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it all started with a promise, long before you were even born. your kingdom was small, quite unremarkable, really – the only notable feat to its name was that your ancestors were “friends” with the draconias.
this “friendship” served as a basis for trade and to maintain positive political relations throughout history, all thanks to an established deal. the heirs of the families would be wed whenever it was deemed politically necessary (read: convenient).
relations between the fae and humans were beginning to go awry a couple of months before you were to be born. and as fate had it, the draconias were also expecting an heir. the families and ministers sat down for a lengthy discussion about the next course of action, and it was then decided – you and the draconia heir would be wed when you turned eighteen.
“i don’t have to do anything if you can’t catch me!”
“lady [name]! return here at once, your carriage is waiting for you!”
your melodious laughter rang out throughout the palace, accompanied by the erratic click-clack of the heels leading your escape. you masterfully navigated the palace hallways, dodging the staff and the maid hot on your dress trail, freedom being the only thing on your mind.
last night you had your farewell ball, which means today you’re leaving for briar valley. from childhood, you kept hearing stories about how you’d marry the neighboring prince, malleus, after you turned eighteen. initially, it was all you’d ever dream and talk about – for what princess wouldn’t want to marry a kind prince?
then, stories about him came around.
turns out, he wasn’t kind.
in every new story about him, the source described him worse than in the previous ones. according to them, he was ruthless and terrifying, uncaring and unkind, instilling fear into the hearts of everyone he encountered. but, if that were true, how was briar valley prospering so?
you didn’t understand the controversies tied to the situation – you just knew you weren’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of marrying someone described with such words. it wouldn’t do much good for your image, or for the image of your kingdom, for which you’re supposed to tie the marriage in the first place.
However, as you were now nearly nineteen and the doomsday clock had long finished ticking, you realized you couldn’t keep stalling the inevitable – your escape was then cut short by your personal knights, trappola and spade, blocking your route. “traitors,” you muttered under your breath before swerving around in a desperate attempt to continue fleeing, unfortunately your maid has caught up and was now cornering you like a wild animal. that’s when you knew you had lost this battle.
“lady [name], it is high time for your departure. they are expecting you at castle blackscale tomorrow afternoon. please, board the carriage. you as well, sirs.”
once seated with your knights on either side, the horses neighed and off you went – to your doom.
“are you nervous, princess?”
you looked to your left, making eye contact with the raven-haired knight you’ve known since you were eight, and upon seeing the genuine concern in his eyes, you stopped fidgeting with your hands for now.
“a little, i’m afraid. i have never met the prince before, so the situation is quite nerve-wracking, you understand.”
deuce nods at that, and with one final glance towards your hands, chooses to gaze out the window instead.
“do not fret, my lady, i am almost certain everything will turn out alright. the stories may have just been overexaggerated speculations.”
“i pray you are right, ace.”
castle blackscale loomed over the hills in the distance, and as your eyes wandered over its silhouette, you found your hands fidgeting once more. the trip was filled with conversation with either one or both of your loyal knights, but you had a feeling none of ace’s horrible jokes or deuce’s oblivious questions would distract you from the reality settling in this time.
you were grateful they could come along with you – you weren’t sure how you would survive this without them.
the two morons have been knights in training under their fathers and the leader of the guards when you were a child, you’ve known both of them since they were seven and could barely spell ‘swordsmith’ – you were there for their failures and successes, watched them grow from weak little boys to the strong and dependable knights they are today. when the time came for you to choose a pair of knights as your personal guard, the choice wasn’t a hard one; it was a certainty set in stone the moment you befriended them. though there were attempts to talk you into different options, such as sir trey clover or cater diamond, the stars dictated that your life was to go like this, and who were you to disobey fate, when obeying was of no drastic consequence?
ace and deuce held a greater level of your trust than nearly anyone in your palace – they were much like your eyes and ears, always standing on your sides, alert and on guard. you could rely on them to protect you, but also to keep you entertained when there were no noteworthy matters for you to attend to.
as the carriage neared the palace gates, you found yourself hoping they wouldn’t be forced to put their skills to use quite yet.
“welcome, princess [name], we’ve been expecting your arrival.”
you curtsied to the retainer who welcomed you, thanking him politely for the hospitality. the dark throne room was lit up only by the sunlight filtering in through the painted glass windows and the green flames in the hanging goblets. your husband-to-be sat perched on his throne, looking mildly uninterested in the entire situation.
“prince malleus currently has certain pressing matters to attend to, but i assure you, you will have time to get better acquainted at dinner. for now, zigvolt will guide you to your chambers. if you need anything at all, do not hesitate to call upon any of the staff – they will be entirely at your service. the princes’ knights, zigvolt and vanrouge, included, granted they are not with his highness.”
you nod curtly, glancing toward malleus, who was already getting up to leave the room, then to the green-haired knight you now knew to be ‘zigvolt’ waiting for you by a door on the left side of the room. ace gently nudges you forward, and your feet slowly carry you on this new adventure you’re not entirely sure you even want to take part in.
“here you have the kitchen, though i am certain you do not necessarily care about that. that is the door to the gardens, to the left is the training ground for the royal guard. the castle staff's chambers are situated on the first floor of the eastern wing of the castle, while the knights are located on the second floor. the prince has reserved rooms for the two knights accompanying your highness, but if you so wish, it can be arranged that they stay nearer to your chambers,” as you walked through the castle with the knight in black, his tone of voice never once changed – it always kept its steady and flat tone, as if he was about as uninterested as his prince – and the only sound heard other than his monotone voice were your footsteps echoing in the black brick walls, “further up in the eastern wing are the princes’ retainers. the west wing, where we are currently, holds the castle library, just down this hall. a large collection of books in various genres is housed in it, and you are welcome to use it. the top of the west wing holds the princes’ chambers.”
zigvolt suddenly turns a corner after the seemingly endless flights of stairs, leading you down yet another endless hallway, until he stops outside a room with looming double doors of intricate design, which he pushes open once you stand behind him.
“directly under which are your temporary ones. prince malleus decorated and picked this room himself; he hopes it is to your highness’s liking.”
the room is.. certainly something. the design is entirely gothic, decorated with some grotesques near the ceiling, beautiful in an almost haunting way. no matter what terrible things people say about malleus, they certainly cannot state his taste is lacking.
“It is wonderful, thank you, sir ..?” you paused, looking at him expectantly. while you did know his name was zigvolt, it seemed uncouth for you to refer to him by it when he hadn’t directly introduced himself to you yet – he had to be given a chance to pick how he wanted to be referred to. you were the outsider here; you couldn’t afford to assume.
he bowed at a precise ninety-degree angle, then straightened up immediately, “zigvolt. sebek zigvolt, prince malleus’s personal knight, at your service, your highness.”
you smiled, hoping to ease his.. awkward politeness. you weren’t used to being held at arm’s length by the staff, everyone at your palace called you ‘lady’. “thank you, sir zigvolt. but you need not refer to me that way, ‘lady’ is enough – i would prefer it so, truthfully.”
ace startled at that. he knew where you were coming from, but this was not your home territory. you’ve barely been here an hour, it was much too soon to make these requests. at the odd look he saw ‘sebek’ send you, he shared a glance with deuce, who, based on his expression, was probably having the same doubts as ace, “my lady–”
you raised a hand to stop him, and he was silenced immediately.
“it is quite alright, ace. i have merely stated my preference. whether sir zigvolt abides by it is entirely up to him. thank you again for guiding us, sir zigvolt. i would like to take you up on the offer of having their chambers moved to a closer proximity, if that is alright. i just know they couldn’t stand being far from me, isn’t that right, deuce?”
deuce straightens like a wooden sword, smile bright and cheeks pink, “yes, princess. it would be quite terrible.”
as your melodious laugh rings out through the dark hallways – without you running from a maid this time around – you fail to notice the way ace is studying the knight in black armor, and how said knight looks between you and deuce in bewilderment at your interaction. how could you be so friendly with the staff meant to serve you? how could you ask him to refer to you less politely? have you no shame , no class ? is this how all human royals behave? it was vile . but he remembers what sir lilia vanrouge told him – be polite and fulfill every request of the princess. so he does.
“yes, i will inform the staff and have it arranged. if you have no further questions, i must return to my duties. i hope you enjoy your stay, your high– .. lady [name].”
though he stumbled through it, he has fulfilled your request, and you found yourself smiling at him in gratitude.
perhaps your stay here wouldn’t be so miserable, after all.
you were quickly proven wrong.
sitting at the long dinner table face-to-face with your soon-to-be husband, you found yourself fidgeting with your hands once more.
initially, you thought it wouldn’t be so bad – perhaps ace was right, perhaps the scary stories really were just overexaggerated speculations, perhaps he genuinely was a kind man – but sitting here, trying desperately to curl in on yourself under his scrutinizing stare, you realized you were still terrified. terrified of what this meant for you, for your kingdom, for him, of him .
every attempt you made at striking up conversation was quickly shot down by dry and monotone answers, or completely ignored, and it was starting to seem like aloofness was painted into the walls of the castle and fused with the air they breathed in here with how everyone you’ve come across seemed to have it as a personality trait.
“you are scared.”
you nearly dropped your cutlery. his voice suddenly entering your ears while you were distracted was the last thing you needed – and unfortunately, the way you practically jumped upon hearing him seemed to confirm his suspicions without you needing to say anything.
“you need not be. i bear no ill intentions towards you, the queendom of roses, or humans. this is merely business to me – a deal neither of us signed off on, yet unfortunately, must carry out. we need not spend time with each other if you do not wish; it is enough if we feign the image of a happy marriage for the people and ministers. are you able to do that?”
as you stare at him, you realize you were, once again, right. he genuinely was entirely uninterested in this entire situation, so much so that he doesn’t even want to see you when he doesn’t have to.
still, you once swore to yourself that if you were to be married to a stranger, you’d want to, at the very least, be his friend. you wouldn’t let yourself be deterred by the fear in your bones, tremble in your hands, and the coldness in his eyes.
“yes. despite that, i would like to at least be on positive terms. get to know you. i cannot pretend to love someone i do not even know.”
he stared at you in complete silence for a moment – even sebek’s body went rigid behind malleus – then shook his head.
“that will not be necessary.”
then he got up and left you alone at the table, without looking back.
to his credit, the silver-haired knight you now knew to be ‘silver vanrouge’ shot you a sympathetic look over his shoulder. if everyone else at this castle was against you, at least he seemed to feel sorry for your predicament.
that night, after ace and deuce escorted you to your chambers before turning to retire to their own, you sat at your intricately designed vanity. the woman in the mirror was not you – at least, you didn’t recognize her as you. you were way more cheerful and bright, but this woman was exhausted . then, as you reached for your hairbrush with a sigh, there were three gentle raps against the door. you startled momentarily, but brushed it off. perhaps ace or deuce forgot to relay some information from home.
“come in.”
one side of the double doors opens, but the person who walks in isn’t either of your knights, no – it’s the one you recognize as silver.
“i apologize for bothering you so late, your high– lady [name]. i came to apologize in place of the prince, and to, perhaps.. explain his earlier behavior.”
he stood in the doorway, one hand behind his back and the other hanging loose at his side. silver looked like the very image of a knight, back straight and poised in quiet confidence, but not smug. he seemed almost as if he wanted to shuffle his feet in embarrassment – coming to a lady's chambers in the middle of the night was sure to raise some alarms.
despite the situation, you found yourself giggling and turning in your seat, ready to hear him out properly. since he put in the effort to come here so late, he deserves that much, at least.
“it is quite alright, sir vanrouge. i wasn’t expecting the prince to welcome me with open arms – i am not particularly enthusiastic about this arrangement, either. i am merely here to fulfill the promise i made to my parents and my kingdom. i just wish his highness made it easier to like him.”
the last part slipped out unintentionally, and your hand immediately shot up to cover your mouth, ready to apologize a thousand times over until the man opposite you let out a quiet chuckle, “i understand. that is what i came here for – the prince hasn’t always been that way. When I was just a knight in training, he was the kindest prince this kingdom could have, and they referred to him as a real treasure. then the.. rumors started to spread. about how briar valley was filled with evil people, the royal family at the center of it all, about the prince being ruthless and evil. the fae were looked down upon, the scum of this land. then the queen passed, and the king disappeared, so prince malleus was left to shoulder the responsibilities of leading and protecting the kingdom on his own. if he couldn’t prevent invasions by being loved, he would do so by being feared.”
silver then looked from you to the marble floors, which suddenly seemed quite interesting, “he’s.. the prince is a kind man, beyond the veil of cruelty he hides behind. i am certain if you keep trying to reach him, he will let you. the prince has not had a single relatively friendly interaction with anyone from outside the castle walls in many years – and even within them, the staff does not exactly.. treat him as a friend, i am sure you have already taken notice. i beg of you not to give up on him just yet, my lady,” you watch as he bows at a pristine ninety-degree angle, much like sebek had done earlier in the day, except silver's bow feels more genuine.
my lady . he had referred to you as ‘ my lady ’. though initially he stumbled over ‘ lady [name] ’ as if it were a foreign concept, he has now assumed you as one of his own, and it lit a small spark of pride in your heart.
“you need not bow, sir silver, please,” he straightened with wide eyes, looking at you as if you had just told him to perform sword tricks blindfolded, “thank you for telling me that. i will continue trying to get through to the prince.”
he smiles at you – almost beaming – and you realize that, even if it was not malleus, at least you still managed to make one friend tonight.
the next day, you woke up practically glowing.
after the conversation with silver, you had brushed your hair while thinking up several plans on how to convince your husband-to-be to grant you some of his time and attention – ways to soften him up, if you will.
that's how you found yourself in the library shortly after breakfast, which malleus had not attended, unsurprisingly. you had later learned from silver that he takes his breakfast much earlier. as such, you chose to start your day by browsing multiple books in the ‘romance’ genre. ace and deuce, ever the loyal helpers, decided to assist you in this endeavor until they were called off to attend training with the blackscale knights. you had by then written more than enough notes on ways to romance a man in your humble opinion, but you decided to stick around a tad longer. the library was absolutely breathtaking ; it would be a waste not to take a moment to explore it entirely. and that is how you came across malleus. he was sitting in one of the quieter corners, intently reading a book on grotesque architecture, looking like a black rose – hauntingly beautiful, and incredibly rare to find.
you stared at him in silence, torn between turning around and pretending you never saw him or joining him, until he sighed and closed the book, now looking up at you as if you were the single greatest bane of his existence.
“how may i help you.”
“i did not.. know you had an interest in.. architecture.”
“you know nothing about me.”
you shuffled your feet in embarrassment – he was right about that, what you said was foolish, but you didn’t know how else to begin a conversation at that given moment.
he sighed once more, placed his book on the dark wooden table near which he had previously sat with much remorse, as if leaving it would physically harm him, and left the library.
when you approached the table, you found he had left a page marked in the book, and upon opening it, learned he was not exactly studying architecture – he was studying grotesques and gargoyles.
an idea struck you almost immediately.
when you first arrived at the castle yesterday, you had noticed the exterior walls were decorated with several gargoyles. as you walked around them now, you paused under every one of them to study them in depth – from their design and special features to where they're located, as if that held any significance. you were not an expert on gargoyles, but you had a feeling malleus might be.
“my lady, might i inquire as to what it is you are doing?”
your heels had caught in the soil while you hastily turned around, and you would have fallen flat on your behind had it not been for the knightly reflexes of the silver-haired man in black armor, who caught you just in the nick of time.
“.. thank you, sir silver, that would have been quite the.. embarrassing fall, to say the least. i am studying the gargoyles of castle blackscale in an attempt to get a better understanding of them.”
he bows, not as deeply as he had last night, but instead as a way to say ‘you’re welcome’. “the gargoyles..? do you have any at your palace, my lady?” one arm steady behind his back in knightly fashion, while he points the other to the right, inviting you to walk with him; or rather to lead the way to your next destination while he follows close behind. you take him up on the offer with a smile.
“oh, no, i fear i do not. our palace walls were mostly decorated by the family crest, roses, vines, and card soldier statues. .. i suppose those would count as a type of grotesque, no?” you glance back at him, taking notice of the way his eyes don’t leave you, even when he’s thinking. “hard to say, my lady, i am not much of an expert on this subject. you would do better discussing it with the prince,” there’s a moment when realization flashes across his features and you grin, “.. is that why you are studying the gargoyles?”
“quite right, sir silver. i accidentally interrupted him while studying a book about grotesque architecture this morning, so i will attempt to use it to begin a conversation with him at dinner.”
he nods in understanding, supporting your idea without directly letting you know. silver believes it might work – malleus does quite enjoy talking about gargoyles. you stop under the next one, gazing up at it in wonder while the knight stands behind you.
“is that a goat? with wings? .. fascinating. i can understand why the prince would enjoy these. does the character have mythological importance? .. i believe that is a grotesque; i do not see a water sprout anywhere. do you?” silver observes as you circle the statue on the castle wall, thoroughly intrigued, and before he can form a response, someone else answers in his stead.
“that is a gargoyle. the water sprout is in its mouth.”
you freeze and silver bows on instinct, his body reacting before his mind has even caught up to the situation. then you observe the goat-gargoyle once more – malleus was right, there truly was a water sprout.
“oh, i see it now. thank you, prince malleus. these are quite intriguing creatures, i can see why you are fascinated by them.”
“i am not fascinated by them. i merely enjoy looking at them.”
you gaze at him with a near blank stare, were it not for the eyebrow lifted in amusement, “that is almost entirely the same thing,” silver fears you had just dug your own grave, but then malleus chuckles – genuinely chuckles – and he has to take a moment to consider whether perhaps his prince had been kidnapped and replaced with an impostor.
“you might be right. there are some more fascinating gargoyles near the turret, if that interests you. however, i must ask you not to kidnap my knights off duty the next chance you take to explore the castle.”
silver's face lights up in shades of pink and red, strongly resembling the roses you grow at home. unfortunately, you only catch a glimpse of it before he hides his face behind his hair while he bows, precisely ninety degrees once more. you giggle behind your hand and look at malleus, now far less scared than you were before, “i will have you know i kidnapped no knight of yours, sir silver offered to be my escort on this adventure.”
malleus’ face scrunches up in confusion, looking between you and his knight, “.. sir silver ?”
before he can look into it much further, silver straightens up in a rush only to bow once more, this time to you, “it was a pleasure escorting you, my lady, i must now return to my duties. i wish you a pleasant day.”. and off he goes, knightly confidence thrown directly into the dungeons as you watch him nearly trip over his feet twice.
“.. my lady ?”
a week had passed since your arrival at castle blackscale, and with each day, you found your room looking more and more like you. on the first day, it had been terribly dark – beautiful , but dark. now, there were books scattered all over the marble floors, the curtains were open, and flowers in vases littered every clean shelf you could find.
you’ve been doing extensive research on romance, gargoyles, and grotesque architecture just to keep conversations between you and malleus flowing. instead of that, however, you seemed to attract the attention of everyone but him . many of the flowers around your room were from the castle staff, ace, deuce, and to your surprise, even silver .
how did everyone but your husband like you?
the castle staff were all so kind to you. it had shocked all of them when you requested they call you ‘lady’, but much like sebek and silver, they all obliged. it had become like second nature to them now – they all greeted you with a pleasant ‘ good day, lady [name] ’ and a smile. you had begun to feel right at home. deuce had never once strayed from calling you ‘princess’, and ace had always referred to you as ‘my lady’ – those names were like their telltale signs; after all, they were the only two people to refer to you as such. ace, however, had competition now – silver.
out of every staff member at the castle, silver had been the kindest to you. escorting you when your knights couldn’t, keeping you company on your spontaneous adventures, doing his best to assist you with the malleus matter. you didn’t particularly understand why he’d taken such a liking to you, but you didn’t quite mind it, either. his partner seemed to like you the least out of everyone.
well, after malleus. malleus seemed to dislike you the most.
that didn’t mean you’d give up, though. you would continue in your efforts to befriend or court him. whichever happens first.
that is why you are currently in the castle garden, picking the most beautiful flowers you can find in an attempt to arrange a bouquet for your husband-to-be. you had made sure to ask the gardeners which flowers you could pick from beforehand; it would be a shame to ruin their centerpiece if you just picked carelessly.
Just before you were about to leave the garden, content with the bouquet you put together, you noticed a mop of black hair glistening in the sun, peeking out from behind the wooden fences of the gazebo. upon approach, you found malleus sitting inside, with yet another book in his lap.
“not grotesque architecture this time?”
his head snapped up, startled by your sudden appearance. He may have been too engrossed, as he hadn’t heard you approach at all. he opens his mouth to reply, but the words are caught in his throat when he notices the flowers in your arms.
you follow his gaze in confusion until you remember why you came here in the first place, “oh! yes, apologies, these are for you. .. though, now that i think about it, it might be slightly unsuitable to give you flowers from your own garden..” you feel your cheeks heat up a little, opting to instead look at the toes of your heels rather than his face. by the seven, he must think you’re absolutely witless.
thanks to that, you miss the way malleus’ eyes widen and his ears turn red, scolding words over you disrupting his reading time repeatedly stuck in his throat. “no- i-” he clears his throat, acting as if the thoughtful gesture didn’t just send his pulse racing, “thank you. i will cherish them.”
you look at him with stars in your eyes and a smile so bright it could rival the sun, and malleus seems to understand why all of his staff members seem to gravitate towards you instead of him a little better. speaking of staff members …
“is vanrouge not with you today?” he asks after taking a quick look around.
“no, your highness. should he be?”
you invite yourself to sit on the bench opposite him, and he has to physically suppress a sigh. “no. i was merely surprised, since you seem to have spent much time together since your arrival,” there's a pause as he looks at you, where he considers why he’s the only one you’re seemingly keeping at arms' length. still, he chooses not to address it quite yet.
“oh, sir silver has been helping me come up with ways to talk to your highness, that is all.”
you laugh a little before realizing your mistake, hand immediately shooting up to cover your mouth again. you’ll dig your grave before you get a chance to befriend him at this rate. his eyebrows shot up in time with your hand, mildly shocked at this revelation, “why would you need help from vanrouge to talk to me?”
“because.. your highness has.. um, not been entirely welcoming..? i was getting turned away at every opportunity, so he offered to.. um, assist me.. haha ..”
he’s been turning you away because he’d assumed you wouldn’t want to talk to him . and now you’re telling him it was the other way around ? is that why he’s the only one with a brick wall between you?
he heaves an exasperated sigh, informing you of his side of the matter, and now it all seems clear. the situation is so utterly ridiculous, you find yourself laughing with no restraint – etiquette classes thrown out the windows – and it’s the most freeing feeling you’ve ever felt.
and to the surprise of even the birds flying about, malleus laughs with you.
“i conversed with him! first in the garden, and now over dinner! all my hard work was not in vain! can you believe it?!”
“congratulations, princess!”
“it went surprisingly well, my lady! even the princes’ side of the table was astonished. zigvolts’ expression was hilarious , if i do say so myself.”
“i quite agree with you, ace – his expression read something between astonished and horrified. i will never forget it,” you share a laugh as you walk down the winding hallways of the castle, slowing down when you hear voices in the distance. you were never one to eavesdrop, but one of the voices you recognized as sebeks’, and you were curious as to what he was saying – it sounded like a post-dinner debrief.
“she’s horrible.”
“sebek,” that one you recognized as silver, “watch your mouth.”
“what? i don’t like her. she’s too giddy and sunshine-full for prince malleus. it’s vile.”
“sebek.”
“she treats all the staff members as if they were equal to her, it’s like she’s looking down on everyone without it being direct. ‘ please refer to me as lady [name], i prefer it that way. ’ who does she think she is?! she’s not at home here!”
“ sebek .”
“she’s so picky with her food, she’s most definitely spoiled. and her two knights are- are absolute buffoons , they can’t even hold their swords right! she’s so clumsy and oblivious and–”
“zigvolt. what is it you are talking about?”
there's a sudden clattering sound, and you can only assume he'd dropped something, but you can’t quite hear it over the sound of your heart pumping in your ears. is that what he thinks of you? is that what everyone secretly thinks of you? you turn to glance at ace and deuce, and by the deep frowns, furrows in their brows, and clenched jaws, you can tell they are way more angry than they’re letting you see. whether it was over what he’d said about them or you, you weren’t certain.
“p-prince malleus! um, we were just–”
“who is ‘we’? i did not say a single thing other than warn you to watch your mouth. you alone were speaking of lady [name] in such a way, i would never do that. do not drag me down with you,” silver was.. defending you?
“thank you, silver. zigvolt – i strongly advise you to keep my wife’s name out of your mouth for future convenience, she has been nothing but kind to everyone in the castle, even you. if you disagree, you should perhaps spend some more time with her instead of slandering her in her absence. in fact, i am officially cleaning you of duty tomorrow – you will spend the day with my wife. as her escort. you will attend to all her needs and fulfill her every request. is that clear?”
“... yes, your highness.”
“splendid. silver, i hear lilia has been looking for you.”
his footsteps echoed down the hallway as he took his leave, leaving your group and the other two knights in stunned silence. his wife . he had referred to you as his wife . well – that is what you are to be, on paper, but you’ve never heard him say it, or even acknowledge it.
“... since when does he call you ‘ silver ’?”
“.. i have no idea .”
the next day, as promised, sebek followed you around everywhere, much like your shadow. he goes with you to the library to return some of the books you’ve finished, then to the kitchen to greet the staff and ask for some frozen peas you could have – even though he had no clue what you’d want them for, he still carried them when you handed the bag to him – and then finally, to the back of the garden. you’ve been spending the greater part of your days here since you discovered the duck pond, hidden behind many weeping willows and thorny bushes.
sebek had lived at the castle his whole life, and he’s never once seen it before.
you sit down on the grass and he looms behind you like a statue, staring at the poor ducks as if they’ve personally offended him. you reach behind, expecting him to hand you the bag of peas, but he doesn’t. he continues staring.
“.. sir sebek? the peas, please?”
he’s knocked out of his trance then, hastily handing you the peas he watches as you open the bag and throw some of its contents to the ducks. upon realizing its food, they race to see who can get to it first, and suddenly, there’s an all-out water-splashing, pea-destroying duck war happening right before his eyes. your laughter rings out, and you throw more peas in, then turn your head back to look at him over your shoulder.
“you may sit down as well, i do not bite – at least, i am not aware.”
he hesitates for a moment. does this count as a request? you turn back to the ducks, and he realizes that no, that was not a request, you were giving him a choice . you don’t want to force him to interact with you if he doesn’t want to; you were giving him the place to decide. and so with mild awkwardness, he sits on your right side, a polite distance away. you smile and hand him the pea bag, out of which he takes a generous handful, and copies your throwing motions. the ducks move to destroy the peas thrown by him, much like they destroyed yours.
“how long have you lived at castle blackscale, sir sebek?”
“my whole life. my family has served the draconias for generations, being a knight in the blackscale guard was my birthright.”
you hum thoughtfully, “i see. do you enjoy being a knight?”
“i do. it’s my life's calling, and to me, there is no greater honor than protecting the royal family of briar valley.”
“what about the people?”
he turns to you, brows furrowed in confusion, “what about the people, lady [name]?”
“do you not also consider it a great honor to protect the people of briar valley? the loyal subjects of the draconias?”
when you look at him, there’s a shadow of conflict flickering in his eyes, and you can tell he’s never really thought about it before. you find yourself a little disappointed. he’s as much of a knight as silver when it comes to strength, confidence, and poise, that you cannot deny. silver is more of a knight with his mindset than the current sebek, however – where sebek hesitates to answer, silver’s first thought was the people.
“you are a very strong and brave knight, sir sebek, i cannot deny that. but on questions like those, you cannot hesitate. the royal family would not exist without the people. the people here would not exist without the royal family. the current times are tough on both sides, and peace is balanced on a scale,” you turn back to the ducks, throwing them the last of the peas from the bag in your lap, “i am not telling you to choose one or the other, that is impossible in theory, but you must decide where you stand, what is important. you are not only part of the blackscale royal guard, you are also part of the blackscale guard. who will protect the people if not the knights they chose?”
on that day, for the first time since he was ten, the sun shone brighter, and sebek zigvolts’ heart felt lighter.
for the rest of the day, he continued following you around on your adventures, but he no longer loomed like a shadow behind you. he stood on your side, walked barely a step behind, participated in idle conversation, observed how you interacted with the things and people around you, and he realized he was wrong.
you were not spoiled, nor oblivious – you were kind . you didn’t secretly look down on the people around you; you genuinely believed they were your equals. you were patient. you waited while he explained his view on certain matters before stating your own. you were considerate. whenever you asked for something, you reassured the staff ‘not to rush’ as you had more than enough time – yet they rushed anyway. you always thanked everyone, you didn’t expect things naturally. you showed him how you transformed one of the old and dusty spare rooms into a fully functioning art room of your own, and sebek learned you were also talented. you were intelligent.
and he was wrong.
when he admitted to his mistake and bowed, begging for your forgiveness, you merely told him to straighten up and smiled, accepted his apology, and asked if he’d like a cup of tea. he sat down on one of the many chairs in the art room, the others soon occupied by your knights, silver, and you, and he realized you had somehow transformed this cold and dark castle into a ‘home’.
later that night, he had gone to apologize to prince malleus also, for slandering his wife without fully knowing her beforehand, and the prince smiled at him, much like you had.
“as long as you have learned from your mistake, your transgression is forgiven, sebek.”
sebek . not zigvolt, simply sebek .
the following days, malleus waited for you with breakfast. and lunch. and dinner. when he had a free moment, he chose to spend it with you, and if not him, then he would send silver or sebek to accompany you. ace and deuce were growing increasingly jealous of how much of your time the blackscale knights were taking up, so they also started taking turns following you around.
you were now either seen with sebek and ace, silver and deuce, or malleus by your side at all times.
it was incredibly amusing – to the castle staff as much as to you.
“i’ve heard you grow certain rare rose breeds at your palace, is that right?”
“oh, yes, it is. we are particularly proud of our roses, amongst other things. i believe you would love the rose gardens, they are the perfect place for reading.”
malleus hums in thought, as if taking your suggestion into deep consideration, “then we shall visit when they next bloom.”
he took a sip of his tea, eyes returning to the book in his hand while you mixed your paints not far from him. the thought of him wanting to visit your homeland warmed your heart – you could already imagine him strolling around the rose gardens, the very picture of beauty and grace.
“what are you painting today?”
you grin, gazing over at him momentarily, “the very rose garden i just told you about.”
“from memory?”
“i will try my best.”
“i wish you luck on this experiment.”
all recent afternoons have been spent like this – him, occupying a chair in your art room with a book while you painted anything that came to mind – conversation flowing freely over shared tea and classical music from the record player you found in the room while you were cleaning it out. it was pleasant and comfortable, and it wouldn’t be hard to imagine spending your life like this.
then there was only one month left until the wedding.
and suddenly, all your free time was taken over by dress fittings, consultations with the retainers regarding the dishes, decorations, music, and color scheme. you were thankful malleus was also present for most of it; you might’ve had at least fifteen panic attacks otherwise.
every night, you returned to your room more exhausted than the last, and your beloved art room collected dust in the silence, frozen in time exactly how you last left it.
“well.. what do you think?”
the room was shrouded in stunned silence, even the clock on the wall stopped ticking in fear of breaking the moment – the dress was finished.
“it is… wow.. my lady, you have.. never looked more beautiful than you do now..” your ginger haired knight said, voice somehow hesitant to leave his throat yet his words were filled with conviction. he dropped to his knee, right hand on his heart, as if swearing loyalty until his final breath to you once more, like he had done years ago.
deuce mirrored his actions, though his eyes never once left you.
“excuse me, is lady [name] here? prince malleus is– oh.”
you turn towards the voice, startled out of your mind, until you recognize the silver mop of hair and black armor, “sir silver! what do you think? should i have some more taken off the trail? is it not too.. obnoxious?”
he shoots you the softest, kindest smile you have ever seen, “no, my lady, you are the most beautiful bride briar valley will ever have.”
he stares for a moment longer before realizing what he came here for, but before he can warn you, disaster is already stirring behind him.
“silver, what is taking you so long?”
eyes wide as saucers, he practically jumps his prince to prevent him from seeing you, immediately turning him around and leading him away from the door before he even has the chance to step through it.
“ prince malleus ! yes, she is in there, but you must wait a couple of moments before you can talk to her. i fear it is.. quite important.”
the night before your wedding, you were, understandably, incredibly nervous.
what if you tripped during your walk? what if your veil got caught on something? what if malleus said no ? your relatives and his, the ministers, two entire nations will be watching this wedding – you cannot embarrass yourself.
before you could overthink the situation any longer, two gentle raps sounded against the door, and you sat up straight on your bed.
“come in.”
no matter who you expected to open the door, you would be wrong, and you were stunned into silence when malleus stepped into your room.
“i apologize for coming here so late, i just.. i could not sleep, and by the looks of it, you could not, either.”
you nod, still clearly dazed as he makes himself comfortable at the foot of your bed. he looks around your room once, then twice to really take it all in, and nods, “i like how you decorated it here. could you bring a touch of this to my– our chambers also, once you move there?”
“yes, of course. .. wait, what?”
he looks at you, head tilted to the side, as if not understanding what about that you find so odd, “yes? oh, were you not aware of the move? .. or is that not something you want? it can be arranged for you to stay here, if that is what you would prefer..”
“no! no, that’s alright, i don’t mind. i just wasn’t.. told,” you were so exhausted you didn’t even notice your speech becoming impolite, but malleus didn’t seem to care, either – rather, he was smiling.
“great. .. just to make sure, you are not.. going to say no during the ceremony.. are you?”
you sit up straighter, suddenly very aware of the conversation currently happening, “no! .. are you ?”
“no, i was not planning to. i have begun to quite enjoy your presence as of late.”
you return his smile, one of your many worries lifted. malleus didn’t seem ready to leave just yet, neither were you tired enough to sleep, so you chose to do the one thing you do best: talk.
“have i ever told you about the time ace nearly beheaded another knight during training?”
his eyebrows shoot up, amusement glistening in his eyes as he stares at you, moving closer so the conversation can happen in hushed whispers – a secret shared between nearly-newlyweds, “no, you have not.”
the church bells ring out through briar valley as you make your way down the aisle, veil sliding over the carpeted floor like a shadow behind the sun, shimmering along with your dress, akin to stars left in your wake.
this was your big day, one you’ve been waiting for since you were informed it would happen – a promise to be fulfilled, nearly twenty years in the making.
your loyal knights with tear-filled eyes escort you to this adventure, much like they have to many other ones since you were eight with dirt-stained dresses and scraped up heels; except this time, you were the very image of nobility and elegance. a swan taking flight from a pond with water lilies, a new star coming to life, creating a brand new constellation with its neighbors, which serve as the veil you pull behind you. you have burned a brand new image into the sky, and it is entirely in your name – it lives solely for you.
as you finally reach malleus, hands intertwined, his constellation connects with yours. somewhere to his right, you notice silver and sebek, also on the verge of tears.
“you look beautiful.”
it's a quiet whisper amid ceremonial chaos, but you heard it loud and clear, and now you were crying, too.
“you don’t look so bad yourself, malleus.”
the minister performs the wedding speech special for the royal family, you nod when you’re addressed and smile when you should, you say your vows without much struggle – but you can feel the finale breathing down your neck and despite malleus assuring you he wasn’t planning to say no, you find yourself doubting, wondering, whether he was telling the truth.
“do you, prince malleus draconia, take this woman, princess [name] hearts, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and heath, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live?”
there's a silence so loud it makes you want to rip your hair out, as if time itself has paused just to keep you on your toes, but then malleus grins while squeezing your hand, “i do.”.
that’s all it takes for you to breathe again.
the minister smiles, “and do you, princess [name] hearts, take this man, prince malleus draconia, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, to love, honor and obey, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?”
“i do.”
you exchange the rings you chose not even that long ago, silver bands of gothic designs with briar rose stones and inner inscriptions only you two know about, and the minister speaks once more, “by the authority vested in me by the kingdom of briar valley, i now pronounce you husband and wife and what the seven hath joined together, let no man nor woman put asunder. you may now kiss the bride.”
before he even finishes speaking, malleus’ hands are already on your cheeks, lips connected as if he’s been living and breathing for this very moment his entire life.
perhaps he has been – and perhaps, so have you.
your rings glisten in the sunlight, and two nations cheer, as for the first time in over a century, the people they forced to marry seem genuinely happy with the decision.
it all started with a star, long before you were born, and even longer before the promise was made. the constellations in your names have long existed in the sky – they were merely waiting for you to acknowledge them.
who were you to disobey fate, if obeying was of no dire consequence?