Cost of the Crown (UNREVISED VERSION)

Firebrick

The stars twinkle as the light of the moon shone above the glistening castle of Madara.

Maria looked at the rose Hans gave her with a smile. It was beautiful, "He was right... It does match my eyes."

"Aww... How sweet, she's got an admirer." Elise's bitterness could be heard through her teeth.

"Oh shut up... I think it's a sweet gesture... Though I've received a lot of these during my time in the Orient." Maria smiled.

"So what if you have, he couldn't even afford giving you a bouquet." Elise pointed out.

"He might not be able to buy me a bouquet, but this one rose is enough." Maria continued.

"Pft- Many boys in the Orient give you toys, bouquets and more. Why settle for him?!" Elise told Maria as she sighed in her cage.

"It's a sweet gesture... Even though I'm an enemy, he is still hospitable towards me..."

Elise snickered at Maria's statement for it was really pathetic and childish in her opinion.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing..." Elise tried wiping the smile on her face.

"Oh goodness..." Maria frowned.

The evening breeze flew by her as she closed her eyes. It felt refreshing and it was nothing like the east. She was a bit tired so she went back to their room. When she opened the door with the rose on her hand, Hans was looking at the ceiling while Eric was sleeping beside him.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Maria asked in a concerning tone as she closed the door.

"I can't seem to sleep..." Hans replied as he closed his eyes.

"I believe it's-" Maria was cut off by the bells chiming on the strike of midnight.

"Midnight." Hand and Maria said in chorus.

"So you have midnight chimes in your place..." Hans said as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh... You mean the twilight harmony." Maria smiled.

"You call it that in the east?" Hans slowly sat down on his mattress.

"Uhuh..." Maria smiled at the young boy.

"I see you kept the rose..." Hans yawned. He was too tired to even react to this, but it was a sweet gesture.

"U-uh... Ye-yes..." Maria blushed. She thought of it for the whole time that she was wandering in the courtyard.

"I'm glad you did." Hans lied down again then as he closed his eyes, he yawned. Not long, he was asleep.

Maria smiled at Hans as she looked at the rose, then softly she said, "Good night to you too Sir Hans."

While the midnight chimes were heard in all corners of the kingdom, Cedric arrives outside the boundary wall of Madara.

He knew that his blue eyes and purple outfit would stick out from the crowd so he wore his yellow coat along with his gold contact lenses. He looked a bit recognizable yet anonymous enough to stay hidden.

The gates open for him as he claims to be a merchant from the north. He fooled the guards with his fake accent and posture. He headed straight to an inn where he got a good night's sleep just after the chimes finished.

Maria was near to sleeping until she felt something... It was something that she's been longing for days.

"Wanna check it out?" Elise asked as she lied in her cage.