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canirove · 2 months

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In The Name of Love | Chapter 31

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"Keys, wallet, water bottle, notebook, pens, tissues… I think I have it all."

"Are you sure?" Silvia says.

"I… Shit" I say when I see her holding my phone.

"I've never seen you this nervous on a first day before. Not even on your very first day."

"Yeah, well… Back then I wasn't dating someone famous and the whole world knew about it" I sigh. Because now everyone knows.

A few days after the photos in Tenerife were published, someone started to share details about me, sending them to magazines and fan accounts. People now knew my full name, what I had studied and where, what I did for a living, some of my hobbies… And, of course, my age. That had made things escalate quickly, the word cougar being thrown right and left. Though the comments that were hurting me the most, were the ones saying that I should not be teaching kids when I am dating someone so young.

"You aren't doing anything wrong, Val" Silvia says, taking my hand on hers.

"I know, but… I already got some weird looks from other teachers the other day. And I know that the moment the parents see me, they'll start gossiping."

"Then let them. You've been dating Pedri for three years already while teaching their kids, and they all have loved you and said you are amazing. Now because they know who you sleep with you suddenly are a bad teacher? C'mon…"

"People are like that, Silvia…"

"Stupid, that's what they are."

"A bit, yeah" I chuckle. "Anyway, I better go."

"Good luck, Val" she smiles.

"Thank you" I reply, walking towards the door. "Holy mother of Jesus!" I yell when I open it.

"Morning, gorgeous" Pedri smiles.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm driving you to work."

"What?"

"I wanted to be there on your first day."

"Did you know about this?" I say, turning to look at Silvia.

"I… Maybe?" she replies. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

"Oh, you have definitely surprised me. And given me a heart attack too."

"You opened when I was about to ring. But will this make you feel better?" he says, showing me the bouquet of flowers he was hiding behind his back.

"It's a start…"

"I can do other things to make you feel better, but we don't want to be late" Pedri smirks.

"Idiot" I reply, rolling my eyes.

"Should we go, then?" he says.

"Yeah, let's go."

"And Val…" Silvia says. "Haters gonna hate."

"Did you just quote Taylor Swift?" I laugh.

"She's right, so" she shrugs.

"Maybe we should listen to that song in the car" Pedri offers.

"No."

"Ok, ok. You are kinda scary when you use that tone" he laughs. "Bye, Silvia."

"Bye, guys!"

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"It's time" I sigh, picking up my bag and the flowers.

"Everything will be ok, Val."

"It will, yes" I say, trying to convince myself.

"Have I ever told you how proud I am of you?" Pedri says, caressing my cheek.

"I'm not sure…"

"Well, I am doing it now. I am so proud of you, Val. What you teachers do is amazing and people should show you more respect."

"Aww, Pepi."

"It's the truth" he shrugs. "Now go there and show those kids how good you are."

"That sounds like what Xavi tells you before a game" I chuckle.

"It does, doesn't it?" he laughs. "But, again, it is the truth. You are amazing, Val."

"And you are gonna make me cry" I say, hitting his arm.

"Sorry" he smiles. "I love you."

"I love you too."

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"Val! Good morning!"

"Good morning, Beth" I smile.

"The flowers arrived earlier today, uh?" she says, nodding towards the bouquet in my hands.

"And that was him, wasn't it?" Luis says. "He has a really nice car."

"Did he drive you to work?"

"He did, yes. He wanted to be with me on my first day" I say with a shy smile.

"That is so cute."

"I always drive you to work" Luis says.

"Yeah, but because we live together" Beth replies, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, let's go. We can't be late on our first day, can we?"

"We cannot, no" Luis sighs.

As we walk towards the school, many parents turn to look at us. I can see them whispering, nodding, and even pointing towards me. The moment we walk past them they say good morning with their best smile, but then the whispers are back.

"He probably bought her those flowers."

"And she's brought them so we all can see them."

"Her bag looks new. And expensive. I'm sure he bought it for her."

"Watch her start dressing like the other wags. No more Zara for Miss Valeria."

"She should be ashamed of herself. Dating someone so young…"

"Val, hey. Valeria" Beth says, linking her arm with mine. "Ignore them. They are just bored and jealous."

"Exactly. We know you and support you" Luis says to my other side.

"Thank you" I reply, trying to smile and focus on them, on my friends. Though it won't be easy…

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How did it go?

Ok? What does it mean?

It means that it was ok

Val, what happened?

Nothing The kids are great One of them was wearing your shirt and came to show me with the biggest smile And then he asked me if I could get him your autograph

Cheeky 😂

What did you tell him?

That I would depending on how well he behaved and his grades Same to everyone else

Great motivation 😅

But if it was ok, why are you… off?

I'm not off

Val, I can feel it and we are just texting while being kilometres away

What happened?

Nothing

Val… what did we promise each other?

No more secrets

Ok, fine It was the parents They kept whispering and gossiping as I walked past them It was very uncomfortable, they were making me feel as if I had done something bad

But you haven't

I know, but… It doesn't matter

Val…

It doesn't It was just the first day, the novelty In a few days they will have moved on into something else Like a parent having a fling with another or whatever

Val, are you sure you are ok?

Do you want to facetime?

I'm fine, Pedri I'm going to bed already, I'm shattered And so should you, you have a game tomorrow

If I don't sleep well and play badly we'll probably lose.

Yes, but I don't want you to lose because you were shit I want you to lose because the others suck

Always so thoughtful 😂

😇😇

But Val…

What now 🙄

I love you 🤍

I love you too 🤍

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"I can't fucking believe it."

"What happened?" Silvia asks me.

"Isabel, I mean, “the mole”, just shared more photos" I sigh.

"What? How? I thought you had deactivated all your accounts."

"I did. But she must have download the photos or something."

"That is so fucked up, Val… Has the people Barça hired said something?"

"That whoever this person is, they are uploading and sending the photos using public WiFi signals and fake emails. That they know what they are doing."

"And do you really think Isabel is capable of doing all that?"

"She hates me, Silvia. She's capable of that and more."

"Yeah, but… The teenagers are nuts" she says. "They could have hacked someone's account or something and be the ones doing this."

"It has been Isabel since the beginning. What has been shared about me are things only someone who actually knows me and has done it for years can know, and she had access to all my photos through Marc's accounts. It is her."

"What are you going to do? Because this can't keep going on, and if they aren't able to catch her…"

"I don't know" I sigh. "And that must be my car" I say when my phone pings.

"Val, maybe you shouldn't go to today's game."

"I have to, Silvia. They are playing against Manchester United, Ferran is back, and he's gonna introduce us to his girlfriend. I can't miss it."

"But Val…"

"I have to go" I say, getting up from the sofa and leaving before she can keep talking, taking deep breaths on the lift to calm myself down. Which is what I've been doing the most these past couple of months. Take deep breaths, and cry.

At the school things have calmed down. After just a week, what I had told Pedri would happen became a reality and they moved on into a new piece of gossip, though I still get some disapproving looks. Online, it is a different story.

Most fans are ok with me dating Pedri or don't care. The only thing that matters to them is if he is happy or not, and they can see that he is. But there are others who don't share that sentiment and who are ruthless, constantly overanalyzing every photo of us or just me alone that they find, calling me the most awful and mean nicknames they can think of.

A couple of weeks ago, someone started to send them photos of Pedri and I together or from when I was at uni and in high school, private photos I had on Instagram and Facebook and that only my friends and family were supposed to see. And, of course, the mean comments didn't slow down. They only got more and more disgusting.

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"Val, hi!" Ter Stegen's wife, Dani, says while waving at me.

"Hi" I smile.

"How are you? Ready for tonight's game?"

"Ready" I say, sitting down.

Before the season started I promised Pedri that I would watch him play with the other girlfriends and wives, that there will be no more getting tickets all around the stadium. And so far, I had managed to do it, Dani helping me to not feel so out of place. Though with the comments she and the others would get every time they would post a photo where you could see me, the only thing that helped was ignoring or blocking.

"It feels a bit weird to see Ferran on the other team, doesn't it?" Dani says.

"It does… ouch" I complain when something hits my head.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah. I guess someone lost their bottle's lid" I say, looking up.

"At least it was just that and not water. Or worse, beer. I saw that happen in Germany to a friend of mine."

"Oh my God."

"Yep" she laughs.

"Cougar!" someone shouts behind us.

"What the fuck" Dani says, turning around.

"Ignore them."

"What? They are insulting you, Val."

"They just want attention. The best we can do is ignore them."

"But…"

"Please, Dani. Let's focus on the game."

"Ok, fine. We'll do as you say."

But the insults don't stop. The girls sitting a few rows behind us spend the first half of the game calling me names, making fun of me and throwing me popcorn.

"We should tell security, Val. This is not ok."

"And end up all over the internet like happened years ago? Hell no."

"But you would only be defending yourself from some bullies!"

"Dani, let it go."

"And if I go talk to them? Maybe they will listen to me."

"No, no, no. I don't want you getting involved."

"Val, you are my friend. I can't just sit and do nothing while two stupid teenagers keep insulting you."

"Dani, please" I beg her.

"Urgh, fine. You are looking at me the same way my kids do and I can't say no to that."

"Thank you" I say, trying to smile. And I say trying because a ball of paper just hit my head, the girls laughing like crazy.

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"Hello" Pedri smiles, walking towards me.

"Hi."

"Ready to meet Ferran and… Val, what happened?" he says, throwing his bag next to his car and cupping my face while giving me a concerned look.

"Nothing" I shrug.

"Val, you've been crying."

"No."

"Valeria…" he sighs.

"It's nothing."

"If it has made you cry, it definitely is something. Talk to me."

"But what about Ferran? He probably is waiting for us, the team must be leaving soon and…"

"Don't worry about him now. Tell me what happened."

"It's… it's nothing, really."

"Please, Val. I hate seeing you like this" Pedri says, the way he is looking at me breaking my heart.

"There were a couple of girls sitting behind us, and they…"

"They what?"

"They spent the whole game insulting me and throwing me popcorn."

"And didn't security do anything?"

"Dani wanted to call them, but I didn't let her."

"You didn't? Why?"

"Because I didn't want to make another scene, and those girls only wanted attention."

"They were bullying you, Val. And they made you cry. Because they are the reason why you were crying, weren't they?"

"Yes" I nod. "When the game ended we walked past them and they… they…"

"They what?"

"They were basically calling me a whore" I say, starting to cry again.

"See why you should have told security about them?" Pedri says, raising his voice.

"That would have only made things worse and you know it."

"What I know is that this can't keep happening, Val. It can't! I'm gonna speak with my team, the club and whoever is necessary and put an end to this."

"Pedri…"

"No! I'm not gonna allow my so called fans to keep bullying the woman I love. Enough is enough!" he says. I think I had never seen him this angry before.

"Please don't say anything. Please" I cry.

"What? Are you out of our mind, Val?"

"If you say something it will only get worse. And I… I won't be able to deal with that. Please let it go, Pedri. Please."

"Val…"

"Please" I beg him, hugging him as tightly as I can while crying on his shoulder. "Please."

"I… fine" he sighs. "But if it happens again, you will let me do something. We are done looking the other way, ok?"

"Ok" I say, still not letting go of him, feeling like he is the only thing keeping me from truly breaking apart.

#pedri #pedri gonzalez #pedri fanfic #pedri gonzalez fanfic #pedri imagine #pedri gonzalez imagine #football fanfic #football imagine

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frostsinth · 4 years

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Royal Flush - Pt. 10

Part 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9 - MasterList - Art - Art - Art - Art - Art - Art - Art - Art (so much Art...)

This chapter brought to you in part by Morgana; Also, every additional part. She’s demanded to be co-director. There’s no way to say “No”. I’m sorry.

I was GOING to wait until tomorrow to post this. But I just finished the cliff hanger at the next chapter, and... just... really wanted to post this part.

I’m thinking that... it might end up being a 12 parter... I’m not sure if there’s anything more than part 12. I’ll know by the time I post part 11, and I’ll let you guys know. The end is in sight, and I do hope that’s ok with everyone... But buckle in. It won’t be an easy ride.

Check out my MasterList above for more stories. Want your own, or some art? DM me for details! Check out the #Royal Flush for more notes/art/blurbs about these two bumbling fools.

“Excuse me…umm, sir goblin.”

A momentary pause, followed by a polite if hesitant; “Yes, My Lady?”

“I beg your pardon, but you are the King, yes?”

My heart skipped like a smooth stone across still waters. I eased down the last few steps, walking lightly to stand at the corner. Peering around it. Grier stood with his back to me, and Morgana before him with her hands on her hips. She wasn’t much shorter than him, but still had to tilt her chin up to meet his gaze. I started to round the corner, eager to tell both of them the good news and pleased they were in the same place. But curiosity stilled my feet, something about the determination set into her youthful face, and I lingered momentarily. Not quite hidden… that wouldn’t be very Princely. But they would have to look particularly hard to make me out behind the marble pillars...

“That I am.” I could hear the tiny smile in Grier’s voice. “... Can I be of service?”

“I demand an audience then, Your Majesty.” I almost groaned at her abruptness, and studied her little face for a moment. Intelligent and fierce…. I couldn’t deny it warmed my heart.

Grier hesitated again, but then offered her a small bow. “But of course, Princess. I am at your service… Shall we sit?”

“You know who I am?” She sounded a little surprised, causing her to lose focus momentarily as she followed him to the benches lining the courtyard with a skipping step. I paced a few feet closer. From this angle I could make out both their faces from the side, as long as they were looking forward. But only Morgana’s when they looked at each other.

“Yes… Your brother speaks of you all the time.”

I saw her bottom little lip come out into that stubborn pout of hers. “You mean to say Prince Nikostratus, Your Majesty.” She corrected him, tossing her head slightly so that her soft cloud of curls bounced around her. “You must be more specific. I have two brothers, you know.”

“Yes, forgive me, Princess. I do mean Nikostratus.” I could hear the smirk in his voice.

“Prince Nikostratus.” She corrected again. “You should always use titles, Your Majesty.”

He shrugged his shoulders lightly. “Should I? I’ve never much cared for them.”

I saw another flash of surprise on her face. “... Goblins don’t have titles?”

“We have them.” He replied. “But I think they sound silly to say every time you speak to someone. Takes a lot of extra time that could be spent doing something more fun.”

She thought that over for a second. “... Oh... “ She tilted her head to the side. “I didn’t know Kings liked to have fun... So… What do I call you?”

He chuckled. “I most certainly do, at least. And Grier is fine.” His head tilted to the side. “That is my name, after all. Not ‘King’. Not ‘Your Majesty’.” The goblin looked briefly around the courtyard while she chewed that thought over. Then turned back to her. “And what may I call you?”

“I am Princess Morgana Delarosa Marie of Geriveria.” She declared, sounding a little proud and puffing up her tiny chest. But then she hesitated, looking up at him thoughtfully. “... But you can call me Morgana, I suppose.”

“Alright then, Morgana,” He replied, and I could hear that his smile had returned to his lips, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“...Your teeth are all pointy.”

“This is true.”

“Are all goblin teeth pointy?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Do you bite your tongue a lot? Is it hard to chew?” I could hear the curiosity in her voice building. It made me smile.

“Not more often than you might, I would suppose. And no, I can chew quite well. I rather find I enjoy eating.” He cocked his head to the side, amusement lacing his voice. “Is that all you wanted to ask me?”

“No…” She glanced down at her feet, kicking them back and forth for a moment where they dangled off the edge of the bench. “... You’re supposed to marry Niko… right?”

I felt myself stiffen, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw Grier’s head bob slightly in a small nod. “If he’ll have me, yes… Is that alright with you?”

A sudden scowl formed on her lips, and she crossed her little arms over her chest. “No. It’s not.”

I almost broke from my hiding spot at her words. But to my surprise, Grier bowed his head, placing one hand lightly over his heart.

“Forgive me. I am sorry to hear that.” He raised his head slightly. “May I ask why?”

Her scowl deepened. “Because he’s my brother. And I don’t know you! How do I know if he’ll like you? How do I know you’re not going to be mean to him?”

“Well, that is a very good point.” He mused, nodding slightly. “Perhaps if you knew me better, I might be able to earn your permission to marry him. Yes?”

She seemed to think that over for a moment. “... Yeah. That makes sense.”

“What would you like to ask first then, Princess?”

“... I can ask you questions? You don’t mind?”

“Of course! How else do you get to know someone?”

She didn’t even think about that for more than a moment. “You watch them. You listen to what they say, especially if it's not to you, and how they act. You see how they treat people who can’t give them anything.”

“That’s… very astute of you.” Grier sounded surprised.

“A tute?”

“Oh… Astute.” He cleared his throat, chuckling lightly. “It means… wise. Observant.”

She shuffled her skirts, tilting her head to the side. “You can’t ask questions at court.” Her voice had a practiced patience to it, as if she were the one speaking to a child, and not the other way around. “You can’t say what you’re thinking. People are... mean about it.” Morgana looked up at him through her lashes. “I’m not ever allowed to speak; father says because I’m a Princess… And Val says because I’m still a little girl... But Niko taught me how to learn about people, even if you can’t talk to them.” She kicked her feet back and forth. “Niko says that I should always ask questions. Even if I’m told not to ask them out loud.” She smiled. “He says that if you have a question, you should find the answer, especially if you aren’t allowed to ask the question. He says it must be important, otherwise you wouldn’t have the question in the first place!”

There was silence for a moment, and I wondered what Grier’s face looked like. I could picture it, in my mind’s eye. Long pointed nose, heavy brow. Scarlet eyes and thin lips. But I couldn’t tell what shape his sharp features were forming. No matter how much I stared at the back of his head.

“Then your brother is… very wise.” His voice sounded warm, and my heart fluttered.

“Very a-tute?”

Grier snorted, amused. “Yes, a very astute Prince… But you can ask me questions if you want to. I promise I’ll answer them.”

I heard her soft ‘hmmm’ and almost smiled, leaning against the marble pillar as I listened quietly. I felt a little guilty, not announcing myself. Overhearing such a private conversation. But my curiosity was just too great to resist.

“Do goblins eat people?”

Grier laughed loudly at that. “Of course not! Who told you they did?”

She shrugged her little shoulders. “My old nanny told me that once. But Niko didn’t like her much. I think he dismissed her, but he won’t tell me.” She looked back at Grier. “Do you live in a castle? Will Niko have to live with you?”

He nodded. “I do live in a castle, built into the side of a mountain. And yes… I would very much like for Nikostratus to live with me.”

“Do you have any children?”

“No, I do not.”

“How about sisters? Or brothers?” He shook his head. “If you’re King, does that mean your parents are dead? My father’s parents are dead, and the court says Val won’t be King until my father dies too.”

I would have groaned had I not been making such an effort to remain unseen. Grier gave a quiet chuckle. “My father passed away when I was little, but my mother is still alive.”

“She is?” Her voice sounded curious again, then she fell quiet for a moment. “... My mother died when I was a baby.”

“I am sorry. That must be hard.”

She shrugged again. “I don’t remember her. And Niko doesn’t talk about her much… I think she makes him sad. But I don’t know why.”

“Sometimes, when you love someone, even though they make you happy, not being able to see them makes you sad.” He explained softly. “Sometimes we don’t want to talk about them, because we don’t want to be reminded that we miss them.”

Morgana nodded, kicking her legs again. “... Not seeing Niko makes me sad…” She mumbled quietly, and I felt my heart stop a little at her words. “... I don’t want him to move away forever.”

“I don’t want to take him away from you… But…” He hesitated, and I saw her glance back up at him. “... Being away from him makes me sad too.”

She thought about that. “Does that mean you love him?”

“Yes, I do.” I flushed hot at his words, at his confidence, and shifted restlessly. “... Do you think maybe we can share him?”

“Hmmm.” She looked at him out the side of her eyes. “... Do you like to read?”

He nodded. “Yes. I like to read stories and epic sagas.” He grinned. “If I can sit still long enough to finish them.”

A small smile flicked over her lips briefly. “I like to read too… Do you like to fight? What weapon do you use?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I like to fight, but I can hold my own.” He replied, leaning back on his hands. “And I like to fight with a rapier. What about you?”

“Father says Princesses shouldn’t be fighting. Princesses should be learning to dance and play instruments and other fine things.” She said, as if reciting from a book. Then she leaned closer conspiratorially. “But Niko taught me to wrestle. And Val is showing me how to use a bow.” She told him in a low whisper.

He chuckled. “Very wise of your brothers. Everyone should be allowed to learn about whatever they want. No matter if they are Princes, or Princesses... Or goblins.” She giggled, smiling up at him. “What else do you like to do?”

“I like to explore. I know every corner of this castle! And I like to climb.” She told him excitedly. “I know how to climb down from my bedroom window and over the castle wall without anyone seeing me!” She stopped suddenly, and hesitated, as if worried he would scold her.

“Well now,” He exclaimed, smirking, and her smile returned, “That is quite mischievous. Are you certain you are not a goblin?” She giggled again. “You would fit right in.”

“... What do goblins like to do for fun?”

He shrugged slightly. “It depends on the goblin, I suppose, just like it depends on the human you ask.”

“What about you, then?”

“I like to talk.” She grinned at him, and I could hear the smile in his voice and imagined he must be making a silly expression based upon the way her eyes lit up. “I like meeting new people. I like holding grand parties and learning about new places. I like to collect exotic and colorful things.”

“Have you been many places?” Her curiosity had completely flooded her face and voice now, and she leaned towards him eagerly.

“A fair few. I can tell you about them sometime, if you’d like.” He returned, then I saw his wild hair shift as he cocked his head to one side. “So? How am I doing?” She shifted, pursing her little lips again as if she just remembered she was supposed to be scowling. “... Do you think I might be good enough for your brother?”

Morgana thought about that for a second, tapping the bench with her fingertips. “I don’t know… Niko doesn’t really like any of those things.” She grinned. “He hates meeting new people.”

Grier laughed again. “I have seen that… Well, you’ve known him longer than me. What does he like?”

Her smile returned. “He likes to read, like me. He hides in the library when he wants to be alone. I think he likes it when it’s quiet, but he never seems to mind when I’m there too.” She seemed to bounce in her seat, getting more excited with every word. “And he likes riding, and fighting. The generals all hate him because he can beat them all up. He also likes playing chess. He always beats me at chess.” She tilted her head to the side, thinking. “I don’t know if he likes to, but I like when he hums. He knows a lot of songs.”

“Does he now?” I didn’t like the conspiratorial tone he took, and felt a cold wave wash through me as I wondered how the goblin might use that particular tidbit against me. “I hope I get to hear that someday.”

“He only does it when he thinks he’s alone.” She told him. “When he’s happy, and sometimes when he’s trying to do something very difficult.” Her smile nearly ate up her face. “He says it helps him think sometimes.”

“Well, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard a more sound logic.” His amusement had my face growing hot. I thought about slipping away then. Maybe going around the outside of the courtyard to the other side and pretending I hadn’t heard all this.

“...He doesn’t hum anymore.”

“...No?”

She shook her head sadly. “He used to hum a lot when I was littler. At least when no one was around. Then he… well… He went away for a while. And when he came back, he stopped humming…”

“Where did he go?” I stiffened at his words, and the quiet sadness in them, shaking my head. I didn’t want to hear this. Didn’t want to be reminded. I gritted my teeth and started to make my quiet escape.

“No one will tell me. But father was very mad when he came back… Val says maybe when I’m older... Niko doesn’t talk about it.”

“I am sorry… It must not have been a very nice place.” I was nearly back to the base of the stairs. “But maybe we can make him happy again, yes? ...Do you think maybe... I could make him happy enough to start humming again?”

I froze in my retreat, my heart thudding. Morgana was studying him thoughtfully when I checked back over my shoulder at them. “... Yeah. You seem nice… I think Niko would like you.” Her grin returned. “But if you want to make him really happy, you have to make him cookies.”

“Cookies?” He echoed in surprise.

She nodded. “Yeah. Niko loves fresh baked lemon cookies. And knives! Get him lots of pretty knives.” Morgana jumped up to her feet, bouncing up and down lightly. “He also likes lilies.” She skipped over to the patch by the wall, pointing them out. “Like these. Though he always says that flowers are supposed to be enjoyed where they live…” She dropped off, her lips pursing as a thought suddenly seemed to occur to her. “I think maybe he told me that so I would stop picking flowers in the Royal Gardens… He seems not to mind when I bring him wildflowers.”

“My dear Morgana, you have given me lots of good advice.” I flushed again at the grin in his voice, and could almost picture it on his lips. “I look forward to utilizing it. I should take your counsel more often. I don’t think anyone knows how to make Nikostratus happier than you.”

“Yeah well…” She slowly walked back over, sitting upon the bench once more, “... I think Niko already likes you a lot… I saw the way he looked at you in the throne room.”

“What do you mean?” He sounded surprised again, and I flushed darker, silently begging Morgana into silence. “He looked… ah… very serious.”

She scoffed, obviously not having heard my prayer. “Well, of course! You can’t let anyone know what you’re thinking; it’s like a game, but it’s not very fun. You have to put on a fake face, and then you keep that face up, until you leave. Niko’s very good at it.” She put her hands on her hips, puffing up her chest. “But I know Niko. I can see through his fake face.”

“... And what did you see?” He sounded curious despite himself.

She drooped a bit, looking up at him. She brought up a finger to bite at the nail. “When he was worried about something, he would look at you. And he took attacks meant for you, and stood in front of you when... when someone looked like they might try to be mean.” She dropped her hand. “That’s what he does for me. So that must mean he likes you. Cuz I know he loves me.”

“I see…” I couldn’t quite fathom the tone he replied with, but it made my heart flutter. I swallowed hard. There was not much more I could take of this. “So… does that mean you’ll share your brother with me?”

“I guess I have to, huh? Since he seems to like you… But you seem fun, so that’s ok...” Morgana stopped suddenly, looking down at her hands in her lap. “... Can I come with you to your castle?”

He hesitated, shifting in his seat. “... What did Nikostratus say?”

She sighed. “Last time I asked he said ‘when I’m older’. But I was thinking about it, and I am older now than when he told me that.”

Grier rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, we would both love to have you come to the castle with us… But we’d need to ask your father.”

Morgana groaned, dropping her head back. “I thought you were a King too! Why can’t you just order them to let me come with you?”

“I may be King, but that doesn’t mean I always get to do whatever I want.”

“It doesn’t?”

He shook his head. “No. It means I have a big responsibility. To protect my people. To always do what’s right for them. I have the power to make the world a better place. I can’t use that power to be selfish all the time.” He nudged her foot with his. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be a very good King, or a very good person.” I heard his smile returning. “And if I’m not a good person, I can’t marry Nikostratus…. Which I very much want to do.”

Morgana fell silent, thinking about that. “... Niko is a Prince, you know... and he’s a very good Prince.” She told Grier quietly. “But… Sometimes I think he’s too good. Sometimes…” She hesitated, and I saw his head bob to encourage her on. “... Sometimes I think everything he does … is just to make other people happy. He doesn’t do things to make himself happy…” She kicked her feet back and forth again, looking down at her once polished shoes, now scuffed with dirt. “I thought… Maybe if he wasn’t a Prince anymore… if he was just a regular adult… He might get to be happy.” She looked up at him. “Or I thought maybe… since you are a King, he could be a King. And then he could finally do what he wants…” She smiled sadly. “And I think he wants me to come stay with him. But he can’t. Because a good Prince doesn’t disobey his King…”

My heart ached, and I looked down at my feet. Feeling heavy for having laid such worries on the shoulders of my precious little sister. I had thought I was hiding it well from her. Thought I was keeping her safe, and happy… I should have known she was far too perceptive to believe those little white lies I told her all along. Though honestly… perhaps they had always been more for my benefit than hers. I rubbed at the back of my neck, swallowing hard.

“You are the light of your brother’s life,” Grier assured her, his voice soft but firm, “He told me himself. He wants you to come back with us. To stay with us…” He sighed. “The fact that he must choose between you and me is the only weight on my own happiness right now… I wish he did not. And if it were up to me… I would tell him to choose you. Because no one makes him happier than you do. And you’re right… he doesn’t do the things he should to make himself happy.”

“I’d tell him to choose you!” She argued, putting her hands on her hips. “Because I think you can make him happy too. I’ve seen it! And I’ll be a grown up soon, and I’ll go off and fight dragons and see far off places…” She looked up at him through her dark lashes, seeming far older than her nine years in that moment. “But you’ll stay with him. And make him happy when I’m gone.”

I could take no more, and composed myself. Kicking the gravel beneath my boots loudly to announce my presence.

“And where, praytell, little chickadee, do you think you are going?” I asked, my voice stern, stepping out from behind the pillars and striding forward as if I had just come down the stairs. “And what’s this about ‘dragons’ I hear?”

“Niko!” She nearly squeaked, bounding from the bench and sprinting over.

I scooped her up in my arms, hardly breaking stride. Giving her the proper hug I had longed to give her since I had first seen her at court... All the tighter for having overheard them. My heart was heavy, and my head swirled with their words. But I couldn’t keep the small smile from my face as she wrapped her arms about my neck, squeezing so tightly I had to reach up a hand to loosen her death grip in order to breathe properly. Grier stood more slowly, and I saw a small smile on his own face as he turned towards us. I walked over to him, my smile suddenly fading into a shy shadow of its former self as I remembered my last words to him. My eyes dropped to our feet, and I swallowed nervously.

“... I hope you aren’t telling the goblin King all my secrets, little chickadee?” I intoned, my voice as light as I could manage it given the circumstances. I stepped out into the courtyard proper and watched Grier sidle a few steps closer. “Though... I am glad you two have been able to make each other’s acquaintance.”

I hoped he noticed the softness of my tone. The words I didn’t have the strength to speak. I hoped the weight of my guilty conscience didn’t leak into my voice. I chanced a peek at him through my dark lashes.

“Oh, just a few dark secrets.” Grier scoffed, teasing with a wave of his hand, and I felt a little tension leave my shoulders at it. “Nothing important, I’m sure.”

Morgana giggled at the exchange, finally leaning back to look at me properly. “I like him, Niko. He’s fun, and he’s nice. Just like you said he was in your letters.”

My face flushed darker. “W-well, if you like him, I-I suppose that is the highest accolade he can receive.” I replied, trying to pretend Grier wasn’t now grinning like a fool at my elbow. “... What was this I heard about a ‘dragon’?” Pretending that was all I had overheard.

“The Princess was just regaling me with her plans to go on adventures to far off lands.” Grier recapped, placing his hands on his hips.

“Is that so?” I looked at her and she smiled, nodding eagerly. “Hmmm. Do you think you could postpone them for a bit?” My small smile twitched with my excitement. “That is... if you still want to come back with us to the goblin castle of course.”

Her eyes went wide, and then her own lips broke into a bright toothed grin. Her responding squeal was so loud it hurt my ear drums and I winced. I would have said something, but had to instead gasp for air as she flung herself back at me, wrapping her little arms tightly around my neck. I glanced over at Grier as she bounced and wiggled in her excitement, and I saw surprise in his own face.

“You mean it, Niko?? I can come?? Father said yes??” She cried.

I had to pry her loose again in order to have enough air for a response. “Valerianus is sending for your things as we speak.” I told her, and glanced at Grier to see if he caught my wording. I saw his lips purse slightly, and my heart skipped. But then he nodded. “We can leave now, if you’re ready.” I breathed with relief, though I wasn’t exactly sure which of them I was asking.

Morgana was of course the one to answer. “YES! YES!” She squealed. “COME ON THEN! Let’s go! Ohmygosh I’m SO EXCITED!!”

I managed a quiet laugh, despite my anxiousness. She wriggled and bounced even more in my arms, but I suddenly felt afraid to put her down. As if she might dart off, or alert the wrong person to our plans. I glanced at Grier again, and he placed his hand on my elbow briefly. As much as he dared while we were here. I was surprised to find an ache forming at the thought of the goblin restraining himself. As I had learned to do. Again I found myself filled with an eagerness to leave. Be gone from these walls before they suffocated the brightness in his scarlet eyes and chiseled him into stone like me. I clutched my sister closer to me, hoping it wasn’t too late to keep the same fate from befalling her, nodding to him again.

I led the way out of the courtyard and back to the main gates. I was pleased to see the goblins appear, as if out of thin air, lining the path and following us back. I knew they must have been guarding and watching their King, perhaps even me, from the shadows. Now they emerged, their small bodies surrounding us… it made me feel a little safer. I wondered briefly how long Lord Tipp had lasted as Grier’s host, as he was of course no where to be seen, but decided that would be a question for another time. Morgana babbled a thousand questions of her own, endlessly bouncing and twisting in my arms. I still didn’t dare put her down, and tried my best to respond to her as much as I was able, as I was still consumed with worry. Afraid that my hopes would be crushed, and the light of my life would be ripped from my arms before we could whisk her away to safety.

I caught sight of Valerianus as we approached the carriage, squaring off with Damjan. I swallowed hard, my heart skipping a beat. But when he glanced over at us, he merely nodded. I felt my knees quiver a little as I slowly and reluctantly placed Morgana back on the ground. She bounded over to our older brother, beaming widely and dancing from foot to foot. My ears were far too full of my pounding heart to hear their quiet exchange. Morgana jumped up to hug Valerianus, wrapping her arms as far around his waist as they would go. His mask twitched at the edges for a moment, and he looked surprised. Then his face softened, ever so slightly, and his big hand gently stroked her head.

His eyes met mine again as she broke away, skipping over to the carriage door. I vaguely heard Damjan’s boisterous laugh, presumably in response to something Morgana must have said to him. But my eyes were focused on my brother as I approached him, Grier at my side. I stopped in front of him, mask back in place. Shoulders squared. I bowed my head in deference to him, and he snapped his heels together. Dipping into a bow as well.

“Your Majesty,” He addressed Grier, as was to be expected, “There are no words in our language that would fully express our gratitude for your aid. However, know that you are most welcome in our halls anytime.”

Grier dipped his head slightly, placing one hand over his heart. “Thank you, Prince Valerianus. I do appreciate that.” He nodded to the outer wall of the castle. “Though we must take our leave, my people will stay, until the last of your citizens have been seen to. I shall make sure one comes to see to yourself, as well as any willing members of Court.”

The Crown Prince nodded, murmuring another quiet exchange of thanks. There was a pause, and I could see Valerianus hesitating. I peeked up at him, a little surprised, but kept my head bowed. Looking at him from just the corners of my eyes. Grier seemed to notice his pause as well, and raised a slender eyebrow.

“Speak your mind, Your Highness. I assure you I will take no insult.”

Valerianus cleared his throat as he slowly straightened, tucking his hands behind his back lightly. Peering down his nose at the goblin with a stern expression. “I hope you will pardon my belatedness on the matter…” He started, then hesitated again briefly. “... However, I feel it is my responsibility as the elder brother to warn you to treat Prince Nikostratus well-” My ears suddenly flamed hot “-Should you fail to do so, I shall not hesitate to use all resources at my disposal to avenge any unkindness you have shown him.”

Grier’s grin was nearly unbearable, and I saw my brother shift slightly in light of it. “Your Highness, allow me to reassure you that I will do everything in my power to make sure Prince Nikostratus is treated as he deserves. You need never fear this.” He dipped his head again, and his tone became more serious. “It is my solemn vow... and my greatest wish... to see him happy.”

Valerianus nodded, his mask returning, and he bowed deeply at the waist. “Thank you, Your Majesty. For that, I am in your eternal debt.” His eyes broke protocol, flicking over to me.

He cleared his throat again, straightening slowly. I felt my cue to rise, and did so slowly. Almost afraid to look up at him. Not sure how to feel in that moment, and feeling my entire face in an absolute blaze of heat despite my otherwise masked emotions. Valerianus nodded to me, then dipped his head.

“I shall send word when the… situation has changed, and it is safe for Morgana to return.” He told me. “And I can rest easy knowing there is no safer place for her in the wide world than in your care… brother.” I dipped my head in response, still flushed in the wake of the most tender platitudes he had ever offered me, and we exchanged a soft farewell. Then the Crown Prince gave a final formal bow, turned on heel once more, and marched back to the castle.

“You know,” I jumped at Grier’s voice as he returned to his place at my side and we watched my brother’s departure, “I’ve decided I rather like that man after all.”

My tongue felt heavy in my mouth, but I offered a slow nod. “... Me too.”

I jumped again as his hands curled around my elbow. “You’re still my favorite Prince though.” He assured me, grinning up at me like a fool. My flush renewed and my lips worked uselessly at the air for a moment.

“NIKO!” Came Morgana’s impatient shout, breaking the moment. I turned to see her standing in the doorway of the carriage. She stomped her foot for emphasis. “Let’s go, Niko! I wanna see the castle!”

I almost groaned, but settled for a small shake of my head as Grier laughed beside me. He tugged my arm, jerking his own head towards the carriage and leading the way. Damjan smirked at me as we passed him by.

“‘Niko’ is it, Your Highness?” He mused. I shot him a sour look out the corner of my eye, and he laughed as well, closing the carriage door behind us and taking up position at the rear.

Once we were settled inside, Morgana darted from window to window and seat to seat as the carriage bounced us out of the city. More than once she clambered over my lap, and I was pretty sure she stepped on Grier’s toes at least twice in her eagerness. But he merely laughed again, his scarlet eyes full of light. I wondered at that for a time. Wondered if everything that had passed since the last time we had sat in this carriage negated the lingering uncertainty I felt. Wondered if he had already forgotten how I had hurt him in that moment… I finally started to relax as the castle slowly faded into the distance, and felt a bit of the stone drop away from me as I watched my sister bound about in her excitement.

It took nearly two hours for her to settle, and another hour after that for her questions to slow. It was after sunset as we approached the walls of the goblin city, and Morgana had finally fallen into a quiet doze. Resting against my shoulder, her fingers and legs still twitching every now and then. I stroked her hair back out of her face, stifling a deep sigh.

“You can relax, my young Prince.” The King mused, leaning back against his seat.

I glanced at him, surprised. “I beg your pardon?”

He smiled, almost timidly, but no less warm. “... We’re back in our own kingdom now. You can relax. We’re safe amid our people… and Morgana is safe with us.”

I looked down at her, and felt my features soften. I pushed her hair out of her face again, and my lips twitched. “... It feels like a dream… I wasn’t sure it would ever be possible.”

“I’m certainly looking forward to seeing that more.”

Again, I looked at him in surprise. “... Seeing what?”

He pointed, his own lips curling into another warm shape. “That. Your smile… it lights up your whole face.” The goblin leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Now that Morgana is here… I hope that you can be happy… truly happy. Without the weight of her absence on you. I did promise your brother, after all.”

I peeked up at him through my dark lashes, feeling my face flush again. “O-oh. Yes… I-I mean… I mean that… th-that yes… of course I… I-I…” I stammered uselessly.

He chuckled, and his lips split to bare his sharp teeth mischievously. “I see I have you all flustered again.” His head cocked to the side. “I’ll take that as a good sign.”

The carriage came to a halt, and I quickly used it as an excuse to scoop Morgana up in my arms to avoid further discussion. Grier led the way out, and as I stepped out into the cool night I felt her stirring in my arms.

“Are we there?” She asked, blinking up at me sleepily and rubbing at one eye with her fist. “Are we at the castle?”

“Yes, but it’s late.” I told her. “We should get you to bed. You can see the castle tomorrow.”

“Nooo!” She whined softly. “I want to see-” She was halted by a wide mouthed yawn, and I shifted her in my grip.

“You’ll have plenty of time to explore. After you get some sleep.” I told her, and my voice left no room for argument.

Morgana sighed, settling back into my arms without further protest. Grier smirked, then led the way through the halls up to the tower chambers. I felt her turning her head about as we went, her eyes wide and curious despite their sleepy edges. An attendant followed alongside us with a light, and her head twitched back and forth as she tried to take in as much as she could while we walked. Even going so far as to clamber up and dangle over the back of my shoulder.

“She can stay with me tonight,” I told Grier, adjusting easily to her antics, “We’ll get her proper rooms in the morning... if that’s alright.”

He nodded. “But of course.”

“Is it a big castle?” She asked, twisting to look at the goblin King. “Are there lots of rooms? Can I have a window that looks at the city? Will I have a goblin lady to help me?”

“Chickadee,” I sighed patiently, shaking my head, “Haven’t you asked enough questions for today?”

“No.”

Grier laughed at that, pausing at the door to my chambers to glance over his shoulder at us. “It is a very big castle.” He told her, pushing open the door and stepping aside to let us pass. “I have a few young noble ladies in mind who would be pleased to be your lady in waiting. You can meet them tomorrow. And I’m afraid I can’t get you rooms that overlook the city… as most of it is under our feet.”

She gasped with delight, and craned herself to look at our feet as I carried her through the foyer. As if she could see through the stone beneath us. Seoc appeared, lighting a few candles and opening the curtains to let the moonlight in. I nodded to him appreciatively, and he gave me a cheery grin before disappearing back into the hall.

“These are your rooms Niko?” She asked, looking around as I brought her over to the bed. She frowned. “Why are they so empty? Where’s all your stuff?” She didn’t wait for me to answer, spinning to look at Grier. “Where are your rooms?” She bounded back up to her knees even as I put her down on the bed. “Are they nearby? Did you move your stuff to his room? Is that why it’s empty here? Do you sleep together?”

There was a loud CLONK as my head hit the side of the bedpost when I jerked sharply at her words. I sputtered uselessly as my face flushed and I struggled to keep my balance, rubbing at the back of my head. Over my shoulder, Grier had started laughing so hard he had doubled over. I shot him a look that he didn’t see, as he was too busy wiping tears from his eyes.

“What’s so funny??” Morgana demanded, obviously wanting in on the joke she thought she was missing. “You told me you were getting married, Niko. Married people have the same bed, don’t they?” She cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure you’re getting married? I haven’t seen you guys kiss or anything. Don’t married people kiss? Is it because you’re boys? Do boys not kiss? I thought you liked him? Niko, why is your face all red? Niko-”

“AL-ALRIGHT, that’s it!” I managed to sputter out finally, then clenched my jaw. I spun, pointing one stern finger at Grier, still bent in half in stitches. “YOU, out.” Then set my point on Morgana. “YOU, bed.”

Now it was the goblin’s turn to sputter. “Well, hold on just a moment, I’m the King here, you cannot…” He stopped short in his objection at the look I shot him. Clamping his mouth shut. After a breath, he gave me a small, sheepish grin. “I’ll just… wait outside for a minute, shall I?”

“But Niiiko!” came Morgana’s responding whine as Grier left the room, “I’m not tired at all!”

Her efforts of denial were sabotaged by another wide yawn, and I smirked a little through my flush as I removed her shoes and stockings. Placing them neatly on the ground by the side of the bed. She sighed, relenting without further fight, and fell back into the pillow. Luckily, the girl never wore anything remotely restricting, so I didn’t feel too bad about her sleeping in her current attire. I would be sure to get her a proper nightgown for the next evening, if one hadn’t been packed for her. I pushed her hair back out of her face, running my thumb by her eye. She smiled up at me, snuggling herself down into the blankets.

“Would you like me to tell you a story?” I asked her, my voice soft.

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I told you, Niko, I’m not a baby. I don’t need you to tell me stories anymore... Are you going to sleep too?” A little frown twitched across her lips. “Do goblins sleep? Does the King even have a bed? Do-”

“Please, little chickadee,” I interrupted her exasperatedly, giving her head a gentle squeeze beneath my oversized palm, “Enough questions for now.”

“But-”

“Tell you what,” I stopped her again, “You go ahead and make a list, up here-” I tapped her temple “-And I’ll answer every single one of them in the morning. And any new ones you think of by then.” I smirked. “It’ll be like counting sheep. Ok?”

She thought about that for a moment, pushing my hand away. “... Ok.”

She snuggled deeper into the blankets, seeming to think things over. I watched her eyes start to droop, and she yawned again. I started to stroke her hair. Sending all my gratitude to every possible listening patron or god for letting me have that moment. I didn’t care who took credit. I was just so thankful, I needed the universe to know.

“... Niko?”

I resisted the urge to sigh. “Yes, chickadee?”

“... You like Grier, right?” She looked up at me through her dark lashes, then yawned again. “You’re not just marrying him because it’ll make people happy, right?”

I stiffened, and my hands slowed. I thought about that for a quiet moment. And about what she had said in the courtyard to the goblin. I wasn’t sure I had ever been so clearly forced to recognize that aspect of myself before. I wanted to deny it, but... My heart ached a little, and I felt my head swirl… Did I like him? Or was it merely just the first time I had allowed myself to like someone? I knew he made my heart race, and I couldn’t fully deny the presence of a warm feeling that was beyond just a physical attraction. I had been suppressing the latter for so long; I knew it for what it was. I had never acted upon it before, or even remotely felt the opportunity to. Save for once, and it had blown up in my face… But… Did that mean I liked him?... Certainly, he was a good person… I didn’t dislike him in any way, I knew that… And I knew that was not what she meant, either.

I adjusted my jaw, realizing I had left her question hanging for far too long. So I ran my thumb lightly along her temple. And answered as honestly as I could.

“...Yeah, chickadee… I think I do like him.”

She smirked. “I knew it... But I wanted to make sure you did too.”

I shook my head, releasing the heavy sigh I had withheld before. She giggled, then yawned again. I sat by her side, stroking her hair, until her eyes drifted closed and her breathing deepened. It didn’t take long. I moved carefully to stand, so as to not wake her, and snuck out of the room. Grier stood against the wall by the door in the foyer, fidgeting with his usual impatience. I glanced at him warily, then back over my shoulder, before jerking my head to gesture for him to follow me.

I didn’t dare go very far, but hoped standing in the doorway of the next room would be enough to keep our voices from waking her. Grier crossed his arms, leaning on the door frame and craning his neck back to look up at me.

“All settled then?” He asked quietly.

I sighed tiredly, glancing back over to the door of my bedroom. “If she ever is.” He chuckled at that, and I returned my attention to him. Reaching up and rubbing at the back of my neck. “... I’ll be staying here tonight.” I mumbled, uncertain if I needed to tell him, or what I was implying might have been the alternative had I not, and my face flushed again as I did.

He grinned, but nodded. “I assumed as much. I don’t mind of course.” He tilted his head to the side and his smile grew a little more. “I just hope the castle is still in one piece by the time I wake up tomorrow.”

I scoffed quietly, glancing back over to the bedroom. “No guarantees on that.”

“You know…” I started slightly at his hand as it came up to brush my neck. “... A little bird told me that you might like me...”

His voice was only enriched by his light teasing tones, but I still flushed a little darker at his words. So he had been listening... I looked down at him shyly, and felt that strange surge of warmth in my chest at the sight of his scarlet eyes. I hesitated, unable to resist shuffling a little as he skimmed his thumb along my jaw.

“... A-about earlier…I mean… This morning...” I started to mumble, more than a little distracted by his hand. “In the carriage. I-”

“I understand…” He interrupted. “And I’m not mad, or upset with you... I’m…” The goblin paused, chewing over his words for a moment. “... We can talk more later, when we’ve both gotten a good night’s sleep. But… I’m glad you… I’m just glad you’re here.”

“W-well...I want t-to… to say ‘thank you’…” I stammered, my voice soft, “For-”

“Stop.” He told me, his voice equally soft. “You never need to thank me for doing things to make you happy… You never need to feel guilty for being happy, either.”

I hesitated, glancing down at the floor. Uncertain how to reply. I remembered what I had overheard in the courtyard earlier, and tried to decide how I would’ve acted had I not over heard it... I tried hard not to stiffen, or hide behind a mask. I tried to let my guard down, reminding myself of all the times I had managed to do so before with him. And how it had always seemed to work out. Tried to forget the trials of the day, and just… enjoy that moment. If I could. His arm was extended as far as it could be to reach me, and his other came up to catch my hands wringing in front of me. I stopped, having not even noticed I was wringing them until his fingers touched mine. I peeked at him, and saw his eyes watching me quietly. Perhaps trying to read the chaos of emotions currently fighting for dominance on my face.

“It’s been a long and difficult day.” He murmured finally. “I’ll let you get some rest… But I would like to speak more about…” He stopped, and I saw him adjust himself momentarily before continuing. “...About everything…” He squeezed my hands, giving me a coy smile. “Though I suppose we have a lifetime for that.”

“Gods willing.” I agreed, almost automatically, then somehow flushed darker.

His smile grew slightly, and he stretched up even further to slide his hand towards the back of my head. I hesitated only briefly before I curled down to accommodate him, and felt my skin tingle as his fingers brushed over it. He paused, his face lingering only a short distance away from mine. I saw his eyes flick to my lips, and couldn’t help sneaking my own glance at his. The memory of our last similar encounter it the private audience room filtered to the forefront of my thoughts and had my breath hitching. I swallowed nervously. He inched a little closer, standing on his tiptoes, then stopped. Leaving me with his warm breath splashing across my face. Leaving me with the option to pull away...

But for me, there was only one option. I closed the gap, bending down to press our mouths together as carefully as I could manage. I even dared to go so far as to take a step closer to him, backing him against the doorframe and letting him rock onto his heels as my hands came to his waist and my shoulders bowed around him. His arms came up, wrapping around my neck as he deepened our kiss, and I almost shivered beneath his touch. His body melted against mine, and my eyes fluttered closed, forgetting myself for a minute. His tongue slipped between my lips, and I twirled mine lightly around it. I could taste his sigh, and felt my heart skip as he ran one hand over the back of my head.

A giggle had me startled, and quickly jerked my head up just in time to catch the tail end of a skirt flashing in the bedroom doorway. Instantly my face blazed hot, and I broke away from his embrace clumsily, staggering back a step. Setting us both off balance. Fuckfuckfuckfuck, FUCK! I thought to myself, suddenly in an absolute panic as one of my worst nightmares was realized. Then made even worse than I had ever imagined. I shook myself, reaching up to cover my face with both hands. Absolutely mortified. I wanted nothing more than to dissolve into thin air. Disappear and hide away until everyone forgot my name. My legs itched to launch me into a full on sprint and carry me away…

But I didn’t flee, even though I wanted to. Instead, I let out a quiet, mortified groan, and bent over the goblin’s smaller form in front of me to bang my head lightly against the doorframe above his. Hands still cupped to shield my burning face. Maybe it was all a dream. And I would wake up now. For his part, Grier merely laughed, and I felt his arms wrap around my middle. I was surprised that instead of feeling more embarrassed…. My tension eased a little with his touch.

“I suppose she got her answer in the end anyways.” He teased, and I banged my head lightly against the frame again in response. He chuckled, more softly this time, tucking himself into my chest briefly in a gentle hug before he stepped back. “I should be going; I have to say… I’m rather tired.”

I eased back, peeking at him through my fingers. “Ah-a… S-ssorry…”

He reached up, catching one hand and gently pulling it away. “Don’t be. I know now you are a shy person...” His grin became sly, “... I find it absolutely endearing.” He stretched up, placing a quick peck on my lips before I could react. “Have a good evening, my young Prince… I’ll see you tomorrow… And ah… We’ll talk then.”

With that he ducked under my elbow and made his way over to the door. Casting me a final wink as he stepped out into the hall. I sighed quietly, leaning against the frame for a moment. Trying to compose myself. I heard another soft giggle, and looked up to see one mischievous hazel eye poking out from the bedroom. I shook my head, trying my best to put on a scowl, but failing miserably.

“I swear, little chickadee,” I growled, “If you say one word, you’re sleeping on the floor.”

My face flushed again as I heard a muffled laugh from the hallway.

...

UPDATE: Part Eleven HERE

#Royal Flush #angst #slow burn #goblin #goblin king #goblin lover #goblin husband #mlm #male x male #monster lover #monster husband #monster royalty #arranged marriage #terato #exophilia #monster x human #monster x male #royalty

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oathswornshield · 5 years

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So I’m planning to write a fanfiction...

And it will by my first one ever, but I’m no stranger to writing in general, as many of you have already HEAVILY begun to suspect. However, I am having trouble organizing my thoughts and focusing myself on one particular project, because I have ideas for many. That said, I would like some of you to help me by peering into some of these ideas and telling me which you’d prefer to see! Opinions and feedback are also welcome! (And if you’re feeling bold, give me a challenge to look into!)

The majority are crossovers with FFXIV (since the game has so many wonderful ways to displace people) and various other games, shows and anime that I’m familiar with. Yes, I know I’m a nerd, and not everyone will have seen some of these. Proceed below the cut to take a look!

Thanks for coming along on this journey! Here we go!

Souls of Crystal

Crossover: FFXIV: A Realm Reborn (+) & Fairy Tail

Details: Non-WoL, OC, Elezen, Echo-bearer, Sharlayan Scholar/Student of Baldesion, multiple soul crystals. Includes elements of later expansions, potential shipping.

Summary: When the Isle of Val is swept up in a catastrophic maelstrom of aether, wiping it off the map, the losses incurred among those that called it home and sanctuary were nigh incalculable. Yet there were those few spared by the Mothercrystal’s benevolent intercession. One, however, could but be preserved, along with those many souls of stone he had long labored to study, until flesh and soul could find safe harbor from the shifting tides of the Aetherial Sea. What new and strange discoveries await him beyond space and time?

Notes: I’ve always loved Fairy Tail for it’s amazingly varied take on magic, and the more I looked into it, I began to draw similarities between the two worlds as well as the differences, allowing me to introduce potential new effects, as well as some old ones. Definitely an extended endeavor. No spoiling!

To Summon a Scion - Mentor & Apprentice

Crossover: FFXIV: Stormblood & Familiar of Zero

Details: Non-romance, Y’shtola (Conjurer), Louise.

Summary: Across space and time, knowledge has ever been a path of power, of progress. Yet when a young soul cries out to the heavens for a sign, for salvation, for knowledge none else can give her, she is answered. A scholar, plucked from her world without warning after restoring life to a dead land, is thrust into a destiny she did not ask for. Yet fervent pleas do not fall on deaf ears, nor are eyes too blind to see the situation before her. Besides, this girl is nearly as audacious and brilliant as she was at her age...

Notes: Yes, I know Familiar of Zero is one of those quirky, odd harem anime with plenty of frequent fan service. Definitely a bane to some. But looking beyond that, I find that the world building itself is very, very intriguing, from magic to lore, potential for political intrigue to the potential for combat. This rendition would take a more detailed perspective on the culture and intricacies involved, while still including a good bit of the light-hearted feel from comedic elements. And we all know how ‘Shtola takes to ‘romantic gestures’. Poor little sun.

(Alternatively: To Summon a Scion - Guardian) (Details: Non-romance, Thancred, Louise.)

Grimm and Gunblades

Crossover: FFXIV: Shadowbringers & RWBY

Details: Non-WoL, OC, Garlean, Gunbreaker. Potential shipping.

Summary: Kinslayer. Savage. Defector. Traitor. When a proud son of Garlemald becomes disillusioned with the path of bloody conquest, where is he to turn, but to the very savages he once fought to conquer?Armed with the weapons of former enemies, among the storied secrets of the Cartenau Flats riddled with the secrets of Allag, perhaps a soldier could find new purpose... or perhaps new purpose could find him. Shunted across the stars by the crazed creations of a long-dead Empire and with no discernable way to return, he now faces the unknown, and the evils is harbors. At least crystals didn’t seem too different...

Notes: This would be something of a challenge, but I liked the prospect! And let’s face it, a Hrothgar gunblade wouldn’t seem all that weird on Remnant. This one isn’t quite as developed in my head as others, but I wanted to put it out there!

Adventures of Light -- A Star of Warcraft

Crossover: FFXIV: Shadowbringers & Warcraft/ World of Warcraft (Vanilla/Classic)

Details: Warrior of Light, OC, Half-blood (Wildwood-Highlander), Full job mastery.

Summary: You’d think he’d have learned by now to leave some things well enough alone, especially when it came to Allagan ruins. But, once again, he’d allowed Cid’s enthusiasm to stir his adventurous spirit, and this time, their luck ran out. Where did that portal even lead to. and where was he now? It almost looked like Belah’dia. It was time for a new adventure, one unlike the Warrior of Light had ever known, on a new world with new enemies, and new allies. The winds of time were changing, and many would take note. For good, or ill.

Note: Oh BOY, now this would be one hell of an investment in exploring both franchises. Having become distant with retail WoW after Mists of Pandaria and falling hard into FFXIV, I felt it more prudent to visit the roots of WoW with this concept, now readily available with the release of WoW Classic, which I have enjoyed in moderation. And yes, I realize this would be my ‘going ham’ storyline, considering how ridiculous a fully-classed WoL gets at 80. There would still be plenty of challenge, though.

That’s all I have for now! I should note these are basic outlines still, essentialy my first swings at anything of this sort, and will be developed if chosen! Give me all the feedback you want, good or bad! I am at your mercy!

#ooc #fanfiction ideas #follower request #absolutely nervous

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novamm66 · 6 years

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Red Sky in the Morning

This chapter was a real struggle for me. My anxiety decided it didn't want me to write for a while and it took some time to show it otherwise. I am really happy with the result. I hope that you enjoy it too.

Chapter Nine - It's not a Perfect World

Their return to Haven was chaotic, their little party scattering almost the moment they entered the town. It was a strange feeling. Working and fighting with them the past few weeks had become comfortable for Kiaya. She fit with this odd group of misfits, better than she would care to admit.

She couldn’t say the same for the rest of this blasted experience. Even on the approach, she could feel the change in how people looked at her with awe and fear in their eyes. The stories of the woman who fell out of the Fade and sealed the Breach had only grown with time. With so many recruits flooding Haven there seemed to be eyes everywhere.

That was the other thing. The closer they had gotten to the Breach the more Kiaya could feel the wrongness radiating from the mark on her hand. It wasn’t glowing; in fact, it rarely pulsed light anymore unless it was close to a rift. Most of the time, it felt normal and Kiaya found she could almost forget about it.

But here, in the shadow of the mountains, the green glow in the sky made it impossible not to think of it. She could feel it like ants under her skin. It hadn’t really caused her a lot of pain, at least not any more than she was already accustomed to, except when she used it. Closing the rifts was excruciating, and it seemed to be getting worse.

She was greeted with a surprise when she walked through the door of her cottage. Her arrival back had been anticipated. A fire was burning in the grate and a camp tub sat next to it, filled with water.

“Thank the maker.” Kiaya wasted no time in shucking off her armour and clothes. After weeks of travel and fighting, it was all in very rough shape. She had been wearing the same shirt for days, and it was starting to chafe.

The tub wasn’t big enough for her to lay down, but even sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest felt like pure luxury. She used a small burst of magic to warm the water, and she reached for her pack. She pulled out some of the soap that she had purchased in Val Royeaux. It had made her giddy when she had found it. When the mage and templar conflict reached the Ostwick tower, Evie had continued to heal, and with pressure from friends had started selling the soaps and potions. Finding it in a shop in that huge city had made Kiaya so proud, and there was a bonus: the soap she found was her favourite sent, a mix of sea salt, fennel and bayberry.

As she slowly scrubbed her body, breathing in the heady smell, she began running over the conversation she needed to have with Leliana. Kiaya had been putting it off for weeks, hoping that each day would see an end to the insanity her life had turned into. It had been easy to convince herself early on that with Whilliam and Ja’rell protecting Evelyn and most of Thedas believing she was here in Haven, was enough to keep Evelyn safe.

The guilt Kiaya was starting to feel about drawing her sister into this mess began to rise, but Kiaya quashed it back down as she busied herself working the soap across her skin, feeling more like herself with each passing second. She continued to wash long after it was necessary, simply enjoying the feeling. By the time she climbed out of the water, it was starting to cool again.

***

Cullen’s head hurt, which was normal, but this headache was brought on by the circular pattern of the current conversation. He, Cassandra, and Harding had been summoned to a debriefing immediately upon arrival in Haven. Now, they were simply rehashing details until the woman in question arrived.

“I am positive this file has been modified. Apparently, Ostwick’s record keeping leaves much to be desired.” Leliana was glaring at the parchment like the lack of information it held was a personal insult.

“I am sure there is an explanation.” Josie was ever the optimist.

“There is. I am sure of that. However, I doubt it could be a very reputable one.”

Cullen could see Cass’s hackles rising as she spoke sharply, “And I am sure every file you have ever kept is completely truthful.”

“Ultimately, Ladies,” Cullen interjected before anything more could be said. “It doesn’t matter. She has the mark, and she is willing to help us repair the damage. I am sure the rest will get sorted out with time.”

“I am surprised at you, Commander,” Leliana said. “I thought you of all people would be concerned about the lack of information on a mage.”

Cullen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Is it concerning? Yes, however, that really doesn’t change anything, does it?” His own temper was starting to creep into his voice.

Thankfully they were all saved from further discussion by the door opening and Kiaya walking in. She was smiling and looked at ease considering the serious expressions that greeted her. She was dressed in new clothes, and her first words were of thanks to Josephine for the garments. Everyone took a needed breath as pleasantries were exchanged.

Kiaya’s first question was direct, but her smile never slipped, “Have you decided which group the Inquisition is going to approach?

The four other people around the table were silent. The discussion on that point had not gone well before they had discussed Kiaya’s history. Cullen found himself trading guilty glances with Cassandra across the table.

“If you are leaving it up to me,” Kiaya paused and looked disappointed when no one interrupted her. “I wish to go to Redcliffe. I cannot in good conscience leave all those people facing whatever it is Fiona has foolishly led them into. I am also willing to go to the templars after that if they are willing. I firmly believe that we are all going to be needed in the future.”

“That is a very diplomatic answer, however, it is unlikely, once we have spoken to the mages, the templars will meet with us,” Leliana stated.

“Then they are just being stubborn,” Kiaya said, shooting an apologetic look in Cullen’s direction. “Josephine, can you reach out to the templars? See what they say?”

She looked relieved at Josephine’s assent. “Then we will depart for Redcliffe in three days. Is there anything else?”

As the discussion turned to other matters, Cullen could see the rigidity in Kiaya’s back and shoulders relax, leaving a tremble in her hands that she was flexing her fingers to disguise.

Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be too much more to go over, and as the meeting broke up, Cullen moved to her side.

“Are you alright?” he motioned to her hands, gripped together and shaking.

Kiaya jumped when he spoke, her attention held by the conversation Leliana was having with one of her scouts. “Yes, sorry. I am fine. I was just… I guess I’m a little nervous.”

Before Cullen could ask her what she was nervous about, Leliana’s conversation wrapped up and Kiaya smiled at him before gently brushing his arm as she moved towards the other woman. He watched her a moment before turning to leave. As the door swung closed behind him, he overheard Kiaya speak, “May we talk?”

***

Leliana was intrigued when the Herald approached her alone. It had been obvious to the spymaster that Kiaya was avoiding her, what Leliana wasn’t sure of was why. She motioned the woman towards the chairs near the fire in the back of the chilly room. Now that they were alone Kiaya was silent, her eyes unfocused as she stared into the fire. Leliana retrieved a bottle that Josie had recently received and poured two glasses.

Kiaya returned her attention to the other woman and smiled as she accepted the glass, Leliana noted the slight tremor in her hand.

The room was quiet as both women drank until Kiaya spoke: “This is the best Antivan red I have had in ages.”

Leliana nodded, “This, this is one of my favourites. It has been a while since I have tasted it.” Kiaya sipped, taking time tasting the favours before swallowing, buying the time it seemed. She was here for a reason and would speak when she was ready. Until then Leliana was content to drink and watch her.

“I need your help. I know that I have not been very forthcoming about myself and I know that has been a concern of yours. So, if you are willing to help me get my sister and her husband here, I am willing to tell you anything you ask.”

Leliana considered the other woman thoughtfully, “Of course I will help you, although I won’t hold you to a promise that no one could really uphold.” Kiaya’s glance was surprised and a bit sheepish, Leliana continued. “but it would help if I understood what was going on.”

“Family drama seems trivial now with everything else going on, but I still wish to protect her as well as myself. But now I realize that this isn’t going to end for me well and I am not going to be able to do what I have...” Kiaya was struggling for words.

“Why don’t you begin with what assistance you need and why?” Leliana said.

“With the death of our older brother twenty-four years ago Lord Trevelyan found himself with Evelyn as the family heir and this has not sat very well with him, wither that is because she is a woman or a mage I have no idea. He has tried to have her killed ever since and trying to father another son.” Kiaya’s voice had turned sour and her disgust for her father was evident. After another mouthful of wine, she continued. “She has been protected in the tower most of her life and after the war started she was still there with Danin, her husband, and Malcolm and those that chose to remain at Ostwick, but the Conclave would have been a different story. Evelyn was determined to go even after she got pregnant.” Leliana saw the flash of emotion that Kiaya tried to hide, “Eventually Danin and Lydia convinced her that was too risky for the child and the idea to have me go instead was born.”

Kiaya sighed and shook her head, “With both Malcolm and Lydia went Ostwick is no longer safe and if Lord Trevelyan finds out about the baby he will hire better assassins. I thought I could get back to her after the Breach is closed but now… well, I really don’t think that I will be able to get back.”

“You are right to want to bring her here. If we are going to continue to use her name it might be a good idea to have her permission as well as protect you both.” Leliana emptied the bottle into their glasses before jotting a quick message, crossing to the door and giving it to the scout waiting there. Then she returned to her seat. Kiaya had been watching her thoughtfully. As Leliana settled into her chair again Kiaya spoke, “Thank you.”

Leliana smiled at her, “It is why I am here. I would like to know why you feel you ow your sister such protection. What did she do for you?”

“That is a very long story and we would need more wine.” Kiaya finished her glass. Leliana reached under the table and produced another bottle.

“Well, that solves that. Shall I start at the beginning?”

***

“Good, now if you brace your hands farther apart on the staff, it’s easier to absorb the force of a square-on hit,” Cullen spoke in the calm voice of a skilled teacher, and Kiaya corrected her grip as she faced the Commander in the training ring. “Better. Remember, you are on the defensive, so the goal is to get yourself clear of melee range. Now try again.”

It was easier this time to dodge the Commander’s attack, and she even managed to duck under the shield strike that followed the sword. Although as she danced away from the larger fighter, she caught her heel and stumbled, almost landing in the dirt. She laughed at herself as she staggered, and was happy to hear Cullen’s warm chuckle join in.

“It worked,” Kiaya panted for breath. “Although, I am sure you would advise not tripping on my own feet during my exit.”

“Yes, I think that would be best.” He nodded, shading his eyes to gauge the height of the sun before heading for the water skin slung over a post at the side of the ring. “I think that is enough for this morning. You did well.”

Kiaya snorted her disbelief at his statement. “You would pound me if you were actually trying.” Her smile turned rueful as she accepted the water skin from his hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I truly appreciate your help.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, and you have shown improvement even in a short period of time.” Kiaya shot him an incredulous look.

“I may not believe you but in celebration of successfully not crushing me into the dust in our first three sessions, I brought breakfast.” She had been surprised by how much she enjoyed the early morning training. Cullen had been a patient and effective teacher, and she had pushed as far as her knees would allow. She liked the man, and most surprising to herself, she felt comfortable with him.

“I’m almost sorry we have to take a break while I go to Redcliffe. Almost.” The adrenaline from the exercises was making her feel giddy and it was a relief to drop down to the ground. She grinned up at him while pulling bread and cheese out of the basket.

Simply saying the name brought her doubts and fears about what meeting with Alexius. Waves of self-doubt threatened to swamp her as busied her hands and distract her head with their food.

“Are you concerned at all? About Redcliffe, I mean.” Cullen asked as if reading her mind. He leaned back against the stone wall, accepting the food she handed him.

“Am I concerned about walking into a trap set especially for me by a Tevinter magister for Maker knows why? With a strange magic that is affecting the rifts in a way no one understands? I’m not sure how to answer that question.”

She was glad when Cullen laughed at her sarcastic comment; she was grateful that he understood her sense of humour, as fatalistic as it tended to be.

“Magic that affects time. That is…” He didn’t seem to be able to finish the thought.

“Bad?” Taking a bite out of the bread in her hand, she leaned back and stretched out her legs. The sun was fully up, and the heat on her face was delightful.

“Can I ask you about your magic? Where did you learn it? I know so little about it. I didn’t realize how little information is available about water magic here. It was mentioned during training; however, I can remember very little of it and it wasn’t commonly practised where I was stationed.” Kiaya thought she heard something strange in his voice, but the honest curiosity on Cullen’s face erased any doubt she had in his sincerity.

“That’s not surprising, really. It’s not very common anymore it seems, and its reputation, well, that tends to put people off. Any ship captain worth his weight wants a water mage aboard,” Kiaya said.

“That is very interesting, and I have many more questions now, however, you failed to actually answer.” Cullen’s voice was kind and teasing.

Kiaya laughed, “You are right. Yes, you can ask me anything about water magic, and I learned it from the woman who raised me.”

“Your mother?”

This time Kiaya’s mirth was more bitter than she wanted. “My mother was a flawed human being, and she was gone by the time I was four. The best thing she did for me was leaving me behind with caring people who cared about me, one of whom was a Dalish mage, skilled in the art of water.”

“I’m sorry.” His voice was kind but the pity that always appeared whenever she spoke of her early life made her uncomfortable.

“Don’t be. I mean thank you, but don’t be sorry. Grams and Papa were good people and they loved me.” Kiaya fell silent as she shredded the last of the bread in her hands.

“Was your Pa elven as well?”

She looked up in surprise. The pity was gone from Cullen’s voice, and his eyes held nothing but interest.

“No, he was a salty old sea captain who taught me as much as he could in the time we were together. He was part of the Ferelden navy before he left it all behind to be with Grams. He was a kind man.”

“Would you mind explaining the link between blood and water magic. We were simply told to watch out for it but not why.”

“There isn’t one, well not really. Blood magic draws power from the life that is in the blood of living creatures. Water magic draws from the element of water and since blood is mostly water you can manipulate it. The difference would be where the power comes from. That’s a bit of a simplified explanation, but does it make sense?” She continued after he nodded. “You can see where the reputation comes from, and it is true there is temptation, but that doesn’t mean you give in to it. I mean, I have the temptation to smack the smugness off Rodrick’s face every time I see him, but it doesn’t mean I do it.”

She laughed when Cullen almost spit out the water he had just drunk, coughing he said, “I almost wish you would.”

“It’s almost worth it, but I really don’t need to give him any more reason to arrest me.”

They both groaned in unison at the sound of the morning bell from the chantry.

Cullen chuckled. “Well, that’s a call back to reality. I suppose we can’t hide here forever. Are you still riding out this afternoon?” Cullen climbed to his feet and offered a hand to help Kiaya to hers.

“Yes,” she exhaled. “I would like to be as close to Redcliffe tonight as possible. Maybe with luck, everything will go smoothly. Alexius will simply release the mages, head back to where he came from, and we will be back day after tomorrow. In a perfect world.”

Cullen smiled at her as they departed the training ring.

“In a perfect world,” he echoed.

I want to wrap up with a quick ‘I love you’ to @scottishvix & @lechatrouge673 they are both super tough awesome women.

Reblogs are so very welcome.

#dragon age fanfic #Kiaya Trevelyan #cullenrutherford #Red Sky in the Morning #Kiaya&Cullen

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kurlyq722 · 7 years

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Excerpt for DHKY Ch. 44-’Til Death--Mercedes/Rachel Excerpt

When Mercedes did finally wake up, it was cuddled up next to the warm but empty expanse of pillow and blanket beside her. Still slightly disoriented, she felt around in the darkness for Sam, but couldn’t find his body in the emptiness. Before she could question his absence, her phone vibrated, for the second time, underneath her head. She fished out her cell from underneath her pillow with an annoyed groan, squinting at the bright display to search for a name before answering.

“Whoever the hell this is, why the hell are you calling me at….” Mercedes checked her phone display once more for the time. “Three thirty-five in the morning? Is everything okay?”

“Mercedes! The third most amazing thing in the history of amazing things happened to me today! Oh, and Happy Holidays, by the way.” Rachel always spoke in an out of breath rush whenever she was excited, like her emotions were running a physical marathon. “I just had to call someone and tell them immediately. I tried calling everyone else, but you were the first person that actually answered.”

“Because I was the only idiot that would answer a three-a.m. call from a private number.” Mercedes grumbled, sitting up to rest her back on the doorframe. “Why are you calling from a private number anyway?”

“Guess who’s phone I’m using to call you? And before you guess incorrectly, no, it’s not Barbra or Bette. But, it is another one of my favorite Jews! Can you guess?” Rachel asked eagerly. “I’m gonna tell you if you don’t guess it in the next five seconds.”

“I don’t really know, Rachel. My thoughts on show-biz Jews aren’t favorable at the moment.” Mercedes grumpily replied, side-eyeing her phone. “Who?”

“Fran Drescher!” A beat of confused silence from Mercedes followed. “Alright, I know what you’re thinking. Since when is Fran Drescher one of my favorite Jews? And your second question is probably, how in the world did I meet her, right?”

“Yes and yes.”

“Well, while I’ve never been a long-time fan of The Nanny, partly because of its mixed reputation in the Jewish community and partly because my dads wouldn’t allow me to have any Hasidic female influences in risqué clothing with a comedy show on CBS, I found one of her memoirs in this quaint little bookstore in Brooklyn called David’s Stars, which I thought was such a cute spin on star of David since, y’know, they only sell Jewish literature and memorabilia, which is where, interestingly enough, I found the best freshly baked Italian baguettes I’ve ever found in the entire city, and they go darling with this green tea no whip frappe that I found at this new coffee shop I’m obsessed with—“

“Just get to the point, Rachel!”

“Okay!” Rachel pulled the phone away from her ear in disgust. “Someone’s not a morning person, obviously.”

“No, I’m not a three-a.m. morning person, Rachel. There’s a difference.” Mercedes explained, in annoyed deadpan. “Get to the point.”

“Right. So, I made the move to New York after graduation, as you well know, and found an agent. I took a brief break from auditioning after Finn and I broke up, just to give myself a month or two to grieve, process, and journal about it for my future autobiography, and tried my hand at being a waitress at this cute little dining masterpiece called the Spotlight Diner in Manhattan. Apparently, lots of actors apply to work there, since a lot of the Broadway and Hollywood elite stop by to dine there. Well, sure enough, the illustrious Ms. Drescher shows up at one of my tables! Word on the street was that she was trying to do a one-woman musical based on the series, but it never quite hit the ground running in the way she’d hoped. Naturally, being ever the chameleon, I walked to the table with a tray of hot mugs of lemon water, cool and collected, and opened with a modest and sincere compliment of her book. I even made references and quotes to prove that I wasn’t just another actor fishing for an opportunity.”

“But, you are just another actor fishing for an op—“

“Ah, ah! She didn’t have to know that!” Rachel indignantly insisted. “We ended up hitting it off really well, thank you very much. So much so that she called my agency the next day and asked for me! She said that she really liked my look—which is something I’ve never heard in my life—and wanted me to come and audition for her!”

That little tidbit actually woke Mercedes up. “Rachel, that’s amazing! So I’m assuming you got the part for….whatever the audition was for?”

“Wait, Mercedes! Let me tell the story!” Rachel laughed, happy to hear that she was finally awake and engaged. “So, at first, the audition doesn’t give any details, just that it was some new pilot that Ms. Drescher was pitching and she wanted some fresh talent. Then, during callbacks, we had to read a monologue piece for this character named “Eve”. And I thought that name sounded a bit familiar, like I’d heard it recently. Then, it occurred to me, I heard that name on an episode of The Nanny I’d watched the night before! You know, for research.” It shamed Rachel to admit that she’d gone on an entire series binge the day of her initial audition. Loathe as she was to admit it, gaudily dressed and brash Fran Fine was her new life icon. “Eve was the name of her character’s daughter! By the time I finally put two and two together, Ms. Drescher herself pulled me aside and told me that, although they hadn’t done official calls yet, that I’d gotten the part of Eve! They’re doing a sequel series to The Nanny called The Babysitter, centered around her daughter, Eve of course, who wants to become a famous actress. To do that, she believes that she has to step out of her rich and lavish lifestyle and really slum it with the masses, to get an idea of what it’s like to be a real working class woman.”

“You were literally cast as a TV version of yourself. I love it.” laughed Mercedes. “No wonder you were perfect for the role.”

“Eve decides to go back to her mom’s old neighborhood in Flushing to babysit her childhood best friend Val’s five kids. Naturally, hijinks and hilarity ensue. I’m so excited! This is my first major comedic role! It’s not Funny Girl or Broadway, but it’s certainly something big!” Rachel squealed. “I asked Ms. Drescher to borrow her phone so I could make calls to my family and friends because my phone died. I better go soon, though. I’ve been locked in her dressing room, making calls for the past hour. She might grow suspicious.”

“That’s amazing, Rach. I’m so, so proud of you.” Mercedes smiled, stifling a yawn. “And I’m glad you’re handing the Finn breakup so well.”

“Yeah, well…..” Rachel paused, shrugging off the bit of melancholy that passed over her. “We’re going in different directions right now. He’s run off to backpack in Fiji, of all god-forsaken places, to try and find himself. I wanted to be here in New York, starting my career. If our paths are meant to cross again, I’m sure it will. And when you think about it, the thought of us just continuing after high school was a bit much. I mean, who really has a lasting relationship with their high school sweetheart?” Rachel gasped and quickly covered her mouth, catching her own error. “Shit, I didn’t mean it like that, Mercedes. You and Sam are obvious exceptions.”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, I know.” But Mercedes’s reply was half-hearted and unconvincing, even to herself. She kept staring at the empty space and rumpled covers next to her, wondering where Sam had run off to. “Sam and I decided to get married this coming Monday, by the way. Did I tell you?”

“NO! No, you did NOT tell me, Mercedes Jones! Oh my god!” screamed Rachel, shrieking in excitement in Mercedes’s ear. “See? If I didn’t call you, I never would’ve known! You really need to start speaking up, girl.”

“Yes.” Mercedes rolled her eyes to the heavens. “Apparently, ‘not speaking up enough’ has become a new habit of mine.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll tell you later. Promise.” sighed Mercedes, rising to her feet. She had a sudden craving for some hot chocolate, now that she was fully awake. “But I really am happy for you, girl.”

Rachel grinned into her speaker, covering her mouth. “Thanks, diva. I knew I could count on you for support. But seriously, keep in touch, alright? Everyone from Glee club’s been in touch with everyone else but you and Sam. It’s like you guys are in a bubble or something.”

“A bubble that might’ve already burst.” Mercedes mumbled under her breath, tiptoeing down the stairs.

“Whadya say?”

“I said college is the worst. It eats up all of your time.” Mercedes flicked the lights on in the kitchen, slowly opening the cupboards to retrieve a pot, a giant mug and the appropriate ingredients to make a peppermint version of the classic holiday drink. It wouldn’t be Christmas without some form of peppermint. “Between my classes, work and functioning as a human being, I barely have time to look at my phone anymore. It’s been really hard, trying to be the ‘normal’ girl I was in high school.”

“Ugh, I know! Tell me about it. I’m glad I took some time off to audition and regroup. If I hadn’t, I might have missed this amazing opportunity!” gushed Rachel. Then, in an unusual display of selflessness, she continued, in the gentlest voice, “And despite whatever’s going on with you, I know your next opportunity is right around the corner. I see nothing but goodness for you too, Mercedes.”

The sentiment stunned her. “Thanks, Rachel.” she smiled, blinking away her tears when the contents of her pot began to bubble and rise on the stovetop. Turning off the burner, Mercedes walked softly to the fridge, careful to step over the creaking spots on the floor, for a carton of milk and some vanilla. Nettie always kept her vanilla in the fridge, to “keep it fresh”, as she explained. “The goodness I see seems so far away, but I know it’s real.”

“Of course it is, babe.” Rachel assured. “Happiness is just a……” A knocking sound interrupted on Rachel’s end. “Oh, I think I have to go. That’s my cue.”

“Go ahead, I understand.” Mercedes smiled half-heartedly, already saddened by her absence. Rachel had been a surprisingly welcome distraction. “I have to go, too. I’m making some peppermint hot chocolate.”

“Ooh, yum! Enjoy! And I’m so sorry I can’t be there for your wedding, but please tell the rest of the gang that you’re getting married on Monday. You need to have at least one of your friends there to support you! Are you planning on having an actual ceremony afterward or is it just the quick, courthouse way?”

“No, we do want a ceremony, eventually. We just got tired of not being married, you know? After all our time together, we might as well do it.” Mercedes cringed slightly at her own explanation. Surely, there were more romantic, loving ways to explain their choice to marry. “When we do have a ceremony, everyone’ll be invited, I promise. For now, it’ll just be us and the minister.”

“Well…ok, I guess. Not what I pictured for you guys, but It’s your life and I respect it.” Rachel replied, trying in vain to hide her reservations. “Can’t wait for the future wedding invite! Congrats to you both in advance!”

“Congrats to you too, girl! Talk to you again soon. Can’t wait to see you on TV!” Mercedes smiled at Rachel’s quick sentiments and goodbyes, ending the call before pouring herself a tall mug of hot chocolate. Leaning her back against the counter, she held the piping hot cup to her lips and let the steam waft across her nose, warming her face, before taking her first sip. The heat scalded her tongue a bit, but it felt deliciously comforting traveling down her throat. The lingering cool of peppermint invigorated her, and for a moment, it finally felt like Christmas.

Mercedes wandered to the living room to gaze at the Christmas tree. A quick glance toward the doorway as she passed made her realize that Sam’s shoes and jacket were missing. Instead of jumping to conclusions and fearing the worst, Mercedes chose to settle in on her grandmother’s recliner, nestled right next to the twinkling multicolored lights, and let the festive mood envelop her.

She hummed a version of Silent Night under her breath, one of her late grandfather’s favorite carols, in between sips from her mug, comforting herself as she waited for Sam to return from wherever he’d gone.

Because he would come back. He had to.

Sam wouldn’t abandon his family. He wouldn’t abandon her.

O-O

#Samcedes #Samcedes fanfiction #does he know you #chapter 44 #'til death #Mercedes/Rachel Exerpt

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fandomlife-giver · 7 years

Text

His Maid, Standing By

Summary: One second, I need to adjust myself. Ah, this atmosphere is so thick, I can hardly breathe like a human for much longer. Normally I wouldn't, but unfortunately, the human across from me would most likely be horrified from it.

Next Time on Black Maid: "His Maid, Standing By" You see, I am simply one hell of a maid.

Pairings: Sebastian x Demon!Reader

@wintersdoll

Warnings: Blood, surprise ending!

Word Count: 3487

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Ciel sat at his desk, staring. Not at the paperwork scattered across it. Not at the chocolate cake beside his tea in front of him. Not at the unfinished tower of cards, either. He was staring at the ring.

The ring left to him by his maid. The maid that had left him, abandoned him to stay with the Angel that killed his parents. But he didn't even care about that.

He looked up from the ring. "Have you found anything?"

Sebastian stood in the darkness surrounding the corner of the room with his face clear of any emotion. "No. There has been no word from the Queen and no-one has witnessed seeing anyone fitting Y/N's description."

Ciel sighed. "I've always seen her wear this. I've never thought twice about it. But...there is something familiar about it."

Sebastian looked to the side and became deep in thought. I hate to even think of it, but I know as much about her as the servants in this manor do. All I know is that she is a demon, a feline at that, and can be a complete tease when nobody is watching. Because of that, there is only one person who knows her better than anyone else in England.

Ciel looked up by hearing Sebastian clear his throat. "Master, there is someone who can tell us the origin of this ring. Perhaps even the whereabouts of Y/N."

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me..."

. . .

The sounds of humming filled the building. The origin of it was reading a coffin catalog and turned the page. "Ooh, that looks lovely." He circled a black one with silver carvings from the pen beside him and grabbed another bone-shaped biscuit.

When the bell rang, signaling the entrance of a customer, he held up a finger as he finished chewing on it. "Just a moment, please." He took a couple more bites and swallowed, then sat up and looked towards the entrance.

He grinned once he saw Ciel, but frowned when he realized the only person shadowing him was his butler.

Ciel walked closer to the coffin he was sitting in. "Undertaker, I'm glad you're here."

Said person was still frowning and stood up from the coffin and stepped out. He kept his arms at his sides as he walked to the counter. "Lord Phantomhive. What could you possibly need this time?"

Ciel was taken back at the slightly annoyed tone in his voice, but still stepped forward. "I need you to tell me what you know..." He reached into his pocket and held up the ring. "About this."

Undertaker stopped and stared directly at the ring, then scoffed under his breath. "So...she's finally doing it."

He glanced at Sebastian as Ciel furrowed his brows. "Doing what?"

Undertaker continued to stare at Sebastian, then looked at Ciel, turned and walked towards the back. "This way, now. Follow me."

Sebastian looked to Ciel, who quickly walked towards Undertaker, then silently followed behind. They followed Undertaker to the very back of the parlor, where a large body preparation table stood in the center of the room. They stopped when Undertaker placed a pot of tea down on it, along with the plate of biscuits.

Ciel looked down in disgust. "That...That is disg-"

"Have a seat, milord." Undertaker was already sitting and waiting expectantly. Sebastian pulled out a chair for him and he hesitantly sat down. Sebastian poured the tea as

Undertaker held out his hand to Ciel. Ciel looked down at it, then placed the ring inside of it.

Undertaker held it up and studied it. "I haven't been this close to it in about 20 years or so. I'm curious as to how you have it. Y/N never lets it come off her finger."

Ciel crossed his arms and leaned back. "She removed it herself. She left it in her corset and told Sebastian to retrieve it for our personal use."

Undertaker was staring at Ciel, then he stood up and turned to Sebastian. "Tell me, butler. How bad did it turn for Y/N to have to result for leaving this behind? I imagine quite terribly, considering this here ring...without it, she would be bound in chains and pulled by a leash that belongs to that...king."

Sebastian's lips formed into a frown as he looked Undertaker in the eye. "I do hope you aren't inquiring I wasn't able to keep Y/N from leaving with the Angel. That would be a major insult to my role here."

Undertaker rose up his hands in a slow dramatic way. "Oh, now why would I say that? I am only stating the facts here. Maybe you are just not telling us everything."

Undertaker's voice was getting louder now, and he slammed the ring on the table. "You were with her the entire time. When exactly did she remove this ring?"

Ciel, who was watching their banter with wide eye, looked at Sebastian and awaited his answer.

He looked to the side.

Flashback...

Your jaw clenched as you slid the ring off your finger and slipped it into your collar. You felt it fall beneath your shirt and into your corset. You turned your head to Sebastian, who was still glancing at you curiously, and you gave the smallest of smiles.

"Before she had removed it, she seemed to be having a conversation with someone and she looked almost...guilty and proud of it as well."

Undertaker sat back in his chair and pulled his hat over eyes. "That's not a surprise to me. She must've noticed you watching, so, what did she say?"

He looked up at Undertaker and as he spoke, was clear of any emotion for the words he was repeating to hide the true emotions he felt from them.

"She confessed something to me. She seemed convinced it would be the only time she could. Before I could question it further, Inspector Abberline had apprehended us."

Ciel went quiet once that was said, but he stood up and glared at Undertaker.

"This is a waste of time. If you won't tell us what you know, then you are of no use to me."

Undertaker only spun the ring on the table.

"Did she act unusually happy at all?"

Ciel's words stopped as Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "How could you have known that?"

He grinned and glanced up at them. "The same reason you came to me. I know her better than you do."

His fists tightened as Undertaker stood up. "And what I know is that you came to the wrong person."

He tossed the ring back to Ciel, who caught it. "What?"

"I don't know anything about that little piece of jewelry there. Come back when you want Abigail's origin story."

And with that, he laughed to himself and disappeared into the darkness of a separate back room.

Ciel looked after him. "Abigail?"

Sebastian looked down in thought. "As I recall, the Angel had called her that. Perhaps it was Y/N's human name. Her true birth name."

Ciel hummed and looked down at the ring. He stared for a few seconds and wasn't aware Sebastian had been holding his coat out to him.

Sebastian looked down at him. "Master?"

As Ciel stared, his eye widened and he shot up from his chair. Sebastian placed the coat on his shoulders and Ciel was practically running to the front door. Sebastian was hit on his trail as he flung the door open.

"I know who we need to see."

Sebastian opened the carriage door for him and he quickly stepped inside. Sebastian came in also and Ciel banged on the roof.

"Take me home, now!"

"Yes, sir." And with that, the horses were off and the carriage sped down the road.

Sebastian rose an eyebrow. "Eager to get home, aren't you?"

Ciel leaned forward and showed him the ring. "Look closely. Do you see anything familiar on it?"

Sebastian took the ring from his fingers and inspected it closely. For a good minute, he was turning it and looking in detail.

"The band of the ring has an engraving on it. A family crest as it seems."

Ciel nodded his head and looked at said crest. "Its The Phantomhive crest."

He rested his chin on his knuckles and looked out the window. "Sebastian, why would this ring hand crafted by a person of my family be on the finger of my maid and I would never know of its existence?"

Sebastian hummed and sat back. "Perhaps the person who made it wanted it to stay on her finger. It would be created to never exist in the first place."

Ciel tapped his fingers on his cane. "Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it wasn't the person who made it, but rather the person who ordered it."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "The only person who could order it would be the head of the family."

He chuckled. "But at that time, the head was alive. And now, there is a new one. Besides Y/N, who has been there long enough to know everything about Funtom?"

Ciel kept staring out the window. "We need to get back to the manor."

. . .

Crying. Screaming. Begging.

That was what you woke up to. The sounds of someone crying, screaming, and begging for their life.

It made your stomach growl, but you didn't move from your spot. You were too weak to move. The amount of blood forced into you took a much bigger impact than you wanted it to and you didn't have anything to feed off of. This was what she wanted after all.

Weaken you. Starve you. Make sure you would devour anything she would give you. Most likely, that would be a human soul. And it looks like you were right.

A blood-curdling scream rang out, along with the smell of blood. It made your stomach growl to the point you felt the hunger clawing its way up inside of you.

She was smirking at you. She was enjoying every minute of it.

"You aren't holding back, are you?"

You couldn't even respond. Your eyelids were half closed and all you saw was her legs. The white dress that was covering them flickered and soon changed into white slacks. The legs walked closer to you and your chin was lifted up.

Ash was still smirking even after his sex change and leaned in closer to whisper while just barely grazing your lips.

"I hope not. I want you to go deep in. I wish I could be here to see it, but unfortunately the Queen's butler has his duties to attend to." He traced your lips with his finger. "But when I return, I can't wait to taste what you have inside of you. I can hardly wait, Kitty."

He stood and all you could make out were the sounds of his feet taping away and out of the cage.

"I want chicken, I want liver, Angela, Ash, please deliver."

Cranking sounded and the cage shook. A door was opened up and the begging became louder. "N-No, please! Let me go, please!"

The female voice came with the person as a young girl was thrown in. Your brows furrowed once you made out the nun outfit she was wearing. She was pushed fully inside and the door was slammed closed. She turned and banged on it.

"Please! The Lord will have mercy on you if you confess your sins and write over your wrong doings! Angels will weep for your horrible deeds until you make them right!"

Oh, there was so much irony in that single sentence it almost made you laugh.

She whipped around once she realized she wasn't alone. Her eyes widened while you wanted to roll yours.

You cannot be serious right now.

A big smile spread on her face. "I-It's you! You were part of that convent with the small boy, that red head fellow, and that...um...really handsome man, weren't you?"

Please, dear Satan, tell me I am just hallucinating or something.

"Y/N, right? Oh! Thank the Lord you are all right!"

As she was about to run over and pull you into a hug, your head snapped over to her once you could smell blood. There was a large scrap on her leg, along with a scratch on her forearm. Your stomach growled again.

You clenched your teeth. "If you value your life, I would advise not to come any closer."

She froze and awkwardly rubbed her arm. "O-Oh, okay."

You plopped your head on your knees. Damn. Damn. Damn! I wanted her life gone enough as it is because of her...little...massage. Now I have to resist the urge to kill her even more?! Damn!

You closed your eyes and leaned your head against the cage, but cracked your eyes open to stare directly at the blood seeping through her leg.

This is going to be more difficult than I thought.

. . .

Ciel ran into the kitchen with Sebastian behind him. The servants looked up from their card game.

Bard took out his cigar. "Hey look, they're back."

Finny smiled. "Master, you're home!"

Ciel was catching his breath as he held on to the doorway. "N...Never mind...that. Where is Tanaka?"

Mey-Rin pointed behind them. "Oh, I think he said he was going to leave something on your desk, master."

Without another word, Ciel sighed and ran back out of the room, down the hall to his study with Sebastian following behind. Ciel was close to dying as he collapsed on the wooden door and reached for the knob.

"My lord, look."

Ciel looked at Sebastian, who was looking towards the room down the hall. It was Tanaka. And he was walking into your room.

Ciel watched in confusion. "Come on."

Sebastian had reached the door first. Ciel nodded and he turned the knob. The door swung open to reveal Tanaka standing outside on the balcony. Without a word, he turned around and smiled.

"My lord, I see you've returned."

Ciel stepped in front of Sebastian. "Why are you in here?"

He rose his eyebrows. "Oh, some things I needed to take care of. It's nothing to concern you, my lord. It's something personal between Y/N and myself."

Ciel's eye widened. "Y/N?"

Tanaka walked back inside and shut the doors to the outside behind him. "Is there something you need, sir?"

Ciel stared at him for a moment, then reached into his pocket and walked closer to him. He held out the ring to Tanaka. "I want to know everything that you know about this ring."

By looking at it, Tanaka gave a warm smile and delicately took it from Ciel. "My, my. After all these years, its beauty certainly still shines." He glanced down at Ciel and sat himself on the bed. "I'm sure you know this ring is property to the owner of this room. It was also a gift by the original creator of this manor."

Ciel had moved to sit beside him. "You mean my father had given this to Y/N as a gift?"

He nodded while still smiling. "Yes. After she had aided him on his very first case for her majesty, it was a gift to her for all she was willing to do for him. But this here ring is special. It was specially crafted for her." He let out a laugh and nudged Ciel's arm. "Frankly, I think he was actually quite taken with her and this was a little something to express how he felt."

Ciel's, along with Sebastian's entire beings had froze up. Ciel rose up a finger that pointed at him. "W-What? Y-You believe that my father had....had feelings for..."

Tanaka laughed at their reactions. "Well I wouldn't be surprised. Just look at her. She does have a sort of power for wooing the males around her. Then again, I suppose that is due to her other species."

That last sentence had made the entire room go quiet. It made the mood in the air change from curious and light hearted to suspicious and serious. Sebastian was now frowning as he stared at Tanaka and Ciel was laughing.

"What do you mean by that?"

Tanaka only smiled again and looked at him. "Forgive my boldness sir, but I have always known of the deal between Y/N and the previous head of this family."

Ciel's laughter died as Tanaka stood up and his gaze shifted to Sebastian. "Along with the deal between Sebastian and you, my lord."

Ciel's smile had completely fallen as he stood up. "You shouldn't be smiling. You should know what comes next."

Tanaka only laughed at their seriousness. "Come now, I've been here for years. I will admit once Y/N had found out, she completely threatened me with my life if I ever told anyone."

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "And did you?"

His smile faltered. "No. Why an old chap like myself, who could I possibly tell?" He looked down at Ciel and bowed his head. "My lord, I have sworn to protect and serve the Phantomhive family ever since I was a child. Your father was a great man who kept me even when I wasn't needed. Who am I to judge or question the choices he made? Who am I to do the same to you? Your business is your own, but I do like to be notified the things that go on in this manor."

He looked back to Sebastian and walked over to him. "That is what makes a Phantomhive servant, is it not?"

After a few seconds, a smile had appeared on Sebastian's face. "I imagine you are right."

Tanaka held out the ring to him. "You need to hold onto this until Y/N returns to us. I think she told you to wield it for a reason, Sebastian. You should honor that, for her."

Ciel crossed his arms. "Y/N had told him this would aid us I defeating the enemy."

"When the time is right, it will."

Sebastian took it from his fingers and Tanaka gave another smile, before turning, bowing his head, and waling out of the room. "Now if you will excuse me, I think I'll go have a chat with our quality control for the newest shipping of Funtom candies."

Once he had left, Ciel let out a sigh. "Well that was definatly a surprise, I must say."

He glanced at Sebastian, then walked to the door. "See what you can do about that ring, I'm going to send a letter to her majesty about our progress. Come to my study if anything happens."

Sebastian bowed his head. "As you wish, my lord."

The door shut and Sebastian straightened up. He stared down at the ring for what seemed like forever, before he walked over to the side table next to the bed and placed the ring on the gloves that were neatly folded.

He took the moment to look around the room, considering it was the first time he had ever entered your room. "Interesting taste in style my kitten has."

After he had his fill in looking at the room, he walked to the door. Just as his hand had reached for the knob and it made the motion to turn it, a voice stopped him.

"She decorated it herself."

He hadn't turned around at the voice he had never heard before. The person it had belonged to placed his tea cup on its saucer and set it down on the table.

"I never gave her permission, but naturally, she didn't ask. But I must say, she does have a unique liking for things. She did have relations with you, after all."

Sebastian still didn't turn around. "You speak as if you know her quite well."

The man hummed and crossed his legs. "Yes, well I have been inside of her. Her head, her mind. I have actually had a glimpse at her soul. That's not something everyone can do. I don't have the luxury of bragging about it, but you'll do."

Sebastian let go of the handle. "How exactly did you do that?"

The man smirked. "All in good time. This whole game, you've been obeying and moving where he has told you to go. Sometimes the only moves you can make go against the orders you are given. Y/N has shown me that."

The man rested his cheek in the palm of his hand. "Face me as the man you portray as, Sebastian."

There was a long, awaiting silence. Sebastian's feet moved back and his body turned around. What Sebastian saw made his eyes partially widen.

"If you haven't figured it out, I am Y/N's true master."

He tapped his ring against the glass of champagne in his hand and smiled. "I am Vincent, previous Earl of Phantomhive."

#sebastian michaelis x reader #black butler x reader #black butler fanfiction

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