The Butterfly Bracelet [Yandere Prince x Female Reader]

26. To Love and Be Loved.

Y/N was walking through the halls of the empty castle. Her feet were carrying her to Dandini's secluded garden, with nothing but the moonlight to guide her down the now-familiar path.

She clambered through the narrow window and landed within the garden. She shivered as her bare feet came into contact with the wet dew on the lush grass. The air was filled with the sweet perfume of the shade-growing flowers that filled the space sealed off by the surrounding walls of the castle.

Taking a moment to look up at the part of the sky visible from the garden her eyes beheld the glittering wonder of the stars. The fullmoon bathed everything in a blue mystic light. Turning her attention to the flowering willow, Y/N saw that it too was awash in the cool glow of the night. Walking closer to the canopy of the tree, she saw the figure of a man standing under the willow.

For some reason, the sight of him made her uneasy, but moments later her fear dissipated as the man stepped into the light, revealing himself to be Dandini. The moonlight made his hair look almost white, and his black eyes twinkled like the stars in the sky above them. "I'm glad to see you Y/N, you look lovely tonight," Dandini told her, his speech free from stuttering.

"I-I'm glad to see you too," Y/N said, her cheeks flushing a bright pink with embarrassment at his compliment. "W-Why are were here, Dandini?" Strange as it was, Y/N couldn't remember what it was she was doing before she was on her way to the secluded garden, or why she was going there in the first place.

"Because this is our special place," Dandini told her, smiling gently as he took a step towards Y/N. It was his turn the blush under the light of the moon as he continued, "and I asked you to come here because I wanted to tell you something very important."

The seriousness and directness of what Dandini said, caught her off guard so entirely that Y/N didn't know how to respond. She simply waited and held her breath, curiosity eating her alive as she wondered what Dandini would say next.

"I have come to treasure the time that I have spent with you above every other person," Dandini began, his blush worsening. "Even though we only just met recently, I feel like I have known you for my whole life. I realized that I - that I love you, Y/N. And I want to know if you feel the same way about me."

Dandini looked at her with desperate eyes, as though begging her to tell him how she felt. Y/N was too overwhelmed by Dandini's sudden declaration of love to respond quickly. She thought over the question as fast and as thoroughly as she could.

D-Do I love Dandini? She asked herself, her heart racing in her chest. She reflected more on how she felt about him, and the valet patiently waited. He is the sweetest person I know, and the first friend I've ever really had, her face felt like it was on fire as she recalled all the good memories she had with Dandini. The fun day at the market they had, how he had comforted her when the other maids were bullying her, and how kind he had been when they first met.

But do I love him? she repeated. She had no experience loving anyone outside her family, (mostly her grandmother,) so it was difficult for her to say. She thought about how often she would find herself distracted, wondering when she would be able to see the young valet next. Her stomach roiled unpleasantly as she pictured Dandini holding hands with a faceless woman.

Why does the thought of him being in love with someone else upset me? Y/N asked herself, puzzled. The more she thought about it, the clearer it became what her answer to the question would be. "Dandini, I-I think that I lov-"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, my love," a chilling voice spoke. Y/N stumbled back, her mind reeling as she tried to comprehend what she was seeing.

Another figure had appeared in the shadows, but Y/N was far more concerned about her friend. Dandini's face had been twisted into a look of pure malice as his mouth hung open, gaping like a fish. No words came, but instead, a trickle of blood ran down his chin. Jutting out from his chest, the blade of a dagger glinted wickedly. The same blood that coated the blade impaling Dandini through the chest seeped into his shirt, staining it a darker red.

The shadowy figure released the knife and let both the weapon and the boy fall to the ground like they meant nothing. He stepped over Dandini's corpse and into the moonlight, his tall boots silent in the tall grass. Y/N backed away from the murder in fear as he advanced slowly towards her.

Even though he stood under the full light of the moon, he was still cloaked in shadow and Y/N was unable to make out any details. It was like his whole body was coated in thick, black smoke. The only thing she could see was the golden crown that glittered atop his head. It was made of spikes and gave off an intimidating aura. The whole thing was laced with cracks and looked to be on the verge of crumbling to pieces.

The stranger to another step forward and Y/N felt herself begin to tremble in fear. She tried to run, only to find that she was unable to move. The tall figure held out his hands to her. Fresh wet blood flowed over his palms, dripping on the ground as he held his arms open to Y/N. "Come into my arms, my love. You are free of that wretch now, are you happy?"

Y/N tried to shake her head but she couldn't. She was frozen in place as the figure, tired of waiting walked over to her. With every step, he took the sky grew lighter. At first, Y/N thought with a twinge of hope that the sun was rising, but her stomach dropped when she realized that the dark patches in the sky were smoke and that the light was coming from the blazing castle.

Ash floated around her in the air, she wanted to scream, but she couldn't. She wanted to run, but she couldn't. All she could do was watch in terror as the fire grew. The mysterious figure in the crown walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. His bloody hands caressed her as the flames devoured everything around them, the body of Dandini laying a few paces away, dead.

As the willow tree that she and Dandini had shared so many memories under caught fire too, the man spoke in her ear, "nothing in the world will come between us and our love." A chill passed down Y/N's spine at the dark intensity in the man's words as he held her. He placed a gentle kiss on Y/N's cheek that made her feel sink.  "Friend or foe. All who would dare to stand between us shall be destroyed. I am willing to cross any wilderness, burn any fortress, and wage any war for our love, my queen."

Y/N sat bolt upright in bed, her chest heaving as she gasped for air. It took her several moments to realize that she was laying in bed in her darkened bedroom. And that everything had been nothing more than a terrible nightmare.

She shivered as she recalled the castle in flames, Dandini laying dead, and a wicked man in a crown reveling in the destruction he had caused. Was that the prince? Icy terror traveled down Y/N's spine. Her head was still in shambles. She didn't know what to think.

Maybe the dream was nothing more than her mounting apprehension at the thought of marrying the prince. She hoped there was nothing more to her dream than that, but still, she wanted to confide in someone. But who? Taking a scrap of paper, she scribbled a hasty note addressed to Dandini, asking him to meet her in the secluded garden as soon as he could.

Before she could rethink her decision, she left her warm bed and entered the halls that were just starting to grow light by the graey light of the sun. She handed the letter to the first Herald she met and told him absentmindedly to deliver it to Dandini. After that, she continued walking through the halls to the secluded garden.

A/N

As you probably guessed, Y/N's dream was filled with symbolism and metaphors. If you can look past the gore I am sure you will be able to draw some very interesting conclusions.

I would love to hear your theories on what Y/N's dream meant, and,

Until next time I'll see you on the other side

~J. C. Coltt.~