Princess Alver (og Cale x Alver)

Part 15

Alver's earliest memories were dark. Not necessarily in nature, although it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that as well, but the beloved memories with her treasured mother were in a lonely place without anyone but her mother. And while she wasn't hidden from the sunlight, sometimes it felt like she never saw the sun.

Her world widened and darkened when she lost her mother and even though she saw the sun more than ever, its rays never felt truly warm. Her aunt and her maternal family gave her light to sustain her and for a very long time, that was good enough.

Cale was a bit like the sun.

Temperamental, hot, stupid, needlessly bright, and cloudy on the days you least wanted it to be. A confusing man with his own confusingly dark past full of mishaps and foolishness. But his brightness illuminated her steps.

There would come a day when living without Cale would feel like living without the sun. Impossible and irreplaceable.

She was sure that she was fast approaching those days.

"Crown Prince Alberu Crossman and Prince Consort Cale Henituse have arrived."

The fanfare was a bit useless. Cale's name at these sorts of events had a way of attracting attention all on his own. The infamous lout turned over a new leaf, only to become an even more infamous prince consort.

All of the energy that Cale had once poured into being as wretched and shitty as possible, he now put into dominating high society as a queen might.

It was a bit fun to watch. Especially since Cale hadn't really let go of some of his cruder methodologies.

A warm hand clasped with hers and she turned to meet Cale's soft smile. The one he reserved just for her. And she realized she'd been hesitating to move forward.

"Wanna go in?" The implication to his playful question was clear. If she asked for it, he'd easily run away with her. If she wanted to, he'd follow her anywhere. It was a terrifying dedication that she was still getting used to but she learned more and more with each day that was just who Cale was. Once he'd chosen to dedicate himself to a person, he was there for them till the end.

Alver shook her head and took a confident step forward. "Just a little tired. General Whetton is up to his normal shit again." She spoke quietly enough that she was sure the accompanying guards wouldn't hear.

Cale squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Want me to pick a fight?"

Really. He was just like a dog on a leash. Ready to bark at anyone or anything that troubled her. Alver's lips twitched upwards as she imagined Whetton's horrified face if she chose to sic her loving partner on him. "Not today."

Cale leaned up and kissed her gently on the cheek just before the doors opened for them. "Let me know if you change your mind."

What exactly was it like to be loved so wholly like this?

Alver couldn't really put a name to it but it warmed her from the tips of her toes and up to the top of her head. At this rate, she was sure to get burnt under the sun's mighty rays and she still couldn't care to roll into the shade.

A person who called her by her real name behind closed doors. Who respected her political aspirations and supported her identities. A precious person who never cared one bit about her lineage and only about having her in his life. Who loved her just the same no matter what she looked like.

I really love him.

She squeezed his hand gently back as she waved to the crowd with a sunny smile that fooled the majority. The warmth at her side was an ever present reminder that she wasn't alone.

There were still fears and insecurities. Problems with their relationship that couldn't be unwound. Reasons that she never should have fallen for him to begin with and so many reasons why she ought not trust him, or anyone else, with her life.

But bit by bit, day by day, they worked on those problems together. She really ought not trust him with her life so readily, trust anyone, but sometimes she questioned logic as well. Alver had not climbed to the second highest position in the kingdom by constantly playing it safe and never taking a single risk. True, Cale was a pointless risk who offered her no real political advancement and even a significant amount of criticism, but she wasn't so weak that she couldn't turn that to her advantage.

In a very selfish way, she chose him and she planned to keep him.

"You're overthinking things again."

Alver didn't let her smile twitch out of place, even if she wanted to chuckle at Cale's silly barb, and instead she turned her currently blue eyes to look him over.

Cute. Her partner was cute. She would definitely keep him.

"What if I'm overthinking about you?" She asked, loving the sweet way that color bloomed in his cheeks. He was really too easy to fluster sometimes. It made her wonder how he managed to wear such a terrifying face when playing his part.

"You should tell me what you think then." He challenged and in one swift movement, he'd stolen her lips despite the crowd in a chaste kiss.

This haughty little punk. Did he really think she was powerless to respond just because there was an audience? With a smirk, she returned the kiss and caught his yelp of surprise with a coy grin.

This much would be fine.

"If you need more attention, you don't need to beg so pathetically." She teased, turning her attention back to the ballroom and walking with confidence towards the highest place that she'd arranged for herself and her consort.

It was a silly love with a strange beginning, but if she relived her life a million times over she would always choose the future with Cale Henituse. The sunlight that illuminated her heart and changed her life.

It was worth it to explore her curiosity about the incongruent lout at the tavern.