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Fantasy A Tale of Fire and Ice: An Unexpected Engagement

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Xander gave a small nod in thanks to his advisor for not prying in this matter. He simply was not ready to discuss it yet, for many reasons, and Clyde had always been patient like a saint when it came to his king. That's one of the main reason Xander kept him, in all honesty, aside from Clyde's ability to excel at his job in every facet of course. With nary another word, the two men then headed to Evangeline's now-destroyed room. For once, Xander was glad about the abundance of guest rooms he never had a use for, as he had dire need of one of them now... or at least, Evangeline did.

Xander's gaze became deeply sympathetic as he laid eyes upon the unconscious Evangeline, at least for a moment before an impartial gaze returned. He cared for her, but upon seeing that she didn't look too badly burnt or anything of the sort, he calmed down a little. Xander simply nodded at Clyde's words before he then began to follow Clyde and the guard down the hallway, glancing over at the injured Evangeline with a more worried expression than he thought he could muster for her. This situation made him realize that there was a part of him that truly cared for her, even if the reasons were because she was needed for the war to be won, because she was beautiful, or perhaps for some other reason besides love or true affection. He didn't love her, he knew that for certain. Although in this moment, he found himself thinking that it was possible that he could fall in love with her eventually.... perhaps even sooner than he thought was ever possible.

At the entrance to Evangeline's new, non-burnt room, Xander frowned slightly as Clyde excused himself. he didn't like Clyde say and doing things he was not aware of, but this time he let it slide. Besides, admittedly, Clyde's dealings behind his back had more often been good for the kingdom than anything. So Xander simply nodded and let his advisor go, albeit with a rather questioning expression.

As Xander entered the room and watched the nurse work, he glanced questioningly at the nurse as if to ask her if Evangeline was going to be okay. Xander found her smile just slightly contagious as the slightest smirk spread over his face, nodding at her. "Good," he said in his trademark even tone, showing no more emotion than his very slight smile conveyed. He was feeling more relieved to hear that than he thought he ever would be.

Xander's eyes widened as the unconscious woman before him opened her own eyes, and he couldn't help but think for a moment just how beautiful said eyes were. He was starting to notice her beauty more and more as he spent more time with her. This was no time to think about such things, however, and Xander found hismelf kneeling by the bedside and leaning over her, eyes looking over her face with a likely shocking amount of concern, like earlier after that disaster at the ball.

When Evangeline looked away from the nurse and towards him, Xander nodded only to frown worriedly as she coughed violently. Thankfully, it stopped moments later. "There was an attack... an attempted assassination, by the looks of things... they set fire to your room." He answered simply, a clear glint of worry in his eyes. The sharp Evangleine would likely be able to tell that he was hiding something.

The Velveteen Rabbit The Velveteen Rabbit
 
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An assassination?

The thought of an unknown entity roaming freely around her room in the middle of the night caused shivers to run down her spine. If anyone was responsible for this, it had to be the Dark Kingdom, there was no doubt about it. Evangeline tried hard to remember if she saw anything, recalling that the fire itself was a dark purple. But other than that nothing else of importance came to mind. She took the time to check over herself for the first time to see if she was okay, surprised to find that she was basically unharmed.

"The fire... it was spreading far too quickly when I fainted. H...How do I not have any injuries?" She whispered to herself, a confused look on her face. It didn't make any sense. At the rate the fire was spreading, Evangeline would have been burnt alive not too soon after she collapsed. She frowned slightly at the thought. Perhaps the assassin was a pyromancer. That seemed to be the only explanation.

"All that matters is that you're safe now, my lady. There's no need to worry." The nurse sitting by her bed smiled warmly, rising to her feet.

"I'll be back in just a moment. I need to refill this bowl with fresh water." She explained before taking her leave, the wet cloth draped over her arm. Evangeline watched her leave, turning her attention back towards Xander once she was gone, leaving the two royals alone together. The king looked so concerned for her safety as he kneeled beside her bed, worry evident in his eyes. The princess grew slightly flustered when their eyes met, averting her gaze in an instant and looking a bit restless.

"S-Stop looking at me like that. You don't have to pretend to be concerned for me when no one's around..." Evangeline muttered quietly.

That's right... This is only for the sake of our kingdoms. We don't have time to care for each other. She thought bitterly, her gaze still avoiding his.

Evangeline glanced back to him after a few moments, noticing his tenseness. It made her suspicious and she squinted her eyes, arching an eyebrow in question.

"You saw something, didn't you?"

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"I'm not sure.... we have naught but guesses right now," Xander said in response to her question about the mysterious fire that hadn't hurt her very much at all. "However, I have many experts on fire at my disposal, as you can imagine, I'll have them assess the damage, see what they can learn." He decided to kep his own theory that the man was a pyromancer to himself for now. Xander's concerned look only deepened as he witnessed Evangeline mutter something to herself. Besides being worried about her deep down, he was also slightly worried that she suspected a pyromancer who defected to the Fire Kingdom to the Darkness kingdom, just as he himself suspected. He was afraid that she could start throwing blame at his people for it, and it could create quite the mess. However, most of the worry in his eyes was indeed directed toward Evangeline herself and her current rather sorry state.

Xander nodded towards the nurse as she left. A moment later, he and Evangeline's eyes met for nary a second before Evangeline looked away, and on relfex, he looked away as well, unsure himself why he'd been looking at her so intensely and for so long to begin with. His face twisted into a frown. "yes, you're right, I'm unsure what I was thinking," he replied coldly. He knew that if they kept snapping at each other like this, the bond the people want from them would never truly form. He told himself that he would work on kinder responses to her snappy remarks in the future, and hoped to the gods above that it wold eventually cause her to return the favor. For now however, the two were back to square one, stubbornly refusing to open up to each other in any way.

Evangeline's sudden question, accompanied by suspicious squinting of her eyes, caused Xander to freeze up for a second. This was bad... he knew that Evangeline would not believe him and likely press further if he said it was nothing serious, or made up some far-fetched story. He sighed, thinking carefully, before boldly meeting her eyes once more, his expression serious. "I suppose being truthful to my Fiancee' is simply the right thing to do. So I will tell you." 'What the hell am I thinking?!' Xander thought to himself, only to press onward with his words.

"Your assailant... he came into my room after setting fire to yours. He was quick, and before I had a chance to fight back his dagger was to my throat. He demanded things of me, and said that if I did not comply, everyone I hold dear would die and my kingdom would fall. To make matters worse, he promised that if I agreed... that darkness would leave this province alone. I... I will tell you what he demanded of me, but only if you promise to tell this to no one, not even Clyde.... I just feel that, since you are my partner in ruling now... it is simply right that I make you part of this decision." He conveniently left out the part about Evangeline's life being part of the man's threats, out of petty anger towards her. 'Have I lost my damn mind?!' He thought in shock at what he had been saying, despite the details he'd left out. But the words had already come out, and the damage, if there was to be any, was already done. He simply hoped that neither Evangeline nor himself ever spoke of this to anyone else, to minimize the possible consequences. If she agreed, he would comply and indeed tell her everything the assassin had said. Besides, if he couldn't trust his own to-be-wife, his kingdom was likely doomed to fall anyway.

The Velveteen Rabbit The Velveteen Rabbit
 
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After hearing his cold response, Evangeline scoffed quietly to herself, her fists clenching. She couldn't stand him sometimes. The princess could never tell if he was actually genuinely concerned for her safety or just putting up a front for the sake of those around him. He was difficult to read, and since the two of them were rather similar, their stubbornness never seemed to let them get close to one another. It was an irritating cycle that continued to repeat itself when they were around each other. Evangeline didn't quite understand it.

The king seemed to freeze up instantly after hearing her question, the princess only growing more suspicious by the way he reacted to it. When he met her eyes with a serious expression on his face, Evangeline looked a bit taken back. She wasn't sure what to expect when she asked him that. He explained to her how the assassin had made his way to Xander's room shortly after setting fire to hers, threatening him with a knife and demanding things from him. Her eyes widened a little at the mention of Clyde and how she had to keep this a secret from him. If Xander was keeping this from his very own trusted adviser and close friend, the situation was far worse than she thought originally.

The princess looked down in thought for a moment, her eyes wide. The fact that Xander was trusting her with this information over Clyde... she didn't quite understand it. She looked back to him after thinking through this to herself. Evangeline suddenly gave him a curt nod.

"I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Clyde." She told him quietly in response, being surprisingly calm about it.

Just as she responded, the door to her room swung open and made the princess jolt in her place, her heart racing. Clyde stood there, a small smile on his face.

"Ah, you're awake, my lady. I'm glad to see that everything is okay." He stepped further into the room to both their dismay, standing beside the king with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Since you two are here, I would like to suggest something a bit out of the ordinary. Considering the current circumstances, I feel it would be best if you two shared a room tonight-"

"WHAT?!" Evangeline bursted out loudly. She began to cough shortly after her outburst, her throat burning.

"I-I figured you wouldn't be too happy about it, but if there's still an enemy roaming around, I would like you two to be together instead of alone. It would be a safer alternative." Clyde explained with a sheepish chuckle, seeing the displeased look on the princess's face despite his reassurances. The adviser glanced towards the king for his input, unsure of how he would react.

I guess this would give Xander another chance to talk to me about what happened earlier. But still... sleeping in the same bed as him? Has Clyde lost his mind? Evangeline thought to herself, crossing her arms over her chest. She gritted her teeth, not even prepared for what she was about to say next.

Oh boy, here we go...

"I agree with Clyde." Evangeline muttered softly. That seemed to get Clyde's attention, his expression slightly shocked at her change of heart. She avoided both of their gazes as her face turned a bright red.

"B-Besides, if we're going to be husband and wife, it's formal for them to s-sleep together." Evangeline shifted in her position, forcing herself to look at Xander despite how much she wanted to turn away. Clyde looked quite pleased that the princess agreed. If anything, he figured she would be the last one to say yes to something like that.

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  • Index
    • Xander's eyes widened at her coopertive response, butafter a few moments he nodded and took a deep breath, preparing to tell her the things demanded of him, as infuriating as they were. He still wasn't entirely sure why he was going to tell her, in all honesty. He was also suprised at how quickly Evangeline agreed not to tell, eve after being so angry at him just a mere few moments ago for his cold words. She didn't seem to be a dishonest type either, and though he'd never admit it, he honestly trusted her not to tell. Just when he was about to explain the pyromancer assassn's demands however, Clyde entered the room.

    Xander froze in unison with his to-be bride, perhaps a comical sight to one who might be watching. Clyde didn't seem to notice any odd behavior however, and Xander began to relax as a result. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to tell Evangeline now, though.

    He looked Clyde in the eyes, listening to his words, and and frowned, flinching while his eye twtiched as Evangeline reacted so adversely to smething that, sometime in the future, she would be expected to do. He didn't really mind sleeping in a seprate room, in fact he preferred it, but if the news that the king and queen slept in seperate rooms ever got out into the public, it would do a number on the nation's already-low morale.

    A moment later, it dawned on the king that this could be thier chance to have the rest of this private conversation, despite that he still wasn't sure what he wanted to tell her for. It just seemed... safer, than telling Clyde, but why did he think that? Taking a deep breath and clearing these thoughts as best he could, he sat through Clyde's attempt to calm down his king's to-be-wife, and was about to speak up, when Evangeline stopped the whole world with her own words. He looked just as shocked as Clyde.... but then, a few seconds later, it dawned on him. 'She must just be doing this in order to get the rest of the information,' he thought. 'But to go to such lengths... she must truly be prepared to do anything for her country then.'

    Xander sighed, decided to bite the bullet and shock Clyde even more. He just hoped the poor man could handle it. First though, He looked into Evangeline's eyes for a moment, the pair sitting at an angle that thankfully masked the look in Xander's eyes from Clyde, and gave her a very grateful, sincere look that seemed to say 'thank you, I will make it up to you.' This probably shocked Evangeline too now that he thought about it, but then he turned to Clyde. "I... also agree, in all honesty. T'wouldn't do for the king and queen to sleep sperately. Well then Evangeline, follow me." He seemed just as bashful as she did. He hoped the clever Clyde was not onto something fishy happening here... normally when Xander didn't act like himself, it was becasue he was trying to hide something, and Clyde knew that. However, it was impossible to eavesdrop through thre thick doors and walls of this castel, so the moment Clyde left the malone, they would have the privacy they needed.

    The moment they were alone, Xander sat down on his bed and motioned for Evangeline to sit in a nearby chair which he often read it. It was quite comfy. Once she had, he told her everything, all of his assailant's demands, from replacing his head priest to betraying the water kingdom, striaght through his promises and threats surrounding it all. "I think I've finally figured out the reason I wanted to tell you this, as well,' he said, when he was finally finished.He too ka deep breath, this being hard to say. "Like it or not, we must be in this together and form a bond if we are to win this war... and beyond that... I don't see you as the worst prospective queen I've had by any stretch. I... honestly admire the way you stand up for yourself and your people. That's needed in a queen. I suppose what i am trying to say is... I can't bring myselef to keep secrets from you. The reason I'm keeping them from clyde, well... knowing him he'll take actions without my knowing that may jeopardize the whole king... both of our kingdoms." His gaze was serious, as he then waited for whatever response Evangeline was to give him.

    The Velveteen Rabbit The Velveteen Rabbit
     
  • Index
    • This is just so you and Xander can talk.

    The princess thought to herself, trying not to let her mind stray to the fact that they would now be sleeping in the same bed together. She swallowed hard and continued to force herself to stare at the king, her face still tinted with red. Knowing Xander, he would most likely agree with her, assuming he figured out this was another chance for them to talk privately. Evangeline's composure seemed to crumble the moment Xander gave her a sincere, appreciative look; pure and genuine. Her snowy white skin became redder than a rose and she averted her gaze quickly, eyes wide.

    ...What?

    It was so unexpected. The princess herself wasn't even prepared for a look like that. She desperately hoped Clyde hadn't noticed her odd behavior, or had grown suspicious of it at least. That didn't seem to be the case when she finally managed to regain her composure, looking back to the adviser and seeing the shocked yet approving look on his face as Xander agreed. Evangeline tried not to stare at the king again while he openly spoke about the idea, her face still burning with embarrassment.

    "I didn't expect you two to be so open to the idea. Well, I guess that concludes things. I'll see you two in the morning. Have a goodnight." He called to them, watching Xander begin to lead Evangeline away to his room. The princess was quiet as she walked behind him, entering his quarters shortly after he did. She sat down in the chair across from him, noticing how comfortable it was and instantly relaxing against the plush seat. Evangeline listened intently as he spoke and glanced towards the ground with a frown on her face, trying make sense of these demands. If anything, it sounded like they were trying to eliminate some of the king's power, possibly to make him weaker in a way so they could take advantage of it. Her thoughts were interrupted when Xander took a breath and began to speak again, Evangeline looking back to him with yet another surprised look on her face. She blinked rapidly as he explained the reason why he was telling her this and not Clyde, his most trusted adviser.

    Evangeline shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her face beginning to burn just as it had done earlier. She felt herself start to blush, much to her dismay. Her skin was so pale she was sure Xander could see it, even in the dark.

    "I agree," she murmured softly, her tone different than usual. The princess forced herself to look at him.

    "If we want to move forward we have to work together, even if it's... difficult at times. You.... aren't what I expected to be either." She felt her face heat up.

    "I expected to marry a man with little value for others. After what I'd heard about you, I thought things would never work out between us. But, you're more caring than I thought you'd be, even if you won't admit it."

    What in the world am I saying? This is XANDER you're telling this to!

    The princess suddenly flinched and she immediately put on a stubborn front, crossing her arms over her chest and averting her pale gaze.

    "I-I mean, what I'm TRYING to say is that I want to help you work through this. Both of our countries are in jeopardy and I won't allow it." She admitted with a scowl on her face, continuing to avoid his eyes as he watched her struggle.

    This is embarrassing... I can't believe I just said that to HIM of all people.

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    Xander found himself grinning at Evangeline's admittedly adorable reaction to his sincere look in the eyes. Part of Xander felt that he should let out this side of himself more simply in order to see more of this cute expression... but the second he had that thought he felt disgusted with himself, trying his best not to show it in order to keep Clyde from becoming suspicious. He was very surprised when said Advisor did not pick up on the odd behavior of the pair at all, seeming to think it just a happy change of heart, perhaps due to the unfortunate events of the evening. Barely managing not to show his surprise as he began to lead Evangeline out of the room.

    After having meticulously explained everything, Xander prepared himself for.... well, he wasn't sure what, but certainly not the reaction he ended up receiving, at least at first. Xander could just barely make ou that she was blushing in the dimly lit room.

    Her softly murmured "I agree" causes his eyes to widen in surprise. As she kept going, Xander felt himself blushing a little. 'Did she just... compliment me?' He thought in shock. he was dumbfounded, a shock expression with a grateful look in his eyes similar to the one he had in her bedroom plastered on his face.

    Just as Xander was about to say something rather heartfelt in response, he found himself frowning at her next actions and words, sighing. It was going to take some work in order for either of them to stop behaving like this, it seemed. Xander's eye began to twitch in frustration, then he took a deep breath, not allowing this to get to him.

    "You're right... but you make it difficult to agree with you when you act like that. Though.... in all honesty I'm not better..." Xander's face flushed as well. What the hell was happening to the both of them?! "Goodnight, Evangeline," he said matter of factly, lying down on the bed ad turning away from her, using any excuse not to continue this conversation further right now. Besides, maybe some sleep will knock some snese into the both of them.... but was that what he really wanted? No, what he wanted deep down was to not feel like he needed to be so distant from her. With these thoughts in his head, eh ended up falling into a rather restless and disturbed sleep, Evangeline likely doing the same.

    The next morning, Xander rose without a word to Evangeline at first, got dressed, and then began to feel guilty about the way he was behaving. If he wanted to be closer to her, which he really did, this wasn't the way. "Evangeline?" He said, turning to her. "Let us try not to be so hostile with one another anymore, yes?" His tone was very sincere. However, he then said in a rather deadpan tone, "We'll be needed in the throne room soon." With that, he headed back down to deal with patrons for the day.

    The Velveteen Rabbit The Velveteen Rabbit
     
    "You're right... but you make it difficult to agree with you when you act like that."

    What the hell is that supposed to mean?

    Evangeline thought in irritation, casting an annoyed glance at the king sitting in front of her. He looked just as annoyed as she did oddly enough.

    "Though... in all honesty I'm not any better."

    Her eyes widened at that comment, and for a moment she felt a bit guilty for acting the way that she did. It wasn't her fault. Evangeline had always found it difficult to open up to people, even since she was a child. It was just a part of who she was, no matter how offputting or selfish it made her seem. Since Xander seemed so keen on having them bond with each other, it looked like she was just going to have to break out of her icy shell a little early this time.

    This is for the best, right? It's just Xander anyways... It wouldn't hurt to be just a little bit nicer to him- Evangeline suddenly cut that thought short, shuddering visibly and feeling disgusted with herself for even imagining the two of them reaching that level of closeness, if it was even possible. She let out a small exhale through her nose and closed her eyes, trying to eliminate the inner conflict she was having within herself. It couldn't be that hard. The two of them were going to have to start getting along whether they liked it or not anyways. Her kingdom and his expected a loving relationship between them, not a relationship that was tainted and vile.

    With Evangeline's arms still crossed over her chest, she watched as the king dismissed himself and turned away from her, his back facing the princess as he rolled over in bed. She rose from her seat and climbed into bed beside him, her back facing him as well. The princess pulled the covers over her mouth, feeling her face beginning to burn as the uncomfortableness hung over them like a dark void.

    "Goodnight, Xander." Evangeline said in a quiet tone, forcing her eyes shut and trying to ignore the presence beside her. After a few long moments, she eventually reopened her eyes, unable to sleep as thoughts bombarded her mind. From the way Xander was shifting restlessly in his sleep, it didn't look like he could either.

    Eventually, the princess fell into a rather restless sleep next to the king.

    The next morning, Evangeline awoke the same moment Xander did, however she refused to move. Her eyes stared blankly forward, unable to shake the discomforting feeling she'd felt since the night before. The princess' back was still facing the king, the warm covers pulled up over her slender physique. Her snowy white hair was sprawled out on the pillow like a fragile veil, surrounding her face as the sun shone in through the window, lighting up her pale, flawless skin. She didn't answer the king even as he began to speak towards her, unable to find the words to answer him. The princess glanced at the door just as Xander shut it behind him. There it was again, that same guilty feeling. Letting out a small sigh, she rose to a seated position, her feet brushing against the floor.

    "What am I doing?" She muttered to herself, running a hand through her silky hair. There was a small knock on the door that made her jump, followed by the sound of a friendly familiar voice.

    "Your highness? Are you awake? Rina and I have brought your morning tea." One of the sisters called from outside the door. Evangeline looked up at the sound of Hana's voice, finding herself relieved to be in their presence once more. She'd realized since the night of the ball that she had grown quite close to the two twin sisters.

    "Yes, come in!" She called, smiling warmly as the two came in carrying a silver platter, a steaming hot cup of tea sitting atop it. The three women conversed for awhile before they helped Evangeline get ready for the day. From what the maids had told her, the High Priest would be arriving this afternoon and it was seen as a special occasion. Rina held up a lovely dress in front of her, smiling happily at Evangeline.

    "Oh, you're going to look so lovely, my lady. I can't wait to see it! Xander will be so pleased!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together enthusiastically. Hana looked a little nervous after seeing Evangeline's reaction though. The princess scoffed quietly to herself, letting out a small huff of disappointment.

    "If he cared, he would show it. I'm sure he'll take one glance at me and forget all about it." Evangeline murmured in an irritated tone.

    "Oh, I'm sure that's not true! He may seem a little cold at first, but I know deep down he'll really love it, my lady. You'll see." Rina spoke up this time, smiling towards the princess encouragingly. Evangeline looked at the maid with a surprised look on her face, staring down at her feet as she recalled Xander complimenting her in the carriage just before the ball. She smiled slightly at the thought, reinforcing the sister's excitement.

    "Yes, I suppose you're right." The princess agreed quietly. Practically jumping up and down with happiness, the two maids helped Evangeline get ready for the upcoming meeting.

    Once she was ready, they escorted her into the throne room, every guardsmen she passed by staring openly at the beautiful princess as she walked through the halls. Entering the large throne room, Evangeline bowed respectively to the maids and dismissed them before walking towards Xander, a cup of hot tea resting safely in her hands. She held it out in front of him.

    "Here. You forgot your morning tea. I had Rina and Hana make you a new cup so it wouldn't be cold." She told him, handing him the cup and sitting down in the empty seat beside him. Evangeline could feel her face burning slightly but she tried to ignore it.

    You did fine. This is the first step to forming a bond with him, remember? Everything will be okay.

    Evangeline instinctively sideglanced towards Xander to see his reaction to her random act of kindness, a blush still slightly apparent on her face. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought...

    The large doors to the throne room suddenly burst open, a group of guardsmen appearing with the High Priest walking behind them. He was elderly as expected, wrinkles etched deep into his skin. The priest was dressed in a white, silky robe with a shiny gold trim. He bowed to the princess and the king before him and clasped his hands behind his back.

    "It's a pleasure to see you again, your majesty. I must say, your fiancée is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I don't think we've met before." He bowed deeply in front of the princess who looked completely taken back by his comment.

    Xander wouldn't agree with him on that... right?

    Evangeline thought while stealing a quick glance at the king.

    "My name is Zeno Sinha, the High Priest of the Ministry of Priesthood. I'm pleased to see our king has found such a wonderful woman to accompany him." The elder stepped towards her and lightly took her hand, kissing the top of it. Evangeline smiled warmly and looked around, noticing that quite a few of his companions were glaring in disgust at the princess. She tried to maintain her smile despite the looks she was given. Something wasn't right here.

    "Now that I've introduced myself, let's talk shall we? You called me here on important notice, your majesty. I'm curious as to why." The High Priest commented while stepping away from the princess, clasping his hands behind his back. He didn't look too friendly now, his eyes blank as he looked at the king. Just what kind of religious faction was this? They seemed rather ominous, despite their ranking.

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  • Index
    • Xander groaned in frustration when Evangeline wouldn't get up. He sighed and clenched his fists after saying her name again and continuing to be ignored. He had some choice words for her but he decided that it was best to simply keep getting ready to go. He ended up not saying another word to her, rushing about to get dressed and then leaving. The events of last night had rustled the king so much that he forgot to wait for Hana and Rina to bring his morning tea, which he couldn't function near as well without. As he got to the throne room, he found himself wondering why he still felt so groggy and generally "off". His thoughts kept drifting back to Evangeline's passive-aggresive behavior this morning which caused anger to boil up within him. Somehow though, he kept his composure as he was waited upon to ensure that he was prepared for the high priest business. He had decided he was going to appoint the priest the assassin had wanted. Once the war is over, Xander thought grimly, he could have the man exectued as he was likely a spy for Darkness in some capacity... assuming Darkness didn't win, of course. But for now, it was in the best interest of his kingdom to appoint the man.

    Just then, Evangeline came into the room. He looked to her and was about to say something along the lines of 'it's about time you got out of bed' but the words were stolen by the sight of her. Her dress suited her very well, and if Evangeline looked hard enough, she would see a glint of appreciation in his eyes, both for the dress and for the tea she handed him. He looked a little flustered as he was handed the tea, just then remembering that it was what he was missing from his morning routine. He locked eyes with Evangeline, his expression surprised at first as weel as a little angry due to her actions (or lack thereof) earlier this morning. Then, he reminded himself that despite all that, she'd just done something quite kind for him, and he said "thank you, Evangeline," with a very slight, barely noticable smile. Truthfully, Xander couldn't bring himself to continue being mad at her now, at least until after this business with the preist was concluded and he had time to think about all the things she'd done in the past to tick him off. He took a sip of the ta and smiled again. It was just he way he liked it, just enough sugar and milk. Hana and Rena definitely had something to do with this. He'd have to thank them later.

    Xander was all business as usual when the High priest walked in, standing rigidly in front of his throne and greeting the priest and his entourage with a nod. At the man's greeting, he nodded back, though he was just slightly visibly flustered for the slightest moment as the priest complimented Evangeline. He manged a smile that didn't seem sheepish in the slightest, although it took a lot of willpower. "It is good to see you again as well... and I would have to agree." Something came over Xander in this moment and he looked over to Evangeline with a cheeky grin, hoping to see her embarassment. He really did think she was beautiful, and he saw this as slight revenge for this morning in addition to a way of keeping up appeaarances that he was in love with her.

    Xander cast glances over the church officials that glared at Evangeline, and they averted thier gazes in time with the king's own glare. Deep down, Xander felt a little angry at them, but didn't let it show.

    It was time to get down to business soon enough, as the priest pointed out with his question of what he was called here for. Xander's gaze hardened and his posture stiffened, before he gave the priest a stern look. In all honesty, Xander had been considering replacing this man for a long time. Guards surrounded the throne room like always, so if the priest or any one of his cohorts should get any ideas, there would be too many heavily armed men positioned nearby for them to go through with it. Xander began pacing with his hands behind his back in front of the priest.

    "Yes, about that…” the king paused for effect, stopping then staring the priest down. “I’ve been thinking about our little arrangement, and I am honestly quite displeased with how you run your church. I’ve had my spies do some investigating, to find you have been giving us a much smaller percentage of your tithes than we agreed. I’ve had to hike taxes because of this, and no one is happy about that. In addition, I’ve heard tell of one of your prriests slandering my fiancee’ as part of his sermon, something you seem to have not moved to punish him for at all. These incidents are in addition to the others you’ve been able to get away with in the past, and I’ve had quite enough.” Everything he had said was true; just further reason to meet the assassin’s demands, and sufficient justification to boot. “Therefore, I herby command, as King of the Fire Kingdom, that you step down as priest.” Xander looked the man in the eyes harshly, his guards preparing to jump into action should things get unnecesarily heated.

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  • Index
    • H-He's can't be serious. There's no way he actually thinks that.

    Evangeline's eyes widened in disbelief as Xander agreed with the High Priest about his compliment. She felt her face grow hot again, casting a glance over at the king and seeing the large grin on his face. When their eyes met, the princess immediately averted her gaze away, shifting restlessly in her seat with an embarrassed look on her face. The thought occurred to her that Xander was not only doing this for appearances, but for the sole purpose to embarrass her in front of others as well. She looked slightly irritated at the thought, looking back at the king and briefly glaring at him before returning her attention back to the priest in front of them.

    As Xander began to speak, displeasure and anger slowly appeared on the priest's withered features, his mouth twisting into a snarl as he went on.

    "You can't be serious." The elderly man growled under his breath, taking a bold step towards the princess and pointing at her.

    "Is it no coincidence that the moment you became involved with this woman you began making such bold claims on my behalf? Can't you see what she's doing? She's trying to undermine you, like the witch that she is." He spat, his fierce eyes staring intensely into hers. Evangeline couldn't believe the words that had just come out of his mouth. She felt anger boiling up inside of her, the princess' hands balling up into fists.

    "I never should have approved of this marriage. It's just going to ruin your country and we both know it. She should just go back to wherever she came from. After all, are you not aware that ice is seen as an evil omen in our country? Have you failed to tell your own fiancee of this knowledge?" He continued to speak, venom heavy in every word. Evangeline could feel herself losing control of her anger, her hands beginning to shake and her gaze icy.

    "You are making a grave mistake, your Majesty." The priest finally said, his shoulders quivering with anger underneath his silk robe.

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    Xander's grin only widened as Evangeline turned away. Seeing her flustered was honestly adorable to him, and part of him wanted to see more of that side of her. Teasing her in front of other like this would show off his physical attraction to her, perhaps putting people at ease about the king and queen's relationship. He hadn't thought of that before.

    Xander, a little embarrassed himself that he was having such thoughts, then proceeded to give his little well-practiced speech regarding the Preist.

    "Oh, but I am... I've deemed you unfit for the job. Nothing you can do," Xander said in response to the priest's outrage.

    As the man continued, Xander felt his eye twitching and one of his own fists closing. 'How dare he accuse her of treason?! This was the Darkness Kingdom's doing! How dare he compare my future wife to them?!' Xander's thoughts were in a rage-filled tizzy, until he stopped and thought that this was the same woman who was more often than not uncooperative with the man she was to marry. These feelings conflicted within him and only made him angrier.

    When the priest had finally finished, Xander wasted not another second. His face was red with rage and it looked like he was about to pop a vein in his forehead. "Guards! Escort these scum out of my throne room! This discussion has concluded."

    If they had to use force, the guards did so, and in the end, the priest and his underlings were removed, now just normal men with no power within the preisthood. Xander sat upon his throne, poured himself a glass of wine adn drank to calm himself. He looked to Evangeline, likely still seething, and had an idea. He grabbed a second glass from the wine cabinet hidden behind the throne just for occasions like this and poured another glass, setting it on the decorative table between his throne and the smalller, yet still very regal-looking, queen's throne that Evangeline sat upon. "To calm your nerves, if you wish." He took another sip of his own wine, and when calm enough, turned to her again, speaking very quietly. "I... apologize for my priest's behavior. At least the lout isn't in charge of something so important any more... though of course I do worry about his replacement..." no one but Evangeline would know what he meant by that last statement. The replacement that was demanded was a man Xander knew very little about... but the threats that the assassin had level at him... this was for his own kingdom's good, Xander reminded himself.

    As soon as he could, Xander saw to it that the new head priest was appointed, hoping that his choice didn't alarm Clyde although it very well may.

    Once that business was taken care of, it would be late evening. Xander and Evangeline were eating dinner, the chefs ensuring to cook some comfort food from Evangeline's country for her after hearing about the slander the former head priest had leveled at her earlier.

    As they ate, likely quietly, Xander looked over at her. "I have heard tell that you know some important folk from the water Kingdom, yes? As you know, they are coming in a few days. I... may need your assistance in dealing with them, and should you do so I would be very grateful." He averted his gaze from her, embarrassed to ask for her help.

    After that conversation was over, wherever it led, Xander had drunk quite the sizable amount of wine due to the stresses of the day. "Evangeline?" he asked, his tone quite a bit more friendly than Evangeline would be used to. "If it's no bother, would you care to spend the evening with me again? We must keep up appearances." There was nothing cheeky about his words, yet there was clearly a very slight look of hope in his eyes, as if he wanted to sleep in the same bed with her again.

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    The priest only grew angrier, taking yet another step towards the two royals, opening his mouth to object. He was stopped instantly by the guards as they stepped in front of Evangeline and Xander protectively, their swords unsheathed and at the ready. He immediately clamped his mouth shut, the elder absolutely seething with rage at this point. Just as the king had done at the ball, he was bursting with anger, slightly red in the face as he ordered for the priest and his comrades to be disposed of properly. The princess glared fiercely after the ex-priest, their eyes locking with each other before he was dragged away by the guardsmen.

    Evangeline let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through her silky white hair, trying to calm herself after hearing such harsh words directed towards her. Much to her surprise, Xander poured her a glass of wine as well, setting it on the table sitting between them. She looked up at him with a slightly appreciative look, nodding as she gently took the glass between her fingers.

    "Th...Thank you." The princess murmured, raising the glass to her lips and taking a small sip. The priest's words suddenly replayed in her mind out of nowhere, bright and clear, repeating over and over again like an echo. Her small sip suddenly turned into a rather large gulp as she downed the entire glass of wine, dipping her head back and letting out a small sigh when her lips released from the glass' edge. Evangeline tried to ignore the looks of disbelief some of the guardsmen were giving her after that random display. She honestly didn't care about what they thought at this point and looked over to Xander as he began to speak.

    Everything about the situation was bad. Since the Dark Kingdom had requested this man specifically, the princess could only imagine what he would be like.

    "It's okay. It's already been said and done. I'm sure I won't be seeing that man again anyways so his words mean nothing to me..." She muttered softly in response, pouring herself another glass of wine and taking yet another large gulp from it. Evangeline lowered the glass and rose from her seat, staring at the doors leading into the throne room.

    "Whoever this replacement is, we should probably keep a careful watch on him. He could be anyone." She agreed. The wine seemed to have successfully calmed her down, her body and features more relaxed now.

    After the rather eventful meeting was over and a few hours had gone by, Evangeline made her way to the dining room, escorted by Hana and Rina as usual. The alcohol she had drank earlier was beginning to affect her, much to the point where her face was flushed with red and her movements seemed to be erratic. She plopped down into the seat across from Xander, swaying slightly before managing to regain her balance. The princess cleared her throat and tried her hardest to maintain what little soberness she had left even though she was failing miserably at it.

    Much to her enjoyment, the chef poured her yet another glass of wine and she smiled happily at him.

    "Just what I needed. Thank youuu, my *hiccup* darling." She called after the chef in a sing songy voice, swooping the glass into her hand and downing it in seconds. The princess sighed after setting the empty glass back down onto the table. As the king began to speak, Evangeline tried her hardest to focus her vision on the figure in front of her, however it proved to be rather difficult as he faded in and out of existence, becoming a huge blurry blob in the distance. Too drunk to fully listen, the princess managed to pick out a few key words and her eyes widened. She jumped out of her seat, slamming her fists on the table. The plates and silverware sitting atop it rattled loudly.

    "THE ROYAL FAMILY ISH COMING HERE?! I *hiccup* haven't seen Zen since I washh a kid. I'm pretty sshure he's still in *hiccup* love with me though. Oh well... I'm married to Mr. King Xander now, ishn't that riight, your *hiccup* Majesty?" She giggled and placed her hands on her hips, leaning in across the table and sticking her face very close to Xander's, her eyebrow arched and a smirk plastered across her lips. That last glass of wine seemed to have topped it off and the princess swayed on her feet as she stood there. She heard Xander talking to her but she couldn't make anything out and ended up completely ignoring him.

    Suddenly, things became very dizzy and it showed on her face, looking very disoriented as she tried to focus on Xander, her eyes squinting. She made a confused face.

    "Heysh... I don't remember there being *hiccup* five of you." She pointed a finger at him accusingly.

    "I can't handle five *hiccup* Xanders. What washh my grandfather thinking?" Evangeline mumbled to herself, swaying heavily on her feet now. She suddenly crumpled to the floor as her knees buckled from underneath her. Everyone in the dining room let out a gasp, immediately rushing to her aid. The princess only passed out momentarily, her eyes slowly fluttering open seconds later. She held her hand out in front of her face to block the light, the chandelier above blinding her eyes.

    "It'sh... too bright. My eyesh are burning." She slurred softly, feeling a heavy pounding sensation in the back of her skull. Evangeline tried her hardest to rise to her feet, her face still very much flushed and eyes glazed over. It was safe to say that she was in fact very drunk.

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    "You're welcome," Xander replied, watching her tentatively sip her wine as he took a sip of his own. However, he nearly spit his wine out when he saw her begin to knock back the rest back in a fashion that would put most alcoholics to shame. He wasn't shocked for more than a couple of moments however, remembering the things the priest had said about her moments earlier. The king certainly didn't blame her. Xander was just glad that lout was gone.

    Xander nodded at her next words, though he thought 'they do mean something to you, or you wouldn't be drinking so much.' Best not to cause her even more stress, so he didn't voice those thoughts. "Yes, I highly doubt you'll be seeing him again. I will ensure that my guards arrest him if they ever see him so much as approaching the edge of the castle grounds."

    Xander then found himself taking a large gulp from his own wine glass as Evangeline spoke of the replacement the Dark Kingdom demanded. "Agreed, I'll keep many eyes on him at every opportunity."

    Later that evening, Xander immediately regretted pouring Evangeline her wine earlier when he notice the state she was in. He found himself glaring at the chef when he poured her another, whom nodded, which Xander knew meant that he wouldn't be giving her another. Xander nodded back. it was definitely for the best as no one wanted her to get sick. The chef was a quiet, stoic type, butXander swore he noticed a rare smile on the man's face as the beautiful Evangeline called him her 'darling'. Xander felt a little jealousy rising in him at that. 'It must be the wine,' he thought, dismissing the feeling, or trying to.

    Xander had a feeling she wasn't listening, but being rather tipsy himself and feeling a little rambly, he let it slide. Thankfully, he seemed to catch her attention with telling her about the Water Kingdom's royals coming. Most of her drunken ramble went right in one tipsy ear of the king's and out the other, but when he heard something about a Zen being in love with her, a sudden powerful feeling ofjealousy overtook him, like the feeling he felt when he called the chef "darling" but about 5 times the magnitude. "What?! Prince Zen is love with you?! I-I mean, yes that is quite right." He took a deep breath to tryand maintain his composure. He didn't need competition when nearly everyone was certain he and Evangeline weren't going to work out anyway.

    However, not only did Evangeline not seem to hear his earlier irate question somehow, but she randomly leaned very close to him. For some reason, this stopped his train of thought and Xander found himself staring into her eyes. Besides the smell of alcohol, it was... rather pleasant to be so close to her.

    After Evangeline momentarily passed out, Xander decided it was time to get her some rest. "Evangeline, dear, we're going to bed now." He gently helped her up off the floor and began to lead her to his room, not even thinking to ask her if she would rather sleep in her own room.

    Once there, Xander carefully laid her in bed. he wasn't about to undress her, so she'd have to sleep in her dress tonight. He was very groggy, and so made the mistake of laying down next to her. He was out within seconds, and tthroughout the night, in his sleep, he scooted closer to her. By morning, he had his amrms wrapped around her back and snaking around her front, like a pair of lovers spooning except they were both wearing thier normal clothes.

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    "Eh?" was all the princess could say in response to Xander, unable to make out what he was saying.

    Evangeline wasn't exactly sure what was going on.

    It felt like the entire world was spinning like one big top, round and round. She was lying on the floor one minute and in Xander's arms the next. The princess could barely register that she was even moving after the king had swooped her up and was carrying her to their room. Finally, things seemed to click and she glared stubbornly at Xander, squinting her eyes and poking him in the chest with her fingertip repeatedly.

    "H-Heysh... I can walk *hiccup* myself ya know. My legsh aren't broken." She slurred, feeling her eyes drift down towards her legs to check and see if they actually were in one piece. When she saw that they were, Evangeline instantly forgot Xander was even holding her in the first place and slouched into his arms, her eyes trying to focus on everything around them. When the princess was suddenly set down on the bed, she bolted upright, swaying from the quick movement.

    "Wheresh am I?" Evangeline muttered, glancing around the room suspiciously. She realized where she was a few moments later, collapsing back onto the bed with a small grunt. The princess rolled over onto her side and tried hard to focus on the wall in front of her, but it was too blurry and appeared to be moving in one big circle. She felt Xander lay down beside her on the opposite side of the bed.

    "Don't try anything, okaysh?" The princess mumbled in an irritated fashion. There was no response. She glanced behind her, glaring at his back.

    "Hey! Are you lishening?"

    Silence again.

    Evangeline muttered something inaudible under her breath after realizing he'd fallen asleep, returning to staring at the wall next to the bed. Her thoughts were extremely scrambled, and at one point the princess felt a sudden burst of emotion, unable to hold herself back. Tears welled in her eyes in an instant and spilled down her face, Evangeline's body beginning to shake as all of the frustration and sadness she'd felt since the day she arrived suddenly took over. The harsh words the ambassador spat in her face the night of the ball flooded back to her, repeating endlessly in her mind like an echo projected into a hollow cave.

    Evangeline pressed her face into her hands and cried heavily into them, her tears soaking into the pillow underneath her head. The rest of the night was a blur. The princess couldn't remember when she had fallen asleep.

    The next morning, as the sun shone through the window into the extravagant room, Evangeline's puffy eyes slowly opened. There was a pounding sensation in the back of her head and she groaned softly at the pain, rubbing the back of her head. It throbbed rhythmically, like the beat of a heavy drum.

    "Wh...What happened last night?" She murmured softly to herself, trying to piece together any memories from the night prior. Finally taking in her surroundings, Evangeline realized there was a pleasantly warm feeling coming from behind her. At first, she almost considered falling back asleep by how comforting it felt, but once she realized what it was, her eyes widened in an instant. Xander's arms were wrapped tightly around her, his body spooning against hers. She could feel his soft breath on her neck exhaling every so often.

    Her face went beet red.

    "X-X-Xander! Let go of me!" Evangeline exclaimed loudly, trying to scramble away from him but his grip on her body only tightened. She felt his face bury into the back of her neck and she froze, her cheeks bright red. Evangeline would never in a million years admit it out loud, but she actually enjoyed how this felt. It was very comforting oddly enough.

    Hey, this is Xander we're talking about here. There's no way he did this on purpose. She thought to herself.

    Still rather flustered and red in the face, Evangeline tried to pry herself away from his arms again. She suddenly began to panic and grew increasingly aware that someone could walk in on them at it any moment.

    "XANDER! LET GO!" She let out a nervous screech and looked back at him.

    When he woke up, all he would see was Evangeline's embarrassed expression, her eyes looking into his and her face tinted with red as they continued to lay pressed against each other.

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    Xander didn't listen to his Elven Fiancee's drunken protests, partly because in his own buzzed state he didn't hear some of it and partly because he was simply having none of it, deciding that it was best for everyone involved that she get some rest.

    Xander was out like a light the moment his head hit the pillow, and he stayed that way for the entire night. His slumber was disturbed, however, the Fire King tossing, turning and mumbling in his sleep.It was clear he was having many varied dreams, and that even as Evangeline cried next to him he didn't wake. However, he did mutter her name softly a few times, in a sympathetic tone, as if subconsciously he heard her and wanted to help her, or that her sobbing translated into his dreams.

    Xander was still fast asleep the next morning, Evangeline's words not reaching him.

    That was, until she screamed "XANDER! LET GO!" at the top of her lungs, letting out a nervous screech afterward.

    That woke him right up, Xander's eyes fluttering open as his heart beat wildly. His eyes were met by Evangeline's as they opened, her face very very close to his, a blush upon her cheeks. he was about to ask what she was doing, but that's when he realized.

    It was him that was doing it. "It" being holding her tightly to his body.

    It was his turn to blush, as his eyes widened. For a moment he stayed like that, unsure how to react and honestly, though he wouldn't ever admit it, enjoying the feeling of their bodies pressed so closely together and that he was getting such a close look at her beautiful face.

    Then, he snapped out of it, hastily releasing her and backing away, scooting to the other side of the bed, and immediately turning his back on her again. "I... I was drunk, Evangeline... these things happen..." He whispered, the volume lowering until it was just barely audible to her. "I'm... sorry for invading your space in such a manner..."

    He laid there for a while longer, already wide awake as he tried to think through the events of last night. The last thing he remembered was lying down upon the bed, which seemed to be a mistake. Perhaps He should've laid down on the sofa just over there in the study if he was going to lay Evangeline down in his bed. Though, expecting himself to think of such when he was drunk was quite harsh. He sighed, then looked at the clock on the wall, ticking in the loud silence that permeated his quarters at the moment. He sat up a moment later. "The Water Royals will be arriving soon. Get dressed.There's a partition in my dressing room, and the maids will be here soon to get you dressed."

    The pair then went about getting ready in silence, the maids arriving with thier tea and likely noticing the awkward air between the King and his future Queen. When they were both dressed and ready, Xander managed to say "Lovey dress, Evangeline," smiling and meeting her eyes for just long enough to say as such, then averting his gaze and frowning as he left for the throne room. On top of the awkward events of this morning, Evangeline knew what the mysterious assassin from Darkness demanded Xanderdo with the Water Kingdom, and the King found himself feeling genuinely very sorry for her.

    This day was already quite stressful, but one thing was for certain: he was not going to drink today.In fact, maybe not ever again. The embarrassment in Evangeline's eyes earlier had struck a chord with him. He may never admit it to her or anyone else, but he felt like a monster for having simply held Evangeline against her Will, in his sleep, and drunk, this situation being out of his control. These thoughts plauged him and the Water Kingdom Royals would notice unless someone was able to snap him out of it, somehow.

    Xander simply sat in his throne, avoiding eye contact with or even looking much at Evangeline, waiting for the Water Kingdom to arrive so that he could put on airs and have something else to focus on besides his troubling thoughts.

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    Xander awoke instantly at the sound of her nervous screech. He didn't let go of her at first and continued to hold her, only flustering Evangeline further. Once he finally realized what he was doing however, the king separated himself from her and scooted to the opposite side of the bed. Her heart rate began to slow itself after his body left hers. The enjoyable warmth left with him however, and the princess could feel herself missing the feeling slightly. She immediately scolded herself silently for thinking such a thing, averting her gaze from Xander's direction and staring at the wall next to her side of the bed.

    "I-It's okay... it's not your fault." She stammered in a quiet tone, barely hearing his apology. Silence immediately enveloped them and Evangeline made no attempt to break it. Yes, the two of them had been quite drunk the night prior, but she felt even more embarrassed around him than usual after that little incident and she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because he saw that vulnerable side of her again that very morning.

    H-He was drunk. Things like this happen. Just forget it ever happened and move on. She thought to herself, briefly closing her eyes and letting out a deep exhale to calm her nerves. Evangeline's head was still pounding heavily and the princess almost decided to go back to sleep again, until Xander spoke up and reminded her of the Water Royals arrival that day. She heard him sit up beside her, gently causing the bed to shake from the sudden movement. With a small groan, Evangeline sat up as well, her beautiful white hair cascading down her back. The thought of seeing Zen and his family suddenly popped into her mind, memories from her childhood flooding back to her. It made her smile a bit. The Water Prince was one of her first friends, and for a long time the princess believed they would get married someday. She would never tell Xander that though. Zen's older brother was king now, and to her knowledge was preparing to get married just like she was. The Water Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom had always been very close as allies and the royal families often visited each other frequently. However when the Dark Kingdom began attacking, their visits lessened more and more. The last time Evangeline saw Zen was when she was thirteen.

    She rose to her feet without saying a word to Xander. Hana and Rina knocked on the door as if on cue, just in time to interrupt the awkwardness that floated around them like a grey cloud. Evangeline felt relief wash over her at the sight of the two maids walking in, small smiles on their faces. They brought in their morning tea and began helping Evangeline prepare for the day shortly after that. The two maids exchanged a look with her once they became aware of the awkwardness between the princess and the king. Unable to really say anything about the situation, she managed a nervous smile and continued to get dressed, giving them a look that said, "I'll tell you everything later".

    Once she was ready, Evangeline stepped out from behind the partition, wearing a beautiful blue gown adorned with sapphires. She truly did look stunning. The princess looked a bit surprised when Xander complimented her so suddenly. The princess expected him to ignore her for the rest of the morning after such an incident.

    "Thank you." Evangeline murmured softly, watching as he turned his back to her and left without another word. She sighed to herself and glanced over at the maids who looked very confused. Since the royals from the Water Kingdom were arriving soon, she didn't have time to explain to them what happened earlier. The princess noticed the two girls were particularly excited that day as they escorted her to the throne room. She arched an eyebrow at them curiously as they walked down the hallway together.

    "Are you two okay? You're acting rather funny today." Evangeline giggled to herself.

    "We just can't wait to see the prince, my lady." Rina responded, practically bursting with excitement beside her.

    "He's only been to the castle once, but oh my. He's so charming. If only I was a princess, then we could get married." Hana pouted softly. Evangeline blinked rapidly in confusion, picturing a thirteen year old Zen in her mind even though she was sure he looked much different now. Hana looked towards her with a big smile on her face.

    "You and Zen are childhood friends right? We heard your families are very close." She looked hungry for more knowledge on the prince himself and Evangeline giggled again.

    "That's right. Me and Zen have known each other for a long time, although we haven't seen each other for a few years now." The princess explained to them, Hana and Rina nodding in unison. They continued conversing about the prince until they reached the throne room. The two maids instantly went silent when they became aware of Xander's presence and the continuous awkwardness between him and Evangeline as she sat down next to him. Clyde stood to his right, eyeing the two curiously. He obviously could tell something was wrong but couldn't figure out what.

    Soon enough, the huge doors leading into the throne room slowly opened, revealing the royals of the Water Kingdom being escorted by the captain of the guardsmen. Zen's brother, who had aged quite a bit since Evangeline had last seen him, was the first person she saw. A beautiful woman stood beside him that the princess assumed was his fiancée. She could see a tall figure standing behind them as they approached more and more. After Hana and Rina's excitement over Zen, she couldn't help but feel curious about his appearance now.

    When she finally saw him, Evangeline's eyes widened. He was far more handsome than she had ever imagined him to be. Their eyes met in an instant and the princess could tell he was having the same reaction she was having towards him. A small smile appeared on his face that could make a woman's heart stop. The princess couldn't help but smile back, feeling her lips curving upward without her permission. She could feel Hana and Rina's restlessness beside her upon seeing the prince.

    The royals bowed deeply before the king.

    "King Xander, it's a pleasure to see you once again. We haven't seen each other for some time. I hope things have been well." King Garen nodded respectively towards him, soon looking over to Evangeline who sat beside him. His eyes lit up instantly at the sight of her.

    "And Lady Evangeline... I'm glad to see you again. It's been far too long. Our whole family has missed you dearly."

    At the sound of his greeting, Evangeline jumped to her feet and leaped towards him with her arms outstretched, hugging him happily. Garen chuckled and embraced her back. He was like an older brother to her and she hadn't seen him for some time, she couldn't help it. She smiled warmly, separating from him with her hands placed on his shoulders.

    "I've missed all of you too. I'm so excited that you were able to visit." Evangeline told him. Her eyes trailed over to Zen as he stood on the opposite side of his brother. She smiled and took a step towards him, preparing to greet him.

    "It's nice to see you again, Zen." She murmured softly.

    Zen smiled again. There it was, that classic boyish smile of his that she had always adored since she was young.

    "And you as well, Evangeline." He kneeled down and lightly took her hand into his, rising it to his lips. He never broke eye contact with her as he kissed the top of it softly. She couldn't help but feel a bit flustered at the intenseness of his gaze, however she couldn't seem to look away either.

    "I think we have some catching up to do." He commented with a slight grin, his hand lingering in hers for a moment before he finally rose to his feet and hesitantly let go. Zen bowed in front of Xander.

    "My apologies, your Majesty. Thank you for inviting us to stay at your castle. It was very kind of you to do so." Prince Zen rose to a normal stance and nodded at the king sitting on his throne, a serious look on his face now. Evangeline rejoined Xander and sat next to him, finding herself glancing at the prince every now and then. She felt a bit sad for a moment after remembering the reason why Xander had invited them here in the first place.

    Evangeline hoped things didn't end badly.

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    Xander met Evangeline’s eyes at her heartfelt, yet flustered thank -you for his compliment to her dress, for just a moment, the look in his eyes a passionate one Evangeline nor anyone else had seen much or any of from him before. There was even a slight smile upon his lips. A moment later however, he remembered how embarrassed and ashamed he felt around her right now, and played the aloof king like he was so good at doing once more. He hastily took his tea from Hana and Rina’s platter, and a scone to go with it, before walking briskly down the hall towards the throne room.

    He sat down, barely managed to stop himself from drinking some more wine, and hid the bottle in a different place so that Evangeline couldn’t do to herself what she did last night. Afterwards, he waited for Evangeline. After her arrival however, things only got awkward again, of course.

    Looking around for anything to distract himself from the embarrassing, troubling, yet at the same time pleasant thoughts of Evangeline and how it felt to hold her dancing about his head, His eyes fell on Clyde. Noting the Advisor’s curious expression, Xander met his eyes with a “I’ll tell you later” sortof looking, just for a moment before glancing nervously towards the entrance again. Xander was, deep down, torn up about what he had to do. Despite relations with water being, classically due to their element, rather strained (though not as much as with Ice), water had always been gracious and cooperative when needed. It was likely been due to their leadership’s passed-down traditions of universal kindness rather than out of any love for the fire kingdom, but he couldn’t blame them considering what his ancestors had done to theirs.

    Finally, the door at the other side of the room from his throne opened to reveal the Water Royals, escorted by the captain of the guard. He stood from his throne, and as they bowed to him, he bowed back just as deeply. Even if they are visitors to your kingdom, one always bows to other royalty. It was basic court etiquette that Xander had been taught at a young age.

    “Likewise, King Garen, Prince Zen.” His greeting was very curt, yet polite. Classic Xander, which the Water royals would certainly be used to by now.

    As Evangeline greeted the Water royals, he couldn’t help but smile a little, just slightly, at how Evangeline greeted Garen. He’d heard rumors that that they were close, but not in a romantic way.Perhaps he could help Evangeline feel a little better…. If this didn’t go as poorly as Xander feared it would, that is.

    Then, Evangeline greeted Zen and Xander could tell that the two had an eye for each other. The way he kissedher hand, Xander felt a pang of… jealousy, and ended up thinking it would be good riddance to cut ties with Zen. What on earth was getting into him? Deep down, he knew…. He cared for Evangeline likely more than she ever could return such feelings. He may have been wrong, but seeing how the elf acted around Zen made Xander a little paranoid.

    Once they were done greeting each other, Xander clapped his hands and rubbedthem together to get their attention. ‘Well, you all have traveled quite the ways, and must be starving. How about a feast? We made sure to have our cook whip up some cuisine that I am confident will remind you of home. We will discuss business later.”

    And so, the group of royals gathered ‘roud the dining table. This was the point that Xander planned to pull Clyde aside for a bit and discuss things with him, once dinner has concluded, but he felt just a little paranoid about Zen. Then, he thought of something. He could ask Clyde about what to do should Zen attempt to put the moves on her. He couldn’t have his future queen fraternizing with a prince, but he didn’t want to do anything too harsh. Clyde would be surprised to hear him ask that but, it was worth a shot.

    He allowed the Water Royals to sit on the same side of the table, toasted to the prosperity of both kingdoms, then dug in with the rest of them planning to pull Clyde aside if and when Evangeline started chatting up Garen or Zen, the thought of the latter causing Xander’s blood to boil a little, to his own confusion.

    The Velveteen Rabbit The Velveteen Rabbit
     
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    The Water royals looked ecstatic about the idea of a feast and followed the Fire King out of the extravagant throne room happily. Evangeline slowed her pace so she could walk next to prince Zen, a smile appearing on both of their faces as soon as their eyes met once again, beginning to chat with one another. The energy between them was electric, and Clyde eyed the two suspiciously while he escorted the group to the dining hall.

    He glanced at Xander, studying his expression. Clyde wondered if it bothered him.

    Once they had arrived inside the dining room, the smell of food hit them in a giant wave of deliciousness, different varieties of dishes placed neatly on the table before them. The group of royals took their seats, Zen and Evangeline choosing to sit next to each other as expected. The princess burst out laughing at some point, Zen grinning widely beside her. Clyde squinted his eyes at them and subtly moved towards Xander, leaning his head near his ear.

    "Your Majesty, do you mind if we speak for a moment?" He said quietly. Once Xander had rose to his feet, the royal adviser led him out of the huge room and back out into the hallway, closing the door behind them. Clyde arched an eyebrow at the king and sighed.

    "I'm assuming you've noticed the way Prince Zen and Princess Evangeline have been talking to each other by now. I can tell it worries you. I'm afraid if this continues the Water Prince is going to sweep her right off of her feet," he took a deep breath and pushed his glasses further up onto the bridge of his nose.

    "I'm going to suggest something that you're probably not going to like, but I feel it's the only way to prevent this. There's obviously something about Zen's charm that attracts Evangeline. For the next few days, I'm going to suggest that you be as romantic and affectionate towards the princess as you can. Think of it as a little competition between you and the prince. Who knows, maybe the two of you will fall in love by the end of this." Clyde gave him a reassuring smile, trying to keep the tone of the situation lighthearted. He could tell that things were tense between him and Evangeline right now. Perhaps this could help break that tension.

    "I wouldn't worry, your Majesty. After all, you and Evangeline are engaged. That's one thing Zen doesn't have, and I'm sure the thought of it makes him furious." He opened the door and motioned towards the dining hall, smiling slightly.

    "Let's get back to eating, shall we?" He suggested, following the king out of the hallway and back into the dining room where delicious food awaited them. The adviser stood off to the side near the king, flashing him a wink of encouragement as he sat back down. He began to quietly observe, his hands clasped behind him. Evangeline and Zen were still talking to each other, the prince gazing at her as she spoke excitedly about something. The princess was acting completely different, and the bright smile on her face showed it.

    Clyde sighed and chuckled to himself quietly.

    Xander was going to have a very hard time competing with that prince. It was going to be amusing nonetheless seeing the king trying to win over Evangeline's attention. He had a feeling things would work out in the end though.

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    As he ate and observed Evangeline, Xander could feel himself beginning to fume a little underneath the wall of stoicism he kept up. It bothered him simply that Zen being so friendly with Evangeline bothered him, yet she was his fiancee'. Furthermore, letting her get too close to Zen, especially considering that even she knew that ties had to be cut with him soon, could be quite troublesome indeed. There was also the jealousy he felt deep inside, yet would not admit.

    Clyde seemed to catch on rather quickly to Xander's own worries, and leaned in towards his king. Xander felt greatly relieved at hearing his advisor's whispered words, as it seemed that now, he wouldn't have to pull the man aside himself, which would seem quite suspicious to his guests, he admitted.

    Xander thoughtfully considered things for a moment, before nodding and standing, then leaving the room with his advisor faithfully in tow. Evangeline and Zen were so preoccupied with each other that neither seemed to notice him leaving, which made Xander feel even angrier. Even the Water King didn't bat an eye. Thankfully, the Fire King was able to, just barely, keep said bottled up enough to where no visible sign of it was present on his face. He would have to take action about this problem soon, or the rage would simply continue to build until it boiled over, more than likely in a very, very detrimental fashion for every royal present. He was having trouble processing the fact that he felt such anger simply because another man was chatting up Evangeline. This was Evangeline he was thinking of! Why did she have to be so damn attractive? So alluring in personality as well, despite how snarky she was? And above all, why did she have to be in that room right now with another man that clearly wanted her greatly, and his brother who didn't seem to want to do anything about it at all?

    Xander took a deep breath once he was behind the door, meeting eyes with Clyde and listening. He nodded at his advisor's opening words, his expression greatly annoyed at the situation. That expression only deepened, at first at least, as Clyde continued. As Clyde worked his word magic however, saying just the right things to convince his king just like he always did, Xander looked down in thought and consideration, sighing in defeat soon afterwards. "You're right. It may be the only way. And I've got this, Zen does not have the advantage that I do. I... I can do this." The Fire King's mind began whirring with possibilities as to how to win her over. After a few moments, h felt like he had an idea that could win him some points with her, something to test the waters with.

    Xander nodded at Clyde's suggestion that the pair of them head back, and sat down at his usual spot moments later. At Clyde's wink of encouragement, he breathed deeply, then spoke up. "Evangeline, dear," he said, trying to get her attention. Whether that worked or not, he slyly smiled, scooting closer on the other side of Evangeline and focusing on her beauty in order to make the smile as genuine as possible. "Have you room for dessert? We had the chef prepare something special for you." Indeed, the chef had endeavored to learn Evangeline's favortie dessert and prepared it just for her.

    Whether or not she paid any attention to him whatsoever, Evangeline would surely notice as Xander nonchalantly placed the absolutely scrumptious-looking dessert right under Evangeline's nose, and started pouring her favorite drink as well. Normally, the chef would handle such things, so Xander doing it himself would likely be a pleasant surprise. If Evangeline met eyes with the fire king at any point, she would see a genuine smile on his face, the most genuine she may have ever seen from him, along with a rather loving look in his eyes. Clyde was likely watching with bated breath to see if this worked or not.

    The Velveteen Rabbit The Velveteen Rabbit
     
    As soon as there was a pause in Evangeline and Zen's conversation, the princess' attention was diverted when Xander spoke up beside her.

    "Evangeline, dear," she heard him say, her big blue eyes meeting his gaze as he leaned closer, a shockingly genuine smile on his lips. A surprised expression dawned on her face and she couldn't help but blush slightly, feeling rather flustered about the way he was regarding her. She almost didn't respond when he spoke of her favorite dessert, too sheepish to find her words. Suddenly, the delectable scent appeared right under her nose, making Evangeline inhale deeply and her eyes shimmer briefly with delight. She glanced down to see the white chocolate cake sitting in all of its glory in front of her. If there was anything Evangeline couldn't resist, it was white chocolate cake.

    "X-Xander, you didn't have to do something like that." Evangeline stammered softly, her pale gaze watching him pour her favorite drink. Zen leaned back in his seat slightly and stared at the king while he spoke with the princess. He didn't look too happy, that was for sure.

    Evangeline picked up her spoon between her fingers and swooped it downwards, the shiny utensil cutting down into the soft, spongy cake easily. She lifted the spoon away, a small portion of the cake cradled inside of it.

    What's gotten into him? He never acts like this. She thought, her suspiciousness doubling.

    "How did you know this was my favorite anyways, hm? You're not stalking me are you, your Majesty?" She turned to the king and said teasingly, arching an eyebrow out of curiosity. Evangeline suddenly felt a hand wrap around her wrist, gently guiding it in the direction of the Water prince sitting on the opposite side. Zen popped the spoon into his mouth, Evangeline's hand still holding it lightly between her fingers. She whipped her head towards him, and once she saw what he was doing, her eyes widened and her face brightened in color, if that was even possible.

    Zen pulled the spoon from his mouth and grinned slightly at her reaction. He had successfully stole Evangeline's attention away again, his hand still lightly gripping her wrist.

    "Mmm. Not bad. If only there was an extra piece for me." He smirked and finally released his grip on her wrist, casually beginning to take a sip from his drink before turning back to the princess. They began chatting just like they had done previously. Clyde watched the three silently, hoping Xander somehow grabbed his fiancée's attention back somehow, even if it required him to do something embarrassing. Zen was a charming man, and it was going to take a lot of Xander's willpower to compete with someone like that.

    He knew the king could do it though. After all, Evangeline was going to be his wife soon. If that didn't motivate him to keep other men away, the adviser didn't know what else would.

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    Xander focused on Evangeline's cute, flustered expression, in order to fuel his flirty expression and the look in his eyes. She was so cute like this, and he almost felt like he could get used to acting like this around her just to see this side of her more. Xander watched her eyes suddenly sparkle with delight and a happy glint in his own began to show. Her joy was admittedly contagious, now that he was faking it to make it so to speak. It was a lot easier to act like this towards her than Xander had expected.

    Xander grinned even wider at Evangeline's unexpected, teasing question, right after he caught himself in his look of surprise that is. It wqas easy to forget how sharp the princess was. "Oh no, nothing like that," Xander said in just as teasing of a tone. "You'd be surprised how many people, from ice citizens that visit here to trade, or of course your messenger that came by to help arrange our engagement, knew small details about you like your favorite dessert. I wasn't even the one who had the initiative to find out, it was all our chef. He takes pleasing everyone he serves very seriously." Xander smiled. "Now... how about taking that first bite, hmm?"

    however, just as he leaned a little closer, watching her about to take the first bite and likely have the happiest expression he'd ever seen from her on her face due to the chef's impeccable skill at baking, Xander's eyes narrowed at seeing Zen's arm wrap around her. Xander cast a "what the hell are you doing with my finacee'" kind of look at him, that was more than likely ignored. At Zen's bold spoon maneuver, Xander only became angrier, before he took a deep breath, thinking of a solution.

    Grinning, he called to the chef. "One more piece for the Water Prince, please," he said. When the chef arrived from the back, he stepped between Evangeline and Zen for just a moment to put Zen's piece in front of him, and Xander used this moment to snake his own arm around Evangeline's waist, effectively pulling her closer to him. "Now now Evangeline, why did you let him steal a piece of your cake?" he asked in a sweet, sultry tone Evangeline had never, ever heard from him. He picked up her spoon, scooped up a piece then began to lift it towards Evangeline's mouth gently and carefully. "About time you had a bite of your own cake. And there's more, if you'd like."

    inside his mind, Xander was deeply embarrassed, and there was a slight flush to his cheeks as a result of that. However, he kept going, thinking of this as necessary for the good of his kingdom like he always did to get through situations like this. It wasn't too hard anyway, in all honesty. Besides, he'd had a bit of wine, which could be easily mistaken for the cause of his blush. Xander had made certain that the chef didn't give Evangeline any though, as well as filled the king's glass only half full.

    Xander watched for Evangeline's reaction closely, smiling at her and completely ignoring Zen, giving the Water Prince a taste of his own medicine.

    The Velveteen Rabbit The Velveteen Rabbit .
     
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    Evangeline couldn't help but feel a bit taken back by the way Xander was acting. He called for the chef to bring Zen a piece shortly after the prince expressed his desire for one himself. Perhaps it was because the king wanted to imprint a good impression on the royals sitting at the table. When the princess' and Zen's conversation ended, she glanced over at Xander, seeing the grin on his face as the chef approached with the prince's piece of cake. It made her uneasy and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously just as the chef stepped between her and Zen, placing the plate in front of him.

    Deciding to ignore it for now and deeming it unimportant, Evangeline looked away and prepared to take another bite from her delicious white chocolate cake, only to be interrupted once more by the feeling of an arm wrapping around her waist. Her eyes widened slightly at the feeling of Xander's warm hand on the side of her waist, touching her bare skin due to the design of the dress she was wearing. Evangeline turned her pale gaze towards him, their faces only a few mere inches apart now. The tone of his voice... she had never heard him speak that way before.

    She flashed him an embarrassed look as he rose the spoon to her mouth, a blush immediately tinting her face and mouth agape with shock. The princess glared at him briefly, a 'what the hell do you think you're doing' look written all over her expression as she locked eyes with him. The princess quickly flicked her gaze in King Garen's direction to see if he'd noticed the situation before him, and to her dismay he had. He was studying the two curiously, an amused look on his face at Xander's sudden display of affection towards Evangeline.

    Finally realizing the Fire King's reason for all of this, a wave of irritation hit her and she struggled not to show it.

    You want to keep up appearances that badly? Fine.

    A loving look appeared on the princess' face as she looked back to Xander.

    "I'm sorry, my darling. I won't let him steal another bite from me again, I promise." She batted her long eyelashes flirtatiously at him, her tone of voice matching his own. Her words were like honey, dripping with sweetness. She smiled playfully and leaned forward, popping the spoon into her mouth without hesitation. Evangeline licked her lips, a look of pure enjoyment on her face.

    "Mmm. Thank you, my king. It's delicious." The princess purred softly. She suddenly plucked the spoon from his grasp without breaking eye contact.

    "You should try some too, love. It wouldn't be right of me to not share with my fiancee." In a quick maneuver, Evangeline sat down into his lap and scooped up a good amount of cake onto the spoon, gently lifting it towards Xander's mouth just as he had done to her. She smiled innocently and tilted her head to the side, happy to give him a taste of his own medicine for once.

    Evangeline could still feel Garen's eyes on them, and she could have sworn she heard him chuckle quietly to himself when she moved to sit in Xander's lap. She was just as embarrassed as the king was, thankfully managing to hide it just as well. A glass of wine sounded lovely in that moment.

    She'd have to ask Rina and Hana to get her some later.

    DergTheDergon DergTheDergon
     
    Evangeline's embarrassment and even her (of course ignored) "what the hell are you doing" look, only served to make it easier for him to act this way. Evangeline wouldn't let herself have an outburst or do anything similar in front of the water royals, so she had no choice but to sit there and be flustered, in Xander's mind. Xander began to greatly enjoy acting this way towards her, in all honesty, if only because it was so fun to him to watch her squirm. Plus, of course, keeping up appearances was quite important indeed. The fact that this was helping him continue on with that goal only made this moment all the more fun.

    That was, however, until the embarrassed look on her face (which Xander had been studying quite intently indeed) suddenly morphed into a gentle, loving look the likes of wish he'd never seen from her before. Images of himself leaning in and kissing her flashed through his mind at seeing this look, and it was then Xander's turn to blush. Her words and the fluttering of her eyelashes that then accompanied this look only caused Xander's blushed to deepen, but through it all he regained his composure through sheer willpower. He'd built up quite a bit of the stuff as a ruler, so it wasn't too difficult. That being said, his heart did speed up a bit as Evangeline leaned even closer to him just to devour the cake upon the spoon. Upon seeing her lick her lips, he thought of kissing her more vividly. very moment, he was more inclined to do it. It might keep the water prince away if Evangeline acted like she enjoyed it enough.

    He scrounged up enough will to say "You're very welcome, my love," with an even sweeter tone and loving look in his eyes if he could possibly manage. He was pretty sure he just barely did.

    As she sat in his lap, and he saw her pick up the spoon, it was then his turn to shoot her the "what the hell are you doing?" look. He couldn't help but think about how similarly he and Evangeline reacted when the pair got mad at each other, but this wasn't the time to think about that. In order to keep up appearances, he had to eat that damn cake and enjoy it. It wouldn't be difficult because of the cake of course, but it was just embarassing... and, honestly, it was difficult to be focused on the cake while Evangeline's body was so close to his. He was shocked that she'd be so bold after the events of this morning.

    Xander once again mustered the will to keep a smile upon his face as he downed the cake, licking his own lips. When it seemed like king Garen wasn't looking at their faces, Xander's smile suddenly turned into a devilish grin as he spotted a tiny dot of frosting right on the corner of Evangeline's mouth. Turning it back into a loving smile, he said "You've some forsting on your face, love.'

    The next moment, he swiftly leaned in and kissed her right on the lips, very briefly, yet passionately. It was easy, and honestly.... he wasn't faking this at all. He'd wanted to kiss her for a while. They sayyour true color come out when you're drunk, after all, and if that morning was no indication that deep down, Xander really did care for her deeply... perhaps this kiss was. Or perhaps to Evangeline, it still wasn't. He made sure to lick up the frosting with his tongue after breaking the kiss, regardless.

    After pulling back, he smiled at her with just a hint of smug satisfaction on his face that likely only Evangeline noticed. "Now dear, as much as I'd like to stay like this, it's unfair to our guests if we spend all this time canoodling, no? Take your seat, love."

    Xander was both relieved and honestly a little disappointed when Evangeline did indeed sit down.

    The meeting wore on in a similar fashion, the king and future queen doing their best to publicly show their true affection for each other and privately one-up each other. Meanwhile, Xander chatted up the water king and Evangeline likely talked more to Zen. Xander secretly enjoyed any visible doubt or even halt Zen had in his advances after Xander's little display.

    It was soon time for the water royals to go to their appointed bedrooms and Xander and Evangeline to go back to XAnder's room. Considering there were guests in the house, to keep up appearances Clyde would no doubt insist that they sleep together yet again. This is going to be painfully awkward," Xander thought to himself begrudgingly as the pair walked down together.Hana and Rena prepared the royals for bed as usual, and there was just enough time while Xander was in the bath for Hana and Rena to fetch Evangeline some wine and for her to drink a good amount of it, should she ask them.

    The Velveteen Rabbit The Velveteen Rabbit
     
    Just seeing the look on Xander's face as she rose the cake-filled spoon to his mouth was enough to make her sweet smile widen, her eyes gleaming wickedly at the sight of the blush upon his cheeks. It was so satisfying to watch him struggle in such a way.

    Now you know how I feel, you selfish king.

    That delicious moment didn't last for long however. As soon as the king had his share of the cake, licking his lips, he grinned shortly after, only making the princess uneasy again. It soon disappeared, turning into a smile as he pointed out the bit of frosting on the corner of her mouth. Evangeline was just about to wipe it off when he mentioned it, but she froze the instant Xander suddenly leaned forward.

    Her eyes widened in shock. The spoon resting between her fingers dropped to the floor with a loud clatter, bouncing underneath the table. Xander's lips were pressed against hers in a brief moment of passion. The king soon moved away, most likely seeing the utterly shocked expression on her face and the way her body was frozen in place against his.

    He just... Evangeline tried to piece her own thoughts together, her heart beating rapidly.

    He just kissed me.

    Finally composing a full thought, an overwhelming feeling of anger came with it, her fists clenching after seeing the smug look on his face. Evangeline's eyes turned cold as ice, staring fiercely into his. Thankfully, her head was turned away from Garen sitting across from them so he wasn't able to witness the deadly look on her face.

    She barely managed to recompose herself as she suddenly forced a sheepish smile, laughing to herself.

    "Oh my, you're right. How rude of me." Evangeline removed herself from his presence, sitting back into her own seat beside the king. A glass of wine sounded absolutely spectacular in that moment.

    Dinner continued on for a little while longer, Evangeline making pleasant conversation with both Zen and Garen before they all departed to their rooms for the night. The prince took her hand and lightly kissed it, wishing the princess a goodnight just before he left. She watched him leave with a small smile on her face. At least she had Zen to cheer her up a little. He always knew when something was wrong.

    The princess didn't say a word to Xander as they walked back to their room together. She wouldn't even look at him, Evangeline absolutely refused. Hana and Rina could sense the newfound tension between the two and remained silent as well, trailing behind the royals until they arrived at their quarters. To her relief, Xander decided to take a bath before turning in for the night, giving the princess some time to herself. She requested a bottle of wine from the maids, who happily left and returned with a glass and an unopened bottle just for her.

    They left the princess alone after that. By the time Xander had returned, he would find Evangeline gazing out the huge glass window overlooking the kingdom below, the moonlight illuminating her milky white hair and causing it to glow ever so slightly. A half empty bottle of wine sat beside her on his desk, a half-filled glass accompanying it.

    "Why?"

    The princess snarled quietly as he entered the room, her back turned to him. Her hands were balled up into fists tightly at her sides. She whipped around to face him, her expression twisted into a deep frown and icy blue eyes filled with rage at the sight him. Anger had begun to build up inside of her throughout that very night, the alcohol only enhancing it. Now that Evangeline was drunk, she couldn't hold back any longer.

    "WHY would you humiliate me in such a way? Is this all some sort of sick game to you? Am I just some woman you get to toy around with for fun?" She spat her words like they were venom, fuming with anger. Evangeline took a threatening step towards him, her frown only deepening.

    "Don't EVER kiss me like that again, or I swear I'll make your life a living hell and you're going to wish we were never engaged. I would rather you show me how you actually feel instead of faking everything that you do. It's disgusting."

    Absolutely repulsed by the sight of him, Evangeline turned her back to the king again, unable to look him in the face any longer as she stared out the window. Her shoulders suddenly began to shake, just barely, but under the light it was visible for all to see.

    "Stop acting like you care about me," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. It was obvious she was struggling to hold back tears.

    "It just reminds me how much you despise me... just like everyone else."

    And then, Evangeline began to sob, pressing her palms against her face to hide the pain pouring through her. Her entire body was shaking violently, tears seeping through the crevasses between her fingers and dripping to the ground below. She had finally broke, like a china doll falling to the floor and shattering into a million tiny pieces. Overwhelming feelings of guilt, sadness, anger, and frustration took over and forced her down to her knees, crying heavily into her hands just as she had done the night before.

    At this point, there was no stopping or controlling it for that matter. It was already clear to both of them how much pain she was in.

    "Just stay away from me." Evangeline sobbed quietly in a small voice. She fully expected Xander to actually listen and leave her be despite this being his own room. The princess couldn't bear the thought of what was going through Xander's head right now, and it only made her more upset as she tried not to think about it, her mind scrambled and foggy.

    He probably thought she was pathetic.

    "You should just cancel our engagement... I'm only going to cause you more grief and pain anyways," she managed to say, sucking in a sharp breath as she continued to cry softly.

    "I'll never be able to make you happy."

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    Seeing the look on Evangeline's face the moment after her shock that he kissed her faded didn't give him the satisfaction he was hoping for. Instead, the rage in her eyes made him feel guilty inside. He wasn't expecting that. He hid it on the outside by focusing on the kiss in his mind and keeping up the grin, just to keep up appearances... but inside, he felt more and more guilty every second. Xander was relieved, but surprised, that Evangeline was able to keep up her smile and loving demeanor towards him. There was a hint of regret in his eyes as he stared into Evangeline's rage-filled expression, and as she got up from his lap and went back to conversing with the guests, a bubble of guilt and worry began to collect within this gut, slowly building for the rest of the evening.

    Xander could not nmeet her eyes as they walked back, and as a point of pride kept looking like he was angry at her when, in all honesty, he truly was not. She had every right to be angry about that kiss, he admitted. It was too bold, too soon. The tension in the air was palpable up until he went into the bathroom, and took a deep breath to calm himself before turning on the bathtub water.

    Whilst in the tub, the Fire king had a long, hard think about Evangeline. They were engaged, yet he knew his actions earlier that day would likely ultimately only lead to them being farther apart. If he wanted his feelings to mean something.... he had to show it. He had to push past his pride, and right when him and Evangeline were alone in that room together... that was when it had to happen. no later. As much as the thought pained him, caused fear to well up inside him... it just had to be that way. He decided in that bathtub that he cared for Evangeline and wanted to start showing it, genuinely , no joking around, and whether she reciprocated it or not.

    When he exited the bathtub, the first word Evangeline spoke, adn the tirade it caused, made Xander realize how bad he screwed up. He listened carefully, dumbfounded, standing there and taking it as best he could. Half of him felt is was best to leave her be.... but Xander knew that doing so right now would only make her feel worse. Right now, with no one watching and thus no appearances to keep up. it was timet ot show her how he truly felt.... and it wasn't what she thought, At least not deep dow. Not by a long shot. Xander let himself stand there and take her rant, forcing himself yo look her in teh eyes with a genuine, sympathetic expression she likely didn't notice.

    When she was don,e her last words seeming quite final indeed, Xander stood there for a moment, collected himself...

    then took a step towards her. Then another. Then another. Soon, he was standing beside her. Touching her had a high chance of setting her off, so he simply dropped his arms to his side, and looked at her, as much as he'd rather look out the window instead right now, so as not to see her in pain. He thought carefully for a few moments about what he was going to say, then softly spoke in as genuine a tone as he spoke to her in when she'd gotten slapped at the ball.

    "I'd first like to apologize, Evangeline. I went too far. I admit, at one point I did think it was a game... but then I saw the look on your face after I kissed you, and I knew I'd done you wrong. Secondly... I don't expect you to take my word for it, but... my care for you is not an act. At the ball the night after you arrived, those kind words were not an act. Pouring you a glass of wine after the ball was not an act. Holding you this morning... well, I did it in my sleep, how could that be an act? That kiss, although I admit it was uncalled for and cruel, was not an act. This... not leaving you be like you expect me to... is not an act. Because I know that if I walked away right now, that would only confirm your doubts. Doubts that, as obvious as they may seem to you right now... simply are not as true as I admittedly may have made it seem as long as we've known each other. And, it's funny you say that you can never make me happy.... because when we danced together at the ball... in all honesty.... I felt happier than I'd been in a while, if only for a moment. I think... we both are letting our pride get in the way of this marriage. Perhaps, with work, it could be just as beneficial to the both of us as it is to our countries. After seeing how badly I have failed you, Evangeline... I want to make it up to you. Please... will you allow me?"

    His tone was more genuine, more emotional, more honestly desperate than she'd ever heard him. And there was the fact that he didn't leave her alone, and that there was no one else around to keep up appearances for. He simply hoped that it was enough, that even her drunk, irrational mind could see that he was truly sorry and now, finally, willing to work with her on thier marriage.

    The Velveteen Rabbit The Velveteen Rabbit
     
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