Ch. 1 - The Beginning Of An End

OMG!!! I FINALLY UPDATED THE GAME AND I GOT HIM!! MALLEUS, WELCOME HOME!! ❤️❤️

I AM DOWN ON MY KNEES FOR THIS CARD. My hands are literally shaking, what the heck--

I got Rosaria on the first 10 rolls, Keqing on my 50/50 on the 50th roll, and Childe on the 30th roll when the pity had reset. :)

Bennett did not come home.

Is it possible to ask for a part 2 of that Riddle Roseheart x reader you made The Queen’s Favourite Rose? It was SO good!

║Riddle Rosehearts║ The Queen’s Favourite Rose 2

Reader: Female (tying to previous request)

Warning(s): None

You do not need to read part 1 to understand. Part 1 here.

This takes place during the Magift tournament. Slight changes to canon.

All rights reserved. Do not steal/copy and paste and upload it anywhere.

—

“Maaan, this sucks..” Deuce grumbles. A small, dark cloud looms over his hunched posture that drags his body to keep walking. The sun was well high above everybody’s head and beaming at them with a bright glow when the Magift tournament had already been half-way through completion.

Right now, there was an intermission so anyone who needed to use the restroom or grab a bite, righrt now is the perfect time to do so. The next part of the games are the semifinals with Diasomnia taking the lead (and most likely the trophy for this season yet again, especially since the only worthy competition- Savanaclaw- is out of the picture).

“I always thought that he was a sore loser,” he says out loud, not caring if there were people eyeing him. “Still not married; they’re just engaged,” Yuu corrects and this makes Ace give a ‘are-you-kidding-me?’ stare with a raised brow. “Geez, what is he doing making her wait that long? If I was him, I'd be already married.”

“Ace, shh..! If Riddle heard you, he’ll off your head,” Yuu said, putting a finger over their mouth, creating the shushing gesture. “What, I only said what is obvious—“

“Ah!” Deuce- who was busy moping around by himself just moments before- suddenly shouts which made Ace also shout. “What the heck? What is it this time?” Deuce remained in an upright, uptight posture now with his back still facing his friends. Ace brows furrows and points at the bluenette. “You can’t just scare the crap outta me and not say anything, you know!”

Then, in a blink of a second, he was right up in the Ace’s face which startled him. “He isn’t married, right?” Deuce puts both hands on the ginger’s shoulders. “Yeeeah..?” He answers awkwardly and looks side to side to avoid direct eye contact.

Deuce’s face lights up and a wide grin appears on his face. “Do you know what that means!?” He shakes his friend roughly, making his head jerk back and forth and making him dizzy. “I still have a chance!”

This made Ace snapped back, eyes wide and looking at his friend as if he was crazy— well, he clearly is at this point. “Woah, woah, that’s where we stop right there! Do you wanna be a homewrecker!?” It was now his turn to put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from shaking him. “What I said was a joke and he’s been betrothed to her for so long! Don’t do this man.”

The words he spew were honest and the cruellest truth that Deuce had ever heard, Deuce goes back to sulking and creating a gloom cloud once more. Ace clicks his tongue at the pitiful sight of someone who he considered a comrade. He was thinking of how much of a loser Deuce was being right now, After a prolonged stare at this sorry state of a man with a face all contorted, he walks up to him and kick him on his behind. “Stop sulking and c’mon— the games are ‘boutta start. I heard it’s Diasomnia and Piofiore going next. Heh, can’t wait to see how strong they are.”

Ace couldn’t deny that Riddle’s fiancée is a beauty but he isn’t going to ruin the happiness and safe haven for Riddle. After all, you were the few people to ever make him be able to relax and even let a laugh or two.

—

“My rose, why don’t you take a rest? You must be tired..” Riddle’s hands were intertwined with yours and watches as you merrily bounced with each step you took beside him. “It’s alright, Riddle, I’m completely fine.

“And if I take a rest, then we’ll waste the day because of me.. I want you to have fun and all that and create memories with me since it’s not often we get to meet up,” was your answer to his proposal. Ever the caring one, that’s one of the many things he loves about you. If he was any younger (even just 2 years younger), he would be adamant to have you sit down while he makes you tea. But, it should have been much earlier than that for him to realize that you are very stubborn. Very. “Mn. If that is your wish, my rose, but please tell me whenever you feel tired.”

A small force tugs at the corner of his lips upwards. “So, what do you wish to do?” He tilts his head to the side all the while looking at your side profile. When you both were younger, he would always avoid looking at you like this, too embarrassed whenever he catches himself staring and then you, who merely smiles at him. He also quite believed that he would be shamed for looking at you the way he did.

However, that is not the case anymore and anyone staring can just be envious of how lucky he is. He will happily tell the world how much he adores you if he could so this public display of affection was nothing worth being embarrassed about. He 100% believes that no love is purer than a man treasuring the love of his life and treating her with so much care; this was love at its prime. He loves you and that’s a fact.

“I do want to try some of the games they’ve put up!” You answer eagerly. You have been eyeing at the stalls while you were heading to the coliseum and you find that each stalls were eye-catching in its own way. The school has really pulled all strings to make this year a good one.

“If that is what you wish for, my rose.” Riddle agrees and walks up to a game stall that he had been eyeing the moment you said that you wanted to try the games.

“Just one round, kind sir,” Riddle tells the man behind the stall and places the right amount of madol on the counter. In front of him was a toy gun that could still shoot, though not actual bullets— just some corks that were shaped to be like one. He turns his body to face you, “Which prize do you want, my love?”

You were carefully eyeing the prizes that were hanging on the wall behind the stall keeper until your eyes landed on a big plush (not overly humongous that would be impossible to carry, just a 20cm plush that’s huggable). It was a pink fox that had a white sakura flower on its forehead, situated perfectly between the eyes. The eyes were shut and looked like it was sleeping.

“Hoho, you want the grand prize, do you?” The stall keep looks from the plush to Riddle. “You can get the grand prize by simply hitting the bullseye 3 times,” he said, giving Riddle the loaded gun of exactly 3 bullets. “Of course, if you lose, you can try again but your progress resets.”

One thing that all these game stalls had in common was that they were all rigged someway or another. Riddle knew this, but he was confident that he would win. This is a game with precision, after all. “The gun is imbued with a spell that will deactivate the holder’s magic,” the man adds.

“Very well then, that is quite alright.” Riddle holds the shotgun-like toy. It had no sight which would prove to be challenging to many.

At first glance, Riddle appears to be a delicate boy who is frail in body and weak in physical strength. For the most part, that is true, but he has his wits to cover where he can not achieve. He puts his theory into practice rather than going into things blindly.

He brought the gun close to his face and closed one eye to better his aim. The world around him suddenly felt still as he drowns out the noise with him standing in the middle on a platform of water. He was the single drop of water that would make the water ripple. He is the first cause.

Inhaling a sharp breath, he pulls the trigger and then again and then one more for the last time. All three made a small ‘pop’ sound as he hit all bullseye of the three targets.

The machine sounded, bringing attention that there is a winner at the stall. The stall keeper was shocked— his mouth hung well close to the ground and his eyes unnervingly large.

You were amazed as well, too speechless to say anything at first. “Oh wow, Riddle! I didn’t know you were so good at guns!” You exclaim with a smile on your face after the period of surprise has passed. Your eyes followed his movements as he accepted the desired plush from the man.

Riddle approaches you with the fox, all red in the face out what you assumed to be out of self awareness. “Ah.. N-no, I’m not.. It’s because of the times I had to cast my unique magic..” He corrects, eyes wandering to something on the ground to the side. He gently pushes the fox forward to you which you happily took and hug.

“Still, you looked very handsome just now!” You giggled, bringing the plush closer to you. He chuckles and a soft pink tints his face when he takes his hand to hold yours.

It was all for you, he wanted to say, but he thought it to be too shallow; he wanted to express his love for you, to convey what his heart desires. He wanted to impress you and prove to you that he is someone capable and reliable so should you need anything, you can always come to him. He hopefully wants you to think that he would be worthy of a husband for you. He believes that he is not yet worthy of the receiving end of your affection, but he is grateful that he is and no one else.

“What shall we do next, my rose?”

~♡~

✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙

✦❘༻𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝙼𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝༺❘✦

Ch. 3.5 - A Step Into the Social Circle

Malleus Draconia x fem!reader

Chapter list + Summary

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Do not steal/copy + paste my works and upload it anywhere else.

⊰♤⊱⊰◇⊱⊰♡⊱⊰☆⊱⊰♧⊱⊰♤⊱⊰◇⊱⊰♡⊱⊰☆⊱⊰♧⊱

It has been a while since you’ve worn something as elegant as the dress that was a deep shade of green that was almost a midnight blue you’re wearing with all the black lace and pearls stitched into it. It was beautiful, that much you can at least honestly say, but there was still a problem.. ‘It’s too heavy..’ You’ve never fancied yourself to such stuffy dresses. The only thing you were quite happy with are the frills at the end of the sleeve that cups your wrists rather loosely. Honestly, you were partially grateful that you hadn’t been going out of the palace for as long as you’ve had, now remembering just how tight dresses could become. When you were but just a noble’s daughter, tea parties and balls were frequent so you had to wear ridiculously suffocating dresses. And it was like tea parties and gossiping were all the things that noble ladies had to think of for entertainment. Well, there were also the croquet games held in the palace of the Queen, but it was an invitation exclusive that you, sadly, were not invited to at all. 

Now that you’re comparing dresses, you don’t recall your wedding dress being as tight compared to the suffocating dress you’re wearing. You wished the same tailor made the dress you’d wear tonight. ‘Or maybe it’s because the atmosphere was much more suffocating that I hadn’t noticed..’ The never prying eyes watched every step you took that day, waiting and wishing for you to trip; make a mistake. Since it was an important day for the kingdom, every noble family attended so you’re sure to meet most nobles at the party tonight too. Despite the scary eyes directed towards you that day, you wonder if you could make friends at the banquet since you haven’t had someone close to talk to in this kingdom. You became rather hopeful.

“Princess.” A bored voice ensues after two, firm knocks on the door. You let the servant come in and before she even said what she was there for, you already knew. “His Highness, the prince, has me come fetch you for the banquet. He is waiting for you downstairs in the foyer.”

“Alright, thank you,” you say and let her escort you. Just as she had told you, Malleus really was waiting downstairs. He stares off at another hallway and if you just strain your ears, you’d hear the faint clacking of heels fade away as it gets further away. After a few seconds, he was fixing the cuffs and now seeming to be in wait but with his brows slightly furrowed. ‘Was he speaking to someone just now?’ 

You interrupted his thoughts when you stepped in his view. “Child of man..” His eyes were slightly wide, showing a look of surprise, though honestly, it shouldn’t be the case since he should be expecting you after telling someone to get you. 

When you look at him carefully, you see that you two were matching— not in the literal way where he was wearing the same dress as you, but it’s complimenting each other quite well. On top of that, on his head, he adorned a tricorne with a dark green lace that trims around it, but it’s customized to accommodate his horns. You hadn’t known that this was how it’ll go so you were truly in for a surprise and you admit, even though he had a scary air about him, you couldn’t deter your thoughts away about how handsome he was— something you didn’t think of on the day of the wedding. 

He clears his throat when he notices you had been staring blankly at his face. “Are you ready to go?” He asks with which you said a quick, meek ‘yes’. Your face is a bit flushed at you getting caught looking at him for a prolonged time. 

You follow him outside where there was a black carriage in wait with the footman having opened the door already. When you moved your eyes slightly to the front of the carriage— to your surprise— what seemed to be normal, black horses that match the theme of the carriage were emitting ominous yet faint golden particles by their hooves. 

When you take a glance to your side where Malleus stood, he does not seem to find it strange at all and in fact, continues walking down the steps of the castle. You followed closely behind.

He stops shortly in front of the door and he swings his body at 120 degrees so that his body is partially facing you and then proceeds to stretch out a hand. Admittedly, you were confused for the first few milliseconds before remembering it was just a formality— something that he should be doing— and that you should accept it. 

Only after getting into the carriage and getting yourselves cozy on the soft and crazily expensive cushions, does the footman close the door and the horses proceed to trot away with the guidance of the coachman.

It must be nice to be outside, you think. Since now, there was an awkward air inside and an intimidating presence just inches from you. You try to get creative in your head and think of nice things to forget reality for a moment just until you arrive at the Marquis’ home. 

You’ve done a bit of your studies before going actually, and based on what you’ve read, he is an outstanding lord who mainly deals with the financial status of the kingdom. There wasn't anything to note about his wife, however, except that she is from another noble family. You were a bit disappointed since it was her birthday that you were attending and you have little to no information about her at all. 

Your thoughts had been interrupted when the road became bumpy, causing you to slightly jump in your seat and lurch forward. ‘What the—‘ When you look out the window out of instinct, you see that the carriage was getting awfully close to the edge of a cliff. 

“We normally don’t use carriages,” Malleus begins with an eerily calm tone despite the situation and you whip your head with a clear look of panic. If he doesn’t use them, how will he know how a carriage is supposed to be used— “Faes generally have the ability to fly, whether it is by wings or magic.

“However, the kingdom has many sorts of creatures who have little magic and thus tire easily when used so they opt to use their legs. There are also faes whose magic capabilities have drained with age.. If they do not have wings, carriages were made to accommodate them since the terrain here consists mainly of cliffs and is unwalkable.” 

You were about to say something— anything— about how if it was unwalkable, how does he expect a carriage to travel when you felt the carriage becoming light.. As if it had been thrown off of the cliff. 

You felt your heart drop and something vile building up in your throat. You were going to die right here, you think, and it hasn’t even been long since you’ve started out your new life. Malleus was still infuriatingly calm as you panic when you could no longer feel the bumps of the pathway and the trees from your peripheral vision— ‘Wait, what? No trees..?’ Finally, you look outside the window and to your bewilderment, the trees were not of eye level anymore and were below you. 

When you pressed yourself against the glass, you could barely see a gold mist just underneath the carriage and you could guess that the source was the horses at the front. Although you were a bit scared at how high you were from the ground, you were in complete awe at the new experience. “Lilia said that humans are afraid of heights so I apologize for the long journey, but I did not want your travel here to frighten you,” Malleus said, eyeing your form that had its back facing him from his peripheral vision. He was referring to the time when a similar carriage came to pick you up at your manor back in the Rose Kingdom. You wanted to say that the fear depends on the situation and person, but you don’t dare imagine what would happen if you correct him. 

‘Lilia?’ There was a look of naivety on your face. ‘Is that someone close to Malleus?’ Deciding not to be too nosy, you decided not to ask. You weren’t close to him anyway to have the right to. In fact, it shouldn’t bother you in the slightest at the thought of him keeping a certain secret from you if he did. And it doesn’t. 

You turn to look outside the window again at the valleys and cliffs underneath you, remaining quiet. At some point, you see small lights gathered together in one place and you already can guess that they are lights from houses. They were all spread out, however, and you recall in your studies that since it’s hard to actually build homes in the Valley, they’re all spread out. Hopefully, you can go out to one of these towns some day, if Malleus permits it. A rule that you had been silently following was to always ask him if you want something or if you want to go somewhere. But, you rarely ask for things because frankly, it’s better if you have little to no interaction with him. 

“Your Highnesses, we’ve arrived at Marquis Hagen’s estate,” one of the men at the front says loud enough for the both of you to hear well inside the carriage. The first hump was felt soon after when the carriage made impact with the ground and then came the sound of the horses’ hooves trotting on the pavement. 

You had to look towards the window closest to Malleus to see the enormous house that is lit with lights from inside. Sure, it wasn’t remotely comparable to the castle, but it was still huge in its own right. 

The carriage drew to a steady halt and a footman came to open the door. He bowed deeply under the presence of Malleus who turned to you and held a hand out for you the same way when he led you into the carriage. There were some nobles still at the front, preparing to head inside, when they caught the glimpse of your arrival.. Or more specifically, Malleus’ arrival. Compared to him, you were just a background character. 

However, you noticed that most— if not, all those present had the look of surprise. Were they surprised to see a human here? But when you look carefully, their eyes were on Malleus. Curious. 

Nevermind, you could not dwell on it anyway since you were busy being escorted into the hall where the banquet is held. “Your Highnesses, welcome.” The doorman at the door greeted you both with a deep bow.  When the door swung open, the banquet was already in full swing. You were in complete awe at the sight of so many faes who all had an individuality to them. 

Ever the curious, their eyes were drawn to who had just recently entered. A gasp could be heard somewhere in the room. Then, “Your Highness!” In unison, the faes all took a respectful bow, with the females doing a curtsy with a hand over their chest. 

“There’s no need for this. I did not come on official business.” With the wave of his hands, the guests returned to their activities prior, now in whispers about your arrival. They must really respect him, you thought. When you look to see his expression, you were quite surprised at the sight you caught. ‘What’s with that look..?’

Amidst your wonder, the sound of heels heading your way caught your attention and thus, you could not ask what was on your mind. “Your Highness.” A woman who had the soft glow of youth dressed herself in a light purple bustle that matched the colour of her eyes and left much room to cover on her collarbones since her sleeves were off the shoulder. Her hair was left in a neat, tight bun with a hairpin holding it together. In contrast to her light garment, her hair was dark. She’s a beauty in the night, you think, completely enamoured by her beauty. “It’s a wonderful surprise to see you  attend one of my banquets at last.”

‘Huh? Does Malleus not regularly attend social gatherings?’ You find reasons for his questionable look earlier. It was akin to a drooling child looking through the patisserie’s windows at the tarts put on display that day— just minus the drooling and shop entirely. But still, it doesn’t completely make sense to you.

“It just so happens that the invitation came my way,” he coolly brushes off the comment. You couldn’t understand the underlying meaning of those words nor did it ever raise questions in you. He turns to you who remained quiet at his side. “Child of man, this is Lady Guinevere. Marquis Hagen’s wife.” He gestures with a hand. 

“It’s an honour to meet you, Lady Guinevere,” you say with a shy smile. A mischievous glint crosses her eyes and she brings a loose fist up to her mouth. “Ah, yes.. Although I’m the one who sent the invitation, it still feels so surreal to have a human in my abode.” She smiles warmly. “The honour is all mine, Princess.”

Her attention on you was brief, returning her focus on Malleus. “The first dance will start soon and I had hoped that Your Highness and the princess would lead the dance,” she picks up a topic to go forth. Your body froze. ‘A dance? With him?’ 

“It would be the best present, you know,” she adds on. Malleus simply nods at her request. A little too quickly, might you note. After a few more exchange of words, she excuses herself to make sure the musicians are ready. When the both of you stepped aside, you took this chance to tug at his sleeve, forgetting for a brief second about your fear toward him since there was a larger fear at hand. He feels this and bends his torso so that you could whisper in his ears, already sensing that you wanted to tell him something in private. 

“Um, Your Highness..” You began, gulping down your nervousness. “I’m not a good dancer.” He faces you with slightly widened eyes at the confession. He had assumed you knew these things since you were a full bred noble and you honestly couldn’t fault him. The start of this ill-fated moment began when you were young. You hated the way your feet would hurt every time you did your dancing lesson and threw quite a fit until your father decided that it would be okay to not do them until later in your years. And frankly, if it doesn’t help you, you wouldn’t do it. Dancing was an opportunity to flirt, that’s what you thought at the time. Even up until recently, not a single man had come asking you for a dance and so you silently watched from the sidelines. There wasn’t any need for you to properly learn how to dance. Who knew that something— your marriage— would have come sooner than you had thought that requires you to dance. You thank your father for cheering you up during your dark era but now, you wished someone had forced you to continue your lessons. 

Safe to say, you were embarrassed as you spoke the words into his ears. How silly you were when you were young. You felt embarrassed for the younger you. Malleus straightens up with the look of thought crossing his features. “Child of man,” he looks at you after having come to a conclusion. “We cannot decline Lady Guinevere’s wish now—“ You felt hopeless. “—so if you’ll allow me, I’ll cast a spell on you.” 

Or maybe there was hope. “What sort of spell..?” You ask, a look of weariness makes your eyebrows scrunch down together. Now, it wasn’t like you don’t trust him, having heard of how powerful he is and how he would be surpassing the strength of the current queen of the Valley of Thorns sooner than most thought, but you were being used as the subject of the spell and you’ve read too many magic mishaps at the sorcerer’s tower to have a reason to be afraid. It was a natural response even though you didn’t have much of a choice. “The gift of dance,” he answers, already readying himself to cast it on you. “It will be temporary so do not worry for any sort of lasting effect.” It wasn’t like you had any choice except resigning yourself to fate. 

When the time came and Lady Guinevere announced that the first dance would be led by the prince, your nerves were now the one hindering you. Before it was your inability to dance, now it was you wanting to chicken out. What if the spell wears off during the dance? What if the others can sense the traces of magic and know that you can’t dance? What if— “Child of man.” 

You were startled out of your thoughts. Malleus stood beside you with a gloved hand waiting for yours. His face was that of calm, contrasting with your panicked one that all but reveals the thoughts coursing through your mind. “O-oh, right..!” You place your hand on his. You feel eyes burning at the back of your skull as Malleus leads you to the middle of the circle that formed. 

You put your left hand on his shoulder. This much you knew how to do. The music started of softly and quietly when you first walked onto the centre but it gradually became louder the moment either one of you took the first step, but not too chaotic sounding with the sound of a cello doing skips. 

There wasn’t even a breathing room before the dance started and it was hard to keep up with Malleus’ steps. With all the spinning and the scrutinizing eyes on you, you were starting to feel dizzy. You weren’t even sure if you were dancing correctly. Maybe the spell didn’t actually work— “Child of man,” Malleus calls for you softly but the vibrations of his voice was still there but only for you to hear. “Keep your eyes on me.” 

At his words, you realized that you had been staring at his shoes, a subconscious action born from your nervousness. “S-sorry..” “Focus on me. Do not worry about them,” he said and that’s what you did. Your brows slightly furrowed as you concentrated hard on him. Even with your tallest heels on so you could come close to his height, you notice that he was hunching forward a bit. You don’t know who's back would hurt more from this though since you were leaning a bit back just so you could properly look at him. 

You both glide across the floor, your dress fluttering as it tries to catch up to you while Malleus leads the dance. He was scary to look at but it was better than having danced with a total stranger.

When the dance concluded, you felt a wave of relief wash over you. You immediately step off to the side with Malleus in tow to let the others dance. “The magic has worn off now,” he states calmly and offers a glass of water that he had somehow managed to get his hand on. You mumbled a quick thank you and downed the water. Honestly, you had been focusing too much with the background noises in your head that you hadn’t really thought of how silly you must have looked. I mean, the height difference is obvious and everybody knows that to nail the best dance, you should have someone close to your height. He was not and you were practically breaking bones just to make eye contact with him. Well, whatever has been done is now in the past.

“Your Highness, that was a wonderful dance,” Lady Guinevere had come back to you both when the banquet was now in full swing with the loud music and dancing. Her fox-shaped eyes were soft and really brought in the definition of a mysterious beauty. “You as well, Princess.” 

You gave a small and shy smile, feeling a bit warm in your cheeks that someone so pretty was complimenting you, even if the dance was a bit fake. “It was an honour to have given the best gift to you, Marchioness,” Malleus says, turning his gaze to you. “Child of man, do you wish to continue to stay here for a bit longer?” 

Hm? You stare at him with the look of cluelessness. Was it not inappropriate to leave so soon when the party has just begun? Before you could give an answer, Lady Guinevere interrupts. “Mm? Your Highness, why is it that you keep referring to the Princess as ‘Child of man’?” She gives an innocent smile that shows her curiousity. “Is she not a human child?” Is the answer he goes with. Though it was a question to a question, it pretty much ends at the same answer. There really was no other explanation to give except that you were human.

“Ah. I just thought it was a cute nickname.” She covers her close-eyed smile with a hand momentarily before dropping it back down. “Hmm. If Your Highness chooses to go now, I must give a proper send off. 

“It was an honour hosting you today, You Highness and Princess. I hope that you’ll attend more of my birthday banquets in the future. Maybe then my husband is not out on one of his business trips.” She does a low curtsy and excuses herself, leaving you the final word on whether or not you should continue to stay. Tonight was fun but you feel that if other men were to approach you to ask for a dance, you’d surely break a toe. Now that the magic is gone, you are left to showcase your horrible skills to fend for dear life. Coming to that conclusion you— “Your Highness!” A man had taken the opportunity to strike up a conversation now that Lady Guinevere had walked away. Well, it doesn’t hurt for Malleus to talk some more. You can wait. “…”

“Huhu, the prince doesn’t really care for the princess, does he?” A quiet murmur in the distance, but you heard it. You wanted to see the face of whoever said that but you didn’t know how to without making it obvious. “This marriage is a joke. Our prince is made a laughing stock at marrying someone so.. Weak.” It seems that there’s a conversation about you just within earshot. You don’t mind people talking about you, but the least they could do is not speak ill of you when you’re literally right there. At this point, they should just say it to your face since it makes no difference. 

“I’m sure the prince feels the same way; have you heard what he calls that thing?” 

“Child of man, was it? Haha! Yes! He doesn’t even refer to her by name.” You had been subconsciously gripping your dress till it wrinkled at that certain spot. The hatred that ran between humans and faes is still fresh in their hearts so it isn’t right for you to speak up, you believe. Both sides were hurt and had lost someone dear so if this talk was an extension of relieving that aching pain in them, you’ll let them. They were just like humans. They feel the same emotions as you. Still, it’s about time you leave. They still don’t like the thought of a human around so maybe you’ll come back once the storms have calmed a bit. Braving up yourself, you tug at the sleeves of Malleus’ clothes that just rested at his side. Again, he leans down to get to a smiliar height as you so you could whisper in his ears. “Your Highness, I’m feeling a bit exhausted..” 

He takes one glance at you and then nods his head to confirm that your wish has been heard. “I’m sorry to cut this conversation short, but it seems that it’s about time for us to leave,” Malleus returns to speaking with the fae that approached earlier and stood idly by until you finished talking with him. “Have yourself send the proposal to the privy council. I am merely but a prince so the Queen will have the final word.”

The fae understood right away and had given way for you both to leave after giving a respectful bow. By the time you two had gotten out of the manor, the carriage was already waiting. You plop down on the soft cushions and kept to yourself, staring out at the window and trees the were underneath your feet.

“…” You bit your lip and fidget with your fingers, contemplating on whether or not you should bring it up to the fae beside you. Malleus sat with his legs crossed over one another with a serene look on his face, his eyes closed as he takes in the peaceful night that contrasted the earlier moments at the ball. It was short but he very much enjoyed it. 

You sigh. You’ve already begun treading the path of danger and risked your life the many times you so much as peep a sound to him so might as well go for it, right? “Your Highness..” “Yes, child of man?” He was at the ready to answer as if he had been waiting for you to speak. “That nickname.. Don’t you find it a bit awkward to say?” You began with careful words. Hopefully he gets the message but if not, you hoped to guide him to the answer. Turns out that the conversation between the whispering nobles had made you insecure. You didn’t mind him calling you whatever he wanted before. “No, it isn’t.” Ah. So you’ll have to go for your second plan after all.

“W-well, I was thinking that if you ever need me urgently, it may be a bit too long of a name.. Don’t you think so?” You cautiously look at him from the side of your eyes to see how he’s reacting. He brings a finger to his chin and thinks about it. Was it really necessary to ponder every scenario over a name, you questioned. “Then, what name do you suggest I should call you?” He asks, meeting your eyes. ‘Why does he word it as if we’re naming a household pet?’ 

“I haven’t thought that far, actually..” You had hope to leave the naming to him since he seems like the expert so you ended the conversation at that until you arrive back at the castle.

You’ve only been gone for what, 4 hours? Still, it felt like you had been gone for much longer that the feeling of missing home weighed in your heart so when you did arrive, you felt so much better. “Then, I’ll go to bed now, Your Highness.” You gave a small smile and a quick bow and excused yourself. It was only after you got to the hall where your room was at did you feel much at ease. Hopefully, you won’t encounter him for a while— just until you recharged yourself at least. You know it’s unavoidable, the meetings with him. 

— 

Nothing beats a warm bath after a day out. You sit on the bed and comb through your damp hair. You were left to your own thoughts, though not much was being thought about so you were basically zoning out for the majority of this nightly routine so when the door opened, snapping you out of that trance, your skin jumped a bit. I mean, even if they didn’t want to come to you willingly, they shouldn’t enter without knocking and announcing— wait, did they call out for you? 

You turn your head slightly just to look at the door, expecting a servant but what caught you unawares is seeing that the one that stepped into the room was a tall fae and not a servant. “Y-your Highness!?” You hastily get onto your feet and turn you body in attention from the side of the bed further from him. He was in nothing but black, silk robes with a slight chest window. You could tell that he had just finished taking a bath with how droplets of water still drop from his hair to the shoulders along with those that trail down his open chest. 

“Is there anything I can help you with..?” Your voice gradually becomes quieter the further the words go and avert your eyes. He hums. “No,” he answers and walks closer to the edge of the bed opposite from yours. He sits down with his back fully facing you and with the towel that was on his shoulders, he begins drying his hair. 

You were expecting for him to start talking after a while but as the second hand begins to tick loudly from a distance, the more awkward it became. “Then.. Is there something you want to talk about..?” Finally, his hands still and you were very sure of it now that he indeed does. However, what he says next surprises you. “No,” he answers, “Is there something you want to tell me?” He reversed the situation so that he was now asking the questions. 

“Uhm.. Didn’t you come here for something?” Now you were very confused as to why this large fae was sitting on the bed, coming in with no reason— or even an excuse— to why he was there. “Hmm..” He looks at you with the look akin to the eyes of a clueless dog. He was dragging this on even if he didn't realize it. ”I came to sleep.” 

Ah. It was then that you remembered that he does have rights to enter this room as casually as he did— despite not having entered it once since your marriage— since it was originally meant for the two of you. “Oh, right..” You awkwardly sat back down on the bed and continued to brush your hair— not because it was still in tangles, but because you honestly don’t think you can sit there and do nothing with the awkward air hanging above you currently. But just for how long will you keep up with that? Is it too awkward for you to just lie down and say your good nights? Malleus seems to not be bothered at all at just how abrupt he came.

Eventually, you had to put your brush down, having your arms grow tired from its monotonous actions. “Then, I’ll go to sleep first, Your Highness..” You turn slightly to look at his form. Even with the robe covering his skin, you could tell that he was keeping in shape with how broad his shoulders were. And the robe really didn’t try to hide the muscles on his arms and in fact, it seems that the piece of clothing wanted all to see it as well. 

“Good night.” He was still drying his hair when he spoke. You can’t see his face so you’re not sure what he’s truly feeling.. And why he decided to join you tonight. Where had he been sleeping anyway? It was a question that wasn’t waiting anxiously for an answer as you try to lull yourself to sleep despite the situation. You honestly don’t think you’d be able to sleep though, you think, when you find yourself staring at the wall in front of you instead but remaining quiet.

At that second the light slowly began to dim. It wasn’t completely turned off like an extinguished flame. In just the short time you’ve been here, you noticed a lot of things that are different from your norms; one obvious fact— other than that the citizens were not human— was that they use magic for basically everything they do. One time, you had happened to stumble upon a broom sweeping the floor by itself. Perplexed and intrigued, you went to touch the broom but at that moment, the broom felt startled and suddenly fell limp on the floor. A fae came from just around the corner hurriedly and began reprimanding you, saying to not touch it or else the magic will diminish. One day led to another and you happened to pass the kitchen and saw a bag of flour fly across your face. To them, magic was wielded with ease that having one doesn’t automatically get you into the wizard’s tower and work there. Back home, there is one such spell caster that could wield it just as easily which had everyone drawing their eyes to.

When soft snores could be heard, Malleus relaxed his shoulders. What you had thought originally turned out to be wrong, the weight of your body being engulfed in such warmth had it melt into it after a night out. “Lilia.” He mutters and suddenly, a red butterfly with the faint glow akin to a firefly flaps its wings towards him. It had always been since the moment Malleus walked in but you hadn’t noticed since it had hidden itself in the walls. Intangible words were passed in hushed tones. The butterfly wasn’t talking but sounds of airy whispers were indeed coming from it. To anybody listening in, it would sound haunting. It made sounds as if thousands of folks were talking at once in a language they do not know at a low volume. The veil of magic on the butterfly made it so that only the intended listener could make out its words.

He was originally going to sleep in the room that he has been staying in, however.. 

"Khehee."

He crosses his arms as he stares disapprovingly at the little butterfly. Just moments earlier Lilia had approached him and prevented him from going to his room. "I had forgotten to tell Sebek that you had gone for the night." Is what the old fae said to him. Apparently Sebek had flipped the entire room and the rooms near it since he hadn't answered the door and became worried that something bad had happened to him. Though he's not sure how much of it is true. It doesn't make sense to him since he is more capable than any guard. He even was denied having another room set for him by none other than the old fae. "The servants must be quite tired by now, hm? Let them have it easy just for tonight." 

The butterfly continues chuckling as if this situation was amusing. He sighs and it was then that Malleus knew that this would be a long night.

⊰♤⊱⊰◇⊱⊰♡⊱⊰☆⊱⊰♧⊱⊰♤⊱⊰◇⊱⊰♡⊱⊰☆⊱⊰♧⊱

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Those who are highlighted green, please check if I spelt your name right and/or your settings since I can't tag you.

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OMG I GOT HIS NEW CARD!! 😭❤️

In one 10 roll too..!!

I didn't complete the event though so I didn't get his free card.. •-• I'm salty about that.

Remember how I lost my iPad? Well, I had a really vivid dream of walking into a room in the house that I've never stepped foot into for a long while and finding both my Nintendo and my iPad inside a closet. I took the Nintendo in that dream but when I woke up, I was wondering why I hadn't taken the iPad and was practically crying when I realized it was just a dream since like, come on, you would be crying too if you had thought you lost it at work or at school since you'll never be able to find it again if that were the case. I decided to check in the closet of the same room in that dream after school because it was bugging me and guess what? I found my iPad there. They were situated differently than in my dream but nevertheless, they were still there.

Someone spoil me with Twst content please. 🙏 I haven't played because of work and college. 😭💔

IM LATE AS HELL TO YOUR RESPONSE BUT—

ahem

past lilia that is much much taller? Also with long hair? I mean fae in their canon can change their appearance however they please soooooo 👀

AND WITH LONG HAIR HE COULD HAVE A MULAN MOMENT WHERE HE CUTS IT SHORT ONCES HE RETIRES!

him putting up his blades in favor of baby bottles? Being terrified of having to be a father to the next heir of the Valley of Thorns???

I can totally see him struggling to even know how to cook and be a good home maker…He’s been a soldier his whole life…something that heralded destruction and death and now he has this tiny fragile life that he has to nurture??

But seriously I believe that Lilia wasn’t a great parent at first, not for lack of trying or attention…more so just nerves and fear making him overbearing lmao

ok ok i’m gonna cut this short because these are just rambles rjxjejzjs but I hope you like these 👉👈

My love for Lilia never stops 💕💕

-Jonah🐉

OMG??? I LOVE YOUR BRAIN SO MUCH!! GIVE IT TO ME!! This is honestly so cute, especially about Lilia putting down the sword to become a father. I totally headcanon that he was a bit more stoic and aloof back in his 'terrifying general' days.

And you know what? I sometimes think that the reason he sucks at cooking must be related to his days on the battlefield since you know, out in war, there is barely time to rest and make yourself a good, warm meal. It is best to just grab whatever ingredients are in front of you (be it even rotten) and make do with it. My mother and (I think) my other father were in military camp together and they had to eat food with dirt on them during a little exam that preps them up for the field.

It warms to think how much he's come to become much more open and even break into jokes to laugh at. Family can sometimes be a wonderful thing like with Lilia in this case. It opened him up to familial love. ><

Thank you for rambling your thoughts with me. Please do more of it in the future if you have any!

THIS. ^

Sorry, I'm just baffled at the same thought of this anonymous person and it kinda hurts me.. Since.. Well.. I'm 4'9-- mind you I am a young adult-- and don't seem to be growing anymore (I've been 4'9 since 5th grade tough). :')

Am I going to be deemed as a child for the rest of my life because of my height?

Do people on twitter don't realize short adults exist👁👁

LITERALLY LIKE I HAVENT GROWN AT ALL SINCE 8TH GRADE AND IM GONNA BE IN MY 2ND YEAR OF COLLEGE SOON 😭😭

I think you should be honest and tell them that you reseted your computer, I'm pretty sure they'll understand. It would be quite unreasonable for them to get angry if they did.

Hmm, it's more like them being disappointed than them getting mad. I've had thought about just saying the truth and I'm not a fan of lying myself, but I do hate it more if I let people down.. But what can I do? This is life and I have to face the unknown up ahead sooner or later and there'll be disappointments to be had. T_T

Okay, I'm preparing myself.. Man,, I'm so not ready.

Gahh! But literally for two dinners, they kept talking about my progress.. I manage to deter it away from me since I obviously didn't have my computer with me to show anything. Okay. I'm still gonna do it.

Also, are you perhaps a writer? I rarely see people- even adults- who text like me with commas, periods, etc. I do it out of habit and to stay sharp in my writing.