#ssevent

Yves stood in front of his vanity mirror anxiously. It was the sixth time his hands had found their way to fix the magenta bow tie hung elegantly around his neck.

He had ushered the maids and butlers out a while ago so he could have some space to collect his thoughts.

'Come now Yves, this is not the first time you've done this, so quit being nervous!' He mentally scolded himself before taking a deep breath in a quick resolve, the sudden determination flashed across his face as he squared his shoulders.

Giving himself one last check up, he finally turned away from the mirror and strode out of the comforts of his chamber towards the party. Only to halt in his steps and quickly put a palm on his head in annoyance,

"Ah, I forgot to go see her and pick her up."

Scolding himself, he turned around and fastened his pace in the opposite direction. It didn't take him long before he was face to face with a familiar door that he went way too many times for his liking. Squaring his shoulders for another time out of habit, he lifted his knuckles to knock elegantly on the polished wood.

The door opened slowly by one of the maids in charge of preparing his partner for tonight's party. She bowed then moved to let the prince walk in. Yves practiced the conversation in his head while he was on his way and it was really unlike him. He has never once held back his tongue when it comes to her so why tonight of all nights.

Probably cause of the fear of scrutiny from the other party-goers. Yves closed his eyes in order to collect his thoughts when he heard someone cleared their throat.

It was Y/N and he stared.

And she looked as dashing as ever in that beautiful off shoulder dress. She stood there looking back at him with a smile, but her eyes told another story.

That she was worried about him than she was about the party.

That's when Yves realized he was lucky - almost too lucky for his own good - to have someone like her as his pretend lover.

But he can't help but feel this intense surge of pain in the pit of his stomach once his thoughts came to the conclusion that they were only pretending to be in love.

He quickly brushed that thought away and smiled softly, forgetting the fact that he was semi gawking at her a few seconds ago. Yves slowly walked up to Y/N,

"You look beautiful." He felt the need to emphasize his point. "Well, more beautiful tonight - ah, but that doesn't mean you're not beautiful in your normal attire - it's just - ugh!"

Yves groaned in frustration while the sound of Y/N's bubbling giggles erupted in the background. The remaining maids had quietly left the two of them to their own little world; much to his relief.

"It's okay to be nervous Yves," A soft melodious voice spoke and he looked up to see Y/N smiled at him reassuringly. Even with or without makeup, he still imagined that face of her as something similar to an angel standing before him.

He sighed, "Yes, I just don't want to screw this up."

"It's alright, I know you won't. You got this and you got me by your side."

Yves finally smiled, a full smile this time before extending his arm out for her. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah, let's." Y/N hooked her arm happily in his and they both were walking side by side to the party. Y/N was smiling like usual, but she had missed the disdainful look on Yves's face as he desperately tried to hide from her.

He really hates using her in this situation. For a simple public acceptance. He could choose another solution to make the accusations about him mistreating a noblewoman die down. Y/N had defended him saying that it's not like him to do such things. However, knowing how people like to gossip, the belief of Prince Yves being unlucky does not help either. Then comes the part where she declared that she was his lover to prove that he would never lay a hand on any woman inappropriately.

Yves couldn't understand how such a person could willingly throw themselves to help someone like him. He felt he didn't deserve all of this. She doesn't deserve all of this. But she's the one who insisted.

And being a coward he was, he just blindly accepted that. Yves wished he could be more stern and tell her he could handle it himself. Like he'd used to, like he'd always done.

But one simple look from her had crumbled that wall he'd put up to defend that vulnerability. What's more surprising was her quick resolve to stand up and fight back when it was necessary. Unlike him, he would probably let the words hit him and fuss up about it.

The sound of faint music playing cut him out of his reverie and he looked ahead to see the guards standing on ceremony to welcome their prince and his partner inside. They opened the huge door, and one loudly announced their entrance. Yves immediately felt eyes darting at him from all directions. He could sense the slight shakiness in his palms, but the warm delicate hand that held him squeezed tighter in reassurance.

He looked down, and there were those eyes and that smile that seemed to put him at ease every time he met them. Now that she's even closer, it almost felt like there were just the two of them together in the room.

The orchestra began to start the new song, and dozens of couples were already in the middle of the ballroom. Y/N tugged his hand and said, "How about we dance to forget about all the worried for tonight."

Without even waiting for his response, she pulled him with her, ignoring the splutters of surprise from Yves. They both started to waltz and swayed across the room to the music. Y/N was desperate to vibe off the slight anxiousness that was shown on his beautiful features, so the moment she heard the strumming of the strings, her instant reaction was to pull him along with her leading their dance.

Yves felt the coolness of the air wash away his worries as he instantly went along the steps as she led them both. He smiled at her as gently as the rose petals swaying, "You're getting quite good at this." He complimented her, lips inching close to her ears only for her to hear those sweet words. Y/N giggled and teased, "I only learn from the best." She hinted towards the fact that it was Yves who had taught her the basics since her early days at the castle until she had mastered the steps to even lead her partner.

A tinge of pink dusted Yves's cheeks, but he was still smiling. They twirled until the music stopped and another one played all throughout the night. He could feel all those pressures from the stares, the weight of high expectations he put on himself, and the taunting voice in his head washed away into nothingness when he danced with her and heard her laughter.

His eyes split away from her for a second and he could see most of his brothers, especially from the Domestic Faction nodding proudly and grinning in encouragement. Nokto even gave him a thumbs up, of course with a pretty lady in his other arm to which Yves rolled his eyes but he couldn't contain his smile nonetheless.

He focused his attention back onto Y/N and he swore he could feel himself melting slowly just by staring into the lights in her eyes.

'One day,' He swore to himself silently, 'One day, when I dare to face everything, I'll be sure to make you my own.'

He twirled her around once more before catching her waist gently as they both continued to sway, 'I'll have to courage to call you my love, my partner, my companion for real. We won't have to pretend or hide, there'll be no more of that. So please,'

The music slowly comes to a stop once again, signaling the third dance of the party has just ended. Yves leaned down to pull Y/N's hand for a soft kiss, all while gazing at her lovingly.

'Please wait for me.'

There was a hint of rare confidence and determination in his eyes, this time he had ignored the whispers from the other guests, all were irrelevant to him except for one woman in the room that stood right in front of him.

The sound of her sigh and giggles were enough of the confirmation he needed to know that she also enjoyed the party as much as he did. Yves wished he could stop time and savor the moment. His mental promise echoed around his head like it was no tomorrow as if it wanted him to remember and etch in on his brain forever. But he won't mind that.

He hoped she didn't realize there was redness on his face while he was thinking such thoughts about her. However, he didn't realize what was going through Y/N's mind and that she too had been thinking the same thing about him, waiting for the day when she could confess her true feelings for him and be together as real lovers.

-Fin

Keith scratched his head when he saw the palace glowing in beautiful lights as night fell. By now, he was used to seeing the palace during the day as he delivered crops and grains directly to the kitchen. It had been part of his job for the past few months, after he found himself in strange fields without knowing how he ended up there… Or who he was. Mrs. Yuel had found him wandering confused, and was kind enough to find him a position on her farm. “There’s always work to do for a strong young lad like you!”, she had told him, and he had been helping her ever since, in the fields and making those deliveries throughout the city.

That night it was different, however. His last delivery was at the tavern, and once there he saw the taverner was busy preparing a delivery himself — wine, for the masquerade ball at the palace. Naturally, Keith knew nothing of it. A simple farmer boy with no memory would never get an invitation, after all. But seeing the taverner having a hard time carrying the wine barrels, he offered to help him, and this is how he ended up seeing the palace as he never had seen it before. Busy, the air filled with buzzing and chattering as servants hustled about, preparing meals that smelled so enticing, they made his mouth water. Beautiful, with flowers ornamenting all around. And downright glowing, as if the building was inside a dream that evoked a sense of nostalgia within him, though he couldn't understand why.

“If only you had the right attire, you could go in unnoticed, boy,” the taverner said to him with laughter in his voice when Keith returned to the cart after leaving the last barrel in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry; I wasn’t supposed to be so amazed by all this, was I?” Keith shook his head as he sat beside the taverner in the cart. He didn’t expect the taverner would realize the mysterious longing in his eyes as he looked at the palace. He felt like a force inside was calling out to his heart, but it was clear that the masquerade was not meant for someone like him.

"Nah, I used to be amazed too in my time," the taverner studied Keith in silence with sudden attention. "You know what? Once I stole a noble's suit just so I could crash a palace ball. It wasn't a masquerade, though, and my manners quickly denounced me. I couldn't even finish a dance before I was thrown out!" He laughed, and Keith wondered where he was going with this. He didn’t have to wait much longer, however. "I might still have that suit somewhere; I could lend it to you!"

“You don’t have to! I… Ah…” Keith closed his eyes shut when the world started to spin and grow dark. His fingers grabbed the wooden seat under him, squeezing it as hard as he could to steady himself. That feeling seemed familiar, but he couldn’t recall the last time it happened — the last time he was enveloped by that void until there was… Nothing. “Actually, I would like to take a look at it, if it’s not a problem for you,” the other Keith, the one who took control of that body, said with a smile and a sudden gleam in his golden eyes.

The taverner didn’t wait; he took the reins and set the horses in motion. As it turned out, inside an old chest on the second floor of the tavern, where he lived, lay a complete suit — fancy with golden embroideries on dark green velvet. The only thing lacking was the mask, but as Keith arrived at the front gardens of the palace, an enigmatic figure in purple and wearing a leopard mask stopped him in his tracks.

“My, my! A gentleman cannot possibly attend a masquerade without a mask! It would be a scandal! Lucky for you, I happen to have an extra mask that will look just perfect on you!” The mysterious man said excitedly, handing Keith a golden mask with green gems forming the shape of vines around stag’s antlers.

Then he vanished among the crowd, as mysteriously as he had appeared.

Keith didn’t question it. The mask looked, indeed, perfect for him.

.

The ballroom was a display of wealth and glamor, with the most beautiful flowers hanging from the walls and countless candles shining their light like golden stars all across the room. Both royalty and nobles from all places showed off their fancy clothes and graceful manners as they chatted with each other and danced to the joyful songs played by the orchestra. But no matter how flawlessly elegant everything looked, nothing could impress July or make her feel the same wonder she felt in her dream. Although she was born a princess, July had always cherished the simple things the most, and all those fanciness only made her want to run away from there and seek solace in the woods that surrounded the palace, where everything was quieter and truer. The trees wouldn't pretend to like her just to take advantage of her status. The birds wouldn't lie to her. No leaf believed itself to be better than anyone else.

And most of all, the deer that ran free wouldn't trap her in an arranged marriage just to try to consolidate their power.

When the man wearing a peacock mask and dressed in green, turquoise and black approached her and took her hand in his, her skin crawled. The mask couldn't hide the man underneath it or his bad intentions. July knew it was Prince Fernand, unfortunately her fiancé. She pulled her hand back as fast as she could before he could kiss it, or worse — take her for a dance.

“Princess, don’t be like this… You’re gonna break my heart,” Fernand said, as if he was heartfelt, but July knew better.

“Quit it. I know you only want to marry me to please the King of Jade,” her sweet voice was cold to him, and she crossed her arms against her chest to make it clear she wouldn’t fall for his tricks.

Prince Fernand wasn’t originally the heir to the throne of Jade, a neighboring kingdom by the East. His nephew and true heir, Prince Keith, had conveniently gone missing a few months ago, around the same time Fernand sent the marriage proposal to July’s father. An alliance between the kingdoms would be beneficial to both of them, and taking the initiative to propose one by marriage was a move Fernand wanted to make in order to ascertain his position as heir in case his nephew was found, but by now, the hopes were low and as far as he's concerned, Keith was as good as dead already.

“Prince Fernand! Fancy seeing you here. Can I borrow your attention for a minute? I really wish to discuss some business that might interest you…” One of the princes of Rhodolite interrupted them, much to July’s relief, and Fernand couldn’t avoid the insistent stare of the man in purple with a leopard mask.

“Be glad you’re getting married to me instead of that failure. At least I won’t embarrass you, princess,” Fernand had a smug smile on his face when he politely bowed to July before leaving with the other prince. She huffed; she would run away from that place if she could.

July had met Prince Keith when they were kids, and they used to play together in the palace when he was visiting. She loved his sweet and kind presence, he had always been so caring towards her she would never call him a failure. Learning he went missing broke her heart. They had lost contact over the past few years, but she had kept the memories in a dear place in her heart.

If only he was found in time, July could be free from that engagement.

She sighed and walked aimlessly, lost in thought. She wasn’t aware someone with golden eyes and wearing a stag mask was looking at her from the other side of the ballroom, captivated by her beauty.

.

Keith had taken a glass of the same wine the failure had helped deliver to the palace. It was a decent wine, but he knew the warm feeling in his chest was caused by something else. Or rather, someone else. He felt the same calling the other Keith felt about that place, and the longing to be there the other was about to dismiss, he embraced with his full self because he just felt, deep in his heart, he needed to be there. And when he saw the green eyes behind the mask of foliage and flowers — a mask fit for a fairy — he was certain she was the reason why.

The woman was visibly in distress after talking to a show-off of a man, someone Keith immediately hated. He felt torn between going after the man and confronting him somehow, and trying to approach her. In the end, he left his glass on a servant’s tray and walked over to her. Her beauty appeared only more and more ethereal as he approached, her scent enveloping him in the most comforting and sweet sensations. In a way, he knew he had met her before. Maybe in some part of his forgotten past. Maybe in a dream. Maybe even in another life. And when he bowed in front of her, taking her hand and watching how, instead of flinching like she did previously with the other man, she let him kiss her fingers politely, Keith knew he was meant to find her.

“May I have this dance, my lady?” He asked her in his most alluring tone, hoping she had felt the same. Hoping she wouldn’t say no.

“Yes,” she answered with a hint of uncertainty, as one would in front of something that evoked feelings so strong one would be afraid of giving in to them. Ultimately, she smiled so beautifully it made Keith hold his breath. “Yes, of course!”

As the music swirled around them, they began to dance. The ballroom seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them in a world of their own. Keith himself was surprised to find out he was an excellent dancer, able to guide her with grace and charm, and she responded with equal elegance. During the dance, their eyes locked, and Keith felt that connection that was beyond the present moment. It was definitely as if they shared a history that transcended time. The woman’s green eyes held a hint of recognition, and a mysterious familiarity lingered in the air. When the music slowed, they found themselves in a quiet corner of the ballroom.

"There’s something about you, something that feels so familiar. Have we met before, perhaps in another place or time?" Keith whispered in her ear with a soft voice.

The woman looked into his eyes, a mixture of curiosity and longing in her gaze.

“I’ve felt the same,” she confessed, “as if our paths have crossed in some distant memory… Or in a dream…”

The enigmatic connection between them was undeniable, leaving them both yearning for answers in the midst of the enchanting ball. Kissing her pinkish, full lips felt irresistible, and as natural as breathing. It was as if some invisible force guided them together, and nothing else existed. Keith leaned forward at the same time she reached out to him, and time stopped the moment their breaths mingled and their lips touched. Nothing else existed, and Keith, who had never believed in fairy tales, felt it was a true love’s kiss.

And like a true love’s kiss in a fairy tale, magically his memories returned like a violent stream in his mind first, so much so he had to break the kiss and take a step back to steady himself.

“Are you alright?” The woman touched his shoulders, concerned and trying to help him somehow. Unbeknownst to them, however, the whole ball had come to a halt around them and people were looking in shock at the mysterious man who dared kiss the princess. Even the orchestra had stopped playing, and only surprised whispers and murmurs filled the ballroom.

That until Fernand stormed in from across the crowd, outrage visible behind his mask.

“How dare you kiss my fiancée?” He yelled threateningly. “Who are you? July, do you know this man?”

That voice was painfully familiar to Keith now. He knew exactly who that man was, and all about the terrible crimes he had committed, amongst them, his memory loss. He was the one who had always tried to take his place, and this time, for some reason, he had got what he wanted. Until now, for Keith was about to put an end to Fernand's deeds.

“Indeed, I wonder, who might be this young man?” A cheerful voice broke the tension, as the man in leopard mask and purple suit approached Keith, with amusement in his eyes. Keith could recognise him as well now as Prince Clavis, and he wondered how come he was a few steps ahead there. “Perhaps you should take off your mask and reveal yourself to my offended friend, don’t you think?”

Keith looked at July, who had stayed by his side, no matter how nervous she seemed to be with the situation they were in. He knew who she was too. The other Keith had been infatuated with her before, although he couldn’t name that feeling, and when he met her, he felt the same thing. July had always made them feel so comfortable and cherished, but instead of declaring their feelings, they tried to protect her from the abnormality they were, and from Fernand. It wasn’t of no use, however, for fate wanted them together, and Keith would no longer fight it.

He smiled reassuringly at her, and took off his mask to face the one he would fight now.

The gasps and whispers were louder now, and he could hear some nobles clearly stating in surprise, “Isn’t that Prince Keith?”, “I thought he was dead!”. But his golden eyes were dangerously focused on Fernand, who looked back at him with disbelief. If they had their swords on, they would be dueling right now, but in the middle of the elegant ball, their clash should be different.

“Fernand, you thought I was dead, didn’t you?” Keith’s tone held a mixture of accusation and cold certainty. “But here I stand, alive and ready to put an end to your deceit and treachery.”

Fernand, caught off guard, struggled to mask his shock with a facade of arrogance. “You should have stayed hidden, Keith, like you always do when things get complicated!”

“Never again, Fernand!” With a determined gaze, Keith stepped forward, each stride echoing with purpose. His voice, steady and resolute, cut through the murmurs. “This man tried to get rid of me, the true heir of Jade, to take my place. It is because of him that I’ve lost my memories and wandered for months without knowing who I was. But now I remember, and I will take him back to Jade to make him pay for his crimes!”

Instantly, the ball erupted into chaos. In the tumult, every noble and royal turned against Fernand with disapproving glares. Cornered and desperate, Fernand attempted to flee, but with calculated precision, Prince Clavis strategically positioned his leg in Fernand’s path, resulting in a trip and an amused “Oopsie”. That’s when the once-overconfident peacock knew he had no choice but to face the consequences of his actions.

“Are you alright?” Prince Keith turned to July. He wasn’t used to showing his feelings of worry, but he held her in his arms, feeling the tension leave her body little by little and feeling an immense comfort in that. July really was special to him, magically so, and he was sure now more than ever that the connection they shared was otherworldly.

“I am now…” She said, with her characteristic sweetness.

“Come on now, Alice. You can’t stay in your room forever. You must be hungry by now, so why don’t you join me in the dining hall?” Edgar’s irritatingly chipper voice seeped through the cracks in the door and you let out a deep sigh.

“I can stay in my room as long as I please. I don’t intend on joining you in ANYTHING, thank you very much. You’ll have to leave me alone to rot unless you let me go.”

You repeated the same words you had said every day since Edgar and Jonah had found you in the Central Quarter and dragged you back to the Red Army headquarters.

Jonah seemed to be genuinely concerned about your lack of eating and had instructed one of the servants to bring you snacks to keep your hunger at bay at the very least.

“You’re quite stubborn Alice. I’ll get through to you at some point, and you’ll be eager to have my attention.” Edgar’s chuckle faded away as he moved down the hall and you felt your shoulders finally relax.

Time ticked by, and the time that the servant typically brought your snacks came and went. You moved over to the door, unlocking it and peeking out into the hall. Your stomach had been growling and you were starting to feel incredibly thirsty as well. Where was that servant?

You spotted a flash of white and red and hastily ducked back into your room, closing the door softly and turning the lock.

Almost caught! You thought to yourself, although you’d not been doing anything wrong. You heard the sound of some heavy footsteps and clinking glasses approach your door, followed by three loud knocks.

“I’ve got your snacks, Miss Alice.”

The muffled voice sounded strange, but the hunger you felt was far greater than your apprehension and you threw open the door.

What a mistake that had been.

Edgar strode into your room, his hands holding a tray laden with various sweets and a large pitcher of ice-cold water. You felt your mouth begin to water at the sight of the delicious food, but the man carrying it made it difficult to truly let yourself get excited.

“Alice, you can’t possibly expect me to eat this all by myself can you? Come here and take a seat!” He stated, looking back at you with a knowing grin.

Damn, he must have figured out the little system you had going with Jonah and disrupted it for his own games.

“Why are you here.”

Edgar’s eyes crinkled with amusement.

“I’m here because you fascinate me. I want to know more about you,” he explained plainly.

“Well, I’m not some sort of spectacle for you to gawk at. So, if you don’t mind, leave.”

You motioned forcefully toward the door, frustration building as you watched Edgar slide out a chair and make himself comfortable instead.

“I wasn’t joking when I said I can’t eat all of this by myself,” was all he said before he started tearing into the various sweets and snacks on the tray. He poured both glasses full of water and you found yourself a bit mesmerized by the way his throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed.

How is it that you’re so hungry and yet your mouth has now grown drier than a desert?

Much to your chagrin, Edgar catches you staring and throws you a saucy wink.

“I’m not the treat, you silly girl, come eat some actual food.”

You felt your face flush bright red and absentmindedly stumbled over to the table where Edgar quickly jumped up and pulled out your chair.

“I…um…thank you,” you mutter, crossing your arms over your chest and keeping your eyes trained on the table.

The soft warmth of a gloved finger touches your chin and turns your face to look at him.

You jerk your head back and begin aggressively stuffing your cheeks with strawberry macarons.

A low chuckle sounds near your ear but you do your best to ignore it and its owner, hurriedly finishing off the food and drink and excusing yourself to the bathroom adjoined to your room. You sat waiting for Edgar to leave, finally hearing a faint farewell and the sound of the door closing behind you.

Thus began the long pattern of Edgar intercepting the servant and bringing the food to your room instead.

You tried to fight it at first, but after three days of Edgar being the one to offer you the food, your hunger won out and you allowed him in.

Once again, he pulled out the chair for you and proceeded to take a seat himself.

Rinse and repeat, day in and day out.

Eventually, you had become accustomed to seeing Edgar’s vibrant green eyes crinkle with amusement as you sigh and let him in. You begin to answer his probing questions, throwing in some of your own. Like it or not, even though you were being held captive by the Red Army and the Jack of Hearts, you were beginning to enjoy his company.

--

Curled in your bed one day—a gloomy, overcast day—you find yourself anxiously awaiting Edgar’s appearance.

You had been fighting internally for over a week now, trying desperately to deny the fact that, despite him being the enemy, you could feel yourself becoming more and more drawn to him.

There was something so enticing about his charm and charisma that you couldn’t help but be moved by. He managed to make you laugh and your thoughts drifted to him more often than not.

Today when you heard the knock you bounced up, excitedly moving toward the door only to be greeted by an unfamiliar face.

“Hello, Miss Alice, I’ve brought you snacks as the Queen of Hearts has instructed,” the young man stated, bowing his head, and holding out a comparatively sparse tray of food.

“Oh… thank you,” you murmur, accepting the tray and watching as the servant scurries off down the hall.

The day repeated itself, the young man bringing you your treats and growing increasingly more uncomfortable as you find it harder to hide your disappointment.

By the time a few weeks had passed, you’d grown incredibly anxious to see Edgar again, to make sure he was okay at the very least. Right on schedule the servant came and delivered your food, but this time you stopped him from leaving immediately.

“Um, would you mind telling me… where is Edgar? I just…haven’t seen him in a while, which is a bit odd…” Even as the words left your mouth, you could feel your shame warming your cheeks.

Why not just come right out and say you miss him while you’re at it! You scold yourself for being so obvious.

“Oh, I thought you knew… we launched the attack on the Black Army… He’s been on the front lines.”

At this, the young man departed and you felt your heart clamoring in your chest.

He’s on the front lines. Was he okay? Did he get hurt? Was he being careful? Worried thoughts swirl through your mind and you slump down in a chair beside the table.

The thought of never seeing Edgar’s princely smile and hearing his melodic voice forces an intense wave of longing to wash over you. You lean over the table, laying your head against the cool wood surface and letting a single tear fall from your eye.

You know there’s no point in getting upset, besides you’re going to be leaving, returning to the Land of Reason soon enough.

You suddenly realize that you may never see Edgar ever again. Once you went to the Land of Reason, there was no point in coming back to Cradle after all. A few more days pass as you struggle to try to come to terms with your unwarranted disappointment.

Late in the night, you hear another knock at your door. You’d already received your food for the day and figure it must be a mistake. At first, you just ignore it; hopefully whoever it is will get the hint and leave if you don’t answer.

Another knock, then another. Finally, you sigh and begin to stand up when you hear.

“Come on now, Alice, this hall is particularly cold tonight. Won’t you let me in?”

You feel your breath catch in your throat. Were you hearing things? There’s no way he should be here right now, not if they were in the middle of a war.

You stop in your tracks, wondering if you’re just tired and imagining things.

“Please Alice, I wasn’t joking… It’s really cold out here.”

Your heart begins to race in anticipation. You ran toward the door, throwing it open haphazardly.

There he was, he was here, he was fine.

Without realizing it, you throw yourself into his arms and hug him, burying your face against his chest and clinging tightly to him.

“Well now, I suppose if you’re going to do this then the hall won’t be nearly as cold.”

His familiar chuckle fills your ears and you feel a sense of calm settle over you. Stepping back, you look up into his deep emerald eyes and search his gaze.

The tender look on his face made your pulse pound louder in your ears and his hand gently moved to brush a lock of hair behind your ear.

“I missed you too, Alice,” he purred, leaning his face achingly close.

“… I never said I missed you,” you whisper, feeling the warmth of his breath against your lips.

Edgar’s mouth quirks up in a smile. “You didn’t have to.”

In that moment you feel the soft pressure of his lips against yours. All of the anxiety you’d been feeling falls away as you give yourself over to his kiss. Your mind fills with relief and passionate longing as you continued to move your mouths together.

“Stay with me, Alice?” He whispered, his eyes scanning your face with a fervent neediness and you could do nothing but nod and pull him in for another kiss.

How is it that you had ever wanted to leave this man? You can’t imagine your life without him and his absence had been exactly what gave away how deeply you had fallen for him.

Yup, life in the French countryside was everything I’d ever dreamed of and more. Ever since we’d taken our leave from the mansion, I’d felt amazing. But that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the mansion! I did, I truly did, but Napoleon and I needed to be alone. We needed to live life like every married couple did. Even though, by all accounts, we were not a normal couple. How normal can a human/vampire couple truly be? I suppose it didn’t matter. I felt normal. He felt normal. We felt normal. The world was abnormal, not us. How could love between us ever be anything other than what we were supposed to be feeling?

In my thoughts, I had prepared some coffee for the two of us to share. I gazed out the window again. The sun was up higher than it had been before. “Is he still not up?” I laughed under my breath.

“He is.”

“Napoleon!” I gasped and turned around. He clasped his hand around his mouth, very clearly attempting to hold in a bout of uproarious laughter. “Oh, come on! You snuck up on me!”

“How didn’t you hear me coming?” he snickered. “Oh, (Y/N) your reactions are always so cute!” He gave into his urges and bellowed in laughter. “You’re too much!” Stepping forward, he enveloped me in a hug and kissed the top of my head. “Sorry for laughing.” Despite this, he laughed some more.

“Mhm. Well I have some coffee when you’re all finished, Monsieur de Wahaha.” I wriggled out of his embrace and handed him a coffee cup. “Freshly brewed. You’re lucky I didn’t spill anything.”

“I guess I am,” Napoleon responded, taking a sip of the coffee. “Ahh, delicious like always. Is this the Italian roast?”

“Yup! Leonardo was kind enough to gift me this. I saw him when I went into the city earlier this week, did I tell you?”

“I think so.” He wiped his mouth and stretched. “Why don’t I whip up a breakfast for us? This needs something to wash down.”

“Ooh, yes please!” I clasped my hands together. Napoleon truly made amazing breakfasts. Unlike a lot of other couples in our position, we worked together on a lot of things. He was the main chef of the house, and we cleaned together. I mostly ran errands, which was a lot of fun, especially because he’d like to join me when he had matters in town. I looked back over at him as he grabbed all the ingredients he liked to cook with. “If I were to guess, we’re having pancakes.”

“How did you know?” Napoleon teased. He began on the mix, pouring the milk into the bowl, but quickly stopped. “Hey, come here. I need you to do something.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you! Come on.” He beckoned me over and I came, standing between him and the bowl. “Crack these eggs.”

“Oh, come on! You know good and well-”

“How are you gonna ever get better if you don’t practice?” Try it. He handed me an egg. Cracking eggs was something I was never good at. Even with my subpar cooking skills, I could manage through every step except egg-cracking. I think he just wanted to tease me. I sighed and looked for a good angle to crack it at. “Here, do it like this.” Napoleon gently grabbed my wrists and guided my motions, carefully manipulating them into plopping the egg into the bowl. “Just like that.”

I turned my head to look at him. “Can you do that again? I don’t think I got it quite the first time,” I chuckled, a cheeky grin plastered on my face.

“But of course,” Napoleon laughed, moving in a little closer. He, ever so discreetly, pushed me against the counter with his hips and repeated himself, breathing down my neck this time. He gave it a little kiss, moving my hands again. “Need some more help?” 

“Mayyybe.”

“Well it seems that we’re all out of eggs. But…” He grabbed the rest of the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, and other things - and poured it in the bowl. “Something tells me you might still be able to help me.”

“I figured you’d need it.”

“Oh yes, I’m the one that needs help.” Napoleon chuckled some more and put the whisk in my hands, mixing the batter with my hands that held it. He put one of my hands on the side of the bowl to keep it steady and the other around my waist, holding me close to his chest as we mixed. “Doing good,” he whispered in my ear.

“Ah…” I grinned, feeling my heart pound in my chest. How funny that even after months of marriage I still had a crush on my husband, feeling my cheeks burn with every sweet thing he did for me. When we finished mixing, he pulled away from me.

“Aha! More footsteps! Let’s follow them.” Satan cried out. You had been following the same trail of footsteps for 20 minutes already. You crossed the street, walked past majolish and that one store where Levi gets his manga. “Are you sure that it stayed within the city?” you asked, “If it left the city then there is no way we’ll find it again.” Satan wagged his finger. “Tsk, no no. Rule number one of sleuthing. Never give up once you have a trail. We will find this cat, even if it’s the last thing I’ll do!”

(1 hour earlier)

You and Satan left the catcafé after a well deserved break. A couple of weeks ago the place opened and the two of you had already become regulars, the cats even looked up when hearing your names. Quite adorable. “Did you see how Nifty rubbed her hear against me?” Satan asked, still on a high from the affection he got from the feline. “I did.” You responded. “It was so adorable! And the bell around her neck clanged so happily when you started playing with him.” Satan smiled more at that comment. The cats really seemed to like him and it was the biggest piece of joy in his life. You decided to head back to the house of Lamentation, because you still needed to study for a human charming test. Memorising spells sucks. You thought. You were looking around, trying to find anything and everything to use as an excuse not to go home when you suddenly saw Asmo running across the street. “GET BACK HERE YOU THIEF!” He yelled. “What is this all about?” You commented. Satan looked up, seemingly indifferent about the situation. “Hm? Don’t know, don’t care.” He said as he walked past his screeching brother. Asmo continued as he continued running into an ally. “GIVE ME MY NECKLACE BACK CAT! YOU FIEND!” …. Satan’s head whipped around and he came to a halt. “Cat?” He whispered. “Did he just say… Cat?” He enunciated every word. “I guess.” You said. “Let’s see what’s happening” He quickly responded. He grabbed your hand and rushed into the ally, following his brother. Wow, he switched his attitude quickly after hearing the word cat. You thought. However, you were very grateful to Asmo’s screeching. Now you could procrastinate more, yes! 

The two of you entered the ally and saw Asmo yelling to a furry creature sitting atop the wall that closes the ally. “I said! Give it back!” He cried. The cat didn’t seem to pay him much mind. He wagged his tail while holding on to a shiny gold necklace. “What is going on?” Satan questioned. Asmo turned around: “O perfect!” He said, tears welling up in his eyes. “I just returned from buying that gorgeous necklace. I was going to wear it to school tomorrow, ‘cause it matched a shirt I have perfectly. However,” He turned again, now facing the cat. “This little THIEF, stole it from me!” The cat wagged his tail again, content to be out of reach. “I have been chasing it all through town!” The cat purred, enjoying the show. However, it soon became bored. It turned around and hopped down to the other side of the wall. “NOOO” Asmo cried once more. How can someone yell that much? You questioned. “Now I’ll never find it again.” He dejectedly looked down. “No need to fear dear younger brother of mine.” Satan said in a voice that can only be described as the voice of a protagonist. “It is clear to me now. This is a case for a detective and his assistant.” He put on a detective hat and was holding a magnifying glass. Where did those come from? “We will find that necklace for you!” He grabbed your hand. “Detective Satan and his assistant are on the care!” You interjected. “Can’t we both be detectives? Why do I have to be an assistant.” “Because every detective needs an assistant, everyone knows that. And I’m not gonna be one, so..” He shrugged his shoulders and Asmo asked. “So, will you two return my necklace?” Satan put his nose up into the air; “Of course dear younger brother, no need to fear. You just return home and well find that cat and return your jewellery.” “Yay!” Asmo commented. “Then I’ll leave it to you! Bye bye you two.” His good spirits seemed to have returned. Asmo strolled out of the ally, leaving Satan and you by yourselves. Wait no. I mean detective Satan and his assistant! “So, where do we start?” You asked. “Find clues.” He responded. “So, lets follow the trail this cat left behind until we find him and solve the case of the lost necklace!”

(Back to the present)

“Satan, we have been running around for over forty-five minutes, we questioned a bunch of people and cats and we’ve lost our trail. Maybe it’s time to call it quits and go home.” Your watch indicated that it was almost time for dinner. Luckily it wasn’t your day to cook, but still, you had had it with the detective stuff. “No!” He interjected. “We still haven’t found the cat, nor the necklace! We can’t return now. Asmo will lose all hope.” Right, that’s the reason. Not ‘cause you wanna continue playing Sherlock Holmes. “Fine. However, if we don’t find any more clues in the next fifteen minutes then I’m going home.” You said, giving an ultimatum. “Deal.” he quickly responded. You let out a sigh. The cat had disappeared from your sight a while ago, the chance that you’ll find it again was quite slim. However, the blond haired demon next to you refused to give up. It was quite admirable. You continued your search, questioning more passerbys and cats. You wondered if Satan really had learned the language of cats or if he was just messing around in the name of ‘questioning their kind’. Several minutes passed with no luck in finding clues. You looked at your watch once more: “It’s been fifteen minutes, Satan. Let’s return, I don’t think we’re gonna find it again.” You said to him, “Let’s give this one to the cats.” Satan looked down dejectedly. You were right. “It seems the great detective Satan has failed.” He sighed. You grabbed his hand and started walking towards the house of Lamentation. You passed the bookshop, the grocery store, the cat café where you were sitting an hour and a half ago and majolish where the crime first took place. Your eyes swept over the small ally next to the store. A flash shooting across it. Huh? You thought. What was that? Satan was still walking next to you. At first he was unaware of your discovery, he was still gloomy about his failure as a detective. However, then he felt you slowing your steps and your gaze was focused on a dark ally. “What is i-” He started, but he was interrupted when you swiftly pulled him into the ally. “There it is! The culprit!” You yelled. “What?!” He questioned perplexed. You let go of his hand, stealthily snuck upon the cat (without being noticed) and grabbed the necklace that he was holding in his mouth! “Got it! I got it, Satan!” You celebrated. You had been victorious! Satan grabbed your shoulders, a smile on his face. “Good job! Detective Satan and his assistant do it again!” Your brows furrowed. You shook your head, removed the detective hat from his head and put it on yourself. “Wrong.” You paused, looking at him dramatically. “It was detective MC and assistant Satan who cracked the case.”

My HANDS— these hands are no better. Tainted and soiled; once trained to play a melody on a violin, to create a beautiful symphony along with the chords to your piano now stay out of my sight. Every day reminders of what I've done to you. It was an accident, I swear. Emotions had blinded my rational thought and I reacted.

I'm sorry.

But sorries don't bring you back nor does the ghost of you leave this house.

It's... tormenting.

Reality sets in, yet I lay awake in my dreams; filled with your smile, understandable love and touch. You forgive me but I don't forgive myself. Our friends, our group? We said we'd be friends forever, always having each other's backs when things got tough. But it's been mangled to the point of unrecognizable, irreparable. We're like strangers who've never crossed each other's paths in this lifetime. Everyone loved you, and I was the selfish one who took you from them. From me, your only brother; you, my only sister.

I could never forgive myself.

It's been years now — I'm stuck in a loop of the events that plague and infect the core of me, festering deep, rooting scars into the crevices of my brain like a parasite. Out of touch, out of body, out of mind; day feels like night, night resembles hell and these hands are still connected to my wrists.

I live in a comatose state, alive but not exactly living. Dead, but my heart is still beating. An agonizing cycle of mental torture. In my dreams, you're still alive, your skin feels warm to the touch and all our friends are with us like that traumatic event never happened.

Tonight, however, I've made my choice.

A fantasy dream where you're alive is better than a grieving world where you've passed. In the darkness, under the covers, shielded from any and everyone; I use these hands to take part in a sinful act again.

Holding a knife just above my heart while I laid curled on my side, I scrunch my eyes and slow my shaky breath. A second is all it takes. No longer will the ghost of you haunt my ever present existence, for it shall embrace your forgotten touch in the afterlife.

Wait for me, Mari.

And just when I've felt I finally mustered the courage to end it all — I hear a voice, a different voice that isn't yours. An old but comforting one, a long forgotten hymn of light embraced me.

—It was Kel.

And suddenly, no knife was in my crutches, the room was no longer enveloped in an eternal black winter and the lullaby of your presence fades.

Slow, cautiously slow, I opened my eyes to be welcomed by the sounds of birds chirping, the rays of a new beginning closing in and the smile of a face I thought I would never see again. His smile radiates my body with an unknown warmth I've long forgotten and I stare at him confused, seeing the image of my sister in his place. But before I could think to mutter a word, he speaks in a comforting tone for only my ears to hear.

"Hey, I know it wasn't your fault. It's okay, you can forgive yourself, even if it takes some time. I'll be here for you."

An angel was sent to me; it wasn't my time to go. And I was overwhelmed with emotion that nothing left me but tears down my face at those words. Those much needed words. Did you send Kel to me, Mari? Do you really forgive me? Is it okay?

Kel holds my hand as I cried for as long as I needed, never forcing me to do anything else but cry. The only comfort I ever indulged was in my dreams but now, with this heaven sent message I've been brought, maybe confronting the trauma might be a good thing. Baby steps at a time.

Maybe one day, I'll learn to finally forgive myself and see my hands as things to create something beautiful once more.

Ever since the day he rescued me, things have seemed brighter joining Kel on my walk to recovery. And it's all thanks to you, Mari. Thank you.