I've wanted to write something King's Quest related for a long time, I just didn't know where to begin, classic or reboot. I stupidly thought if I wasn't going to get views it was pointless. But now I just want to have fun, and I think the best place is the reboot since I've played that most recently and the fact it's slept on is yet another layer of depression I can add to the pile.
Fair warning: despite this being a first-time story there's nothing graphic to warrant M. I've written a story with a similar set up in the past but let's just say that one had sex jokes up to 11 and was just more over the top in general. That other story was a one-shot close to 24,000 words so you'll have to forgive me if I try to learn my lesson and trim. That being said, I think this story's pace is erratic because of that.
In closing, I want to recommend having another tab open with dated music listening to this. I have my own personal 80's playlist and when I tell you pairing this with Whitesnake's "Looking For Love" was an almost spiritual experience, I hope you can experience something similar.
DISCLAIMER TIME – "What's your price? My wallet, kidneys or execution?"
A King's Quest fanfiction typed entirely by The Chosen Storyteller
...
Just Like A Romance Novel (Gone Sideways)
It had been too long since Daventry saw a royal wedding, if at all. The only thing sure was King Graham didn't expect it would be his own. He didn't have a problem with finding someone to spend the rest of his life with, when he was waking up to a huge castle in between adventures only having the same guards to talk to during breakfast of course he was lonely. Fact was, he experienced loneliness all too easily. These days most of the residents came to accept him and be happy to indulge in even the most insignificant conversation about the new door on the shop because it made him perk up a little.
The adventures started as a way to get over the days he felt burnt out, then he fell in love with them. And it seemed like his heart only had room for solving the most wicked puzzles a human mind could conjure, collecting the most random items because...because, and of course having stories to tell his friends back home. But the years went on. He didn't realize what he was missing until his friends began pointing it out whether they were all in on a plan or not. He was in his twenties, single. He looked at the local couples through a slightly green lens. The idea of, you know, asking older people what a real romantic relationship was like made him cringe still. He liked to think he had grown mentally from all the riddles he had to translate, the logic he had to connect that wasn't always the first conclusion to have.
Believe it or not, Graham had no experience with dating. He definitely had crushes, at least enough to count on both hands. He had the worst luck in that every girl he liked either didn't know him – let alone want to – or found him too emotionally exhausting. He couldn't tone it down because...how? At thirteen, clearly he had grown up enough to know when love is real and that one day he would make enough income being a knight to support his future girlfriend/wife and basically live happily after. But just for the record: he also cringed wondering if those girls still saw his face in their nightmares.
So he gave up on finding love, until the magic mirror showed a specific tower. He imagined he would save a princess from certain doom, and they would instantly fall in love because that's how it always worked in the novels his mind consumed like a damn buffet when needing to read to fall asleep. So of course, two princesses awaited him, and the one he might not have fallen in love immediately with still enchanted him enough proposing on sight seemed like the best course of action.
It didn't work.
Sometimes Graham was haunted by the memory of her shocked face as he made the initial proposal, especially once she escaped the tower would actually accept his courtship offer. And that had gone surprisingly smoothly, enough so he was still nervous to eventually propose at a better time but now she responded to the offer with taking his cheeks in her hands before he could pull some kind of "just kidding" move as if that would salvage an awkward moment. He couldn't say it when her lips were on his as her "yes".
The haunting memory faded away.
Graham's mind was stuck on repeat of the perfect fall afternoon when everyone gathered for the wedding. He tried to play it cool, not leave claw marks on his hands before he could even lift his bride-to-be's veil. Tried not to sweat since even if the spectators were seated farther away there was a light wind that wouldn't make sense to be heated in. Tried to stop from grinning like a lovesick fool, but that was just impossible.
Princess Valanice, or Vee to Graham... Words failed him. He felt like his voice was magically ripped out his throat. But it wasn't a bad feeling. Once she was next to him, their gazes for just one moment, eyes shimmering under the veil as she nudged his hand with hers and they interlocked. Looking back, that was the only reason he didn't collapse. A somewhat impatient ahem interrupted and steered them back to the celebrant.
The ceremony itself wasn't anything over the top or did anything unconventional to set it apart from others like it. In that way the newlyweds were more focused on each other than anything else unless some mild mishap occurred. The only notable one being Amaya getting so flustered about catching the bouquet she threw it onto a line of ribbons that ultimately fell into one of the contained fires keeping everyone warm outside.
Speaking of anxiety, Graham's stomach was filled with nothing but for more of the honeymoon than he thought necessary. Getting pulled aside by the only two married men he knew and having semi-censored stories of theirs drilled into his ears against his will was what he assumed would be the peak of embarrassment. He could nod politely, trying to think of happy thoughts like puppies playing tug of war with a chew toy. Anything wholesome at that point. But when he was finally released after a hundred years and able to join Vee in what was at least a sick carriage he couldn't breathe when she snuggled at his side and just rested her head on his shoulder.
Graham knew the not-so-secret purpose for this getaway, Vee knew it and somehow when they were alone in their inn room was where the good times fizzled out. Make no mistake; they spent the daylight hours engaging in chess games with increasingly intense stakes and taking walks where Vee would ultimately break out into expert riddles no mere mortal would ever be able to solve. And those were times where Graham actually breathed, was smiling so much his face was actually sore and it was becoming a medical concern. But when it grew dark of course they had to retire... Of course, they were a man and woman alone with a bed.
The fact they were married didn't set in yet. Before the wedding they seemed to have an unspoken agreement, they didn't need to move fast, so even though they eventually worked their way up to a little more touching and longer kisses the clothes stayed right where they were. There was an annoying stereotype where "proper ladies" were not meant to be seen disheveled or disrobed.
So of course, it wasn't Vee who was walked in on, but rather she groggily stepped into the bath as Graham was dressing. He was scrambling to gather the underclothes at his feet, failing to realize Vee's glazed over and watery eyes as she couldn't stop yawning to even wash her face. Even if in a sleepy trance, Vee tended to that morning ritual plus running a comb through her hair before gathering a change of clothes right next to Graham and soon shutting the door behind her. Graham would later awkwardly ask if she saw anything, worded it super vague like that not thinking clearly in the slightest. With Vee's eyes lighting the way they did at a challenge and her otherwise neutral face, Graham had no idea if she was teasing.
But on the last night Graham was trying to fall asleep when he felt a body press against him. Not asleep, but not fully aware either he gladly relaxed into this presence as it was soft and warm. He only realized it was Vee when she spoke his name at his ear. His eyes snapped open as she tangled their legs and nuzzled his back. He thought she might be asleep but made a glimpse over his shoulder just to be sure the moment she looked up caught in the act. Vee gave him a coy smile as if to challenge him to roll off the bed and escape this madness. But it wasn't madness. There was a word for what Graham thought of her giving him that look, one he didn't know if she would find satisfying or offensive so best keep his mouth shut and enjoy.
Enjoy he did.
The only skin to skin contact came from their ankles, but it drove home a point how petite she was, and he liked being able to scoop her up in his arms. If Vee had a problem with that he knew he would have been given a death glare for trying. Now what he saw was her eyes giving a sensual glimmer in the dark, while he did his best to keep his nervous expression hidden under the blanket as he rolled around to face her. In this position Vee squirmed her way into his arms and let their lips meet chaste at first. For just a moment they experimented where to place their hands until Vee was content with Graham's back while he was still contemplating. Graham settled on guiding her back to his lips with his palm on her cheek, enough so her fingers kneaded while the kisses saw fewer broken contact. And Graham realized she was gradually lowering her fingers down the curve of his spine, but not his full reaction to it.
His mind had been overloaded with questions of when should he get under her slip?
How long before they joined?
They lost comprehension as he picked up her faint moans and felt her fingers dig in and gradually slide farther down his back until settling on a random spot before the cutoff point and remained. He didn't fully understand why she chose there even when his temperature spiked, and pleasure was all he could concentrate on.
It was over in an instant when Vee sat up suddenly, visibly flustered. Graham was stunned like leaving a trance, following her gaze to see what happened. Turns out it was... A lot.
The ride back to Daventry was soul-crushingly silent.
Graham imagined he would have had Vee in his arms by now ready to show off her new home as if hadn't done so every time she visited. He would find the slightest change to point out, spend an unhealthy amount of time making new curtains if he had to. In fact, he had planned out making rounds where the guards were typically posted first, save the bedroom for last. Thank her for putting up with his antics with you know.
One small hand grabbed his shoulder when they stepped through the castle doors as a matter-of-fact voice spoke. "Before we go any further, we need to talk about what happened that night."
Believe it or not, it had been some time since Graham made himself look so ridiculous. But he could at least lower his gaze to her hand gently gathering fabric, so yeah, he wanted the ground to open up, but he reached up to her hand and fit his fingers between hers.
"I know I messed up-"
"You didn't."
Graham risked a rapid look at Vee's face, finding she looked sympathetic. He wished that had the intended effect, but he just couldn't continue. He forced his eyes straight ahead down the hall, boiling alive... Mostly because of her stepping forward so she rested against his back and had one arm loose around his torso.
"What happened was... Unexpected, but there must have been a lot of factors in the works. I'm willing to try again, if you just let me know it's okay."
"You actually-" Wait, that was horrible word choice. Graham had to bite his tongue, but it was worth correction. "Isn't this supposed to be the part where we go in circles because I can't be satisfied not knowing those factors?"
"Graham-"
The sudden soft impact of several painstakingly folded towels made both Vee and Graham set the topic aside looking up at Kyle waaaay on the other end of the hall. The fact he'd also accidentally screeched "WHEN DID YOU RETURN?!" more scandalized than surprised already crumbled a case for things being normal around here.
Larry's head poked around a corner in a shower of petals and prickly stems, shoulders visibly quivering with silent nervous laughter more panicked than genuine.
"It's been the same old, ho hum for us!" Larry probably didn't mean to sound pleading, but he did as he stepped around and pat Kyle's shoulder like he was a hopeless case. "We've just... Um... The exact same duties we were left with and nothing on the side!"
Kyle caught on, nodding rapidly and probably painfully. "Of course, we couldn't let our new queen come home to a bath without towels!"
"Tragic!" Larry cut in desperately.
"And- And even though you didn't leave instructions for the rose garden, Sire-"
Graham stepped away from Vee at that moment, rubbing his head confusedly. "Roses do make the scenery pop in autumn, but I didn't know we had a garden."
Vee took a look at Kyle and Larry visibly sweating on top of their armor somehow, clasped her hands suddenly as if to divert from the awkwardness. "Well all of that travel made me sluggish, so I think I'll put off dinner tonight and to bed early." She turned to Graham this time, just him to bat her lashes a certain way as she slipped her arm around his.
For just one moment no potential disaster waiting in the castle mattered as Graham eagerly guided her along, or at least he did his best to not pick up the pace or smile high off emotion, but the rising temperature must have just been him. They both gave polite waves to the guards as they brushed past, only for Larry to make some kind of strained noise as he rushed to grab Graham's shoulders and lean to his face grimly.
"Don't let Queen Valanice see this right now, I beg you. Just give us time." Larry's voice took on an element of despair with hands like a steel grip.
Before anyone could figure out what to do with the weird vibes, more clunky steps of another armored body came down the hall followed by exasperated sighing.
"Larry, Kyle it's time to make a paint run." Guard Number One announced passively, strolling into the scene with a huge splatter of a very specific shade of green covering him. At Kyle waving his hands desperately, Guard Number One lazily turned to see the royal couple and gave a respectful nod. "King Graham, Queen Valanice. I hope you had a lovely trip."
Kyle and Larry would ultimately shove the couple out abruptly, wave them off casually and slam the doors fast enough to shake the whole freaking castle. Graham and Vee stood there staring at the doors until latter reached for the former's arm again, stepping up on her toes to whisper in his ear a sentence to send his confuse his blood where to go first. "We don't need a bed to have a good time, do we? I've an idea..."
This was either going to be the greatest night of their lives or an epic failure, but Graham could focus on little else but his queen snuggling against his chest with eyes twinkling in anticipation as he carried her for at least three set pieces trying to find a quiet place in the forest. There was a grey area if this counted as public indecency, one Graham would make a note to check later. He joined Vee in admiring the pleasant vibes sent by the leaves gently rustling in the breeze. There were few small gaps among the giant trees for a glimpse of the stars but what they could see were bright enough to cast mood lighting.
There was a spot that seemed to be just made for romantic atmosphere, in the middle of wildflowers where the starlight streamed. They could have had a traditionally romantic moment in which the man would lie his lady down in a bed of flowers and admire her beauty. They could have had a progressive romantic moment where the lady would find her footing on her own, pretend to dismiss the man before wrapping her arms around his neck and letting their lips meet. Of course, Graham and Vee pioneered something else as far as they knew.
Vee removed her hands from around his neck so he could place her delicate fingers on his cheeks. It would have been great if she would go in for the kiss she obviously intended, because Graham was becoming too familiar with the once elusive shyness as he could look nowhere else but her face.
"W-w-what...?" And words failed him. The night was ruined-
"Of all the times we've been this close, I haven't had a chance to... Study your face." Vee managed to say with a straight face, before it was shaken by a spike of mischief she just couldn't keep out of her smile entirely.
"W-why?" Graham didn't even hear his own voice, and vocal cords by association, disappearing with his breath into the world possibly to never be reclaimed.
Vee pulled back just one hand to make a mock, thoughtful look prop for her own cheek. "Would you mind if I... Started? At least at first?"
He felt dumb as hell shaking his head no. That is, no to denying her. She could do anything... He'd keep up to the best of his ability.
Vee slammed her lips to his with such force that she would have surely plummeted first without Graham rushing to steady her. He had gotten turned around, but not aware if he fell he wasn't actually going to get hurt until the world was flipped upside down and there was something like soft bedding behind his back. He'd shut his eyes instinctively, cracked them open slowly as he realized Vee wriggled herself out of his arms to delicately place herself half sitting and half leaning next to him.
His view of the cracks of starlight in the tree-covered sky was replaced by Vee's face showing the thoughtful expression that could be dangerous for his willpower. With her looking from the side, dress now hanging loose off her shoulder with a teasing peek and her idly brushing back hair behind her ear all of it was just...
"Amazing." She took the words out of his mouth.
Either four or five seconds passed agonizingly slow, culminating in Vee ducking her head and gathering a random pebble in one hand. She had a look that could only be described as instant regret before hurling said pebble out of the atmosphere.
"I mean..." Vee feebly spoke, brushing back hair now more so out of nervousness as she lowered her face to his. "Graham, I'm out of my element. So I'm going to say the first ridiculous thoughts if you don't keep my lips busy. I don't want my emotions to overwhelm me too much, but I can't make 'amazing' poetic or subtle. It's just as it sounds."
Graham swallowed what he assumed to be hopelessly lovesick comments as her proximity was dizzying. He knew his face must have given away everything, but Vee had a stubborn streak and if she was focused on her own perceived flaws, she wouldn't notice anything else.
"Then we don't have to make sense tonight." Graham suggested, pushing himself up on his elbows closer to her. So she had no choice but to see how she affected him. "If we both believe it's amazing to even get this far, can't it just be a good thing? We saw what happened when we spend too much thinking, so let's focus on what really matters."
"What matters is comfort in having someone honestly want a courtship or call me his wife, even though I know I'm difficult to get along with." Vee's expression jarringly turned to a pout as she spoke.
Okay, so it wasn't the best move to be that close at the moment. Graham missed the natural reaction cue to give a smooth line about how she didn't give herself enough credit. He knew he made a grave error when he felt himself crack a smile, and through a peek in her fringe her eyes narrowed.
"I'm difficult." Vee insisted. "That's why I can't imagine what my parents were thinking arranging meetings with any desperate young man who could read the banner 'single princess inside; ask for details' on the front of the castle."
Graham just shook his head before moving back in giving her a reassuring peck. He meant to convey a nice sentient, was so caught up in that for the second it happened before pulling back suddenly as he realized what she just said.
"Was there really a banner?" Graham felt the need to ask in fear of being haunted by the unknown
Vee just shrugged it off, rolling her eyes. "Just know you could have been marked as yet another desperate young man."
"If I'm not a waste of your time, then you're not difficult to me." Graham attempted to get this chaotic conversation back on track, realizing by the end he was pushing hair behind her ear and was moving in to kiss again.
Graham initiated their next contact managing to kiss her with just a piece of enthusiasm he had in storage. Sometimes he could give himself a satisfied smile and pat on the back for keeping his eagerness in check. Sometimes that completely failed in the worst moment. He thought Vee could teach him a thing or two about patience.
He thought that until she pushed him back into the flower bed, hands inching up his shirt. The gentle, evening breeze blew petals off the mood flowers as the event carried on. That wasn't actually a euphemism but would have worked as well.
Dresses were never a topic Graham thought of day to day; he simply didn't have an interest. So, it was very ungraceful getting Vee out of it. He could only pretend he was taking a long time working with the dress as an excuse to stroke her shoulder blades for a time. Vee would respond with pulling his hands back to a particular area when he tried to leave so that failure surprisingly worked. It turned out the dress had an elaborate series of ties in the back, but the less said about that the better.
In theory, Vee should have had an easier time. She got her focused face on, having no time for nonsense like being shocked by the male form. She was, obviously, not hesitating by lifting his shirt carefully. That just made sense because the cost of tailoring isn't cheap these days. It might have looked like she prevented him from assisting in removing his outer clothing because she wanted an excuse to feel for muscles. Correct.
The cool of the night hadn't affected them until they were stripped down, shockingly. It brought them instinctively closer for warmth, and neither Graham nor Vee were willing to shiver and look like they were affected. Vee would give him a look like let's not throw all caution to the wind, getting dirt and grass in uncomfortable places. Graham would agree with what he hoped read as we can work around one layer. Not I DIDN'T THINK THIS THROUGH WHAT AM I EVEN DOING-
But soon they would find a nice atmosphere with being so close together, Vee practically lying her head on his chest as he experimented combing fingers through her hair and going down her shoulder blades. He couldn't see her face, but she was sighing contently so he thought he was doing something right. She had to be reading his mind when she dropped a hand to her groin at the same time he did.
"Slow! Down!" A breathless Amaya-like voice shook the quiet forest. It might not have been directed at them, but Graham and Vee nearly jumped out of their skin.
"This is simply Whisper's normal jogging pace!" The unmistakable Whisper gave a merry chuckle somewhere nearby.
"Do you... Always... On the third date..." A noise like a cat coughing up a hairball interrupted Amaya's fading voice.
Neither Graham nor Vee dared to breathe as they tried to look through the darkness. They didn't see anyone, but the sound of multiple charging fighters couldn't be anyone but one Whisper. He and Amaya were close, maybe too much for comfort and there wasn't exactly much option for cover except a fallen log and random assortment of bushes.
Vee removed her hand from Graham's mouth, the realization in her eyes suggesting she just noticed where it ended up. She only left a finger to his lips, signaling they were better off keeping quiet and... Figuring it out as they went. Strategy? Get out of here. That- That was it, really. Graham followed her lead, not outwardly losing his cool even if inside PANIC spread like wildfire. The only thing they could do was gather clothing like rebellious teenagers about to get busted, so why did Vee still hold on to his waist and let one flirty look out before she got serious again. If that was motivation, good call.
"...Whisper, don't think I can't see that look on your face. I don't care if we're alone, I refuse to participate in these outdated 'romantic'-"
"Not to worry, my love! WHISPER CAN-"
"You know I have perfectly functioning legs, Whis-" Amaya's words turned into a startled yelp as she was swept off her feet as if weightless. Whisper's perfect execution probably said more about how often the two did this than anything.
Graham had already moved behind the bushes with Vee, dressing fast enough to dislocate anything that might be of use later. He couldn't help but steal a look at the couple as they walked closer into the clearing. Or more accurately: Whisper whistling an unknown tune, supporting Amaya behind his back as she seemed to wrap her arms loosely around his neck, smiling in a sillier manner than Graham was used to seeing.
Vee was still hurrying to tend to those forsaken dress ties when she caught Graham looking at her thoughtfully. He might have also been distracted by how over the top wide her eyes had become. "The dress was a wedding gift from my family; I couldn't just abandon it in the back of my wardrobe." She hissed under her breath, shock switching to mild embarrassment covered up with frustration.
A cruel twist of fate brought Whisper to set Amaya down on the log in front of the bushes. Don't get it twisted; the spot was perfect. Even the much more stubborn Amaya couldn't help but slide closer to Whisper, accept his arm around her back when offered. She probably didn't want anyone to look at her right then because her smile was small and tender. It wasn't obvious if she fully understood she could be a cool blacksmith and have romantic feelings at the same time, but Whisper stayed this long so maybe he could help her find her answer. The moonlight suddenly seemed reserved only for them, casting a slender and intimate glow as Amaya let herself move her hands up to remove his helmet.
She was promptly sucker punched in the side, knocking the rest of her wind out and also sending her in a crumpled heap off the log.
Whisper made some baffled noises, rushing to hold up Amaya and examine her as she was checking every swear in the book rubbing her side trying not to look too pathetic in one night.
Vee yanked her arm back through the hole she created in the bushes, holding it down as if it had a mind of its own as she met Graham's horrified expression with a surprisingly meek one. For the record: it was an accident. She just didn't know if Amaya's spleen would agree.
"Must have been some of those unholy squirrels; they get bloodthirsty as the cold sets in." Whisper told Amaya somehow soothingly, hovering his hand at her side. He kept tilting his head as if he was contemplating if this was a good chance to make a move.
Amaya ignored the helpful commentary about the local, murderous wildlife as one should. She was surprisingly much less limp reaching out for Whisper's wrist to place his hand on her side for him. "Whisper, it's okay."
"It's okay." Whisper repeated, genuinely subdued as he leaned closer to Amaya. Just as she sat up as well.
"It always was." Amaya added, smiling like she did something with that line.
Whisper radiated as if having stolen the starlight for himself, but more importantly he raised a small portion of his helmet to swoop in and meet Amaya's approaching lips thereby saving everyone from realizing how much they all failed at smooth romantic lines.
They had two pairs of shameless, perv eyes peek through the bushes. However, the atmosphere left its effects on the other couple. The two were still disheveled, Vee's dress still having an opening in the back from most of the – redacted – ties and missing a shoe while Graham's hair was windblown, and he was still hastily pulling his trousers back up to finish. A hand moved in the way of his clothes just so close to where they should have been an hour ago. Graham wanted to let whatever she intended play out but backed away like the ground was splitting open.
"W-We need to concentrate on slipping past them." Graham rambled, visibly crunching the tip of his tongue as he accidentally drew out the mundane task. "We can't do this here. But we can't go too deep in the forest. We have to think of something. Just calm down. We have to think. No, we have to leave. At this point I don't care about the cost of a broken window; I'd break the bedroom's if it meant-"
Vee's hand moved to his mouth suddenly. "Just run."
Whisper set the scene back up, pulling Amaya closer by the waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. The whole armor thing didn't seem to bother her, and she was just sighing contently enjoying Whisper's company. Even when he excitedly pointed to the sky showing her that the stars were coming out. Indeed, they joined the moonlight in brightening the surrounding area. She had the most serious face on as she too looked to the sky, murmuring about how her birth sign was always impossible to find.
Like an assassin in the night, a figure behind them bolted into what shadows remained.
"Look! That has to be Aries!" Amaya gasped happily.
"It knew you were searching!" Whisper said too sincerely, lost in the moment.
The second figure rose from a crouch to run, fixed its posture before making a vexed sound. "That's just Pisces..."
Amaya and Whisper turned around suddenly, but Vee already took off in a sprint catching up to Graham who'd been briefly frozen in horror at being caught, they locked hands and ran away into the night back to town. They started mortified and afraid of what conversation might come up when speaking to them later, but with the wind in their hair and stealing glances at each other looking as if they had been stranded in the wild with poor survival skills and were just now getting back to civilization they couldn't stop grinning like the fools because there was simply no excuse for not using the cape that currently fluttered in the breeze with their running.
"Well, that must have been a terrible riding service if Graham and Valanice were forced to return on foot!"
"Don't worry about them; I think Graham gets excited when Valanice is excited by a self-inflicted challenge."
"Ah, Whisper was wondering about that but didn't want to assume..."
Nights in the square were typically lit with two or three lanterns outside store fronts, the flame being an indicator of time especially on the rare nights the shopkeepers or stray residents didn't decide to stay out relaxing or enjoying the cool breeze. Tonight, the voices of Acorn and Guard Number Three carried over the entry to town.
"...Look, I've shown you every variation of green that exists. The shade you're looking for just doesn't-"
"Impossible. Work with me: I'm looking for something in the realm of pear and apple."
"Well, I've seen green pears and apples."
"Now imagine you take these two shades and mix them."
"I can't imagine much difference, to be honest."
"Inaccurate. Some pears have a tinge of yellow."
"You said you wanted green."
"Yes, I want green."
"You just mentioned pears-"
"I was providing an example."
"But you still want green?"
"Have you seen the color Queen Valanice is fond of?"
"That's a darker green!"
"What would you say her choice of color is? Emerald? I thought so at first, although my coworkers would argue it's forest. Forest. The name doesn't benefit her at all; emerald is more for a woman with her dignity."
"Would you still buy the rug if I argued it's lighter than emerald...?"
Neither Graham nor Vee made any effort to not look questionable as they took the direct route into the square, still disheveled and covered in dirt and grass. Guard Number Three and Acorn just stood in baffled silence more than anything, knowing better than to just ask what took so long to get back as far as they knew. Not that there was room for wrong guesses; while Vee could force her mouth in a thin line like she had an aforementioned sour pear in her mouth, Graham just looked guilty outright.
Guard Number Three rushed over, radiating shock and concern. "What have you put Queen Valanice through?!"
Graham knew what was coming next, instantly raising his hands as if a shield against her reaction. "Well, we were kicked out of the castle, so we decided to... Pass the time outdoors. If you know anything about what secret project the other guards are up to please-"
"Oh! Those brutes!" Guard Number Three threw her hands in the air, done with everybody and everything. "We were only redecorating the bedroom! Now look at what they've done: you must have the worst impression of us, Queen Valanice!"
"No, I suggested we step out of town." Vee corrected her rather casually, shrugging.
"That was a good idea." Graham said, immediately taking a turn for the realm of personal opinion as he solely looked at Vee. "I don't care what place we end up... As long as you're comfortable, I'm there with you."
"Bold of you to say, but..." And there was no coherent finish to that statement because Vee melted under his sincere gaze, the two of them getting wrapped up in a romantic haze invisible to untrained eyes.
Guard Number Three's thoroughly displeased snort brought them back to reality. "The right thing to do would have been to find a suitable inn room to stay the night! Sending your new queen to lie in some mud outdoors; the kingdom's history won't live this down..."
"If I can cut in?" Acorn spoke up in the distance, waving a hand to let them know he still existed. When all three finally gave their attention, he came closer. "I remember when this whole thing started, when I wasn't sure if Graham had truly found a real woman or turned delusional staring at that mirror all day. I might not know anything about love, but I believe it's a universal truth that if two people are in their element things like romance and the next step happen naturally. Maybe you need to find a place that's made up of things to make you comfortable and... See what happens." Again, it wasn't necessary to see his face because he was damn near cracking as if he could burn alive from awkwardness by the end.
Graham was right there with him, wanting the ground to open for real that time. And when it didn't happen, he was forced to contemplate what he just said while also having to accept the fact Vee looked much less embarrassed and actually lost in thought as if staring into a puzzle box. That was the push for him to regain his seriousness of their predicament, realizing the night didn't have to end on failure.
Graham was compelled to happily bounce over to Acorn regardless of the confusion he received upon shaking his hand either gratefully or maniacally. "The answer was always the castle! Acorn, you've done it again!"
Acorn's chest puffed with pride as he returned the handshake he was locked in. "Really, I still don't understand how I end up helping you. I mean, it's not a problem; it's just strange..."
Guard Number Three was seething as she made some loud adjustments to her gauntlets. "Well, if we're finished with our emotions... I have words for the other guards."
"It's really not that serious-" Graham, Vee and Acorn had all spoken at once but Guard Number Three was already taking fast steps to the castle on a mission.
"DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT DAVENTRY/KOLYMA RELATIONS?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
"Get that bucket out of her hands!"
"Kyle, hold her down!"
"She's too strong, Larry!"
"Can we just be adults and talk about what happened to the new rug?"
"Get out of here, Guard Number One!"
Vee had moved her hands to her mouth from the violent sound effects alone, and at least for once let Graham see her dumbfounded expression. He dropped his hands from his whole face to awkwardly squeeze her arm to tell her this bunch were out of control the minute the crown touched his head.
Just don't let that be a valid reason for divorce, was an add on he kept in his thoughts.
A line of guards filed out of the dusty, storage closet to the throne room that may or may not be included in maps of the floor plans led by passive aggressive Guard Number Three. The guys looked like they'd rather have been locked in said closet for a week than have to stand there in front of Graham and Vee. When no one had the right words, Guard Number One was shoved forward by an unknown hand in spite of his paint coating making him less presentable.
"Can I just say one thing?" Graham interrupted them desperately. "When we left, all I wanted was for the castle to be looked over. It's a fine castle, I mean I don't know who built it, but they clearly had an eye for detail."
"You got me there." Guard Number One confessed.
At that point, Graham was pulling down his eyes and he didn't know if veins were bursting yet but he felt like he was there as he went on. "I don't even need an explanation for redecorating; there's only so much night left, and if I don't spend it with Vee I know I'll regret it. So listen, I mean really listen because I'd love to appreciate the gesture, but I just don't have time for it."
"Well, I appreciate the gesture since I seem to be associated by proxy." Vee cut in, but if it weren't for her eyes darting around nervously one might think she was used to nice gestures.
A chorus of voices instantly shouted and blended together; Guard Number Three just slightly louder as they encouraged Vee like she'd never heard a compliment in her life. That seemed to make her hair stand up, and she was subconsciously moving closer to Graham like they couldn't possibly say lovely things with him in their line of sight.
Guard Number One was given an in-name only friendly shove to speak for them again. He did so, tone flat and back to business. "Well, we've come too far to abandon our work. We only put the first layer of paint on, and it needs to dry, the bed hasn't been made, there's no rug and our order of red roses was misunderstood as pink, and we thought that might work for a love at first sight theme until it sounded too cliché."
Kyle, who had been peering around, finally stepped forward eagerly. "We'll make this work if you give us a chance!"
Larry also stepped forward, visibly annoying Guard Number One as he leaned on his shoulder casually. "We can take the backup rose supply and spread them wherever you decide, throw down blankets on the floor, get some mood candles and... Yes, just picture it!"
"Heavens no!" Guard Number Three gasped, rushing forward to peel Larry away by the back of his neck. "You all were trying to set up a honeymoon suite in the same castle King Edward's spirit might be watching over!"
"Why did you think we picked the bedroom?" Larry asked, genuinely curious even as he was dragged away. His words only made steam appear to rise from Guard Number Three's helmet.
Graham, already forgotten, looked around at the guards now stepping forward choosing minor tasks to take care of and even if their motivations for doing so were scrambled and difficult to identify and though he was mentally exhausted his lips did quirk and later become a full smile when Vee grabbed his arm and looked up at him asking with the fluttering of her eyelashes what place he had in mind that could also prove beds were overrated.
Anyone who knew that Graham and Vee tended to approach life logically most of the time would have had to fake surprise at the set up in the library. They say it's the journey, not the destination if that helps. The couple, however, were unable to think of some good lines to sweep the other off their feet with what they were looking at, however. The room was dark, the curtains drawn with just two lanterns placed near a pile of three blankets and two pillows on the floor. Pink roses had been sacrificed for their petals to be thrown all over the floor with seemingly the whole back up stockpiled up like leaves ready to be burned or jumped into. Only drawback was the door not having a lock.
But then again, the chances of intimacy in a library were low at best. Who would have thought ahead to make a lock?
Leftover mental exhaustion fled Graham's mind as he watched Vee walk the length of the shelves dragging her long and slender fingers across the spines like he wished she'd do to his. He was in a trance, basically, as he walked over eyes wandering from her shoulders to the curve of her back.
He needed to know if he was the only one noticing these things. He was just entranced, walking closer as Vee picked out a book at random and flipped pages. Graham considered moving behind her to maybe kiss her neck or hold her around the waist but settled for just watching. As far as he was concerned, she was always lovely. But just like the books he read, there was something in the proper lighting emphasizing her features and making her dark eyes glow.
And there he was... Basically panting, waiting for her to shove him down and make him helpless by her lips and fingertips.
"Is there a rough estimate of how long these books have been sitting up? Some of them appear fragile enough to split apart just by looking..." When Vee looked up curiously, dark eyes flaring with a touch of gold from the light, Graham wanted that sight branded on his mind forever.
"Some of the pages rot away completely, so I think they've seen more than two reigns." Graham said as calmly as possible, that is, not really as he feigned examining the shelf by taking steps to her. "But a lot of the books are historical in some way. Guard Number Three sounded like she might break down and cry if I didn't at least study King Edward's years, so I did that much."
"I wonder what the kingdom must have been like during that time." Vee said, not so idly approaching his side to touch shoulders.
So that was what a heart attack felt like.
Anyway, Graham's eyes barely registered the similar and text-free spines in front of him. They only seemed satisfied when placed back on Vee's side as she would obviously idly brush hair from her eyes and glide a finger from there to her bottom lip.
"The records were surprisingly uneventful. This man's enemies only called themselves that because they couldn't believe his morals were so agreeable and some people thrive off conflict. The most stressful days were having to cancel the summer festival for two weeks because of constant rain..."
Graham was definitely aware of Vee shifting more weight on his shoulder as she seemed to be using him to keep her book in the flickering light. He had been rambling about other records like issues with housing and poverty rates declining. The previous king could either be a stranger or goal to match and either way it made Graham realize for the first time he would just be another name in a book too, and he didn't want to be alone.
"Vee?"
She looked up, blinking as he slid an arm around her waist. It would have been the best moment to say something passionate; that expression was full of expectation.
Graham didn't look anywhere else but her face as he held her. Even though they were alone, the high ceiling would create an echo and he didn't want to hear his vulnerable tone whispering a request: "Do you want to help me give historians something to write about?"
Vee placed the thin, frail bookmark left inside on her page before standing it up on the nearest shelf. She needed her arms free mostly to wrap them around his frame in return. "That would have been a good question at the altar, don't you think?"
"Still valid, right?"
"And still a 'yes'. Although... I suppose there's a few methods to show rather than tell, if you asked that book."
Graham followed her gesturing finger to the book, and with Vee briefly picking up the lantern his temperature struck inferno as he realized that book obviously didn't belong in a forgotten library with a cover depicting two shadow figures with male and female body shapes biting off the same cherry. He had vivid flashbacks of being sixteen and getting an earlier visit to the bookshop than the middle-aged housewives bored of their husbands who had been counting down the days for its release.
But the author promised a spicy one: this entry in the anthology would feature a controversial queen juggling politics – glossed over because neither author nor audience could be bothered – and an affair with a male servant who probably is secretly a ruler himself from a distant land posing as such for no deeper reason beyond he likes fulfilling demands of both everyday chore and sexual variety.
"Graham, context can do a world of good." Vee said after the powerful, tense silence while placing the lantern back on the floor. The only benefit to the lantern moving was to hide his blush telling pages worth of context alone. But under Vee's questioning gaze, the words exploded...
"Well, some of these shelves were empty so... I stored my old book collection in here. But I haven't read them in years! I don't associate with them! I know I sound guilty raising my voice! Those books were the only clues I had to what I might expect in a relationship, I mean they did have seemingly real parts despite a lot of it obviously being fantasy! Just go ahead and judge me right now because I feel like I could throw up any second! Don't draw it out! If you're completely turned off in some way I get it! And-"
"Sire!" A disgruntled Guard Number Two's voice echoed through the doorway. "If she cares about you then she doesn't mind any silly quirks! Just grab and kiss her already!" With that, the door no one realized cracked open slammed shut leaving Graham and Vee to hold their throbbing ears.
With Graham too shocked to do anything but wish the ceiling collapse on his head, Vee released a sigh as if understanding this was her new normal.
"Graham, I knew from the first moment we met you had no idea what you were doing." Vee told him as if it were the most common knowledge, removing her hands from her ears and instead slipping them loosely around his neck as her face moved closer. "If we question how we could possibly have anyone love us, we're just going back and forth. Let's take what little knowledge we have and see if we learn anything new."
Graham found it difficult meeting her eyes with lingering nervousness, but his hands had no problem arriving at her lower back to bring her closer. When she smiled at this quiet acceptance, she totally knew what feelings it gave him because maybe he still had ways to go before successfully hiding all his emotions from rushing straight to his face. He had mentally gone through all the ways to tell her sex was foreign to him, but there was some relief to not have needed to be so blunt.
The door slam from the previous helpful commentary helped scatter the petals, and they appeared to make a path right to the rest of the pile. That was where they ended up, Graham getting potential whiplash being turned suddenly and pushed over into the innocent flowers. If there were any realistic injuries like foreheads smacking or hip bones being shattered, they would be totally dismissed as Graham's vision only had Vee on top of him with flower petals scattering and getting caught in her hair as her eyes were full of longing before shutting to catch his lips. From that point on, there was no time for questions or crash courses. It was just the two of them for however long it would take.
One minute passed and Vee's dress had fallen off her waist. Graham would have liked to remember how he even overcame those ties but, really, he was more concerned with exploring every inch of her.
Two minutes passed and Graham definitely heard fabric tear when Vee helped him out of his clothes. Her wanting to experiment with how to get his heart racing was thrilling, but at the same time he was slightly hesitant worrying they wouldn't get far because... And he didn't complete that thought, mostly because Vee's wandering fingers landed in the most obvious place.
Three minutes passed and Graham and Vee stopped caring what any nosy guards might be hearing. The only thing that mattered was getting this done, although there could have been a far sexier way to word that. With their minds so blurred from what was going on, a lack of eloquence would just have to be forgiven. Especially when it came to an end with a feeling like... Like...
Well, it was definitely an event.
The couple would eventually find their way back to the blankets and wrap up, the only indication anything or anyone went down being the petals still stuck in their hair and how flushed and sweaty they'd become. The books would describe moments like these as having the people involved comment on their input or maybe quote some poetry that everyone else does to feel deep. But in this case, both were floored from the fact anything happened at all and every time they tried to speak their words simply knotted in their throat. Both had the same idea, though: do NOT let the other think it would be like that every time. That if they had it their way...
Could that be a regular occurrence? No one's an expert in the first or first few attempts so that means there's room for more. For... Knowledge... Hell yes.
Vee was, naturally, not missing a beat and found his hand first to squeeze it and convey all the sappy thoughts in her head she might screw up if said aloud. Graham still couldn't read her mind, but he at least understood that and even with his eyelids becoming heavier slid himself over to stroke her back. Somehow, it was easier showing he loved her than accepting it was reciprocated. Drowsiness would win and cause him to finally give in to sleep, but he did so to Vee's breathing slowing to normal and her removing all distance and curling against him for both warmth and to rest as well. It was such a simple thing, but one Graham anticipated getting used to.
Fin
