ever-so-slightly, and Pure Vanilla’s lips parted slightly - too far to be accidental.
Dark Cacao leaned in just a little further, his lips brushing the pair of the prince in front of him… and then, the very same guard that interrupted the King in his speech earlier burst through the door. Dark Cacao jerked away from Pure Vanilla, pretending to study the incredibly uninteresting ceiling.
“His Majesty has ordered the meeting to begin earlier!” She said, “your Highness and his Royal Highness are to come with me!”
Pure Vanilla nodded silently before he stood up from the bed. He made a mental note to have a good, long talk with this particular guard about knocking. The younger waited at the door until he heard Dark Cacao’s footsteps behind him.
Dark Cacao had already decided, no matter how the meeting would go; he would do everything in his power to open those trade routes. Hell, he would beg his father to open the Cacao Kingdom for tourist attraction if it meant seeing that beautiful face again….
He, of course, did not know he would be seeing that face in many more lifetimes.