Chapter Text
Peridot always gets up before his King does.
It has become something of a ritual. Before the first rays of sunlight reach through the castle windows, before the halls begin to stir with the footsteps of servants and guards, Peridot is already awake.
He makes certain that he is washed and ready before his King opens his eyes. Not because he is commanded to, but because he wants to be. Being the first thing his King sees in the morning feels like an honour greater than any title he could have been given.
He carefully prepares himself, making sure every detail is perfect. He knows his King notices. He always notices.
Once the King of Diamonds awakens, Peridot goes to him.
His mornings are never rushed. His King does not simply dress him as one might dress a doll or a display piece; he takes his time, selecting each garment as though it carries meaning. Some days it is something elegant and refined, embroidered with gold and gems. Other days it is something lighter; something that makes Peridot feel less like a treasure kept within a palace and more like someone cherished within a home.
His King chooses every piece himself.
And when he is finished, he always tells Peridot the same thing in some different way.
How beautiful he is.
How precious.
How fortunate the King of Diamonds is to have found him.
Peridot never quite knows how to respond. Even after hearing it countless times, the words still feel impossible. He was once only a Pippins - something ordinary, something overlooked. Yet every morning, his King looks at him as though he has found the rarest jewel in existence.
And Peridot believes him.
By the time that is done, breakfast is ready.
The dining hall is grand enough to intimidate most guests, with a table long enough to seat nobles, warriors, and kings alike. Yet Peridot rarely feels out of place there. His King ensures that he never does.
He sits beside him, never far away.
The other kings have their opinions, of course.
They always have.
But Peridot knows they are wrong.
They see a King lowering himself.
Peridot sees a King raising up his subjects.
After breakfast, his King attends to matters of the kingdom. There are meetings, decisions, requests from nobles, and countless things that require his attention. Peridot does not interrupt. He simply stays nearby, often listening quietly, watching the way his King carries the weight of an entire kingdom without complaint.
Sometimes he wonders if anyone else notices how much his King gives.
Not just wealth.
Not just protection.
Everything.
And he especially gives everything to his precious Peridot…
During these hours, Peridot sometimes visits the gardens or the quieter halls of the castle. The servants know him well now. Some still look surprised when they see him treated with such importance, but others have grown accustomed to it.
They know what he is to the King of Diamonds.
They know that when the King searches a room, he looks for Peridot first.
Later in the day, his King returns.
And no matter how many important matters he has handled, no matter how many decisions he has made, he always has time for Peridot.
Sometimes they walk through the treasury together.
Sometimes they spend some time together in the vault, experiencing what Peridot assumes to be the closest a darkner like him can get to heaven.
Sometimes they sit in silence.
Sometimes his King speaks about the future - about his kingdom, his legacy, and the things he wishes to protect.
Peridot listens carefully.
He always does, because when his King speaks, he feels as though he is being trusted with something precious.
And he treasures that trust more than any jewel. Almost as much as his King values him.
Evening arrives.
Dinner is served, and the castle settles into a calmer rhythm. The noise of the day fades away, leaving only the two of them and the soft glow of candlelight.
These are Peridot’s favourite moments.
Not the grand gestures.
Not the jewels.
Not the treasury.
Just the simple moments where his King looks at him and reminds him that, above everything else he owns, Peridot is the thing he values most.
Eventually, it is time to rest.
Peridot prepares for bed the same way he prepares for every other part of his day: carefully, happily, and with devotion.
Because every day with his King feels like a gift.
And every night, as he closes his eyes, Peridot thinks the same thing:
He was once just a Pippins.
Now, he is his King’s Peridot.