Pairings: Kotori/Umi ; Kotori/Honoka

Author's Note: Yipieeee! Angst on my first fic of the year! More Angst to come :

I just wanted to make a fairy tale-like story but my hands slipped (sorry not sorrry). Oh this have a cover art made by me on my tumblr acc (you can go to my profile and the link to my tumblr acc is there then just type King Fic on the search bar and find it c: )

Anyways, Good Luck

Once upon a time, in a faraway land.

Umi have always thought that she was a princess. A responsible, dutiful and hardworking princess.

But it all changed when her parents introduced her to a beautiful princess.

The other princess was very beautiful. Her smiles were so sweet, her amber eyes were shining, her long ash-gray hair fell perfectly behind her back, the crown in her head proves that she is indeed a princess—all in all, Umi fell in love at first sight.

Their parents told them that they were getting married. The news shocked Umi. She looked at the other girl's face for answers, but the girl was looking at the floor with a gloomy expression. Umi's emotions were conflicting. Should she be happy that this beautiful girl in front of her will be married to her? Should she be dejected because the girl was unhappy about the news? Should she be angry at her parents for arranging this? She doesn't know. She also doesn't know what face she's making right now.

And so she nodded without further disagreement.

After that day, the parents of the other princess—or should she say, the king and queen of the neighbouring kingdom, decided to leave their princess in Umi's kingdom so they would have time to know each other.

At first it was awkward—well, Umi is an awkward person after all—but they warmed up and became good friends. The princess sometimes watch Umi while she's practicing her archery, they laugh at silly things at the castle, Umi often tell her stories about the castles stories, and the princess ...

The princess was not that happy on the inside.

Umi knew. Umi knows how to read people. A skill she learned as a quiet child that always sits on the farthest most part of the meeting hall when royalties have a meeting at their castle. She became very observant. It was very useful in many battles, but now... Umi regretted having it.

She loved the princess the first time she saw her and now,

She fell for her even deeper.

She fell for her smiles, even if she knew that it was half-hearted. She's eager to see a full smile on the princess lips. She's hopeful. That's why she decided, she's not a princess.

She'll be a prince. A perfect and dashing prince suitable for a perfect princess like her. She'll protect her and their will-be kingdom. She will make her happy and make her smile the brightest she can.

That's why Umi trained harder even more. She mastered all weapons she can and she trained on how to treat a lady. Then one day, while practicing archery, a sound of horns blared at the kingdom thrice—which means a royalty had arrive. Umi immediately changed her clothing to a decent one and went to the throne room, to meet the guest.

A princess appeared with her ginger hair tied to a pony tail on the side, wearing a big smile on her face while happily skipping through the red-carpeted floor. She skipped right to the king and greeted, still with that big smile in her face, saying that she is Kousaka Honoka that came from the West, she shook the king's hand and left to greet Umi but was interrupted.

"H-Honoka-chan!?"

The said Western princess turned around and met the amber eye's of her childhood friend, "Kotori-chan!"

"H-H-Honoka-chann!" the princess said as she hugged Honoka with some tears in her eyes, "I thought I'm not going to see you again."

"Hehe, I didn't go anywhere, just here, right now." Honoka spoke as she hugged the princess back, "You were the one who left me though," she half-whined then chuckled as the hug of the princess tightened, "hehe, let's just continue talking afterwards my talk with the king, but calm down first, okay?"

The princess muffled an 'okay' to her shoulders as Honoka patted the princess hair.

Umi watched as the scene unfold right in front of her. There's something twisting inside her stomach but she couldn't point out what. She doesn't like it when the princess where very close to that suspicious girl, named Honoka but maybe it was something on the princess's past that she didn't know. And that's where she realized,

She doesn't know anything about the princess at all.

The discussion of Honoka's intention regarding their kingdom had been longer than they expected so the king decided to let Honoka stay at the castle for three days.

Umi thought that it wouldn't be troublesome because she's used to have royals as guests at the castle. But Umi was wrong. Kousaka Honoka was an enemy.

Her enemy on her princess's heart.

How pathetic. How could she claim the princess, when she'll only claim the princess's last name but not her heart? How pitiful, being possessive of something that isn't yours.

Umi hated the feeling. The twisted feeling in her stomach when the princess hugs Honoka tightly, when the princess laughs at every simple thing that Honoka says, when the princess and Honoka's hands are twined with each others, and when the princess's smiles were the fullest when it comes to Honoka.

Umi should be happy. She saw her most-yearned smile came out from the princess's lips. She should be and yet she can't. Why does when it comes to Honoka the princess's smile were full? Why does it never appear for her? Then Umi realized one thing.

She took the princess's freedom.

Umi realized that it's her fault. The princess weren't happy because of her. The princess weren't happy of their will-be marriage. It's been her fault that the princess's smiles weren't full. Umi was a cage, and the princess was the bird.

A little bird should be always free from their cages to be happy.

In those three days, Umi only watched from afar. Umi was contented on watching the princess being very happy. Umi watched how the princess will blush at something that the western princess will say. Umi watched...how...

How the princess loved someone else more than her.

So at the third day, the western princess needed to leave. It was not a happy goodbye. Goodbyes were not meant to be good after all. The princess were sniffling and wiping her tears as the carriages went off.
Umi only observed from far away.

It's shameful, pathetic and pitiful. She's taking her beloved away from whom they really love. Maybe she's unfit for a prince. Maybe she's an evil stepmother—but she isn't the princess's relative—so perhaps, a dragon? Yes, a dragon would be fitting. Because she's taking the princess away from her loved ones. She's guarding the princess from her true prince.

Immediately, Umi went to her parent's room and begged. Plead for the marriage not to happen. Her parents were bewildered at the sudden request, but Umi didn't faltered. She dropped on her knees and plead over and over again.

'For the princess's happiness,

No.

For her first and last love's smiles...

She will do anything. '

Finally, after two days of begging and pleading, Umi's parents—rather, the king and queen, agreed. Not without the conditions that Umi will help the minister's on their work regarding the kingdom afterwards, and Umi will become and can never reject to become the next Queen.

After that, the princess's parents came at Umi's kingdom after the royal letter was sent. Umi's parents explained the arrangements that were made. At first, the guests didn't agreed but after considering that it was a great advantage on their part, they agreed shortly after.

The princess was surprised at the sudden news. Little by little, her lips formed a big and wide smile.

It was the brightest smile she had given to Umi's actions.

Umi was glad.

She finally received one of the things she thought she would never get.

She was really a dragon.

A dragon that didn't let the princess to go out in the castle.

A dragon that caged the princess inside.

A dragon that was defeated by a prince.

And a dragon that was left behind.

The Dragon lived...unhappily ever after.

The end.

00000-|\/\/|-0000

Umi smiled as she closed the book then turned to the kids, "So, how was it?"

"It was bad!" a child says with tears on her face

"The princess were really bad! I hate the princess! She made the dragon unhappy!" another child says while wiping the tears from her face, "and I'm not crying okay?!"

"Shush now, don't hate the princess. The princess doesn't know about the dragon's feelings for her after all." Umi said as she patted the child's head,

"But Queen Umi-chan, the dragon were left alone! I want to help the dragon! I don't want anyone to be lonely.." another child says as she clutched the pillow to her stomach and hugged it tightly,

"Can the dragon love anyone else beside the princess? The dragon deserves someone better." Another child spoke as she buried her face on the pillow,

'Someone else huh... but she was still all I need,' Umi thought, "No, kids, the dragon loved the princess so much that she can't find anyone else as beautiful and loving as the princess,"

"But...but... every person—even dragons!—need a happy ending..." a kid says in a low tone,

"Hmmm... the dragon doesn't need a happy ending, the dragon was happy because the princess were happy right now with her prince," Umi said, 'I am but...Am I really happy?'

"Yosh! The great Nico Nii have decided to help the dragon! Who's with me?" the kid rose up and stand on the bed,

After that was followed by the noises of agreement of the kids.

"Shhhhhh. Kids, you can't help the dragon... now. You need to sleep right? Now go back to your respective bed and sleep tight okay? I'm just going to visit you again next time." Umi said sweetly,

The children pouted but followed the Queen's orders, Umi suddenly felt a tug on her dress and saw the emerald eyed kid, "U-Umi-chan... Queen... Is the dragon still lonely? Can...I help them?"

Umi crouched to meet the child's line of vision, "The dragon... is still lonely, of course" Umi sighed, "but no one can help her now." The child frowns, "So don't repeat what the dragon did okay? If you want someone to be happy, you need to find a way where you can be happy too."

The child frowns then it turned to a smile, "I will. Thank you!" then head to her own bed.

Umi bitterly smiled as she closed the door of the homeless children,

Yes, the dragon can't be helped.

After all, she had always been a helpless dragon.