to be loved. || Who Made Me A Princess

two: daffodil

to be loved.

Arius was well aware his body...was having issues both mentally and physically. Sudden noises, and touches were enough to send his heart rate skyrocketing, as adrenaline built up painfully in the pits of his stomach. His eyes always felt heavy from the lack of sleep as the pungent memory of blood and vomit and--

He put a small hand to his chest, willing himself to calm down. He was okay. He was at the Rose Quartz Palace.

It was a surreal experience to be walking in his own garden. The pleasant smell of peonies followed the cool breeze, and the gentle singing of birds out of view became his melody. Here, no one would hurt him.

"You've stopped." A deep voice jolts him out of his mind and he looks ahead. 

Claude, his father stood a few metres away from him. His white robes brushing against the grass. He never had a parent before, and the idea of having one was just as surreal. It was infinitely strange that his first parent happened to be fictional and before he could wonder what that said about his life a slender hand reaches the front of his face, making him go cross eyed. Unaware of his ridiculous expression, he casts an incredulous look up at Claude. He's met with an expectant gaze.

Briefly wondering why his hand was shaking, it's slowly and lightly placed in larger ones. Nodding in approval, Claude, surprisingly, mimics his slow pace and gently clasps his hands around his. And the boy wonders for a moment, if the man was afraid of his small hand being crushed like a flower.

Now that their hands were linked, Arius easily matched the man's pace without pausing. There was little exchange between them, mostly Claude's brief statements whenever he would lose himself in his thoughts and pause in his steps.
This became a regular occurrence, an oddly peaceful routine between the two of them in the mornings. 

On one particular morning, the fairy--no, Diana had accompanied Claude to his palace. As he meets them at the front steps, the blonde woman who was dressed in her signature Sidonna outfit paused a few feet from him, whereas Claude walked right to his side. The action had, for some reason, soothed his slowly increasing heart rate. 

It was as if she could see his growing turmoil before even he could. 

Quelling his anxiousness, he held the Emperor's hand, and they slowly approached the other. 

"Blessings and Glory to the Future Sun of the Obelian Empire." The familiar smile she had given him numerous times at his bedside, blessed her face once more as she curtsied. Arius wanted to laugh at how ridiculous the greeting was, still unable to comprehend he was now a prince. Not wanting to send him into panic, she slowly lowers herself to his height. "It's good to see you well, Little Angel."

"Thank you." He says, and he means it. Her presence had helped him a lot when he was writhing in pain. Taking her hand in his, he notes that both hands either side him were both slender, but Diana's was extremely soft and he subconsciously squeezes hers a little tighter.

Unbeknownst to him, Claude notices this with a slight twitch to his mouth which Diana catches, and her eyes fill with amusement. He fixates a slight glare at her for noticing.

"What sweets do you prefer, Little Angel?" Diana inquires as the three walk through the garden of peonies, on their way to the back of the building. 

"I haven't had any to try yet." He responds a few moments later. They had to put him on a slow diet to work his way up from his extreme malnourishment.

"Then it seems we'll have to try them all." The cheerful lilt to her voice is infectious as a smile tries to work its way to his face.

"I'd like that."