vιrιdeѕcence—{One-shot for That Otaku with Glasses}
"Father, I don't know why—"
"Enough young lady. I have said my say and you will follow it."
"But I don't want to marry Prince—!"
"Enough is enough, Gumilia Meghera Terrainia!"
The shouting echoed through the palace halls, the rings of a deep masculine voice and young maiden's pleads. Scratch that. A young princess' pleads.
"Daddy, he isn't that bad! Why can't you just give up the grudge against them?" Gumilia, or better known for her nickname Gumi, reasoned.
The old king sighed.
"Gumi, darling, don't you know what they did to your mother, much less your cousin? Remember? Remember the darkness that once reigned over this country and the horrors it had faced?" The king closed his eyes.
"My little flower, they killed your mother. Can't you understand that letting my very own daughter seek a man of the enemy is extremely difficult?"
Gumi's eyes fell. She knew she was being a selfish little girl. Mikulia would never approve of this kind of behavior.
"And what they did to your poor cousin—isn't that enough proof of how evil they truly are?"
"Father, you can't judge a village by a thieving dog and blame the sheep," Gumi weakly replied.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, uh a new proverb. From Miss Elluka," Gumi hastily explained, knotting bunches in her afternoon dress.
The two stood there in a moment of silence. The white marble shone with large detailed pillars towering over them as the last of the burning sunlight bathed the entire palace. Lush gold and green tapestries and rugs decorated the creamy white walls and floors as a beautiful chandelier hung above with an intricate laurel design that weaved through the lights. Wind chimes serenely tinkled but were silenced like a fading memory of the past in soft tones of sepia.
"Excuse me Father, I must go now," Gumi choked out.
The princess walked away, her strides gradually becoming larger. Her soft viridescent hair acted like the leaves in the summer, becoming a muted lime to a yellow-green. The sunlight rippled across her glossy locks, shimmering when she moved. Gumi tucked a slither of her fine hair behind her ear, her rich emerald eyes flickering with disappointment.
Oh, if only he'd listen. It would change everything—the war, deaths, the hatred—everything. No one else's mother would have to pass away, no one else's father would become such a stony man.
Gumi gripped her white dress as hard as her own corset. (Which in fact isn't as tight as you think it is.) The hallways stretched into two pathways, leading to Gumi's room. She held the cool knob and came into her room, closing the door behind her. The enormous circular bed was elegantly patterned like diamonds, forged rods that looked like ivy crawled up her bed posts and almost all the way to the ceiling. Attached to the bed posts were thin curtains that wrapped around most of the perimeter of the bed. Along with a simple desk, night stand and a nice dressing screen, Gumi's room was almost complete. Almost.
The girl opened the large double doors at the end of her room that led to her favorite place in the palace—the balcony. Tall pillars of white marble decorated the balcony as a similarly designed rail snaked around the edges. Red clay pots with fresh soil was scattered across the balcony, patiently waiting for signs of plant life. Being on the second floor, tall trees that emitted a fresh scent of pine surrounded most of the balcony. Gumi made her way to her harp—an elegant, gleaming instrument with a golden handle that radiated life and vitality.
Sitting herself on the little stool she had, Gumi embraced the lovely melodic song that spilled out from her harp. The notes danced in the air, flying to the sky. They would fly to all of the four kingdoms of the country and to the Outskirts, where Gumi hoped Mikulia could hear her music calling out for her. Gumi let out a content sigh as she let the last note hum in the air. Just then, a hand appeared on the railing.
Startled by the sudden movement, Gumi jumped. Her beating heart came to a rest when she realized who had come. It was the Halfer.
The visitor pulled himself over the rails, landing swiftly on his knees. Brushing off his pants, he smiled at the princess and bowed. Gumi approached her friend, still in shock of his sudden appearance. The boy laughed, his youthful chuckles ringing like a bell.
"How do you do, my fair Princess of the Kingdom of Terraria?" He asked, seating himself down next to the railing.
"Oh please, do call me Gumi. How many times must I remind you to?" Gumi replied, a bit more sourly than she expected.
"Dear, everyone has a title whether it's to their liking or not. Your father is the mighty king, you are the heiress—"
"No, that's where you're wrong. The heiress is Mikulia, not me. I'm second in line," the princess corrected, her words piercing him at the mentioning of the girl.
The blond boy's face fell. "I apologize, Princess Gumi. Haven't you heard the news?"
Gumi's eyes widened in alarm. "What do you mean? What news? Does it concern Mikulia? Miku is returning here, isn't she?"
Len looked away from the princess. "Prince Rei has announced his engagement to Princess Mikulia."
"Wha..what? He has no right to do so! Len, we have to do something! Miku promised she'd come soon...she..she promised," Gumi shouted in a fit of rage, the volume of her voice faltering at the end.
He shook his head. His crystal eyes told Gumi a different story. Len gingerly took out a card and a peculiar flower.
"This...this was sent to all the citizens of Noctem. Would you care for a look, Princess?"
Gumi solemnly nodded, almost afraid of the slip of paper. Len handed her the thick card stock. Fighting back tears, Gumi struggled to read the fancy print.
~The Royal Wedding~
On behalf of the royal family, it is our duty to ensure safety and happiness to the people of Noctem.
Prince Rei is expected to betroth Princess Mikulia Terraria on the next full moon.
It is our utmost concern that the wedding commences at once. Guests are to be dressed accordingly.
Sincerely,
The Royal Family of Noctem
Her hands shook with anger as she looked at the flower. It was Miku's symbolic flower—all royal children of Terraria were given one. Gumi's father's was Lavender. Gumi's was peony. Miku's was a lily.
Gumi narrowed her eyes at the damned flower. It was a lily, but appeared to have a glamour. The cool night breeze caused her to push her hair out of her face as the curious messenger observed the princess. He was thankful for the shadows that concealed his rosy cheeks.
Cautiously tracing the lily's petal, Gumi placed her finger tip on very edge of it. A puff of dark smoke spewed out from the center of the flower, causing Gumi to jump back to the railing, clutching the skinny pole. The lily lay on the tile floor, motionless. The smoke the faded away as the flower bled an inky sap of pure midnight. The princess' face contorted with disgust and shock. What an ugly insult to her people. The petals of the lily were dyed the same color.
"Len...what is the meaning of this?" Gumi asked, her voice trembling.
He looked away, ashamed. The boy had never meant to give discomfort to the Princess.
"I had a feeling you 'ought to know..." he weakly replied.
Ivy started to crawl up the balcony, slithering and intertwining between the cracks and blemishes of the wall. Gumi looked at Len and slowly nodded, processing the situation. She hugged her knees and played with the growing roses that made their way up to her ankles. A single tear slipped from her shiny eyes. As soon as it hit the ground, all the plants growing around the princess died. The ivy dried up, an ugly brown flooding the lively green color the plants once bore. The roses were wilted and dull, much like herself. The black lily lay on the balcony, still bearing the harsh truth.
Len scooted closer to the princess, unsure of what to do. He cleared his throat and rubbed his hands together. Gumi looked up from her fetal position. Len slowly released his hands as tiny sparks of sunlight erupted from his bear palms. The princess watched with interest, her jade eyes coming back to life. A spark subtly landed on Gumi's cheek, momentary warmth spreading across her face. She held her hand to the side and bitterly smiled.
"Today is just the worst, isn't it?" Gumi murmured.
Len couldn't look the princess in the eye.
"Did you know my father arranged a suitor for me this evening?"
This time the Halfer did.
"What?" Len asked, bewildered at the single sentence.
Gumi shrugged. "I told him I had met another, one that was far better than any other fiancee."
The boy fiercely blushed, causing him to avert his attention to something other than the stunning girl in front of him.
"I told him that this person was a much better match for me, rather than the sleazy dukes with their hunger for power. He meant more to me than anything in the world. He was my warm light and comforting shadow. "
She looked up at Len, her eyes solemn and wistful.
"I told him He was you."
Len was taken back by the raw confession. However, it would be a lie to say he wasn't pleased.
"Princess, I—"
"But I couldn't do anything about it, Len!" Gumi exclaimed, shaking with hysteria.
"I was so useless, I was such a stupid, immature little girl! I'm so helpless, I couldn't do anything to help Father, Mikulia or even us. Now look what my cowardice has done! It's, I—I just—!"
Len held Gumi by her shoulders, forcing her to look straight at him.
"Calm down, Gumi. It's ok. It'll be alright."
Glistening tears rolled down the Princess' cheeks. Gumi burst into tears as she buried her head inside of the messenger's chest. Len patted her back, embracing the girl as her sobbing intensified. He pet her soft hair, but then felt a small drop of liquid on his cheek. It couldn't possibly be his own weeping. Len looked up at the sky. Soon a light rainfall started to appear above them. Dark clouds loomed over the two. Len pulled away from Gumi as he caught her attention. With tears streaming down her face, she observed what he was doing.
Len waved away the shadows and clouds, using the side of his Talent he didn't normally use. The rain still lightly trickled from the sky as the boy took a deep breathe. Instantly, rapid shots of sparks danced through the indigo colored night atmosphere, clearing the way of hazy clouds. They bloomed into a shower of light that softly fell back to them, as if it were snow made of pure light. Each individual orb illuminated the dark sky, like little lanterns hovering in the atmosphere as the night accompanied them to a dance in the moonlight. The cycle kept repeating, the warm heat and blazing lights sped around the two lovers. Gumi watched in awe.
She looked at Len. "Len, I don't deserve someone as caring as you. Really."
The boy grinned and let out a clear, solid laugh. "Nonsense, Milady. Princess' after all deserve only the finest. Besides, didn't you mention something along the lines of me being the best there was?" Len smirked, raising a playful eyebrow.
"Now, now, let's not get too cocky," Gumi jokingly warned him.
Gumi looked back at the black lily. She shot it a determined look as she picked it up. The Princess stood from her sitting position and walked over to where she could see the quarter full moon. The night colored flower was placed in her hair by her own hands. Len followed, confused by her actions. Gumi looked directly at Len, as her face neared.
At that very moment, the two star crossed lovers shared a warm kiss under the cool midnight sky, both of their hands intertwined together, never to be separated. With pure sincerity, the Princess and the Halfer shared a secret smile.
"...Thank you."
Hey readers! This was a GumiXLen (obviously) requested one-shot for That Otaku with Glasses !
Hoped you all enjoyed reading~!