This isn't really an official AU, but here Papyrus is a guard-in-training and Tabatha is Queen of a small Human Nation.
Papyrus was so nervous his bones were lightly clacking against one another. Of all the monsters of the Royal Guard that had been dispatched to this tiny human kingdom, he was the one who had been selected to remain behind. This young nation had an equally new queen on the throne who had sought an alliance with the kingdom of monsters, hoping for peace rather than the hostility that seemed the default perspective of her race. The guard had come as part of a goodwill gesture, exchanging one young trainee for another from the humans' army. The tall skeleton had never suspected that he would be the one chosen while he still had so much of his own apprenticeship to complete!
As part of his schedule, Papyrus had to meet with the young queen and have a discussion with her as well as a report about what he had learned through training with her own guards. However, it was the first week of being in the human kingdom—there hadn't been much time for him to adjust and he was already late after having gotten lost on the way to the royal study. He had no idea what his fate would entail. According to the stories told among monsters, human royalty could be unforgiving when it came to punishments—even among their own kind.
When he finally found the right set of double doors (they needed a labelling system here!), the trainee guardsman raised a hand to knock before he heard the sound of a lute being played. Not wanting to interrupt—and more than a little curious—he cracked open the door to get a peek.
Seated on a plush armchair was Queen Tabatha of the Humans. She was the one lightly strumming the instrument. Her face was more solemn than Papyrus had ever seen it—she was usually smiling and cheerful. She wasn't looking at where her fingers were playing the chords and instead looked out the window, her eyes upon the darkening night sky.
"The stars are very beautiful, above the palace walls,
They shine with equal splendor, still above far humbler halls.
I watch them from my window, but their bright entrancing glow,
Reminds me of the freedom I gave up so long ago."
She gracefully rose to her feet, setting the lute down, and strode over to a hanging mirror that rested above the fireplace. It normally reflected the room, but the royal woman was using it to study her own face as she continued to sing. Her fingers lightly brushed the diadem on balanced on her brown locks.
"The royal circlet of bright gold rests lightly on my brow,
I once thought only of the rights this circlet would endow.
But once I took the crown to which I had been schooled and bred,
I found it heavy on the heart, though light upon the head."
Seeming to float, the young queen moved to her desk where there rested a tray of food next to a pile of parchment that probably contained laws and other edicts. Her fingers tenderly brushed over the shape of the plate before straightening one of the papers, lingering meaningfully.
"Although I am the head of state, in truth I am the least,
The true Queen knows her people fed, before she sits to feast.
The good Queen knows her people safe, before she takes her rest,
Thinks twice and thrice and yet again, before she makes request."
Leaving the objects alone, she twisted towards the windows again. Papyrus closed the door as far as he was able and watched her cross the floor and fiddle with a latch to the doors leading out to a balcony he hadn't noticed before.
"For they are all my children, all, that I swore to defend,
It is my duty to become both Queen and trusted friend—
And of my children high and low, from beggar to above,
The dearest are my Heralds, who return my care with love."
The queen strode out onto the balcony, moonlight highlighting her in silver. The tall skeleton carefully slipped through the door, watching her sing in a sort of trance. The young woman's gaze was focused on the wall beyond the palace, where patrolled her own guards.
"The dearest are my Heralds, swift to spring to my command.
Who give me aid and fellowship, who always understand
That land and people first have needs that I may not deny—
So I must send my dearest friends to danger—and to die."
Leaning against the balcony, the human stared at the ground below, melancholy in her tone.
"A friend, a love, a child—it matters not, I know indeed,
That I must sacrifice them all if there should be the need.
They know, and they forgive me—doing more than I require,
With willing minds and loving hearts go straight to grasp the fire."
Papyrus crept to the doorway of the balcony, feeling an aching sympathy come into his Soul as the song became clearly more painful for the young woman to sing.
"These tears that burn my eyes are all the tears the Queen can't shed,
The tears I weep in silence as I mourn my Heralds dead."
Tilting her head back, Queen Tabatha's gaze landed on the low-hanging moon.
"Oh gods that dwell beyond the stars, if you can hear my cry...
And if you have compassion...
Let me send no more to die!"
The song faded into the night and the brunette raised a single hand to her face in a weary manner. Papyrus took another step closer and she suddenly turned around, probably having heard him in the new silence. After a tense moment of each gazing at the other, the human straightened up into proper posture, brushing a loose strand of hair back into place.
"Guardsman," she addressed him. "I didn't hear you come in."
"MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT ANNOUNCING MYSELF, YOUR MAJESTY," the lanky skeleton replied with a bow. "IT'S JUST...I DID NOT WANT TO INTERRUPT YOUR TRULY LOVELY SINGING, EVEN IF IT WAS A BIT SAD."
"Ah, so you heard it…" the young queen sighed. "I really shouldn't be complaining about my station like that; it's selfish—"
"BUT SURELY EVEN THE QUEEN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE SELFISH SOMETIMES?" the young guardsman interrupted. "YOU ARE NOT PERFECT, AFTER ALL—NO ONE IS, NOT EVEN THE GREAT PAPYRUS."
It occurred to him two seconds too late that he probably shouldn't have cut off the human ruler and that he ought not to have referred to himself by his made-up title. His cheekbones flushed orange at the same time as sweat began to break out along the top of his skull, but before he could apologize, the human let out a small laugh. Completely blindsided, Papyrus froze in place, not sure if her humor was a good or bad sign.
"My apologies; I shouldn't laugh," the brunette tried—and failed—to say without giggling. "It's just...you made quite the face there..."
The laughter did not fade for another minute, the whole time the skeleton waited without breathing, eyes clamped shut, still worried that once she calmed she might reprimand him or...would she punish him? Isn't that what humans did to those who broke the rules?
"Sir? Why are you flinching?"
"I...I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT PUNISH ME FOR INTERRUPTING YOU," Papyrus admitted weakly.
"Punish you? Oh gods above, what did humans do to your people that would give rise to such horror stories? I'm not going to do something so drastic for something as simple as speaking over me. This isn't court where everyone must wait their turn."
The monster cracked open one eyesocket to peek at Queen Tabatha and saw she was frowning. Not an angry frown...it was a sad one.
"HAVE I...HAVE I UPSET YOU, YOUR HIGHNESS?"
"Hm? No; it's an old worry," she reassured him with a wave of her hand. "My race aren't very considerate...not even to one another. It's why there are so many human kingdoms and only one monster. But you have my word, guardsman, that I will not punish you unless you were to do something that endangered me or my subjects. I can't expect you to adhere to human customs and laws without giving you time to adjust."
"Y-YOU ARE VERY KIND, YOUR MAJESTY," Papyrus stuttered out.
"Please, when we are in private you may call me Queen Tabatha. I'm not one for titles...which reminds me, what is your name, guardsman?"
"I AM PAPYRUS. JUST PAPYRUS."
"Ah. What an honor it is to stand in the presence of the Great Papyrus."
She was clearly teasing—she had a sly little smile on her face—but that didn't stop the skeleton from blushing again, nervously playing with the edge of his scarf to distract himself from the embarrassed heat surging through his bones. The Queen laughed again and Papyrus decided he liked that sound: it was warm and meant good things.
"You were supposed to be here for a report, yes?" the young royal asked, bringing her hand up towards her mouth as she thumbed her painted lips. When she received a nod of affirmation, a thoughtful hum escaped her. " I don't feel much for an update right now. What do you say that we instead have a nice long conversation over tea instead?"
"YOU REALLY DON'T MIND?"
"Not at all. I could use a new friend. Someone whose willing to tell me exactly what's what."
"PLEASE, YOUR HIGHNESS, MY CHEEKBONES WILL BE STAINED ORANGE IF YOU CONTINUE LIKE THIS," Papyrus groaned amidst the girlish giggles of the Queen who was far too proud of her own cleverness.
*Throws fluff at audience* HERE! TAKE THE RESULTS OF MY GOOD MOOD! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
(legit no shame, my only date today was with Markiplier on YouTube and I was completely okay with getting the Darkiplier ending. I kept giggling like I was five years old...or a rabid fangirl)
Thank you to every one of my four reviewers from last time! Remember, if you'd like to see something, don't hesitate to hit me up!
flaming-couches: (awesome penname btw) I feel like these little stories are sometimes better-developed than the original fic! And I don't know what's gonna happen in the future of this SailFell thing, but I'll probably write up a prequel!
UltimateGamer101: I didn't know UnderSail was a thing, but the main difference here is everyone are pirates instead of undersea monsters (sans the skelebros ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )
Guest (2/2/17): I pretty much agree all the way (I discovered Starset a few weeks ago, so My Demons was an instant yes) except for Undertale. Count on Me is more of their BFF song while their ship themesong would be If My Heart Was A House by Owl City.
blueveins92: The cuteness didn't break you, did it? That's a lot of gibberish... ;)