for meet cutes day 25 - it's your wedding day only you've never met the person you're marrying and you're only marrying them for the safety of your kingdoms

for 366 words - benefit

512 words by gdocs


Scorpius knows that what he's doing is for the benefit of his kingdom. He knows, as heir prince, that this is what he was literally born to do. He was born to take over the kingdom, and he was born to protect and lead his country.

Still, he doesn't like it.

It's been three weeks since his father announced that he was getting married, and Scorpius has tried everything to get out of it. He yelled at his father, he cried to his mother, he ran off without telling his parents where he was going, he ignored his parents for hours, he refused to go to his classes, and he even snuck out and hunted at night, something his parents would never let him do.

It's not that Scorpius is opposed to the idea of getting married. In fact, he assumed that he would have an arranged marriage with some noble, but he thought that he would be able to meet the person and get to know them and get to fall in love with them before they got married.

He doesn't get to meet the prince he's marrying until they're on the altar. That's what Scorpius is upset about.

His father has told him about how their economy needs the training partner as soon as possible. His mother has told him that she's met the prince — because of course she gets to meet his future husband and he doesn't — and that he's very nice and handsome.

Scorpius isn't convinced. He wants to marry someone he loves, even if he doesn't get to choose who he has to love.

Still, it's the day of his wedding, and nothing has changed. Scorpius allows himself to get changed into his royal suit, and he lets them pamper him up. This is what he has to do.

The wedding itself goes by in a blur. His husband whispers, "I'm Albus," to him as they're getting officiated, and Scorpius agrees with his mother that Albus is very handsome. Scorpius smiles, and gives a speech that he didn't write about how glad he is to unite the two kingdoms, and he dances with his husband, and he thanks people for coming. Albus, to his credit, whispers jokes in Scorpius' ear all night and they make him laugh. Albus whispers things about himself to Scorpius, and Scorpius whispers facts about himself right back. They get to know each other a bit more, and Scorpius' wedding starts to feel a little bit magical.

The next morning, though, he wakes up in bed with someone who's practically still a stranger.

With his husband. Albus.

Albus is still asleep, and Scorpius lets his eyes travel down from his messy hair, to his half open mouth, to his chest moving slowly up and down, and to his legs covered in a blanket.

Scorpius still feels unsure about this whole thing, but he takes in how Albus is sleeping, looking peaceful and angelic, and he thinks, for the first time since his father told him, that he could make it work.