The first time Technoblade saw her properly was on a Tuesday. It was the day Wilbur finally plucked up the courage to talk to Lady Margaret in the apple orchard. It would be improper for Wilbur and his beaux to be alone, so Techno accompanied him. Lady Margaret was accompanied by her lady in waiting, who kept her head dutifully down as her mistress spoke to the king. For some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off her. As Wilbur and Margaret began walking slowly around the orchard, Techno fell into step with the mysterious lady-in-waiting.
"Do you come to the orchard often?" he asked, hoping to spark a conversation. The young woman simply ducked her head slightly and kept her eyes trained on the ground in front of her, saying nothing. Techno noticed the way her chestnut hair was braided intricately atop her head, a few rogue curls bouncing free near the nape of her neck. He colored when he realized he had been staring and cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"They seem to get along well," his companion noted in a small voice, gesturing toward where Wilbur and Margaret walked in front of them.
"Yes, they do," Techno agreed, savoring the sound of her voice. "King Wilbur was most pleased when we saw you walking along the path here. He has been hoping to speak to your mistress for some time."
"I am glad we could oblige him. Lady Margaret was also pleased to see his majesty. It is always a pleasure to serve our noble king."
"He has indeed grown into his nobility, though I must confess he was not always so proper."
"Has your lordship known the king very long?"
"Since he was a boy. And I am no lord."
"Oh! Forgive me. I assumed…" Techno's companion appeared very distressed at her blunder, hands fluttering anxiously, and he quickly stepped in to reassure her.
"No harm done, my lady. Instead of 'your lordship,' please call me Technoblade."
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr Blade. I am Evelyn Clearwater." Evelyn's eyes flicked up to meet Techno's gaze for just a moment as she spoke-he was instantly transfixed. In that split second where they shared eye contact, Techno drank in her beauty; the way her olive skin contrasted with her chestnut hair; her hazel eyes and the long eyelashes that shielded them; her rosy lips and cherry-blossom cheeks. In all his immortal years, he had never seen such beauty. Or perhaps his newfound mortality was simply giving him a new appreciation for beautiful things. Either way, it was all he could do to keep walking beside her without staring.
Evelyn, for her part, had been startled by his intense gaze and quickly dropped her own to look at the ground again. As they walked in silence, she glanced furtively in his direction and stole quick looks at her companion. He was tall and walked with a grace that demanded attention. Pink hair cascaded down his back, kept out of his face with a simple braid around his temples. What had surprised her the most, however, were his eyes. His eyes were deep red, matching the velvet cape he wore around his shoulders. She had never seen such eyes.
Lady Margaret's laughter floated through the air back toward them. Techno looked ahead and saw that Wilbur had a huge grin on his face while Lady Margaret tried, rather unsuccessfully, to stifle her laughter behind a gloved hand. Wilbur, obviously pleased with himself, smiled brightly at Technoblade before returning his attentions to Margaret. Techno shook his head.
"I'm afraid my king is in great danger of making a fool of himself, Miss Clearwater. Come. Let us catch up to them before he does so. I would not want to subject your mistress to a foolish king."
They sped up their pace and quickly recovered the ground between them and the duo. Evelyn took her place by Margaret's side, still covertly glancing in Technoblade's direction every so often.
After a while, the group paused reluctantly to bid their farewells. It was time for Wilbur and Technoblade to return to the castle, much to His Majesty's dismay. Technoblade was not particularly pleased, either, but he hid it expertly.
As Evelyn curtseyed to match Technoblade's bow, she chanced one more look at him and found that he was looking right at her. Their eyes locked and Evelyn blushed furiously, ashamed at having been caught. A grin tugged at the corner of Techno's mouth, but he quickly stifled it and straightened.
"Hopefully chance will bring us together again soon," Wilbur said, looking meaningfully at Margaret. Margaret smiled boldly.
"I do not leave these sorts of things to chance, my king. Miss Clearwater and I often find ourselves walking these paths. I should think it would be easy for us to cross paths again should we so wish."
"Very well, my lady. Until next time." Wilbur bowed once more, then watched as the ladies began retreating back toward the city limits. He sighed audibly.
"Isn't she something?" he asked blissfully, watching Margaret walk away.
"Indeed," Techno agreed. But his gaze was on Margaret's companion.
As Evelyn brushed out Margaret's hair that evening before bed, she listened contentedly as Margaret gushed over king Wilbur.
"Oh, Linnie, he's perfect! Everything a young man ought to be. He's funny, kind, considerate, knowledgeable…"
"...conveniently rich and the ruler of our kingdom."
"Linnie!" Margaret spun around angrily, batting the brush away from her head. "Don't you say such a thing. You know I don't care about that."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow.
"I know that. I also know that only a fool would fail to recognize that you're courting a king, and that it comes with considerable perks."
"Perks? You are crude."
"I was simply referring to the fact that when you're married you'll never want for any material thing ever again."
"And?"
"And...you'll be able to rub it in the faces of anyone who ever wronged you."
"That's what I was looking for. Though I'm really not as vengeful as you make me out to be." Margaret laughed and turned back around, allowing Evelyn to resume brushing her hair.
"Of course not. Out of the two of us I am the one full of the desire for revenge."
"Don't be such a tease. You couldn't hurt a fly. Did I tell you what Wilbur said about Lord and Lady Durnham from the north? He told me that…"
As Margaret launched back into yet another rendition of her conversation with the king, Evelyn allowed her mind to wander to the king's pink-haired companion. He was pleasing to look at from what she could see through her quick glances, but it was something about his air and manner of walking that drew her attention. A particularly loud giggle from Margaret broke her reverie, and she quickly smiled to encourage Margaret's excitement. Heavens knew this relationship would do Margaret good.
Over the next fortnight, the group of four companions fell into a routine of walking together nearly every day just before sunset. On one particularly happy day, Wilbur invited the two women to join them for dinner in the castle. The invitation was eagerly accepted.
"I shall send a carriage to your abode in an hour," Wilbur offered. "Will that give you enough time to get ready?"
"More than enough, sir. We thank you kindly," Margaret hummed, incredibly pleased. Techno glanced at Evelyn and gave her something echoing a soft smile, but she continued to shy away from his intense gaze. No matter. Her averted eyes gave him the chance to study her features unabashedly, which he was not about to complain about. They had not spoken very much since their first encounter, which frustrated both parties. Any conversation that did happen was awkward and short-lived, often interrupted by Wilbur or Margaret, who were blissfully unaware of the effect they were having on their disgruntled chaperones. Perhaps dinner will give me a chance to actually speak to Miss Evelyn, Techno thought hopefully. The thought of spending an entire evening engaged in conversation with Evelyn was not an unpleasant one. All at once, he found it increasingly difficult to hide the smile that was trying to spread over his face.
An hour later, one of Wilbur's many carriages pulled up in front of the Darkwood estate, located in one of the nicer neighborhoods in the city. Margaret was wearing a pink satin dress that helped her dark curls stand out against the pale fabric, cream-colored elbow-length gloves, and a simple silver hairpiece pinned among the tresses. Evelyn, on the other hand, wore a simple green muslin dress, black gloves that matched her headband, and a flaxen belt that matched the gold necklace she wore.
Their bubbling excitement made the ride to the castle pass quickly. What felt like just a few minutes after climbing into the carriage, they were being helped out by the head butler to the castle. Wilbur and Technoblade were waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Wilbur wore a very smart blue suit and silver vest while Techno had donned a black suit and gold vest with crimson highlights. Margaret gripped Evelyn's hand as she realized they had unintentionally matched their counterparts.
"It was meant to be!" she whispered gleefully as they ascended up the stairs. Evelyn giggled, hiding her smile behind a gloved hand as they ascended the stairs.
"Welcome back," Wilbur began, kissing Margaret's hand. Margaret blushed. Once again, they couldn't keep their eyes off each other. Evelyn watched them happily, unaware that Technoblade was, in turn, watching her. As Wilbur escorted Margaret inside, Techno bowed at the waist and offered her his arm, which Evelyn took graciously.
"It was kind of you to invite us for dinner," Margaret said, smiling openly at Wilbur.
"Any excuse to have your company, Lady Margaret," Wilbur replied gallantly.
Behind them, both Techno and Evelyn groaned inwardly. If I'm forced to watch them swoon over each other all night, I might lose my appetite before dinner, Techno thought, frowning. Evelyn, seeing the general's frown, shifted uncomfortably and searched her memory to see if she had done something to earn his disapproval. Techno glanced down at her. Before he could ask if she was okay, a servant waiting outside the dining room cleared his throat and got the group's attention.
"If His Majesty has a moment," the servant began hesitantly. Wilbur threw a look over his shoulder to Techno, which Techno acknowledged with a small nod.
"His Majesty is currently occupied," Techno answered. "Anything you have to say you can say to me. Please excuse me for a moment, Miss Clearwater." Techno gave Evelyn another small bow as he gently removed his arm. Evelyn watched him go, then followed after Wilbur and Margaret.
"What was so urgent that you needed to interrupt the king at dinner?" Techno asked cooly. The servant, a middle-aged man named Abernath, cleared his throat nervously.
"I just wanted to let you know that a large storm is brewing and will likely hit before dinner is over. It might not be safe for the women to travel home in their carriage if the weather doesn't take kindly to us."
Techno raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed at the man's forethought.
"Very well. Keep me updated throughout dinner and have some of the maids prepare a spare room just in case. I'm sure Lady Margaret and Lady Evelyn are more than capable of traveling home in a storm, but having the option to stay the night and wait it out might not be an unwelcome one. Thank you."
Abernath bowed and turned to go, thanking the stormy heavens his message had been received well.
"Oh, and Abernath," Techno called before the man could escape into one of the hidden servants' corridors. "Unless there is a flood or a fire threatening the very safety of the castle, do not interrupt dinner with any more updates about the weather. I will call for you when I need you."
"Yessir."
Technoblade began making his way back toward the dining room, but paused when he saw a familiar young woman in a green dress stopped a little ways down one of the adjacent hallways. She was looking intently at one of the large tapestries hanging from the wall. After a moment of deliberation, Techno approached her quietly, unwilling to break her reverie for a moment. Eventually, not wanting her to catch him staring, he decided it was time to break the silence.
"It is rather interesting, is it not?" Technoblade asked quietly, coming up behind her. Evelyn started and nearly tripped as she spun around to see who was talking. She caught herself, albeit rather ungracefully, and stood up sheepishly.
"Yes, it is. Though I must admit I was not looking at the full picture. I was rather focused on some of the smaller details here at the bottom."
"Like what?"
"Like these flowers." Evelyn motioned toward the very bottom of the tapestry where various wildflowers had been stitched into the border. "I've never seen flowers quite like them before. They look wild and beautiful."
"Most flowers found in the mountain are. These ones are modeled after flowers from the Southern Pass, I believe. Spring only lasts a few weeks there, but in those few weeks the mountain turns from greys, whites, and blacks to pinks, blues, and greens overnight."
"Have you been there? To the Southern Pass?"
"I've been almost everywhere," Techno answered vaguely.
"Then I envy you, Mr Blade."
"Why is that?"
"I have never been outside the borders of this kingdom; though, not for lack of desire."
"What is stopping you?"
"My family," Evelyn admitted, shrugging. "I have many younger siblings at home and my mother still needs help with them every time I go back to visit. There has never been enough time or money for me to travel as freely as I wish."
"Surely Lady Margaret and your family could spare you for a few months?"
"Perhaps, but I could never ask that of them. It's far too selfish a request, especially when others' needs are much more pressing than my desires."
Evelyn's words were kind, but she frowned as she said them. Techno's eyebrows furrowed and a strange feeling welled up inside him. He couldn't name the feeling, but he could decidedly say that he did not like seeing Evelyn frown. A sudden surge of bravery, or perhaps foolishness, overtook him and he said without thinking:
"Well, while I cannot promise to bring you along the next time I visit the Southern Pass, I can certainly bring you back some of those flowers. Then it will be like you visited, too."
Evelyn's eyes widened and a blush crept up her cheeks at Techno's forward statement, but a smile passed over her face before she could hide it.
"I would like that very much," she said softly. An echo down the hall reminded her that she was there to have dinner, not to flirt with the handsome pink-haired general. The realization left a strangely bitter taste in her mouth.
"Shall we return to the dining room?" Techno asked, once again offering his arm. Evelyn nodded, smiling. They made it to the dining room just a few moments after Wilbur and Margaret had sat down. They were sitting next to each other, and as the table was only set for four, this meant the only remaining seats were also adjacent. Techno pulled out Evelyn's chair for her before taking his own seat. The group fell into easy conversation as they ate the first few courses. As the main course arrived, Margaret asked Wilbur something about the kingdom's trading routes. Unaware that their counterparts found trade routes rather dull, the two fell into deep conversation. Wilbur was pleasantly surprised at Margaret's intelligent suggestions and insights into some matters that had been troubling him. This woman is perfect!
Meanwhile, a rather amusing scene was taking place across the table. For some reason, Technoblade was having a terribly difficult time eating his peas. Perhaps it was the odd shape of his fork, or the slightly squishy texture that made it difficult for them to be picked up. Or perhaps it was the fact that Miss Evelyn was sitting right next to him, occasionally glancing in his direction when she thought he wasn't looking. Whatever the reason, a traitorous pea eventually abandoned ship and rolled off his plate onto the tablecloth between himself and Evelyn. He glared at the small green legume, his pride unwilling to let him reach over and grab it with his fingers. To his surprise, he heard Evelyn giggle. The sound was magical. He looked at her curiously, and for once she didn't shy away from his gaze or stop laughing. Instead, she grinned mischievously and slid one of her own peas off her plate, nudging it with her fork until it came to rest next to Technoblade's.
"He looked lonely," she said innocently before turning back to her own meal. Techno followed suit, but not before allowing the corner of his mouth to turn up in a smile.
"He appreciates the company." Techno's quiet voice made Evelyn blush. She felt another giggle rising in her throat, but she smothered it with a bit of wine and a bite of boiled potatoes.
This dinner was turning out to be quite enjoyable after all.