silverdiadems presents
My Queen
a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Mobile Legends. This is a piece of fiction written based on the game, but is not canon or officially tied to the game's lore in any way. The right to the franchise belongs solely to Moonton.
Part III:
Repercussion
Darkness, darkness. He'd been with the darkness so long that he could safely call it his friend.
The darkness was all he had ever known. But there had been things before the darkness; light, memory, people. He remembered the night when he was a boy and someone had burst into the room, knife held to the young prince's neck.
He had woken up to the armoured angels, the Valkyries, he corrected himself, putting image to name. For moments, he saw faces, but his vision turned red with delirium, and he forced his eyes shut, meeting the darkness for the second time.
He was nothing in the land of the dark- the land he envisioned behind his closed eyelids. There was nobody, no people, no nothing, just an empty thought and mind, an intangible being that bore no body, just a mind.
But then, in the darkness there was light. Light, beautiful light– with light there was colour, existence. Something corporeal in a world of spirits.
Words, garbled words could be heard, even though Estes could not place where the sound had originated. He spun around in his spiritual form, searching for the sound that had given with it the light.
I….need…to…keep...going!
A female voice rang loud and true into his mind, and he heard garbled conversation and a scream before his ears popped and his feelings returned.
Light burst into his vision, as he felt his arms and legs and body for the first time. His muscles weakened, his knees buckled underneath him, and he collapsed onto the ground, which only contained sharpsharpsharp pain that dug into his cheeks and hands.
The world was so loud, he thought. He could hear the shocked yet relieved cry of the female with the light, and the muted murmur from her accomplice. He felt himself slipping away, back into his mind, as he slipped into unconsciousness for the second time.
He awoke seemingly seconds later, blinking as his vision was blurry and unfocused. A face, he could see a face. His control slipped and he felt himself falling back into his mind when suddenly all the darkness disappeared, all the fatigue, pain, weakness- gone.
His eyes snapped open.
He saw a female, a pretty female, his conscious told him, and he frowned at himself for thinking so. She had an angular face; sharp cheekbones with dusty pink accents on her cheeks. She had aquamarine blue eyes, which flickered purple sometimes in the wrong light, and hair just like his secured in a ponytail behind her.
But most importantly, her ears. Her ears were sharp and pointed just like his own, which confirmed his suspicion- this girl was a moon elf. She seemed worried and muttered something under her breath, which sounded like nothing to his distorted senses.
"Estes?" She questioned quietly to someone, to him, he realised. The word on her tongue had made him remember. He was Estes. He was the prince- no, the king, he thought bitterly, remembering the deaths of his father and mother that wretched night.
The girl's voice lingered in his mind before he could place where he had heard it before. Her voice, soft now in worry had been harsh and determined moments before. Ah. That was it.
"You were the light."
She looked confused; flushing and darting her eyes to the door every now and then, waiting for her companion to return. The one who looked like living gold, he remembered. The Valkyrie.
"Light?" she echoed after some time. Estes frowned minutely at her confusion.
"You freed me."
Now she looked knowledgeable, nodding as realisation hit with his clearer statement. "Yes, I- your majesty," the moon elf replied flushing a little at her stumble. She stood up to clear the ground a little of the broken glass. Estes noticed the glass was everywhere in the room except for the corners, ranging in large chunks to smaller fragments that still dusted his cheeks. He frowned. Why was there so much shattered glass?
She kicked it into the centre of the room in a semi-neat circle and she sat in front of him, the floor now clear of the hazardous material. She kept staring, he noticed, as every now and then she would look up and stare at the moon king until she got caught when he looked in her direction. She'd flush, duck her head, and then do it all over again.
"You're nervous," he commented, and the female snapped her gaze to his, her eyes narrowed slightly. They seemed to relax when she processed his words, before giving an answer of her own.
"Yes," she admitted. "It had been far too long since I have interacted with royalty of my race; I fear I don't know how to address you, or how to speak to you."
Ah. That was it. "Estes is fine," he said simply. "I do not expected to be called king after being absent for so long. And you have saved me, so, you have my eternal gratitude."
She stared a little, before nodding. "Yes… Estes," she corrected herself before she slipped. "I am Miya Estella. You may call me Miya."
He nodded, looking as the door burst open with three Valkyries- the gold, the red, and the blonde. Miya stood up to greet them, and Estes had felt strangely inferior as he was left alone on the floor, powerless to move or do anything.
The four women conversed in a hushed conversation, before the dispersed when Miya and the blonde one vanished out the door. Estes felt lonely in the fact that he did not know anyone else in the absence of Miya. Her familiar face had been comforting.
"Can you stand?" the golden one questioned, her figure towering above him from his position on the floor.
"I am unsure," he replied honestly, and after a moment's hesitation, she stuck out her hand, which was naked of any gold armour unlike the rest of her body. He grasped it, and felt the warriors' tight grip as she pulled him to his feet in one swift motion.
She let go of his hand as they made their way out of the room. She stood close by, just in case he stumbled, as Estes gritted his teeth as they walked down the staircase that seemed to spiral down forever. He disliked the amount of attention he was receiving- he was a king, not some injured incapable peasant.
Miya reappeared again much to his relief, and the Valkyrie walked over to her quickly, gesturing for Estes to follow.
"In his condition, It would be best we teleport," the Valkyrie was saying. "You can make most of the way yourself, but I think it would be best if I took Estes with me."
"Thank you, Freya," Miya said, naming the golden Valkyrie while expressing her thanks. "I'll meet you there." The moon elf left the room, following the other two Valkyries.
"Take my arm," Freya instructed. "This may feel weird, but do not even think about letting go," she warned in a deadly tone. "You will get lost in the space-time abyss if you do, so I suggest you do as I say," she hissed.
Estes said nothing, and gripped Freya's hand. The Valkyrie held his in a bone-crushing grip, as she muttered a few words while the two of them were engulfed in a bright gold light.
He felt his heart leap into his throat before they vanished into thin air, leaving a swirl of golden feathers in their wake.
III
Miya
She was led by Andrea and Stella towards another tower in the distance, this one much larger than the one Estes had been contained in. They made their way inside, and to Miya's surprise there was no staircase.
"We need to teleport up," Stella said as the reached the lobby. "This place is designed so that only Valkyries have access to the upper rooms- but we will make an exception for you."
Stella walked over to the desk in the empty lobby, going to the other side of the counter, and pulling out a key. "For electricity," she supplied, handing the key to Miya, which she took gratefully. "There will be a few rooms with electricity where you are staying."
Miya nodded. The Valkyries' hospitality would not be forgotten by her kind, for they had saved their ruler and leant them their home. The blond extended a hand to Miya, and Miya took the hand with anticipation.
Stella's spirit-like wings unfurled, and Miya felt her stomach jump as the plummeted through space. The experience felt like falling- except there was no ground underneath them to stop their fall. The gold light cleared, and Miya felt her feet touch the ground. The Valkyrie let go of her hand, and Miya realised she was in some sort of guest room.
The room had above average furnishings- the colour scheme being white and grey with magnificent highlights of gold. She glanced back at Stella, to find the Valkyrie had already teleported out.
There were no windows to look outside at the view (what view, she snorted) or the outside of the tower. She could understand, living in the middle of the wasteland and not exactly thrilling the idea at looking at the damaged environment more than usual.
The first room was a lounge and twin beds, and another room was on the right, behind a bend which Miya couldn't see. She walked into the room, revealing a kitchen. At the counter was Estes, who had just put a pot of water atop the blazing fire in the fireplace. "Tea?" the king questioned wryly, as he pointed to the mugs atop the counter.
"Sure," Miya shrugged, and she moved to the counter to spoon out the tea leaves from their respective jars in the shelves to the side of the bench. "What type?"
"Rooibos," the king replied, and Miya raised a brow at the name. Rooibos was an exotic tea found in most southern countries. She glanced at all the jars before reaching to the back and pulled out the one marked with the name of Estes' favourite tea.
She also took out the jar of green tea leaves, dipping the silver spoon in and dumping the leaves into the mugs. She did the same with the other, except using Rooibos instead of Green tea leaves.
Estes, who had been watching the boiling water, stood and, using a towel, took the kettle from the fire, and placed it on the counter.
"I'll snuff the flames," Miya murmured, hearing Estes pour the boiling water behind her. She bent by the fire and summoned energy to her palm. She pushed it towards the fire, sucking the oxygen out of the flame until it lost its fuel source and died, leaving only smoke in its wake. Waving the smoke out of her face, she coughed as her eyes watered until the smoke cleared.
She stood back up, turning, when Estes pointed a spoon at her.
"Sugar?" he questioned.
"No thanks," Miya replied, taking the spoon and mug from Estes. He shrugged, as she stirred the cup absentmindedly, watching the leaves slowly float to the bottom.
"Honey?" she asked, gesturing to the pot.
"No."
Miya sighed; he wasn't very good at conversation, was he? "Come," she motioned at the couch with her mug. "You have some catching up to do."
Estes blinked, and went after her.
III
It had been fun, in an insane sort of way, to talk about the war.
The conversation had been, still was, nice, Miya mused to herself, as she sipped the dregs of her tea. The two had really hit it off, she supposed. Estes' dry remarks were quite entertaining.
She had told the story from the beginning- the disappearances of the noble families to the climax, the war itself. She had spoken of the fear which had been ignited in the people before the war, the locked doors, the windows nailed shut.
For Miya, the time before the war had been the worst. During the war, there was certainty of your enemy, and at least you had knowledge of your situation, you knew what was happening, you knew there was a war going on. Before was worse, full of doubt, as the people fretted nervously because no one wanted to go to war. Before the war, there was chaos everywhere- who to trust, who to kill, who to blame.
She had been young then, and still remembered the night when her parents (who had been nobles) had been assassinated in the night alongside their fellow upper class members by a monster of the night.
The first signs of the war had been these assassinations. Estes had nodded his head when she mentioned them, for he too had been around when they had happened. The deaths of the upper class had been a warning- before Alice targeted the crown, which she did weeks later.
If the already numerous deaths hadn't frightened the people, the death and kidnapping of the royals had. The royal family- seemingly immortal in their grace and benevolence had been killed with one strike in the silent night.
With silence as her only witness, Alice had managed to turn an organised, peaceful city into a war zone.
She spoke of the battlefield and Alice's death. Of rebuilding, rebirth and the joy of the people as doubt finally cleared, and the grass was no longer stained crimson with bloodshed. Miya told Estes of the poppies which had sprouted on the battlefield, poppies of a vibrant red which used the blood of the wounded to grow.
"Rebuilding is hard," she had said reluctantly as they discussed the aftermath of the bloodshed. "But I think we're getting there. You'll be pleased to hear that Moon Palace is still intact."
But Estes had frowned and shook his head. "I care not for sentiments," he had said. "I only care about the lives of my people."
Miya nodded in approval. "You'll be a great king," she murmured. "I know it."
Estes raised a brow, his opaque orbs mockingly unwavering. "Somehow, I don't believe so. What do my people think of my now? I abandoned them at the time where they needed me the most-"
"No," Miya snapped. "You did not abandon them. What happened was beyond your control, no one will blame you for outside factors that caused this to occur."
"I know, Miya, I know," Estes replied softly. "But they will blame someone. Without a source to blame, to hate, fear intensifies. The fact that a war was started in a time of absolute peace is not distilling. Naturally, the public will blame a person and I believe that will be me."
He was right, Miya admitted to herself. He was always right.
"You're right," she sighed. "But you're a hero. And now, since you're alive, maybe they won't blame you. You are their last remaining heir; they cannot hate you, especially with the Dark Month approaching. Maybe if you had died, the blame would have been on you, a dead person- so much easier to blame than a being with a conscience."
Estes fell silent.
"I hope so," Estes settled for at last. Her eyes searched his for a hint of emotion, but as always, found none.
Miya stood, and Estes frowned at her leaving. She took her mug off the coffee table opposite and turned to Estes. "I'll wash these," she offered. "Here, pass me yours."
He frowned, not giving her the cup, instead reaching for hers. "No," he replied flatly. "I'll wash them."
Her mouth dropped open in a display of disbelief and humour, before she quickly regained her composure. "No, its fine," she replied. "I've got it. You can use the bathroom or whatever. It's almost night, and we're leaving tomorrow."
Although there were no windows in the room, there had been a clock on the wall of the bedroom which pointed at the dark side, indicating it was two hours into the evening.
"Miya," he grit out. "Pass it."
"Pass the cup, buttercup," Miya said dryly.
The corner of Estes' mouth twitched a little at the nickname.
As soon as the words left her mouth Miya sagged a little. "Please tell me I didn't call my king a buttercup," she muttered under her breath. She handed him the mug. "Sorry, your highness," she said flatly in her surrender.
The king revelled in his victory, his eyes glinting as he turned to the kitchen. Miya sighed, and stalked off to the bathroom instead.
Estes waited until she was gone for a small smile to spread over his lips.
III
She pulled down her hair from its ponytail, wincing as it stuck in the shape for a few moments before she shook it out of its form. She slipped into some modest undergarments and settled into one of the beds, her bow on the table to her right, and arrow already nocked, just in case.
She yawned as she walked towards her quiver, digging out the small drawstring bag at the bottom of all the arrows. Her hair is disgusting, Miya mused, as she fished out a small wooden toothed comb.
Miya wasn't one for vanity, but she did keep some small trinkets used to somewhat make her appearance more, well, appealing.
She thought she looked fine, but everyone looked fine in her opinion. She sighed, dragging the brush from her roots to the silver ends, wincing as the comb got caught every few seconds, and she would have to wiggle it free.
She grimaced as she saw the amount of hair she had left to tackle. She threw aside the comb and used her fingers to pull the knots loose, disgusted as she found streaks of dirt and –Moon forgive her, was that a leaf? Horrified, she pulled it out. Maybe she was vain after all, she mused.
"I'll wash it tomorrow," she murmured tiredly, sinking into the sheets of her bed. The soft mattress felt heavenly against her battered and bruised frame; she had gotten far too used to the rock hard ground for her own liking.
She was interrupted as the connecting bathroom door swung open, revealing Estes, who had apparently taken a shower, judging by the steam behind him and his wet hair, which clung to his frame.
"Nice shower," Miya asked, not caring but asking out of politeness. She reached for the comb once again as she lay on the bed. She held strands of her hair up to the light, seeing the knots and sighing.
"Yes," Estes replied, drying his hair. He ran his fingers through his shoulder-length locks with no effort, squeezing out the water onto the towel on his lap.
"It's so unfair," Miya hissed bitterly as she admired Estes' perfectly straight hair.
"What is?"
"That you have perfectly tameable hair and I don't," she sighed in exasperation. "You're the man here, but any lady would swap her locks for yours."
Amused, yet seemingly nonplussed, Estes raised a brow. "Perhaps you're doing it wrong."
Miya glared, but her gaze softened as the hatred was only light-hearted. With little determination, she pulled herself upright and began to brush the matted dry hair.
Estes sighed, and Miya ignored him, continuing the brutal slaughter of her own hair.
"Let me," he offered, and Miya turned, confused, to see Estes approach her. He gently took the brush out of her hand, and sat behind her on the bed. His fingers brushed against her neck as he gathered all her long white hair behind her, dragging the brush through slowly, careful not to pull tightly.
"You pull too tightly," he murmured, as he pulled apart the thickest of knots with his fingertips, before straightening it with the comb. "Be gentler with your hair."
Miya huffed, a small blush spreading over her cheeks.
The two sat in silence, Miya awkward while Estes perfectly comfortable in the conflicting silence. She winced as the comb caught in a large knot before Estes tugged it free.
"Sorry," he murmured.
"It's fine," she replied. "Thanks for doing this, really-"
"You've done more for me," he countered. "This is the least I can do."
They really were alike, Miya mused as the awkward atmosphere dispersed with the friendly small talk. Both stubborn, both quiet- it was nice to have someone exactly like you around. Someone that saw the things only she could see.
Estes finished untangling her hair, and with a satisfied look on his face, handed the wooden brush back to her. She accepted it with a muttered thank you.
Estes retreated to his side of the room, and Miya took the time to admire her silky (yet dirty) hair. Brushing her fringe out of her eyes, she crawled under the covers, sighing in pleasure as her head hit the pillow. She finally felt at peace, after being at war for so long.
"Good night," she murmured as she blew out the candles that served as a light source. She paused before blowing out the last one, making sure everything was well, before blowing the light out.
"Good night," Estes replied.
Instantly, the room was engulfed with darkness, and Miya shut her eyes, allowing her train of thought to run free.
She'd changed a little, she noticed. She'd become more open.
Was that a good or a bad thing?
She wasn't like this usually. She didn't usually joke, but for some reason now… she was different. She'd become more light hearted. Miya was slightly alarmed with the self-realisation, but it wasn't an issue… was it?
Maybe it was Estes, though Miya couldn't find a reason why she would behave differently in front of him. She remembered his hands brushing her neck and flushed crimson, glad no one could see her in the dark.
Maybe she should just sleep. Miya sighed lightly, before rolling over and into sleep.
III
Morning
She awoke to the dark.
Groaning ever so slightly, she rolled over, sighing as she tried to push herself back to sleep. When she didn't succeed, Miya pulled herself upright, feeling around in the dark for there were no windows to tell her the time or provide any morning light.
She summoned a small flame to her palm, its light casting shadows around the room. She crept outside, glancing at the clock on the wall to tell her the time.
Seven hours into the day.
Sighing, she crept silently back into the room, grabbing her drawstring bag before heading to the shower. There were electronic lights in the bathroom, so Miya flicked the small plastic switch on the wall to bring the lights alive.
The white light flickered before steadying, filling the bathroom with an artificial light. She clenched her fist, and the magic flames disappeared, their purpose served. She pulled off her clothes swiftly, stepping into the shower and turning on the red tap.
The hot water scalded her skin but Miya held strong until the hot water didn't burn, but sooth. She ran her fingers through her hair, which was silkily smooth when drenched with water. She squeezed a small amount of the artificially blue shampoo into her palm, massaging it into her scalp. She did the same with the conditioner once the water had washed away all remnants of the bubbles in her hair.
She let the water rinse out the conditioner and with it the morning fatigue that had clouded her mind. Refreshed, she stepped out of the shower and dried off with a white towel, pulling on her undergarments that she wore under her blue elven armour.
Resting the towel around her neck to catch the drips from her still-wet hair, she put the small tubes of hair ointment back into her bag, before flicking the switch and walking out. With the bright bathroom light gone, Miya blinked before allowing her eyes to adjust to the non-existent lighting.
In the darkness of the bedroom, a small sliver of light could be seen under the door. She frowned, she doubted it was Estes, she could still see a small outline of a body in the other bed. But in the dim lighting, she could not be sure.
Silently moving towards the door, she opened it slowly to reveal the living room, lit with firelight from the fireplace in the heat of the room. She glanced around to find Freya, seated cosily in the couch with a mug and a book.
The Valkyrie sipped her concoction, seemingly unaware of the other person in the room until Miya closed the door with a muted squeak and thud.
"Ah, good morning," the Valkyrie greeted, setting her book down. "I've brought breakfast- there's sweetbread in the bag on the counter," she said, gesturing towards the kitchen.
"Morning," Miya replied, before heading towards the kitchen, taking the kettle and pouring it straight into a mug, as Freya had boiled the water moments before, judging by the faintly smoking hearth. She added a spoonful of randomly selected tea leaves to the solution, not glancing at the label of the jar until the leaves had been stirred in. Oolong, she read, pleasantly surprised at the aroma from the eastern native tea.
"I trust you slept well," the Valkyrie called from her position on the couch, having picked up her book once more.
"Yes, I did, thank you," Miya replied, looking up from her tea. With a swift movement, she captured the majority of the tea leaves and put them in the bin, their purpose served.
Grabbing the paper bag left on the counter with thinly disguised delight, Miya joined the female warrior at the lounge, placing the steaming demitasse on the coffee table, before diving into the bag and pulling out the loaf, roughly tearing it in half to leave some for Estes.
"Sweetbread," Miya sighed in pleasure, as she bit into the sugary loaf. "How'd you get a hold of it?"
Sweetbread was one of Miya's favourite things in the world, the other ones being Nana and the Moon Temple, along with many others. The sugary take on bread had originated in Lorean, and Miya and Nana had stopped to share a loaf at their small time in Lorean. Nana had absolutely adored it, and Miya had to agree. Being secretly fond of sugary foods, Miya had eaten the bread every day they were there at Lorean.
"Trade," Freya sighed, looking up from her novel. "The conditions here aren't exactly ideal for farming," she said, not trying to conceal her contempt and amusement. "So instead we trade the iron from the asteroid, and other materials too, for food and other equipment."
Miya nodded, and the two sat in comfortable silence, Miya munching on her little piece of heaven, while Freya sipped her juice and read silently.
Moments later, Estes had appeared, hair tousled and shirt slightly askew. He didn't look any less handsome, Miya thought to herself, blushing angrily at her own thoughts.
"Is it morning?" Estes questioned, glancing towards the clock to answer his own question. "Ah. Good morning Miya, Freya," he added, as he glimpsed the blue-haired Valkyrie.
"Morning," the two females chorused in unison.
The morning went quickly from there on, Miya quickly finishing her meal and offering the rest to Estes. The elves quickly gathered their belongings, and Miya strapped on her blue armour pieces while the moon king pulled on a purple velvet travelling cloak, on top of the clothes he had been given when first found by the Valkyries.
"Ready to go?" Freya asked for the seventeenth time, and this time, both answers were affirmative. She extended her hands to the two of them, and they disappeared in a swirl of golden light.
The trio reappeared in a flash of golden light at the borders of Khastrion, and Freya nodded at them once. "The Valkyries wish you safe passage out of Khastrion," she replied formally, but genuinely. "We are glad Estes found his people, and we wish you all the best in the future."
"Thank you," Miya said thickly, and Estes nodded in agreement.
"We will not forget your hospitality," said Estes, a regal look taking place in his face. "We will be sure to return your favours in some way."
"Thank you," the Valkyrie replied, smiling a little. "I must admit, it is sad to see you go. I have stood guard over the crystal for years, and I am glad you have finally been freed, Estes," she looked towards the Moon King. "But I have also found friendship in you both."
"It is sad to see you go too, Freya," Miya said softly, and the two chuckled a little at their exchange.
"Visit sometime?" Freya asked dryly, and they all laughed, looking at the wasteland.
"Perhaps," Miya intoned, but they all knew her answer was far from uncertain. "Well, then," she said, awkwardly gesturing behind her. "We should get going-"
"Ah, yes," the Valkyrie said, almost wistfully. "Good luck for the future, and safe travel home."
"Thank you," Miya and Estes muttered. "I wish you well in the future, too," Miya said, smiling.
"Goodbye," the Valkyrie farewelled, as the duo walked away. Miya turned to wave back at the golden Valkyrie, in farewell.
"Goodbye," Miya whispered, but it was too late. The winged female had already gone.
III
The two had headed due north as soon as they had departed Khastrion. If they kept at the speed they were going at, they could reach Arelia in two weeks.
With extra time on their hands and the Dark Month being a month away, Miya had opted they stop at the small town named Candor to buy some supplies. While Miya had already stopped to buy equipment when she first came to Khastrion, she figured Estes could use some new clothes and belongings for the trip.
The two had found a small road-side store run by a kind steel elf originally from Lorean. Miya had known nothing of men's fashion, so she gave Estes the pouch of coins and her opinion (as well as a mock argument) instead. They had walked away with a new pair of riding boots and dark slacks.
They then opted to go to buy equipment, so Miya split their money and left Estes to buy some tools, even trinkets, while she bought some new first-aid equipment. Her supply on linen bandages had been running low, so this was the perfect time to restock.
She talked the man at the counter into a bargain, and she smirked as she won the bandages for an unreasonably low price. Miya was rich, being the daughter of a noble family, but at these times the village needed the money a lot more than she did. She opted on saving money so she could donate the rest to the rebuilding.
She found Estes, who had already acquired a small backpack (which looked like it had some items inside) at a stall selling hair ties. She had laughed, feeling lighter than she had in days, but had ended up buying a bundle of plain black elastics, saying they'd share.
Estes revealed the items in his bag when the two stopped for the night. They stopped at the little mining village that Miya stopped at to buy her supplies, renting a night at a cheap inn for a silver coin. He'd bought a small dagger, a comb (which Miya had laughed, saying he could use hers), another shirt, a small towel, a little wooden elephant (Miya smiled) and a small bracelet.
The bracelet was a thin blue strap of dyed leather, which had a few charms on it. He'd handed it to Miya, saying it was a gift of thanks. She'd stuttered and blushed a little, before hugging him and saying there was no reason to be thanking her, that she should be the one thanking him.
Estes waved it off, and Miya tied the strips of leather around her wrist, giving one last thankful smile. You really didn't have to, she had said, but Estes shrugged and said that it would be the first of many favours.
The two slept then woke and were on the move again. Sometimes their path was so deserted that there were no villages nearby. Instead they made do by sleeping on the ground, in patches of soft grass if they could, with their packs as pillows. Miya had chosen not to carry a sleeping bag due to efficiency, and briefly doubted her decision when she woke up with a crooked spine and throbbing pain in her neck.
Regardless, they pushed through, eager to be home.
III
A week later
For the second time, Miya gazed at the silver castle on the horizon. The sun had started on its perilous descent, glowing the orange hue that signalled dusk.
"Can you see it," Miya murmured, as the two stood in their reverie. Drawn to their home, but still not quite there. It was pain and pleasure mixed into one breathtaking sight.
Estes' lack of response signalled that the castle was in his sight. Moon Palace would always your breath away, Miya mused. A pale cerulean hue danced on the castle's silver, reflected vaguely by the enormous blue sky.
"Come on," Miya urged softly. The sunset, reflected in the king's eyes had turned his glassy orbs into a beige tinted cream. He nodded, before following Miya down the path.
They were only moments away, and Miya's heart raced with both excitement and nerves. She felt apprehensive- though predictions could only touch on what her partner was feeling right now. She snuck a sideways glance at Estes; the king still keeping his composure, while his pupiless eyes darted from the castle to the path to the castle to the path-
"Hey," Miya said softly. "Don't worry." I'm here, the unspoken words murmured, and she could only hope Estes could hear them in the silence.
His expression relaxed slightly, and he sent her a thankful glance.
They reached Silvana at last, the city steadily rebuilding, Miya noticed with pleasure. A few elves could be seen through the windows in the small white-bricked houses. They made a beeline towards the castle though, for Miya knew that the most important officials would likely remain at the palace for the time being, to form an impromptu council to lead the people.
She walked through the already opened doors. A few eyes looked her way curiously, before widening when they saw her and her companion. She wasn't really sure how to introduce or explain Estes.
"Everyone," she began, her voice signalling authority around the room. She was Miya. She was their saviour. They would listen. "May I present the fourteenth Moon Elf King, Estes."
The throne room was silent from then forth. A few whispered murmurs, a dozen excited hisses and the room exploded with happiness and joy.
A small party was thrown then and there, as dusk passed into the night. Several of Miya's cousins greeted Estes, for Miya's generation were the only nobles after the assassinations in the war. Civilians, upon hearing the commotion, had come to the palace; only to hear the news and then join the happy crying and excitement.
One of them had been Neshya, who, upon hearing the news, dashed straight towards Miya and pulled her sister into a hug. "You did it," Neshya whispered. "You really did it."
"I know," Miya remarked, and the two laughed, and got caught up and gradually separated in the celebration.
One of Miya's cousins, Michaelis, had opened a bottle of liquor during the party, and everyone fought for their shot (literally) at having a sip. After some time, the excitement cooled down, and screams turned back into beaming smiles.
"To the new King Estes!" the Chancellor toasted towards the crowd, raising his glass of liquor to the king.
"To King Estes!" thundered the crowd, raising their fists instead of drinks in response. Applause endured for quite some time afterwards, and Miya laughed a little when Estes caught her eye in the crowd, his ever nonplussed look disturbed by a small smile. He dropped her gaze when two ladies sauntered up to him to wish his reign luck (and seduce him, by the looks of it). Miya glared, jealous.
"We, of course, will host a formal ceremony for this occasion, as well as many other meeting due to the new ascent in power…" the Chancellor droned on, the people only half listening as everyone frantically talked about the ball to come, the one thrown in Estes' honour. 'Formal ceremony' was a dead ringer for a ball, and all the young women were excited, excluding Miya.
Her thoughts were echoed when a woman Miya's age, tall, green eyes, walked up to her. "A ball, Miya," Sharana said excitedly, dragging Miya into a group of girls. Sharana had been Miya's schoolmate when at the Moon Temple. "What will you wear, war hero?" she asked mockingly, and laughed when Miya snickered at the title.
Among the girls was Neshya, who waved, causing the others to look over at the moonlight archer.
Miya sighed, but a smile broke through her defences. This would be a long night.
III
Two Weeks Later
Miya had moved back into the family estate, which had been housed in her absence by her two cousins, Michaelis and Everett. They, like her, had their parents murdered in the noble assassinations.
The Estella Estate was a rather big dwelling, as the Estella family had close ties to the royal bloodline. They were not related to the royal family, but the two families had always been great friends, thus their noble status.
Both Michaelis and Everett were the children of her father's twin brother. Siblings were uncommon in the elven culture; most elves had no siblings, and thus no cousins. Miya was one of the only people in Silvana to have a cousin; due to the fact her father had been a twin.
She pulled on a slim fitting top, and armoured leg guards before she fastened her bracelet on her left wrist. She pulled her hair to the side, plaiting it quickly and efficiently.
Miya shouted a quick goodbye to her cousins before leaving the estate. She was called for a meeting about reconstruction of the city. Being her father's heir, she was a noble and was technically allowed to sit on the council of elders.
The meeting was at Moon Palace, as usual, and she ran through the streets of the still-recovering village before making it to the castle. She headed upstairs, to the meeting room, and took her seat, marked with the reservation card 'estella'.
Estes sat at the head of the table, as he was ranked higher than everyone else, being the king. Miya sat to his right, as the heir of one of the two noble families, and the heir to the Trylle family to his left- a boy with cropped silver-grey hair. The rest of the table was filled with various officials, one being the Chancellor, others being ministers of education, defence, economic growth, and foreign affairs.
The king wore a golden armour piece, with the stag-like golden crown adorning his head. While everyone else wore casual, the king always dressed in finery.
"I declare the meeting open," Estes intoned, and discussion began.
III
Miya left the meeting room with a sigh, heading straight home. The meeting had bored her to death, though she had stuck some insightful comments in the right places to keep up the scheme that she was paying attention.
She had come home to find the house empty, so she walked right out the way she came. She'd probably head to the dressmaker's store, to find something decent to wear to tonight's ball.
She received a few waves and smiles on her way to the only boutique open after the war- the war had made Miya somewhat a minor celebrity. She enjoyed the attention, but the feeling of reverence the people emitted was a little unnerving. She was no deity, though some treated her as such.
She opened the glass doors to the boutique, to find it surprisingly empty. Not all did last minute shopping like she did, Miya realised, and with a sigh, she headed towards the counter.
A middle-aged lady stood behind, counting silver and gold coins, when Miya approached.
"What can I do for you, Miya Estella?" the lady asked with a smirk, and Miya realised that the woman already knew what she wanted.
"Get me the cheapest dress my size," she replied dryly. "Please," she added as an afterthought.
The lady frowned, looking up and down. "No can do," the lady replied tutting as she shook her head. "Only the finest gowns for our war hero," she said with a deadly smile.
The archer sighed. "I cannot afford an expensive dress. I will only ever wear it once, so it would be a waste."
"Nonsense, nonsense," the shopkeeper tutted. "If you will not find the funds necessary, then I will pay for your gown. Now, come along. We have many dresses to try."
Miya would argue, but she realised she had been led into a trap. The shopkeeper knew she was not poor, and tried to pity Miya into paying for the dress herself. She sighed, and followed as she was lead to a rack of clothing.
The lady ruffled through many exquisite gowns- Miya briefly wondered how many had been made before the war. The gowns came in a rainbow of colours and shades, some being made in the finest silk, while others sporting great waterfalls of chiffon and velvet.
"How about this one," the elder said, gesturing towards a gown of silk, with accents of blue chiffon that floated around to form the skirt. It had a tight fitting bodice, which extended into a loose blue skirt decorated with chiffon.
"To flashy," Miya frowned. "Is there not something simpler I can wear?"
The other chuckled, putting the dress back onto its hanger. "Not with looks like those, darling. You're a noble; for once act like those upright fools."
Her easy dismissal of the noble families caused Miya to raise a brow, but she didn't disagree. Though she was one herself, the influence the nobles had was only due to their enormous wealth, causing many corrupted leaders in the past of her family. Wealth did not mean the power to make the right decisions.
"This one?"
She looked the dress over. Plan, simple, stylish-
"Try it on," the shopkeeper said, interrupting her thoughts. "I can always enchant it for you if it doesn't fit."
"Alright," Miya agreed cautiously. She slipped the shimmering blue material off its hanger and walked towards the back of the room, where an impromptu dressing room was in place. She stepped in and pulled the curtain to hide her form.
She slipped into the silky material, the dress falling into place as she tightened the sash around her waist. A little loose, she thought, as she pulled back the curtain to see the shopkeeper awaiting her.
"Ah, beautiful," the shopkeeper murmured. "One of my finer garments," she revealed, as she examined the dress on Miya closely. "It's a little loose, isn't it? Where?"
Miya pointed, and the shopkeeper's hands glowed a soft purple as Miya felt the fabric tighten. The feeling faded, and the lady withdrew her glowing touch.
She looked at herself in the mirror; the dress was made of dark blue satin, and was close fitting. Decorating the gorgeously metallic material were silver highlights in the forms of swirls and fake plastic gems that made the dress glitter like the night sky. It then flared out at the waist into a waterfall of material; that was a soft translucent black with silver lining. Underneath all the chiffon ruffles was the dark blue satin, so the translucent material did not appear see-through.
"Mirrors only reflect the exterior," the lady mused softly. "I believe that even in a mirror, we can never truly see ourselves. We can see the person everyone else sees- but we never see the person we are most familiar with, our own personality."
Miya looked into the mirror, watching as her ice-blue eyes watch themselves in the reflective glass. "That's true," she replied softly.
The woman chuckled, the sound lifting the heavy atmosphere. "Though of course, we can change what people see. All good?" She asked, gesturing to the dress.
"I'll take it."
The shopkeeper smiled, pleased, as she headed towards the counter. Miya took the dress off, and the woman slipped it into a small bag. "Sixty-two silver," she said, thrusting out her palm.
"How much in gold?"
"Sixteen."
Miya grabbed a handful of golden coins and piled them into the shopkeeper's palm. "I trust that's enough," she said dryly, as the lady counted the coins quickly, before giving the two extra back to the moonlight archer.
"Thank you for shopping here," the lady said automatically. Miya smiled wryly in response.
III
Later
To say Estes was nervous was an understatement.
He was looking forward to the event by all means, but he wasn't looking forward to the conversations that would come with it. He fastened the sterling cufflinks on the indigo vest that he was wearing absentmindedly, as he walked out of the dressing room and into the hallway.
He walked to the left, going down the stairs before bumping into his Chancellor. "Y-Your majesty," the man stuttered, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "You were heading down to the ballroom?"
"Ah, yes," the king replied.
"Well, I won't keep you," the other man flushed, stepping aside. "I hope you have a nice time." With that, the official ran off.
Estes frowned. The Chancellor had been acting rather… odd lately, he thought. He hadn't thought anything of it, but it did seem rather strange. He shook it off, opting to not cloud his thoughts for tonight. He reached another junction and peered down them both.
Was it right or left?
He thought it was right. Though maybe it was left. He turned right, on instinct, and ran right into a female in a satin dress.
"Miya," he greeted, and the archer blinked twice before realising who she had run into.
"Oh, Estes," she breathed. "I'm lost. Can you-"
Ah. In any other situation, he would have laughed due to the irony of it. And dear Selene, she looked beautiful.
Estes suppressed the thought as quick as it came.
"-I don't know the way," the king replied dryly.
Her lips turned down a little, as she fretted, wringing her hands. "I was meant to meet a friend," she said, explaining her anxiousness. "And I was already late coming here and-"
"Ah. Your escort?"
She blinked, staring up at him. "Oh, no. My best friend, Neshya," she explained. "I don't have an escort."
He didn't know why, but he was pleased. Pleased that she didn't have an escort. "Neither do I," he commented (maybe a little too casually, he reckoned).
She stared a little, before smiling. Miya turned a little, gesturing down the hall. "We should find our way to the ballroom," she said. "Any instincts on which direction?"
"Enlighten me," he cited, and she sighed, grinning as she grabbed his arm and headed down the hallway.
III
The ball had run relatively smoothly after Estes and Miya had made their semi-grand appearance, arriving 'fashionably late', as Miya had reasoned, while Estes had shot her a rather incredulous look for the excuse.
"The king always arrives on time, everyone else is simply early," Estes had quoted rather uncharacteristically once they found the ballroom. Miya tittered.
The two had stood a little off-centre of the room, occasionally being approached by family friends and excited civilians- but Miya had shook them off as quickly and as gently as she could.
The music started, and Estes looked to Miya. "Come on," the king gestured, tugging her arm gently. Miya stuttered, resisting.
"I can't dance," she moaned, as she allowed herself to get dragged to the middle of the room.
"What a useless escort," he responded with an air of importance. "Just follow me."
She sagged, and he twirled her into place along with the other dancing couples. She rested her hand on his shoulder, and he held the other. Estes' other hand lingered before settling on her waist.
It was hard to look anywhere but him, Miya thought, as the music dictated their pace around the dance floor. Glancing to the left, she caught sight of Neshya, drink in hand, tittering and laughing with some male elves. She smiled, glad that her friend was enjoying the occasion.
"How've you been?" Estes asked, and she brought her gaze back to him.
"Oh, I've been fine," she replied breezily, as the music skipped, and Estes twirled her around. She laughed, feeling lighter than he had in days. "How've you been? With being king and all."
"Oh," he said, frowning, as he thought of an appropriate response. "It had been chaotic, I suppose," he admitted. "But I've been coping."
"I'm glad," Miya said, smiling. "Though that meeting he Chancellor set up the other day- I thought it was ridiculous," she frowned. "It wasn't needed at all."
The meeting she and Estes had participated in yesterday was on the premise on deciding whether or not the hospital should be given more money to accommodate more patients. Miya thought the meeting was unnecessary, as providing a stable amount of government resources to a hospital should have been an obvious decision.
Something flickered in Estes' opaque eyes, before it disappeared and was replaced by a look of thought. "I agree. It was… unnecessary."
Miya nodded, growing more comfortable to the small gap between them. "It-"
A sharp thud echoed throughout the room. The musicians paused mid-song, just as Miya paused, mid-conversation. Silence settled across the room.
"What was that?"
A young woman's shrill cry brought the rest out of the eerie reverie the rest of her kin had been in. Miya blinked, scanning the room, increasing her grip on Estes' hand.
Thud.
Again, the large sound echoed through the room, silencing any scared murmurs that had arisen. "The door," someone cried, and everyone immediately glanced to the north of the room.
"Stay calm," Miya commanded, raising her voice. "There are warriors among us, should it be necessary." She gritted her teeth, pulling herself gently out of Estes' clutch. "I'll be back," she muttered to her partner. Without waiting for confirmation, she started towards the front of the room.
Almost on cue, the silver doors burst open, revealing a figure dressed with tattered clothes and bloodstains. A collective gasp echoed through the room. Miya pushed her way towards the front of the crowd of people. A small circle of people were around the newcomer, scared to be to close, yet curious of whom it was.
"Please," the figure begged hoarsely, its voice distinctly female. "I have come to warn you."
"Warn us of what?" Miya hissed, gathering the civilians behind her protectively. "Reveal yourself, I command you!"
The figure pushed dirty turquoise bangs out of her face, revealing a pair of startling bright cyan eyes. Miya reeled back, horrified, as she recognised the eyes that stared back at her.
Bending down slowly, she pushed back the fold of her dress to reveal a silver knife strapped to her thigh. Miya pulled the knife out of its sheath in a smooth movement, ruffling her dress as she did so.
She angled the knife, holding it in the air horizontally, pointed at the female. The spectators reeled back at the appearance of a weapon, even though by one on their side.
Miya cocked her head, thrusting the knife forward in a symbol of aggression and defence. When she spoke, her words were deathly cold and sliced through the air like no dagger could.
"What do you want, Karina?"
III
-End Part III-
(to be continued)
endnote. chiffon is my new favourite word. :) thanks for all the lovely feedback on the last chapter. It was pleasing to see some familiar faces, but even more so to see some newcomers review for the first time! Welcome to the family! :D And wow, this story is hitting it off a lot more than I anticipated. I'll try and keep my a/n short, because the review replies take up so much space and you probably don't want to listen to be ramble anyways :P
a/n: well, as you know, estes' characterization was extremely hard for me. I rewrote this chapter a shocking seven times. S-e-v-e-n. 7. maybe I'll post the deleted scenes in some sort of oneshot anthology. I really hope I got his character right. Maybe give me some tips…? I'm disappointed in myself for creating this chapter as it served as a filler chapter, just to get Estes and Miya familiar with each other. You can't have them falling in love without time to bond, lol. I can't believe this story was meant to be a oneshot. Sighhhh. Looks like we're spiralling into the dangerous waters of a longer story…
replies. as always, thanks for reviewing! :D
Maine: Thank you for the compliments on the plot and characterisation! I'm a huge fan of Freya as well. And you're right- she's a Valkyrie, not a normal person and should be written as such. And yes, I'm planning to have another twist coming up… that's why this chapter is so peaceful ;) Thank you for your review! Love, Silver.
The Sleeping Zombie: Yay, you're a familiar face! I'm extremely pleased that you bawled your eyes out. That was my intention. *smirks* And here is the Mestes interaction- god I hope it was okay. I'm going to try and include more heroes, but they're only going to be ones that have ties to Miya's lore. I don't want to spoil too much. And I don't want the story to be crowded with too much happening at once. Thanks for your review! Love, Silver.
Missing Middle. Ahhh i nearly cried when that monster of a review showed up in my inbox. First of all, thank you so much. And hang on for the ride, because long reviews mean long replies.
To be honest, the title was a little random, but I'm glad it clicked with you and it suited the chapter. And in response to your comments about my writing style- I've noticed myself that I tend to write differently when I write this fic. More serious, less humour, more drama. This story was first started as a writer's experiment- to try a new style of writing. I'm glad it seems to be going well so far.
I attempt to give the characters as much backstory as possibly, because of the lack of fanfiction in this category, I attempted to initiate my own theory and backstory, trying to use the small paragraphs of lore from the game and turn them into a story that shaped that character. I completely understand when you say you don't want too many characters at once. I'm the same, so I'm avoiding having too many main characters. Of course, there are the side characters that appear for scenes and then disappear. I guess Alucard was one in this story, but he will make another appearance… ;)
I did not intend for the 'sleeping beauty' metaphor, but now that you mention it, it does ring true with the story. Some elements such as Miya being a strong female character and not the damsel in distress can be connected with the story, or rather, a twist of the original tale.
I hope I managed Estes' character alright. I ended up playing a game with him to listen to the catchphrases for inspiration. Gosh, I hope it worked.
Thank you for your review, and I hope to see you next chapter. Love, Silver.
Chounojou: Thank you for your kind words! *virtual hug* my aim is to make the characters as human as possible. They're all different personalities which makes it fun to explore all aspects of their character. And here's the promised Mestes interaction! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. (though it took a lot of rewrites)
And yes, haha, there's a ship name for my otp of this fandom. #teammestes! Thank you for the reassurance that I'm doing well, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Uttermost thanks to my number one fan! Thanks for your review, and hope to see you next chapter. Love, silver.
Guest: aww thanks for the reviews on chapters 1 & 2. As an author, I'm glad to hear you read the story for the plot and writing, not the ship. And yes, you're right, there are some cringy ml fanfics out there, and I'm glad to hear mine isn't one of them :D Thanks for the review! Love, silver.
discord. We don't have a very big mlbb fanfiction community, do we? Maybe we could create a discord server… any of you guys interested? Birds of a feather, flock together ;)
Thank you for reading chapter three. I'm a little nervous because apparently third chapters don't get reviewed a lot xD See you all next time. Ja ne.
The Mobile Legends FanFiction Community is small, so any feedback in the form of reviews (!) or alerts is deeply appreciated. Without feedback, an author cannot know what he/she is doing wrong (or right). Please report spelling or grammatical errors please!
[player silverdiadems has logged out]