prince phainon
prince au! (obviously) top male reader, smut after the cut
likes, comments, reblogs are appreciated, merry christmas everyone!
"[name]." phainon's voice was unusually serious, and it made you turn from the apple bunnies you were preparing for him.
prince phainon was one of the princes from the kingdom of chrysos, and you were his dedicated servant. the man was adorned in a white coat and cape, with a royal blue sash. his white gloves placed the warm knife away from your grasp, and onto the wooden cutting board before he grabbed your larger hands in his own, before clearing his throat. you quirked an eyebrow at him, a fond annoyance starting to bubble inside of your chest.
he took a deep breath, and grasped you harder before spilling out his words in one long, jumbled breath. "please please please please please please pleasepleasepleasepleaseplea-" he would have continued to do so until he passed out if it weren't for your hand covering his mouth. phainon took a slow blink of surprise at you, eyes perking up before he licked a stripe up your palm, making you groan. your hands pulled away sharply, before you adjusted his hair into a hairstyle that you knew he would undo once you left his vision.
"prince phainon," you started, turning to the plate of apple bunnies he insisted on you cutting for him, before shoving the plate into his hands. he whimpered at your tone, like an almost puppy getting scolded. "for the last time, the answer is no. the ladies are already waiting in the ballroom for you-" you would have continued, if it weren't for his puppy eyes.
he took that pause in your speech to interrupt you, "but whhhhy [name]? you know that i'm not interested in any of them, why make me sit there and pick one?" you scoffed at his words.
"prince phainon,"
"phainon." he insisted, you sighed.
"right, phainon. first, these gentlewomen are people, not produce. please talk about them as such." your tone softened slightly, "and i know you aren't, my prince. and while i am flattered at your proposal you know how this kingdom is, and you know what they would say. it's only for one night, and a few minutes for a dance, so please make my life easier and just endure it until it's over."
his idea was to bring you, his royal servant, as his suitor to the grand chrysos ball. you aren't sure what place this idea came from, but your sworn duty was dedicated to your prince-- including his reputation and future. this kingdom was not progressive enough to see a man, much less a servant of lesser status, dance with a crown prince. you hated saying no to him, and he knows that.
"okay.." he paused, then slowly perked up. "well can you at least do me the favour of accompanying me to see them, and introduce them to me?" he eyed you up and down, his eyes lingering on the stretch of fabric from your shirt a second longer then necessary.
"absolutely, follow me phainon." you were pleasantly surprised, watching him grab a few apple bunnies and hastily eating them then following you. you placed your hand on his back, feeling the thick material of his coat, then guiding him to a large oak door where you had his potential suitors waiting for him.
you pushed the door open, "damsels, may i introduce you to prince phainon, royalty of the kingdom of chrysos." your voice was polished as you pushed the door open, watching the lovely ladies blush and shy up at the thought of being in the same room as phainon. he smiled at them, before sitting on his royal chair, his face resting on one hand.
"[name], if you could please come up to the... madam, and introduce them to me, preferably closely and side by side." an eyebrow quirked up before you could stop it, and you cleared your throat. the first lady was beautiful, as they all were. a simple gold dress, and white gloves worn as she delicately grasped your hand. you led her in front of the prince, your hand still leading hers as you stepped beside her. "my prince, this is lady amsella." you were watching his reaction, and could feel the young lady beside you hitch her breath. he didn't even eye her up and down, his eyes dimming with boredom. "no, next please."
"my prince," you sighed, "please at least consider the damsel, who took time out of her day to appear before you today." you watched as he scanned her once, pausing for a few seconds just for the timing so that you couldn't say that he made his reaction in haste.
"no, [name]. she's lovely, but too... short." he then turned to you, eyes full of mischief and a plan. "next please." you simply sighed again, rubbing the hand of the girl comfortingly before leading her out the door where another servant would escort her out.
the next lady was eager, hand already grasping yours. her steps were one ahead of yours, and you smiled at her. "my prince, this is lady cassondra." she was about to say something, before he cut her off.
"nope, also too short."
"my prince, what height were you hoping your suitor would be? i can see what i can do." growing suspicion was already happening in your chest as you stood side by side to her.
"i'm hoping to find a suitor exceptionally similar to you, [name]. i want them to be as tall as you, as built as you, the same posture, the same hair and eye colour and facial features. did i forget anything?" he tapped his finger on his jawline, ignoring the growing whispers. the emphasis on suitors was no mistake. "oh! yes, and i want them to have the exact same personality and hairstyle as you." he just let out a beam at you, faux-innocence in his eyes. "i won't settle for anything less of this, this ball must be perfect and my suitor must be perfect. i won't settle for anything less!"
the ladies didn't even have to wait for you, and they were already leaving in a group of heels clicking, fans covering their mouths, giggles and hushed whispers. "do i make myself clear?" your eyes twitched and you clenched your fingers before smoothing them out. you turned to the women heading towards the exit, "my apologies madams, please see the servant on the right who will assist you out." your footsteps were sharp and punctuated before you closed the door.
once the sound of heels disappeared, you turned to phainon. "phainon, what the hell-" you slipped up, and you knew he loved it when he managed to break you out of the persona you have now. it always reminded him of how you were when you both were little. "what are you doing?! my prince, at this rate you would clear the entire kingdom of suitors before you blink." he just smiled at you again, crossing a leg and beckoning you closer.
"you heard me, [name]. that's my list of demands in finding a lady, as you insiiiiiiist on me having. if you can't find those demands, then i suppose the male counterpart that has those traits will do instead." he paused for a second. "y'know, you never used to care about titles like this, you, me, and all the heirs used to play around together in the meadows. i still have the flower crown you made me, so what changed?"
you could feel an ache in your chest, and you cleared your throat. "the kingdom doesn't work like that phainon, that was when we were young and reckless back then. what would your people think? what would the other heirs think?"
he scoffed, childish and pettiness in his eyes. you always loved how easy it was to see his emotions in them. "first off-- i'm still young, and reckless, i'd just rather spend my time playing with men-- preferably those that look like you, with your name, stature and characteristics, then wooden swords. and the other heirs would probably sigh because I got to you first." that made you pause, and he snickered when you looked at him questionably.
"you have no idea how many arguments we had over this, how we fought over who would be lucky enough to be the royal you served. mydei still complains about it whenever we spar, and anaxa sometimes writes it in his letters too. but you picked me. [name]. and i'm a prince, if anyone could rewrite the rules and customs it would be me."
you pinched the bridge of your nose, hair tickling your forehead. "phainon please, i'm just trying to look out for you. there is a suitor out there for you, and i will do anything it takes to find her."
thats when a bitter laugh escaped him, "her? how many times will it take to get to you, i have my heart, mind and soul dedicated to him. i want this ball to be special. now if you excuse me, i have to spar, and gossip with mydei now."
he turned and walked out, leaving you sighing in the now empty room.
----------
you hated to say it, but if phainon was one thing-- it would be stubborn. that stupid white haired man had rejected every single lady you put in that room. fuck, you even convinced a few male royals of his status in trying to appease him, yet he found a reason every. single. time. to decline them.
and that's where you were now, yapping orders down before turning to another servant. "that's all there is to it really, i can handle the rest if something comes up. please just make sure everything is in one piece for me, and i'll figure everything out." you adjusted your suit, grimacing on how you looked and how you got here. "are these suits always meant to be this tight?" your fill-in just shrugged.
thats when you heard the knock, joyful and happy. fuck, you could hear him skip down the halls humming a tune. "ohhhhhh [naaaaaaame]~" he sing-songed, "it's almost time for us to show ourselves, and I know you're never late. let me iiiiiiinnnnn~ i want to see your handsome faaaaace~" he didn't even wait for you to respond before barging in, not even glancing at the servant who paused for a moment to give you a questioning look then scampering off, no doubt overwhelmed.
you suppressed a groan. "hello, phainon. are you ready for our dance?" a light grimace painted your expression, a reminder on all the hours of trying to find the perfect match-- to try and prove him wrong, only for you to be getting dressed for a dance that was not destined for you.
he poked your cheek, "hehe~ you're so small from up here," you stood up abruptly, watching his neck slowly crane upwards to meet your unamused stare, "oh. hello~ i'm looking forward for our dance~"
you just sighed again, hand grabbing his casually when no one was watching. the two of you walked side by side, your eyes cautiously scanning around the vicinity to ensure no one was looking, before continuing. moments like this, especially before a big event where eyes sure would garner, were always nice. a moment of calm away from the eyes, and from the formalities. it was like you two were back to being teens, swinging hands and walking down meadows talking about your futures.
the doors suddenly seem larger, the music's opening notes starting. "you remember your steps, yes?" you didn't even bother looking at him, hands pushing the door open and guiding him inside.
the little shit was gleaming, snowy hair bouncing with each step like he succeeded in his plan. his eyes would dart to your face, taking in your side profile fondly before staring forward. he could hear the whispers covered by fans, the look of jealousy, or perhaps disgust? yet he didn't care, because if anyone in the kingdom could remake the rules, it would be him.
you however, were not as comfortable being in the spotlight, and your steps quickened to the floor almost unnoticeably. phainon squeezed your hand once, twice, before matching your pace. the two of you made it to the center of the room, where all the heirs and heiresses of chrysos were already dancing. each had their own partner, dressed to match the colour scheme of their date. you and mydei made eye contact, his pomegranate red suit catching your eye. he had a faint smirk on his lips before he side-stepped, his finger twitching like he wanted to reach for you instead of the missus he was in the midst of twirling.
phainon was dreaming of this moment with you, yet the moment when he was supposed to start showing off his formal dance skills-- his mind stopped working. he took a deep breath and tried to improvise, glancing at the combination of your dress shoes, and the other heirs doing theirs perfectly, and then your stupidly handsome face staring back at him with a quirked eyebrow.
he lasted about three eight-counts before he fumbled on his feet, brain glitching. he made contact with aglaea's gold-trimmed dress and was promptly met with a burning glare from her. he tried to spin you when everyone else was in the process of waltzing, and didn't even move his arm high enough for you to go under, leading you to an awkward crouch to complete the movement.
and just like that, he was fucking up. it wasn't a foreign feeling, but fuck he wanted to do so good for you, to prove that he could have his cake and eat it too. thats the thought that made his lower lip lightly tremble.
and if anyone were to notice, of course it would be you. a small huff of meaningless indigence left your nose before you paced faster, taking control. you rotate faster until he was on the lady's position, and stared at him with a look telling him to trust. you could hear his breath suck in, and the feeling of your heart pounding as you tried to ignore the stares of the nobles. but something felt right like this, having him trust you without a doubt, your hand dipping into the small of his back as you leaned down to support his dip. he just stared at you, wonderstruck like he unlocked a new key memory.
and for him-- he did. he really, truly did. his anxieties melted away the second you took control, and the feeling of your hands on him, and the look of guilty pleasure in your eyes as you dipped him a bit lower then normal just to make him tighten his grasp on your hand was engrained into him.
and slowly, ever so slowly, the people seemed to fade, just the sound of soft music and practiced, trusting footsteps remained. you didn't have to force yourself to not stare at the watching crowd, not when you had your stupidly handsome prince in your arms staring back at you with a slightly flushed face. it was like you couldn't look away, not when the feelings you had started bubbling back up.
you were a second early when you spun him to your chest, feeling his heartbeat and back flush against your chest and a second late to spin him around back into a waltz. it was like you were trying to squeeze out the most amount of time like this, before things had to go back to normal.
and phainon noticed, especially how your hand grasped his tighter for a few seconds like you were not wanting to let go, before unhooking one hand and adjusting the other to lead him off the dance area. the two of you were the last pair to leave, and the entire time until you were back to the main area had an increasingly tighter grip on him.
he was disappointed when you let go, but that didn't stop him from regrabbing your hand, dragging you to a servant with a platter of ambrosia in wine glasses and grabbing a few before ultimately deciding just to take the whole tray and wobbling both of you to the gates of the balcony, where the view overlooked the garden. he handed you a glass and before downing his own in one go, slamming the glass down. you stared at him, and his hand, before looking around to assess the amount of eyes on you, then turning around and doing the same thing as him, a poorly concealed grin on your face.
"can't believe we just did that, phai." you muttered into the wind, staring down into the gardens you helped design. phainon looked at you once more, moonlight catching your profile. the white and blue design of your less-fancy suit, and the light blue bells of the first snow in your suit pocket. his mouth suddenly felt dry.
he handed you another glass which you accepted, yet you placed the glass down soon after, and placed your hand on his, slowly intertwining them.
you two drank in silence until the platter was done, just getting tipsy and courageous and ever so slightly frisky. he didn't remember when your shoulders touched, or even when you started talking about the gardens because he was so focused on you.
he could feel your gaze on him, making him involuntarily stiffen up before you chuckled, lightly elbowing him. "you never changed, phai. just.. grew. your wife will be a lucky woman." there was a well concealed sadness and bitterness in your voice, one not many would be able to decipher.
phainon however, was one of the select few. he stared at you for a second, the alcohol definitely affecting him to make it feel like your words were the most treacherous to reach his ears. he could see eyes start to land on the two of you but he didn't care as he grabbed your hands and placed them on his hips. he could feel the warmth of your big palms leech through his suit. he huffed, real annoyance erupting him. "why don't you trust me enough to change things for us?" he placed his hands on the back of your neck, holding there.
you stiffened up, "i want to protect you from the eyes of this kingdom, phai. you can face monsters and mayhem all you want, but the people wield what is cruelest," you paused, "i would have failed in my duties if i let that happen, to you of all people. you-you'll find someone better one day, someone who can love you openly and fully without being looked down upon." you looked pained as you gritted out the words like they were painful, feeling something gut wrenching build up in your throat. "you deserve so much more then what i can give, phai-" you couldn't finish that statement, feeling him pull you down to hook lips with you.
the kiss lasted a second, all teeth and yearning before the grasp of your hands on his waist tightened, and you adjusted your lips to try and kiss him deeper. your eyes creaked open, seeing his white-clad arms around your neck, his royal blue shirt peeking through. you could see how his eyelashes fluttered in the wind as he shut his eyes and furrowed his brows trying not to let a noise slip, or how he kept tightening his grip on your neck.
you also saw and heard gasps and pointed stares, hushed whispers and nudges and head nods in your direction to the two of you through the windows.
except this time, you didn't really care. when this settles down tomorrow you will, and when you realize how terrible of an idea this is then you'd care then especially when it breaks what you tried so delicately to build for phainons sake.
yet his lips taste like honeyed fruit and ambrosia, and you can hear the faintest whimper from his lips. and you just don't care about tomorrow-- just the man in your arms.
the blue haired male made an unhappy noise when he noticed you unraveling yourself from him, but not when you pushed the door open and led him to your servant quarters. there were no cautious glances, just you leading him down with familiarity to your private quarters-- a perk for being the head servant for a chrysos heir.
he looked around and everything was painfully you. the minimalist decorations, the way you had trinkets and candies that you enjoyed in secret, or how it was clear that you cared much more for your mattress or small sofa than the plain wooden stool you had by your bed. he took a moment to glance around, brain disconnecting from the realizations of your actions before he heard your fingers work the locks, then the sound of fabric rustling as you pulled off your attire, throwing it onto the stool and knocking it over. you were shirtless now, and staring at phainon like you were gonna devour him before he was being pushed onto the mattress that smelt delightfully like you.
