ONC Shortlister 2023!
There are few rules in the Kingdom of Kadotaru, and punishment is not kind, even for the young prince who wishes he was anybody else. Tied to the crown, to his family, to his kingdom, there isn't much he can do. He isn't born t...
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A day passes, and it's spent in pain. Rinley doesn't sleep, she cries. And cries. Until she cannot break any further. Curled up in Aramis's bed, she weeps into the pillow, though she tries to be quiet. Every so often, she whispers byvos, envisioning her family, to herself. But the enchantment doesn't work. She still remembers.
At some point, Aramis crawled into bed with her. For a while, he lay very still, like he was unsure if made the right choice to come closer. But Rinley closed the distance, too caught in her sorrow to care for the awkwardness. She didn't sleep, but she fell into something close.
When she woke, she found a bath drawn with hot steamy water and smells she'd never imagined in her life. Aramis let her soak for god knows how long. It was dangerous, though. If it weren't for Aramis constantly checking on her, she might have attempted to submerge herself and never rise again.
While she did her best to collect herself, Aramis took care of other things. He announced her presence to the palace guards, giving her free access to move about and go wherever she pleases. Together, they found a new name and background for her, hoping for a basically seamless transition. But, there's no guarantee.
Now, Aramis wrings his hands by the foot of his bed. Rinley has been in the bath for two hours... and they woke up two hours ago. It's day two of her decision that will haunt her for the rest of her days, and she's back in the tub again. All he wants to do is comfort her, and help her be comfortable. But there comes a point in sadness where you have to rip away from it.
He approaches the bathroom slowly. The vines that create the door only react to a Jix's presence. It stays open when he's not inside and shuts when he's in. Rinley isn't Jix, so the door is wide open.
"Rinley?" he calls, standing against the wall, away from the line of view of the tub.
She answers back. "Mm?"
"I..." He clears his throat. "I think it is time we introduced Lycoria Ama'De'Llyis Maer to Kadotaru."
Silence.
"Rinley?"
"What do you mean by introduce?"
He clears his throat again. "I think it is time for Lycoria to see the kingdom." His whole body stiffens as he waits for a response. The silence lasts so lon—
The splash of water catches him by surprise, so much so that he almost falls over. Holding himself up by the wall, he waits, heart clenching in his chest.
"Alucentio," she says, and he starts to smile. "Uquala." The patter of her feet stops short.
"Rinley?"
"It's Lycoria," she corrects. "But um, I... I need clothes."
His eyes widen, cursing himself under his breath. "Right, apologies, uh—" He covers his eyes and darts across the room. Grabbing a tunic from his wardrobe, he swings back around, holding it out to her. "Wear this for now, and I will be right back."
