PENUMBRA // Tamaki Amajiki x Reader Royal AU

Chapter 2

Pins and needles fired at the muscle in my arm, flames licked my skin and carried red, hot liquid through my veins but all feeling was lost in the limb once the pressure, straining it, was removed; it appeared that I had drifted from consciousness at some point in the journey and targeted my unfortunate shoulder with the weight of a fatigued skull.

Maybe a stone sent the carriage hurling; maybe the vehicle made a sharp turn traveling at the amplified pace, or maybe it was my natural body clock that roused me from my slumber. I was fortunate to rise when I did because it allowed me to catch a glimpse of an image of a kingdom swallowed by sealing gates.

The gates were connected to a stone wall, traveling around a bend until it ultimately disappeared behind a castle: towers grew for eons, their spiraled peaks reaching above the clouds, stained-glass windows the size of houses held firmly in the purest-of-white walls - walls almost reflecting the glare of the sun, casting a cool shadow over the courtyard. Hedges scattered throughout the garden resembled each and every and many more species of animal my feeble mind could regurgitate.

As my ride decreased the distance between the entrance and I, a solid oak door gradually came into view, large not just in size but in atmosphere, reflecting my current emotions; the only thought my excitement could muster was 'I was right all along, it is a king'. I was half expecting the carriage to stop and turn around, take me back home to the people I'm familiar with who would tell me that this was all an insanely delaying prank or the castle would disappear and the kingdom with it as I stir to my senses and am told this was all a hallucination; another joke; a slice of uncooked meat; or my own imagination dreaming up delirious scenarios.

But the feeling reappearing in my arm told me otherwise. This was real and my dream was going to be fulfilled. I waited out the fleeting minutes of isolation I had left by gazing out the window at the intimidating building before me.

Few blurred figures materialized, their silhouettes wore the shape of humans. Upon decelerating and arriving at the entrance, the greeting figures developed detail and faces I would certainly remember bore into my cortex for the first time.

Hinges swung and without warning the barrier disconnecting me from the rest of the world was broken. "Good evening, Miss," the first words I had heard in hours resounded about the box and hovered in my ears. Matching the voice came a serious face, not welcoming but not intimidating at the same time - the greeter was evidently doing their job and acting professional. They reached out their hand to help me out of the carriage.

"Thank you, kind sir," I accepted his hand as I lowered onto the gravel which crunched at my feet. He let go and lay out his forearms in the direction of the door where guards stood on the steps leading up to it, "This way, Miss, I'll have someone fetch your belongings.". My belongings. I hadn't brought any. I assumed I would be taken straight to which ever beast I were to slay and complete the deed soon after my arrival but if I were to be given a room to stay the night I would simply teleport my belongings from my room back home with a quick spell.

"That won't be necessary, for if you searched the carriage for even a basket you would find nothing of the sort." I fiddled my toes together ,through my new boots which I changed into before I fell asleep, in mild embarrassment and pity for the servants.
"You have no belonging? I apologize, I did not know this. I will send for a maid to fetch spare clothes and bring them to your chambers." The servant never once made eye contact, nor did he appear to shift a muscle in his face when his mouth was clearly moving.

I had been instructed against using my usual means of transportation as to not strike fear into my requester so I gathered the surrounding people were not familiar with sorcery, I didn't want to explain my plan to anyone in fear of terrifying them and having me banished, on the other hand, I didn't want hard-worked people to work even harder under my influence, but I had worked hard to get there and some new clothes couldn't hurt. "That is very generous of you, sir, send my thanks to their provider." I curtseyed and stepped away from him, in the direction of hope, adventure and a new life.

-

Warm gusts of air escaped my lips as I surveyed the sight before me: crimson satin encased my body, showcasing curves I never knew existed; the skirt billowed below my knees, a stark contrast to my sleek boots which appeared ugly in contrast. Flounders of light emanated from the mirror hitting the gleam of satin and the highlights of my usually shadowed face to brighten my whole appearance. Some might have said I looked... beautiful.

But I did not care for shallow interests like beauty, interests such as those were for lowly-minded and unskilled sorcerers, true beauty was found in power. Determined feet marched their way to the windowsill and solemn hands grasped stray curtains, half-dragging them closed, plunging the room into near-darkness. Just the way I liked it. Albeit the dress was comfortable, holding me tightly but loosely enough so I could breathe, I did not need the distraction. I needed to prepare to speak to the king.

Upon entering my newfound chambers, the walls flushed with white began to suffocate me - I had never known such brightness to consume a room - however my enthrallment inflating my ego began to take its toll. I was right all along: a king wants me.

While sat on the queen size bed which cushioned me in a way that could only be compared to floating on a cloud, a maid interrupted my wait, delivering my fetched clothes. "How long will I be waiting here before the king is to see me?" I assumed I would be top priority if there were some demon terrorizing the kingdom or beast in need of slaying. "The king is a very busy man who doesn't have much time, you will be seen when he has space available."

Much like the guard who greeted me, the maid did not make eye contact, nor did the muscles in her face move though words were certainly resounding from her mouth. She spoke with such monotony, it would creep out any ordinary person, but I welcomed the stoic reverberations, it was a charming contrast to the snarky tone given to me by my peers.

During my period of wait, after tracing the patterns in the walls with an invisible finger protruding from my eye and opening every object with a door, I uttered some words under my breath and with a flick of the wrist, the once empty drawers and wardrobe were now half full with my belongings from my school dormitory. I would never doubt my talents but I scanned the contents of the wardrobe and made an unspoken vow to change into my own garments if I returned from the king's introduction.

After closing the curtains I paced the room and rehearsed how I would introduce myself; although I am very sure of myself, socializing was not my strong suit as I did not view it to have importance and found conversing with my peers to be unproductive, until now. I came to the consensus that "I am the greatest sorceress of the East, no magic user can top my skill. You were right to request me." may have been to overbearing so I opted for a lighter approach.

"Good evening, your majesty. What great pride encompasses me knowing you have bestowed upon me the greatest honor of performing your requests, I give my utmost gratuitous thanks." Too wordy. "My liege, may I confess how humbled I am to be in your great presence. Your castle is the most striking I have ever witnessed." Too flattering. "Your highness, I am-
"Miss, Y/N. Thank you for coming."

I twirled around, eyes landing on a figure made great by the excess padding in their mantle - a garment only worn by very high ups in the royalty patriarchy.

"I am King Amijiki."