She kept his chin up, his shoulders back, and his eyes forward. He was there to support, to obey. He was there to watch.
"My lovely princess," Her Majesty's face was as beautiful and her voice as sweet as ever, "your nails have grown quite long. They look very sharp."
"As you have instructed, my queen." Her voice was like honey, and he knew she was being lead to her responses.
Levana's auburn hair flowed behind her as she circled the young princess, only 13 with beauty that already outshined even the great queen's own glamour. "And I'm certain that you know why you're here."
"I am to be punished, my queen," she responded, her eyes on the ground. "Because my genes are shameful, and I deserve this."
He did all he could to keep his mind clear, his emotions in check. But he knew that the thaumaturge already knew how he felt, because she shot him a mocking smirk.
But Sybil kept him still, forcing him to believe that this was necessary, the queen was their ethereal goddess that they had to protect, as the queen's eyebrow quirked in concentration, her mind wrapping around Princess Winter's bioelectricity and commanding her to do it.
A tear fell from the corner of his princess's eye as she lifted three fingers, digging the nails into the flesh just below one eye, the agonizing pain coming as she was forced to pull them down the length of her face, stopping just above her jawline. Blood poured out, staining her shimmering green dress – her favorite dress.
She was no longer perfect in Levana's eyes. The lunar queen's world had been righted again.
He could not steal away to see her until late into the night, but she was still awake when he entered her room.
"Jacin," she smiled, bowing to him from in front of her full-length mirror. She wasn't supposed to have it, but it had been a secret gift, one that hid in the wall with the press of a button. It was the best gift she'd ever receive. "I was fearful that I would not see you tonight. Or ever again." Her voice trailed off as she turned back to the mirror.
"My dear princess," he fell into a bow. "I would not dream of abandoning you."
Winter smiled again, "I know. But I still wasn't sure." She studied herself closely in the mirror, delicately running her fingertips across the fresh cuts. "Am I still beautiful, Jacin?"
He straightened his stature, "You are as beautiful as ever, my princess." He didn't have to lie, either. If anything, the scratches only accentuated her features.
"Do you think I will be able to find a husband like this?"
His lips turned downward. "There will always be many worthy men lined up for you to take as our future king."
Winter hummed to herself for a moment, considering his words and weighing them against her coming response. She turned around and rushed over to him, stopping herself too close to him for comfort. But he didn't mind.
"If-If I can't find someone who wants to marry me, you'll marry me, right, Jacin?" She clasped her hands in front of her, in a show of begging. "Right?"
He smirked, patting her head, "Anything you wish, my princess."
She wrapped her arms around him, and he was left unable to respond. "You're the best friend a girl could have."
He chewed on his lip, his arms reluctantly enveloping her. "How is it?"
"It hurts," she replied, though it was as if it wasn't bothering her too much. "It'll leave a scar."
She still held onto him like he was going to leave and never return if she let go.
There was a short period of silence. "I'm sorry."
"It was what the queen wished." She pulled back and looked up at him, "Can we have a sleepover tonight?" Her eyes brightened considerably.
Jacin released her, but she did not do the same. She still held him in her arms, though he was two years older and much taller than she. "I can't. I have training in the morning." Her eyes darkened, and she failed at concealing the disappointment with a smile. He gave her a quick squeeze with one arm, "I'll be free tomorrow night and the morning after, so we will see each other then, all right?"
"Okay!" Winter's smile reached her eyes, "I love you, Jacin!" She held him closer, and he hoped that she could not feel the increase in his heart rate, and that she would not see the blush across his cheeks.
Because he loved her, too.
Author's Note: If you didn't know, I wrote this for tlcshipweeks, unthemed. I did change the title slightly (when I titled it originally, I didn't realize that there was another TLC fic by the same title). Yeah, ok. It was a short drabble and I said I'd post them here afterwards, so here I am.