Let's Get Married!!

 When she opened her white curtains and stepped onto the balcony he was there again. A fancy white suit with gold lining, tulip pursed between his lips, a soft dark gaze reserved only for eyeing her face. Her fingers clasped onto the white railing, palms covered by ribbon gloves in an alternating pastel pink and white. She smiled at him, greeted him with the sun in her eyes.

She thought he purposefully climbed that tree just to look cool standing on its branch every morning, but she didn’t mind. It was the third palace floor after all, and the guards would never let him in the front gate. They hated seeing his face, saying, “he’ll play with your heart. All boys are like this.”

She studied his jet black hair, slightly messy as if he’d hurried to comb it before running out. But she was interrupted by his voice.

“Did you get bored waiting inside?~ I’m sorry I took so long, I hope no other princes tried courting you while I was gone.” He chuckled to himself after taking out the tulip from his lips, and offered his dark gloved hand. “Let’s get you out of this mansion~ so you can see the world too from more than your window, princess~”

She interlaced her fingers with his, and with a surge of strength he lifted her over the railing. Her cotton-pink cape fluttered in the wind, and she landed steadily despite her golden heels with him holding onto her shoulders before putting her over his.

“Where should we go today? The meadows, the sea, or maybe shopping in the city again?~”

“Anywhere! I just wanna be with you!”

He giggled, almost femininely and leapt down onto the grass. Setting her on the saddle first, he climbed on top his white horse with her seated in front of him before holding the reins.

“Onwards to Averia, the city of magick!” The horse began running through the front garden, scaring the guards who thought there was an assassin. Some of their mouths dropped when they saw the princess laughing with an infamous man.

“S-Stop right there! Your highness, that's Konstelle! Your family’s worst enemy!” They ran after but to no avail. The two slipped through like sand passing between one’s fingers. When they ran past the front gate he whistled with his pinky, and a great dove flew down from the clouds to meet his summon by landing on his wrist.

“Tell my father, the grand duke, that I won’t be home for the night. Arrange a masquerade in the Town Square of Averia, and a banquet in Ledamile, befitting a wedding.” He sent it off with a gentle flick, and his eyes followed it to the sky before landing back on her hair. “Is the ride comfortable?”

“It is! But the sun's so bright…” She said while lifting her chin to study his face.

He bent his body forwards to shield her like a shadow and took out a starry umbrella, making the whole scene appear much like a carousel. Her eyes turned to black dots like a cute rabbit for a moment, stunned at his overpreparation. His forehead met hers, and he grinned like a prank had just been played.

Half an hour later he whisked her into his arms and carried her off the horse, setting her down gently so as to not stain her neat white bloomers. He patted down her shirt as well, and recentered her large golden crown.

She pouted a little at the childish treatment, feeling a bit embarrassed to be seen like this in front of the city gate. “I’m not a kid anymore! When I was small-“

He bent his knees to match her height and placed his hand on her head. “So today, then?”

Before she could react he kissed her cheek and put her atop his shoulders. “Kids don’t get this treatment you know~”

They entered the gate, the guard bowing at their appearance. Still carrying her in his arms, he nodded his head towards familiar faces to greet those passing by. They’d become accustomed to this by now. The prince would take his “rightfully eloped-wife,” or so he described her and travel across the territories of the empire and beyond. Once, he’d taken her overseas at her request. He almost didn’t return her that time, the two of them considering living somewhere peaceful and secluded, adorning each other with their daily innocent happiness, but she eventually decided such a decision was a bit soon.

They wandered through the city markets and made their way into a special tailor shop. The attendants were a little surprised, probably expecting a prince to have bought his princess expensive jewelry and have her walk elegantly beside him; so they were unprepared to see a girl carried like a backpack while wearing tilted flower crowns and animal bracelets biting onto a marshmallow stick.

“I’ve brought my future wife~” he called into the room and placed her onto the waiting couch. “I’ll be back in a short while, try not to get lost” he teased.

She tilted her head a little and held onto his hand. “Are you choosing our outfits? I wanna come!”

“We can look through their display dresses together~ But I was going to ask for something star-like for our main ones tonight, to fit the theme!”

They looked through the showcase of dresses: oceanic ones with cute white seashells, floral skirts with layers of fluffy frills, and dresses modeled after concepts like dawn and forestry overgrowth.

She examined them closely, taking in the details between each one, “They’re all so cute? It’s hard to pick…”

“We can have all of them if you wish, but~” behind her, he pressed one onto her shoulders. “I think this one would look really pretty on you.”

She turned her head to see the piece: black lace and shades of light and dark purple, a line of tiny amethyst gems starting each new layer, and puffy sleeves. Azure petals flowed through the dress, like the wings of a butterfly blending into an aurora.

He didn’t know if those were still her favorite colors, but that was alright. He didn’t pick it for such a simple reason. He knew she’d smile, because he took the time to remember it.

Later they went to find a mask, sold in one of many stalls opened for the night festival he’d arranged to be held previously. She ended up with a yellow-star magic-wand toy, and a peacock-feathered hat hung from him like he was a coat rack. There was an orca mask whose red string held onto her right ear, and a new crystal ornament on the other side of her face. As for him, a silvery dragon mask covered all from his forehead to the bridge of his nose, save for his gleaming eyes. He’d tied her hair into a ponytail earlier to keep sauces from staining it, and lightly brushed the sugar off her lips with his thumb. She was a noble, but at least in his eyes, she was simply an adorable kid whom he cherished.

Placing his palm in hers, he was holding her hand now, checking behind him every few breaths just to see her there. They led up a wooden path, their silhouettes dawning on the street behind them. He kissed her cheek then, just to see how they looked in their shadow, like a painting on the floor.

The top of the steps greeted them with an archway of hydrangeas before leading them inside the house. It was an empty, dark ballroom, yet it felt filled to the brim when the two stepped in; for to her, he held the world in his presence, and to him, she was the whole night sky in the darkness. Tiny flames began to light, each one illuminating their faces for the other to see. He slid her mask onto her face and they danced.

To be honest neither of them knew how. It was more like he sang while she followed his hand in the pale candlelight. To them, that was livelier than any party. Sometimes, the quietness was the only right kind of loud.

At the sides of the large staircase, tiny lanterns began to wake, signaling the passage to another space. He turned to meet her eyes, then brought her hand into the air with a slight tug, like asking for their retreat.

They made it to their room, but instead of their bed he took her to the floor, their fall softened by the bracing of pillows and large plushies.

He was lying on his back, arms folded under his head while gazing at the ceiling. She was resting beside him, clutching onto a small stuffed rabbit they won at a carnival game the year before. He spoke in a whisper, almost talking to himself, "Marry me." She blushed, "Right now? In edgy costumes with magical girl figurines looking down from the shelves?"

His face turned to look at her, relaxing his eyes affectionately, "Yes, just like this. Let's keep choosing the floor over furniture.”

She laughed. "Do you…want to live like this?"

He smiled, gently removing the animal masks from their faces, "I do. Let me sneak in through your window and kiss you behind the glass."

She thought about it and shook her head, "You’ll be kicked out if the maid sees us."

“So what?” He laughed with his usual carefreeness. “Run away with me again. We can get ice cream and light fireworks, then draw with crayons like we’re four, with bits of red and blue on your nails and splotches of water paint on my clothes.”

Her eyes softened as she fawned over him. He kept going, “We’ll see who can eat the spiciest food, and roleplay as adventures with sticks for makeshift wands.”

She leaned closer to him, hand on her cheek like watching a kid ramble about their day. “Can we dress up as knights and chase each other around the house too?”

He brought their foreheads together. “With torches in our hands and dark capes. And I want a ruby necklace, like a vampire's.” He closed his eyes and held her cheeks in his hands, “…would you like to marry me?”

She pecked his lips and smiled to the side, “I already have. I just never told you.”

I’m jealous of those who get to see you every day ~ End of Chapter 1ㅤ-` ♡´-