"Take him where?" Alya asked, her hands on her hips as Marinette tied a small sack full of magical orbs around her waist, something specially made for angels. Marinette glanced up at her friend with a small reassuring smile.
"To the healer, don't worry it isn't that far. Adrien and I will be back before you even know it," She said and glanced over at the demon who was far from earshot, sitting against a boulder as he wrapped his hand in bandages that Alya had gathered from the village. She smiled slightly, feeling her cheeks burn up.
"Why can't I come along?" Alya asked, not noticing Marinette's obvious staring. The angel glanced back over at her friend, taking a minute to get her thoughts straight.
"Uh... because we'll be fine alone. Not to mention he's taken me there before, so both of us know where to go." She explained and Alya smiled smugly, crossing her arms as she raised a brow.
"Riiight... I have a feeling it's actually because you wanna have some alone time with Mr Tall-Dark-and-Handsome over there," Alya mused with a wink, causing Marinette's face to go redder than before.
"O-of course not!" She defended herself, poorly, and Alya just nodded, not believing any of Marinette's lies. The dark-haired angel's wings fluttered open, her feathers fluffing up in embarrassment.
"Whatever, I just... need to talk to him privately for a while and I decided to take this opportunity to do so," Marinette admitted, and Alya giggled, nudging her shoulder playfully.
"You go girl, just don't tell your parents or like... anyone else about him, you'd most likely be thrown in jail for treason." Alya reminded her, Marinette cringing at the thought, her wings tensing up and tightly tucking in again.
"So you won't tell anyone about him?" She asked and Alya let out a short laugh.
"I swear on my life. If this guy means so much to you, I won't tell a soul that I even saw him." Alya promised, crossing her heart and holding up a hand. Marinette smiled, thankful she could talk to someone else about all of this. She knew if something were to happen, she'd go to Alya for help.
"Thanks, I owe you one."
"Uh, yeah you do. Like a thousand croissants," She joked, Marinette letting out a small giggle.
"Well I should get going if I want to make it back here before it's completely dark out," Marinette said and Alya nodded, glancing up at the sky to see just how fast the sun was setting.
"Yeah, definitely. Go hurry your butt up, who knows what kind of monsters are out there at night," Alya warned and it was Marinette's turn to nod, the thought giving her chills, her feathers visibly trembling.
"Alright, see you later!" The angel gave a small wave before jogging over to Adrien, her wings stretching out as they got ready for the long journey ahead.
"Ready to go?" Adrien asked, standing up and letting his dark feathered wings extend. Marinette nodded with a smile.
"Always,"
He smiled and the two took off.
Last time they had been travelling to this mysterious healer, Marinette's wing had unfortunately been broken, meaning Adrien had to carry her the entire way. She had felt extremely spoiled, especially since the actual journey there was long and tiring on their wings, with no land beneath them to rest. Halfway there, they were forced to fly across a large lake, nearly the size of a sea. But right in the middle of the lake was an island that held a single house and a small plot of land for growing crops. The owner of this house, was the healer, an old man who's wings had long since stopped working. Marinette couldn't imagine life without her wings, it would be like losing an arm or leg.
The two teens hadn't spoken much throughout this little adventure, perhaps too focused on staying airborne to really feel like talking. Marinette was burning with questions, but wasn't sure when was the proper time to ask them. She risked a glance over at the demon, his attention glued to the water below them. The sun giving the lake a sparkling glow as they soared by, it was almost magical.
Adrien suddenly dropped closer to the water and Marinette thought something was wrong for a moment before realizing he was only getting closer to touch it. He let his non-injured hand skim the surface, and she heard him laugh quietly, a small smile crossing her face at the sound.
"It's nice, isn't it?" She asked and he glanced up at her, his wings pushing the air to lift him up again.
"Yeah, it is. Too bad we can't go in, I'm sure it would be refreshing." He said, sounding distant. She stared at him for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek as she contemplated what to say.
She decided to just go for it, "Hey Adrien?" She asked and he glanced over at her, curiosity in his features. She pursed her lips, wondering if she should even bring up the subject.
"Yeah?" His question edged her on, the words at the back of her throat just aching to escape. She stared down at the water for a moment before sighing.
"You were upset with your father, weren't you?" She asked and the curiosity disappeared from his features, replaced by the same look she saw on him earlier that day, his cat ears flattening against his head, giving him the impression of a scolded kitten. She regretted asking.
"Yeah... it was. He did something that's burdened me quite a lot. I'll tell you about it later if you don't mind." He said, sounding almost like a plead. She nodded in agreement, feeling bad for even mentioning the subject. She watched his wings glide against the wind, moving in timed rhythm. And his cat ears which were still flat against his head, pulled back so that they faced the opposite direction. She wondered why he was the only demon she's ever seen with ears like that. Her curiosity got the best of her.
"Are you the only one with cat ears?" She asked suddenly, catching him off guard, enough that said ears raised in attention. She couldn't help but giggle.
"Um... I'm not exactly sure, but I assume so? Considering every other demon I've met has made some kind of comment on them, which is why I usually wear a hood. They might've been passed down from my mother's side, but I'm not sure." He explained, Marinette tilting her head slightly in thought.
"You've never talked about your mother before, is she nice?" She asked and Adrien's gaze turned distant.
"I don't know, I never met her."
Marinette furrowed her brows in sympathy, finding it extremely unfair that someone so amazing and kind could have such a cruel life. He deserved more, he deserved happiness and love. She felt spoiled for having two loving parents with no high responsibilities like being the heir to the throne or looking perfect all the time. He had so much weight on his shoulders, she was surprised he could still fly.
"What are your parents like? I don't think we've ever talked about them before," Adrien suddenly asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced over at him and smiled slightly, trying to come up with the best way to describe them.
"They're amazing. My father is a baker and my mother helps him out in the shop," She explained and she watched as Adrien's expression changed to pleasantly confused.
He smiled, despite his confusion, "What's a baker?" He asked and Marinette blinked in surprised.
"Do you not have bakeries in the Demon Kingdom?" She asked and he shook his head. What a sad world he lived in. "A baker is someone who makes bread and cakes as well as many other desserts." She explained and he seemed to understand.
"Is that all Angels eat? Bread and desserts?" He asked and Marinette giggled, shaking her head.
"No, we have farmers who grow fruits and vegetables for us," She continued and Adrien looked like he was either getting all of this or none of it. She chuckled, smiling with amusement. She found it almost hard to believe he didn't know what any of this was, which got her curious.
"What do Demons eat then?" She asked and he sighed as if thinking of it made him sick. She giggled.
"A lot of meat." He answered plainly, extremely over it.
"Well, as soon as I find a way for you to come to the Angel Kingdom, the first thing you're doing is eating our food." She explained and he smiled brightly, nodding in agreement. She looked forward to that day, even if it may never come. How was she supposed to sneak a demon into the kingdom?
While she thought of elaborate plans that were both risky and crazy, Adrien stared at her for a moment longer before adverting his gaze to the water again. Before she knew it, they were coming up to the island.
"Finally, my wings were getting tired," Marinette complained with a sigh, Adrien chuckling despite nodding in agreement. They glided down closer and descended slowly to the ground, landing softly. Marinette was glad she had taken off her shoes earlier, the sand of the shoreline was still warm from the afternoon sun, warming up her cold toes. She hummed in content, noticing how Adrien glanced back at her with an amused smile.
She ran to catch up with him, disappointed when the sand cut off to grass. It just didn't feel the same. Ahead of them, was a small cottage-like home that was surrounded by a small moat with a simple wooden plank acting as a bridge for them to get across. The island gave her a tropical feel, with palm trees and coconuts scattered around the beach. If she could stay here forever, she would. It was isolated from the war that happened across the lake, almost like a refugee island, safe and peaceful.
The two crossed the small bridge, Marinette stopping to look into the moat, spotting a family of turtles making their way into the water. Marinette watched with a smile, noticing the small knock on the door, most likely Adrien with hopefully his good hand. After a moment, the door opened and a short elderly man stood in its place. Marinette had to say goodbye to the turtles and join beside Adrien, greeting the man with a smile.
"Ah, Marinette, I see your wing has healed up nicely." The elderly man pointed out, Marinette nodding as she glanced over at the once broken wing, now fully healed and working again.
"Thanks to you, of course." She replied and the man smiled contently. Then his gaze turned to Adrien and he didn't say anything before stepping aside, letting them inside. They did so, tucking their large wings in tightly so they didn't knock over anything valuable, which was 90% of the house.
The man, also known as Master Fu, closed the door and passed by them, Marinette once again noting how his wings weren't feathered, they were the wings of a dragonfly, what might've been once a vibrant green was now aged and pale. He walked over to a low table, cushions neatly laid on each side as seats, and picked up the vintage teapot that sat on the wooden surface. Marinette glanced around the room, everything was archaic and ancient looking. She was afraid to move, knowing all too well how clumsy she can be.
"Would you like some tea?" Master Fu asked and the two kindly declined the offer, even so, the elderly man poured himself a cup.
"So," He started, sitting down at the table on his knees, waving them to join as he did so, "You two are back, which I can only assume means someone got hurt."
The two teens sat down at the table and Marinette glanced over at Adrien who seemed almost ashamed that it was him this time. Master Fu noticed the look on his face and hummed in understanding.
"What was it this time?" He asked and Adrien carefully extended his injured handout, letting it rest on the table. Master Fu gently unwrapped the bandages from his hand, allowing him to see the full extent of the damage. Marinette didn't realize how badly it was injured until now, his knuckles had completely bruised and it had begun to spread through his hand, colouring it a dark purplish-blue.
Fu hummed again, but this time it was a bit deeper as if trying to figure out if he could fix this. Marinette hoped he could do at least something.
"How did you manage to do this? Get in a fist fight with a wall?" Fu asked, Marinette noting the sarcasm in his question when in truth, it wasn't that far off.
"Tree actually," Adrien answered with a shrug and Master Fu stared at him for a moment, as if trying to figure out if he was lying or not. Then he sighed.
"Well, that will do it," He mumbled and got up from his seat, every one of his movements slow with age. "I'll be right back, stay there." He instructed then walked down a hall to a different room. Marinette glanced over at the demon, trying to read his expression. He had been so quiet lately, it made her uncomfortable. She knew he had problems at home, he had time and time again ranted to her about how awful his kingdom was and how every demon, including his father, was blind with power. She wondered if he actually had a friend there, besides the Phooka he had mentioned once named Plagg. The thought made her once again feel spoiled.
He met her gaze and she nearly yelped, her wings flicking open quickly, almost knocking over a nearby stool. He laughed and she felt her face flush with embarrassment.
"You okay?" He asked with an amused grin, Marinette nodding quickly.
"Yep, perfectly fine. I was just uh... thinking! A-about you. I mean— demons! In general... obviously." She stuttered out, earning another small chuckle from the Demon. He nodded slowly, seeing past her nervous rambling.
"Right, how's that working out for you?"
"I'm already exhausted," Marinette replied and the two laughed, not noticing Master Fu reentering the room.
"I see you two are still getting along," He said and they immediately stopped laughing, their gazes landing on the elderly man who took a seat again with a large bowl, setting it down on the table. "Like they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
The two exchanged a confused glance before Marinette changed the subject and curiously looked into the bowl, her head tilting slightly in confusion. A magenta coloured liquid rippled like water, though considering it bubbled, she wasn't sure what this was.
"What's that?" She asked, her face contorted in disgust. Master Fu chuckled before putting the last ingredient into the mixture, sprinkling a bit of black powder that smelt like something sweet.
"It's somewhat of a healing potion, something I came up with one day," Fu explained and Marinette took in a deep breath, taking in the aroma it produced. It smelt like a perfume, almost like flowers.
"Do I have to..." Adrien started, mirroring the same facial expression Marinette had just moments ago, "...drink that?" He asked and Fu chuckled before shaking his head.
"Thankfully not, I'm sure it wouldn't taste as good as it smells," He said and Adrien let out a sigh of relief, Marinette smiling as she glanced back down at the liquid.
"What's that smell anyways?" She asked and Fu picked up the small vile full of the black powder.
"Roses, black roses to be exact. I figured I'd at least make it smell nice," Fu answered, then carefully pushed the bowl over to Adrien who still had a look of disgust on his face. Marinette wondered if it was a demon thing that he didn't like the smell.
"Aren't I lucky..." He muttered before dipping his entire hand into the liquid, the feel of it making him nearly gag.
"You're a demon aren't you? You should be used to gross things," Fu said with an amused smile and Adrien looked up at him with a frown.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that,"
Fu chuckled, "So be it,"
Marinette glanced around the room again, spotting a turtle in the corner laying on a bed of sand, and a large black ink painting of yet another turtle on a piece of parchment hanging from the wall. She was sensing a theme here.
"How long do I have to keep my hand in here?" Adrien asked tremulously, afraid to ask. Marinette glanced over at the magenta liquid, cringing slightly in disgust and she felt her feathers rustle, mirroring Adrien's that were much more fluffed up.
"Not much longer, give it a few more minutes," Fu answered, cupping his drink and bringing it closer to him before taking a hesitant sip of his tea. Marinette let out a small sigh, leaning against the table with impatience. As much as she'd love to stay there and look around, the sun was setting quickly and she didn't want to stay out past dark. Creatures worse than demons hunt at night.
Master Fu set down his tea cup and once again got up, "I have something for you two," He stated and walked into the other room, a moment later, he returned with two miniature boxes and a small bag. He handed one box to each and Marinette was the first to open hers, marvelling in awe at the pair of black earrings that rested inside. Adrien had to somehow manage to open the small box with one hand, but once he had done it, he took a closer look at the grey ring. Fu placed the small bag down on the table and Marinette couldn't help but stare at it in curiosity.
"They are gifts, I want you two to have them," Fu said and Marinette looked up at him with a gentle smile, grateful for his kind thoughts. She put the earrings on, wanting to show just how grateful she was and he smiled.
"The earrings carry good luck, symbolizing the ladybug." He explained and turned to Adrien, "And the ring gives the wearer power, symbolizing the black cat. I thought that one suited you."
Adrien couldn't help but smile, his cat ears flicking slightly with an emotion Marinette couldn't quite place. She figured it was gratitude.
"Thank you, Master Fu, for everything." He said and Fu bowed his head slightly in respect, smiling softly. He pushed the small bag over to Marinette who hesitated before looking inside, only to find a dozen or more vials of pink liquid, each one marked with a single label that read; 'Healing potion. Drink one when needed.' She smiled in appreciation before tying the bag to her waist with the other one filled with orbs.
"It was my pleasure. Now, let's clean up that hand of yours." Master Fu said and changed the subject back to Adrien's injury. The demon sighed in relief and carefully pulled his hand out of the now gooey substance, Marinette once again cringing in disgust.
Once Adrien had wiped off his hand with a small towel Fu had offered, Marinette noticed that the swelling from the bruising had gone down profusely and most of his natural colour returned to his hand and parts of his knuckles. There was still slight bruising but nothing Adrien couldn't handle.
A smile of relief washed over his face when he was able to move his hand without any problems. He picked up his ring and slid it onto the ring finger of his right hand, also the hand that had once been injured. The grey ring immediately changed colour, turning black with a green paw print in the middle. Adrien blinked in surprise, glancing back up at Master Fu.
"What just happened?" He asked and Fu hummed in thought, finding it perhaps strange or suspicious. Marinette couldn't read anyone's expressions today, she realized.
"The ring has been activated, letting you use its powers. Finding out what kind of powers, is something I'd much rather you practise back in the kingdom." Fu explained and took another sip of his drink. Adrien stared down at his ring in wonder, Marinette also curious about what kind of powers he was granted.
"Do mine give me powers?" She asked, mindlessly tapping her earrings. Master Fu nodded and set down his cup.
"Your earrings give you the power of creation, but they don't seem to be activated at the moment which means you have some work to do," He explained and Marinette furrowed her brows in confusion, glancing over at Adrien who stayed silent.
"Why is his already activated?" She asked, not meaning to come off as snobby or childish, she was just confused.
"That's for him to know and you to find out,"
Adrien continued to stay silent, staring down at his ring in thought. Marinette didn't say anything after that, she simply let her wings droop in disappointment.
"We should get going," Adrien suddenly said and Marinette nodded in agreement before getting up and offering one more smile of gratitude to Master Fu. Adrien got up and the two made their way over to the front door, Fu staying seated at the table with his cup of tea.
"Good luck with your futures, I pray it ends happily." Fu said and waved them goodbye, Marinette smiling slightly as they walked out of the small cabin and she could've sworn she heard Adrien mutter "Me too."
The fly back had been quiet. No words were shared between them as they made their way across the lake, even as they passed by dangerous waters, the most they said was 'Be careful.' Adrien used to like silence, it meant he didn't have to do anything but sit and do nothing, simply stare off into space without having any responsibilities. But this was a different silence, this was awkward and tense. He couldn't help but feel like it was his fault. Marinette had gone out of her way to help him and all he did in return was keep things to himself and stay quiet. He hadn't even thanked her yet. He decided that was a good way to start a conversation.
"Thank you for helping me," He said suddenly, catching her off guard. She met his gaze, surprised at first before smiling slightly.
"N-no problem," She replied, adverting her gaze to the water below them. They were getting close to the main land, Adrien's wings already starting to ache with exhaustion.
He bit the inside of his cheek, not sure what else to say. He figured she deserved some explanation for earlier, after all, it had always been his plan to tell her. She was all he really had anyway.
"My father wants me to take the throne." He suddenly said and she stopped in her tracks, forcing him to do the same. She stayed airborne and yet he was worried she would fall at any minute, her wings rustling as they flapped as if they were struggling to stay strong. He had to admit he felt the same way when he heard the news.
"He wants you to be king? B-But isn't he already? Why would he replace himself with you?" She asked and he moved a bit closer, glancing down at the water a few feet below them. They were so close to the main land, he began to wonder if he should've just been a bit more patient to tell her.
"I'm turning 18 soon. In the Demon Kingdom, that's the age where a Prince or next in line must fight for the crown in a competition called Pro Coronam." He explained, the words sending a chill through his spine and wings. She met his gaze, her eyes wide in poorly veiled horror.
"F-fight? When's this happening?" She asked and he swallowed a lump in his throat, finding his mouth suddenly dry.
"In two days. My birthday." He managed to say, trying to mask how brittle his voice sounded. He couldn't be weak at a time like this, he couldn't keep running from the inevitable. He was the Prince, he had to be strong.
"Two days..." Marinette repeated quietly, pursing her lips together in a thin line as she adverted her gaze. He couldn't read her expression, there was too much clustered together. Her wings rippled but he wasn't sure what it meant, all he could really go on was how her hands were clenched tightly and how she refused to make eye contact. Then she suddenly relaxed her tense muscles and glanced up at him.
"I can't imagine what you're going through right now." She said as she moved a bit closer and he opened his mouth to speak, only for no words to come out. He struggled to find the right thing to say, ending up backing away as she came closer.
"I-I'm fine," He muttered out, not meeting her gaze. She frowned, grabbing his wrist to stop him from moving away.
"Adrien," She said softly and he paused, his brows furrowed as he glanced off to the side. He tried to focus on something besides her stare, he tried to focus on the breeze that travelled across the surface of the lake and brushed against the feathers of his wings or the sound of waves crashing against rocks below them or the sun disappearing beyond the horizon. Anything but the truth standing in front of him.
"I don't want to be king," He admitted quietly, trying to keep his voice from wavering. He felt Marinette's grip on his wrist tighten slightly, forcing him to look back at her. Her eyes were doleful and it made his chest ache, his cat ears pulled back against his head sorrowfully.
"I know..." She muttered and stared up at him for a moment before glancing off to the sky, her eyes full of trepidation. He knew what she was thinking, the sun was completely set at this point, the moon their only beacon of light. It also meant monsters were awakening.
"We need to go," Adrien said urgently, almost glad for the change of subject. She nodded quickly and the two rushed back to the main land, landing without much grace. As soon as they touched down, they ran, their wings tucking in tightly. Adrien could see perfectly in the dark, his green eyes luminous and every instinct inside him told him to just keep running, to go back home or find a light source. Monsters couldn't go into the light so if they could only find someplace that was lit up, they'd be safe.
He glanced back at Marinette only to find she was gone, his heart dropping down into the pit of his stomach as he searched frantically for the angel. She didn't have night vision like him, he knew that, so he should've been guiding her. He cursed himself for being so naive.
"Marinette!" He called out, his cat ears flicking every which way to find any trace of her. He heard a bush rustle and a branch snap, but he had a sinking feeling that it was her. His heart pounded in his chest rapidly and he backed up against a tree so that nothing could come up from behind him. Or at least he hoped not.
He heard a scream and his breath hitched, recognizing the voice to be Marinette's. He turned to the direction it came from and ran without a second thought. He only began to doubt what he was doing as he got closer. He had learned about every monster in these woods, he knew what they capable of, voice mimicking was one of the many skills they had. This could very well be a trap but he couldn't risk it actually being Marinette, he had to help her.
He came up to a clearing and he searched around quickly, his cat ears tilting to the side as he heard a noise, like someone calling for him. He heard another scream and he took off in the direction it came from, it was louder this time, meaning he was close. His heart nearly stopped when he heard her cry out his name in desperation, the sound pushing him to move faster.
He stopped in his tracks when he finally found the angel, pressed against a tree surrounded by monstrous wolf-like creatures, their eyes blood red and their fur as dark as the night sky. They were hellhounds. These weren't just normal monsters, these were Demon trained hellhounds.
"Hey!" Adrien shouted firmly, the canines turning to look at him, their large teeth bared and red eyes glowing with rage. Adrien extended his wings and they paused, immediately recognizing him as a demon. He felt his ring warming up with power, and without a second thought, he snapped his fingers, a spark igniting in his hand that grew into a large green hued flame. It didn't burn him, it only danced in his palm, scaring away the hellhounds with its light. They tucked in tails between their hind legs before they all ran off. He extinguished the flame, simply closing his hand to do so and tucked his wings back in. There was a beat of silence before Marinette suddenly fell to her knees and collapsed to the ground, Adrien immediately rushing over to her side to make sure she was alright.
He carefully turned her over onto her side and let her head rest on his lap. Now that he was this close, he could finally see the damage done; her dress was torn at the hem, her legs were bloodied with scratches and her arm had large red bite marks against her porcelain skin. His heart sank with shame and guilt, this was his fault. He should've stayed with her, he should've gotten to her faster.
He gently pushed her bangs to the side and placed a hand on the back of her neck to lift her head off his lap and carefully set her down on the ground. He checked her pulse, relieved to find one, despite how slow it was. He made sure she was still breathing, leaning down to feel her soft breaths brush against his cat ears which flicked slightly at the feeling.
"Marinette?" He asked, checking to see if she was responsive. When she didn't move, he cursed under his breath and reached over to open the small bag tied at her hip, making sure it was the right one full of vials and not the one with orbs.
He glanced around quickly to make sure they were safe from any monsters before grabbing a vial and setting it down for a moment as he snapped his fingers one more time to summon a flame, shooting a ball of it onto the forest floor to create some light to confirm their safety. He closed his fist before grabbing the vial of pink liquid again and popping the top off. He let out a sigh, knowing what he was about to do would most likely end with him getting scolded or slapped. He was willing to take that chance if it meant saving Marinette.
He downed the entire bottle of pink liquid, trying not to swallow or gag from the sudden taste of something sickeningly sweet. His taste buds weren't used to anything that wasn't charred yet. He quickly leaned down and captured her lips with his, letting his mouth part open slightly to let the liquid seep through into hers. He closed his eyes, his brows furrowed as he placed a hand on the back of her neck to pull her closer so he didn't have to lean down so much. He felt Marinette suddenly grab his arm and he forced himself not to pull away until she had every last drop. She had definitely woken up now, noises of surprise muffled against his lips and before long she finally began to gulp the potion down.
As soon as all of it was all gone, he pulled away, no longer needed for her to drink it. She sat up and wiped her mouth of any excess potion on her chin and lips. Adrien noted how pink her cheeks were but didn't say anything. He'd be embarrassed too. He watched as the cuts on her legs and arms suddenly began to heal themselves, the gashes closing and skin reforming. All that was left was trails of blood from before. Her wings flicked, ruffling her feathers as she took a moment to process what just happened. He stepped in before she could say anything.
"Sorry," He said quietly, his cat ears pinned down in shame. Even his wings tensed up in embarrassment. Marinette stared at him for a moment, mouth agape as if to say something. He couldn't meet her gaze, instead, he stared at the ground, feeling his cheeks suddenly burn up. But not the same reason why Marinette's were.
"Don't be." She finally answered and he glanced up at her, "Y-You saved me once again, I should be thanking you." Her voice wavered slightly and he smiled.
"Anything for you, Princess," He cooed and Marinette's face flushed even more, her gaze falling to the ground to hide her smile. He couldn't help but grin in amusement.
"P-Princess? You're the royalty here, not me." She said teasingly, despite being the one in a blushing mess.
"But every Prince needs his Princess," He replied with a smile and she glanced up at him with an emotion he couldn't quite place. Then again, he didn't know what love looked like. He got up and offered a hand to which she gladly accepted, then dusted off her torn dress.
"Let me help you get home, we can avoid the monsters better if we stick together." He said and she nodded, glancing down at her hand as he took hold of it, not making the same mistake like last time. She smiled.
"Okay,"