Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. I have no idea why a Royalty AU for these two popped into my head at one point, but I'm rolling with it for that angst.

Parallelism

Drabble 2: Royalty AU

Chapter Summary: Royalty AU. Elaris knows. She knows the damage the egomaniacal King of Solana has done, but she's still holding onto the belief that with enough effort, Qwark will change his ways.

It's time for them both to wake up to the reality around them.

"You were right."

Those three words, especially from the one that had stood at his defense for so long, was music to his audio receptors.

"Of course, I'm right," Nefarious grumbled. His arm swished at the black cape, sweeping the garment to the side so he could better face his guest. The buckles on his uniform's coat clacked together softly. "That imbecile's done more damage during his time as King than any other ruler of Solana has done in the entire history of its existence!"

Elaris stood still, her hands fists at her sides. Her expression remained stoic and regal, head tilted back and chin raised. "I understand that Qwark has done things that have harmed individuals, but I believe that there may be a way to convince him to change his selfish ways and be better."

Nefarious whirled around to face Elaris. Red optics shrank to pinpricks as the robot straightened to his full height. "I beg your pardon?!" he exclaimed. With every syllable, he stomped over to where Elaris stood at the far end of the throne room. "You mean to tell me that you think that that MORON can fix all the damage he's done by, what, begging and pleading him to be nice?! Hitting him with the power of friendship?!"

Elaris kept her face expressionless as Nefarious leaned over her, the harsh gaze from angry red optics drilling through her body. "He won't change," Nefarious whispered. "Not now, not ever. He will only ever be the stupid, selfish, miserable oaf that was handed the throne and couldn't care less about the people that live under his rule."

Her eyebrows furrowed as her expression hardened. "He can change," she challenged. "Not everyone is as heartless and set against you as you think, Nefarious."

The warlord whirled around with a scoff. His arms jutted out dramatically, and his body language did little to hide his emotions. "What makes you think he can be changed?! He's only ever thought about himself. He's only ever done things only if they benefit him, and you think he has the possibility to change?" Nefarious whipped back around to face the well-dressed royal. "You think that everyone has the possibility to change, but that's not the case, Elaris! You need to break out of this idiotic little fantasy world and wake up to the reality we live in!"

He stepped close to her, lowering his voice. "Tell me, my dear Queen of Solana, what gave you the indication that people could just change just by being nice and friendly to them?"

"You."

Nefarious froze, the anger in his expression dispelled in an instant.

Elaris closed in the small bit of distance between them. "You've changed a lot since I've come here. The way you treat your armies and citizens has gone up, and you're much more patient with Lawrence and other people." Her hand lifted to his cheek, carefully waiting for him to push his head close to her hand before fully settling the limbs along the curve of his mouthpiece. "You've been through a lot, Nef. You don't have to hurt yourself further to get the justice you deserve."

"I haven't changed!" Nefarious backpedaled, darting away from the woman. His body dropped into a defensive position, his cape coming back around to cover his body, and a wild look filled his optics. "You're wrong! Nobody can just change by being nice!"

Elaris' mask finally cracked, and the young Queen looked to the warlord with empathy in her green eyes.

"Then why did you release me from being a prisoner?" she whispered. "You had the Queen of Solana at your mercy, and yet, after a day of me being here, you gave me the choice to walk out of the stronghold if I chose to. And then you let me live here after I made my decision to stay, despite knowing that I could have funneled information back to Solana or taken advantage of your generosity."

Her fingers stretched out, then curled back into a fist.

"Then why am I still here?"

The soft-spoken words hung over the space.

Nefarious' mouthpiece moved erratically as the robot stumbled over his words. "But that's- That's- I'm not just a simpering little squishy!"

"You changed, Nefarious." Elaris softened, her hands lifting to intertwine. "Ever since I got here, you've been treating people better. If there's a way that we can just talk to Qwark about fixing the damage he's done-"

"NO!"

Elaris shrank back as the robot warlord threw out his arms and leaned forward, his mouthpiece dropping as the shrill note echoed around the throne room.

Nefarious instantly pulled back, guilt covering his face. It was there for a moment before anger wiped it away, and the warlord hunched back over as he looked away from Elaris. "He won't change," Nefarious repeated. "He never will."

Frustration drew hard lines in Elaris' face as she took a step toward him. "Then why did you?!"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Don't you dare try to throw this conversation away!" Nefarious whipped around on his heel, stalking away from Elaris as the queen continued speaking. "You changed because of me, or else why would you have kept me around for as long as you have?! You want to deny this, but I can see right through you!" She followed after him, the click of her heels against the floor drawing a flinch from the warlord. Her voice trembled, emotion and desperation flooding every word. "Why have you treated me so well when you could have just thrown me away?!"

Nefarious' cape snapped in the air as he whirled around to face her. "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" he bellowed.

The silence that followed was deafening.

His chest heaved, and rage and embarrassment mixed together in his expression. "You're the only person that's ever treated me as nicely as you do. No one else has ever wanted to listen to what I've actually wanted to say before, and you make me feel like I'm not just screaming into a void."

Red optics centered on glassy green eyes.

"You make me feel like an actual person." Nefarious' voice softened. "Everytime I'm with you, you make me feel like I'm not alone, that you understand me perfectly. That you're all I need to be completed and whole." He paused, and his gaze left Elaris'. "I can see now that you don't feel the same way…"

Her face fell. "Nefarious…"

Pain, raw with misery and defeat, flooded Nefarious face. "Leave," he commanded softly. "If you're so clearly attached to someone who won't respect you enough to listen to a simple fact of matter, then go back to the one you defend so fiercely."

"Nef… please, listen…" Elaris reached out to him, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. "It doesn't have to be like this-"

"Yes. Yes, it does." He turned away from her, waving his hand. "Lawrence will show you out."

"Nef, please-"

"I told you to wake up from your silly fantasy world, and it's about time I wake up from mine." He straightened, tucking his arms behind his back and under his cape. "Don't come back, Elaris. Ever."

Tears ran down her cheeks. "I understand."

"No, you don't, and you never will." Nefarious strode off, keeping himself from looking back to her. "Goodbye, my dear Elaris. I hope you have a good rest of your life, and that you wake up to reality before you get hurt like I did."

The loudest sound he had ever heard—the choked sob of the most wonderful woman he had ever known—dug right through his chest as he walked away from the best thing that had ever happened to him.

It hurt him far more than being robotized ever had.

Song Inspos: "Laudy Daudy" by Prznt and "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz.

I promise there shall be more fluffy stuff in the next drabbles! …After Evil!Elaris of course.

XD