Chapter Text
The bells from the church outside rang softly through the open window. He heard birds chirping and the slow voices of people rising out of their homes and finding each other to speak about any topic they had left over. The curtains moved with the gentle breeze.
It was very early in the morning, just barely six, yet Shattered found himself unable to rest a minute longer.
The other day, which could've been both a day and a week ago, he and the prince from the neighbouring Kingdom had exchanged letters. This wasn't uncommon, they had been writing each other for a while for discussion reasons, but this specific exchange had been about a personal meeting in his castle to properly discuss a way to set their wacky truce into proper motion.
'It needn't be wacky forever,' the prince had written back to him, sure of himself to fix what the war had broken.
The fact that the man who had written him was a prince trying to discuss peace and not another king like himself was... Well, it was odd. Despite them holding plenty more natural riches than his kingdom, they must be desperate after the war. Or perhaps his inheritance of the crown was simply halted. Regardless, the war must have taken a toll on them to send him.
Shattered slipped out of the covers and moved to his closet. After years of insistance he was allowed to be alone in the mornings - a thing most other royals would be heavily confused or even offended by. He simply preferred to get dressed alone and by himself, regardless of his status. The way his body looked was no one's business but his own.
He smoothed his pants and robe before closing the windows and properly opening the blinds. Below him, the kingdom was not yet fully active, considering the early times, but he could make out more people now than when he first got out of bed.
As he adjusted his crown, Shattered left his room to attend any other duties he may have.
Arriving in his office, he noted that the stack of papers he was meant to read through had most certainly lessened in its amount. Likely Cross had, after being asked so many times before, decided to do some of the work himself without being asked this time.
He would have to thank Cross later... And reprimand him for working on his important paperwork when he already also had his other knightly duties to attend.
Shattered sat down in his chair, folding his hands and looking at the library part of his study, before returning his vision to his desk. At least the letters he and the prince exchanged were still in the same spot...
Absentmindedly, he wondered if the letters the other sent him were sprayed with floral perfume on purpose, or if he simply exuded this smell on his own. Not that it would be a bad thing, quite the opposite. Although, did that mean his smell was strong enough to stain the letters, if he hadn't sprayed them?
A knock on his door brings him back to focus. He clears his throat, "Come in, it's open."
His knight, Cross, entered the room, looking so fresh Shattered almost believed he went to bed early. Which most definitely did not happen, because Cross was a night owl. He'd always stayed up as late as he could, even when he was young, instead opting to sleep in most days. This behaviour was partially corrected during his knight training, but not by a lot.
"Good morning, Shattered. You certainly frightened the maids with your sudden disappearance from your room. They thought you'd decided to ditch the castle once and for all." The knight grinned, amused in tone and step as he took a seat in front of the king.
"Oh, they'll get over it. And if they really need to find me, they just have to go a few rooms further... My study really isn't that far from the bedroom." Shattered shoved some of the papers aside to make more space on the table, in case Cross wanted to lean over.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Shouldn't you still be in bed? For you, it's quite early." Shattered's smile softened at the edges. They'd been talking sparingly the past weeks, so it was refreshing to hear from his closest friend again.
Cross straightened in his seat, "Er... I simply wished to see you. Just speak for as long as is allowed." He folded his hands together and smiled. For a second, the sunlight seemed to trick his eyes, making Cross's face appear a bit brighter on his cheeks while he smiled. Shattered leaned onto his arm, casually moving an unopened letter to the stack of documents.
After he had moved it, the door to his study was opened abruptly by an a bit frizzy looking maid. Her exterior visibly calmed when she noticed the king sit in his chair, though, and she nodded to someone outside the room.
"Apologies, your majesty! We'd been looking for you..."
A slightly older maid than her then entered as she moved out the way, carefully handling a plate with delicately made breakfast and tea. Shattered dropped his smile and relaxed his face, then nodded to her before moving more papers out of the way for her to place the serving tray on the table.
"Is there anything else you need, my king?" She asked, after adjusting the tray and pouring some tea for him and Cross. "No. You are dismissed." and with that, she left. The maid in the door, however, returned not a minute after with a few more sheets of paper and letters in hand.
"Your majesty, there are more documents for you to look over... And letters... Where should I put them?"
"It's alright, I'll take them. Ensure that me and my knight have some privacy. We would like to discuss some things, yes?"
"Of course, my king.."
As quickly as she could, she handed him all she was holding, then left once more, finally closing the door behind her. There was some more chatter which, from what he could make out, was just a lot of the woman telling the other servants to not disturb the king at the moment.
Shattered turned back towards Cross, fondly looking to the side. Cross snickered at him. "They're just doing their job... You hired them for this." "I know, I know... But if today were just a little different, and I'd been left alone..."
They share a laugh. After Shattered reaches for his cup of tea, inviting Cross to drink some as well, they sit mostly in silence together. Shattered looks out of the window, the sun rising further up the trees and mountain tops. It was beautiful.
He had a feeling he was being stared at.
"So, you came here to discuss something with me." Shattered started, placing down his cup yet not looking away from the sun rising outside. It was a sweet red and orange and he thought about perhaps taking a stroll, even if he likely wasn't able to due to a few other preparations for Nightmare to arrive.
"Admittedly, I had originally entered to do that, yes...," Cross paused to take another sip of his tea, "But I also forgot what that was."
"Oh, you. Don't act so foolish. If you wish to borrow another book if mine, you needn't hide it."
The knight laughed while Shattered playfully rolled his eyes at him, already getting up to grab the next book in the current series he was reading. The author was well known for poetry, and the current books they were releasing handled lighter themes. It could be quite refreshing to read through them.
He scanned the bookshelves for it until he found a lightly blue tinted book with the author 'Rubin Rosellas', he simply had to look for the book with the title 'Rumanos' Holy Days'...
The soft clink of porcelain sounded behind him, before, a bit belatedly, Cross called out an apology. He paid no further mind to it.
Once he held the book in hand, he returned to his seat, then gave it to Cross. "Here you are, but make sure to return it once you're done, yes? I quite enjoy my full collection."
"Of course." Cross took a sip from his cup, "May I ask, what are those letters?" Cross pointed at the ones he'd been piling and opening, the ones with the purple sigils on them, which smelled floral. He sat back a bit in his chair while he did, holding his cup a bit tighter.
"These? They're from the prince of the kingdom next to us. He agreed to meet us today for peace discussions. I thought you were made aware of this?"
Cross put the empty cup back onto the tray. "Oh... I may have been? I'm not quite sure anymore. But I'll see what I can do further."
Shattered nodded at him, then folded his hands together in front of his face. Admittedly, he hadn't been all that hungry this morning, perhaps due to his internal nervousness...
"I will take my leave. It was nice speaking with you again, I'm sure we'll see each other again later." Cross bid farewell, and as Shattered looked outside the window again, the door clicked open and shut.
... He took one of the letters, written by prince Night, holding it close to his face. It was already a bit dusty from how long he had kept it uncovered, and yet, the smell...
He pushed the tea cup away from him.
Perhaps he could get motivated to eat a little after all.
It was now around ten o'clock. The sun already proudly stood above them, giving as much light as it could, and anyone dressed in darker clothes was thankful whenever a cloud would pass by and cover up some of the rays.
Shattered, for his part, was holding a slightly larger white parasol. Yes, several of the servants had looked at him weird and insisted they could hold it for him, but he had also repeatedly told them that it was quite alright. They begrudgingly did not argue with their very king on this matter.
His butler rushed up frantically behind him, holding a vase with purple hydrangeas and lavender. They were blooming with all their might and clearly very happy to be out in the sun. Shattered leaned down to them, inhaling. It reminded him of...
"Mugwort, could you be so kind and water them a little? In case it gets warmer later."
"Yes, my king!" And Mugwort was off speedily again to get water from the nearby maid to do as they were asked. Shattered felt a little bad for sending them about all morning, but what had to be done, had to be done.
Ah, he'd forgotten to scold Cross for doing his paperwork unasked.
No matter.
He stepped over to an elderly maid - one of his best, Cicilla - and looked over her shoulder. She was holding a plan and instructing some of the younger ones on how to properly hang up banners. He didn't know it was that difficult...
"Cici, tell me, is it possible to spontaneously acquire more flowers for the entrance still?" the king asked, twirling his parasol out of boredom.
"Your majesty, you should quite certainly have considered such things earlier...," she scolded, shaking her head, "just as back when thee were young! Always completing tasks last minute. But I suppose since you are king now, when you really desire them, it can be arranged..."
She cackled, friendly. Her watchful eyes never left the younger girls pulling at the banner. Neither did his. They were doing their best being careful with it, but they were probably some of the newer ones, or - even worse - Cicilla had taken the maids trained to serve tea for hanging up this banner.
"Perhaps it was a mistake to keep you in duty so long...," he teased, sighing, and she grinned mischievously, "Would they fit? Or would it look... Too much?"
He hoped his question didn't come off too sincere to the older woman. Goodness knows that she was trustworthy in most regards and hard-working and loyal, but she would still spread a good rumour or two for the fun of it.
"Your head is such a wide cavern of worries, my king. Believe me, the amount of flowers will not be of importance for too long. You won't be standing there all day- Manié! Careful! You're going to rip it!"
Her attention didn't seem to linger on him or his tone any longer, as she quickly made her way over to the girls who immediately stopped working, letting Cicilla tell them how to properly hook it in.
Shattered turned back towards Mugwort, whom had returned from getting the flowers watered. "Put them over there. Not too much into the sun, though."
Mugwort nodded, off to fulfill their job, and then Shattered's presence was requested elsewhere once more. As long as he was outside hearing the birds chirp, distracting him from the nervousness blooming inside his soul, it was alright.
It was now around noon. Most clouds had completely drifted away, leaving only the harsh sun in the sky.
Shattered impatiently fiddled with the emblem embroided on his robe, a quite literal sun flower, while Mugwort fixed the sides of his clothes. A few stray maids occasionally ran down the hallways, carrying small baskets. He didn't know what was inside them.
Glancing out of one of the non-stained windows, he spotted a small carriage, carrying the banner of the neighbour kingdom - a simple black one with a purple crescent moon on it, decorated at the edges with white stars.
Oddly enough, there weren't many other carriages or people travelling along. Had their king simply not bothered to send more? ... Should Shattered take offence to that?
Glancing back at the carriage, someone inside it was waving out of it in greeting.
This prince Nightmare was... Even more interesting than he'd assumed, for sure.
The long doors finally opened.
Shattered stood up quickly and straightened. He clasped his hands together and did his best to not look too expectant, in case his face showed any potentially offensive emotion.
"Prince Nightmare from the
Two guards entered the room before anyone else. Then, they stepped aside, revealing...
Was that truly Nightmare?
Over letter, he'd talked confidently. Assertive, even, giving the impression of someone... Taller. For a future king, he was... Very short-statured and soft looking.
How amusing! How adorable!
The prince smiled kindly at the guards letting him through, leaving them a bit befuddled.
"Welcome. We are delighted to have you here. You must have travelled quite far."
Night folded his own hands in front of himself as well, extending his smile to the king.
"It's of no issue. Shall we discuss?"
"Of course. Come along, then."