Charlie woke up to Husk laying beside her, pale and he looked really tired. She reached over and touched his face carefully.
"Are you ok?" she asked softly.
He opened his eyes and she could see the pain on his face.
"Ain't nothing you can do about it."
She scooted closer to him with a big smile. She ran her pale fingers through his hair making him jerk back a little bit.
"Are you ok? Really ok?"
"I'm fine. Just need to sleep it off."
She wiggled a little bit closer. She figured she had morning breath but he looked exhausted and in pain. She wanted to do what she could…. It might be a little stupid but it would be something she would like for herself.
It was like he blinked for a split second and Charlie's lips were pressed against his. It wasn't a needy kiss, but a soft one that showed she cared. It was weird being kissed like that.
She pulled away slowly, her eyes dark and sparkling.
"What was that for?" he asked hoarsely.
"I wanted you to feel better."
"You think kissing me would make me feel better? I'm not a kid-
The princess didn't wait for him to finish as she kissed him again but more aggressively. He grunted in surprise but it wasn't unwelcomed. He slipped a hand onto her waist up the back of her shirt. She shivered a little, getting closer. She licked his bottom lip before giving it a small nip.
"Fuck," he growled.
Husk pushed her onto her back, laying on her. Charlie parted her legs and he fell in between them. He could feel how warm she was already. She ran her fingers against his scalp and neck, making him growl loudly. She almost laughed until he grinded his erection against her and a small moan fell from her lips.
"Miss Charlie- OH!"
Husk froze. Charlie's eyes snapped open. Her whole face flushed a deep red. The Duke turned his head to see Alastor frozen in place and a weird, maniac smile on his face. He turned around and bolted, slamming the door on the way out.
He groaned loudly and looked down at Charlie. She was peeking at him between her fingers.
"Do… do you feel better?" she whispered.
"Oddly…. Yea. Until now."
"Want…. Want to try again later?" she asked, her voice still muffled by her hands.
"Why the hell are you embarrassed now?" he asked.
"Because…. Al saw…."
She removed her hands.
"Is it embarrassing for you or some shit?"
Charlie looked away.
"You…. you forget I never was with anyone and I was never interrupted. I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."
Oh yea.
"Shit, I'm sorry."
He pulled himself from her and got off the bed.
"Um… See you downstairs."
"O-oh ok. Um…."
Husk turned to see her smile.
"Thanks for last night. I slept a lot better."
"No problem."
X
Charlie made her way downstairs to the kitchen to see Alastor leaning against the counter drinking his black coffee. Her face turned bright pink.
"S-sorry. We were just kissing."
"Ah I see. Well, it wouldn't be the first time I walked in on him copulating."
"O-oh."
"I came to see if you were ok…. How did last night go for you?"
Charlie grinned, holding her face, "He's adorable! I actually gotta get my sword. I just…. I thought he was cheating on me and I was thinking I would stab him and the other…. Person."
Alastor snorted into his hot beverage and started cackling.
"That is highly amusing. I can tell you he never did that with anyone while looking like that. He's rather embarrassed by the furry appearance. It didn't bother you?"
She shook her head.
"I was more relieved that I um… didn't see him doing stuff with someone else."
The man arched an eyebrow, "You were jealous?"
She nodded.
"Y-yea… Is that stupid?"
"Well, he was rather jealous of you knight, Vagatha."
"Why?"
"Charlie, I am a man who never dabbled in romance myself but I could see how much you loved that woman. It was very clear you two had some history. In fact, he punched a wall."
She rubbed the back of her head.
"Of course I felt that way towards her. We've been through it all. I… I actually got into a real fist fight too. We always backed each other up. It was our code of honor. Vaggie had dreamed of marrying someone she would ride into battle with… but when she was threatened by my father, she backed off. We have been together since we were ten. Friends always. There's…. A lot that happened. It's hard to explain. She told me she was letting me go. There's nothing left of us now…. Like that."
Charlie swallowed hard.
"I understand."
Charlie's eyes met his.
"It was unexpected but Husker wanted you to be married on the boat, with your knight there. It was his idea. He knew how much she meant to you."
"That was his idea?"
Alastor nodded.
"Yes, it was. He cares a lot more than he would like to admit."
She smiled, "I think so too."
X
Charlie stretched by the door. She decided to use her sports bra that plastered her boobs in like a miracle. She wore tight workout pants but all of it was bright red. No one would hit her while she was running. She came back up to see the Duke staring at her. She placed her hands on her hips.
"H-hi!"
His eyes just went down, staring at her stomach.
"You…. you….."
"I what? Would you like me to change?"
"You have a six pack?"
She blinked and looked down.
"Oh. I guess I do."
She ran her fingers over her stomach but the definition was there for sure, it was just soft. She glanced back at the Duke seeing his face pink and he looked conflicted.
"You wanna walk with me?" she asked before bending backwards further than it should've been comfortable.
"Here you go Charlie!" Niffty came bouncing in, waiting for Charlie to stand back up.
The tiny maid held out the bag with food in it. The princess pulled herself back up and took the brown paper bag. Husk looked at Charlie unable to form any words but he nodded. She glanced down at his feet.
"Your feet are gonna hurt."
"What- what the fuck does that mean?"
The princess blinked a few times, "I mean your boots. Do you have more suitable and comfortable ones? I've hurt myself before without using the right shoes."
"O-oh."
Niffty arched an eyebrow and shook her head.
"I have no idea why I'm straight," she muttered as she walked away.
"What the fuck did you say-
Charlie laughed and took his hand.
"If you don't have any other boots, we can take breaks more often if you need. I've walked in flip flops before so I get it. I can run twenty miles no issue in the right shoes but give me flip flops and I won't get far!"
They went out the door together into the sun. It was windy but it was pleasant and she was glad she put her hair in a ponytail.
"Are you ready?" Charlie asked.
"Sure why not."
Husk expected her to bolt off running but she didn't. She stayed beside him the whole time, carrying the bag until they made it to the bridge. She smiled at the Duke before stepping off the side and leaping off. He wasn't even surprised.
Ain't no way in hell I'm going to jump off there.
He went to the side and walked down carefully. There was his wife (what an odd thought) sitting beside the man who had been living under the bridge. He looked gross as fuck but Charlie wasn't bother one bit.
"I was thinking actually… If you want… Did you want a job?" she asked.
"Miss Charlie, no one would hire me."
"Why not? You can shower and I can cut your hair. We can go out on the town and look. I have no idea what you did before but it's never too late. You can read and write, yes?"
"Of course! I did graduate high school."
"I see. Alright."
She leaned over towards him and pulled out a tiny notebook and a pen.
"Here. Let me know everything you know how to do and we'll start from there. We can get ya a small apartment that fits into your income and go from there. How does that sound?"
Travis looked shocked.
"You don't have to go so far-
"I have tons of my own money. I'm not bragging by any means but I always use it to help others. Honestly, I would live off mac and cheese. I am not special in any way…. So I'm just Charlie."
"But you're the princess of Hellvian."
"Ah well, not really."
The man frowned before he looked at the Duke standing there.
"Why is the Duke of Prideton here?"
"I married him."
Travis gaped at her.
"You married an old man?"
"What the fuck?!" Husk yelled looking pissed.
"He's not old to me," she said with a smile, "I'm very happy actually but can we keep the secret between us for now?"
"This old ass man is keeping you a secret?"
Charlie glanced at Husk before looking back at the man.
"You know who I am so you are aware of what is said about me."
Travis nodded.
"That's why."
He nodded once more but more slowly.
What the hell have people said about her? She looked upset. What the fuck did people do to her in Hevllvian?
"I'll come by and get the notebook in the morning. We can start then and go from there. How's that sound?"
"Give me two days Charlie. It's been a while and I would like to put some thought into it since you have such faith in me."
"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow with your lunch. Is that still ok?"
"Only if you want to."
Charlie bowed before him and waved. She made it up the hill quite more gracefully than the Duke could. She helped him up while he stumbled here and there. She grinned but not in a mocking way. The fact he was a lot nicer than days before, it made her feel a lot better.
"Are your feet ok or do you want to head back?" the princess asked with a smile.
He hadn't even paid any attention to his feet at all. His mind went back to what that knight Vaggie had said.
"If we cannot get her to Queen status, please have her still try to help people. Don't let her lose her light. Don't put yourself in danger either. She loves deeply. She will love you with everything she has just….. Just love her back."
"You're a nice person. It's almost weird."
Charlie blinked, mouth open and speechless.
"Your knight said you love helping people but I didn't really think it was true."
She closed her mouth and smiled.
"I love helping people."
"Why? What do people say about you?"
Her smile melted off quickly and she stared down at the grass below her feet.
"I… You can find out from other people. All you have to do is mention my name. They'll tell you everything."
The Duke grabbed her hand.
"Why would anyone talk so fucking bad about someone who's so nice?" he snapped, "It don't make any damn sense-
"Who do you think would spread such a rumor? Who would gain the most from rubbing my name into the dirt like I'm useless trash?"
The smile on her face was wobbly, painful and almost pitiful.
She slipped her hand away carefully and started walking away from the bridge. The poor Duke had to jog (if you want to call it that) to make it to her side.
"You can't be all fuckin' cryptic now! Who would say that about you?"
"The same people who wanted to rid of me so quickly."
She gave him a devious smirk.
"In a way, it's almost flattering that I'm seen as a threat. Enough I had to be sent to another country."
The man swallowed hard seeing the look on her face. It almost gave him the chills. It was odd…. She was so defiant. She was cunning and managed to piss him off by hiding his alcohol. She was sweet and tried to be comforting. She promised to be only his. She wanted to help people. She was strong. She fought like a damn man.
His heart fluttered a little.
Fuck, she's a threat to me. She's gonna kill me.
"What are you thinking about?"
"How I might fuckin' kill four eyes for bothering us this morning."
Charlie blinked before she busted up laughing.
"You liked what I did this morning?" she asked, her cheeks coloring pink.
He swallowed hard. He couldn't even nod.
"If you want we can do it again. I don't mind…. I didn't think you would like me since I'm awkward and new to it."
"Fuck, you were just um…. Great."
The princess bit her lower lip and grinned before taking his hand.
"Ready to go home?" she asked softly.
He only nodded.
X
X
"Hello Husker. A messenger came by while you were on your walk."
The Duke groaned. Charlie let go of his hand.
"What's the matter?"
"They found out about the marriage," Alastor said, looking quite annoyed as well.
Charlie made a face.
"What does that mean?"
"A few of the royal families want to meet you."
She felt the color drain from her face.
"Can I see the paper?" Charlie asked softly.
Alastor's eyes went to the Duke.
"Let her. She knows more about that shit than I do."
The princess looked a little shocked at first then a small smile came across her face.
"Thank you."
The younger man handed her the papers and she started reading them over. Her hands shook slightly and she started crunching the paper.
My parents will be there.
Fuck my life.
"F-fine. I'm not wearing a dress though."
Husk arched an eyebrow. Alastor looked pained but Charlie handed back the papers with her bottom lip trembling.
"You don't have to, if you don't want to. I don't care what you look like as long as you aren't naked."
Charlie's eyes snapped onto the Duke.
"Really?"
"Yea. When do we gotta go?"
"In four days," Charlie answered, "What… Do we have to stay the night?"
The younger man ran a hand through his reddish locks.
"It's almost a day away."
"What are we going to do about you?" she asked, "If it's late at night…."
"We can leave him in the back seat covered."
"What about a limo? Won't the windows be tinted enough and you can drive it right?"
"That's a fantastic idea Miss Charlie. I'll be sure to secure that for our trip."
"I'd rather we leave after I change," Husk said, "It's ain't fuckin' pretty and sometimes I tear shit up. I don't want to put anyone in danger."
He avoided Charlie's eyes as he headed for his office.
"I guess…. I'll go shower."
She ran up the stairs like the devil himself was on her tail. She shook as she turned the knobs on the shower. She didn't want to face them. For the longest time they believed in her cause of helping people…. Until she had mentioned she wanted to fix bad laws. To give the world something more…..
The princess pressed her forehead against the shower's glass doors.
All those words encouraged her to do so.
All those words spoken by them told her that she could do whatever she wanted. Until the night before they were going to take her away and she had no idea.
"We can finally protect ourselves."
"That was the plan all along. We can't have her interfering with our lives more than she already has. All that stupid bullshit about saving people from poverty. Giving them a better life. Saving criminals. It's the dumbest shit I had ever heard."
Charlie pulled the door open and climbed in where the water was hotter than she should've had it.
"It wasn't hard damaging her reputation. That way if she tries to gain any traction, no one will believe her. They'll all believe she's stupid anyways. That measly amount of money won't get her any fucking boat."
"Long live the Morningstars."
"Long live the Morningstars."
She had cried that night, ready to make a mad dash to jump off the tallest part of the castle. The news of her being married was so shocking that Charlie hadn't even protested. They had convinced her it was for the good of the country and it would be an honor for her to marry the Duke of Prideton.
She had never met him but she had heard of him.
She only went back to convince them otherwise until she heard their words.
Charlie was stuck. She was desperate to get away from them then but if she went too willingly, it would give her away.
She would try to do what she needed from Prideton. She could still help her people.
Vaggie had stopped her at the last second, almost falling with her.
"You have to Charlie! Live on! Being married won't stop your dreams at all. They won't find you threatening there but when the time is right. We will bring the full force of the power you have. You will reign and change this country. Have faith because if you end it now, it'll be gone forever. Let those people who underestimated you be shocked and in awe by your brilliance. Don't let them dull your bright light. You might've been born from demons but you are an angel. Please. I love you."
Charlie had believed her. The only solace she had about everything was she wouldn't have seen them for a while. Instead, she was seeing them sooner than she had thought.
"Princess."
She looked up from her legs and through the glass. She saw Husk standing there, avoiding her eyes and her whole body altogether. He had a glass of wine in his hands.
"You shouldn't sit in hot ass water. You can't boil yourself alive."
He placed the glass on the sink vanity and pulled open the door. He turned on the cold water some, kneeling down on the bath rug.
"It ain't your fault. You shouldn't punish yourself."
"I don't want to see them."
"I sure as fuck don't wanna see them either. I didn't like them to begin with. Can you trust me though?"
Charlie raised her stormy colored eyes.
"What?"
"Can you trust me- a fucked up old man who's half cat? Can you trust me to protect ya?"
"Why though?"
She turned on the shower floor and leaned her head on the wall.
"Because you're my wife. Why else? I um… have a plan. I can tell ya in a little bit. Just wash off and don't wallow in self pity. It doesn't suit someone who should be smiling."
She didn't say anything.
"You can dress like a knight and take your sword too. If anyone says shit, we can hunt them down and you can stab them."
She grinned and wiped her face.
"I don't want to stab anyone quite yet but thanks for the permission."
"No problem. And um… that's for you. You looked like you needed it."
Charlie smiled, "I do. Thank you."
She watched as he closed the bathroom door, leaving her alone again. Her eyes landed on that glass of wine.
Maybe he's not the biggest dick after all.
King Meezy: thanks so much! lol glad you love Niffty! I'm trying but it's hotter than hell lol