A Fickle Fingered Fate
Paying the Price
The once proud and noble king fell to his knees in front of his throne, forced down by the threat of the sword hanging before his face. The light gleamed off the mirror-like steel, polished so carefully he could see his own sweaty brow. His gaze flowed along its length to the hilt, a four-fingered hand held it firmly, the middle finger oddly missing.
"So, little king, we meet face to face at last." The monster towered over him, grey scaly skin hidden beneath layers of metal and leather, ink black hair slicked back and bound in a leather thong. His yellow eyes pierced him, cold and apathetic. His death would not shake this beast even in the slightest, and that was terrifying.
The tip of the blade moved closer to his eye, hovering close yet never touching, though he swore he could feel the sharpness of it still. "Make peace with your deity, human, I shall grant you that courtesy," said the monster, his eyes narrowing. "It was more than your murderers offered to my people. So do not squander my charity."
"I need no pity of yours, monster!" the king snarled. "End me, barbarian, or do you take delight in my suffering? Even after my demise, my people will cry out for your head!"
The reptilian creature scoffed. "I know war is coming-no, it has already begun. You set this fire when you attacked, and now you will be but one more victim." He tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps, after today, now that they have seen my forces, they will agree to leave this tragedy as it is, and allow it to die along with you. But mewmans are known to act stupidly..."
He raised the sword, taking it in both hands. "Now then, may you rest in peace," he said coldly, and brought the sword down.
"WAIT!" A shrill scream brought the blade to a halt, the tip drawing a drop of blood where it pricked the king's scalp. The monster looked up, turning his head, as did the two guards he had brought with him. They had raised their weapons, but had stopped upon seeing the intruder.
Pale pink hair curled around a heart-shaped face, framed by two perfect ringlets. Wide deep blue eyes stared past tears and black lashes, painted lips still parted from the outburst. As with all mewman women, she had twin marks on her flushed cheeks, pale periwinkle crescents, facing outward with their backs to one another. Rich sky blue streaked through her hair, the color similar to the king's own sapphire locks.
If that alone hadn't explained who she was, the tiara on her head did.
The Princess of Mewni.
The monster slowly drew back the sword, taking a half-step away as she rushed to the king, raising a hand to stop his guards from blocking her path. She threw her arms around him, holding the man tightly. But the king tried to push her from him, a new fear in his eyes. "You mustn't be here-flee!" he commanded. "You must get to safety!"
She batted his shoving hands away. "I can't!" she cried. "You'll be-" She couldn't bring herself to finish it, and she turned to the monster. Much to his surprise, she all but threw herself at his feet, bowing her head so low the tiara tumbled from her head. "Please, I'm begging you-don't kill him!" she sobbed. "Please!"
He kept an impassive expression. "You're his daughter, I assume?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Do you know why I have come for his life, Princess? Do you know just what you defend?"
She lifted her head, tears streaming down her face. "Did...did you not attack first?" she asked hesitantly, clearly confused.
The reptilian glared at the king for a moment before giving her his attention once more. "You are aware that he sent out soldiers, are you not? Surely you couldn't miss five hundred mewmen armed to the teeth."
"A...a scouting pilgrimage," she replied. "Sent to find and tame new farmlands-to feed our people!"
He slowly shook his head. "I pity you in this, Princess, to be so blatantly lied to by your own father." The woman stared, eyes growing wider. "He sent mewmen to conquer. Mercenaries to pillage and murder." He jabbed the point of the sword at the man behind her. "He had a village of my people slaughtered and burned to the ground, leaving only one monster alive just long enough to send word to my castle, before he too died in my arms of his wounds."
He leaned down, bringing himself closer to her face, taking up her whole field of vision. "Do you still defend him, Princess?"
The monster watched the horror and disgust in her eyes. She slowly looked back at her father, who was staring a hard hole into the floor, then looked back to him. "I don't condone what he has done. You have every right to do all of this, and I will pray to the Goddess for your lost people...but he is still my father, and I still love him."
She lowered her head, shoulders giving a shudder. He waited patiently, knowing she had more to say, and gave her a moment to collect herself. "A kingdom cannot survive the loss of its king, but it can lose a princess."
The statement shocked all who were present. The monster's eyes widened as his brows rose in surprise, while the king looked both furious and terrified.
"Don't you dare!" he snapped, but was ignored.
She looked up to the reptilian, tears no longer falling. "I can't rule by law without a husband, and our council would call for war. Both of our peoples would suffer-countless more pointless deaths!" she stated. "But it doesn't have to happen-we can stop it now, if only you will here me out!"
He stared at her, studying her closely. She was shaking, afraid and vulnerable. They both knew he could kill her before she could so much as scream, but the determination and courage shone brightly in her eyes. "You have my attention, Princess."
She bit her lower lip, the action drawing his eye, its true natural pink peeking through the brighter lipstick coating them. "I propose...a trade, of sorts. Spare my father and my people...and take me instead."
While his expression didn't waver, the monster was stunned. Her father leaped forward, dragging her to her feet, forcefully pushing her behind him. "You'll not have my child!" he shouted. "You'll have to kill me long before you so much as lay a finger on her!"
"And you will doom us all!" she yelled, a brighter red creeping into her flushed face. She pushed away from his shielding, glaring defiantly. "You lied to me-to all of us! You've-you've...!" She visibly swallowed, either to keep down the contents of her stomach, or to hold back a breakdown, they couldn't tell. "You're in the wrong, and you've brought the ramifications of your actions down on all our heads! I will NOT stand back and watch innocent people be killed for your greed!"
New tears formed on her lashes, sorrow covering her face. "I still love you, and the kingdom needs you much more than it needs me. You've always told me a good princess must sacrifice herself for the good of her country, and this will save them all!"
"He hasn't even-!"
"I accept." The man froze, turning pale as he turned to the monster, whose gaze was fixed on the princess. "She may take your place." He gave the king a sideways glance. "How fitting that you should lose someone so precious to you as payment for your crimes."
The king ground his teeth, fists clenched and shaking with rage. "You-! Vile creature!" he spat.
The monster lifted the sword again as the man made to move towards him, the tip resting on his chest as the reptilian regarded him cooly. "I am not as heartless as you claim me to be, little king. Normally, I would have denied the offer and merely taken your life." He turned to the woman. "However, seeing as she has made several fine arguments for her cause, I shall accept her offer to take your place, but I shan't be spilling her innocent blood."
Lowering the sword, he slowly approached the princess, watching her carefully. She took a slight step back, clasping her hands together tightly as the trembled. But she didn't look away from his gaze. He liked her spirit.
He held out his hand, her eyes dropping to it, noticing his missing finger, but made no comment. "I now make a proposal of my own, to add along side yours," he stated. "Princess. Your people would rally to your rescue, even if you came 'willingly', should I-a monster-take you from your home. However, there is nothing they could do, should we make a slightly different sort of arrangement. I propose we unite our lands, the proper way."
He gently took one of her hands, bowing low over it, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. "Will you marry me, Princess?"
She gulped, and nodded shakily. "Yes, if you will spare my people."
He nodded. "Then we have a bargain," he replied, releasing her hand to sheath his sword. "I shall call off the attack, and we shall return to my lands. I will give you one hour to collect whatever you desire to bring with you, and say your farewells."
She nodded, glancing briefly to her father, who was staring at them in muted rage, the helplessness he felt so clear to her. "I'll start packing."
She took her dresses and her favorite jewelry. A few books managed to make it into her trunks, as well as her sewing supplies. There wasn't much else she wanted to take, save for the white fur she had slept with for several years that she couldn't bear to leave behind. Once everything was packed, a pair of huge monsters came to take her things to a wagon to be transported to her new home.
She tried to reassure the servants who came out of hiding, wanting to send the impression that she was truly happy to go along with her hastily thought of plan. She wasn't, but she was resolved to see it through. What she didn't see was her father. No matter where she looked, she was unable to find him by the time her hour was up.
She took one final object with her. A case of polished black wood, lined with thick blue velvet, cradling a magic wand. It was a simple wand, one charged with enough raw magic to cast only three spells before it lost all its power. It was formed of a clear crystal rod, with a teardrop gem in a dark pink at the tip. She hoped to never need it, but she would take it anyway, just in case.
As she tucked it away into the knapsack she had slung over her shoulder, a heavy knock came at her door. She cleared her throat, then called, "Come in!"
Another monster pushed the door open, and the first thought that popped into her head was that he looked like he belonged in the water. He bowed deeply. "Princess Apis, my Lord awaits you in the courtyard."
She swallowed slightly. Ever since she was a child, men made her nervous. The courage drawn up by fear for her father and kingdom that had allowed her to face the monster in the throne room was now gone, and she fiddled a handful of her skirt in a vain attempt to ease her nerves. She nodded, and grabbed a ribbon she'd left out of her packed belongings, and tied up her mass of pink and blue curls into a ponytail. Grabbing her riding gloves, she slipped her hands into the soft leather. "You can just call me Miakoda," she replied as she approached, holding the strap of her bag to give her nervous hands something to do other than wrinkle her skirt. "There's no need to use my family name, especially since it'll be changed soon."
He gave another slight bow. "Of course, Princess Miakoda," he replied, then offered his arm, a gesture she'd expect from any noble gentleman of court, but was surprised to see monsters seemed to have the same kind of manners. "I am Yvgeny Bulgoyaboff."
She paused, lips slight parted as she tried to even pronounce the strange name. He smile with a slight chuckle. "You may call me Buff Frog, as my friends do."
"Friends?" She felt a hint of warmth in her chest. "You would consider me a friend-enough to use a nickname for you?"
He nodded, wrapping her hand around the crook of his elbow. "My Lord and I are very close, Princess. We shall be seeing a lot of each other. Best to make nice now, no?"
She smiled, feeling more at ease with his easygoing nature. "Yes, I suppose that's the best course action, Buff Frog." She giggled slightly. "It feels so strange calling someone 'frog'. Most of my people would think it an insult. Our ways must be very different."
"In some ways, yes," he replied. "But in other ways, we are very much the same."
Miakoda nodded, her curls bouncing with every step she took. "I'm afraid I don't know much about monsters, and what I do know I'm not sure if it's actually true."
"You will learn, if you are willing," he stated. They climbed into a golden evaluator, a servant standing nearby began cranking the wheel to lower them to the first floor. They rode in silence for a moment, the only noise being the clunking of the spinning cogs.
Biting her lip, Miakoda looked to the monster. "What is he like?" she asked. "The king? I've never learned about him in my studies, so I don't know anything about him."
The monster gave a crooked smile, puffing up slightly with pride. "My Lord is most kind ruler. He keeps us safe, and listens to the needs of our people. He will treat you well, Princess."
She blushed slightly, her periwinkle crescents standing out against the pink. "It's reassuring to hear you speak of him so highly. I hope that we can at least grow to be friends."
Buff Frog chuckled as the lift stopped, another servant opening the door for them. "Princess, I have a feeling you two shall be thick as Swamp Pudding before long."
She blinked, looking at him as the headed out the front doors. "Swamp what...?" A loud snout made her jump, drawing her attention to the equine standing a few feet away from the steps. It was a massive grey beast, with a silver mane and a spiral horn the same color as iron. Two thick braids were tied in its mane, and a wrap of leather encased its middle, a padded circle in the middle of its back served as a seat.
She tried to stop, but Buff Frog didn't even seem to notice as he hadn't so much as slowed down. "W-wait, I thought we were riding horses!" she stammered. "I don't know how to ride a-whoa!"
Sweeping her up like a parent lifting a child, the frog-like monster tossed her onto the unicorn's back. She yelped, feeling precariously perched on the slick leather, and instinctively grabbed at its mane as it had no reins to hold. The unicorn suddenly neighed, rearing back, and it was all she could do to not fall. Still in her dress, she didn't even have the option to grip the equine with her knees as she was stuck riding sidesaddle.
She clung tighter to the braids, and the unicorn shot forward as if propelled by magic. The princess gasped, too scared to even scream as monsters and human alike dove out of the beast's path as it charged ahead. She felt herself slipping, the weight of her skirt pulling her further down with each impact of the equine's hooves on the ground.
She whimpered, clinging tight to the beast's neck, hugging it for dear life. At the speed it was running, a fall would surely break her neck. Shutting her eyes, she felt herself getting closer to the edge of the strange saddle. "Please stop!" she cried out. "I'm gonna fall!"
A hand suddenly grabbed hers, pulling up on the braid she clung to. She felt a way of relief as the unicorn instantly began to slow, realizing a second unicorn was now beside hers, its riding guiding her mount to a halt. The monster king shifted to hold the braid with his other hand as he leaned over, wrapping his now free arm around her waist, pulling her back up into the saddle.
She shook like a leaf in a storm, still tightly grasping the braids. She hadn't realized she'd started holding her breath, and now her lungs burned as she heaved in the oxygen she needed. The reptilian shifted his hand to her quivering shoulder. "Are you alright?"
She nodded, turning to look at him. "I haven't...I don't know how to ride a unicorn!"
He gave a slight smile, and suddenly dragged her from the saddle, pulling her effortlessly into his lap. Miakoda blushed, surprised he could lift her so easily. After all, she wasn't a very tiny princess, having always hated her belly that was never flat no matter what she did, and her thighs always looked too big so she avoided wearing anything that would reveal them.
But this monster made her feel like a feather, light and delicate in his hold as he cradled her comfortably in his lap, one arm supporting her back, the other draped over her stomach as he held the braids of his own unicorn's mane. "Monsters don't ride horses-unicorns are faster, stronger, and more surefooted than any horse," he explained. "Buff Frog didn't realize you would pull on your mount's mane."
A heated blush of embarrassment colored her face. "I-I've never had anything but a high saddle before, I thought I would fall..." Her favorite saddle sat tall on a horse's back, with a raised front and back to keep a rider safely seated.
He nodded. "Understandable. But since you'll still need to ride back, you'll ride with me. I'll teach you how to handle a unicorn later."
The princess nodded, glancing away as she nervously tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Thank you, for saving me."
The monster smiled, and gave a slight tug on the braids, both unicorns starting forward. "You are to be my wife, therefore I shall always be there to protect you."
She glanced back over his shoulder. "Aren't we going to go back?" she asked. "The others..."
"They'll catch up," he assured, guiding the equines down the city streets, mewmans watching from windows and doorways as they rode by. "For now, I was hoping we could speak."
Miakoda nodded. "That would be good. We do have a lot to talk about..."
He kept his gaze sharp, glancing around as if he half-expected an attack. "What I'd first like to know is why-why did you sacrifice yourself for your father? I can understand not wanting him to die, and protecting your people. But what made you think it was a good idea to agree to marry a monster?"
As they passed the local bakery, the bread maker stepped out of his home, his wife and three children hiding behind him as he respectfully removed his hat, sorrow etched into his winkled face. Miakoda smiled sweetly, waving to them. "Marriage hadn't been my first intention, but if I have to be married to a strange anyway, I'd rather it bring peace than profit."
"You were due to be arranged?" he asked. "To whom?"
She looked down at her lap. "Prince Thomas," she murmured. "I have been dreading it-he has such a temper..." Her parents had been an arranged marriage, and had only been together long enough to raise her before her mother retreated to another castle near the coast so they wouldn't be living under the same roof. But she could remember all the yelling, things being thrown and broken, hiding under her bed or in the closet with her ears covered and eyes shut as she silently begged for the fighting to stop. Even to this day she hated yelling, especially when someone was yelling at her.
The monster king snorted. "He is a spoiled child with too much power. His fire magic should be restricted until he learns better control of his anger."
Miakoda nodded slightly, twiddling her thumbs. She looked up, a slight frown on her lips. "I've just realized something."
He looked down at her as they reached the city gate, broken open by the monsters as they had invaded. "And what's that?"
"I don't even know your name!" she stated. "I can recall the name, age, and year of crowning of every noble in each kingdom, but I know nothing of your kingdom or you."
A slight chuckle escaped him. "That makes two of us, Princess. I only know of your family name. We make for an interesting pair, don't we?"
The woman giggled. "I guess we do." She offered her hand. "I'm Miakoda-Alindas Apis. Nice to meet you, my fiancé."
Taking her hand, he once again brought it to his lips, placing a kiss upon it. "I'm Toffee Arigor. The pleasure is mine, my future queen."
She blinked, then giggled behind her hand. "Toffee? Like the candy?"
Toffee shrugged, rolling his eyes. "My mother craved it while carrying me, and insisted it was fate. Thus, my name is Toffee."
Miakoda cooed. "Aww, that's so sweet-" She stopped, then laughed. "No pun intended!"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn't expect you to be so relaxed, all things considered."
She paused, glancing back as she finally realized how far her home was becoming. "I..." Sadness suddenly swept into her, drawing out a sigh. "It all happened so fast..."
His hand left one of the braids to draw her closer, her head instinctively falling to his shoulder. "I will try to make your life with me acceptable," he promised softly. "I will not hate you for something your relatives have done. The adjustment will be hard, but we'll make it work."
As he spoke, tears started to fall down her face for the countless time that day. She bowed her head, her hair hiding most of her face, her fingers tightly fisted in her skirt. "Thank you," she whispered.