Work Text:
The Festival of Love was in full swing. The Berry Kingdom was even more lively than usual. For this festival marked their young queen’s, Eternal Sugar, day of choosing. The day the jam of passion and happiness picked her perfect mate. Everyone was in attendance, well, almost everyone.
Hollyberry, a young farm cookie just a few years younger than the queen, patrolled the edge of the farm. It wasn’t the first festival the young cookie skipped in favor of making sure no beasts attacked the crops, and it wouldn’t be the last.
“Not even a single cake hound,” Holly complained to herself. She looked towards the castle. The ceremony was about to start. A bright pink flash in the sky. It took a minute for Holly to realize she had been knocked down, a few more to realize her arm was hot.
Holly jumped up to see what attacked, only to find nothing. Not even the blueberry birds chirping. Yet her arm was pulsating with heat. A hole. A heart shaped hole was burned through her simple wooden shield, framing a jamstone in the shape of a heart on her arm. A jamstone that pulsed with warmth, passion, and happiness.
“Me? You’re joking!” Holly told it. The stone pulsed, as if denying the claim. “Pick someone else! I’m sure plenty of other cookies would love to marry the queen and live in the castle!”
The jamstone seemed to ask why not her?
“I’m a farmer!”
‘So?’
“I don’t belong in the castle!”
‘Say’s who?’
“Says me!”
The jamstone seemed unconvinced.
Holly was about to argue with the stone some more when she heard rustling in the bushes. She raised her shield, the wood turning to metal. Some little truffle pigs trotted out. When Holly put down her shield arm, the shield disappeared.
“Got out again, eh? Come on,” Holly picked up one of the pigs, the others gathering by her heels.
The farm workers came back hours later, claiming the fated mate was no where to be seen, asking if Holly saw the jamstone during her rounds. The hunt for the mate lasted almost a full year. Holly could only laugh at the ease it was to hide the jamstone affixed to her arm.
Many years later, and Holly found herself with an audience with the queen. Due to Holly’s nature to never take a day off, it was the first time seeing her.
She was breathtaking. The soft smile, lidded eyes, beautiful cloud-like hair. It took everything in her power not to drool. The jamstone teased her by pulsing the beat of the wedding march.
“Queen Sugar,” the head guard bowed, “this is Hollyberry. She is the one who held her own and defeated the dragon.”
“Uh, hi?” Holly rubbed her neck, “It wasn’t anything THAT impressive.”
Eternal Sugar raised a brow, “and what do you call impressive, then? It takes armies to take down a dragon, yet you did it with ease. Even I struggle with such a feat.”
Holly started to blush.
The second guard began listing Holly’s other accomplishments. She was a tough cookie before the jamstone picked her, and after, she was an unstoppable force.
Eternal Sugar silenced the guard with a raise of her hand. She softly floated down to float at head height to Holly. Holly felt her heart stop. Those lips called to her.
“--- So what do you say?” Eternal Sugar said, waiting for an answer.
Holly blinked rapidly, what did Eternal Sugar ask her? Her jamstone told her to accept, and she did, earning a bright smile.
“Fantastic! We can move you in at once! Captain Yucca, please get her a uniform and go over her duties,” Eternal Sugar gave Holly a swift hug before going to some servants to start giving orders.
The next day, Holly found herself in a set of pink armor, an aegis shield on her back, following Eternal Sugar like a lost puppy. The jamstone was delighted at Holly’s new position as Eternal Sugar’s personal guard.
///////
Eternal Sugar had felt both relieved and disappointed when the hunt for her mate turned up empty. Her wedding was to be delayed, and hopefully she would feel ready when the time came.
Mixed feelings seemed to follow her. When Hollyberry was brought to her, her world felt complete. Sad that this cookie wasn’t her fated mate, but so happy to be in her presence. The blushing, rough, blunt, cookie was everything Sugar could ask for in a mate. Each day proved the fact. The kindness she showed, her strength, loyalty, passion.
///////////
Sugar had a skip to her step. Shadow Milk invited her to his wedding anniversary. She met his other half briefly during meetings. A kind, if a bit soft spoken, man, studious, kind, and truthful sort. A perfect match for Shadow.
The other four rulers easily found their other halves and it showed why they trust the jamstones to choose. Mystic Flour, such an apathetic soul, had a man named Dark Cacao as her match. He was a problem solver, while they butt heads, it was clear that nothing would get done if either ruled on their own.
You’d think that the jamstone made a mistake pairing chaotic, destructive, Burning Spice and a childish and greedy cookie like Golden Cheese, but once again, it chose true. They ruled the most prosperous kingdom for a reason.
Yet, the closest Sugar had to a match was Holly. Always willing to act, effortlessly rallies a crowd and ignites their passion. Her mate had to be truly incredible if they were chosen over Holly.
“It’s getting dark, Sugar,” Holly said, already taking off her pack. Holly was the only one Sugar allowed to use a nickname, it sounded too sweet on her lips to stop her.
“I can start the fire,” Sugar said, already picking up twigs and wood. When she was done, Holly had set up one of the tents, and went through her bags looking for the other.
“I think we forgot the second tent,” Holly announced, repacking their supplies. Sugar’s heart started to beat faster.
“Sharing shouldn’t be a problem. If anything, it’d be safer,” Sugar blamed the fire for how warm her face felt.
“... we also only packed one sleeping bag. Who did we assign to pack our supplies again?”
“Sugarfly and her little apprentice.”
“Of course, Pavlova. I swear, that kid only cares about matchmaking, bet he did this on purpose.”
Sugar smiled and threw their food on the fire to get cooking. As the night grew darker, Sugar became restless, until it was time to actually go to bed, together.
Holly wore a pair of shorts, a tank top, and bracers to bed while Sugar had a simple nightgown. It took a bit of shifting until they settled on a position where Sugar was the big spoon and Holly the little spoon.
Morning came too soon, if it wasn’t for the cold, hard, ground, and the promise of a party, Sugar would have stayed all day in that sleeping bag. For once, she wasn’t cold waking up.
They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the Milk Kingdom where Shadow greeted them with a hug.
“Eternal Sugar! I trust the trip went well?” Shadow spun his friend around. His mate, Pure Vanilla, gave a shy wave from the door.
“No trouble at all!”
“Great!” Shadow smirked, “so you won't mind a bit of trouble here?”
Holly stood at attention, scanning for trouble.
“You can tell your guard dog to stand down, it’s not that kind of trouble,” Shadow gave a laugh, “you know Candy Apple? Well she might’ve accidentally ruined some rooms. You don't mind sharing with your guard, right?”
“That shouldn’t be a problem at all,” Sugar felt her jamstone warm slightly as she pushed thoughts of sharing a shower, and changing together, out of her head. After all, those thoughts should only be for her fated mate, whoever they were.
“Great! We’re also low on cots so you two have a queen all to yourself,” Shadow clapped as faces started to gain a red tinge.
“We can manage,” Sugar waved off, mentally adding they shared a sleeping bag on the way here.
“Great! The servants can show you to your room! Second spire, fifth floor, overlooking the lake!”
Sugar turned as red as Holly’s namesake, “isn't that the room with the open floor plan? Waterfall bathroom? …”
“And indoor garden? Yep! I know it’s your favorite!” Shadow’s smile widened as he looked between the two cookies, gears turning in his head.
Sugar could feel deep in her jamstone that this was going to be a long visit, and her heart jumped with glee. The fact Holly somehow managed to change, shower, and more without Sugar seeing her naked brought relief and disappointment.
//////////////
Like every year, The Festival of Love came to the Berry Kingdom. Both Sugar and Hollu had a few glasses of berry juice during the night. The fireworks were about to start, they sat alone on the edge of the fountain. It wasn’t called the Festival of Love for nothing.
Eyes fluttered shut, Sugar slipped into Holly’s lap. Foreheads pressed together, Holly cupping Sugar’s cheek, and thigh. Sugar held Holly’s shoulder and her shield arm. Both jamstones pulsed in time with their hearts.
Fireworks.
Both literal and figurative burst when their lips touched. Warmth, love, passion, flooded their systems. Holly came to her senses first, and that was only because Sugar was determined to get her guard out of her armor. When the cold night air hit her jamstone, she jumped.
“Your highness!” Holly blurted out, covering her jamstone, armor undone and hanging off. Half of a moment and Holly ran, leaving Sugar on the fountain, holding her gauntlet, lipstick smudged.
/////////
“And that’s why you have to help me!” Eternal Sugar begged, finishing her story of the Festival of Love. The month after was torture, Sugar felt like her heart had been torn in two. Holly used every excuse she could so they wouldn’t be in the same room, alone, together.
The other royals looked at her through the screen.
“Uh, Sugar? I think you’re muted,” Shadow Milk said. Burning Spice started laughing, Mystic Flour face palmed.
“We all heard you,” Mystic corrected, “however, I don’t see the problem.”
“I’m in love with my bodyguard! I kissed her! I was about to have sex with her! And she’s not my chosen mate!” Sugar yelled, waving her arms, “how is that not a problem!?!”
“You didn’t sleep with her. Just put your feelings aside,” Mystic said.
“Or,” Spice started, “fuck her. Just get it out of the way. Do it and leave it.”
“I am not cheating on my fated mate!”
“You haven’t even found them yet! How do we know they’re alive?”
“The other half would’ve returned if they died,” Shadow answered this time. He swirled his cup of tea his other half handed him. He had a smirk, “Maybe you should focus on finding your mate? Like have everyone get a full body search for the jamstone.”
“Start with that guard of yours,” Spice announced, “a nice, private, search. Leave no inch of skin unseen. Commit every curve and scar to memory.”
Mystic shook her head, “call me back when the conversation becomes productive.” The screens went down to four, though Silent Salt stayed as still and quiet as ever, so it might as well be a conversation of three.
“If I may,” Vanilla pushed into view, “I agree with Burning spice.”
“HA!”
“You should talk to her in private, lay your hearts bare,” Vanilla continued, “trust and truth is the basis of a good relationship. If your fated mate is hanging over your head, maybe restarting the search would be good. Even if you’re sure they’re not, check again.”
Sugar hugged herself.
“You do want to find them, don’t you?”
Sugar sighed, “I fear they won't be as good as I’ve been imagining them to be. Afterall, who could be better than my Holly? Who could possibly be more passionate? More kind? Fit better in my arms? Warm me like her? Who could possibly be a better match than my Holly?”
Sugar tugged her hair, unaware she was being deafened as the boys talked together.
“I will say this again,” Spice said when Shadow un-deafened Sugar, “you, her, butt naked.”
“But my fated mate!”
“Look, Cheese just came in with another stuffed Kulfi, I’m logging off. If you don’t work something out by next month, I’m taking drastic measures. … I told you no more stuffed animals! You have to get rid of one before getting another!” Spice’s feed cut out.
Shadow and Sugar looked at each other, “Sooo…”
Sugar logged off before Shadow could say more. She grabbed the chair cushion and screamed, causing Holly to rush in.
“Is… Did the meeting go well?” Holly shifted on her feet.
Sugar sighed, “I suppose. It delved into teasing by the end. Them pushing me to try and find my mate…” Sugar looked Holly up and down, “I suppose I should start the search…”
“I’ll organize the guar- Sug- your highness,” Holly fumbled over her words as Sugar’s hands found the straps of Holly’s armor.
“You’re first,” Sugar announced. Her jamstone was getting excited as Sugar tossed the chest plate to the corner. Holly tried to protest as more of her armor was discarded until she was wearing only her bracers.
“See? No mark,” Holly spread her arms wide, praying that Sugar was too busy checking the rest of her body to notice she was still wearing her bracers.
Sugar wiped some drool off her lips as her eyes went low, “uhm… I think I need to inspect that area closer. Yes, the jamstone is pink, and that is some very dense hair. It needs a very, very, close inspection.”
Sugar’s hands shook as she went to her knees to ‘inspect’ the area in question, drool dripping down her chin. Holly grabbed her hair and Sugar touched her arm. Instead of warm skin, she felt leather.
“Oh! I forgot your bracers,” to get off her knees would take too much effort and willpower than what Sugar had, so she undid the clasps while still on her knees. The first arm had nothing, but the second, the second had everything.
The pair went silent as Sugar traced the jamstone on Holly’s arm. Once again, two emotions bubbled up, excitement and fear.
“I can explain!” Holly dropped to her knees, “I-I didn’t, and still don't, think I’m cut out for palace life. Servants waiting on me hand and foot, guards at my heels. Expectations and being ‘proper’.”
Sugar looked up, tears falling down her face, “do you love me?”
“Yes,” the word came out of her mouth of its own accord. Her mind couldn’t even start to second guess the answer before Sugar pounced, lips connected in a desperate, hungry, sloppy kiss.
The wedding was announced for the next month for the pure fact that they had to invite the other royals and ‘the next morning’ was not enough time to prepare or travel.
“Soooo,” Shadow slipped next to the couple, “did she fess up or did you manage to find it?”
“YOU KNEW?!?” Sugar yelled.
“You were the only one who didn’t. Even Spicy figured it out, and there’s more stuffing in his head than in his wife’s stuffed animal collection.”