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So it was finally happening. Prince Kabru was being sent by his mother, Queen of the Elves, by way of the Canaries, to marry the King of Merini as part of a peace deal. The only problem was, the only thing anyone had heard of that kingdom was that their King was a cursed beast that was over 1,000 years old.
Though he didn"t want to, (he tried to escape and fake his own death several times) Kabru had no choice but to go through with the arrangement and set sail for Merini under tight guard with one ship carrying him and two more carrying gifts of good fortune for the wedding. From the deck of the ship Kabru inhaled one last breath of the spring air of his homeland as it disappeared from view.
The Canaries were a small Elvin group on the southern coast of the Central Northern Continent. Kabru himself was not an elf but had been adopted by the Queen at a young age after a shipwreck beached him on their shores. After being bestowed a title, he was sent to live with the Canaries under the care of the Queen’s former personal guard Misiril and it became all he knew. Though it wasn"t ideal, he knew it was a much better life than he would have had elsewhere. Despite that, Kabru always felt othered wherever he went on the island.
He was a Tallman by birth, meaning he loomed over any and all that were in his company by the time he was a young teenager. His skin was dark but that wasn"t too out of the ordinary as many Elves were of a similar if not darker complexion. His eyes weren"t that different either with jewel tones being normal. But despite his similarities, he was still always reminded that he was the Foreign Prince.
“The little boy they found by the sea.”
Being left alone with his thoughts the entire voyage ended up with Kabru imagining the old King as some type of decrepit chimera that was going to kill him on arrival.
“Don"t worry my little Prince,” Lycion tried to tease him. “We all promise to fight the monster King so he eats you last.”
The other Elves around them fell into giggles as Kabru twisted his face.
“I could just jump overboard and have you all go to prison for it, you know.” It was a common threat that just resulted in some like Cithis and Otta pinching his cheeks and Lycion ruffling his hair.
Eventually the convoy made land and they were greeted by the happy smiling citizens of Merini. The port town was beautiful and had brightly decorated streets leading from the harbor to the Castle. It was rare to see other Tallmen back home but here, he wasn"t the odd one out as people rushed to greet him. It was nice to look up to speak to people for once.
Prince Kabru was surprised to find himself actually smiling and waving at well wishers as he passed in the carriage the Royal family had sent to collect him. Young children carried by their parents handed him flowers and thanks to his studies of common tongue he was able to pick out pieces of compliments many were trying to give him.
“Maybe this won"t be so bad.” Kabru said as he tried to convince himself that his worrying was all for nothing.
Well that was until another one of his attendants whispered to him between waves. “You know they probably view this as a prosperity or fertility ritual.”
The thought froze him mid wave making his fear and dread return as the palace loomed closer. “I swear Fleki. You do this on purpose.”
The Grand Palace of Merini stood proud against the sky as the caravan approached.
“Not as grand as Mother’s but Tallmen don"t live long enough to reach that type of architectural prowess.”
The walls were made of smooth marble and granite with high towers and beautifully paned windows with some even sporting stained glass. They were thick and well fortified adding a layer of security with guards posted just out of the sight of festivities.
“Definitely not the castle of a 1,000 year old King.”
Once inside the castle walls, the excitement slowed as many of the common folks stayed in the outer courtyard. Kabru looked around at the banners and flower garlands hung from the castle windows with his own family crest, the crest of the Canaries, and the King’s crest hanging over the inner gate he had to pass under.
The guards and higher ranking nobles disembarked their carriages and walked alongside the Prince’s carriage as it rolled along to reach the grand steps.
“Relax your Grace.” The head attendant Cithis reminded him as she readjusted the gold circlet on his head. “No matter what happens, your sacrifice for your people will always be remembered.”
“You make it sound like I"m going to die Cithis.”
“Well, no one says you aren"t.”
“Shut up Fleki!”
There were cheers as Kabru finally stepped out of his carriage and made his way up the steps. Other than the ministers and advisors that he expected to meet, there were so many other people waiting to greet him as he entered the building, it felt like it took an hour to finally reach his quarters. As his entourage finally relaxed, his servants unpacked his belongings and Kabru sat by the window and looked out at the land he was soon to be co-ruler of.
“At least it"s beautiful.”
From his window the Prince had a view of miles of farmland visible just outside the town and mountains off in the distance. He had done a bit of research on Merini and he knew they were mostly self-sufficient but had great trade with many cultures meaning they were stable.
“So then why do I need to be here?”
A sharp noise just below his window caught his attention and he looked for the source. Far below him was a large man that looked like he had just fallen off his horse but seemed uninjured as he sat in the dirt and laughed.
“Are you alright?” Kabru had no idea why he called out to him.
The man looked up in surprise that someone had seen him. He was filthy from head to toe but he raised his hand to signal he was alright and hopped back on his horse.
“Hope I didn"t disturb you, Your Grace.”
They stared at each other.
Standing, the stranger was only a few inches shorter than his horse, seeing as the fall didn"t hurt him Kabru could tell he was sturdy. He was blond and very fair skinned but seemed unbothered by the sun shining on him.
“You must be starving after your journey. I"ll send a meal for you.”
How did he know that? Before Kabru could ask, a voice called the man away and he waved before riding off.
To his surprise, though he shouldn"t have been, a platter of fruits and cakes arrived about an hour later and was devoured by his attendants.
Despite everything the festivities continued well into the night and that evening there was a banquet at which Kabru was officially introduced to the Merini court as the King"s betrothed. The entire time he shook, expecting the monster King to appear and devour them all whole.
But, the King in question was nowhere to be found.
“Brear febzi kal.” Lycion whispered as Kabru tried to enjoy his meal. (Another day is to be seen)
~~~
Kabru was in Merini for about a week before he finally met a member of the Royal family. Princess Royal Falin Touden had been out to the South of the country and she was a sweet woman who greeted Kabru with a sisterly hug as she gave him a walking tour of the city.
“Have you been comfortable?” she asked as they walked down the hill.
Overall he was but most of Kabru’s days had been filled with introductions to important people and getting history lessons from Thistle the former Court Jester turned Palace Historian who was honestly a little scary whenever Kabru answered a question incorrectly.
“Oh don"t worry about him.” Falin laughed as a shopkeeper greeted her. “He’s lost his ability to do any baneful magic but he is prone to biting and throwing things so I hope you have good reflexes.”
The Elf was 4’11 and clearly filled with violent thoughts so Kabru stored that information for later. The tour continued and it was nice to see how the town looked and moved under regular circumstances. Falin explained more of the city and the lore of the area in a way that was more interesting (and less physically threatening) making Kabru wonder something.
“Is the King here?” he finally worked up the nerve to ask as they made their way home with a bit of shopping for the Palace Chef.
Gold eyes opened wide and Falin’s friendly demeanor vanished. “He hasn"t greeted you yet?”
“No?”
“This is so embarrassing.” she seemed to deflate a bit. “He’s a bit shy but I told him he needed to greet you the day of your arrival but that stupid brother of mine.” Whatever else she wanted to say was lost as she began trudging up the hill leaving the Prince behind.
That night dinner was by himself but he could hear faint yelling in a different part of the castle.
~~~
Having had enough of his lessons, Kabru decided one morning to skip it all together and explore the gardens. The portion he was able to see from his window seemed to be an orchard of trees he couldn"t recognize but he always caught the smell of the roses he was told grew nearby. He took one loop sticking close to the palace walls and eventually branched out into the rose gardens.
As he walked through and enjoyed their colors, he got a twinge of homesickness. In the few times he had visited the main Palace, he had always been entranced by the gardens the Queen kept. There were roses and tulips along with the hydrangeas he would hide in with the intent to scare his mother only to be outed by the fairies that constantly flitted about her.
“Your Highness?”
Kabru was startled by a voice behind him and turned to see the blond man from his first day. He was just as dirty as the last time they had seen each other and Kabru looked him up and down unnerved.
“You"re out for a walk?” The nerves seemed to be mutual.
“I just wanted some air.”
“It does get stuffy in there sometimes.” The man tried to laugh to ease the tension.
“Did he live in the castle?”
“Indeed. And not to mention I may or may not be hiding from Thistle.”
“Oh yeah he’s gotten me in the arm a few times.” The stranger rolled up his sleeves and showed a few teeth marks.
“Oh my god!” Kabru tried to cover his mouth as he laughed. “I thought the Princess was joking.”
“Glad she warned you ahead of time.” He smiled, readjusting his clothing. “She only warned me after.”
Silence fell between them and they just stared at each other.
“Would you care to join me on my walk?” Though Kabru knew better than to invite strangers with him, it was better to walk the garden with someone that knew the grounds well.
“Your eyes really are beautiful.” The comment must have slipped out unexpectedly because the man looked mortified at what he said and both he and the Prince were red in the face. He quickly bowed and excused himself leaving Kabru stunned amongst the flowers.
“Who is that guy?”
Later that night a bouquet of roses appeared at his bedroom door with a simple apology note and Kabru tried not to let on how special it made him feel.
~~~
“Who was the Golden King of Merini?” Thistle circled the desk Prince Kabru was working at.
“King Degal.” Kabru droned. Since he had been caught and berated for skipping lessons, now Thistle waited for him outside his chambers every morning.
“And for how long did he reign?”
The lessons seemed to go on forever and Kabru did his best to endure them only to be whisked away directly after for wedding planning. Ever so often he would get time to himself and only then would he run into the man from the garden and they would have an endearingly awkward conversation that resulted in small gifts being brought to his room just before bed.
Thankfully Falin was there to keep him company and let him rant as he felt like he was losing his mind.
“It"s hard to be excited for a wedding when I still don"t know who I"m marrying.” he had been in Merini for a little over a month with still no sight of this elusive King of theirs.
“What if he isn"t even real?”
Falin put her tea down and looked apologetic. “He’s told me he’s seen you and spoken to you several times.”
Kabru scoffed. “I feel like I would know if I met the King.”
“King Laios isn"t one for the pompousness of his title.” she laughed. “Several times he’s been mistaken for grounds help by visiting nobles.”
Kabru spent the rest of the night trying to figure out when they had crossed paths. Despite his best efforts, he fell asleep to thoughts of the man in the garden.
~~~
Mid summer in Merini was much hotter than his home coast. During his explorations in the gardens Kabru had stumbled upon a secluded pool covered by trees so he knew it would be the best bet to keep out the summer heat. Once his lessons were done he grabbed Cithis and Lycion to join him.
“I guess your little adventures paid off.”
The trio made it to the pool and Kabru broke through the brush first only to be greeted by the sight of his stranger friend clearly taking a break from the sun.
“Oh!” he tried to look away. “I’m sorry!”
For once in their meeting the man was clean and Prince Kabru tried not to watch as the water fell from the man’s hair, onto his shoulders, down his chest-
Kabru was pulled out of his thoughts by a splash and when they look it was Lycion happily splashing about.
“Oh, don"t mind us!” Cithis said as she stepped out of the shadows already partially disrobed.
The man, skittish as always, began trying to leave but he was cornered by the two Elves. They badgered him with questions and not so secretly pinched and poked at the man causing his blush to take over his whole body.
“Ok that’s enough you two.” He made the two of them leave and though they obeyed their Prince’s command there was plenty of complaining.
“Fine!” Lycion sighed dramatically. “But what would the King think of his betrothed in a secret pool with someone else.”
“Go!!”
“The King would have to give me the time of day first.”
When the two Elves finally departed Kabru turned back around to the blond man trying to catch his breath. “Your friends are interesting.”
“Sorry about them. They usually don"t mean any harm.” Most of their antics was just to embarrass him.
Kabru sat at the edge of the pool watching him and the way the water rippled around his movements. The man dunked himself in the water several times before either of them spoke again.
“I can turn away if you wanted to get in as well.” He turned to face the fountain at the far end of the pool to give the Prince some privacy. “To preserve your modesty and all.”
Kabru took him up on the offer and he tried his best to not focus on the broad back and waist as he removed his clothes. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
As he lowered himself into the cool water, Kabru finally asked the question that had been on his tongue for days. “I"ve been here about a month and a half and I still don"t know your name.”
It wasn"t for lack of trying but the man would always run off before he could remember to ask for it.
“If I may be so forward, would it change things if you did?”
That was an odd thing to say. Kabru dipped himself up to his shoulders as the man turned back around to face him. “Do you think it would?”
His partner shrugged trying to hide a smile. “I would hope not.”
“It"s only fair since you know my name.”
“Your arrival was planned for months, so of course I knew who you were.” The man extended a hand for Kabru to take and the young Prince accepted. “Also, you"re the most beautiful creature in my Kingdom. It would be crazy to not know who you are.”
Kabru’s hand was brought to the man’s lips and he held his breath as a gentle kiss was placed on his knuckles. Kabru fought back the thought of what they would feel like on his own lips.
“Who are you?” his mouth felt dry.
The man said nothing as he wadded to the edge of the pool and climbed out. “You"re finally getting married this weekend.” he smiled as he threw his tunic on. “Try not to be disappointed when you reach the altar.”
Kabru was left by himself as the man disappeared into the brush.
“Wait, did he say My Kingdom?”
~~~
Prince Kabru was under constant surveillance for the next several days as the palace was decorated for the nuptials. Wherever he went there were several attendants and guards watching his every step and the only good thing about it was he didn"t have time to overthink anything.
“Has anyone seen the trunk that has his wedding clothes in it?” Otta yelled as she ran around the room.
Fleki was told to help her look but Kabru could do nothing but stare at the ceiling. He had wanted to tell the others what had happened in the pool after they left but he then feared that if they were overheard it would lead to scandal. He also requested a private meeting with Falin to ask her about the strange man but she declined due to her needing to help with preparations. He officially reached out to the King demanding to meet him properly but all he got back was a gift box containing a pair of gold bracelets and a note saying it would happen soon enough.
Having finally exhausted himself, Kabru laid on the couch unresponsive as Cithis began his beauty treatment.
“Oh come now, stop being so dramatic.” she laughed as she covered his face in a clay mask.
“I"m going to be marrying a ghost monster King and you don"t think I should be dramatic?” he loudly complained. “What if I was right? What if he really is a monster and he’s going to kill me right there in front of everyone?”
“Why would he wait this long to do it?” Otta tried to help.
“To make sure he was fattened to his liking.” Lycion tried the opposite.
The evening descended into chaos and Prince Kabru had to be given a sleeping tonic to get rest.
~~~
Kabru woke with a start to trumpets blaring somewhere nearby. If he remembered correctly it would be the King leaving the castle to go to the Cathedral to get ready there and he himself was to follow after once it was time. The Prince rushed to an area that overlooked the path out of the courtyard but the King was already in his carriage and heading out the gates before he could get a look at him.
“Damn.”
Breakfast was quick and while Cithis fiddled with his hair he began to feel a bit more relaxed.
“Whatever happens, it’s for the best.”
“The King would never hurt the Queen’s son.”
“I’m going to make the most beautiful Monarch this Kingdom has ever see-”
“All right, cut it out.” Cithis was using her illusion magic to fill his head with positive thoughts. Though it was annoying at times, he was touched that she was trying to get him to calm down.
“All we can do now, My Prince, is make it to the end of the day.” she bowed and placed his crown on his head.
When Kabru stood from his vanity all the others in the room followed suit. It made him realize that even though they gave him shit 90% of the time, they still cared for him and would support him to the end.
“Ok. I think I"m ready.”
The trip to the Cathedral was just like his arrival. The streets were loud and exciting and he tried his best to keep a smile on his face as flowers and grain were thrown into the street for him. They reached the church and all of his attendants stepped out first and spaced themselves accordingly to line his path into the building.
His wedding ensemble came with a beautifully embroidered hood and as he entered it was pulled up onto his head and once he was deemed ready, he began his walk down the aisle.
Unlike the silence of Elvish ceremonies, there was music playing and a choir singing as he approached the altar and the other hooded figure waiting for him there. The person was already kneeling at the feet of the officiant and he had been reminded several times that he was expected to do the same.
“Just do as you are instructed and it will be ok.”
He told himself.
“Besides, this is sacred ground.”
When he finally reached the altar Kabru kneeled and accepted the blessing of the officiant and other religious leaders present. From what he understood they were to stay kneeling the entire time as prayers of good fortune and blessings were said over them along with the legal provisions their union was going to provide for them and the political benefits that their union would provide for the nation.
“The Tallman raised as an Elvin Prince, sent into a foreign land as a token of goodwill.” the Officiant said, placing a hand on Kabru’s head. “And we vow before our Lord and King to treat him as one of us because he is one of us.”
Kabru almost looked up in shock. He had never had anyone say that about him before. He wasn"t able to dwell on it for long because they were both told to stand and join hands for a prayer of unity. The King’s hand reached toward him and though Kabru hesitated, he took it.
As the Officiant said the final words it all clicked into place.
“It"s been him the entire time.”
The dirty man that was always seen wandering around and shyly engaging him in conversation was the King.
“His Royal Majesty, King Laios Touden, Born of the North and Slayer of Demons.” The title rang in Kabru’s ears as the other man’s hood was ceremoniously removed revealing blond hair, gold eyes, and the same shy smile he wore when they bumped into each other in the garden.
“And His Royal Highness, Prince Kabru of Utaya, Son of the Elvish Queen Heimea.” his own hood was removed in a similar manner forcing them to finally see each other properly.
“Why didn"t you say anything?” Kabru whispered as best he could.
“I told you it wouldn"t change anything.” Laios did the same. “You look beautiful by the way.”
“I felt like you had been avoiding me the whole time.”
“I was too nervous to meet you at first but after you saw me fall off my horse I panicked.”
The Officiant held a cup between them and they both took a sip before he returned to whatever he was saying.
“So all this time it had been you?” Kabru was surprised that he was a bit hurt by all of this.
“Are you angry with me?” Laios scrunched his brows into a worried expression that was honestly rather cute but Kabru needed to stay strong.
“Angry doesn’t even begin to cover it. Your Majesty.”
They were interrupted again by the Officiant finally getting to their vows. “Do you Laios Touden, take Kabru of Utaya to be your Husband?”
“If he will still allow it.”
There was a murmur from the crowd and a stutter from the Officiant before he continued. “And do you Kabru of Utaya, take Laios Touden to be your Husband?”
Did he? He looked up at his King and realized Falin was right. Laios wasn"t his title. He was just a man. A man in a garden, who fell off a horse, and accidentally on purpose forgot to introduce himself to his betrothed until the day they were getting married.
He looked into the golden eyes locked on him and smiled. Cithis was right after all. There was nothing to be worried about.
“I do.”