Chapter Text
It was only meant to be a political union.
That was what Legundo told himself repeatedly as he waited for his advisors to arrive to explain to him what exactly this visit would entail. He'd been signed up for this marriage by the chief advisor (though ex-chief would be a better term) without much further information and had needed to call a meeting so he didn't go in blind.
"A political union," was the response from his council after many long minutes of back and forth, "between this kingdom and the region of Aurifex. They're known for their soldiers, us for our..."
"Art. You can say the word art, Montgomery," Legundo had rather disliked this advisor from day one but hadn't found a good reason to fire him and find a better replacement. He had always had a certain air of superiority, like he believed that he was better than everyone, which went incredibly against the ideals of him and his kingdom.
"Fine. Our 'art'. Both us and the head of the Goldsmiths believe that the bond would strengthen both our nations," Montgomery continued, a sour look on his face at the tone Legundo had used. Maybe he could utilise that for firing him.. one could only dream. "And the prince is around 30 and hasn't married yet due to… complications. People were getting antsy."
Legundo sighed, nodding. People tend to do that for people they don't know. It was honestly rather disturbing to him, but he wasn't in the mood to argue too much right now. "So, as one of the only single rulers left, my name was considered?"
The advisor to the right of Montgomery nodded her head, the braids woven into her auburn hair bouncing, the rising sun catching on them and making them glow. "I mean, it was a decision made by the king after most other suitors had been exhausted, not us. We didn't expect to get this far."
"Regardless, the carriage will take you straight there, where you will meet the King, Queen, and prince, have dinner, then talk with your potential husband."
Legundo sighed quietly, nodding. He really was doing this, wasn't he? He really was potentially being married off by his own advisors to a man he had never met.
What could go wrong?
༺☆༻
When he arrived in the kingdom, the sun had fully risen, painting the slate roofs in a bright wash, and citizens of Aurifex were walking around, focusing on their own lives, collecting pay cheques, shopping for their food, gossipping. It makes you realise that everyone lives their own life, everyone living in their own separate worlds, nobody noticing the royalty walking their streets as Legundo approaches the castle. He could have easily been dropped off right outside the castle, but he had always been one to appreciate the way that other kingdoms thrived. The culture of a kingdom known for blacksmithing and weaponry was so rich and different from a kingdom famous for artistry that it was almost fun to see.
Waiting at the bottom of the castle steps, King Eirwen welcomed him with open arms, beaming as he beckoned Legundo over. King Eirwen had always been an outwardly warm person, but there was something behind his eyes that had given Legundo a deeper hesitance to accept the invitation to arrange this marriage with his son.
“Welcome, welcome. I hope that your journey wasn’t too uncomfortable,” the king mused with a toothy grin that didn’t quite meet those cold eyes, shaking Legundo's hand with vigor as he gestured the other to follow him. He was rather energetic and seemingly confident, but Legs could see the falter in his smile, the nervous shaking of his hand once he pulled it away from Legundo’s grasp. He was as nervous about this arrangement as Legundo was irritated.
However, he was always one for pleasantries, as, after all, he is a king, and a king must give out the same respect as he receives. “The journey was fine, thank you. It is certainly not the longest distance I have had to travel by carriage, I assure you, but I appreciate the concern. Your kingdom is wonderful, your majesty, you have served your people well,” he replied in a measured tone, bowing his head a fraction.
King Eirwen waved his hand, chuckling something about his “duty” as he walked Legundo up the steps, his slightly raised heels clicking on every intricately carved stair while Legundo’s steps remained ever silent. At the top of the stairs, near the entrance to the castle, stood two figures - one notably taller than the other.
Queen Wynter was dressed regally in her traditional Aurifexan dress of deepest scarlet, the hem of the skirt dancing on the floor as the ornate golden detailing glittered in the sun. . A tiara, delicately inlaid with rubies and garnets with metalwork like vines that wrapped around each tiny crystal, was perched carefully on her flaming hair which somehow didn’t fall to the floor as she bowed to Legundo.
Beside her, the prince, Legundo’s future husband, stood, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere else. Bright blue hair, slicked back clearly against Scott’s will, stood out against the red and white of the castle behind him, bringing all eyes onto him like a beacon. The vest he wore over the deep red poet blouse was encrusted with golden beads in a pattern that mimicked the flow of water across the black fabric. His nails, too, were painted in the deep red and gold that seemed to be a common theme over his whole image. Still, he wore the most bored expression Legundo had seen in a long time as he bowed to him, trying to seem impassive and indifferent. Or perhaps he simply was indifferent. There was no way of telling; he was too hard to read upon first meeting.
“Pleasure to meet you, Sir Legundo,” Queen Wynter smiled as she straightened back up, her voice melodic as most Aurifexan’s were. Beside her, her son had gone back to picking at the nails that had clearly been done for the occasion. He would have to win Scott over, clearly. “I do hope the arrangements today will be beneficial for all of us.”
Legundo nodded, glancing between Wynter and Scott, sensing the unease in the air. He had hoped that the king would be the one who was nervous, likely because he wished the politics would go as well as they could today, but the whole family? That confused him. Did they know about his vampirism? His crimes? He thought he was going into this because he was a rich king, not because he was a criminal. Did he have entirely the wrong idea of how this marriage was going to go?
No matter, he would figure this out later, King Eirwen was walking into the castle and he was expected to follow. His mind was in another place as he mounted the steps, focusing in on the fear of him being feared. Ironic. His fear was of being terrifying to others.
“I hope you agree to this arrangement, Sir Legundo-”
“Please, just call me Viktor, or Legundo, I don’t mind,” Legundo interrupted, smiling at the king, “there’s no need for formalities like that, King Eirwen.”
The king nodded, apprehensively returning the vampire’s smile and pushing open the ornate, stupidly large wooden door and inviting in the queen, Scott, and Legundo before closing it behind himself, leading the party through into the dining hall. “Dinner will be served shortly. I hope you don’t mind us asking a few questions, Legundo. We need to ensure you’re a good match for our eldest son.”
Legundo did not know that they had another son, but that thought was pushed to the side as they stepped over the threshold of the dining hall. It was very impressive, even by the high standards that Legundo holds in himself. The ceiling was painted with a scene akin to those in those cathedrals the other kingdoms held in their grasps, angels flying around and - surprisingly - mingling with demons. Battles broke out between beings of the same species but never between those of others. It was intriguing, but beautiful. Nothing holy, but still unsettlingly similar to them. Something beautifully strange, harmony and agony all in one mural on the ceiling of a dining hall in a kingdom he had never actually visited.
“Food will be served shortly,” Eirwen said, sitting down at the head of the table and making himself seem vaguely threatening as he nodded to the others to take their places (Legundo’s was opposite Scott so they could converse, and the queen was between Scott and the king, leaving an empty space beside Legs).
He started rattling off things about Scott and the kingdom and almost bragging about their soldier training, continually glancing at Legundo to gauge his reaction to the information. Despite the irritation bubbling beneath his skin, he didn’t rise to the other. He didn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing, or rather thinking that he was still a warrior. He had left that life long ago and had vowed never to go back or let anyone see him as a soldier again. Instead, he nodded politely and gave the most schooled and respectful responses he could while maintaining some sanity. Queen Wynter seemed to relax slightly at his words and responses (that proved his theory that they had been scared he was still the same man that had committed all those atrocities), but Scott seemed unbothered.
༺☆༻
When the food came out, the others started eating immediately. There was a hesitancy in Scott’s actions against the potatoes that set something off in his mind, but he ignored it for now, instead choosing to look down at the meal. A large portion of beef, potatoes, veg, and traditional bread, all served with a healthy glass of wine. All human food. All food he shouldn’t be eating.
Keep up the respectable appearance, Legundo. Don’t let them see the monster you hide.
He started eating, ignoring the taste of ash and dirt, ignoring the instinct to throw it all up, ignoring the voice in the back of his head telling him that this was wrong. Act like you like it. Act civil. Make conversation.
Legundo looked up at Scott, catching the other's eye. Same idea, it seems.
“So, Viktor,” Scott seemed to be testing how the name felt on his tongue, rolling it around with a smile as he started to talk, not interested in the food. Intriguing. “What do you do for fun?”
Legundo hummed, contemplating his response, a smile on his face. He had expected something political, in all honesty, so the personal connection he seemed to want to make was a polite surprise for the vampire. "Horse riding, sometimes, when the weather and schedule permit. I like to paint as well. There's a monthly auction in town for them and all proceeds go to the upkeep of the kingdom and its wellbeing." He replied, taking a sip of his drink; at least he could still taste wine. "You?"
A smile carved Scott’s face at that, seemingly breaking the decade of impassiveness a fraction, a glitter in his eyes he hadn’t had earlier. "I like to watch the Knights train, watch them fight, lift, generally exist. Sometimes I go through my wardrobe, try new combinations, et cetera. Occasionally read… that’s about it,” he hummed, glancing at the queen before smiling even wider. “But that's only out of the things I'm.. allowed to do.” He kept his eye contact on the queen as he said this, grinning at her sigh shaking her head as though he was in trouble
“Well, you’ll have to tell me the rest later. Perhaps on a walk,” Legs smiled back, nodding at the prince and raising his glass in a mock toast. The king and queen shot glances at each other, seemingly irritated with their antics, but said nothing. They, at least, seemed to be bonding. “You said you read books. Do you have any favourites?”
Scott seemed to mull the question over, letting a servant refill the wine glass that Legundo hadn’t even noticed he had emptied before taking a sip and answering. “Romance, mainly. Poetry is also good, but it’s really whatever catches my eye; if I see it and think I’ll like it, I read it.”
Legundo nodded. “That makes sense. I respect that.”
“Thank you~” Scott mused, seemingly much warmer than he was earlier to Legundo. Whether that was the drink or the fact that they weren’t talking politics, he didn’t know, but at least they were conversing. “And you said you paint, right? What sorts of things do you paint?”
“Landscapes, mostly. City skylines, sunsets, the birds migrating over the ocean. Anything like that, I’ll paint,” he replied, decidedly not mentioning the nightmares he tends to paint. The scenes of blood and chaos, the faces of men that would have been dead by now even if he didn’t finish them off. Let that come later.
“Oooh, that’s fun. I do hope you keep some. They would be good decorations for the castle.”
The back and forth went on for a bit longer, talking about art and charity until all four had (more or less: the latter in Legundo’s case) finished their meals. When they had, the vampire stood up, smiling at Scott before directing a question at the king.
“Would I be able to take Scott on a walk? Get to know him better before the deal is finalised?” He asked, attempting to seem like the main motive wasn’t to simply see what was so different about this man. Wynter and Eirwen looked at each other before sighing, nodding.
“That would be ideal… let you know each other. You may walk in the garden.” The king said, waving them to the exit. Legundo fell into step beside Scott who seemed almost eager to leave the room and, silently, they made their way out to the garden.