She doesn't see, nor hear from Slaine the day he turns twenty. She does hear the maids as they gossip, when she isn't suppose to be listening. She hears them say how horrible and sad it is that he's a blank. That either he has no soul mate, or that his chosen partner is already dead. How he's such a kind boy, and how he would make someone so very happy one day. How it is such a shame, such a horrible, sad shame.
Asseylum avoids her most loyal, and kind servant that day. She hopes that Slaine is avoiding her, so that it won't seem obvious. Her younger sister has told her enough times how Slaine feels about her. How he would carve her name on his wrist or anywhere she'd ask him to. How Slaine would probably do anything she asked of him. Lemrina knows these things, but Asseylum tries not to know these things. To say she is upset is not the proper word for it. She doesn't know if it is a curse or not. If her name was etched on his wrist, would it somehow be easier for him to accept that she could never be with him? Ideally, he'd have someone else's name elegantly scrolled on his wrist. Some girl who deserves him, who is kind and sweet and dedicated and loyal, and not her. Not Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia.
Vers royalty do not have soul mates.
She waits with apprehension to find out if that is true or not.
\/
Slaine now keeps his wrists covered, as all people passed the age of twenty do. She misses looking at his wrist, her eyes often seem to gravitate there when she isn't paying attention. She misses looking at the milky skin, and imagining cursive letters sprawled across it. Imagining which lucky girl would deserve such a place.
She is glad he can hide it. She is also glad that not many know. He'd show her his wrist if she asked. He'd pull away the gloves, and show her his beautiful unmarked skin, and he'd carve her name there if she wanted him to. The thought scares her. She could never. Slaine's wrists stay hidden, as they should. Soon enough, it will be her time as well.
\/
The doctor and advisor is on hand the night she turns twenty. The name that sprawls across her right wrist is one she cannot read. It is in one of Earth's many languages, one she does not know. The advisor writes it down, and quickly departs. Then, it is the doctor's job to remove it. He does just that, cutting the beautiful name away, and graphing new skin on. She cries, but only a little.
When the procedure is done, she morbidly asks to keep the skin. The doctor can't refuse her, so instead of throwing it away, or burning it, it stays in a bag, in the darkest corner of her dresser. She doesn't really need it, because she will never forget the name, how it looked, even if she can't read it. The thing that matters, is that she wanted it.
\/
No one notices the name on her left wrist. It is unheard of. No one has ever had two names. She does. She knows that she should have it taken off as well, but she doesn't. It's selfish, but she will keep it as long as she can. As a Princess of Vers, she doesn't know how long that will be.
She goes to sleep with tears in her eyes, and she isn't sure if they are happy, or sad.
Slaine lied.
\/
It takes one month to find the boy who's beautiful name was carved upon her wrist. It takes very little time to convince him to travel to Vers.
The first time she meets Kaizuka Inaho, she is surprised at how very average he looks. He is slight, unassuming, and does not stand out even a bit. She didn't know what to expect, but he was not it. That is, until he opens his mouth, and the illusion of some demure, uninspiring façade is shattered. Kaizuka Inaho is brilliance and splendor, in a small, unassuming package.
He has known for three months. In that time, he told one person, his sister, and dedicated himself to learning all he could about Vers. She is humbled by the effort he has put forth, for a name that he has likely only heard horrible things about. Vers and Earth are not on good terms, but her soul has bonded her to not one, but two luminous Terrans. Even her status as royalty cannot compare.
She considers for the first time, that her soul knows what she needs, far more than her country. It is a thought that keeps her up at night.
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She doesn't dare to ask Inaho if he has a second name. She thinks he would tell her, but she isn't sure she wants to know. She does make sure that Slaine Troyard is one of the first people Inaho meets when he gets to Vers proper. She does make sure that Inaho's living quarters are next to Slaine's. She does go out of her way to make sure that they have chances.
As if to confirm her assumption, the two don't seem to need her help. Three days after meeting, they are spending an absorbent amount of time together. They are inseparable. She hears the maids gossiping about how they didn't come back one night, or how sweet it is to see Slaine blush so brilliantly, how one of the maids caught them, hand in hand.
She feels, with great certainty, that it is time for her to get the name on her left wrist removed.
She cries herself to sleep as the weight of her decision crushes her.
\/
The next morning, she has Slaine Troyard's name removed from her left wrist, and she keeps the skin. She puts it in the same place with the name of Kaizuka Inaho. Not because she needed those names, but because she wanted them.
Vers royalty do not have soul mates.