Apples of the Earth: A Technoblade x Reader (ON HIATUS)

Chapter 13: The First Night

(Y/n) swayed lightly in her seat as the carriage went over another bump, the clicking of horseshoes upon stone having become repetitive after five long minutes. (Y/n) would've fallen asleep if it weren't for the constant shaking of the carriage. Looking outside, the night was clear, and stars were scattered across the inky sky, like diamonds tossed over a gown of black silk. Gravel roads had faded to dirt as (Y/n)'s carriage left the main town and rode towards the castle, lanterns swinging from other carriages further ahead. (Y/n)'s emotions were a mess: she was nervous that she'd somehow make a fool of herself, excited that she might see her forest friend, and a little frightened to be around so many people. She hadn't noticed how tense she was until she realized she'd flattened the non-existent creases out of her dress for the third time.

Her nerves had kept their persistent bothering going until the moment the carriage stopped at the entrance of the castle. (Y/n) took a deep breath as her driver opened the door for her, holding a hand out to help her down. She gave him a smile of gratitude as she stepped out, taking in the atmosphere of the calm night. She could here the faint sound of music over the hush of a grand fountain behind her. She made her way up the steps as her carriage made it's way around the fountain and back down towards the gates. (Y/n) carefully made her way up the steps before quietly greeting the guards by the door. They nodded to her in response as she made her way inside. She tried to soothe her tense hands as she walked, else she'd tear her invitation from how hard she was gripping it. Before she knew it, she was stood at the doorway to the ballroom.

(Y/n) stood on the balcony above the main floor of the great ballroom, similar balconies along a hallway on the left wall. A big golden chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminated by candles and a few stones seeming to emit their own warm light. Soft velvet curtains were strung up adjacent to tall stained-glass windows at spaced intervals along the right wall, providing a viewing point of the castle gardens. Between each window was a large half-pillar against the wall, an intricately woven banner hung high from it. The gold railing around the balcony had marble bars holding it at chest height, and reflected the candlelight, basking the room in the cozy glow. The railing started on the left of the entrance and curved around the balcony before tilting down and becoming the banister of the solid quartz stairs against the right wall. The stairs followed the curve of the wall and ended in line with the balcony, leading to the checkered tile floor. The floor was barely visible amongst the skirts of expensive dresses as the first few people danced in the center of the ballroom.

The party couldn't have started more than an hour ago, so (Y/n) succeeded in drawing no attention to herself. She quietly made her way to a table close to the right wall where she had a clear view to a large stone fountain surrounded by wild plants. Amongst the uniform flower bushes and trees all in a routines fashion, the fountain looked as if it were from a different time, either far into the future or far into the past. (Y/n)'s eyes shone in wonder as she watched the water create beautiful shapes through the distortion of the stained glass. It was like she was in a trance as she stared out the window. She didn't notice a pair of eyes similarly entranced from a balcony across the room. To a passerby, either would look frozen, or perhaps lost in thought. But upon closer inspection, anyone could see the clear wonder and fascination in their eyes, and the soft look of admiration upon their faces. Like a child changing upon a curious little bug or rock that may not hold worth to others, but was such a bounty to them.

"So who's caught your eye? The girl you spoke of earlier?", Wilbur asked, tossing an arm over his startled adoptive brother's shoulder. Techno let out an exasperated groan. "I know I say I never die but I'm getting close.", he complained, leaning his forearms on the railing. Wilbur chuckled and followed suite, looking down upon the ballroom with him. The music played undisturbed for a while before Techno quietly responded, "Yeah, she's here."
Will followed his brother's line of sight before it landed on a (h/c) girl in an elegant dress peering out a window. It was as if her mind was in a completely different place. Before Wilbur could get a word out, Techno warned "If you say a thing about her, no matter how meaningless it seems to you, I will throw you over the railing. Not. A. Word." That silenced him very quickly.

As the current song faded into silence and a new song began playing, Wilbur left Techno to his own devices, or if you required a reason, he left to prevent Tommy from sneaking a glass of wine. Techno chuckled at their shenanigans, having finally looked away from the one who was constantly in his thoughts. He subconsciously glanced back towards her, but upon doing so, his heart sank. Sitting uncomfortably close to (Y/n) was a man who looked to be around Techno's age, making conversation with her and laughing. He didn't know why, but seeing seeing another man so close to her, talking happily with her, made his heart feel like full of lead, made his head feel heavy. Before, he had hoped to find (Y/n) and dance with her, laugh with her like they always did, maybe even more. But now all he wanted to do was leave.

But what he tell Phil? He'd already made a fuss about holding the balls (fun fact, I laugh every time I type ball) and now he'd agreed to it, he planned on leaving without a word? What about when Phil questions him? All he could say was "I left because the girl I think I like was talking to another guy".
Techno kept staring at the man talking to (Y/n), silently hoping his stare would somehow burn a hole into the back of his skull, maybe singe some of his hair alongside it. Techno snapped out of his jealous daze when (Y/n) abruptly stood up, as if aggravated. She began making her way towards the stairs, the man following her. Techno was confused. Was she planning on leaving? Why? Was the man bothering her? Is that why she seemed so frustrated? Intent on having his questions answered, Techno made his way to the doors, hoping to catch them before (Y/n) left.

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I'mma just say I finished the challenge early because y'all have been so supportive and really excited for a new update. I'm so excited to get mocks over and done with so I can get back to writing this.
I also love how I've convinced you all I'm gonna start killing off parents. I will not confirm, nor deny, this accusation. You're just gonna have to wait and see. 😉
It is great to be back.