#(why is his dialogue so hard oml ☠️☠️)

[rosietrace]

The things we do for love 1/2

Characters featured: Victoria Shard, Kiara Rhys, Sarah Marigold, Aldrich Edelweiss (@revivemyreverie)

Pairing: Victoria Shard x Aldrich Edelweiss

Synopsis: Love is a difficult subject, don't you think? To think, one would devote themselves to someone so much.... They would worship them, fight for them. Kill for them.

Warning(s): Murder (not explicitly described), kidnapping, corpses, homicide, Aldrich in general /hj, illegally obtaining personal information, potentially ooc moments

[ Apologies for any out of character moments ]

[ Reblogs > Likes ]

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Loving someone, wholeheartedly and steadfastly, ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of being with them… Is nothing short of a challenge.

Stories like that are a tale as old as time. The kind of love so all-encompassing, so unimaginative, so…. Perfect.

Kiara believed a love like that to be true. She wished for that for herself and all her cousins at large.

But…. Then Victoria…

“Y-You and Prince Edelweiss??” Kiara stiffened up, utterly stunned.

Sipping on her tea, Victoria smiled softly. “Yes,” so she replied. “He's quite charming, is he not?”

Charming wasn't the best word to describe Aldrich. At least to Kiara, and many other members of Pomefiore.

She couldn't quite understand a mind like her cousin's. Everything about Victoria — from the way she walked, talked, acted, and even sounded — she was completely, beautifully unreadable.

It was hard for Kiara to comprehend that out of all the people out there, her cousin chose…. The Crown Prince of the Edelweiss Empire.

“V-Victoria, with all due respect-”

“If you have come here to pester me about my lover as Sarah did, then it shouldn't come as a surprise to you that I am firmly rejecting any offers of breaking things off with him.”

Kiara pursed her lips. But…. The Prince is…

To say Aldrich was concerning was an understatement. Kiara didn't know him well, especially in comparison to Victoria, but she always had the feeling that Aldrich… Was unusual.

She was justified, of course! Upon hearing what had occurred in the Edelweiss Empire, once upon a time, she quickly put the pieces together.

And deduced that it was Aldrich who had committed such a crime.

Naturally, Kiara had every right to be surprised and — more specifically — bewildered by the notion that her elder cousin was in a relationship with the prince.

Knowing Victoria, she must've connected the dots about it by now. Kiara thought, her grasp on her teacup all but firm. But if that were the case…. Why would she even be with him?

Speaking of which, a dove had perched itself on the balcony they sat from; a gift alongside them.

Victoria's eyes shone in silent excitement, gently petting the dove and bidding it adieu once it had flown away.

“Err….” Kiara didn't exactly know how to start up a conversation, at the moment. “What is that, cousin?”

Victoria let out a hum. “A gift from Aldrich,” her lips curved upwards. “How sweet.”

Opening the small box, her lips parted, a silent shine in her sapphire eyes. Tilting her head to the side, Kiara wondered what had garnered such a reaction from someone as expressionless as Victoria.

She soon received her answer. Victoria took out a small piece of chocolate cake, with the frosting laid out on top to resemble white roses.

Victoria giggled. “How sweet of Aldrich, knowing my tastes so well.”

Kiara could only shudder at the thought of how Aldrich received word of Victoria's love of sweets. Given his tendencies, she could only assume the worst…

“Victoria….”

Kiara received a hum in response, and she trod onward.

“Prince Edelweiss seems to cherish you, very much so,” Once again, Kiara cocked her head to the side. “But… The last I checked, didn't he once threaten your life?”

Her words alone were enough for Victoria to set her fork down, a dangerously calm look in her eyes.

The kind of look that could kill within seconds.

“V-Victoria, I didn't mean-”

“I believe it's time for you to leave. It's getting late.”

Those words alone were just befuddling. They were both in the same dorm, for seven's sake!

“But-”

“Kiara, dear,” Victoria's hands were as cold as ice when they laid over Kiara's. “It's getting late. We wouldn't want you going past Vil's curfew and getting in trouble, now, would we?”

What she was saying was merely an excuse. A convincing excuse, yes, but Kiara had known her cousin for long enough to know whether she was lying or not. At least most of the time.

This time, she didn't need to think it through.

Kiara stood, sending her cousin one last polite smile before hastily exiting her dorm room.

Victoria smiled as she waved her younger cousin good night. But that smile quickly faded.

Sighing, Victoria didn't bother to turn her head to look at the crow perching itself atop the balcony; in the exact spot the dove rested.

“Anything?” she asked the crow, picking up her slice and calmly eating at it, leaving little room for crumbs.

The crow tilted its head before it began flying around her in a circle. It dropped a letter, letting out a caw, before flying off.

Victoria's eyes narrowed, legs crossed. Taking hold of the letter, she wasn't the least bit surprised by its contents.

Receiving information on those she considers an adversary is practically a hobby for her, at this point.

A Shard — especially one as sharp as her — will do anything to satisfy their ambition. No matter the costs.

༝ㅤ･ㅤ˚ㅤ。ㅤ.ㅤ⋆ㅤ✧̣̩⋆̩☽⋆゜【♛】

Aldrich wandered the woods. Not the ones in Pomefiore, but rather his personal hunting ground in Edelweiss.

Mercilessly shooting down a deer, he hummed in satisfaction and walked to his now-dead prey.

He chuckled to himself. “Oh, how lovely,” his hand found its way to his cheek, a look in his eyes that one could only call: crazed. “My darling savior will absolutely adore this…”

A trophy, of sorts. Aldrich knows of the tradition of gifting one's love a ‘trophy’ from a hunting venture. A way to express their devotion that they'd do anything, anything, for them.

Even if it costs the life of another.

“.... But what if she doesn't like it?” He sighed to himself. “My savior is of the most selective type…. I'm uncertain of how she'll feel about something like a deer head. Perhaps the heart, instead?”

Aldrich concluded. Shrugging his shoulders, he simply decided to give Victoria the deer's head and its heart.

Surely, that was worthy enough of showing his devotion to her, yes?

Although, I have to wonder….. Aldrich thought to himself, angling his head upwards to stare at the horizon.

…. How does my darling devote herself to me?

༝ㅤ･ㅤ˚ㅤ。ㅤ.ㅤ⋆ㅤ✧̣̩⋆̩☽⋆゜【♛】

“Filthy….”

Victoria sat on a chair, sharpening a now-clean knife in her hands. She stared down the bloodied corpse lying down on the floor, and hummed.

“And you can ensure that no one will receive word of this?”

“Positive.”

Sarah Marigold leaned against the wall, eyes narrowing at the corpse in disgust. To think, this is what Vivi-chan would be willing to do for that creep….

She was reluctant to assist Victoria in this little ‘business trip’ of hers. Although she loved her cousin with everything she had, Sarah couldn't deny the limits someone as obsessive as she could have.

Especially when Aldrich Edelweiss was involved.

Sarah couldn't help but grit her teeth. She couldn't stand it, couldn't stand the mere thought that Victoria would spare the time to do…. All this, for Aldrich.

“.... You may leave.”

Sarah stiffened. “W-What-?”

“I appreciate your assistance, Sarah, truly,” Victoria spoke so coldly that it was hard for Sarah to tell if she was telling the truth. “But I believe you should leave. At once.”

Sarah wouldn't argue. She just couldn't.

She let out a reluctant huff, bowing to her cousin before leaving the room. Albeit, not as hastily as Kiara did, in a (slightly) similar situation.

Leaning back against her seat, Victoria sighed, lips parted, slowly curving upwards into a twisted smile.

“For you, my Aldrich….

.... All of this, for you.”

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