A/N: Another AU idea, spurred by a prompt I saw on Pinterest. This started out as a one shot and then spiralled. Inspiration strikes at random with our beloved Bamon.
"Make the Queen Fall in Love with The Fool."
Inspired by Aladdin, Fairytales and OUAT. This will either be intriguing or an absolute disaster… Let's see what happens.
He wasn't particularly tall. She'd expected taller, and told him as much.
"I'm afraid I don't have any control over that," he raised an eyebrow, "Your majesty."
He thought he were funny too. The Queen rose from the throne and began her sweeping decline. Like puppets, her hand maidens animated, spinning around the trail of her gown, the fabric dark and gauzy, modelled from the night sky itself. Everything Queen Bonnie wore was tinged with a mysticism, an aloofness that whispered 'I'm from a distant country, do not dare to try and understand me.' Where her magic simmered, the dresses danced.
"I didn't request a Prince."
The room swelled with her voice, one she had perfected, borrowed off mother and stolen from the old monarch, Queen Katherine. Hers wasn't malignant though, Bonnie was a fair Queen, young, too young were the murmurs behind veiled curtains, but fair.
"Oh, I know," he rearranged his face into what she assumed was a smirk, "I'm very spontaneous."
"And wasting my time. Goodbye, Prince Damien."
"Actually, it's Damon-"
She waved a hand and he was picked up by a wind, her magic carrying him across the hall. "Wait, wait, please! Just give me a chance, please!"
The doors echoed shut and Miss Forbes, on her left, giggled, Miss Gilbert too.
Bonnie's lips twisted in amusement. "Men... must they always be so demanding?"
/
He rasped again on the door. The sound made several servants skitter about, disappearing down off-shoots dark as rabbit burrows. "I know you're in there!"
A groan reverberated through the wood. "Shhh! I'm trying to sleep."
"It's the afternoon. Let me in."
With a sigh the door unlatched and Damon didn't hesitate to push it open. He glared at the man lounging on a purple bed spread. "Kai."
"What? Have you never heard of beauty rest?"
Damon pulled at the skin around his face, exasperated. "I'm serious. It didn't work. She barely gave me the time of the day."
Kai exhaled, "Were you charming?"
"Yes."
"Arrogant?"
"Yes!"
"Fool," the other man trilled, "Every Prince the Queen has entertained has been arrogant, charming, sexy, blah, blah, blah. She's bored. I'm bored. Her pretty little ladies in waiting are bored. D." His eyes rumoured a wicked glint. "Say it?"
"Kai."
"Sayyyyy it."
"Fine. Bored."
"Your words not mine."
A fracture of light struck the space around his feet, rebounding off a small looking-glass. Damon frowned at his reflection. His magicked robes hung generously over his underfed bones; his hat cast a shadow over the shallowness of his cheeks. "If you want her so badly, why don't you just go and 'woo' her. Use your hilarious jokes."
"Wow, Damon, now that is a wonderful idea! I'll just skip right over and seduce her with my siphoning and malicious intent... Why do you think I chose a gorgeous, yet easily manipulated, stable boy like you?"
The man directed his attention to the rings on his fingers. He spun a thumb around the faces, as if to polish them. Damon felt desperation begin it's scratching crawl.
"Let me try again. Please."
Kai didn't look up from his inspection. "Hmm someone really wants that promised 'new life', don't they? It's very vague, very abstract, 'new life.' What's to say I couldn't snap my fingers and pop, it's worse."
The burn on his arm throbbed with a memory. Nothing could be worse.
/
"He was definitely… striking."
"In a roguish way."
"Handsome, I think. Don't you?"
With the last knots unravelled, Bonnie was released from her corset, the shell of her regal silhouette in Caroline's hands.
"I'm bored of handsome."
Elena guided her into the bath and the queen sighed at the warm relief coating her tired limbs. Everyday she waited for this: the hour before night-time where she could just be Bonnie, gossiping with her best friends. She glanced at the hovering ladies, "Well? Aren't you joining me?"
Caroline laughed and dipped her toe into the porcelain depths, "I wonder what Prince Damon would say to this?"
Bonnie let her eyes fall shut. "I hope he'd be disgusted."
"Flabbergasted," Elena supplied, slipping into the water herself.
"Appalled."
"Captivated."
The women laughed at Caroline's interjection before numbing into a contented silence made possible by the water and falling night. It was a while later when Elena asked:
"Do you think he'll be back?"
"They never come back."
"I don't know… there's something different about this one."
/
The sun that day was fixed and pounding; Damon folded beneath it. His father spat on his shoes, "Pathetic."
"Father." Both turned to see the soldier standing by the stable gate, his hand on the wood, ready to escape.
Giuseppe looked the closest to proud Damon had even seen him. "Stefan. You look strong."
"Thank you, Father," the youngest Salvatore responded but he was looking at Damon, something like a plea for forgiveness in his too soft eyes. And he hated him, he had too. The brother that fought for the escape route and won, stole it. He would close the gate and trap him forever, digging manure and handing horses to the richer, more favoured of this world, alone with a father whose loving hand was brought fast, and often, across his jaw.
Stefan faltered, as if trying to find the words. "Damon?"
He thrust his shovel into the wet earth and the gate closed.
"Come Christmas he'll be stocky. A proper man," Giuseppe preened.
Damon heaved his weight as stone tore the ground in half. "He won't be back."
For once, his father was silenced. He knew he was right. At the trudge of his heavy footsteps retreating into the stable-house, Damon looked up, searching for his brother in the distance. Stefan was eaten by the hot dust.
"Yoohooooooo, helloooo? Anyone here?" The man rounded the corner and grinned, "Ah, there you are."
He was wealthy, a crimson waistcoat and steel capped boots, if not a little worn. Damon pushed his face into submission, "The horses are around the front."
"Oh, you think I'm," he laughed, "Ah now that is hilarious, really. I've always dreamt of getting mistaken for a nobleman. Well, that's a lie. I've actually always dreamt of being the most powerful sorcerer in the kingdom but that one's been proving just a wee bit harder to achieve."
The man was still grinning as though this was an elaborate performance and Damon was an enthralled audience member. Not that he'd ever been to the theatre… that would be impossible.
"Who are you?"
"Kai Parker," he pushed forward a pale hand, "Pleasure to meet you Mr Salvatore."
Damon blinked at it. Kai laughed, "Wise move. Your hands are probably all," he wrinkled his nose, "pooey."
"How do you know my name?"
"Good question. I do like a man that asks the right questions. You see, Damon, I've been following you - don't freak out, only for a few days – and I've come to the conclusion that your life is really rather… can I be frank?, shit." He waited for a response, his eyes wide in anticipation. "Nothing? Not even a – fine, fine, tough crowd. Elaborate? Why of course, Damon." The man puffed out his chest, a devilish grin playing over his face, "I want to make you a deal. A new life for a favour."
It was a talisman: an antique necklace, iron and amber. Magic, as Kai had breathed. All he had to do was present it to the Queen. A gift from a lover, a suitor, a prince.
"I'm a stable boy. What makes you think I can get anywhere near the palace?"
Kai rolled his eyes. "Said every stable boy ever. O ye of little faith. I'm going to makeyou into a prince, duh."
And so, as they rambled down the path, drenched in finery fabricated with a snap of the magic man's fingers, Damon allowed himself to relish in the thrill of escaping. His father would return from the stable-house, malicious with the heat, and find nothing but a pile of horse shit to kick at.
We got out, brother, we got out.
A/N: A short first instalment, I know, but again, I wanted to trial this idea. Please, please let me know your thoughts. This is unlike any Bamon story I've written before eek.
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