A/N: This is part of the Ship Appreciation Week over on the EoA discord server. Wanna join so you can't miss next year? The link's on someone's Tumblr page; I'm sure you guys can find it. ;) So what we have here is an admission: I, LongLiveNiNoKuni, ship canon Esteban and 18+ Naomi. Don't like it? Don't read it. And since this is an appreciation WEEK, you can expect another story tomorrow, and the day after that, until the 15th. Today's theme is "love potion", and I had a very dark idea before this one. Stay tuned for the author's note at the end for more. As for now, ENJOY!
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit, fan-based, fanfiction. Elena of Avalor is owned by the Walt Disney Corporation and Craig Gerber. Please support the official release.
The Love Potion
Doña Paloma was pissed. Looking at those two lovebirds standing over there talking. Arguing. Giving each other clever insults and banter that that stupid man saved for that sleazy wench. Doña Paloma frowned at Estéban, teasingly insulting his girlfriend Naomi, who laughs and gives him a cleverer insult.
Yes, Doña was jealous that Estéban was ignoring her and giving her subpar insults so that he could give his best ones to Naomi. Ugh. Disgusting!
As she looks between the two, Doña has to wonder how these two even got together. The age difference between them is very noticeable. Why Naomi? Why choose to be with her? No one else questioned or complained about the relationship because everyone was just happy and relieved that Estéban found love and happiness after all the terrible things he was forced to do with Shuriki. He's finally happy.
But why did it have to be Naomi?!
Doña took a deep breath. No matter, she can fix this. She's been thinking about it for a while, a solution to her problem, the best way she can have Estéban and his better insults and banter with her. She starts heading toward a carriage to the castle.
And when she gets there, she immediately heads towards the library, where a certain wizard and his workshop lie. Why is she heading there? Well, for one reason, and one reason only.
"I need a love potion." Doña Paloma stated bluntly, a hand on her hip.
Mateo turned to her with a brow raised. "What? A love potion?" Seeing her nod, Mateo turned to her fully. "Why do you need one?"
Doña Paloma smirked. "A man caught my eye, and I want him."
Mateo squirmed a bit. "Well, I don't think that's a good idea. Forcing a relationship never ends well."
Doña Paloma growled. "Look, I want that man to look at me and insult me the same way he does with his girlfriend."
Mateo crossed his arms. "Girlfriend? Insults? Are you talking about Estéban?"
Doña just waved him off. "Of course, I'm not, it's someone else!"
Mateo raised a brow.
Doña groans. "Fine, it is him. What does it matter?"
Mateo uncrossed his arms. "It matters because you and I both know what Shuriki put him through, and you're gonna do the same thing? You'll be no better than Shuriki."
Doña rubbed her arm. "I'm not gonna force him to do anything; I'm just gonna help him realize his feelings for me."
"With a love potion?" Mateo said with a pointed look.
Doña waves him off again. "Does it matter how it starts? All I want is to have Estéban for myself."
Mateo blinked again in disbelief. "Do you even hear yourself?"
Doña huffs. "Why won't you give me the potion?"
Mateo pinched the bridge of his nose before taking a deep breath, walking over to a shelf, pulled out a book, and placed it on the table between them. Then he opened to a page that shows a potion. "Love potion:" he reads from the book. "A potion that will make the person who ingests it immediately fall in love with the first person they see. The person will do anything their 'beloved' tells them without question and resistance. The effects will last depending on how much the person drinks. One drop is 6 hours, half the potion is 12 hours, and the whole potion is 24 hours. After the effects wear off, the person who drank the potion will not remember anything they did while under the potion's effect." Mateo then squints at a little hand-written note on the side. "Beware: do not ever make. The person who asks for this will have total control over the person they want to give it to. While the person who ingests it will not remember anything, it can have disastrous effects depending on what the controller requested them to do. I repeat: DO NOT MAKE!" After Mateo read the page, he looked to Doña Paloma. "Now do you see why you shouldn't use it?"
Doña Paloma only thought about it for three seconds before saying. "Just because I shouldn't use it, doesn't mean I couldn't use it."
Mateo only started at her blankly before closing the book. "I'm not gonna make it."
Doña groans/growls. "Fine! I'll find someone else to give me one!" She then turned and stomped out of the workshop.
"It's kind of impossible to get one! Only I know how to make it!" Mateo called out to her retreating form.
Doña Paloma was pissed as she made her way to her emporium. How dare that wizard not make her a love potion! So, it could have disastrous effects on the person who drinks it, so what?! Although, now that she's thinking about it, it'll only last for a day at most. And he wouldn't remember anything when it wears off. She stops walking and groans. Even if I did get the potion, it would be ultimately useless! She thought. It's more like a date rape potion from that description.
Doña then sighed. What was she thinking? Why did she care? She never had feelings for Estéban before, only when he started courting Naomi. Was she jealous?
Doña sighed again. "This is stupid." She decided to forget about the potion, forget about Estéban, and starts focusing on the massive sale she'll be having for the upcoming ball that Elena was throwing. Yeah, focus on getting the money from the people, then get super drunk from-
She stops walking as she sees Estéban and Naomi. Kissing.
All the jealousy and rage she pushed aside came back tenfold. She needs a way to have Estéban to herself!
When she enters her emporium, she finds the place empty of customers. Except, for one person.
A cloaked person was standing in front of one of Doña Paloma's item racks when they turned to face her. Their face is shrouded in shadows, but then they spoke. "Excuse me; I'd like to talk to the proprietor." He said.
Doña was a little suspicious of the man and spoke with caution. "And why do you want to talk to them?"
The figure spoke again. "I'd like to offer them something that'll make their desires a reality."
Doña's still suspicious. "And what would that be?"
The figure pulled out a vial of pink liquid. "A love potion. And not just any love potion."
Doña rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "What's so special about your love potion?"
"The effects are permanent."
The next moment, Doña is at this man's face. "Doña Paloma, I'm the one in charge here and the person you're looking for. So, about this love potion, you said it's, permanent?"
"Yes. Well, until the person under the effects kisses their true love. But I'm sure you'll be able to make sure that doesn't happen." He chuckles darkly.
Doña smirked. "How much?"
The man gives it to her. "Oh, I think the experience will be payment enough."
"What does that mean?"
The man doesn't respond. He instead walks past her and out of the emporium.
Doña looked at the doors that the man left from then back at the potion in her hand. Then she smirks. Perfect. Now I'll have Estéban to myself, and he'll give his best insults to me only! Then Doña thinks of how to make Estéban drink the potion.
It was the night of the ball, and Doña had a plan. She poured the love potion into a cup and filled it with punch. Once she finds Estéban, she'll give this drink to him, he'll fall in love with her, break up with Naomi, and then he'll give her all his best insults, and she would do the same. It's perfect!
Doña walks around, trying to find Estéban. When she does, he's with Naomi. Again. And this time they're laughing. Why? Well, doesn't matter, could be another bicker battle. Soon Doña won't have to worry anymore, walking closer to the couple, holding the cup close and ready to give it to Estéban so that he will love her and not Nao-
As Naomi raises her left hand to her lips to try not to laugh too loud, Doña spotted something sparkling on her ring finger. A ring. An engagement ring.
Doña stopped walking, standing frozen in place. Then she sneered at the couple. He proposed?! PROPOSED?! Has Estéban lost his mind?! Is that why Elena wanted to throw this ball, to announce their engagement? All these thoughts and more flooded Doña Paloma's mind as she let her anger fester.
Estéban can't marry Naomi. He just CAN'T! She's of commoner blood, non-noble birth. She has no proper stand other than being a former grand council member and being Elena's best friend. She's never even had any etiquette or manners for high society before that quinceañera, and even then, she lost most of them and never acted like that again. She'll embarrass Estéban and the royal family whenever royal dignitaries would visit the kingdom, probably losing a lot of chances for alliances and trade routes. She'll ruin the kingdom! How could Estéban not think of the consequences of marrying her?! If Doña was chosen, she'd make sure none of that happened.
Estéban shouldn't marry Naomi. He can't! And Doña Paloma was going to make sure of that. Once he drinks the potion! Then he'll be in love with her, she'll have him all to herself! They'll have better insult battles, and she'll make sure to secure trade routes and alliances with other kingdoms by making sure they don't argue with visiting royalty around. She will make sure everything is perfect, and she'll do that by controlling Estéban, ONCE HE DRINKS THIS-
Doña stopped. She just stops. If she gives this potion to Estéban, he'll be in love with her. But that love wouldn't be real. It'll be forced. Everything that she says they will do will be forced! She'll be no better than Shuriki. Maybe a little better though, Shuriki never used a love potion to make Estéban do things for her. He'd just do it. Out of fear. Anything.
Doña sighed. What was she thinking? Estéban's already had enough people forcing him to do things he didn't want to do, and enough unhappiness and misery for a lifetime. Doña looks at the two laughing; then they rest their foreheads against each other. Happy and full of love. Doña hasn't seen him this happy since he was reunited with his family four years ago. And she was going to take that all away. Doña may be jealous and petty.
But she isn't heartless.
Doña walked over to a random plant and dumped the drink into its soil. She then leans against a table and groans. "Uuuugh, how could I be so stupid?"
"I've been asking myself that since you came into my workshop." Doña turned to see Mateo walking over to her and stopping next to her.
Doña huffed. "What? Came here to gloat?"
Mateo smirked as he shrugged. "Not really, just here to stop you in case you did anything harmful." Then he leans on his hand. "So, what made you change your mind?" He asks.
Doña looked over to the couple, laughing again. She sighs. "The bastard already suffered for 41 years from Shuriki. If we were together through a potion, it wouldn't be any different other than that a potion was used." Then she smirked. "Plus, if we were together, we'd probably kill each other within a week." Then she smiles genuinely at the two. "Those two, they know when to back off, when to restrain themselves. I always knew, but I guess my jealousy blinded me."
Mateo smiles. "So, what'll you do now?"
Doña smirks. "Why, help Naomi with their insult war by giving her some ammunition that only I know about her fiancé."
Mateo's eyes went wide. "They're engaged?!"
"Oh hush, I'm sure the announcement will be made before the end of the night." Doña waved him off. Then she left him there, but not before yelling out. "By the way, change the name of the 'love' potion! We both know it isn't." And now she left him, standing with his mouth agape at the news.
Doña walked up to the happy couple, grabbing Naomi's shoulders. "Oh, there's the happy couple I've been looking for! How are the two of you doing?"
Estéban looks at Doña, giving her a wary look. "Doña…"
Doña Paloma waves him off. "Oh Estéban, you can't keep hogging Naomi all to yourself, so why don't you go off to Elena? Tell her to make the announcement before another person spots the ring on Naomi's finger." She smirks at the horrified look on Estéban's face and Naomi's blushing face. "Oh relax, I just want to congratulate the young girl, give her advice on how to deal with you." She smirks at his angry face.
Estéban sighs before grabbing Naomi's ring hand and kisses it. Then he excuses himself from the young women to find his cousin.
Once he leaves, Doña turns to Naomi with a smirk. "Want some knowledge about your future husband for your 'friendly' arguments?"
Naomi's eyes widened before she smiled mischievously. "What d'ya got?"
Later that night, Elena called out to everyone to stop and listen to an announcement: Chancellor Estéban Flores and Harbormaster/Royal Advisor Naomi Turner are engaged! Everyone cheered for the two, excited that there will be a royal wedding in the near future, and it's the most tortured resident who's having one no less!
And in the back, Doña Paloma was leaning against a wall, watching everyone congratulate the two. Doña sighs, realizing how devastating everything would have been if she'd used the potion. She's also thinking who was the person who gave it to her? And what if the potion had done something differently than what the man said? What if he was lying? These questions and more shall remain unanswered for Doña doesn't really care. The man could've been trying to teach her a lesson. Whatever the reason, she was glad that he did give the potion to her. She never would've been able to give that highly classified information to Naomi. Doña smirked as she sees Estéban blushing with embarrassment, apparently, Naomi decided to use some of that information early. Doña Paloma chuckled evilly, glad that her mini revenge plot has succeeded. And she did tell Naomi to come to her again if she ever needed more. Yes, everything was going fine.
As the view pans out of the ballroom, a lone figure is standing on the rail above the indoor fountain. Lowering his hood and revealing his blue hair, the figure is shown to be Marzel. Turns out, he was there when Doña made the request to Mateo for the love potion, hiding behind one of the couches and eavesdropping. When the conversation ended, he offered to Mateo to make sure she realizes what she's doing is wrong. So, Mateo gave him a vial of regular love potion and a cloak, and Marzel made his way to Doña Paloma's emporium. How he got there before her is a complete mystery.
Marzel smiles at the work he did. Now all that's left to do is to get rid of this cloak and join the rest in celebration!
A/N: Sooo, this story could've been extremely dark. It involves Shuriki using the love potion on Esteban for a day so he couldn't resist her "requests" that she gives him throughout the day. Then it ends after a night of...bed things, and the potion wears off. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE OF THE LOVE POTION IN THIS VERSION IS THAT ESTEBAN WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED EVERYTHING! And the night would fully end with Esteban crying at the things Shuriki made him do, and Shuriki accepting Esteban's crying as the only music she will ever here. Why do I torture the characters I love? But hey, I didn't write it, so it didn't happen! This is supposed to be a week of love guys, even I can acknowledge it. The man's been through enough, let him be happy this week! And with that said, thank you for reading and try not to get yourself killed. ;)