#unfortunately my trip to freedom land is poorly timed

[xia0ming56]

Fellas is it gay to tenderly hold another mans hands in yours

[screamingatanemptyroom]

Please Fix the Story pt 26 - The Higher Realm

The Higher realm continues. So close to the end!

Master post linked here

Enjoy!

______________________________

Time passed, but it was difficult to tell how much. Time worked so differently in the different realms. How long did we really spend trying to save one lower realm? Minutes? Decades? It felt like no time and forever. Adonis and I traveled to lower realm after lower realm, fixing the stories, stabilizing the world before heading back to the higher realm.

Some lower realms were easy, if a bit annoying, such as the high school dramas. In those I would often play the “average” new girl at a school. I would meet new people, and was supposed to go on to have romance, betrayals and coming of age realizations. I quickly realized that befriending all my supposed romantic leads instead of dating them, reconciling with my rivals instead of humiliating them, and pushing towards success all together was a much more satisfying strategy. Fortunately, graduating valedictorian with a happy and psychologically healthy group of teenagers often stabilized worlds that had been torn apart by half-baked character design or infighting between rivals.

I took calculus so many times that I could recite lessons in my sleep, but at least the worlds were saved. Despite our success, however, Adonis was often frustrated. He had his own vision of how we were to save these realms. His plans almost always involved us dating, making the high school romance “successful”.

I refused.

He had been a lot more likable since our first meeting, and I was able to consider him a close friend and ally… but I felt uncomfortable at the idea of even pretending to have a romantic relationship. It was definitely a more difficult route to stabilize the world without a romance, but I chose it every time. Adonis pouted and complained, but couldn’t argue with success, and I was successful.

Some lower realms were more difficult. In particular, zombie apocalypse stories were my least favorites. The worlds often couldn’t be stabilized until a cure was found or humanity’s survival was assured. This meant that Adonis and I sometimes spent decades within these realms, working to build armies, or teams of scientists. There was hardly ever any running water, which meant showering was few and far between.

My unwashed self was made even filthier by my absolute failure at using anything with range. Bow and arrow, guns… anything that would keep me out of the gore, I couldn’t hit even the largest of monsters. Fortunately I picked up a sword with relative ease, which allowed me to fight… but this also meant I got covered in rotten blood and guts.

I hated zombie worlds the most.

Realm after realm. We worked constantly, spending very little time in between in the higher realms. Adonis would often try to use those moments to push his ideas regarding fate and the higher realm’s story, but as soon as I rejected him, which I did every time, he would simply scowl and pull us into the next lower realm to save.

It was getting old.

“How many lower realms are there?” I asked one evening as we recovered from our latest mission, rubbing my sore shoulder where I had taken a blow in the last sci-fi alien battle. The wounds disappeared with the realm traveling, but my mind still could feel the wound, projecting the pain long after I had left that form behind.

Adonis leaned back in his chair, his grin a little too bitter to be a natural expression. “How many unfinished stories are there? Infinite, Bel. There are infinite lower realms. We will never be able to save them all. Not like this.”

“It’s not like there’s a lot of options.”

“There are options. You just don’t want to hear them.”

“What, this fate you keep talking about?” I sighed, closing my eyes, tired. “ It sounds like a terrible idea.”

“It’s not.” His voice was quiet, but the intensity shown through all the same. “It’s our duty. Everyone’s survival depends on it.”

“But what you’re saying is: we follow along some sort of script…”

“Fate.”

“…fate… here, in the higher realm. And that is somehow supposed to fix the lower realms?”

He chuckled. “You’re oversimplifying it, but pretty much. We follow our fate, and the heroes of the lower realms will find their happiness tied to ours.”

“What if they don’t want that ending? What if they don’t want that happiness?”

“Of course they do! Everyone wants a happily ever after with their destined one.” He snapped. My eyes flickered open to study his enraged expression.

“I don’t.”

“You’re selfish!”

I shrugged. “Am I? If you’re right, we submit to fate here, everyone in the lower realms gets an automatic happy ending… but most of those worlds aren’t breaking because they don’t have a happy ending. They need a wider world, different ideas… and what about the side characters, even the villains… what about their happiness?”

“They don’t matter.”

“Why not?” I raised an eyebrow. “Just because they’re the villains?”

“They’re evil.” He stood up, trying to tower over me. An intimidation tactic, one that might have worked before we’d spent countless years fighting in life-or-death battles together.

“Have you met the heroes and heroines of some of these realms?” I laughed. “They’re not much better. I don’t think these roles are as clear as you would like them to be. And I don’t think you and I having a happy ending together, and forcing a simplistic ‘and they lived happily ever after’ on all the lower realms will actually fix them. In fact…” I stood up, and he stepped back slightly at the danger in my tone. “I bet we would break them all the more. Are you really so foolish as to think that saving a universe of worlds would be so simple?”

“…” Adonis was gritting his teeth, his hands clenched so tightly the knuckles were white. But I didn’t back down. Didn’t step back. I knew he wouldn’t hit me. He wouldn’t dare step out of the role he imagined himself to be in. Wouldn’t dare cross a line that might ruin his chances at the happy ending he seemed to crave so desperately.

“…” The silence stretched on between us. We were at an impasse. He wanted to follow fate. He wanted clearly defined roles and rules to follow. And I?

I wanted freedom.

*** Soul transfer 11% complete. ***

It’s been forever since I last saw those words… I thought it had disappeared. For some reason, I felt a deep sense of relief at the glowing blue sentence. Something within me had frozen during these many trips to the lower realms, but finally it was growing again.

“The next world is waiting.” Adonis spoke up, his tone flat. I noticed an odd shifting of his gaze, a reluctance to meet my own, and felt a sense of unease.

I won’t like this next world. I cracked my knuckles and gave him a thumbs up. Well, no sense running from a challenge.

We left.

______________________________

I woke up in a luxurious canopy bed. Staring up at the fabric , I raised my arms and have a cheer.

“YES! NOT A ZOMBIE WORLD!”

On the downside, the setting appeared to be a more primitive era, medieval at best, which meant no running water, but at least I appeared to be noble or wealthy.

At least if I suffer, I’ll be clean while I do it!

“Princess?” A young woman dressed as a servant entered the room, seeming very confused. “Are you all right? I heard you yelling.”

I smiled brightly at her. “No worries. It was just a nightmare.”

She visibly relaxed. “Even so, you seem in a much better mood, if I may say so.”

“Really?”

“Yes, you haven’t broken a single thing this morning.” She, unfortunately did not seem to be kidding. “I’m so glad you’ve accepted your father’s decision.

I didn’t have my character’s memories yet. I needed to accept the mission first. In the meantime, acting too out of character could destabilize an already poorly functional world.

“I’m still… thinking it over.” I spoke up cautiously.

“It’s not so bad, your highness.” She smiled at me. “Most young girls feel a little uneasy when their father arranges their husband. But you’ll be happy. I just know it.”

Arranged marriage?

“After all, Prince Harold is reported to be a true gentleman, a might warrior, and a handsome young man!” She sighed dreamily. “Any woman would be thrilled for a chance to be his bride.”

“I’m. Sure.” I spoke through gritted teeth, the satin sheets crumpling in my grip. Adonis, when I find you, I’m going to make you regret every life decision you’ve ever made… and the ones you’ve only considered making. What kind of lower realm did you land us in? As I plotted my revenge, the mission screen popped up.

**** NEW WORLD: A Divided Kingdom****

This is a romance fantasy story featuring a prince and a princess from different kingdoms, putting aside their differences to save the world.

“I already don’t like this.” I muttered.

The Princess Alaire of the Yenlar Kingdom was a clever, independent woman, horrified at the idea of an arranged marriage. Prince Harold of the Bestion Kingdom felt differently. He fell in love at first sight and vowed to woo the young maiden. The couple was different in almost every way, and seemed destined to bicker and fight.

“Then how about we don’t get married?”

But fate had other plans…

“Of course it did!”

A terrifying beast threatened to destroy both their kingdoms, and to survive, the political marriage had to go forward. Uniting the kingdoms, and therefore their armed forces, was the only way to save their people.

However, despite the happy ending, the first book was not well received by readers and the trilogy was abandoned due to poor sales. The reason given was that the romance was “forced” and unbelievable.

Your mission is to bring a satisfying end to the story, while making ensuring the survival of both kingdoms.

**** DO YOU ACCEPT THIS MISSION? ****

YES? NO?

“Quick question.” I spoke quietly to the glowing words in front of me. “Do I have to marry the prince to ensure an ending?”

The kingdoms will not unite without the political marriage.

“That wasn’t what I asked. I asked if I HAVE to marry the prince. What if I can save both kingdoms without a political marriage?”

The stability of the world is all that matters.

“No lecture on the necessity of fate?”

**** DO YOU ACCEPT THIS MISSION? ****

YES? NO?

I grinned. “Sure. Let’s do it.”

As the words faded away, I jumped out of bed. My head spun slightly as I accepted the memories from the poor princess of the original story.

She had not been happy.

She had dreams, ambitions. The Kingdom of Yenlar allowed for women to inherit the throne, and as the firstborn she was ready to take over from her father, to rule her nation. She had spent her entire life preparing. Studying law, economics, warfare…

And all of it had meant nothing in the end.

She had begged for a political treaty. One that did not involve marriage. The Kingdom of Bestion had refused to even discuss it. They stated that there was too much distrust between the kingdoms to move forward without some sort of permanent assurance. Even the threat of annihilation from the ancient beast of legend wasn’t enough to have them reconsider. That wasn’t the full story, though.

Later she discovered that Prince Harold had seen her at a party. He had supposedly fallen in love with her at first sight, and became determined to marry her. He had learned of her plans to marry a minor noble, one who would support her position on the throne without causing an imbalance of power within the nobility. He had no chance, as far as she was concerned. The threatened destruction of their people was just the perfect opportunity to force the matter.

She had lost all power. Becoming a figurehead, a beautiful statue beside the true king, Harold. He ruled over both nations with an iron fist, treating her own people more harshly, much to the approval of his staff. She slowly became bitter and deranged, watching the destruction of the people and the nation she loved so dearly.

Beyond the end of the first book, when the realm’s story ended, she had attempted to poison him and failed. Harold had been disappointed, but felt that she still had use as a figurehead. They faked a stroke, and kept her mute and weak with poisons. A lovely doll. A perfect figurehead.

…is this a fantasy or a horror? Sheesh, no wonder the trilogy wasn’t going to sell. I shuddered, still standing awkwardly next to the beautiful bed that had belonged to a lovely young woman.

I will change this story. I spoke silently to the memories, feeling a sense of relief that didn’t belong to me as I did so.

First, let’s try to reason with Adonis. He and I had worked together in multiple realms, side by side. We were friends. We may not see eye to eye when it came to our approach towards fate and the lower realms, but he had never forced me to do something I didn’t want. He had always respected me and backed off when I said no, even if it made him unhappy.

Hopefully this time will be the same. I thought uneasily. Hopefully he will listen.

______________________________

“No.” His tone was gleeful, but his face was calm, towing with a silver goblet rather than meeting my gaze.

“Are you joking?” I leaned forward, keeping a gentle smile on my face to fool the guards and our fathers who sat on the other end of the enormous dining table.

“I’m perfectly serious, Princess Alaire. Our kingdoms face certain doom at the hands of the ancient beast. The only way to survive is to work together. We can only work together if we trust each other. The only way the Kingdom of Bestion will trust the Kingdom of Yenlar is with a marriage alliance. It’s out of my hands.”

I reached forward and took the cup from his hands, forcing him to look at me. “Why are you forcing this, Adonis? You know it didn’t work out so well for the originals.”

“Careful Princess.” His eyes glanced over at the nearby guards. “You don’t want anything to destabilize the situation further, now do you? Better to act as a proper princess should.”

“Answer the question. This plan already failed. Why do you think it will work?”

“Simple.” He leaned forward and plucked the goblet back from my hands. “We’re different. You may not want to admit it, but we have spent lifetimes at each other’s side. Growing up, going to school, facing enemies, fighting together… we could make this work. It would be a wonderful ending.”

“You know what happened to Alaire after the first book.”

“I would never do that to you.”

“But you are.” I growled, wishing I could punch him. “You are trying to make me a beautiful figurehead, just like Harold did to Alaira.”

“We would rule side by side.”

“What use is that promise, if you are already ignoring my wishes and forcing me to do this in the first place?”

He shook his head. “You have to trust me. This is the only way we can defeat the monster, and stabilize this realm. We’ll save this world. Together.” He smiled. “It’s our fate.”

I threw a plate at him, forcing him to fling himself on the floor to avoid injury. Walking out, I ignored my father’s shouts of rage. Picking up a bag I had packed ahead of time, just in case, I changed into some light armor, grabbed a sword, and headed out into the forest.

If I couldn’t win by a political alliance, I was going to find another way to save the world.

I was going monster hunting.

I searched Princess Alaira’s memories of the legends and stories, going out in a northern direction towards the area known as Death Valley.

As I marched onward, my thoughts wandered over the time I had spent since I had woken up in the Higher Realm. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed with Adonis. He might truly think that he was saving the world by insisting on going through with the marriage, but his lack of willingness to even consider other options was frustrating. He was the only person consistently by my side through every one of these worlds, someone I considered a friend, and being unable to rely on him served to make me feel all the lonelier.

My mind briefly touched on the assassin of the first realm, Liam. I had thought with his comments and actions that he had known about my mission… that he might be from the higher realm too. But no matter how much I looked for him, no matter how much I hoped to see him again, I never did.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he was someone from the lower realm, and I’ll never have the chance to see him, to thank him.

I felt a sense of despair. How long can I keep doing this? Is this why Adonis preaches following our fate so much? Is he as tired of traveling, tired of the missions and the different lives? Is he just hoping to end all this?

I sighed, keeping moving. I’m not that tired, not tired enough to sacrifice my freedom. Not yet, anyways.

It took several days of traveling. Fortunately from my years of experience in zombie worlds, I was well prepared to survival in the wilderness. At least here the rivers were clean, allowing me to bathe occasionally. Finally I was at the entrance of the valley, staring up at the pillars on either side.

There were ominous words carved deeply into the stone.

Only death lies ahead.

I stared at the words silently for a few moments, and then shrugged.

“Still better than marrying Adonis.”

I moved forward.

______________________________

The valley was dark, a deep fog settled in permanently, apparently unaffected by the weather beyond its borders. Dark twisted purple trees rose all around me, their roots tearing through the earth desperate searching for nutrients. The valley was quiet, suffocating in an unsettling silence. My presence there felt like an intrusion, my instincts screaming at me to run away, to escape.

I kept moving.

There were no other signs of life. But I knew at least one other being lived here, the reason why nothing else dared to.

The Ancient beast.

There were no descriptions of it in the legends. Just that it was deadly, enough to take on entire armies. And that it was terrifying.

I feel like I should have seen something by now, if it was so large. I sighed, sitting on one of the trees, staring up at the mountain ahead of me. Shouldn’t it be easier to find an enormous beast that terrified an entire world?

…

Wait.

I looked up, struggling to see the top of the mountain in front of me.

I’m in a valley…

The mountain moved up and down, with regular motions.

There shouldn’t be a mountain here.

It was breathing.

I drew my sword, inwardly despairing. I had underestimated the sheer scale of the monster. I had thought it would be the size of a house, an elephant. Instead it towered stories above me, unimaginably large.

I was doomed.

There was a rumble as the beast in front of me shifted. I couldn’t tell the shape, just an impression of scales and spikes. Slowly, something lowered down in front of me, stretching forward in all directions, filling my vision. I saw teeth larger than my own body, the white of them contrasting with the dark fog around us. As I prepared myself for my death, an eye opened to stare at me.

It was a beautiful dark blue.

“…”

Suddenly, I felt relief. It was incomprehensible. I was standing in front of an ancient beast, enormous and terrifying, and instead of fear and dread… I felt safe.

I raised a hand, almost despite myself. “Hello there.”

The eye blinked. I comforted myself that it hadn’t eaten me yet.

“I think you look awesome. I’m Princess Alaira from the nearby kingdom of Yenlar. I actually came here to kill you, to protect my people… but now I realize that you could crush me like an ant, and that was a bad plan.”

The eye blinked twice. It seemed more confused than anything.

“I have a much better plan, if you would be willing to listen to me.” I let out a laugh, slightly startled at how… villainous it sounded.

*** Soul transfer 20% complete. ***

The creature let out a sound like thunder. I felt that it was laughing too.

______________________________

The wedding was this morning.

I was surprised as I drew near to see the party going. You would think that after I disappeared, they might have canceled or delayed it. I assumed that Adonis had felt sure that I would agree with him in the end. That I wouldn’t be able to let the world end just because I didn’t want to marry him.

Well too bad, buddy. This princess has a different plan in mind!

I could see him, standing on the elevated stage before two thrones, waiting. I couldn’t see his expression from this distance, but I imagine he was barely hiding his worry. Alaire’s father and Harold’s father were also waiting on the platform, their postures betraying their impatience.

“Let’s get this party started!” I yelled.

ROOOOOOOAAAAAAR!

The ancient beast let out a triumphant roar as he flew closer and lowered his head, letting me jump down onto the platform before landing behind me, a large, threatening mountain of a creature.

“Alaire?” The king called out, confused. “What are you doing?”

“Hello, Father.” I also nodded to Adonis, who stared back.

“What is this?”

“Your daughter is a witch!” The King of Bestion shouted, drawing his ceremonial sword. “She betrayed us!”

“Hold on, father.” Adonis held out his hand, stopping his attack. “I’m sure it’s not what it looks like.”

I grinned.

“Nope. It’s exactly what it looks like. I’ve teamed up with the Ancient being. We’re friends now.” I gestured at the monster high above us, who let out a grim chuckle, shaking the ground. “So now I make the rules, got it?”

“…”

“I’ll take everyone’s stunned silence as happy agreement! Now, first rule: Wedding canceled.”

“What?”

“What?”

“You can’t do this!”

The three other royals on stage shouted simultaneously. I simply pointed again at the enormous creature.

“I can do whatever I want. The big scary monster behind me says so. Next, the kingdom of Bestion will surrender to me, as will the kingdom of Yenlar.”

“You want to rule the world?” Adonis’s gaze was… disappointed. I grinned shamelessly. “Nope. But here’s the thing: Our kingdoms face certain doom at the hands of the ancient beast. The only way to survive is to convince the monster not to kill us. The monster only trusts me. So I have to rule both kingdoms.” I shrugged. “It’s out of my hands.”

I threw his words from earlier back at him, and felt satisfied as he winced in recognition.

“We… surrender.” His words were quiet, defeated.

“You unruly child!” My father tried to shout, but a roar from the monster above us silenced him. He quickly surrendered too. I accepted both surrenders, quickly organizing the meetings to bring our governments together under one rule. Fortunately, the princess’s years of study served me well, guiding me smoothly through the process.

______________________________

I had one more confrontation with Adonis, the night before the coronation. He was escorted to my rooms by guards, saying he had a request. I hesitated briefly, but allowed him in, waving the guards behind the door so we could speak freely.

“What was that?” He shouted as soon as they had left.

I stayed sitting, forcing myself to be calm. “I fixed the story.”

“You ruined everything! Even if it stabilizes this world, it will ruin it in the long run.”

“Says you.”

“Trust me.” He threw up his hands as he paced back and forth. “Everything will go a lot smoother if you STOP CHANGING THE STORY.”

“I thought that was why we were here, though?” I sighed, leaning back in my chair and cleaning my nails with a blade. “To fix the lower realms, to save these worlds? That requires change, right?”

He paused in his movements, glaring at me. “Stop acting stupid. These worlds are broken because they didn’t follow the rules. We have to follow them perfectly.”

“I don’t want to though.” I shuddered. “No offense, but if the story is going to require us to have a romantic relationship, I’m finding an alternate solution.”

“That’s what the story requires, you have your role to play. You know the consequences of not playing the right part.”

I sighed. “No, there’s always different paths to take. You’re a good friend, and I’m glad to have you by my side, but that’s different than love.”

“…”

“You clearly don’t love me either, so why are you making such a fuss about this? As long as we complete what we came here to do, that’s all that matters, right?”

“…”

“Right?”

Adonis stepped closer to me, his atmosphere slightly threatening. “Why are you so different from what you are supposed to be?”

“What are you…?”

“Why can’t you just accept.”

His hand grabbed my wrist, the grip painful.

“your.”

He pulled me closer until our faces were inches apart. His bright blue eyes were blazing with anger as they stared into my own.

“fate.”

Letting me go, he walked away, putting some distance between us, before turning back to face me.

“This lower realm is stabilized. We should return.” His smile was cold. “The next mission is a little different from our previous ones. We’ll talk about it later.”

“…”

“And next time…?” He laughed, a bitter sound. “You’ll play your part whether you want to or not.”

THUD.

The blade in my hand threw through the air, stabbing into the wall inches from his face. I smiled cheerfully as he looked back at me, shocked.

“Try touching me again, and I’ll cut off something you’ll miss. We’ll discuss missions and roles again in the higher realm, but for now?” I rang a bell and guards came in, escorting him out. “I have a coronation to plan.”

______________________________

My coronation was held outside so that the Ancient beast could stand behind me. It seemed cheerful, letting out victorious roars and swaying from side to side. The people cheered as well, seeming a lot happier than I expected them to be. I guess they’re relieved that they won’t be eaten by the giant monster? I wondered idly how I was going to incorporate the creature into the day to day life of a monarch. For an odd reason I had very little doubt that the monster would stick around.

However, all my plans came to nothing. As the crown was placed on my head, bright blue words formed in the air in front of me:

100% complete.

**** You have finished the mission! ****

It was time to go.

At little sad, I looked up at the ancient monster above me. “Thank you, friend for your help. I wish I could stay with you longer.”

A mournful cry echoed through the world. It seemed to understand that I was leaving. Before I could say anything more to reassure it, the world around me shimmered and disappeared.

Only to reveal a furious Adonis standing in front of me.

“Happy now, Your Majesty?” He sneered.

“Oof, someone’s still a little angry that I used an ancient monster conquer the world. Believe it or not, I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you. But you know why I did what I did. Let’s talk about it in the morning.”

I walked away, feeling his glare on my back long after I was out of sight.

______________________________

When I woke up, I realized that I couldn't move.

I panicked, struggling to move my arms and legs, only managing to turn my head slightly. Enough to see Adonis’s smug expression as he sat by my bed.

“It’s time for our story to progress, Bel.” His smile was strange, twisted. I couldn’t talk back, I shook my head slightly side to side.

“I’m the hero, you are the heroine. If the relationship between us can’t be advanced by working together, than it must be forged in adversity." He reached down and picked me up, carrying me out of the small cottage I had arranged for myself and into the castle courtyard. Whatever drug he had injected me with was slowly wearing off, and I struggled in his arms, finally able to shout.

“Put me down!”

To my surprise he did, and although I struggled to stay upright, I kept my balance and glared at him.

“What are you planning?”

He sighed quietly. “I’m tired of always being the one to compromise. It’s time for you to make a sacrifice, Bel. I’ve avoided this so far, worried that progressing our story this way would kill you, but it seems that it is our fate that we take this risk. It’s… unfortunate. I do very much hope you don’t die.” He paused, trying to smile at me. “Don’t worry. It’s only temporary. I’ll come and rescue you soon.”

“A sacrifice?” I felt cold, even as I stood in the warm afternoon sun. My thoughts were slow to form, possibly a side effect of the medication. “Why?”

He shrugged. “There’s an order to everything. Rules. Law. They are all that stand between us and pure chaos. No one can ignore them. Not you. Not even me.”

“Then sacrifice yourself, asshole! Why send me?”

He shrugged. “It’s your role to play, not mine. Your fate.”

“Screw fate! I don’t care if you say it’s temporary or not! Friends don’t sacrifice friends!” I was furious, still weak and feeling helpless.

His hand reached out and brushed my cheek, the touch freezing my skin. I wanted to move away but I could still barely move, only managing to glare at him. “Don’t look at me with those eyes. It’s not my fault. If you want to blame anyone, blame the story.”

“Ad…”

“Sorry, you must accept your fate.” I felt a pinch in my arm, the stick of a needle as he injected something into the muscle. Immediately darkness overwhelmed me.

“We all do.”

Everything faded into darkness.

______________________________

When I woke up, I was in a strange world, surrounded by forest. I lay on my back, still feeling weak, fury coursing through my veins.

Adonis and I had worked well together, despite arguing multiple times in the past. But now… any goodwill I had towards him was gone. He had betrayed me. Knocked me out and sent me to somewhere dangerous, somewhere I could be killed, just to follow his precious fate. To get the story he wanted.

“Are you lost?

I looked over at the source of the voice. It was a tall young man with dark hair, wearing grey, non-descript clothing. He kneeled down next to me, and I found myself staring into dark blue eyes.

“Seems a good description for my current situation.” I smiled despite the dizziness. “Nice to meet you, Stranger.”

He grinned, reaching out a hand to help me up. “Call me Liam.”

Liam? Could he be…?

“…Nice to meet you, Liam.” I laughed. “Or should I say: nice to see you again?”

*** Soul transfer 25% complete. ***

[asian-hero]

Too Impatient to Wait Another Lifetime (2/3)

A/N: I’m not going to lie, but the reason I didn't post this for a while is because the last one did so poorly compared to my other fics, so I figured that no one would want to read this anymore :(

But I truly love this story, and this is probably my favorite part that I wrote for this, so I wanted to share it anyways :) Welcome to the medieval/fantasy era

Pairing: Prince!Todoroki/Bard!Reader

Summary: The idea of soulmates is often one that’s heavily debated over. Some believe in the idea that there’s one special person out there for everyone, whereas others believe that it’s near impossible for just one person to be your “perfect match.” While you can’t necessarily see if someone is your soulmate, when you finally find that person, you get a feeling of euphoria that you’ve never experienced before. Unfortunately for you, someone must find it hilarious to constantly separate you from your soulmate every single time, in every single lifetime. So, what happens when you realize that you don’t want to wait any longer for your happily ever after?

Words: 8,367

If there was one thing that Prince Todoroki Shouto hated, more than the weighty title at the beginning of his name, more than the isolation he felt from being the heir to the throne, it would be the seemingly pointless balls his father would insist upon.

In all honesty, he knew why his father would put on these lavish events. Since Shouto was the crown prince, only due to a falling out between his father and his two eldest brothers, the fate of the Todoroki lineage had also rested upon his shoulders, and in order to keep their family tree growing, he needed a wife. However, since he was never allowed outside the walls of the castle, these balls were put in place in order to find the most “suitable” wife for Shouto. 

Suitable for his father, of course.

So, Shouto would hold his tongue, not daring to argue with his father’s wishes, though he wished nothing more than to just lay low for one night, to at least pretend that he was a normal person, one who wouldn’t be forced into a loveless marriage. Instead, he’d quietly submit to the demands of the King, sitting on a throne next to his mother, watching as lord’s and lady’s danced around, mingling with one another. He did his best to keep in the disgust whenever a prominent lord would step up, their daughter standing behind them, and attempt to sell the royal family on one of their own, as if their daughters were simply tools used to gain an entry into a world they desperately wanted to be apart of. Every single time he’d come face to face with a desperate lord, he wished that he could just give them his status, with no charge. After all, they seemed to want it more than he did.

It was safe to say that Todoroki Shouto hated balls. He found them to be tedious and repetitive.

However, tonight was different.

Not fundamentally, no. Shouto still sat upon his throne, doing his best to look somewhat interested as his father droned on and on about some girl from a dukedom not too far from them. As his eyes drifted from person to person on the dance floor, he found himself pausing when his eyes land upon a woman dancing around while playing the lute, singing a lovely tune that carried throughout the entire ballroom. She was accompanied by a few other musicians, who seemed almost as jolly as she was. Shouto wasn’t quite sure what drew him to her. Perhaps it was her melodic voice, or maybe it was the semblance of freedom that her entire person exuded. She both irritated him and intrigued him, and that mix of emotions was what made his feet move towards you, seemingly not caring to hear what his father had to say for his sudden movement. He wasn’t able to make it far, though, for as soon as he entered the dance floor, he was met with a few women, some of which he recognized belonged to powerful dukedoms, who begged him for a dance. Even as he tried to step away politely, trying to get over towards the bard who captured his attention, they still persisted. He did his best to try and escape them without seeming like an asshole, but it was becoming more and more difficult.

Across the dance floor, singing the last note of the last song before intermission, stood you, a slightly goofy smile etched across your face. Coming down from the high of your latest performance, you quickly gave a bow, though you doubted that anyone noticed, and walked over to your group, giving out words of encouragement and praise, as most of them had never preformed at such a large gathering before, let alone a ball for the King. You laughed along with your group, listening to the newer ones ramble on about how grand the ball looks, how lucky you all were to be in the presence of such high ranking people.

As you continued to converse with those around you, you found yourself looking over towards the sea of people, who had now taken a pause in their dancing, opting to talk amongst themselves. Though they never spared even a glance at you or your friends, nor would they ever stoop as low as to talk to the likes of you, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth at the thought that they all had danced to your music. Not some fancy, uptown musicians that the King could’ve easily hired, but you and your traveling group of musicians. Though you tried not to get a big head about it, you found yourself welling up with pride.

You were so absorbed into your own world that you didn’t notice the group of women hounding a man behind you, slowing inching closer and closer to your group. By the time you finally noticed you were just moving to grab your lute, moving to get back into position, but it was too late. As you straightened up, putting on your smiling persona, you felt someone collide with you, pushing you forward and nearly causing you to trip over yourself. The sound of your lute crashing against the floor was drowned out by the chattering of the crowd, but you could practically feel the anger rolling off of you. Whipping around, you were fully prepared to give whoever bumped into you a piece of your mind, telling them that they owed you a new instrument. However, as soon as you eyes locked with the cold, heterochromatic gaze of the Prince, you found your words catching in your throat. 

Rather than giving the long lecture you’d mentally prepared, you instead bowed slightly, doing your best to remember what to do in the event of meeting a royal. “Your Highness, I apologize—“

As you looked up, you found yourself staring at a rather harsh glare from the Prince, one that made shivers go down your spine. Standing back up, you met his gaze, not backing down. In that moment, you could’ve sworn that you saw a hint of surprise flicker in his eyes, but as soon as one of the lady’s beside him spoke, the hint of emotion was gone, and was replaced by the usual cold aura he exuded.

“Oh my goodness, Prince Shouto, are you okay?” One of the women asked, sending you an unamused stare before going back to her mock fretting, “Did she hurt you?”

At the subtle shake of his head, you wanted to snort in response. After all, how the hell could you hurt him? He was the one who bumped into you. Just as you were about to excuse yourself, to escape to your friends who had suddenly disappeared at the sight of the Prince, you heard him clear his throat, signaling that he wanted your attention. Turning back to face him, you gave him a questioning look. 

Strutting up to you, he watched you with detached, emotionless eyes, and, for a moment, you felt your normally bubbly and carefree persona disappear. Now, all you felt like was a child who was getting scolded.

“Make sure you watch where you’re going, next time.” With that, he turned away from you, but you weren’t about to let that sit.

“Watch where I’m going?” You asked, making sure that you heard him right.

When he didn’t respond, you felt yourself growing livid. How dare he blame you when he was the one who bumped into you? Even if that wasn’t the case, in the end he was fine, and you were without your lute. Stomping over to him, you pointed an accusatory finger at him.

“I’ll have you know that you were the one who bumped into me,” You hissed, making sure to keep your voice quiet enough to not cause a scene, “Just because you’re some ‘high and mighty’ Prince doesn’t mean that you’re not above an apology.”

Shoving your broken lute into his face, you gave a mocking smile, doing your best to keep your anger at bay. “You owe me a new lute, and I expect that on top of my pay for tonight,”

Huffing, you stormed off to where the rest of your band were, realization of what you just said not quite hitting you. As you went off, your back turned towards the Prince, you didn’t get to see the absolute shock on his face, nor did you see the way he held off the women beside him, telling them that it was fine, and there was no need to cause a fuss over your outburst. Once you were over to your group, you were greeted with the shocked faces of your friends, some of them were focused on the broken lute in your hand, while the others were more focused on you. 

“Are you,” One of them started, reaching out a hand towards you, “Are you alright?”

You gave a hum of affirmation, easing some of their worries. “Don’t worry about me, my lute broke my fall,”

Once you were able to calm them down, another one piped up. “What did you say to the Prince? You looked pretty agitated,”

You waved your hand, trying to dispel their worries once more. “It wasn’t that bad, all I said was that just because he’s royalty doesn’t mean that he’s absolved from a simple apology. I mean, he’s the one who bumped into me.”

While your friends continued to stare at you incredulously, you couldn’t help but wonder just what they were thinking. 

It took you exactly two minutes to realize what you had just said, and to whom. 

Gasping, you put a hand up to your mouth, ducking your head as if that would hide you from the royals. You honestly don’t know what overcame you, all you know is that you were angry because he had the nerve to say that you were the one in the wrong, and that didn’t sit right with you. But now, oh god, you were surprised that he even let you walk away from him, after that outburst you had. While there weren’t stories about any sort of cruelness the Crown Prince had, there certainly were tales of how cold and dismissive he could be, and you certainly didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that.

Moving to whisper to one of your friends, you told them that you needed to leave, preferably at that moment. Having seen what just occurred, they ushered you to the door, telling you that it was probably for the best. So, as you made through the shadows of the magnificent ballroom, you made sure to stay hidden away from any prying eyes, just in case anyone saw their entertainment run away like prey from predator. Thankfully for you, your group seemed to distract all the nobility, playing another song as you left.

Turning around one last time, you found yourself locking eyes with the Prince once more, and, if you were a betting woman, you’d say that he was looking at you with both curiosity and, a bit of regret? It was a bit unnerving, to be stared down like that. However, remembering all of the times you’ve incorrectly guessed when gambling, you immediately crush that idea. There was no way he was looking at you with anything but contempt. Exiting the room, you made your way out of the castle and into the chilly air of the night, praying that you’d never have to see that Prince again.

Unfortunately for you, fate seemed to enjoy toying with you.

A few days after the royal ball, you found yourself in one of the dingiest taverns in the kingdom. While, of course, it wasn’t necessarily the best looking, you had to admit that both the patrons and the drinks were what kept you coming back for more. The unassuming tavern had become a home of sorts for you, somewhere that you could walk in to and be recognized immediately, greeted with a warm welcome. It was quite possibly your favorite place to preform, if not for the company, then because of the tips you’d receive.

Though you still mourned your dearly departed lute, the instrument that had been with you since you first started out, you were thankful to have backup options in case something awful happened. So, as you moved around the bar, singing some tune that lifted the mood of all the patrons, your fingers danced across your lyre, playing a melodic song that captivated all those around you. It was nice to have a change in pace, and although you would’ve much preferred the instrument you were most comfortable with, it was a pleasant change to hear the soft and angelic plucks of your lyre.

Dancing around the tavern, you gave flirtatious looks at the patrons who seemed to have the most money, giving them a wink as they tucked a few coins into the small bag at your side. Continuing to move around, you could vaguely hear the soft click of the front doors opening, indicating that yet another person had entered. Though you paid no mind, as you were wrapped up in your song, with your voice carrying an alluring tune, one that both put life into the bar, and seemingly had every person in there wrapped around your finger. As you turned around, your fingers still moving across the strings, you found yourself eyeing up a person you’d never seen here before. 

Their figure was cladded in a black cloak, with the hood pulled up, covering most of their face. The clothes they wore beneath were hard to depict, but from what you could make out, it seemed as though this person was either a thief or a well off worker, as they seemed too nice for the typical patron. Eyes trailing up to their face, you couldn’t really see anything above their nose, but one thing that stuck out to you was the marking on the left side of their face, the scarred flesh stopping mid-cheek. For a brief moment, your mind wondered if the person was actually the prince, though the rational side of your brain told you that the idea was ridiculous, it’d be stupid of the prince to come here, of all places. He’d certainly have a death wish coming here, if not for the thieves who would want to either hold him for ransom, then the common folk who’d want to kill him due to their hatred of his father. However, as your song ended, your eyes finally connected with the mysterious stranger.

A mixed match of steel gray and a cool blue eyes had locked with yours.

Feeling your heart freeze in your chest, you quickly gave a bow to the audience, quickly glancing from side to side to see if anyone else had noticed the dumb prince. When you realized that no one had noticed, you quickly walked over to the hooded man, slamming your hand down onto counter beside him. He seemed startled at your sudden aggression, but as you smiled sweetly to the bartender nearby, he allowed himself to relax, though you could tell that he was still on edge. 

“Can I get two pints of ale?” You asked, though it was more of a statement as you threw your coins onto the counter, nodding your head as the bartender went to pour your drinks.

Once you had the two mugs, you looked over at your new companion, nodding your head over to the most secluded area, telling him to follow. Walking towards the table in the corner, you found yourself blocking the prince’s body with your own, making sure that no one else figured out who he was. As you two slid into your seats, you pushed one of the mugs towards him, taking a long sip from yours.

Letting out a long sigh, you put your drink down, crossing your arms across your chest. “What are you doing here?”

He simply looked down at the drink set in front of him, his fingers tapping on the sides of the mug. When he didn’t give you an answer, you leaned in closer, your face certainly too close to be comfortable, especially knowing that the man sat in front of you was royalty. “Not going to answer me? Should I just assume that you were just wandering around town and you happened to stumble into any tavern you could find?”

He shook his head, his eyes finally meeting yours once more. As you continued to look at him with confusion swirling in your eyes, he bit his cheek, figuring out what exactly he should say.

“You said that just because I’m a ‘high and mighty’ prince, it doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t apologize for my actions,”

At that, you could feel your cheeks heating up, the mortification of what you’d said coming back full force. Taking a deep breath, you attempted to calm yourself, putting on a look of pure neutrality.

“So, you’re here to berate me for it? Have me arrested?” You truly shouldn’t have this much confidence, but you couldn’t help yourself. Being in your second home made you feel more comfortable, and you knew that those around you would help you out in a heartbeat. 

However, it didn’t seem to be necessary, as the prince shook his head, and it was then you realized that he seemed to have a rather awkward look on his face.

“No, that’s not it at all,” He started, his hands gripping onto his drink tighter, “I wanted to say that you were right,”

You blinked, not quite sure if you heard him correctly. “Pardon?”

“No one has ever been as straightforward as you. I know that I come off as cold and abrasive, and there are times when I truly mean to be. However, I shouldn’t have been so rude to you that night when I was the one at fault,” Staring at you with an all too sincere look, he continued, “So, I’d like to apologize for my actions,”

You continued to look at him with a blank look on your face. It was still baffling to you that, firstly, the prince came to perhaps one of the shadiest taverns in the kingdom, just to apologize to you, and secondly, the fact that he seemed to be an entirely different person that the last time you saw him, even though it hadn’t been long. The prince you saw at the ball was stuck up and rude, but the man you saw before you looked uncomfortable and unsure of himself. 

Clearing your throat, you averted your eyes from his, taking in the lively seen before you. “How did you even know I’d be here?”

“I asked your bandmates,” He said simply, as if it were the easiest answer in the world.

Your lips quirked downwards, and you made a mental note to scold them afterwards. After all, what would’ve happened if he wasn’t as kind as he was, then they’d be responsible for ether your  banishment or your arrest. 

Leaning back into your chair, your eyes flickered across his form, still unable to truly process the person in front of you. While you thought it was sweet of him to come all this way to formally apologize to you, you couldn’t help but think of how stupid he was, wandering around town all by himself. What would’ve happened if someone else were to have recognized him? 

Deciding to voice your worries, you spoke, “So, what in the world made you think that coming to the shadiest part of the kingdom all by yourself was a good idea?”

He tilted his head, and it took all of your self restraint to not sigh once more. “I’m not alone,” Pointing towards another cloaked figure hanging by the door, he smiled, “I had one of my trusted knights come with me,”

Before you could even breathe, he glanced over to his side, “Besides, I figured that I should give you this in person,”

Eyes following to where the prince had looked, you finally noticed the rather fancy looking lute sitting by his side, and you felt your jaw drop. Snapping back up to look at him, you gasped.

“Your Highness, I can’t—“

“Shouto.”

When you gave him the most incredulous look, he simply shrugged, taking a sip of his beverage, “We’re far from the castle, there’s no need to call me ‘Your Highness,’ and besides,” he started, a small smirk playing on his lips, “Weren’t you the one who said I shouldn’t bring attention to myself?”

You bit your tongue, doing your best to hold in a smart remark. While it may be true that the two of you are far away from his castle walls, it didn’t mean that you were safe from punishment should he see fit. So, you approached the situation cautiously, making sure that you were clear in your response.

“Shouto,” You started, and you were fairly certain that you could see his eyes light up, “You cannot just show up to give me an expensive lute just because your conscious caught up with you. In fact, you shouldn’t even be here at all,”

You could see his face fall for a second, but before you could even try to soften your original statement, his blank mask was put back on, his lips forming a thin line.

“I came here out of my own volition, only to fulfill a request that you made that night,” Leaning in a bit closer, he raised a brow, “Or do you not remember demanding me to give you a new one?”

Though you usually prided yourself on being able to keep calm in some of the most stressful situations, you couldn’t help the nervous feeling situating itself in the pit of your stomach. After all, it wasn’t every day that you were inches away from the prince’s face. 

Taking a deep breath to calm yourself, you spoke once more, “I said many things out of anger, but I didn’t expect you to take that part seriously.”

He didn’t answer you with words, instead bringing the instrument over the table and setting it beside you, to which you immediately pushed it back towards him, your eyes unrelenting. For a few more seconds, the two of you found yourselves pushing the lute back and forth, neither of you wanting to give in.

After what had to have been the fifth or sixth time, the prince sighed, pushing it back towards you for the final time. “I don’t understand why you’re so adamant about not taking it, but you may as well just accept it. After all, you’ll be needing it for the next ball,”

Your head jolted up, eyes boring into his, “Can you repeat that?”

The prince’s eyes lit up once again in mischief, though he did his best to mute his facial expressions. “There’s a ball next month, and I’ve already told my father that you’ll be playing once more.”

“Are you serious—“

“So I suggest that you take the lute and start practicing, perhaps learn a few new songs before the ball,” Standing up, he threw one last smirk in your direction, “Oh, and if I see that you don’t have that lute, I’ll be sure to get you an even more costly one.”

With that, the prince made his way over to his knight, and the two of them exited the tavern, leaving you to wonder just what the hell happened.

So, after a month had passed, and, though you detested it, you learned a few more songs, you found yourself coming in contact with Shouto Todoroki once more. Only this time, rather than being able to blend into the crowd, simply singing and dancing your heart out, you felt a pair of mismatched eyes watching your every move, and, if you were lucky, you could make out the slightest hint of a smile on his features whenever you met his eyes.

Similarly to the last ball, Shouto refused to dance with anyone, choosing to sit upon his throne as he watched the lords and lady’s dance to their heart’s content, and, just like last time, he sat through the multitudes of lords offering their daughters to his father with the promises of alliances that he truly didn’t care for, nor did he need. 

However, instead of simply going through the motions, wanting nothing more for the ball to end, Shouto instead focused his sights on you, watching with a small smile on his face as you danced around from person to person. Instead of feeling a sense of resentment towards you like last time, he instead found great joy and entertainment in watching you preform, and he especially enjoyed it whenever the two of you made eye contact, only for you to turn your head, your entire body screaming with embarrassment. Though he wasn’t quite sure why, he could feel his heart speed up whenever you’d give him a subtle wave, a small enough gesture that no one else but him caught. He didn’t know why his face would flush at the sight of you smiling and laughing, or why he wished that he could be the one who made you look like that.

While the prince continued to watch you intently, you found yourself playing your last few songs, your fingers plucking the strings of the lute gifted to you by the stubborn prince. You did have to admit, the instrument he had made for you seemed to be made out of the finest materials, and it had a lovely sound. 

As the night grew longer, and you were on your final song, you found yourself growing more bold in your movements, singing even louder and even dancing alongside some of the nobles in the room, whom seem to have enjoyed the show you put on for them. Singing the last few bars of the song, you twisted your body to face the prince, and, with an unfounded surge of confidence filling your body, you gave him a sly wink before bowing to the crowd, taking your leave.

Since you promptly turned around and walked over to your bandmates, you didn’t notice the surprised look developing on the prince’s face. If you’d waited for just a moment longer, you would’ve seen the dramatic shift in color from his usually pale face to a red that could rival the shade of his hair. You would’ve also noticed, had you waited, that Shouto promptly excused himself, an action that wasn’t too unusual for the party hating prince, walking quickly down the steps and out the door in order to reach you.

Just before you could head back into the carriage the King had sent for you, you felt a hand tug at your wrist, preventing you from moving further. Whipping your head around, you made eye contact with Shouto, who also seemed to be just as shocked as you due to his actions. Raising a brow, you stepped closer to the man, giving him a quizzical look.

“Your Highness,” You started, glancing down at where his hand held you, “Is there something wrong?”

At the sound of your voice, Shouto released you from his grip, moving to rest his hands by his sides, “Ah, no, everything’s fine,”

Nodding your head slowly, you took a cautious step towards the carriage, not quite sure if you were dismissed. When you noticed the downcast look upon the prince’s face, you bit your lip, weighing your options carefully. Deciding that you may as well gamble with fate, you spoke up:

“It was nice to see you again, Shouto,” You started, giggling as the prince looked up at you with shock, “Even though it was entirely your fault for this,”

With that, you stepped one step further, grabbing one of his hands in yours and pressing a soft kiss to the back of his hand before waving goodbye, entering your carriage. As you entered, you watched the prince’s face turn from one of shock to one you couldn’t quite read. Just as the carriage was about to take off, with you wondering if you’d insulted him just now, you watched in surprise as he clambered into the seat beside you, shutting the door quickly behind him.

“What are you doing?” You hissed, looking out the window to see if anyone had seen him. 

Luckily for you, the only person who had seen the prince enter in with you was your coachman, and you supposed you could pay him off to keep his mouth shut. However, that still left you with the confusion as to why the prince jumped in beside you. As you continued to stare at him for an answer, he began to stumble over his words, something so uncharacteristically charming.

“I—“ He started, immediately cutting himself off as he tried to better answer your question, “Well, I’m not really sure what to say. My body was moving on its own,”

You gave him the most dry look you could’ve mustered, though you couldn’t find it in you to be irritated. Sighing, you leaned back into your seat, raising an eyebrow at the man. “You do know that I could be in serious trouble if you come with me, they’d think that I kidnapped you,”

He giggled at that, a sound that you wanted to hear more of. “Ah yes, the bard and serial kidnapper, (Y/N),”

You weren’t sure why, but the way he said your name made your heart flutter. However, you pushed that feeling down immediately, staring at him with a serious look in your eye. He seemed to understand the situation, opting to speak once more.

“I’m truly not sure why I jumped in, all I know is that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet,” He smiled at you, taking your hand into his, “You make me feel so many different emotions that I have yet to feel,”

You scoffed, yet you still let him hold your hand, “Oh really? Like what?”

“Envy,” He stated simply, before his face grew into an even bigger grin, “Amusement, happiness, and perhaps a few more that I can’t quite describe,”

He leaned in closer, and you felt your throat dry, watching as he simply stared at you. You wanted both to kick him out of the carriage to save face, and to pull him even closer, though you weren’t quite sure which urge was stronger. In all honesty, you hoped that he couldn’t hear how quickly your heart was beating, not wanting him to get an even bigger ego boost than before. 

The two of you continued to stare at one another, neither of you making a move until the coachman coughed awkwardly.

“Miss,” He started, his voice catching both of you off guard, “Should we be heading off?”

Looking to the source of the voice, then back at the prince in front of you, you watched as he leaned in closer to your ear, whispering, “I’ve already told my guard to cover for me, I’ll be fine,”

Pursing your lips, you didn’t take your eyes off of the man in front of you as you called out, “Yes, let’s go.”

Rather than having him take you back to your home, you instead had the coachman take you to the center of the city, where the festivities never ended and the two of you could blend in without a trace. Before the two of you exited the vehicle, you quickly shoved off any symbols of royalty that cladded Shouto’s figure. He watched in amusement as you hastily took off his cloak and royal broaches, not bothering to help you one bit. As you sat back a bit, trying to see how he looked, you shrugged your shoulders, figuring that it was as good as it was going to get. 

“You just look like a wealthier man,” You sighed, tugging his hand as you exited the carriage, “I suppose that’ll have to do,”

“I am a wealthier man,” He pointed out, waiting for you as you paid a hefty amount to the coachman, hoping that it would buy his silence.

You simply waved your hand, as if dismissing him. Pulling him into the center, you began to show him the many attractions and foods that were in the city. You wanted to show him more of what he never got to see, wanted him to experience more than he ever got to do. Watching him stare in awe of the sheer amount of stalls that were open for the night market made your heart soar, and you couldn’t help but giggle whenever he’d ask you what something was. You allowed yourself to be pulled in every direction, letting him choose where he wanted to go, and what he wanted to try. There was one moment when you lost him in the crowd, being pulled away from his side. You were panicked at first, worrying that someone would’ve recognized him, and then the two of you would be in trouble. However, when you felt a hand intertwine with yours, you felt yourself let out a huge sigh, scolding him gently for leaving your side. He apologized with a cheeky smile, telling you that he got distracted by something.

For the rest of your time in the city, the two of you never disconnected your hands.

As the night began to wind down, you pulled him towards a clearing in the park, finding some space where no one could bother the two of you. Sitting down on the grass, you motioned for him to join you, staring out to watch the river’s current. You could feel his presence beside you, his body emanating a comforting warmth that almost had you leaning into him. Staring out into the horizon, neither of you spoke, instead opting to simply enjoy the moment with one another. 

It was surprising to you, just how well you seemed to get along with the prince. Though your first impressions of one another weren’t exactly something to marvel over, you were surprised by just how well your personalities went together. It felt as though you had known each other in another life, as if you grew to care for one another then, and it was flowing over to the present. Though you weren’t one to believe in myths such as that, you couldn’t help but smile at the idea of having known the prince in a past life, and you wondered what you’d done to be lucky enough to meet him once more. 

Turning your head to the side, you made eye contact with Shouto, whom, once caught, whipped his head to the other side, a steady blush rising from his neck. Throwing your head back, you let out a laugh at his actions, amused with how he responded. Scooting just a bit closer, you bumped his shoulder with your own.

“Enjoying the view?” You teased, giggling harder when his face became a bright red. 

Glancing at you from the corner of his eye, he smiled. “If I was?”

You playfully rolled your eyes, doing your best to keep the heat from rising to your own face. “Can’t blame you, really,”

Shouto let a laugh out at that, tilting his head back at the sound. Once more, the two of you grew silent, with nothing but the far away chatter from the townsfolk filling the night air. As the night grew colder, and the sky turned from a violet shade to a pitch black void, you turned your head to look at Shouto, giving him a sad smile.

“Well, you should probably head back now, wouldn’t want the King to start a war looking for you,”

He scoffed, but nonetheless stood up, extending a hand for you to take. Once the two of you stood up, with you brushing off your lap for any excess debris, Shouto continued to hold your hand in his, not ready to let you go just yet. When you noticed that he was making no effort in leaving, you gave him a quizzical look.

“What’s wrong?” You asked, before deciding to tease him a little, “Don’t tell me you don’t know how to get home,”

Rather than feeding into your teasing like normal, he instead fished for something in his pocket with his free hand, fumbling for a bit before finally pulling out a simple locket, one that you’d been not so secretly eyeing since the two of you got there. 

It was by no means an extravagant necklace, it was just a simple gold locket, the shape of a small oval and a chain that went down to your collarbone. You looked from the necklace in his hand back to his face, confusion taking over your features.

“Didn’t I tell you last time that I didn’t want you to go and buy me things?” You questioned.

He nodded, taking his hand out of yours and putting the necklace on you, his hands brushing the back of your neck for a moment longer than they needed to. “If there’s something you should know about me, it’s that I usually don’t comply,”

You huffed out a laugh, doing your best to disguise your flustered state, though you were sure he could read you like a book. “You know, if you keep buying me things, I’m going to get used to it,”

“Maybe you should,”

Before you could even protest, he moved in closer, pressing a kiss to your cheek. It was so soft and his movements were so unsure that you weren’t quite sure that you hadn’t imagined it. Touching the spot where his lips had rested, you looked up at him in shock, though he refused to make eye contact with you once more. 

“I hope to see you again, (Y/N),” He spoke, clearing his throat as he began to walk away.

You didn’t let him get far, however, as you quickly tug on his wrist, and as he turned to ask what you needed, you pressed your lips onto his, giving him a sweet kiss. At first, you felt him stiffen beneath you, and just as you were about to move away, to apologize immediately, he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you in closer. 

For a few minutes, the two of you simply stood in the darkness, pressing soft kisses to each other’s faces, basking in the glow of your reciprocated feelings. However, you knew that he needed to be back soon, if not for fear of being found out, then because the night was much too dangerous for a royal like him. Reluctantly, you pulled away from his embrace, giggling at his pout.

“You really need to get going now,” You said, brushing his hair away from his face, “You’re sure to be in trouble if they find you missing,”

He sighed, not wanting to move away, but knew you were right. Resting his forehead on yours, he gave you one last kiss, smiling hopefully at you. “So, can I see you again?”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re the prince, you could send your knights to come and collect me at any time,”

When he gave you a flat look you grinned, nuzzling your nose into his neck. “Of course you can, just say the word and I’ll be there,”

Giving you one last bright smile, he finally detached himself from you, his face lit up in pure excitement.

“Then, how about tomorrow?”

Just like that, the two of you ended up spending as much time as you possibly could together, whether it be due to his father hiring you for the balls he hosted, or when Shouto snuck out of the castle to you. Though you couldn’t see each other every day, on the days that you could see each other, it felt as though you’d never even left the others side. 

You’d spend your days together mostly exploring more of the city, as Shouto had mentioned to you that, being the heir to the throne, he wasn’t allowed to be outside much. You made sure to give him all of the experiences he wanted, even the simple, mundane ones like going to the local bakery to buy some desserts. Other times, the two of you would simply lounge around outside, with Shouto’s head resting against your back as you strummed your lute, softly singing a ballad you had learned on the road. 

Of course, the two of you never really defined your relationship, and, in all honesty, you were afraid to even try to. You knew what you were getting yourself into, you knew that you shouldn’t hold such affection for the Crown Prince, but you couldn’t help it. You couldn’t help the way your heart fluttered whenever he looked at you, how you felt as though you were soaring whenever he touched you, or how you felt as though you were unstoppable whenever he kissed you. Deep in your heart, you knew that this wouldn’t last forever, that he’d eventually have his duties to attend, and you’d simply be a distant memory for him. However, you couldn’t bring yourself to worry about that now. Instead, you simply worried about the smaller things, such as making sure Shouto didn’t hurt himself, or making sure that no one would recognize him. 

You didn’t realize just how short your time with him would be.

On a bright, warm, summer day, you waited outside of the castle walls, hidden away from any of the guards patrolling the outside. Today you were supposed to be going on a picnic with Shouto, perhaps just bask in the sun’s rays. It had been a few days since you’d last seen him, since an old friend of the King was coming to visit, and Shouto was to help entertain them. Of course, you’d been understanding of the situation, simply telling him that you’d wait. So, when the day finally came that one of his most trusted knights had shown up at your door to personally deliver a letter from the prince, asking if you’d join him for a picnic, you were quick to agree.

Resting on the wall, you let out a small sigh. He was running a bit late, but you figured that he was probably just trying to find an excuse to leave his father. As you turned around to face the entrance to the castle, you noticed a carriage coming in at the front. You watched as a familiar head of red and white hair popped out of the carriage, making a small smile cross your lips. However, before you could even breathe, you noticed another figure come out beside him:

A rather regal looking woman had stepped out of the carriage beside him, linking her arm in his as she whispered something to him, giggling. As the two were making their way towards the castle, you watched the mysterious woman stare up at him with a look that you knew very well, holding your breath as you saw her pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. You watched as he didn’t push her away, instead allowing her to latch onto him. Humming to yourself, you watched as his eyes wandered around, finally locking with yours, his eyes going comically wide. But you didn’t bother waiting around to see what he’d do. Instead, you simply frowned, making your way back towards the city, deciding that it’d be a lovely day to go and busk in the park. 

For the rest of the day, you found yourself seated on the grassy ground, strumming the lyre that you’d exchanged for your lute at home, singing to your hearts content. You ended up making good tips, and you ended up having an audience by the end of your final song. Once you had finished, you bowed slightly towards the crowd, before moving to head back into town, hoping that you could get a drink before heading home.

However, fate seemed to enjoy playing with your emotions.

Just as you were nearing your favorite tavern, you heard a voice call out to you, followed by a hand catching your wrist. Turning around, you found yourself facing a green haired knight, who looked to be out of breath.

“Sir Midoriya,” You started, turning so you could better face him, “How can I help you?”

He took in a deep gulp of air before shuffling through his belongings, eventually settling on a folded piece of paper, handing it to you. Curiously, you slowly opened the piece of parchment, scoffing as you looked at the location Shouto had wanted you to meet up. Folding the note back up, you handed it back to Midoriya, giving him a smile full of venom.

“Sir Midoriya, please do me a favor and tell His Royal Highness that he can go and fuck himself for all I care,” Giving the man a bow, you entered the tavern, only to quickly turn back and add, “Word for word, please.”

As you slammed the door shut, you thought that would be the end of it, though you supposed that was just wishful thinking. Once the beautiful blue sky of the afternoon had turned into a rosy pink color, you found yourself sitting in one of the more seclusive parts of the tavern, watching the patrons of the bar as you slowly sipped on your drink. You weren’t drunk by any stretch of the word, having not really been in the mood to be throwing up your guts the next day, though as soon as you heard the door open, and your eyes landed on a familiar looking figure, you wished that you had been. 

You watched as mismatched eyes scanned the crowd, eyebrows raising just a hair when his eyes met yours. Figuring that leaving was no longer an option, you waited for the prince to make his way over to you, wanting nothing more than to get this conversation over with. As he finally sat down in front of you, his eyes boring into yours, you took a long swig of your drink, letting out a sigh as you swallowed. 

Setting the mug down, you crossed your arms. “Long way away from home, Your Highness,”

At the sound of his title, he flinched, but he didn’t let that deter him, “(Y/N), let me explain—“

“What’s there to explain?” You questioned, your head tilting in almost a mocking manner, “I get it, you’re a prince. You were going to marry some rich girl eventually, there’s nothing to talk about.”

“(Y/N)—“

“It’s not like we had a chance anyways, it was all just supposed to be fun, right?” You asked, putting on a guarded smile.

He sighed, and you could tell you were getting under his skin. “Would you let me explain?”

When you didn’t say anything, he took it as his chance to go. “I didn’t even know of her until a few days ago. She’s the daughter of one of the most influential Lord’s in the kingdom, and apparently my father made a deal with him, that’s why I’ve been with her,” He reached out to hold your hand, inwardly letting out a breath of relief when you didn’t pull away, “I never wanted this to just be ‘fun,’ and you know that,”

You let out a laugh, though it’s devoid of any humor. “I didn’t think that you were hiding some secret wife, Your Highness, but her being here just reminds me of how different we are. I’m not royalty, and there’s certainly no way that your father would let you be with some random commoner, so is it really worth it to prolong something that’s bound to break?”

“You don’t have to be royalty, I could always,” He trailed off, but you knew what he was getting at.

“Do you really think he’d let you get away that easily?” You asked, and when he didn’t respond you continued, “Besides, you shouldn’t throw away the rest of your life for some random bard, Your Highness. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,”

Pulling your hand away from his, you stood from your seat, giving him a small bow as you walked towards the front door, but not before whispering to his knight to take him back. As you opened the entrance of the tavern, you looked back at the prince you left behind, your heart cracking slightly as you touched the locket on your neck. Smiling, you let the door shut behind you, closing that chapter of your life.

About four months after the last time you saw the Prince, you heard news that he was to marry one of the Lady’s from a dukedom not too far away from the kingdom, one that had a monopoly over some profitable trade routes. Though the King insisted it was a marriage of love, word quickly spread amongst the townsfolk that the Prince was not particularly fond of his bride-to-be, but none of them dared to speak it. 

A year later, the Prince had married his “sweetheart,” and you had found another. While you loved them dearly, you still couldn’t deny the hole in your heart, one that longed to be filled, yet would never be completely whole. 

One night, when your lover had long since gone to bed, you sat out in the night, letting the cool breeze wash over you. As you looked up to the stars, you could faintly make out a constellation of two lovers, and, as your hand went to touch the locket sitting above your heart, you prayed to any deity that would listen to you, pleading with them to bring you back to your prince in the next life, and that next time, the two of you could finally be happy.

Little did you know, that in a castle not too far away from you, a certain prince was looking at the very same stars in the sky, praying for the same thing.

[fuwafuwamedb]

A Cursed G Pt 14 (Gilgamesh, Hakuno, Emiya)

Previous Part: One - HakuPOV / GilPOV, 

Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten,

 Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen

_____

He’d been in a car before.

Multiple times, in fact; he’d been strapped in his backpack in the passenger seat and had ridden with her to and from school. He knew what the car was like.

So there was no reason why she needed to be dealing with this.

“WOMAN! YOU ARE GOING TO SEND THIS WAGON INTO THE ONE BEFORE IT! WERE YOU DROPPED AS A CHILD?!”

She scowled at him.

“WOMAN,” he hollered as they came to a red light. “WHY ARE YOU STOPPING?!”

“It’s red.”

“The sign was red before! As was the building! Are we stopping because of a color?!”

Yes. They were.

And she wasn’t going to listen to him gripe about her driving skills for the entire trip across the city to where the stores were. She turned at the first green logo for the coffee shop and pulled around to the drive thru.

“What are we doing? Is this how you find seamstresses?”

“We’re making a quick stop.”

Gilgamesh went to open the door.

“We’re supposed to stay in the car here,” she told him. “Don’t get out.”

The man just stared at her.

In fact, when she insisted, he shook his head and crossed his arms, waiting for when he could finally do something of value. When the voice came over the intercom, Hakuno found him leaning onto her lap, watching the screen light up and recite their order.

“How did they-“

“Gil, I need to drive.”

He moved back into his seat, frowning as they drove around.

In fact, that scowl seemed permanently in place as she handed him his own coffee and sucked happily on her own. This time, as they headed for the store, she was blessed to listening to the sound of the motor. The complaints had mellowed to the rogue comment being given here or there.

The coffees were completely gone from the two of them drinking on the way to the mall.

“Your seamstresses live in a palace?”

For once, it seemed he was fascinated. She couldn’t blame him either. Compared to the rather boring looking homes that were in her area, the large and columned mall area looked far more grandiose. It was far more impressive.

Hakuno tossed their empty cups into the trash nearby, shaking her head. “It’s just a collection of merchants that sell clothing. No one goes to seamstresses anymore.”

“Unfortunate.”

“What do you mean?”

“The fact that your merchants have taken the noble work of seamstresses away is nothing less than disappointing, Hakuno. It’s the destruction of the hardwork and efforts of elders.”

“We put elders in retirement homes or have relatives take care of them. They don’t really make clothes for anyone.” Well, not as far as she knew. She wasn’t a great authority on that.

“So your elders rot and become useless?”

“They are old.”

The man shook his head, stalking ahead.

“Let us see these wares of theirs then, Hakuno. Although I doubt they can compare to the honest work of a citizen, we’ll see what they can manage.”

“Holdl on! There’s something I should warn you about!”

The man stopped.

Thank goodness he did. The man was much stronger and more able-bodied than her. She had to hold his arm and breathe a moment before continuing with her warning.

“About the mall, if there’s anything that you find that you like, you should let me know. I have some money saved and-“

“This way.”

She blinked, finding her hand taken into his hand and the man pulling her along.

Her sweatpants and tshirt clad companion, dressed more fitting for the gym than for meandering, dragged her through everything.

Everything.

“Hakuno! Look at this!”

She glanced at his first choice, preparing to warn him that his choice was a bit… gawdy, but the man moved closer.

“Look at how meager this is! You’ve brought me to a mockery of a fabric place.”

He’d walked her here.

The man didn’t even stop there. He continued looking around and bringing her more clothing to mock and ridicule.

“Hakuno, can you believe how poorly their beasts survive in this time? To make fur this poor.”

“Hakuno!” He said again, not even a half second later. “Is that from the beasts of the West? Look at the black and white stripes. To think your people slaughter them so eagerly. The sheer greed.”

Was this what hell felt like?

“Hakuno!”

The man stopped at a white jacket, holding it up and making her sigh loudly.

“Hmm? Speak up, woman.” He pulled the jacket on, adjusting the sleeves. “Is something amiss about this beast?”

Other than being fake fur…

She wisely shook her head, earning a shrug before the man was heading towards another corner of the store.

“Gilgamesh!”

Hakuno hurried after him before he could walk out of the place.

“Gil! I have to pay for that!”

“Hmm?” He raised a brow at her.

“The coat! And your other things. I have to pay for those.”

“Why?”

Why?

Gilgamesh motioned to the sales associates fixing displays or ringing up customers. “They have neither greeted us nor shown any interest in haggling, Hakuno. Why would we assume prices and payment when they show no pride nor interest in their own wares? I have deemed these mine since they have failed to do so for themselves.”

“There’s tags on it with prices.”

He laughed loudly, shaking his head. “Merchants have always placed their prices upon their wares as a means for beginning bartering. It is their own fault that they show no pride.”

“Gil, I really don’t want to be arrested. Give me the items for about five minutes and they’re yours. We’ll even get a bag for them.”

He eyed her a moment, but that smirk of his just grew.

“You want these?” He asked.

Frankly, she didn’t.

She’d have rather just gotten him some shirts and pants from somewhere and dragged his ass home, but since he was going to hold those shirts and sport that absurdly white fur coat…

“I would like them for a minute.”

He moved closer, looming over her.

“We are in a place of bartering. I’m in the mood to enjoy a good haggling.”

He was really going to make this whole process that much more difficult?

“What will you give me if I permit you to take and purchase these on my behalf with the negligent workers?”

Freedom from prison was a nice thought. Freedom from being possibly harassed and tortured for being a complete stranger to this land with no identification or knowledge of this time. Freedom from being incarcerated in an asylum for being absolutely delusional about his identity…

He just waited, smirking in that damn fluffy coat.

“What would you have me give?”

“That’s not how bartering works, Hakuno.”

He really wasn’t going to let her get away with this, was he?

Already though, she could see a couple security guards heading towards the store they were in. If she didn’t think of something soon, then they were going to look entirely suspicious. They would not handle the police well. She could already sense that the cops and Gilgamesh would be a bad combination.

She moved forward as that train of thought sped through her mind. Her hands grabbed Gilgamesh’s shirt, pulling him in close.

Her lips pressed against his, the surprise hitting both of them at the same time. The man’s choices dropped from his hands as she felt that magic from before between them. His hands delved into her hair and-

“That is a poor manner of haggling…”

The man pulled back, pulling the coat off and tossing it into her arms.

Was that victory?

It took a second to realize he was releasing her to complete the transaction. By the time she was done, he was already preparing to drag her to the next store.

She waited him out, stopping him near the exits when he was done.

Five more stores.

Five more collections of bags for her to carry as he walked them through the mall area. He took in the sights of the fountains and the domed ceiling over it, watching the skylights and the multitude of jets that came forth.

She followed closely behind him, watching the man look at a kingdom entirely foreign to his own.

The further they went, the more he seemed to be lost.

There was no other word for it. He walked to the fountains, growing quiet as he watched the various jets splashing forth. He watched families go to and fro from one store to another, studying how they spoke to one another… or perhaps what they spoke of. He paused to watch children playing in a kids’ play area, racing one another around.

“Gil-“

He blinked, pausing.

“It’s ah, not wise to go play with them.”

The man sniffed a bit, lifting his chin. “Are you concerned about them playing with someone who has blood on their hands?”

Her gaze flickered to his hands a moment before she shook her head. “Parents these days call for…” what was a good equivalent for police? “…Soldiers. They call for soldiers if anyone comes near their children. It’s not safe to have strangers near your children.”

The man wrinkled his nose, heading away.

It took a second to realize he was leaving her there.

“Your world is without morals, Hakuno,” the man complained.

It was.

Still, she found herself moving to his side and watching him carefully. “Did you used to play with the children in Uruk?”

“They’re my people. My citizens were more than happy to allow me the privilege of spending time with their children. It was humbling and it taught the children to respect my authority.” Those red eyes glanced her way. “To think that your land’s king lacks the sense to allow himself to intermingle with his own people, instead locking himself in the gods only know where-“

“We don’t have a king.”

“Then I pity you more,” he complained. “Yet, it is all the more reason for you to return to Uruk with me. You will suit the kingdom better than being here.”

“I have responsibilities here.”

He wasn’t listening though. The moment she spoke, she could already see that his attention was going elsewhere.

Her eyes followed his gaze, her blood running cold at the sight of the place.

“Gil-“

“Come with me, Hakuno.”

Her feet dragged.

All the way into the store, her feet dragged.

“You have shown me that these places have sizes.” He told her. “What is yours?”

She groaned.

But that was nothing, he merely demanded his answer of her and meandered off, finding a sales associate and pointing at the things he wanted.

There would be an endless bill for this. By the time all of this was said and done, she would curse each and every second she had to wonder about how to pay this credit debt. But the man had his treasure trove of lingerie.

“I have no reason to wear that.”

The man just held his bags and smirked her way.

“This is far less exciting without the haggling. Come, Hakuno. Your so called coffee has run its course.”

“We still need shoes for you.”

She hated every second of the shoe store.

“Gil, those are not meant for this weather,” she complained as he eyed a pair of women’s boots.

“The leather is far better quality than those treated colorful mockeries over there,” he told her, running his hands over the leather of the women’s boots.

She needed a nap.

He settled on some shoes. She didn’t even look at the price as she handed her card to the cashier.

And then they were free.

The bags were tossed into the back of the car a moment before she found Gilgamesh trying to climb into the front of the vehicle.

“…What are you doing?”

“I’ll steer your mount.”

“We would both be taken in by the soldiers if we did that.”

He rolled his eyes, frowning at the small space as he tried to slip into her seat.

“It’s too small,” he noted.

“It’s meant for me.”

“That makes this far less entertaining.” He was back out though, walking around the car.

She would neglect to mention that the seats adjusted, since he was seeming to hold interest in driving without a license.

They moved through the city streets as the sun drifted over towards the horizon, her stomach growling as they pulled into her driveway.

“Hakuno,” Gilgamesh stared up towards her doorway. “Your pest is here again.”

Pest?

She didn’t even need to ask. The moment that the thought came, she saw the head of white hair. The red jacket and bag over his shoulder made it apparent who her guest was.

“What is he doing here?”

She couldn’t let him in. She was supposed to own a cat.

“Just wait her a moment,” Hakuno started to tell him, but Gilgamesh was already climbing out of the car.

“Well, look what we have here,” Gilgamesh observed, voice carrying like he had a damn echo. “What brings you to my woman’s doorstep?”

I’m not your woman, Gil!

Hakuno opened her door and climbed out, forgetting about the purchases in order to stop the madness that would no doubt ensue with Gilgamesh and Emiya.

[storiesofwildfire]

@tarthsoath​ said: "I hope its not presumptuous to offer." There is an awkward stiffness to her back as Brienne offers the bundle of clothing once more. Their travels were long, yes, but she did try to make them comfortable for her companion and of late Loki was tugging and pawing at her dresses. Wincing just so at the title of my lady. Now she may not know much about... other tastes but serving Renley had thought her a few things. There was no shame in it. "Mens clothing. I thought you may be more comfortable."

♔—- Loki had been gifted with many abilities that her brethren did not possess. They never judged her for it, never treated her poorly for it, but they did envy her. None of them would admit it, of course. No one ever wanted to admit to pinning after what they could not have, even those who were not human or... were no longer human. For most of them, they stood above the rest, a superior set of beings that thrived off of what others could not and had more claim to the lands than anyone else.

They did, however, seek to use her gifts. It was why she’d been sent south of the Wall because she was the only one who could. In a way, that still alienated her. They made her feel special, important, perhaps the most important of them all thanks to the gifts that she held over them, but it only served to push her away. After all, she was hundreds, perhaps even thousands of miles away from home, and she had very little in the way of companionship from her home. After a while, it felt like she had no family and she would only be welcomed home if she proved herself useful after running South.

Perhaps that was why Loki felt less and less inclined to return? For years, she roamed and wandered, focused on why she’d left the North in the first place, but as of late, it was easier and easier to find herself... distracted.

One of those distractions happened to be her current traveling companion. Brienne was... lovely, though every time that thought occurred to her, she wondered what she meant by that. Was she lovely to look at? Lovely to spend time with? Lovely to talk to? In truth, it was the entire package. Brienne paid a special sort of attention to her. Their relationship seemed more complicated than it appeared on the surface. To an outsider looking in, Brienne was charged with Loki’s protection and Loki traveled with her for her own good. Loki also had a habit of twitching towards mischievous tendencies, just to keep things interesting. Traveling day in and day out on horseback could be painstakingly boring and Brienne, unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on how one wanted to look at it—was responsible for curbing Loki’s worst impulses and making sure she stayed out of trouble.

Brienne had only ever known Loki as she presented herself now, but the truth was, one of those special abilities that her kind did not typically develop happened to be shapeshifting. She’d taken so many forms since she left the North, she almost forgot what she was supposed to look like, or rather, what she originally looked like.

The more she shifted, though, the more fluid she felt in her own body. Natural and freeing in a way that most things weren’t. She could be whatever she wanted to be and practicing restraint on that was a challenge. After she fell in with Renly and Margaery’s lot, though, she didn’t have the luxury to shift whenever she pleased. Margaery took a special liking to her, one that could have been easily compromised should she reveal her real nature. She hoped, once she got away from Margaery, she’d had a bit more freedom to do as she pleased, but Brienne was almost always within eyeshot.

And traveling...

It became cumbersome in the ridiculous outfits she was expected to wear. Even travel wear designed for women was just so impractical and uncomfortable. She hadn’t noticed the rising irritation, the constant pulling at restricting collars, and the fumbling with frumpy skirts that constantly threatened to have her tripping into the mud and made riding a horse properly a chore in and of itself.

Brienne noticed, though. So much so that as they rode into town to stop for a few days, Brienne wandered off to run “a few errands,” she claimed. Odd, Loki thought. Usually, Loki went with her to pick up food and supplies for their travels. Brienne put value in her needs and her input, so Loki found it odd that she waited in the inn for Brienne’s return.

At least it gave her some time to wash and rest without someone else in her personal space. Not that she actually minded Brienne’s company. In fact, she rather enjoyed it. Even the somewhat annoyed-yet-affectionate sigh that left the woman’s lips when she had to intervene on one of Loki’s schemes. Attentive and concerned, Brienne seemed invested in her, not because of what she could do for her, but because she cared for her. A feeling Loki wasn’t at all used to, but one that she craved and loved all the same.

By the time Brienne came back to their modest room, Loki had a fire going and did her best to dry her hair, which hung around her shoulders in damp tresses. A robe hung around her frame, a gift from Margaery that Loki actually carried with her and used on a regular basis. She just couldn’t stand the thought of pulling one of those tedious dresses back on, not just yet...

So, when Brienne stepped through the door with a bag in hand, Loki glanced up from the fire and smiled. “Glad to see you made it back okay, not that I ever doubted you would.” There was no room for doubt when Brienne was easily one of the most talented warriors she’d ever seen. “Though I have to wonder why you didn’t ask me along. Growing tired of keeping after me? It’s all right, I won’t be offended, I—”

She paused when Brienne murmured something about possibly being presumptuous. Loki’s focus shifted fully to her and the bag that she offered. Men’s clothing, she explained, and Loki blinked in surprise. Brienne might have been observant and wanted to look out for her, but she didn’t expect her to sort out Loki’s issues without ever even speaking on it.

Reaching out, she took the bag in her hands and pulled it open to take a look at the contents inside. Relief flooded her eyes, but only for a moment.

“How... How could you have possibly known?” she asked. “I mean, I never said anything to you about—” Well, it was difficult to explain. Hell, Loki didn’t even understand it herself most of the time. She was what she was and what she was happened to be difficult to define. She could accept that. Explaining it to other people, though? Gods, that was the hard part.

“I have no idea how you sorted this out but thank you. I—I really needed this.”

[hello-stensy-blog]

Political Incident - Chapter VIII

Having been with him since she was but an infant, Rey had experienced all the different shades of Master Luke's silence throughout the years. However, this was nothing like the boring, meditative silence or the "annoyed-by-your-attitude" silence; and even though Rey was more than eager to leave the island, her master's quiet as they grew farther from it certainly became a concern to her. Many times during their journey she had questioned him about their destination, finally turning to interrogate the accompanying sailors to learn more, as the old wizard remained stubbornly wordless during their journey. Knowing at least where they were headed helped Rey carry on with the tiresome trip. Of course, she was still painfully curious about the reason for their hasty departure, but now she was too focused on her hunger and the cold to question further. One night, around their campfire, Master Luke finally spoke. -We will arrive in Arkanis shortly. There, I will ask of you to follow my lead no matter what happens.

She nodded energetically, her moves intensified by the cold and her eagerness to understand.

-I felt evil spreading across this place. A shadow, growing above Arkanis. -You felt it... on the island? But it is so... Far from here ! -I am... connected to someone who is here. Her presence is unusual, and the malevolent aura around Arkanis does not bode well, hence our rushed arrival. (He stirs the ashes to stoke the flames) When we land, we need to be invisible. This dark force I sense is strong and won't be fooled easily. We must act with caution. Act like we belong, walk around the city like we belong. Mere citizens. His strategy will probably be the same. When the source of Darkness is identified to me, then I will tell you what measures we'll take against it.

  *****************************************

  Poe had insisted to remain among the people during the assembly. From there, he could get an idea of the situation as a whole. He could see the poor expression on Leia's face. She was obviously tired by all of this. Who wouldn’t be? Two months had passed since her son killed Brendol Hux, previously King of Arkanis, to claim the throne for himself. Brendol’s heir had not been heard of since then, and even though Kylo Ren’s reign was too short to have been proven worse than the late Brendol Hux, the people of Arkanis were not fond of their new ruler. Leia Ren had struggled to ease their discontent. She had publicly insisted on several occasions that the Rens were not there to enslave Arkanis or let it die, and that she would do her utmost to help their nation recover. She even stated that once matters were sorted, they would arrange a vote for a new ruler―one that the people see fit. Until then, they were all invited to take part in the assemblies she had organized, and speak their minds. Kylo Ren’s face was always tense during these meetings. It was obvious that he hated being here at the center of attention, in front a crowd and listening to critiques on himself and his family. He had his eyes set on a particular man who had been ranting for more than several minutes, now. Poe was not a strong advocate for Kylo Ren, but even he could admit that the individual was distorting facts. He was blaming the Rens for issues that had existed in Arkanis even before their arrival. Could two months in power be enough for hunger and criminality to appear?

-My mother was kind enough to give you an opportunity to speak your mind, and this is how you use your freedom of speech? Kylo said, poorly containing his anger.

Poe Dameron scoffed and spoke in Finn’s ear:

-What is the meaning of this, really? He'd better let his mother do the talking, he's only making things worse.

Finn looked at Kylo Ren with compassion. After all, he was the man who saved his life only a few months ago. He knew what Poe thought about him, they had already discussed it and they didn't agree. Poe thought Kylo was a tyrant in the making, while Finn couldn’t think badly of someone who had risked so much to save him.

-If he was given a chance, maybe…

Poe rolled his eyes with a smirk.

-I don’t think so. He has no idea how to handle these people. He barely knows how to handle himself.

Poe knew perfectly well where his allegiances lied. He used to trust Leia Ren and respect her decisions. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do the same for her son, and it seemed Kylo had become the one in charge of their party lately. He knew that if anything went wrong―if Kylo began to show a side of himself that reminded Poe of the late Brendol Hux―he would have to act against it. Leia was too blinded by filial love to see this dangerous possibility. Poe always thought of himself as fair―he knew he could be a better leader than Kylo. In time, he could probably convince even Finn of that.

  *****************************************

  Kylo was paralyzed. Not by dread, but by anger. The afternoon’s assembly was still on his mind, and his fists were still painfully clenched. People didn't understand him―story of his life. Stupid Arkanis. Acting like I killed a saint when they should be thanking me. I did nothing wrong. Nothing. That's all he could think about. That, and Armitage Hux's disappearance. He wanted to stop languishing over him; to stop feeling the guilt, the anxiety. How will he react when he sees me? Will he draw his sword? Will he leave me no choice but to fight him again, for the name of a father that treated him like garbage? He saw it all, in the cold night of a storm. It was like their minds had been made one, that day. He saw and felt Armitage’s swirling hatred and frustration, enveloping all around him like a drape. When he felt this, he had pushed his sword further inside Brendol Hux’s chest. They were one, him and Armitage. His hands were his. He accomplished this assassination for both of them, and for a second he felt proud of it. But Armitage left their strange union sooner that it had began, pushed away by the reality of what Kylo had done. He had let out a dreadful, silent scream. It was at this moment, Kylo realized Brendol’s heir didn’t see this murder as their achievement, but as Kylo’s treason.

When he returns, we’ll talk. I’ll change his mind, I’m sure. He hated his father. He can’t hate me more than he hated him.

Desperate to make contact with an untraceable Armitage, Kylo Ren spent all his nights after killing Brendol in the prince’s room. He couldn’t reach him again like he did during the storm, no matter how hard he tried. Waiting for a sign, any sign, he examined the room and what it contained. A simple note scrawled in the corner on a page of a well-worn book made Kylo feel closer… But that wasn’t enough. It wasn’t the real thing. Even when Kylo found Armitage’s scent still pressed in his sheets, lying on his stomach and letting his lungs fill with it―the silence looming over him was heavy with uncertainty, and it was not enough. Kylo’s lack of connection to Armitage, and the fact that nobody knew what had happened to the prince unnerved Kylo greatly. He wanted to go look for him in the woods, but his mother had her eyes (which included her own and everyone else’s in the castle) on him. He couldn’t leave the castle’s grounds at all. He had tried once, but it had proved unsuccessful. He had no choice but to wait, no matter how awful waiting felt. After this tough day of dealing with angry people, Kylo wanted nothing more than to turn in early and get some rest. However, he found he couldn’t fall asleep so easily. He was finally about to fall asleep when his body rose from the bed, seemingly on its own accord. Something tugged at the ends of his consciousness. It was this feeling growing inside of him that made him sit up, but just a feeling. Getting closer, closer to the castle. The sensation was not as strong as before, but it was there. Armitage was there. Having caught onto this thread, Kylo Ren rushed down the stairs, where he encountered his mother. She called him out:

-Where are you going, Kylo? -He’s back! The gates, mother, open the gates!

Leia had felt a familiar presence around Arkanis as well, but it was not so close to the castle. It was away, deep in the woods or in the mountains. Who could put her son in such a state? Don’t tell me…

She gave the order, deciding to follow her son’s instinct. Soon, what remained of Arkanis’ royal guard had opened the gates. Leia wasn’t sure this was a good idea anymore, for as soon as the five figures entered, she felt trapped. There was something different about Armitage Hux, she figured it even in the darkness. Was he always so slim? He was, wasn’t he? What about his face? When was the last time he had slept? Right now, he looked like he had known no sleep his entire life. The two knights of Ren kneeled at the view of their master, who approached Armitage Hux at a quick pace, then stopped right away as if facing an invisible wall. He focused on his voice, for it not to be shaky.

-Armitage Hux. -Kylo Ren.

The way the prince of Arkanis answered made Kylo pause. Dread curled in his belly. There’s something off, here. He must know of what I did, and he blames me. Perhaps Armitage hates me, after all. Still, Kylo Ren kept his eyes fixed to the other man. Until Armitage collapsed. Kylo made a move to intervene, but Phasma quickly swept in and caught Armitage even before his body touched the ground. Snoke told Phasma:

-The prince needs rest. Get him to his room, quickly.

She nodded and left, carrying Armitage now. Snoke turned to face Kylo and his mother. Kylo hadn’t even noticed the old man before, as he was too focused on Armitage Hux. For a moment, remaining silent, he asked himself: Who is he? Then, as if the answer was whispering directly inside his head, he knew his name was Snoke. Of course. Kylo now felt like he had always known him. With a gesture of Snoke’s hand, Jeha and Liel stood from their crouch.

-It is good to be back, Snoke said with a smile. -Where were you all? Kylo asked. -We were trapped in a cave, far into the woods, Snoke answered, Most of them were injured, and I’m too old to fight the unforgiving weather of Arkanis. I took care of them and we waited for the storm to settle.

Kylo nodded. He looked at the ground, asking:

-What’s happening to Armitage? Is he okay? -He will be fine, child. Don’t worry. He’s not a force of nature, but with proper care he will be back on his feet in no time.

Leia couldn’t look away from Snoke during this interaction. He noticed it, and bowed to kiss her hand, making her uncomfortable.

-Milady, your advisor has returned to you.

My advisor, Leia repeated in her head. Somehow, it didn’t sound right at all. She could feel that something was off, and tried to make eye contact with her son to communicate this, but she had lost his attention. He told his knights to come with him and followed Phasma inside the castle with determined steps. Snoke, on the other hand, had his eyes fixed on Leia’s. He was digging for her deepest thoughts, she knew it as she felt the cold contamination of his presence. She attempted to fight it, but now she could hear him, talking in her head. Your advisor is back, Milady. Don’t fight it. Be compliant. Give in, like your son. Give in to despair and confusion. It’s the only way. Nobody can keep me out anymore. It didn’t feel right at all. For only a moment, she understood. He was never her advisor. She had never known this man. Her son was in danger. Her terror reached its peak, and with it a darkness she could not fight anymore.

He was her faithful advisor.

[graciedroweuk]

Thomas Cook holidaymakers in Turkey hit with extreme vomiting bug at five-star resort leaving 11-week-baby in hospital and man with kidney failure

A large number of travellers that were terrified have dropped significantly sick having a vomiting disease after browsing with a five star holiday including an 11- a guy being hospitalised with malfunction along with week-old infant suffering serious contamination.

In the last week Sunlight continues to be inundated from visitors staying in Poultry throughout Oct declaring to possess been suffering from an at the Freedom Lykia Lodge.

A large number of individuals have dropped sick while staying in the Freedom Lykia Resort in Bulgaria

Visitors state everyone was therefore sick they certainly were projectile vomiting along paths as well as in shrubs

They declare Thomas Cook did ‘nothing’ to prevent herpes scattering and refused something was occurring

They’ve documented people, children as well as babies vomiting within the pool as well as in shrubs – in addition to several being not able to actually depart their areas after having been held from the nausea and diarrhea bug, along paths.

Throughout Oct visitors have now been dropping – that was sick but state staff and from Cook, did nothing to prevent it spreading and proceed to refuse an issue is there.

One visitor, who came on April 21 with another household but have requested to stay unknown, stated her stepdaughter was struggling with diarrhea within hours of having to Poultry and “projectile vomiting”.

Some travellers documented bad cleanliness problems including wasps throughout food

This isn’t the very first time exactly the same resort continues to be affected by nausea – it just happened in 2010 and 2014 aswell

Using the insect four out-of their number of six have been hit along inside a couple of days.

others yet the mother declare they certainly were informed they’d to fork 50 Pounds out to determine 100 Pounds for that team, or the resort physician to go to them within their space.

She stated: to contact an ambulance on her immediately and said it had been dual what it ought to be and also “They examined her heartbeat.

“They didn’t request if we’d insurance or an E111 or something they simply informed us to create our passports

“At a healthcare facility they went assessments and set her on the trickle, stated she’d a bloodstream disease or something similar to gastroenteritis

Based on visitors a few of the sick wasn’t cleaned-up for times

Lots of people endured horrible nausea and diarrhea plus some have needed clinic therapy

Kid wheeled out-of Turkish resort after severe nausea bug sweeps through resort

“My spouse continues to be truly sick this season with center problems had I not completed we’d will be in difficulty so of this was coated and so I have increased our health care insurance.

“It was only if I informed them when he gets this disease he might expire they transferred us to a different resort – many more haven’t been therefore lucky.”

Based on Thomas Cook it’s “standard process” for clients to declare the price back through travelinsurance and also to cover a visit.

Many households record having while video clip demonstrates young kids being transported by ambulance a minumum of one member of the family being taken fully to clinic.

36, McCarthy, informed us her wedding was nearly named down after the including Clare introduced along many people of the celebration.

The team, who journeyed out to Poultry between Oct 3 and June 26, filled on just as much medicine because they might just-so the special day might proceed.

The mother-of-four from Worcestershire, stated: can’t that was “I think how badly Cook has all handled us, like a marriage party we possibly invested 000 together, about £30. It’s surprising. They’ve a to guard us and they’ve totally didn’t do this.

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“We returned months before and that I am struggling with gastroenteritis.

Wedding been preparing it for 2 decades and they’ve was almost named down.

“It could be unique when they had believed to us they were conscious of the issue and were performing everything within their capacity to cope with it however they didn’t.”

34, who’s mother to 14 Mom, Paul and Billy, 8, included: concerning the wedding is the fact that everybody was ill “It’s truly unfortunate since all anybody recalls. It’s everybody keep referring to.

“One by one everybody began getting sick. There have been 48 possibly around half got along and people available for that wedding ill.

Thoughts that are “Those can’t be changed. I were my two kids and thus had been sick. I couldn’t consume the meals I’d taken care of or beverage in the wedding.

A large number of individuals have fall using the insect, including Selina McCarthyis child because they were out their on her siblingis wedding

The household had flown out for that wedding at the start of Oct but had their journey destroyed

Among Selina’s kids skipped the marriage because of the disease

“We attempted to terminate the marriage since I couldn’t get free from mattress however they informed us when we ‘didn’t get married tomorrow then we didn’t get committed at all’.”

Selina promises a buddy of the 11 – week old infant suffered from such serious contamination the pilot needed to create an urgent situation phone for once they landed on October 8, to ensure that paramedics were and captured herpes.

She added. The infant required a change for that worse whenever we arrived and also the pilot required an ambulance to become there. All of us needed to delay while they got off the infant first. Fortunately there is a health care provider along with a nurse up to speed to watch on her behalf while we were flying.”

Samantha Batey, 41, from Manchester statements she actually handed bloodstream she was therefore poorly suffering from the condition, and claims she’ll discover within the forthcoming months whether she’ll have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) for a lifetime.

But this isn’t the very first time the 645- hotel continues to be struck with a crisis that was vomiting.

And the resort was shut at for related factors round the same amount of time in 2010.

Saint John’s Ambulance staff Jean Pickard, who had been out in Poultry on the £2,300 split with her buddy Suzie and boy Port, furthermore arrived along using the vomiting disease that was unpleasant.

Because the episode of herpes travellers have criticised how it’s been managed by resort team and Thomas Cook

They declare the rooms in hotels and typical places were not washed correctly

Denise, who lives in Stockport with Port and her parent boy 16, David, stated after her entire household fell sick using the parasite in the SAME resort in 2008, she successfully sued Cook with help. Since the vacation from heck quit Wayne also struggling with IBS for a lifetime she gained a shell out.

Denise stated: “We fell sick a few times after and got there on April 20.

“Thomas Cook at every stage were attempting to refuse anything was incorrect

“We requested for that space to become cleaned once we were nevertheless being ill as well as for them to depart the disinfectant however they weren’t cleaning precisely and there is still ill showcases and decorated up the doorways.

“Susie and that I both had shots and received tablets that have been antibiotics, anti-nausea and Buscopan but we were still sickness and getting diarrhoea.”

This week, Denise, who’s nevertheless caught in Bulgaria until, included: since everyone was being ill throughout them-and within the shrubs “Only on Fri did they begin cleaning the pathways.

“It is definitely an outbreak, you will find countless people here-but the majority are caught within their rooms.”

Lawyer Farnworth Rose established it pursued 40 instances of individuals suffering disease while staying in the Freedom Lykia and also the negotiation procedure is on going.

However are “coming in fast” and heavy to ensure that quantity will probably develop as travellers go back to the united kingdom and find out their GPs.

After months of individuals getting sick, a notice was apparently pushed under doorways a week ago

A lot of those who’d headache vacations are seeking lawful activity against Thomas Cook

Jackie Sleigh, another Cook client, had her vacation destroyed when her friend Harvey, she and 16 -year old child Georgina Mead’s friend Evans captured the nausea bug.

The 46-year old primary-school instructor from Hampshire “At the pleasant assembly about the Sunday it stank of vomit also the youthful repetition tried to get individuals to speak in a large part.

“When why and he or she simply stated they’d we questioned got an issue using the cleansing.

Fran turned sick, she experienced any food or hadn’t experienced the swimming.

“When she satisfied using the resort supervisors they informed her she was ill since she ‘had an English tummy’.

“They wouldn’t reveal just how many everyone was ill but every team we talked to had a minumum of one individual sick, that’s no exaggeration.

“It was surprising, we thought what’ve we experienced below? Children were seen by us everywhere from wherever they’d drains within their hands with plasters.

“The location have been suggested in my experience with a buddy and since my additional child is autistic and doesn’t prefer to travel her dad is taking care of her which means this was said to be a unique journey absent for Georgina, it had been quite a bit of cash for all of US once we usually simply visit Devon but this price people about £2,800.”

Jackie promises that despite a gathering being organized using the supervisor he insisted it had been just an and declined to cope with worrying visitors like a team.

The most recent ‘crisis’ uses 42 people gained a mixed negotiation of £100,000 in-May after enduring an identical disease in March 2014

Denise Prickardis boy Port, 8, turned sick throughout their journey, destroying their household vacation

Denise effectively charged Thomas Cook after her household got sick in the same resort in 2008, departing parent boy David with everlasting IBS

She claims that though in the beginning everyone was for medication at the conclusion of the journey as well as being billed to determine a health care provider delayed a week ago everything “suddenly turned free”.

Fran, who functions in medical-science study and has become struggling with another disease that could be tonsillitis or from acidity from vomiting so significantly, included: “I was informed I had a need to visit hospital-but they’d just obtained my blood-pressure which was it, they didn’t request basically was on any medicine or had any pre existing problems or something.

“If after 5.30pm you couldn’t you desired to visit a physician in the resort, they simply desired to contact you an ambulance although you didn’t require one.

“When I did so get medicine and so I didn’t everything returned in Turkish understand just how much I had been designed to consider and so I really named a medical buddy in the united kingdom and requested them to discover for me personally or what it had been.

“We nevertheless don’t actually understand what it’s or what triggered it.”

Clare McCarthy’s wedding was destroyed when she and half her visitors turned sick your day before

She stated it’s the one thing everybody today recalls in the special day

Concerns are increasingly being elevated about how exactly exactly the same influx in some instances leaves them with sustained health conditions, as well as of nausea which damages people’s vacations, continues to be permitted to proceed for such a long time.

A spokesperson for Jones Cook says the hotel set up raised cleanliness and cleansing steps to reduce the spread of disease pursuing elevated reviews of disease from visitors.

He included: “Nothing is very important to us compared to security and wellness of our clients.

“We’re conscious of a rise in documented instances of client disease in summer in the Freedom Lykia resort. A completely independent review was organized for by us, and we shall take-all required actions to correct any problem year prior to the resort reopens for summertime while it didn’t determine any particular trigger related to food or cleanliness.

“We’re calling our affected customers all to the united kingdom on the go back.”

The resort closed on Friday for that end-of the growing season.

The Freedom Lykia Resort was approached for remark but didn’t react.

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from network 4 http://shorenewsnow.com/thomas-cook-holidaymakers-in-turkey-hit-with-extreme-vomiting-bug-at-five-star-resort-leaving-11-week-baby-in-hospital-and-man-with-kidney-failure/