Lunas
(#5580911)
Level 25 Coatl
Familiar
Glossy Duskrat
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 50/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Shadow.
Male Coatl
This dragon is hibernating.
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Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
7.47 m
Wingspan
9.99 m
Weight
861.96 kg
Genetics
Brown
Tiger
Tiger
Navy
Shimmer
Shimmer
Ice
Basic
Basic
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 25 Coatl
Max Level
STR
129
AGI
10
DEF
6
QCK
50
INT
7
VIT
8
MND
6
Biography
   
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Every child knows the story of lost royalty. The stolen princess, taken away by a jealous witch, the young prince raised as a swineherd all his life, only to be found and returned to their rightful place. And who among them hadn't dreamed that maybe they too, were secretly royalty, waiting for the day they would be recognized. Lunas had always wondered if perhaps he was the reverse, if he was some humble farmer's son switched at birth with the prince, who had never been meant for the position, who would soon be discovered and returned to his rightful place. Ever since he had been young, he had hated the weight of royalty on his shoulders. “A prince must do this” and “A prince must not do that.” Princes must never be late for their lessons, must always wear the most uncomfortable clothing and never muss it, must mind their manners always, must never have fun, it seemed like. His lessons, consisting of memorizing unending lists of royal family trees back to his great too many times to count grandfather and court protocol which much be observed to the letter lest he gravely insult someone, were stultifying. Standing in front of a huge crowd at audiences and events, while someone droned on, was simultaneously deathly boring and terrifying. Speaking in front of those huge audiences was even worse. In truth, he despised everything about being a prince. The idea of being responsible for an entire country made him feel weak at the knees, and not in a good way. The fancy clothes he had to wear to every formal event made him feel like a stiff wooden doll, dressed up to be displayed on a shelf. Standing in front of a crowd and giving a speech made him feel like he might faint, and it had to be just as bad for them watching him stammer and lose his place and drop his notes. Nonetheless, he tried his best. Being a prince wasn't something you were allowed to turn down, and as his parents' only son, abdication was no option they would allow. He endured the clothes, tried his best with the speeches, studied his lessons as hard as he could, and tried to master the art of ruling and diplomacy. Although he was scared he would do a terrible job, he still wanted to try to do his best by the people he was expected to rule. As a prince, he was expected to marry a noblewoman, and settle down to raise children and continue his royal lineage. Ideally, he ought to have at least two boys, an heir and a backup heir, and a girl who might be called upon for a fortuitous alliance marriage, so his marriage was a matter of great importance. His potential wife was already being selected, from a list of women suitably highborn whose families had a history of birthing plenty of healthy children. A princess would be best of course, but there were plenty of women whose blood was blue enough to be more than suitable. So naturally, as unsuitably as everything else in his life, he went and fell head over heels for a young man, Nerween, who was not only incapable of bearing him children, but a necromancer to boot. And yet, despite being so clearly unsuitable, Lunas loved everything about him, from his singular golden eyes to his penchant for lollipops. He knew his parents, his mother in particular, would throw an absolute fit if they found out. But Lunas now had something he wanted more than anything he'd ever wanted before, and suddenly the censure of his parents didn't seem so horrible. For the first time in his life, he put the princely duties he had always been told he had to bear second to what his heart wanted. He knew he would never be allowed to continue his relationship with Nerween if they found out, so he ran away with him, leaving his crown behind. He felt that would rather give up a thousand thrones than give up the man he loved. He's now in hiding, fearing that he'll be forced to give up his love and return to the position he left behind him. Lunas took to living like a “commoner” almost immediately. He was all too glad to shed his formal clothing for simpler outfits, and after all, who would think to look for a prince in sneakers and a t-shirt? Meals were much simpler when he wasn't navigating a dozen courses, and twice as many forks. And of course he was with the man he loved, Nerween, who he was sure he could bear anything with. Although he might look gentle, he's actually quite the skilled swordsman, and between that and his innate resistance to magic, he's well suited to defending Nerween should any danger pop up. They both want to avoid a fight, since a fuss might get Lunas recognized, but the fact that he knows he can help still gives him confidence. He's still rather prone to nervousness, since all his perceived abject failures at being a good prince didn't leave him with a very good sense of self-confidence. The thought of doing something new and difficult is still pretty scary for him, and sometimes he needs some encouragement. However, he's still a kind and friendly person, and more well-liked than he knows. Even when he was still a prince, fumbling through a speech, he didn't realize the affection he garnered from people who could see how hard he was trying for them. And now he retains that same ability to win people over, treating them with thoughtfulness and kindness that they can't help but respond to. Talking to new people is still something he's not sure about, since it reminds him of those stressful days in court, but he's slowly starting to get used to it. Now, with someone he cares about at his back and the responsibility lifted from his shoulders, he's a little more relaxed, and hopes that maybe he can get over his fears and learn to stand taller. ~ Story by me, rewritten by Mirrorstone |
Short Stories
1.
That smile, the way those pale lips tilted up just enough to show the teeth, and how the eyes—oh, the eyes—rose at the edges, crinkling up, the perfect golden hues seeming to shine even more. The hair falling over the forehead in a mess of golden locks, messy and unkempt with the early morning. He was even eating lazily, trying to nurse as much as he could out of his porridge at that small and severely understaffed inn on the outskirts of a little village. The gold eyes rose back up and another one of those perfect smiles shinned, causing a certain man's heart to flutter and pump faster.
“You haven't touched your porridge,” Nerween said, wiping his mouth, his golden eyes looking at Lunas's bowl.
“Oh, yeah, right.” Lunas focused back down, feeling his face starting to burn up. He had been caught staring again, but he couldn't help it! Just sometimes, Lunas wonders how he even ended up with such a perfect man as Nerween, with someone that cared about him. It wasn't that long ago, after all...
You could say it was a nice spring morning, with dew clinging to the flowers and grass out in the royal gardens, and for some reason there was a giant hole near the royal graveyard kept close to the castle. Along with a string of curses. And a shovel being thrown out. One could say that it was near impossible to rob a grave at the royal grounds, but only Lunas was up at that time, and the guards were patrolling the gates since the princesses and maidens he was to marry would be arriving later. Every stone was being polished. Ugh. Surely the princesses and maidens could deal with dirty stones under their shoes. Why did everything have to be perfect anyway? Were their families that snotty? The thoughts erupted with another loud and vicious curse.
“Stupid wooden coffins!” the voice hissed after the string of words Lunas would have been chewed out for if he so much as uttered. “Why is there silver mixed in here? That's useless. Can't use that.”
The prince leaned over the edge of the hole and stared down at the criminal. He was a nice looking fellow, golden hair and eyes, smooth skin, but there was something about him that almost made Lunas's skin crawl. Almost.
“There's a latch on the other side you can open it with,” Lunas said. This was the coffin of his great-great-great-great grandfather. No wonder why Lunas didn't really feel anything, the man was long since dead before his mother even met his father. Those golden eyes shot up at Lunas, making the prince's heart throb. That was a strange sensation. What was it? He had never felt it before. Was this what his father described when he would meet 'the one'? Lunas was positive that his father meant that he would feel such a thing in front of one of the fine ladies, but here was this thieving commoner and Lunas felt... strange. He smiled at the man in the hole, that perfect smile being returned, making Lunas's cheeks burn a light pink. How embarrassing!
“Thanks!” The man reached up from the bottom of the hole, his hand outstretched. “I'm Nerween, necromancer! You're not going to call the guards on me, are you, sir?”
Lunas chuckled. “No, not at all. I'm Prince Lunas.” He took the hand and shook it. The skin was so soft, even though it was covered in dirt and grime and maybe a worm. “But call me Lunas, please.”
“Sure thing, Lunas,” Nerween said, staring up at him. “Are the guards still polishing those stones?”
“They will be until six in the morning.” It was only three. “Everyone else is asleep.”
“Shouldn't you be?” Nerween looked for the latch, laughing when he finally found it. He threw the coffin open and clapped his hands together. He looked like a kid in a sweet shop.
“Couldn't sleep.”
“Why?”
“I'm supposed to be meeting my so-called bride today.” Why was Lunas so willing to give this stranger details about his life? That could not be a proper thing to do, especially in front of a soon-to-be wanted criminal. “Why are you robbing my great-great-great-great grandfather's resting place?”
“Well, ya see, I need an arm,” Nerween explained as he tried to break off the skeletal arm, his boot going through the ribcage. “Oops. Anyway, I need a skeleton arm and all the arms of the commoners are weak and fragile. I figured the arm of a royal would do.” The arm was yanked free and he waved it around, giving a salute with the skeletal fingers smacking him in the eye. “Ow.”
Lunas smiled, feeling a chuckle building up in his chest. It was drowned out when Nerween got out of the gave, giving another one of those smiles. The necromancer shoved the arm at Lunas before he got to work filling the hold back in. Lunas held the arm, not even registering that it was once part of a person. A long since dead person, but still... Nerween finished after only a few minutes and patted the dirt down.
“Maybe no one will notice. Anyway, see you later, Lunas. Good luck with the wife,” said Nerween as he took the arm back. He waved it again before darting to the wall, scaling over it. Lunas watched him go, feeling his heart flutter before clenching. Was this the last time he would see the necromancer?
“Is something wrong with it?” Nerween asked as he reached over and took some of the porridge before eating it. “Taste fine. You sure you're alright?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Lunas said. “Just thinking about stuff. So where are we going today?”
“I have a job with some family mourning the loss of their daughter or something. Going to summon the soul back and let them talk to her.”
“Sounds fun.” Lunas smiled. He wanted to say that he loved him, to finally say those three magic words but his throat clogged up and he looked back down at his food, shoving a large amount in his mouth, trying to drown out the nervousness. Lunas knew that Nerween told his sister, Jeanne, that he wasn't interested in men, and it hurt to think about, but just being near the other man was good enough. Nerween smiled and reached over to tug at Lunas's hair.
“Finish your food, we have a job to do.”
~by Dew
“You haven't touched your porridge,” Nerween said, wiping his mouth, his golden eyes looking at Lunas's bowl.
“Oh, yeah, right.” Lunas focused back down, feeling his face starting to burn up. He had been caught staring again, but he couldn't help it! Just sometimes, Lunas wonders how he even ended up with such a perfect man as Nerween, with someone that cared about him. It wasn't that long ago, after all...
You could say it was a nice spring morning, with dew clinging to the flowers and grass out in the royal gardens, and for some reason there was a giant hole near the royal graveyard kept close to the castle. Along with a string of curses. And a shovel being thrown out. One could say that it was near impossible to rob a grave at the royal grounds, but only Lunas was up at that time, and the guards were patrolling the gates since the princesses and maidens he was to marry would be arriving later. Every stone was being polished. Ugh. Surely the princesses and maidens could deal with dirty stones under their shoes. Why did everything have to be perfect anyway? Were their families that snotty? The thoughts erupted with another loud and vicious curse.
“Stupid wooden coffins!” the voice hissed after the string of words Lunas would have been chewed out for if he so much as uttered. “Why is there silver mixed in here? That's useless. Can't use that.”
The prince leaned over the edge of the hole and stared down at the criminal. He was a nice looking fellow, golden hair and eyes, smooth skin, but there was something about him that almost made Lunas's skin crawl. Almost.
“There's a latch on the other side you can open it with,” Lunas said. This was the coffin of his great-great-great-great grandfather. No wonder why Lunas didn't really feel anything, the man was long since dead before his mother even met his father. Those golden eyes shot up at Lunas, making the prince's heart throb. That was a strange sensation. What was it? He had never felt it before. Was this what his father described when he would meet 'the one'? Lunas was positive that his father meant that he would feel such a thing in front of one of the fine ladies, but here was this thieving commoner and Lunas felt... strange. He smiled at the man in the hole, that perfect smile being returned, making Lunas's cheeks burn a light pink. How embarrassing!
“Thanks!” The man reached up from the bottom of the hole, his hand outstretched. “I'm Nerween, necromancer! You're not going to call the guards on me, are you, sir?”
Lunas chuckled. “No, not at all. I'm Prince Lunas.” He took the hand and shook it. The skin was so soft, even though it was covered in dirt and grime and maybe a worm. “But call me Lunas, please.”
“Sure thing, Lunas,” Nerween said, staring up at him. “Are the guards still polishing those stones?”
“They will be until six in the morning.” It was only three. “Everyone else is asleep.”
“Shouldn't you be?” Nerween looked for the latch, laughing when he finally found it. He threw the coffin open and clapped his hands together. He looked like a kid in a sweet shop.
“Couldn't sleep.”
“Why?”
“I'm supposed to be meeting my so-called bride today.” Why was Lunas so willing to give this stranger details about his life? That could not be a proper thing to do, especially in front of a soon-to-be wanted criminal. “Why are you robbing my great-great-great-great grandfather's resting place?”
“Well, ya see, I need an arm,” Nerween explained as he tried to break off the skeletal arm, his boot going through the ribcage. “Oops. Anyway, I need a skeleton arm and all the arms of the commoners are weak and fragile. I figured the arm of a royal would do.” The arm was yanked free and he waved it around, giving a salute with the skeletal fingers smacking him in the eye. “Ow.”
Lunas smiled, feeling a chuckle building up in his chest. It was drowned out when Nerween got out of the gave, giving another one of those smiles. The necromancer shoved the arm at Lunas before he got to work filling the hold back in. Lunas held the arm, not even registering that it was once part of a person. A long since dead person, but still... Nerween finished after only a few minutes and patted the dirt down.
“Maybe no one will notice. Anyway, see you later, Lunas. Good luck with the wife,” said Nerween as he took the arm back. He waved it again before darting to the wall, scaling over it. Lunas watched him go, feeling his heart flutter before clenching. Was this the last time he would see the necromancer?
“Is something wrong with it?” Nerween asked as he reached over and took some of the porridge before eating it. “Taste fine. You sure you're alright?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Lunas said. “Just thinking about stuff. So where are we going today?”
“I have a job with some family mourning the loss of their daughter or something. Going to summon the soul back and let them talk to her.”
“Sounds fun.” Lunas smiled. He wanted to say that he loved him, to finally say those three magic words but his throat clogged up and he looked back down at his food, shoving a large amount in his mouth, trying to drown out the nervousness. Lunas knew that Nerween told his sister, Jeanne, that he wasn't interested in men, and it hurt to think about, but just being near the other man was good enough. Nerween smiled and reached over to tug at Lunas's hair.
“Finish your food, we have a job to do.”
~by Dew
2.
It was raining and cold, but Lunas was determined to get out of the castle grounds to see Nerween and Jeanne. They had invited him to a play several weeks ago, and tonight was the night it was being performed. It was only dusk, and the play started in three hours, but Lunas needed to get there in time. He also wanted to see Nerween. He sped along the halls in the heavy cloak meant for the tough storms, the hood over his head. He had gotten into some clothes Jeanne had found for him the last time they talked. They were poor clothes, but they did the trick of making him blend in better. Not many knew his face. After all, he spent most of his life behind the palace walls. It was a lonely life, but that first time he met Nerween… Lunas couldn't pass up the chance to see the man again. He sped up then darted into an empty room as some guards rounded the corner. Once they were gone, Lunas kept going. He was almost there. And… he took the full force of the rain. He closed the side entrance as softly as he could and went into the garden, hiding among the dark bushes while he made his way to a known hidden opening. It was a place his mother had showed him years before. It was locked, of course, but it was an easy way out of the palace if something happened. Lunas produced the key from his pocket and left the palace grounds, letting out a sigh.
He took one step forward and froze.
"Going somewhere, sir?" a guard asked. Crap. Lunas sighed and turned to look at the guard. It was one of the ones Lunas had known since he was a young boy. "You'll catch a cold out here."
"So will you…" Lunas said quietly. The guard gave him a stern look and took him by the shoulder, taking him around to the main entrance. Probably a reminder to the other guards that they have to be ready to catch Lunas at any time. He was notorious for escaping. Especially after these past few weeks. "Please, Admiral, can you let me go this once? There's a play I want to see tonight!"
"Poor man's plays are not for you, sir," said the admiral. Lunas huffed.
"How am I supposed to rule this kingdom if I can't even learn about how my subjects spend their time? No one will recognize me!" He struggled out of the man's grip and got a stern look. Lunas felt bad, but he wanted to get to Nerween and Jeanne! "Please let me go, just this once! I'll be back before sun up and you can escort me all the way to my room if you want. You can even tell my father I went to the play! Just… don't let me miss it." Lunas watched the old guard for his reaction, not seeing anything in those cold eyes. His father's guards were rather tough now that Lunas thought about it.
"No," the admiral said. "Come along, sir. You need to get- HEY!"
Lunas was gone before the guard could continue. He darted across the bridge and into an alleyway. He could hear the guard coming after him. Lunas was panting. Then his scream was muffled.
He froze when he was pulled into a side alley and someone held him firmly. Lunas was about to panic until he heard a soft 'shh' next to his ear. It was Jeanne. The guard ran by, calling for the prince. Jeanne backed Lunas up further into the dark and into one of the abandoned buildings, out of the rain. She smiled at him once she closed the door. Her cloak was wet, but her hair was carefully brushed up. She looked nice for the play tonight.
"You look like a drowned rat," she chuckled. Lunas gave a timid laugh himself and looked around. Where was Nerween? "Oh, he said he would meet us at the play," Jeanne said, probably noticing his lost expression. Lunas nodded and fixed his hood and his cloak before following her out again. Lunas knew the admiral wouldn't wander too far from the castle. He would probably be waiting to chew Lunas out later on. Either way, Lunas would deal with it. Nothing was going to stop him from going to that play. He was too excited, and his excitement grew when they got closer to the covered stage. They got inside and Jeanne got them two hot apple spice drinks, handing one to him. Together, they moved to the front row and sat down on the hard wooden benches. Lunas looked around then looked to Jeanne. She smiled.
"He'll be here. I promise." She sipped her drink and Lunas nodded. Alright… yeah that was fine. He would be here. Jeanne would never lie to him. And neither would Nerween. The prince kept his eye on people coming into the area as time slowly ticked away. Before he knew it, it was time for the play to start. Still no Nerween. Maybe he got caught up trying to rob another grave? Or maybe he was caught in some sort of traffic in the street? Horse-drawn carriages could be strange when an accident occurred. Mostly due to the horses fighting. He felt Jeanne nudge him in the side and Lunas paid attention to the stage. The actors began, speaking loudly so their voices carried through the whole area. Everyone laughed at the comedic parts, cried at the sad parts, then it was time for the climax. Lunas's eyes widened when he saw Nerween enter the stage in a costume.
"Behold!" Nerween shouted. "It is I! The necromancer from the east!" One of the actresses gasped and pretended to faint, the noble knight catching her. "I have stolen the princess's soul!" Nerween declared, the crowd booing. "Now you shall never be married Sir Carrot!" The crowd chuckled at the knight's name. Lunas smiled and chuckled himself, but not at the joke. Nerween smiled brightly at him before going back to doing his part. The knight charged and he and Nerween struggled, before Nerween fled the stage using a smoke bomb. The princess was gone as well, leaving the knight to do a speech about how sad he was that he couldn't save her. Lunas relaxed a little and smiled at Jeanne. She winked at him. Oh, she knew all right. Lunas always knew she knew about his feelings for Nerween. The play shifted to a new scene and Nerween was back on stage, fighting the knight once more. At the end, he was stabbed by the fake sword and fell to the ground with a scream. The crowd cheered. The play ended with a round of applause and Jeanne took Lunas's hand, leading back stage. Nerween met them and hugged his sister tightly before clapping Lunas on the shoulder.
"What did you think?" he asked. "Good right?"
"It was alright," Lunas said jokingly. "How did you get the part?"
"They said they wanted a real necromancer to play the necromancer. Everything you saw in there was accurate."
"So you can steal hearts?" Lunas asked. Because you stole mine, he thought to himself. Nerween chuckled.
"I mean, yeah but… know what? Never mind," he said as he rubbed his face free of the stage make-up with a towel. Nerween then shook his golden hair free and smiled at Lunas again. "I'm really happy you could make it. Jeanne here told me if you didn't show up she was going to go get you out of the palace herself. Jeanne nodded.
"Speaking of which, say good-bye, boys. Lunas has to get back before that guard kills him. It's been two hours," Jeanne said. Lunas nodded and gave one more smile to Nerween before following her out. The rain had even lightened up. "So…" she began, "like the show?" Lunas nodded.
"I loved it."
by Dew
He took one step forward and froze.
"Going somewhere, sir?" a guard asked. Crap. Lunas sighed and turned to look at the guard. It was one of the ones Lunas had known since he was a young boy. "You'll catch a cold out here."
"So will you…" Lunas said quietly. The guard gave him a stern look and took him by the shoulder, taking him around to the main entrance. Probably a reminder to the other guards that they have to be ready to catch Lunas at any time. He was notorious for escaping. Especially after these past few weeks. "Please, Admiral, can you let me go this once? There's a play I want to see tonight!"
"Poor man's plays are not for you, sir," said the admiral. Lunas huffed.
"How am I supposed to rule this kingdom if I can't even learn about how my subjects spend their time? No one will recognize me!" He struggled out of the man's grip and got a stern look. Lunas felt bad, but he wanted to get to Nerween and Jeanne! "Please let me go, just this once! I'll be back before sun up and you can escort me all the way to my room if you want. You can even tell my father I went to the play! Just… don't let me miss it." Lunas watched the old guard for his reaction, not seeing anything in those cold eyes. His father's guards were rather tough now that Lunas thought about it.
"No," the admiral said. "Come along, sir. You need to get- HEY!"
Lunas was gone before the guard could continue. He darted across the bridge and into an alleyway. He could hear the guard coming after him. Lunas was panting. Then his scream was muffled.
He froze when he was pulled into a side alley and someone held him firmly. Lunas was about to panic until he heard a soft 'shh' next to his ear. It was Jeanne. The guard ran by, calling for the prince. Jeanne backed Lunas up further into the dark and into one of the abandoned buildings, out of the rain. She smiled at him once she closed the door. Her cloak was wet, but her hair was carefully brushed up. She looked nice for the play tonight.
"You look like a drowned rat," she chuckled. Lunas gave a timid laugh himself and looked around. Where was Nerween? "Oh, he said he would meet us at the play," Jeanne said, probably noticing his lost expression. Lunas nodded and fixed his hood and his cloak before following her out again. Lunas knew the admiral wouldn't wander too far from the castle. He would probably be waiting to chew Lunas out later on. Either way, Lunas would deal with it. Nothing was going to stop him from going to that play. He was too excited, and his excitement grew when they got closer to the covered stage. They got inside and Jeanne got them two hot apple spice drinks, handing one to him. Together, they moved to the front row and sat down on the hard wooden benches. Lunas looked around then looked to Jeanne. She smiled.
"He'll be here. I promise." She sipped her drink and Lunas nodded. Alright… yeah that was fine. He would be here. Jeanne would never lie to him. And neither would Nerween. The prince kept his eye on people coming into the area as time slowly ticked away. Before he knew it, it was time for the play to start. Still no Nerween. Maybe he got caught up trying to rob another grave? Or maybe he was caught in some sort of traffic in the street? Horse-drawn carriages could be strange when an accident occurred. Mostly due to the horses fighting. He felt Jeanne nudge him in the side and Lunas paid attention to the stage. The actors began, speaking loudly so their voices carried through the whole area. Everyone laughed at the comedic parts, cried at the sad parts, then it was time for the climax. Lunas's eyes widened when he saw Nerween enter the stage in a costume.
"Behold!" Nerween shouted. "It is I! The necromancer from the east!" One of the actresses gasped and pretended to faint, the noble knight catching her. "I have stolen the princess's soul!" Nerween declared, the crowd booing. "Now you shall never be married Sir Carrot!" The crowd chuckled at the knight's name. Lunas smiled and chuckled himself, but not at the joke. Nerween smiled brightly at him before going back to doing his part. The knight charged and he and Nerween struggled, before Nerween fled the stage using a smoke bomb. The princess was gone as well, leaving the knight to do a speech about how sad he was that he couldn't save her. Lunas relaxed a little and smiled at Jeanne. She winked at him. Oh, she knew all right. Lunas always knew she knew about his feelings for Nerween. The play shifted to a new scene and Nerween was back on stage, fighting the knight once more. At the end, he was stabbed by the fake sword and fell to the ground with a scream. The crowd cheered. The play ended with a round of applause and Jeanne took Lunas's hand, leading back stage. Nerween met them and hugged his sister tightly before clapping Lunas on the shoulder.
"What did you think?" he asked. "Good right?"
"It was alright," Lunas said jokingly. "How did you get the part?"
"They said they wanted a real necromancer to play the necromancer. Everything you saw in there was accurate."
"So you can steal hearts?" Lunas asked. Because you stole mine, he thought to himself. Nerween chuckled.
"I mean, yeah but… know what? Never mind," he said as he rubbed his face free of the stage make-up with a towel. Nerween then shook his golden hair free and smiled at Lunas again. "I'm really happy you could make it. Jeanne here told me if you didn't show up she was going to go get you out of the palace herself. Jeanne nodded.
"Speaking of which, say good-bye, boys. Lunas has to get back before that guard kills him. It's been two hours," Jeanne said. Lunas nodded and gave one more smile to Nerween before following her out. The rain had even lightened up. "So…" she began, "like the show?" Lunas nodded.
"I loved it."
by Dew
3.
It was... unreal, right? It couldn't be happening. He should be happy, that's what best friends did. They were happy for each other. Yet Nerween didn't feel happy getting a hefty reward from the king for protecting his son while the prince wandered. Lunas explained that he wanted to clear his mind, which was why he contracted a necromancer to help protect him, to show him thins unheard of. Nerween did just that, and his sister, Jeanne did it too. Lunas was their friend, and here he was, returning home. Leaving. Not forever, as the king gave Nerween and Jeanne permission to always stop by and see Lunas and his soon-to-be wife. Yet it hurt, to see Lunas dressed back in those fancy garments he had worn the day they met. To see him smiling at everyone in the kingdom as their beloved prince had returned. The smile couldn't have been more false. Lunas's eyes didn't sparkle like they did, his lips didn't even rise far enough to show his teeth, and his jaw didn't move, usually opening just a bit to let out a soft chuckle. His real smile died. It hurt to see it. Nerween had to look away.
The king was kind enough to give Nerween and his sister a large room at a local inn, the fancy feel of the place being too much. Why was the closet so big? Why was it so formal? Nerween felt out of place in his usual clothes, and he took his anger out on the pillow of his bed, his sister watching him from the window seat, having taken her attention off of her book.
“Nerween?” she asked, getting a low growl in return as Nerween's face planted into the pillow, his hands lying limp at his side. He had already punched lumps into the pillow, probably ruining it for life. “Hey, cheer up!”
Nerween moved his head so he could look at her. He couldn't cheer up, not while he felt like this. But why? He was so confused about why he was so upset. Shouldn't he be happy that Lunas was going to marry a beautiful young woman? He was going to rule a kingdom! So why was Nerween so upset? He knew that Jeanne felt it too, his confusion and worry. Maybe she had an answer. He sat up slowly and hugged his knees, staring at her.
“Cheer up?” he asked.
“Yeah, cheer up. After all, you have until the wedding tomorrow to tell Lunas how you feel about him.”
There she goes again. Nerween flopped down and took to staring at the ceiling. “I don't feel anything for him.”
“Uh-huh. Sure. Keep telling yourself that,” she said, looking back down at her book. “The dinner is tonight. You can tell him then. Call off this whole thing.”
“Like I can.”
“You can tell Lunas how you feel and he might call it off.”
“I don't feel anything! I'm just worried about him being happy!” Nerween closed his eyes. “He wasn't smiling. Not like he usually does.” They were silent after that, waiting for the evening to start.
The dinner was fancy, filled with many royal guest and the family of the maiden Lunas was to marry. The king and his queen welcomed everyone, including Nerween and Jeanne. The siblings took their seat close to the royal table, Nerween knowing there were gazes on him. He could feel their eyes burning into the back of his head. Only a few more minutes and everyone would be gawking at the soon-to-be couple. Nerween leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, waiting for Lunas to show up, a small part of him hoping the prince would call everyone off and run off with them again.
“Being stressed isn't going to help.” Jeanne looked at him, worry in her eyes. “You should talk to him.”
“How?” Nerween gestured to the guards by the doors. “Just waltz on in?”
“Nerween-” she wasn't able to finish as the doors opened, Lunas leading in his bride. He looked miserable, but he smiled through it, giving that fake, irrational smile he wore earlier. Nerween felt his heart ache and he felt angry at the woman. She probably didn't know anything about Lunas! She was nothing more than a breeder, meant to give the prince healthy offspring.
“I would like to introduce the future rulers of the kingdom!” the king said, Lunas and his fiance taking their seats. Lunas looked at Nerween for a brief moment before he glanced away, avoiding eye contact. That hurt, like a sting in Nerween's heart. Jeanne gripped her brother's hand and offered a smile, the only thing she could have done at that moment. Nerween could feel that she was worried, concerned, for him. It was almost enough to make him feel better but...
Dinner went by slowly, then the after dinner dance began. Lunas danced with his fiance, then with several other woman before the dinner finally ended, and Nerween was intent on finding Lunas. He set out, Jeanne following him as they found the prince, out on the balcony. Nerween tapped his shoulder and opened his mouth to speak, but the finance stepped beside Nerween, giving him a smile.
“Terribly sorry to interrupt,” she said, her voice sickeningly sweet, “but I need to talk to my husband.” Nerween almost glared at her, but he forced a smile and nodded.
“Of course, my bad.”
Lunas looked at Nerween, his eyes filled with sadness, before he lead the woman away to talk. Nerween didn't wait, despite what Jeanne said. He couldn't.
“Nerween!”
He skidded to a stop and looked at his sister, avoiding her gaze once their eyes met.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“You should have waited, it might have helped.”
“It wouldn't have. That harpy is hanging off of him like a leech.”
Jeanne gave a sigh and shook her head, leading her brother back to the inn. Once they got back, she cornered him, making sure he had no way to escape.
“We need to talk,” she demanded, crossing her arms. “Why are you so adamant on denying your feelings for Lunas?”
“Because I don't care for him that way!”
“We feel each others emotions, Nerween!” she said, shaking her head. “I can tell what you feel, like you can tell what I feel, and I know what you feel for him isn't platonic.”
Nerween looked away. Maybe she was right, maybe he did love Lunas. But he didn't feel anything when they were together. When they brushed against each other there was no feeling of electricity running through him, he wasn't hyper sensitive to Lunas's presence. He looked up at his sister.
“If I love him, then why don't I feel like it?”
“Love isn't the same in real life as it is in stories. You aren't going to get heart eyes and grow weak in the knees. Real love is when your calm near someone. Like how Lunas feels about you. Sure, it may start out as being nervous and stuff, but after a while the love will grow into something else. You two are already there, and maybe you've always been there.” She cupped his face in her hands, smiling at him. “You are so happy near Lunas, Nerween. Why would you want to torture yourself? Why won't you tell him how you feel?”
He began to wander about that too. If Jeanne was right, which she usually was, why did Nerween just blurt it out? “What if he doesn't feel the same?”
The room was crowded, Nerween and Jeanne being seated near the front by the royal family, so they could watch the ceremony up close. Nerween wanted to puke. His heart ached while he watched Lunas waiting at the altar, the prince's back to them. Their eyes only met once, but they hadn't looked at each other since. Time drew on and finally, five minutes before the ceremony was to start, Nerween stood up and grabbed Lunas, dragging the prince away from the altar and to the side. The guards didn't dare to intervene, Nerween giving them the deadliest glare he could muster. Once the two were out of earshot of everyone else, Nerween gripped the prince's shoulders.
“Do you want to marry her?” he asked, his voice hushed, but impatient.
“W-what?”
“Yes or no, do you want to marry her?”
“No, I don't. Why do you care anyway?” Lunas licked his lips and shook his head. “I mean, why the sudden concern?”
“She knows nothing about you.”
“Royal marriages aren't about love. It is about finding someone to help you run the kingdom and produce heirs. That's it.” Lunas looked away. “Speaking of which, I really have to get back to the altar.”
Nerween felt worse when Lunas took his hands and lifted them off of his shoulders, but Nerween grabbed the hands instead, his heart beating faster. Was he nervous? Was this what it felt like?
“I love you!”
Silence stretched across the whole room. Oops, Nerween must have yelled it, as the queen had fainted and the priest looked confused. Lunas's face was bright red, putting a tomato to shame. Jeanne's joy was over-flooding Nerween, but his own worry was taking over. What did he just do? Why was Lunas staring at him? This was a dream, right? It had to be a dream. Lunas suddenly lunged and hugged Nerween tightly, burying his face in the crook of the necromancer's neck, Nerween feeling hot tears wet his skin.
“Now hold on!” the king roared, but Jeanne was up before him and stood in his way. The king took a step back at the blatant disrespect, and Nerween was shocked to hear what his sister had to say.
“Listen up you cake eating jerk,” she yelled, pointing a finger at him, “if you want your son to be happy then you would back off and let him love who he wants to love! He can still rule a kingdom! Bet you haven't even thought of adoption have you? You put a shame to that crown on your head!” She kept going on and on, until Nerween finally discovered what she was doing. Buying time. He grabbed Lunas's hands and pulled him out of the room, and down the hall, outside... hey, they would have to be on the run, right? Might as well get a head start. Jeanne would be fine.
~by Dew
by ceirios
by Princexkiel
by Princoxx
by morphogenetic
by Patako
by Patako
by Patako
by Hikumi
by shamen01
The king was kind enough to give Nerween and his sister a large room at a local inn, the fancy feel of the place being too much. Why was the closet so big? Why was it so formal? Nerween felt out of place in his usual clothes, and he took his anger out on the pillow of his bed, his sister watching him from the window seat, having taken her attention off of her book.
“Nerween?” she asked, getting a low growl in return as Nerween's face planted into the pillow, his hands lying limp at his side. He had already punched lumps into the pillow, probably ruining it for life. “Hey, cheer up!”
Nerween moved his head so he could look at her. He couldn't cheer up, not while he felt like this. But why? He was so confused about why he was so upset. Shouldn't he be happy that Lunas was going to marry a beautiful young woman? He was going to rule a kingdom! So why was Nerween so upset? He knew that Jeanne felt it too, his confusion and worry. Maybe she had an answer. He sat up slowly and hugged his knees, staring at her.
“Cheer up?” he asked.
“Yeah, cheer up. After all, you have until the wedding tomorrow to tell Lunas how you feel about him.”
There she goes again. Nerween flopped down and took to staring at the ceiling. “I don't feel anything for him.”
“Uh-huh. Sure. Keep telling yourself that,” she said, looking back down at her book. “The dinner is tonight. You can tell him then. Call off this whole thing.”
“Like I can.”
“You can tell Lunas how you feel and he might call it off.”
“I don't feel anything! I'm just worried about him being happy!” Nerween closed his eyes. “He wasn't smiling. Not like he usually does.” They were silent after that, waiting for the evening to start.
The dinner was fancy, filled with many royal guest and the family of the maiden Lunas was to marry. The king and his queen welcomed everyone, including Nerween and Jeanne. The siblings took their seat close to the royal table, Nerween knowing there were gazes on him. He could feel their eyes burning into the back of his head. Only a few more minutes and everyone would be gawking at the soon-to-be couple. Nerween leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, waiting for Lunas to show up, a small part of him hoping the prince would call everyone off and run off with them again.
“Being stressed isn't going to help.” Jeanne looked at him, worry in her eyes. “You should talk to him.”
“How?” Nerween gestured to the guards by the doors. “Just waltz on in?”
“Nerween-” she wasn't able to finish as the doors opened, Lunas leading in his bride. He looked miserable, but he smiled through it, giving that fake, irrational smile he wore earlier. Nerween felt his heart ache and he felt angry at the woman. She probably didn't know anything about Lunas! She was nothing more than a breeder, meant to give the prince healthy offspring.
“I would like to introduce the future rulers of the kingdom!” the king said, Lunas and his fiance taking their seats. Lunas looked at Nerween for a brief moment before he glanced away, avoiding eye contact. That hurt, like a sting in Nerween's heart. Jeanne gripped her brother's hand and offered a smile, the only thing she could have done at that moment. Nerween could feel that she was worried, concerned, for him. It was almost enough to make him feel better but...
Dinner went by slowly, then the after dinner dance began. Lunas danced with his fiance, then with several other woman before the dinner finally ended, and Nerween was intent on finding Lunas. He set out, Jeanne following him as they found the prince, out on the balcony. Nerween tapped his shoulder and opened his mouth to speak, but the finance stepped beside Nerween, giving him a smile.
“Terribly sorry to interrupt,” she said, her voice sickeningly sweet, “but I need to talk to my husband.” Nerween almost glared at her, but he forced a smile and nodded.
“Of course, my bad.”
Lunas looked at Nerween, his eyes filled with sadness, before he lead the woman away to talk. Nerween didn't wait, despite what Jeanne said. He couldn't.
“Nerween!”
He skidded to a stop and looked at his sister, avoiding her gaze once their eyes met.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“You should have waited, it might have helped.”
“It wouldn't have. That harpy is hanging off of him like a leech.”
Jeanne gave a sigh and shook her head, leading her brother back to the inn. Once they got back, she cornered him, making sure he had no way to escape.
“We need to talk,” she demanded, crossing her arms. “Why are you so adamant on denying your feelings for Lunas?”
“Because I don't care for him that way!”
“We feel each others emotions, Nerween!” she said, shaking her head. “I can tell what you feel, like you can tell what I feel, and I know what you feel for him isn't platonic.”
Nerween looked away. Maybe she was right, maybe he did love Lunas. But he didn't feel anything when they were together. When they brushed against each other there was no feeling of electricity running through him, he wasn't hyper sensitive to Lunas's presence. He looked up at his sister.
“If I love him, then why don't I feel like it?”
“Love isn't the same in real life as it is in stories. You aren't going to get heart eyes and grow weak in the knees. Real love is when your calm near someone. Like how Lunas feels about you. Sure, it may start out as being nervous and stuff, but after a while the love will grow into something else. You two are already there, and maybe you've always been there.” She cupped his face in her hands, smiling at him. “You are so happy near Lunas, Nerween. Why would you want to torture yourself? Why won't you tell him how you feel?”
He began to wander about that too. If Jeanne was right, which she usually was, why did Nerween just blurt it out? “What if he doesn't feel the same?”
The room was crowded, Nerween and Jeanne being seated near the front by the royal family, so they could watch the ceremony up close. Nerween wanted to puke. His heart ached while he watched Lunas waiting at the altar, the prince's back to them. Their eyes only met once, but they hadn't looked at each other since. Time drew on and finally, five minutes before the ceremony was to start, Nerween stood up and grabbed Lunas, dragging the prince away from the altar and to the side. The guards didn't dare to intervene, Nerween giving them the deadliest glare he could muster. Once the two were out of earshot of everyone else, Nerween gripped the prince's shoulders.
“Do you want to marry her?” he asked, his voice hushed, but impatient.
“W-what?”
“Yes or no, do you want to marry her?”
“No, I don't. Why do you care anyway?” Lunas licked his lips and shook his head. “I mean, why the sudden concern?”
“She knows nothing about you.”
“Royal marriages aren't about love. It is about finding someone to help you run the kingdom and produce heirs. That's it.” Lunas looked away. “Speaking of which, I really have to get back to the altar.”
Nerween felt worse when Lunas took his hands and lifted them off of his shoulders, but Nerween grabbed the hands instead, his heart beating faster. Was he nervous? Was this what it felt like?
“I love you!”
Silence stretched across the whole room. Oops, Nerween must have yelled it, as the queen had fainted and the priest looked confused. Lunas's face was bright red, putting a tomato to shame. Jeanne's joy was over-flooding Nerween, but his own worry was taking over. What did he just do? Why was Lunas staring at him? This was a dream, right? It had to be a dream. Lunas suddenly lunged and hugged Nerween tightly, burying his face in the crook of the necromancer's neck, Nerween feeling hot tears wet his skin.
“Now hold on!” the king roared, but Jeanne was up before him and stood in his way. The king took a step back at the blatant disrespect, and Nerween was shocked to hear what his sister had to say.
“Listen up you cake eating jerk,” she yelled, pointing a finger at him, “if you want your son to be happy then you would back off and let him love who he wants to love! He can still rule a kingdom! Bet you haven't even thought of adoption have you? You put a shame to that crown on your head!” She kept going on and on, until Nerween finally discovered what she was doing. Buying time. He grabbed Lunas's hands and pulled him out of the room, and down the hall, outside... hey, they would have to be on the run, right? Might as well get a head start. Jeanne would be fine.
~by Dew
4.
The whole tree was limp. The top of it was hanging down like a dead flower. Pine needles covered the floor around it. Any small movement was enough to cause even more to fall. After decorating it, the whole tree looked bare except for a few limbs that had hung onto their needles. The few ornaments bent the branches down dangerously low. Lunas was surprised they didn't just fall off and shatter onto the floor. Then again, with the amount of needles on the ground, the ornaments would have a cushioned fall.
"It's dead," he said mournfully. Lunas pursed his lips together and crossed his arms. "Where did you even find it? On the street somewhere?"
"It's not dead yet," said Nerween. He hooked another ornament onto another branch. It slipped off and landed on the bed of needles. "And maybe."
He scooped up the ornament and put it on another branch. This time it stayed. The tree looked pitiful. It didn't even smell right. The scent of pine was so faint that Lunas wasn't quite sure this was even a pine tree. It looked like a pine tree, but something about it just seemed a bit off.
"I would have chopped one down," Nerween explained as he swept the needles into the fire place, "but its freezing outside. That and I thought this one had more character."
Lunas continued to stare at the dying tree, wondering how long it was going to be able to stand. He gave it a day. Two tops. At least getting it outside would be easy. So many branches had snapped off that grabbing the trunk would be simple. Plus, with most of the moisture out of it, the tree was probably lighter than a healthier one. Nerween shoved some crudely wrapped presents under the tree. One of them was wrapped in an old meat wrapper. It still had blood stains. Only two presents had actual wrapping paper and even then the edges had been badly torn and shredded away. There wasn't even any tape. Just string and yarn that held everything together in makeshift bows. The six presents gave some cheer to the dying tree, a solemn remainder about the time of year. How cold and dismal it was outside. The holiday really only existed to give people some hope that this horrible time of year would pass. Gifts and trees and other odd traditions were meant to bring a smile to everyone's faces. An attempt to fight against seasonal depression and the longer nights. Tonight would be the longest night the entire year. Then the days would slowly return along with everyone's joy.
Lunas remembered the holidays back at the castle with his parents. A giant pine tree that almost brushed the very ceiling was decorated with glass ornaments and gold and silver tinsel. The very top held the family crest on a hand-made ornament with ribbons coming out of it, cascading down the entire tree until they brushed the floor. A mountain of presents surrounded the base of the tree that had been trimmed back just far enough for all of them to fit. Each present was organized according to size. The largest against the truck with the smallest sitting on the outside. Every present was wrapped to perfection by the servants with red and gold and silver bows acting as the final piece. Bright lights and candles were lit in the ballroom around the tree and the whole area was prepared for the dance and dinner that night on the eve. Lunas would have to wear traditional festive clothing that was more uncomfortable than his usual clothes. Red and silver trimming on a suit that felt like cardboard. Polished black shoes that made him look and walk like a nutcracker. And that stupid fuzzy hat that was so ridiculously hot in the ballroom where a fire was lit in every fireplace. After the dance and dinner, Lunas was allowed to prance around in his pajamas for the rest of the holiday. Then, as soon as the sun rose the next day, his parents watched from their chairs with bright smiles as he ripped open every single present. He knew which ones came from his parents because they always used the same wrapping paper for him. He would always open those last, starting with gifts from the villagers and the nobles.
"Lunas?" Nerween sat there in stunned silence. The door closed behind Lunas, leaving nothing but a chilled air behind him.
The snow outside had blanketed across the small meadow. Golden lights shined from the kingdom that was a few miles away. The shack was dank and dark compared to the bright city, almost falling apart. It was safe from the guards, though. No one came out this far due to rumors of an evil witch. Lunas had Jeanne to thank for that little lie, but it worked to keep everyone away. Even from the main road the shack wasn't visible. It was uphill, but high trees usually blocked the view from anyone down the hill. Yet here Lunas was, with a perfect view past the treetops. He could almost imagine the music being played at the ball right now. The thought of his parents forcing their smiles because he wasn't there. He was happy to get away from his former life but he still missed some things about it. His warm room was a good start. The shack was still cold even with the fire burning but it did what it needed to do to keep them somewhat comfortable. Hot food would be displayed on the tables and he was always allowed to pick at it during the holidays. Here there was barely anything. Just enough to fight the hunger pains.
"Homesick?" Nerween asked, closing the door behind him. He draped a blanket over Lunas' shoulders and looked out at the golden city.
"Yeah." Lunas continued to stare. He clutched the blanket around his shoulder. "They would usually have stuffed goose."
"What was it stuffed with?"
"A chicken usually. Or a turkey. Depends on how big the goose is." Lunas smiled. "Warm holiday themed cookies, hot chocolate, cider, and don't get me started on the sweets. Even your teeth would start aching if you could see the candy table."
Nerween chuckled. "I doubt it."
Lunas' smiled faded before it ever really began. He looked past the main kingdom towards the small villages spotted around it. Even there the lights were brightly lit.
"Do you ever regret it?" Nerween asked. "Leaving? I can take you back if you really want to-"
"No." Lunas shook his head and looked at him. "I don't regret leaving. After all, if I go back I'll be forced to marry that woman. I like to think my parents would be happy to see me around this time of year but I practically insulted them. Well, Jeanne insulted him. The cake eating jerk would probably choke on his own spit trying to yell at me."
Nerween almost spit out his lollipop. "You remember all that?"
"Hard to forget how my mother fainted and my father's face was redder than blood." Lunas smiled. "I'd just like to think that they still love me. Somehow, in some way."
"Of course they do, they just don't know it yet. Bet you anything we'll get a message sooner or later with them begging you to come back to rule." Nerween thought about it. "Unless they have another kid."
"That won't happen," Lunas said. "Mom can't have any more kids." He shook his head. "I'm cold."
They went inside. Lunas sat down on the moth-eaten couch and watched Nerween continue to arrange the presents in whatever fashion he wanted. The fire crackled and burned, flaring up whenever Nerween threw in more needles.
"Jeanne should be back soon," said Nerween.
Lunas nodded, already drifting off. The sudden change from cold to warm was enough to put him close to sleep. Before long, he was out like a light.
It felt like the dead of night when he woke up. The fire was still burning and the ornaments had stayed on the tree. The presents had been rearranged again. No Nerween in sight. Lunas sat up, now aware that more blankets had been stacked on him and there was an old pillow that had been shoved under his head. The crackling fire was the only noise. Everything else was silent. Not eerily silent, just silent. A peaceful silence that was rare to experience. Lunas felt safe, comfortable, and wanted to go back to sleep. His eyes had crusted during his sleep and the warm blankets were too inviting. Before he could lay down, the door opened and a brisk wind entered the small cabin. Nerween struggled in with a large sack hung over his shoulder. Lunas wanted to laugh but he bit his lip.
"What's that?" he asked, throwing the blankets off and planting his feet on the cold wood floor. Nerween jumped slightly, finally looking up from the ground. He was silent for a few moments before a large grin came across his face and he dropped the sack down onto the old, rickety table.
"Dinner. Jeanne will be here soon with her portion."
"Should I bother asking where you got the food?"
"Unless you want to lose some of your faith in me, no." Nerween opened the sack and began to place the wrapped up food on the table. There was a huge item, wrapped up in a lot of meat paper and plastic. Lunas tore part of the wrapping. He gave a stunned grunt when his finger was burned. Nerween chuckled and pressed Lunas' burned fingertip to his lips and looked back at the large package with a sly smirk. Lunas stared at him, taking his hand back and sticking it into his mouth to ease the burning.
"Oh," he said. "You didn't."
"They won't miss this one I don't think," he said. "Your family has a ton of food, did you know that?"
"Nerween."
"Don't worry, I took this one out of the kitchen. One of Jeanne's friends gave it to me. They made an extra just for us." He carefully unwrapped it, exposing the giant goose lathered in a special sauce. Some of the sauce stuck to the wrappings but it still looked and smelled delicious. "I think she said this one has chicken in it, with a small duck inside that one. How do you fit a bird inside a bird and then another bird inside that one anyway?"
"Very carefully," Lunas asked, looking into the sack. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before letting it out as a sigh. "Really?"
Nerween smiled and reached into the bag, taking out one of the individually wrapped candies. He popped it into his mouth and winked. "I may have visited the ballroom, too. Your mistake was mentioning a candy table."
The door opened again. Jeanne dropped her own sack much more carefully onto the table. She smiled at Lunas and Nerween, taking out a small container that held half a pie. The rest of her sack was usual dinner items. Mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, green beans, yeast rolls, and what looked like a quickly made salad.
"A few of my friends in some of the villages had some leftovers," she explained, organizing the table. She put out two plates and two sets of silverware. Lunas looked up at her. "I can't stay, promised someone I would help them out this year."
She smiled and tapped Lunas' nose. Jeanne hugged Nerween and wished them happy holidays before she left. Lunas stared after her before looking at Nerween. He didn't want to eat anything without Jeanne, not after she spent such a long time getting them dinner. Nerween smiled at him and pulled him close for a hug.
"Her busy life never ends, you know this." He pulled out Lunas' seat and gave a gentleman's smile. Lunas sat down and looked over the table, feeling a warm feeling pool in his stomach, followed by homesickness.
"Why?" Lunas asked. He motioned to the food. "Why all this?"
Nerween was silent. He cut into the goose with an old hunting knife and placed a large potion on Lunas' plate. Eventually, he shrugged. "I told Jeanne what you told me when you were asleep. She agreed to help me make this a special holiday season. This is your first time away from your family during this time of year, right?"
A smile overcame Lunas' features and he felt the homesickness be replaced by nothing but joy. He bit into the food, grateful that Jeanne's friends were spread even into his family's servants. The food was delicious. Everything was still hot and fresh. The meat so tender that it melted on the tongue and fell off the bones. Everything was gone in roughly an hour. Lunas hadn't had so much to eat in several months. He had gotten so used to eating scraps or whatever Nerween could swipe off of someone in town. The odd diet didn't mean much to Lunas. He preferred the simple meals without having to worry about manners or which fork to use with which dish. The simpler food actually tasted better. It wasn't shoved with too many flavors or over decorated. The food that was made on the streets never caused Lunas' stomach to hurt as much as the over sweetened food he was used to eating. Sure some of the street stuff was questionable in ingredients and every now and then resulted in an illness, but never once did Lunas had a "too much food" pain. He was forced to eat more than he wanted to by his parents. Something about being healthy, yet now he could eat what he felt like he needed. And if he wanted more food he wasn't yelled at for being greedy. Instead, he forked over some more coins and got more. That was better than anything else to him. Some people would call him backwards or not appreciative of what he had, but they thought that the dream life he had was easy. It wasn't. Yes, enough food and enough money was fantastic, but not the royal life. The meetings, the stress, having to look over your shoulder for assassins, being forced to do what you hated every day by your parents under the threat of being disowned, and being forced to believe for years that you were better than everyone else? Forced to marry someone you didn't love? That wasn't Lunas' idea of a good life. He would gladly throw all of the wealth he had into the streets for the people if that's what they wanted. He would exchange his old life with anyone. Thankfully, Nerween saved him from that life.
"Suffering from food coma?" Nerween asked after clearing the table. Lunas hadn't moved for a while, and he honestly didn't want to.
"No, just thinking."
"About what?"
Lunas smiled and stood up. "How happy I am to be here." He tossed some more wood into the fireplace and gave it a vicious poking. The fire flared to life again. He sat on the couch and closed his eyes.
"Here." Nerween handed Lunas a hot mug. It was filled with hot chocolate, marshmallows almost falling out of the cup. Nerween sat down beside him with his own mug and stared at the fire. "Are you happy? I mean, you aren't just saying that, right?"
Lunas chuckled. "Why would I just say it? I love you and I love being around you. And you are here with me, so yes, I'm happy." He sipped his hot chocolate and let out a pleasurable sigh. "Are you happy?"
Nerween was once again silent. He munched on his candy before smiling. "Duh. I wouldn't have confessed in front of a hundred nobles, plus a king and queen, and a harpy, if I wasn't happy with you." He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Lunas' cheek. "I'm always happy when I'm with you."
They fell quiet and Lunas was sure Nerween wanted to focus on his own hot chocolate before eating more candy. Yet, as unpredictable as always, Nerween shoved his hot chocolate into Lunas' hands and launched towards the tree.
"Alright, its midnight! That means present time!"
"I thought it was earlier than that," Lunas mumbled.
"Longest night of the year, babe. You slept from five to ten. We finished eating at around eleven thirty and then we sat here."
"Time flies when you're with someone you love," Lunas chuckled. Something his old nanny used to tell him. Nerween gave him a look, a smile playing on his lips. Right, too cheesy. He picked up a small present and sat back down by Lunas. He put the present between them and then took both mugs away and looked down at it. Lunas scooped it up and undid the terrible, bloody wrapping. A small box was under it. He fished a nail under one edge of the box and lifted it up, tearing away the glue carefully. Inside, there was a small bracelet. Lunas smiled and slipped it on.
"I'll bite," he said laughing, "where did you steal it?"
"Not steal. Bought." Nerween gave a large grin. "Yup, I love you that much. Now go open that big one!"
Lunas raised an eyebrow. "Wait, shouldn't we do this back and forth, I mean I got you something and-"
"Open it!" The excitement seemed to be ready to burst on Nerween's face. Lunas couldn't bear to not obey. He didn't want to see that joy fade away. He slipped off the couch and pulled the largest box over towards him. Several needles slipped off the tree. He took off the wrapping and opened the next box, finding more wrapping inside.
"Was this necessary?" he asked. Nerween smiled. The wrapping paper was quickly town away and Lunas couldn't help but smile brightly. He reached into the box and pulled out the blanket. It looked awful. Patched awkwardly with torn edges and some of the patches were stained. But it was stuff with something soft and heavy.
"Jeanne helped me make it. Said it’s a present from both of us." He handed Lunas his hot chocolate back. Lunas took a sip and smiled, folding the blanket over his lap. "We'll be moving in a few days, so I wanted you to have something to keep you warm."
"Where are we going?"
"A new place Jeanne found."
"One of her friends?"
"No. Someone that owes both of us a favor." Nerween put his mug on the floor and went towards the tree. He picked up one of the nicer packages that had been wrapped with more care. "May I?"
Lunas laughed, feeling a stab of nervousness in his heart. Nerween undid the wrapping and opened the box.
A pile of bones with wire included.
Nerween almost squealed. "Fox bones!"
"You can put them together," Lunas said. "That wire is pretty strong. I figured it'd be fun for you. At least, when you're bored."
"Love it!" Nerween cheered. He carefully put the bones to the side and took out the skull. He smiled at it and put the lower jaw against the top one. He turned it towards Lunas and snapped the jaws together. Lunas chuckled, almost spitting up his hot chocolate.
Nerween dragged his last present towards him and opened it quickly. He froze halfway and looked up at Lunas. It was a knife. A carefully crafted handle with black feathers tied to the handle with black string. The blade was a dark grey, glinting in the fire light.
"I figured you needed a new hunting knife," Lunas explained. "I found that one and thought you would like it. It's very well made."
"How did you afford this?" Nerween asked. There was no anger in his voice, only breathless shock.
"Remember when we ran away and I was wearing a lot of my traditional clothing? I sold some of the gems and jewels off that." He smiled wearily. "Like it?"
"Like it? Love it!" Nerween hugged Lunas tightly and smiled at him. "I'm going to make you such a good dinner with that knife! What do you want? Deer? Elk? Fish?"
Lunas laughed and shook his head. "I'm good, I'm good. When is Jeanne going to come back? I want to see her open her presents."
"Probably by day light." Nerween sat beside him again and looked at the last two presents. One from him and one from Lunas. "She won't open them unless we watch."
Lunas smiled and nodded, draining the last bit of his hot chocolate from the cup. Nerween took it and put it on the floor.
"You need to go to bed," Nerween said with a yawn. "And I do, too."
The fire crackled and Lunas stared at it. "Hey, Nerween?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. This is the best holiday I've ever had."
Nerween shrugged. "Only the best for you, my love. Now get some rest."
~by Dew
"It's dead," he said mournfully. Lunas pursed his lips together and crossed his arms. "Where did you even find it? On the street somewhere?"
"It's not dead yet," said Nerween. He hooked another ornament onto another branch. It slipped off and landed on the bed of needles. "And maybe."
He scooped up the ornament and put it on another branch. This time it stayed. The tree looked pitiful. It didn't even smell right. The scent of pine was so faint that Lunas wasn't quite sure this was even a pine tree. It looked like a pine tree, but something about it just seemed a bit off.
"I would have chopped one down," Nerween explained as he swept the needles into the fire place, "but its freezing outside. That and I thought this one had more character."
Lunas continued to stare at the dying tree, wondering how long it was going to be able to stand. He gave it a day. Two tops. At least getting it outside would be easy. So many branches had snapped off that grabbing the trunk would be simple. Plus, with most of the moisture out of it, the tree was probably lighter than a healthier one. Nerween shoved some crudely wrapped presents under the tree. One of them was wrapped in an old meat wrapper. It still had blood stains. Only two presents had actual wrapping paper and even then the edges had been badly torn and shredded away. There wasn't even any tape. Just string and yarn that held everything together in makeshift bows. The six presents gave some cheer to the dying tree, a solemn remainder about the time of year. How cold and dismal it was outside. The holiday really only existed to give people some hope that this horrible time of year would pass. Gifts and trees and other odd traditions were meant to bring a smile to everyone's faces. An attempt to fight against seasonal depression and the longer nights. Tonight would be the longest night the entire year. Then the days would slowly return along with everyone's joy.
Lunas remembered the holidays back at the castle with his parents. A giant pine tree that almost brushed the very ceiling was decorated with glass ornaments and gold and silver tinsel. The very top held the family crest on a hand-made ornament with ribbons coming out of it, cascading down the entire tree until they brushed the floor. A mountain of presents surrounded the base of the tree that had been trimmed back just far enough for all of them to fit. Each present was organized according to size. The largest against the truck with the smallest sitting on the outside. Every present was wrapped to perfection by the servants with red and gold and silver bows acting as the final piece. Bright lights and candles were lit in the ballroom around the tree and the whole area was prepared for the dance and dinner that night on the eve. Lunas would have to wear traditional festive clothing that was more uncomfortable than his usual clothes. Red and silver trimming on a suit that felt like cardboard. Polished black shoes that made him look and walk like a nutcracker. And that stupid fuzzy hat that was so ridiculously hot in the ballroom where a fire was lit in every fireplace. After the dance and dinner, Lunas was allowed to prance around in his pajamas for the rest of the holiday. Then, as soon as the sun rose the next day, his parents watched from their chairs with bright smiles as he ripped open every single present. He knew which ones came from his parents because they always used the same wrapping paper for him. He would always open those last, starting with gifts from the villagers and the nobles.
"Lunas?" Nerween sat there in stunned silence. The door closed behind Lunas, leaving nothing but a chilled air behind him.
The snow outside had blanketed across the small meadow. Golden lights shined from the kingdom that was a few miles away. The shack was dank and dark compared to the bright city, almost falling apart. It was safe from the guards, though. No one came out this far due to rumors of an evil witch. Lunas had Jeanne to thank for that little lie, but it worked to keep everyone away. Even from the main road the shack wasn't visible. It was uphill, but high trees usually blocked the view from anyone down the hill. Yet here Lunas was, with a perfect view past the treetops. He could almost imagine the music being played at the ball right now. The thought of his parents forcing their smiles because he wasn't there. He was happy to get away from his former life but he still missed some things about it. His warm room was a good start. The shack was still cold even with the fire burning but it did what it needed to do to keep them somewhat comfortable. Hot food would be displayed on the tables and he was always allowed to pick at it during the holidays. Here there was barely anything. Just enough to fight the hunger pains.
"Homesick?" Nerween asked, closing the door behind him. He draped a blanket over Lunas' shoulders and looked out at the golden city.
"Yeah." Lunas continued to stare. He clutched the blanket around his shoulder. "They would usually have stuffed goose."
"What was it stuffed with?"
"A chicken usually. Or a turkey. Depends on how big the goose is." Lunas smiled. "Warm holiday themed cookies, hot chocolate, cider, and don't get me started on the sweets. Even your teeth would start aching if you could see the candy table."
Nerween chuckled. "I doubt it."
Lunas' smiled faded before it ever really began. He looked past the main kingdom towards the small villages spotted around it. Even there the lights were brightly lit.
"Do you ever regret it?" Nerween asked. "Leaving? I can take you back if you really want to-"
"No." Lunas shook his head and looked at him. "I don't regret leaving. After all, if I go back I'll be forced to marry that woman. I like to think my parents would be happy to see me around this time of year but I practically insulted them. Well, Jeanne insulted him. The cake eating jerk would probably choke on his own spit trying to yell at me."
Nerween almost spit out his lollipop. "You remember all that?"
"Hard to forget how my mother fainted and my father's face was redder than blood." Lunas smiled. "I'd just like to think that they still love me. Somehow, in some way."
"Of course they do, they just don't know it yet. Bet you anything we'll get a message sooner or later with them begging you to come back to rule." Nerween thought about it. "Unless they have another kid."
"That won't happen," Lunas said. "Mom can't have any more kids." He shook his head. "I'm cold."
They went inside. Lunas sat down on the moth-eaten couch and watched Nerween continue to arrange the presents in whatever fashion he wanted. The fire crackled and burned, flaring up whenever Nerween threw in more needles.
"Jeanne should be back soon," said Nerween.
Lunas nodded, already drifting off. The sudden change from cold to warm was enough to put him close to sleep. Before long, he was out like a light.
It felt like the dead of night when he woke up. The fire was still burning and the ornaments had stayed on the tree. The presents had been rearranged again. No Nerween in sight. Lunas sat up, now aware that more blankets had been stacked on him and there was an old pillow that had been shoved under his head. The crackling fire was the only noise. Everything else was silent. Not eerily silent, just silent. A peaceful silence that was rare to experience. Lunas felt safe, comfortable, and wanted to go back to sleep. His eyes had crusted during his sleep and the warm blankets were too inviting. Before he could lay down, the door opened and a brisk wind entered the small cabin. Nerween struggled in with a large sack hung over his shoulder. Lunas wanted to laugh but he bit his lip.
"What's that?" he asked, throwing the blankets off and planting his feet on the cold wood floor. Nerween jumped slightly, finally looking up from the ground. He was silent for a few moments before a large grin came across his face and he dropped the sack down onto the old, rickety table.
"Dinner. Jeanne will be here soon with her portion."
"Should I bother asking where you got the food?"
"Unless you want to lose some of your faith in me, no." Nerween opened the sack and began to place the wrapped up food on the table. There was a huge item, wrapped up in a lot of meat paper and plastic. Lunas tore part of the wrapping. He gave a stunned grunt when his finger was burned. Nerween chuckled and pressed Lunas' burned fingertip to his lips and looked back at the large package with a sly smirk. Lunas stared at him, taking his hand back and sticking it into his mouth to ease the burning.
"Oh," he said. "You didn't."
"They won't miss this one I don't think," he said. "Your family has a ton of food, did you know that?"
"Nerween."
"Don't worry, I took this one out of the kitchen. One of Jeanne's friends gave it to me. They made an extra just for us." He carefully unwrapped it, exposing the giant goose lathered in a special sauce. Some of the sauce stuck to the wrappings but it still looked and smelled delicious. "I think she said this one has chicken in it, with a small duck inside that one. How do you fit a bird inside a bird and then another bird inside that one anyway?"
"Very carefully," Lunas asked, looking into the sack. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before letting it out as a sigh. "Really?"
Nerween smiled and reached into the bag, taking out one of the individually wrapped candies. He popped it into his mouth and winked. "I may have visited the ballroom, too. Your mistake was mentioning a candy table."
The door opened again. Jeanne dropped her own sack much more carefully onto the table. She smiled at Lunas and Nerween, taking out a small container that held half a pie. The rest of her sack was usual dinner items. Mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, green beans, yeast rolls, and what looked like a quickly made salad.
"A few of my friends in some of the villages had some leftovers," she explained, organizing the table. She put out two plates and two sets of silverware. Lunas looked up at her. "I can't stay, promised someone I would help them out this year."
She smiled and tapped Lunas' nose. Jeanne hugged Nerween and wished them happy holidays before she left. Lunas stared after her before looking at Nerween. He didn't want to eat anything without Jeanne, not after she spent such a long time getting them dinner. Nerween smiled at him and pulled him close for a hug.
"Her busy life never ends, you know this." He pulled out Lunas' seat and gave a gentleman's smile. Lunas sat down and looked over the table, feeling a warm feeling pool in his stomach, followed by homesickness.
"Why?" Lunas asked. He motioned to the food. "Why all this?"
Nerween was silent. He cut into the goose with an old hunting knife and placed a large potion on Lunas' plate. Eventually, he shrugged. "I told Jeanne what you told me when you were asleep. She agreed to help me make this a special holiday season. This is your first time away from your family during this time of year, right?"
A smile overcame Lunas' features and he felt the homesickness be replaced by nothing but joy. He bit into the food, grateful that Jeanne's friends were spread even into his family's servants. The food was delicious. Everything was still hot and fresh. The meat so tender that it melted on the tongue and fell off the bones. Everything was gone in roughly an hour. Lunas hadn't had so much to eat in several months. He had gotten so used to eating scraps or whatever Nerween could swipe off of someone in town. The odd diet didn't mean much to Lunas. He preferred the simple meals without having to worry about manners or which fork to use with which dish. The simpler food actually tasted better. It wasn't shoved with too many flavors or over decorated. The food that was made on the streets never caused Lunas' stomach to hurt as much as the over sweetened food he was used to eating. Sure some of the street stuff was questionable in ingredients and every now and then resulted in an illness, but never once did Lunas had a "too much food" pain. He was forced to eat more than he wanted to by his parents. Something about being healthy, yet now he could eat what he felt like he needed. And if he wanted more food he wasn't yelled at for being greedy. Instead, he forked over some more coins and got more. That was better than anything else to him. Some people would call him backwards or not appreciative of what he had, but they thought that the dream life he had was easy. It wasn't. Yes, enough food and enough money was fantastic, but not the royal life. The meetings, the stress, having to look over your shoulder for assassins, being forced to do what you hated every day by your parents under the threat of being disowned, and being forced to believe for years that you were better than everyone else? Forced to marry someone you didn't love? That wasn't Lunas' idea of a good life. He would gladly throw all of the wealth he had into the streets for the people if that's what they wanted. He would exchange his old life with anyone. Thankfully, Nerween saved him from that life.
"Suffering from food coma?" Nerween asked after clearing the table. Lunas hadn't moved for a while, and he honestly didn't want to.
"No, just thinking."
"About what?"
Lunas smiled and stood up. "How happy I am to be here." He tossed some more wood into the fireplace and gave it a vicious poking. The fire flared to life again. He sat on the couch and closed his eyes.
"Here." Nerween handed Lunas a hot mug. It was filled with hot chocolate, marshmallows almost falling out of the cup. Nerween sat down beside him with his own mug and stared at the fire. "Are you happy? I mean, you aren't just saying that, right?"
Lunas chuckled. "Why would I just say it? I love you and I love being around you. And you are here with me, so yes, I'm happy." He sipped his hot chocolate and let out a pleasurable sigh. "Are you happy?"
Nerween was once again silent. He munched on his candy before smiling. "Duh. I wouldn't have confessed in front of a hundred nobles, plus a king and queen, and a harpy, if I wasn't happy with you." He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Lunas' cheek. "I'm always happy when I'm with you."
They fell quiet and Lunas was sure Nerween wanted to focus on his own hot chocolate before eating more candy. Yet, as unpredictable as always, Nerween shoved his hot chocolate into Lunas' hands and launched towards the tree.
"Alright, its midnight! That means present time!"
"I thought it was earlier than that," Lunas mumbled.
"Longest night of the year, babe. You slept from five to ten. We finished eating at around eleven thirty and then we sat here."
"Time flies when you're with someone you love," Lunas chuckled. Something his old nanny used to tell him. Nerween gave him a look, a smile playing on his lips. Right, too cheesy. He picked up a small present and sat back down by Lunas. He put the present between them and then took both mugs away and looked down at it. Lunas scooped it up and undid the terrible, bloody wrapping. A small box was under it. He fished a nail under one edge of the box and lifted it up, tearing away the glue carefully. Inside, there was a small bracelet. Lunas smiled and slipped it on.
"I'll bite," he said laughing, "where did you steal it?"
"Not steal. Bought." Nerween gave a large grin. "Yup, I love you that much. Now go open that big one!"
Lunas raised an eyebrow. "Wait, shouldn't we do this back and forth, I mean I got you something and-"
"Open it!" The excitement seemed to be ready to burst on Nerween's face. Lunas couldn't bear to not obey. He didn't want to see that joy fade away. He slipped off the couch and pulled the largest box over towards him. Several needles slipped off the tree. He took off the wrapping and opened the next box, finding more wrapping inside.
"Was this necessary?" he asked. Nerween smiled. The wrapping paper was quickly town away and Lunas couldn't help but smile brightly. He reached into the box and pulled out the blanket. It looked awful. Patched awkwardly with torn edges and some of the patches were stained. But it was stuff with something soft and heavy.
"Jeanne helped me make it. Said it’s a present from both of us." He handed Lunas his hot chocolate back. Lunas took a sip and smiled, folding the blanket over his lap. "We'll be moving in a few days, so I wanted you to have something to keep you warm."
"Where are we going?"
"A new place Jeanne found."
"One of her friends?"
"No. Someone that owes both of us a favor." Nerween put his mug on the floor and went towards the tree. He picked up one of the nicer packages that had been wrapped with more care. "May I?"
Lunas laughed, feeling a stab of nervousness in his heart. Nerween undid the wrapping and opened the box.
A pile of bones with wire included.
Nerween almost squealed. "Fox bones!"
"You can put them together," Lunas said. "That wire is pretty strong. I figured it'd be fun for you. At least, when you're bored."
"Love it!" Nerween cheered. He carefully put the bones to the side and took out the skull. He smiled at it and put the lower jaw against the top one. He turned it towards Lunas and snapped the jaws together. Lunas chuckled, almost spitting up his hot chocolate.
Nerween dragged his last present towards him and opened it quickly. He froze halfway and looked up at Lunas. It was a knife. A carefully crafted handle with black feathers tied to the handle with black string. The blade was a dark grey, glinting in the fire light.
"I figured you needed a new hunting knife," Lunas explained. "I found that one and thought you would like it. It's very well made."
"How did you afford this?" Nerween asked. There was no anger in his voice, only breathless shock.
"Remember when we ran away and I was wearing a lot of my traditional clothing? I sold some of the gems and jewels off that." He smiled wearily. "Like it?"
"Like it? Love it!" Nerween hugged Lunas tightly and smiled at him. "I'm going to make you such a good dinner with that knife! What do you want? Deer? Elk? Fish?"
Lunas laughed and shook his head. "I'm good, I'm good. When is Jeanne going to come back? I want to see her open her presents."
"Probably by day light." Nerween sat beside him again and looked at the last two presents. One from him and one from Lunas. "She won't open them unless we watch."
Lunas smiled and nodded, draining the last bit of his hot chocolate from the cup. Nerween took it and put it on the floor.
"You need to go to bed," Nerween said with a yawn. "And I do, too."
The fire crackled and Lunas stared at it. "Hey, Nerween?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. This is the best holiday I've ever had."
Nerween shrugged. "Only the best for you, my love. Now get some rest."
~by Dew
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