Chapter Text
The Kingdom's banners fluttered in the wind. There was a celebratory feel in the air. The happiness felt by the people was so intense by just looking at their smiles was enough to get you beaming with joy. It is the day of the eldest of the three heir's wedding; servants were running back and forth busy with the wedding preparations in the garden but there was one thing missing...
"Venue? Check! Flowers? Check! Cake? Also check! Rings?... Wait, where are the rings!!" One of the servants yelled, he wore a fancier version of the butler's uniform with curly black hair as well as a pair of dark-coloured earrings.
"I'm looking for them Black Sapphire don't you worry!!!!!" Another servant, Candy Apple, replied, immediately running back into the palace with her giant red candy apples in her hair bouncing up and down as she ran. Black Sapphire sighed, he and Candy Apple were entrusted with the task of making sure the wedding runs smoothly. Being His Majesty's most trusted aids, it was no surprise that they were given this role although only gods above know what will happen if he finds out that they were missing the most important objects for the ceremony. At least they weren't missing the bride, he'd surely have their heads that's for sure.
Speaking of the bride, she was in her chambers with the queen getting ready for her big day. "How do you feel sweetie?" the queen asked as she helped adjust one the sleeves on her daughter's dress, the queen couldn't feel happier today not just as a ruler but also as a mother, was this how my mother-in-law felt during my wedding? she pondered.
"I feel elated Mother, and proud, and scared, and anxious and so many other feelings that I can't put into words!" the bride-to-be, the eldest princess, Vanilla Milk answered, "What if he doesn't show up?" she continued, "What if something goes wrong, what if it rains, what if there was a sudden rat infestation and we have to postpone?! What if-"
"I will confidently tell you sweetheart, nothing is going to go wrong, your father would forbid it," the queen assured her, "Besides, Candy Apple and Black Sapphire are in charge of the wedding, and I fully believe in their capabilities to stamp out any and all errors."
There was a knock before the door opened, and a young girl no older than ten years peeked in, "Is she ready yet? The ceremony is going to start!"
The queen chuckled, "In a minute Pudding, your sister just needs one final accessory," she placed a necklace with an orchid shaped pendant around her neck, "Now she's ready." As the maids lead Vanilla Milk to the garden, the queen gestures to the other princess to follow her.
"Where are we going Mama? the weddings the other way," the girl asked, eyes full of curiosity.
"We are going to your father's study; there's a special role we want you to take on for today..." They stopped in front of a blue door, the queen reached into a pocket hidden in her gown, pulling out a key. She inserted the key into the keyhole and the door opened, revealing a tall spiral staircase that seemed to reach the sky, and the duo began to climb.
Meanwhile in the garden, the servants were admitting the invited guests. Candy Apple was supervising the admission process when she saw a suspicious-looking person wearing a cloak enter the venue. "Hey! Is that guy on the guest list?" she asked one of the butlers, pointing to the hooded stranger,
"He didn't show an official invitation, but he did show us the crest of one of the noble houses attending on his cloak, we assumed he is going in the house's stead." the butler replied.
Candy Apple nodded slowly, "Maybe..."
The climb to the top of the tower was no easy feat for the young princess, when they reached the study, she was out of breath and exhausted, her mother meanwhile didn't even appear to break a sweat. She knocked the door before opening it, inside was the king, sitting at his desk behind some papers. "Dear, the wedding is going to start soon," the king only gave a short reply,
"Yes, I am aware my Darling, but there are these reports of conspiracy in the kingdom, specifically, conspiracy against the crown and you know how I am when it comes to these types of things. If the public ever finds out-"
"Dear, it's your eldest daughter's wedding, surely you can spare an hour or two from your work. Remember the special role we are going to entrust to Pudding?" Finally, the king rose from his seat, took out an object from one of his drawers and walked over to Pudding, kneeling down to reach her eye level,
"Pudding, you know how important this is not only to the kingdom, but for your sister too and we know how close the two of you are. That is why your mother and I want to you to be her flower girl; do you think you can handle such a responsibility?" he revealed a special basket full of flower petals and presented it to her.
Pudding nodded vigorously taking the basket, she gleamed brightly, "Of course! Anything for my big sister!"
The king hummed, "Then why don't we head outside?" Suddenly, the door burst open.
As soon as Vanilla Milk entered the garden, Black Sapphire immediately ran up to her, "Come on! Follow me!" he led her to a room and closed the door, "When the organs play, that's your cue, got it?"
Vanilla Milk quickly answered, "Yes I got it." As she stood in that room, waiting for her big moment, she heard a sound, but it wasn't the sound of organs or wedding bells, it was the sound of panic. The door opened and was immediately pulled away somewhere by one of the knights and was pulled out of the castle gates. "What's going on!? Why are we leaving? Why is everyone screaming and running?"
The general of the knights, her younger twin brother, Blueberry Sponge immediately ran over and answered her questions with just ten words, "The servants discovered a lethal bomb under one of the tables." Her eyes widened in shock, she quickly looked around the evacuation point,
"Where is Mother, Father and Pudding?"
The king immediately moved in front of his queen and daughter, shielding them, and unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the stranger, "I advise you not to take a step further if you want to keep your life." The stranger did not seem to listen to the king's threat and advanced further into the room, the stranger held up a remote,
"As soon as I press this button, the bomb that I planted in the wedding will detonate and all the guests, as well as your precious princess, will perish. But give up your crown and no one gets hurt, you have one minute to decide, do we have a deal?"
The king stood his ground and said, "Absolutely not." He swung his sword at the remote knocking it out of the attacker's hand.
"You asked for it." the attacker brought out an axe and hit the main support pillar causing parts of the ceiling to crack, a few more hits and the tower will collapse in on them. As the king and the attacker engaged in an axe-sword combat, the queen saw the crest on his cloak and immediately pulled Pudding aside, instructing her,
"Pudding, I want you to escape the tower as quickly as possible and find your grandmother now!!!"
The tower started to shake, "What? but that's so far why would you want me to go there? -"
"It's not safe in the kingdom anymore just go!!" She pushed her out of the door; Pudding saw the crest that must have fallen off the guy's cloak, she took it and ran down the stairs. She emptied the basket and grabbed some fruit and a small dagger that she could carry from the armory. She ran out to the stables and grabbed the reins of the nearest horse and fled the kingdom without looking back.
In the tower the king finally knocked the axe out of the attacker's grasp and plunged his sword through the attacker's chest, he fell to the ground, dead. Before they could even sigh in relief, parts of the ceiling started falling and the floor began to crumble. The king immediately ran over to his queen as they wrapped their arms around each other in an embrace as the citizens below could only watch in horror as the tower fell.