The Samurai and the Snake (NINJAGO)

Chapter 14

Waking up to the sound of people bustling through the castle halls was something Nya already wasn't used to, even after a week had gone by since the curse had been broken. She couldn't imagine how Jay was feeling now, or rather, how he was feeling about anything. She had been meaning to ask him about his transformation, and if it was painful or quick, or anything at all.

Instead, they were heavily distracted, with the reforming the kingdom, reuniting with loved ones, and of course, fighting Nadakhan and discovering their apparent powers.

Nya clutched at the center of her nightgown, feeling her heart pound through the fabric. She had only found out a week ago that her mother was apart of her (or something of the sort), and yet she felt as if she had known all along. She had never once seen her mother practice magic, and yet... she knew.

Nya shook her head and sighed, getting up. No worrying about that. Especially not today.

Today Jay and Nya were to host a feast and a ball, preceding Jay's coronation tomorrow, and later, their marriage. Thinking of the upcoming events sent a flutter through Nya's heart, knowing that soon she and Jay would be married. And soon, She thought as she glanced at her lonely bed, We'll be able to sleep in the same room.

Nya swallowed as she dressed, realizing that soon she was also going to become royalty. It seemed like yesterday she was struggling to even survive. How was she ever going to make a suitable bride? She couldn't even wear heels...

Closing her eyes, Nya focused on relaxing. No worrying. Today, I'm going to enjoy the present.

She ventured outside of her room and was immediately swept into the chaos of the castle's morning activities. Misako was chasing Lloyd around, begging him to sit still in order to measure him for his coronation attire. Zane was zooming about from door-to-door, inviting the castle's inhabitants to breakfast, only to sigh in disappointment when he found everyone was too busy to eat. Pixal and the other maids were cleaning every last corner of the castle, complaining of how they wished they could fly again in order to reach the high spaces.

Nya glanced around, trying to find the prince. Lately Jay had been waking up early in order to  plan the reformation of the kingdom and their wedding as well. He had been giving away the king's excessive wealth to the poor, but there was still so much to be done.

His first task was granting jobs to his old friends. Kai was now the head blacksmith of the castle, and Nya offered to help him as well on occasion. Ronin had refused Jay's many offers for a singular job, instead offering to help around the castle. He was a traveling man, after all. One place didn't suit him.

Cole was incredibly worried about his situation, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Jay appointed him as his kingdom's governor and promised the young lord that he would assist him in retrieving his stolen wealth. Cole, once again, became one of Jay's most trusted friends.

Nya hugged her shawl closer to her body, gently pushing past the crowds of people and into Jay's chambers. She shut the door behind her and sighed, grateful for the moment of solitude. She made her way into the workshop, surprised to find Jay sleeping inside.

Nya gently moved to the workbench he had curled up on and shook him awake. "My prince..." She cooed, kissing his forehead. "Wake up~"

Jay stirred for a moment before sitting up. Pieces of parchment were stuck to his cheek, lists scrawled across in his shaky handwriting. Growing accustomed to activities such as writing proved difficult for him, but his penmanship was immensely improving despite the setbacks.

"Nya." Jay brushed the parchment off, glancing at the instructions he wrote for himself. "Is today the..." He scrunched his brows, deep in thought. "The..."

"The feast? Yes." Nya cleaned him up a bit, taking the papers out of his hands. "You shouldn't be worrying about all of these matters right now. You need to take care of yourself. These next few days are all about you."

"The kingdom needs to be restored." Jay mumbled robotically, rearranging his papers. "I've been absent for too long."

"Yes, but you've done so much in such a short amount of time." Nya kissed his hands. "The kingdom needs a healthy king. A happy king." She ruffled his hair. "You've been so cranky lately."

"No, I haven't!" Jay protested, crossing his arms. He rubbed at the smeared ink on his cheek and huffed. "Okay, maybe a little. It's just..." He bit his lip and glanced away, embarrassed. "It's been hard to adjust."

"Jay, there's no shame in feeling that way." Nya stroked his palms. "So much has happened, to your body, your mind, and your environment. It's difficult to adjust to change alone. You need to rest, love."

"It's not only that." Jay slipped out of her hold and rubbed at his eyes. "I shouldn't be... I should be fine. I mean, I've been doing nothing for years, isolated from those that needed me the most. I should have been able to bounce right back and help them all. I'm... a sorry excuse for a prince."

"Jay..." Nya stood and stroked his cheek. "None of this was your fault. We just need time."

"I know."

She lifted his chin up gently. "Celebrate and rest tonight. You've accomplished so much more in a week than your father did in however many years he ruled. You're helping your people. You're giving them every last bit of your father's wealth. That's more than- than any prince has ever done, I'm sure."

"Nya..."

"Jay?"

The prince shakily drew in a breath. "Thank you. I needed to hear that." He gently moved in to kiss her on the lips, wiping stray tears from his eyes. "Please, just... don't call that snake my father."

"Duly noted." Nya smiled softly, pulling him into a snug embrace. "I promise, Jay. You will be the greatest king this kingdom has ever seen."
-
The whole kingdom had been invited to dine within the castle; Ignacia, Birchwood, even the outskirts of Jamanakai. The dining table, as large as it was, wasn't fit for all of the people in the kingdom, however. Jay allowed everyone to dine wherever they pleased. "It shouldn't be formal." He shrugged. "I was a snake and everyone else was some sort of an object. We're not used to formal dining or celebrations at all."

His suggestion was definitely well-received. People flooded into the castle and immediately filled it up, the whole place even more alive than before. Jay and Nya walked around, greeting as many people as possible. Every person from Ignacia recognized the two instantly, the child of the inventors and the child of the blacksmiths that always played together.

The food was prepared quicker than everyone had anticipated. The guests were so entertained, they had almost forgotten about the feast. The inhabitants of the castle allowed their guests to dine first before taking what was left.

Nya and Jay retreated to the workshop to eat, hiding away from the crowd for a little while.

"I'm exhausted." Jay sighed, chewing on a piece of duck. "Oh god, this is so good! I haven't eaten a proper meal in so long."

"I could imagine." Nya smiled. She yawned and rested against his shoulder. "And I see what you mean. I haven't done anything like this. Obviously." She giggled softly. "I'm tired."

Jay smiled, holding her close. "My princess, I think we should spend the night together. I believe we're far beyond royal tradition."

Nya smiled, kissing his cheek. "Agreed."