If Lilia Broke Up With You, Who Would You Go For Next? (Cannot Be Diasomnia)

I think you should be honest and tell them that you reseted your computer, I'm pretty sure they'll understand. It would be quite unreasonable for them to get angry if they did.

Hmm, it's more like them being disappointed than them getting mad. I've had thought about just saying the truth and I'm not a fan of lying myself, but I do hate it more if I let people down.. But what can I do? This is life and I have to face the unknown up ahead sooner or later and there'll be disappointments to be had. T_T

Okay, I'm preparing myself.. Man,, I'm so not ready.

Gahh! But literally for two dinners, they kept talking about my progress.. I manage to deter it away from me since I obviously didn't have my computer with me to show anything. Okay. I'm still gonna do it.

Also, are you perhaps a writer? I rarely see people- even adults- who text like me with commas, periods, etc. I do it out of habit and to stay sharp in my writing.

Out of spite to those hating on Malleus, I'll write up an even more messed up Malleus. <3

He's no prince charming you hoped him to be and I'll make sure that you remember that. :}

Currently camping in front of my computer until Star Rail releases.

║Xiao║Snowflake

Requested from Wattpad.

Gender-neutral.

Fluff.

Word count: 2k

---

Something was falling from the greyish clouds that has been slowly forming together over Liyue. It was white, cold, and too small for human eye to see. However, once multiples of it were gathered, you could truly see how it turned Liyue into a winter wonderland.

This sparks excitement inside you as you stare out the window of the shop you were tending at. The winds of Snezhnaya has finally brought their winter to Liyue, making it cold for the locals to idle outside for too long.

Seeing this, you did your long hours of work with great impatience, wanting to enjoy the snow with a particular someone all the way in the outskirts of the city-- in Wangshu Inn. You just know that he'll be the most excited between the two of you-- although he won't show it or say it.

"Have a good night!" That was the cue. Yes, it was evening by the time you got out of work, but your excitement left you restless and headed to the inn, greeting Verr Goldet and her husband in the lobby as soon as you got there. And not wanting to prolong you any longer, the woman simply pointed up the flight of stairs that leads to a highest level possible.

However, when you got there, there was not a single being to be seen. You didn't feel down though, knowing that he was probably off to secure the night around the inn and nearby places that doesn't have the protection of the Millelith.

You walked closer to the ledge, your eyes seeming to glow in admiration at the snow that covered Liyue in less than a day. But before you could put a hand on the railing, a "What are you doing here?" brought your attention behind you.

To nobody's surprise, Xiao stood there with his arms crossed, his eyes glowing in the dark, but not so much as the light from inside the inn emitted a brightight. "Xiao!" The name that left your lips was enough to make you smile. Though in his part, his eyes slightly narrows while a brow quirks in question, but that was long forgotten when he growls at the state you were in. "Where is your coat?" he asks, walking closer to you.

It was just then that you realized that you had forgotten to bring a coat and felt the harsh breeze stinging your skin. You wrapped your arms around yourself, rubbing your arms to create some sort of heat. "Ehe, I was rushing to get here so I forgot to go home and bring one," you admitted, the smile never leaving your face. This did not amuse the yaksha and clicks his tongue in dissatisfaction. "Even when a millennia has passed, humans can be so stupid," he grumbles. "Wait here." Before you could ask, he turns on his heels and went downstairs, leaving you alone in the cold.

When he returns- which didn't take long- he was carrying a wool blanket in one arm. Approaching your person, he wraps the blanket around you like a wrap. Warm and comfortable.

You look down at the blanket and slightly blushed at the thought that it could be warmer if he hugged you, wrapping his firm, strong, and protective arms around your shoulders-- Oh no, you shouldn't fantasise something like that.

Looking at your state, Xiao couldn't help but feel the warm, tingly sensation on his face. You looked cute and small. He almost wants to lock you away so that no one else would be able to see just how truly cute you were. However, he snaps himself from indulging the thought, realizing how inappropriate it was especially for an Adepti such as himself.

With hand covering his mouth, he clears his throat. "Anyway, what are you doing here?" he asks, his voice sounding cold, but you know that he meas well and that it was just the way he speaks. "I wanted to share the first snow with you!" you admit, your smile doubling the size.

He raises an eyebrow. "Huh? Share the first snow?" he repeats, to which you nod. "I heard that you should always spend the first snow with someone special." Hearing you reason, he sighs heavily. "You humans always come up with something stupid." He closes his eyes and crosses his arms.

"It's not stupid it's sweet!" you defended, the blanket slightly slipping off your shoulders. Xiao took notice and moved even closer to fix it, but afterwards, his hands haven't left your shoulders and he just stares at you. It was only 5 seconds, but you felt kind of awkward, eyes averting to anywhere but his charming face. "S, so, uh.. I came here to ask if you wanted to play in the snow with me.." you mumbled.

There was no response on the other end and it was only when your eyes returned to look directly at him that he quickly answers with an "Okay" before swooping you off the ground and jumped off from the inn. In fear, you wrapped your arms around his neck and hold on for dear life.

It only took a couple of seconds to reach the ground safely but to you, it felt like it was your end. Xiao looks at you and couldn't help but huff out a chuckle. "Hey, do you think I would drop you?" he asks, watching you open your eyes once you felt the rush of adrenaline subside.

You blinked twice and remembered how you are still hugging him. "Oh, uh.. Could you put me down?" you ask shyly, unwrapping your arms around his neck. He did as told, setting you back down gently.

Taking a look around, the snow stretched out for miles, up until the horizon where you could barely see a thing. Winter only comes once a year in Liyue and each year upon the look of snow would always leave you breathless. The snow in Liyue was much different than that in Snezhnaya as it wasn't knee-deep and children could still play around.

One step. Two step. Soon, you were running across the field and laughing. While on Xiao's part, he watches his foolish of a human with his arms cross and unknowingly to him, a smile adorns his face. His eyes softened at the sight of your smile. He always does, you just never noticed.

His eyes moves away from you and his attention was now transfixed to the snow on the ground. Seeing as he has cleared the area from enemies before meeting you at the inn, it was most likely safe for you to tumble and fall without getting the attention of monsters.

You stopped running and stood there looking at the falling snow, just about tired from running. You looked over Xiao and see that he was very focus at the snow beside him. He looked funny looking at the snow as if he was going to murder it.

Tearing your eyes away from the male and to the snow, you soon grabbed a handful of it with your bare hands and compacted it to a snowball. It was cold, but the urge to touch it was too much to take and would risk your health to play in it.

Happy with the ball, you run back to Xiao. "Hey, Xiao--" Your words were cut short when you saw Xiao pick up a handful of the snow and eat it. It wasn't all the uncommon for someone to eat snow but Xiao eating snow was truly something.

He turned his head towards you while having a snowball close to his mouth with a questioning gaze since you did originally wanted to grab his attention. "What?" he questions soon after when you just stood there like a mannequin.

"O, oh, yeah.." You blinked and regained your train of thought. "Anyway, do you want to have a snowball fight with me?" you asked, a challenging grin on your face. He raised a brow. A human asking an Adeptus to a snowball fight? It was obvious which would win so what was the point?

But seeing that smile on your face was hard to say no to. That glimmer in your eyes was intriguing, to say the least. So, he nods. "I won't go easy on you," he warns. "I didn't want you to in the first place." With that, you threw the first snow right on his face.

Even though he said he wouldn't go easy on you, he was actually much softer and let you hit him multiple times and only hitting you once or twice every now and then.

Once you had your hands on your knees, he figured that it was finally time that his human was exhausted. He walks over to you and when he was close enough, he fixed the blanket around you that surprisingly didn't fall off your shoulders.

You look at his beautiful, golden orbs that has now the time to truly glow in the dark. It was captivating. The atmosphere, the place-- everything in that moment had that magical, winter air. You two stood there, silently praising the other.

His eyes moved towards your lips, thinking how soft it would be when he places his own on it. With his hands still on your shoulders, he leans closer to your face before stopping short, his lips just a few centimetres away from yours. He was waiting to see if you would pull back.

Wanting his lips on yours, you closed the gap and felt a sudden warmth flush through your body. A hand of his made its way and caressed your cold skin, deepening the kiss. The kiss was enchanting and felt that it had been hours before you both pulled away.

When you did, a smile adorned your flushed face-- flushed from the intimate moment and from the cold. You slowly moved away and flopped down on the snow and laughed.

"Hey, you're going to get sick, you idiot," he states, crossing his arms as he watches your blanket unwrapped itself from your shoulders, now being used to keep your back dry. "Haha, no I won't! Not to be a brag, but I have a pretty strong body," you boast.

O how you felt embarrassed by those words that you said so proudly last night as you lay in bed, under layers of warm blanket. "Humans can be so stupid. Yesterday you were sure you wouldn't get sick but the next day, here I find you in bed," Xiao says, entering the room with a bowl of warm water and a washcloth.

When you didn't greet him this morning, he knew that you were sick and went to your house to take care of you immediately. "I said nothing," you spoke, holding your chin high as you feign ignorance.

He clicks his tongue but said nothing more, dipping the cloth in the warm water before squeezing it so water wouldn't be dripping on you. He moves closer to the bed and sat at the edge of it, moving any hair that covered your forehead before placing the cloth. "You should remember to bring your coat. I'm not always there to remind you like a mother," he said.

"Hey, if you're just going to bully me, then you can leave. I know I was dumb for not bringing one, okay?" You pout, though there wasn't any anger in your tone, and brought the blanket up until the bridge of your nose.

He looks at you for a short second and brought his fingers close to your face. Before you could guess what he was doing, he had flicked your forehead. "You idiot. Do you really think that I would be here in the first place if I didn't care about you?"

The words made you blush and felt a hundred times more warmer than the cloth on your head. He looks at you with a straight lip, but his eyes hinted at a different emotion. It was soft and held care for you.

He then stood up, eyes tearing away from you, and walked towards your door. With a hand on the handle, he twists it open but before he step out, he looks over his shoulders- to you- and said, "Make sure you get enough rest. I'll be here if you need me."

---

I am back with more Ideas for my beloved retired general husband…

In my head I imagine that Lilia has PTSD and as someone that also has that…oof the PTSD episodes are rough

watching others die, killing others…I feel that a part of him will always believe that he’s a harbinger of destruction and death and that he doesn’t deserve to love someone

it might’ve also added to his issue with raising Malleus and Silver! :0

ALSO I THINK HE’D BE ABLE TO SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES 😳😳😳

imagine this man leaning down and starting to whisper stuff in your ear in German or French

I’d simply….Perish 💀

-Jonah🐉

JONAH ANON! I am in total agreement with you here. >< I can't imagine Lilia not having PTSD with what had happened and all. I try to find opportunities to subtly hint that in my works of Lilia, but I'm not sure how that's going.

Also, I am very sad to here that you have PTSD. I am not well informed with it (just the term and a tiny bit of knowledge) but if you ever break and need someone to vent/cry/seek someone to talk to, I hope I can be of help. I have parents who are both in healthcare+medicine so I'll definitely ask should a problem arise.

And I like your imagery about the raising children part. I now think that as he was raising his children (you know what I mean), there were times where he'd question himself if he was deserving of them and generally having a hard time accepting how he's now basically a stay-at-home father. I picture little Silver wandering around and just finding him in his room late at night staring out the window with an almost pained look with questions hanging in the air. Silver would be found out after calling out for Lilia. 🥺 It was from that moment that baby Silver would start to wonder what was that look of sadness in his father's eyes that night for, but will never get an answer when asked. Ahh!! Thank you for helping me fill my head of these thoughts.

Lastly! For having been alive for so many years, I do think he is capable of speaking in different tongues but German and French? PLEASE! I can just feel his breath by my ear and chuckling deeply as I read that sentence. Mans could whisper the steps to baking a cake in some other language with that husky, deep voice and I'd melt. Like, it doesn't have to be dirty words! His voice alone can overpower me.

I love having these conversations with you. ☺️ It really makes me happy and hyped up to talk about Lilia.

Since many are asking for a second part to Opposites of the War, I will write it. But, I would like to ask a question: what do you want to expect in the read? :) I'll do my best to fulfill them.

Wow!! Congrats!! ^♡^ I'm so happy for you! <3

JUST WOKE UP OMG BUT HEYY THANK U GUYS ???? WWOW 500+ FOLLOWERS ??? IM GONNA GIVE EVERYONE A LEETEL KISS SRS !!!!! LOVE YALL SM <333

I’m kinda imagining that for Diasomnia chapter, Sebek will be the one to overblot because “wAKasAMa!!” Like, he would overblot because of the MC/Yuu or someone else not worshipping enough/praising/bowing down/listening to orders from Malleus. 😂

✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙

✦❘༻𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝙼𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝༺❘✦

Ch. 4 - Here Comes the Red Prince

Malleus Draconia x fem! reader

Chapter list + Summary [Previous] [Next]

Do not steal/copy + paste my works and upload it anywhere else.

⊰♤⊱⊰◇⊱⊰♡⊱⊰☆⊱⊰♧⊱⊰♤⊱⊰◇⊱⊰♡⊱⊰☆⊱⊰♧⊱

“Wife, do you want the garnet or sapphire?” It was a peaceful afternoon where you indulge yourself in embroidery moments before Malleus had decided to join you in the drawing room. After the birthday banquet of Marquis Hagen’s wife, Malleus could be found everywhere you looked. He had even started to join you for dinner. It was as if he’d been glued to your side and could not separate from you. It was honestly terrifying to have the fae’s looming build stare at you all day every day, watching every step you took and every air you breathe in. ‘His eyes are terrifying..’

You have also come to learn that he has indeed found a.. Nickname, you guess. It is just a title but it’s a bit better than the last.   

He wanted to do some bonding time with you, you assume, but when you try to initiate conversation at times to keep him entertained, the words would die on your tongue as soon as you make eye contact with him. 

He inspects the gems that are lined up neatly in rows on the table with the jeweller having stood at the side for some time and turned his head slightly to look at you. So far, you haven't shown any reactions to any, probably because you’re mainly caught up in the swirl of anxiety simply being near Malleus, too scared to move your arms that are laid stiffly on your lap. But you had to say something, otherwise nobody could leave this room. “Hm.. Oh!” A particular gem’s gleam caught the attention of your eyes amongst many of the other shiny accessories. Your hand reaches out for the small box containing the jewellery which was a necklace made of gold with two small ruby gems and a single, slightly larger one in the middle all carved to look like roses. If you had to choose a necklace, you guessed that this one would be most fitting. 

“Ah, Princess! You have quite the discerning eyes for true beauty!” The jeweller’s eyes lit up and began rubbing his hands together. “The gem has been the highest rarity ever seen of its own kind; it has been recently mined and brought to our craftsman!” 

Malleus, seeing the satisfied look you had on your face whilst staring at the necklace, nodded towards the jeweller. No words weren’t needed to be exchanged and the jeweller started packing the rest of the jewellery, readying himself to leave soon afterwards. “Are you sure that that is the only one you want, chil— ahem— wife?” He asks, taking a sip of his drink and looking at your form from the corner of his eyes to which you hummed in reassurance that you were indeed satisfied with just having one necklace at the moment. He had assumed that all ladies liked jewellery so he had made sure to have the fae bring in all of their best stocks, no matter the price. “Thank you, Your Highness.” Still, you had agreed to his idea to have the jeweller come in. Surely, he thinks, that this will satisfy the old fae who he knows isn’t too far that had been pestering him to not leave a “weeping princess alone,” or so he said. 

Just outside the door, hurried footsteps could be heard coming towards the room before stopping short right outside and then knocking on the door with composure so as to not offend the person on the other side. Once Malleus beckons them in, an air of urgency filled the room that both of you could sense. “Speak.” Malleus crosses both his legs and his arms and looks on with a serious look— and possibly with a pout, if your eyes aren’t deceiving you. “Your Highness, a human whom calls himself the prince of the Rose Kingdom is asking for your attendance..” Your two eyebrows shot up at the mention of the prince. A hand makes a loose fist on your chest as your heartbeat increases slightly. There was a moment of pause as Malleus stood up, readying to see the prince, and the messenger quickly took a glance past his shoulders and made direct eye contact at you. “Err, and the princess as well.” Both of your curiosity were piqued now. Hearing that the prince of your homeland was here is surprising enough, but to want to see you..? You were curious to why a royal would come all this way unannounced and to see you who has no power in this kingdom but title. If he’s here for something, then surely it is something that you cannot grant.

Nevertheless, you both went to the entrance of the castle. There, a boy with hair red as roses stood, tapping his foot impatiently and idly, careful eyes inspecting what he could and the servant faes who stood quietly on both sides. There was an air of distrust and it laid thickly in the air. “Rosehearts,” Malleus speaks as the both of you entered the scene. You walked behind him but the moment you entered, the red-head had averted his full attention to you. He was silent for a while, grey eyes just staring intently into your own.

Malleus noticed how his eyes weren’t focused on him and looked to where the prince was looking. His eyes narrow for a brief moment and this is not taken to notice by the fellow royal blood. “Tell me, Crown Prince of the Rose Kingdom, what reason did you come here rather unannounced?” Malleus got straight to the point, snapping the prince out of his daze and diverting his attention away. “I heard that you came alone on horseback.” 

The red-head covers his mouth with a fist and clears his throat before facing the fae who stood at a stark difference in height compared to himself. “If I were to bring them along, they’d only slow me down. Besides, it’s nearly impossible for magicless carriages to traverse these lands.” He puts into careful words to which you could agree. When you came here, it took the entire day on normal carriages that took the long— yet safe— route to get to the castle. “Hm. Then I apologize for the arduous journey,” Malleus says with a rather bored tone and crosses his arm. “I would have offered you tea by now and a rest, but I presume that you did not come here for idle chat.” For an unknown reason, he was becoming more restless, his foot tapping just how the rose prince in front of him once did before they entered. There was a tone in his voice that was rather telling; telling the short male to spit it out already and get out of here. 

“.. I will be in charge of the peace treaty from henceforth and wish to discuss certain agreements listed that could be misunderstood.. ” He explains. His eyes wander to you for a brief moment before returning them to stare at Malleus with a certain look as if asking him to a challenge. “Afterwards, I would like to have a conversation with [Name].. Alone.” At his words, Malleus’ pupils retracted into two, thin slits, though this went unnoticed by the both of you. The draconic fae glances at you, wondering how exactly close you were to him. To know of the prince is nothing to boast about since you were once a citizen of the kingdom but the look either of you gave and how you reacted earlier to when that servant said that the prince wanted to see you too suggests that you knew each other on a more intimate level. 

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that.” Malleus does not have any personal grudges against him, don’t get it wrong. In fact, he venerated the prince; he is a human with great prowess and strong affinity towards magic and whilst he has all this, he shows all the best qualities found in man. He is a perfect example of a leader— a future king. However, he will not allow another man to have a conversation with you in private. Who knows what could happen without his supervision? You were naive compared to anybody in the room, this he believes, so there is no doubt in his mind that you do not know the consequences.. A consequence from the rumours that’ll spread. An unmarried man and a married woman, alone in a room. No husband, no servants.. 

“I believe I have the right to see how my people are faring in an unfamiliar place,” Riddle shoots back. Malleus’ jaws tighten and you are sweating buckets at the stiff air that continues to build up. “I sincerely apologize for my rather.. Blunt correction, but she isn’t a person belonging to the Rose Kingdom anymore; she is now the princess of the Valley of Thorns and the creatures here are her future subjects,” Malleus corrected facts in an eerily calm paced tone, his right palm raised in the air while doing so in an open gesture saying to understand where he is coming from. Riddle’s hands turned into fists and his face warped into an ugly look, his eyebrows furrowing as low as it could. 

You have heard of this infamous look the red prince would have whenever something does not go his way and it greatly upsets him. When you look around, the faes in the vicinity— that included the servants as well— could sense hostility and were ready to attack should anything happen to their prince. If this continues, another long war might break out and you definitely do not want that.. “A-ah.. Your Highness..” You look towards the dark prince with a nervous gaze. Malleus turns his head at your call. “It would really make me happy to talk to somebody from my homeland..

“If we can’t have a private conversation, then would one at the garden be alright with you?” You spill out each word rather slowly and softly in hopes he’d relax a bit. You have secretly wanted to also have a chat with the prince so maybe if you persist, he’ll relent. 

His eyes look thoughtful and take your words into careful suggestions. “I’ll allow it..” He sighs and you couldn’t help but smile excitedly. He raises an eyebrow, his silent question is now bubbling up into many more unanswered questions. The look you have really does suggest that there is something more than meets the eye with the two. “But on one condition.” Ah. You should have seen it coming. But surely, it can’t be that bad so you nodded. “One of the guards will be on standby..

“Is that alright with you, Rosehearts?” He looks again towards the short male. “You must understand, it is not that I do not trust you; in the case something happens to my wife, another century of discord might ignite, and let’s not even begin to think of a future between the kingdoms should anything happen to the Rose Kingdom’s only prince..” 

Silver eyes bore deeply into luminescent green ones. He was thinking, but not about his words; rather, he was seeing if he could form more words that would allow the situation to go his way. The prince sighs, knowing that this may be the better condition and probably the only chance to speak with you. 

—

You have always felt that time was a lot slower in the Valley. Even back home, if you just stare outside the window of any of the higher floors, you’d see many citizens walking about and soldiers under the command of the resident baron doing their best to ensure the safety of the people whilst on the land he governs. In the Valley, the faes had all the time a human could ever want and more than not everything needs to be done by a certain date. It makes you feel as if you were the only one in a state of frantic of the little time you have left.

“Are you alright, [Name]?” A voice softly brings you back from your thoughts; you had been staring at your tea this whole time. “Oh, yes! Sorry, I was just thinking of some stuff..” You raise your chin up to meet grey orbs staring into your own. They weren’t any sort of warm colour such as brown, but you nevertheless found tranquillity when staring into them. As of this moment, you feel as if the time you chase so much while being in this place isn’t so important; that you did not mind how faes had time begging for them and were just happy to be there especially now that a familiar face has come to join you. 

“Um, you didn’t say anything important just now, did you, Riddle?” You felt a cold sweat run down the back of your neck and an awkward, lopsided smile was aimed towards him. “Hm..” He narrows his eyes just a bit, carefully taking note of the weird look on your face, an eyebrow raised higher than the other. 

Seeing as he just continues to stare at you in silence, you begin to get nervous and look everywhere else but his eyes and squirm in your seat. It wasn’t long until you heard the soft exhale of a breath and you lifted your head back up carefully. He is leaning back on his seat and crosses his legs over the other. You watch as his complexion relaxes. He closed his eyes and kept quiet for a bit. 

You sat there with a tight-lipped smile, clearly it was forced. “Did.. Did you say something important..?” You say softly and carefully. It really only takes one wrong step before you’d be ensuring his wrath.  His eyelashes flutter slowly like a feather when he opens his eyes to reveal those grey orbs once more. 

“Riddle?” He repeats, crossing his arm and looks at you judgmentally. It took you a while until it clicked. “Ah.. S-sorry! I meant Your Highness!” Your eyes become wide as you correct yourself quickly; your hands flail in front of you. You had started to miss the life you had before deeply. So, when you saw a familiar face from that not-so distant past, it made you think that even for a brief second, you could return to that dream where you’ll be allowed to let down formalities. But, you did not take into account that Riddle would always be someone of higher status than you and that even then, you addressed him with respect.

 He shakes his head, a small smile on his lips that you could not catch. Despite being in a foreign country, Riddle sees that you do not seem to be stricken with the look of fatigue and longing for home and that alone makes him feel much more at ease, knowing that you are okay. “Please, continue to call me Riddle,” his eyes speak of words, but unfortunately, it could not be read. “We have been intimate friends since our youth so I believe it is only right that you address me intimately, [Name].” He had always said your name without adding any title while you couldn’t, so having the opportunity to.. You feel your heart squeeze and a smile of your own comes to form and open your mouth to speak, “I.. Oh, but..” There then comes a realization that another, different rule now stops you. “I can’t..

“I am now a princess of another kingdom.. They will find it suspicious if I address you too casually and rumours might start..” You look over your shoulder to the guard stationed nearby, just as agreed with between him and Malleus.  

Riddle’s eyes directs to the same direction you were looking at. And, with a stern look on his face when your eyes meet, he speaks, “Isn’t the purpose to unite the two kingdoms is for the people to become friends? As friends, I don’t believe formalities are needed.” He made a really good point and you found no fault in that. You nod and smile again. “You’re right, Riddle.” 

His eyes widened. Even though this was something he asked for, he did not quite think of the consequences it would have on him. “Oh..! Did I make you angry?” You panicked, seeing his face turn the colour of red (the same colour when he gets angry). 

No, he isn’t angry. Quite the opposite, but he couldn’t say. The prince was never one to hide his wrath so it is no surprise to see his face also reflecting his flustered mind; a hand flies to his face as if it could hide the ever deepening red colour. 

Seeing you panicking and regretting ever being born, he quickly calms his raising heart. “No..” He coughs into his fist. “Sorry, I was just.. Nevermind.” He dissuades from continuing the topic. His posture corrected itself once more, but his face was still hiding behind his hand and his eyes looked off to the side.

“Anyway, I’m sorry if I have made you wait long.. I’ve been meaning to end the talks with Malleus quickly.” He explains. “No, it’s alright. I hope the meeting went well,” you shook your head, holding your cup between your hands. 

“Oh, right, what did you want to talk to me about?” You asked. He did say that he wanted to speak to you alone. He hums and looks at you dumbfounded briefly but caught up with you in the end. “Ah, I.. When I got back from the academy, I was told that the peace talks were over and then came the agreement, but it wasn’t until later in the castle that I was informed that a baron’s daughter was to be married to..” His eyes tried hard to continue staring at you, but failed; there felt a suffocating feeling in his chest which dried his throat. The thought that he couldn’t be there to stop you from going to the Valley of Thorns was unbearable for him. “That you were the one who..”

The air suddenly became too thick for him and although it did not feel like that for you, the pitiful look on his face made you feel regretful that you did not tell him. You were about to comfort him when a hand slams down on the table along the screeching sound of a chair being pulled back. “Tell me!” Riddle looks at you with eyes that could only say so much about how hurt he is. “You.. Why did you accept? Why didn’t you reject the Queen? Why did you get married to him!?” At every word he says out loud, the louder his voice becomes and all you could do was stare in trepidation. 

However, you know you could not allow this to escalate. You look at the guard stationed nearby and see he was ready to subdue Riddle the moment he crosses that invisible line between you two. 

“Riddle, please calm down..!” You raise your own voice (something that you believe you have never done before) and look crossed at him. He has to calm down otherwise, at this rate, you might never be allowed to talk to him like this again. Luckily, he was quick to see his wrongdoings and the colour on his face returned to normal. He sits down yet does not look at you; he looks at his hands that are laid on his lap. “I’m.. I’m sorry, [Name].” 

You huff a breath. “It’s oka—“ “No, it’s not okay!” His head shots up to look at you and realize once again that he is acting out again. “Please.. Let me apologize sincerely before you say anything.

“I’m sorry for raising my voice at you. It wasn’t right and I take full responsibility for my actions,” he words out carefully. 

The wind was slightly cooler than what it was this morning. You look up to stare at the clouds. Now that you think about it, the skies are a lot darker than it was before Riddle came. It looked like the sky itself was having internal conflict. It appears that it was battling itself to not have a downpour right at this moment. It’s funny, you think, the clouds at that moment seem alive and having split thoughts about what weather they’ll cast. It made you almost chuckle at a made-up thought that a sorcerer could be doing this because they were in a similar state as well.. Maybe it was Riddles’ doing, but he does not have the ability to freely change the weather and you knew that well. 

Tearing your eyes away from the sky, you return to reality at hand and speak with a gentle voice like a mother speaking to her child, “Riddle, look at me.” You would not continue speaking until he looks at you. There was a brief look of hesitation that you could see under the darkness of his bangs. He gulps down a growing lump in his throat before looking at you properly. “There was no other choice; I had to get married—“ “No choice?” He sounded broken when he repeated your words. You bit the bottom of your lips. It’s a long story and you are honestly too tired to tell it.. That fae.. The Queen.. What happened in that throne room finalized your fate. 

You nod your head and outstretch your hand to hold his. You had never held his hands before until today and to no one’s surprise, they were warm. “I had no choice but listen, if it’s to make two kingdoms stop fighting a pointless battle, then I’m happy being the beginning of that newly established peace.”

Riddle looks long at both of your hands. With a look of resolve, he squeezes your hands and meets your eyes with seriousness. “I’ll find a way..” He says and you thought he’d continue on from there but he didn’t. Instead, he lets go of your hands and starts looking for something inside his welted chest pockets. “I have a letter from my mother meant for you; it’s an invitation.” 

Invitation? That’s surely a surprise, you think, taking the closed envelope into your hands and looking at the fancy markings alongside the single red seal of a rose. You open in and read its contents carefully. “Is there anything else mentioned in there..?” Riddle asks curiously. You shook your head. “She just wants to invite me back to join her for tea someday.” 

He hums agreeingly with the letter. “I think you should accept. Think of it as a meeting between a queen and a future queen; I believe it’ll benefit you.” 

Seeing it that way, you nod agreeingly and look at the letter, finding no faults inside it. “Then, I’ll ask His Highness..” You say almost subconsciously. Riddle raises his eyebrows. “His Highness? Is that how you address him?” He crosses his arms over his chest. You nod, “Mhm.. I mean, I don’t think it’d be appropriate to address him as anything but.” 

Unbeknownst to you, a smile was threatening to let slip but he fought it back. “I see.. Then I’ll definitely come for you..” He mutters cryptically. Before you could ask since he had said something similar twice now, he stood up from his seat. “I’m sorry, but I should leave now. I promised my mother I will be back in the castle before the moon rises,” he said. You smiled understandingly and entered back inside the castle to see him off.

“Thank you for allowing me to speak with you, [Name].” He puts a hand over his heart, his back facing the door to the castle. You shook your head and said, “No, I should be thanking you.. It was so good to see you again. I really missed talking to you, Riddle.” 

During you twos parting chatter while waiting for Malleus to see him off, the draconic-fae enters the room. His first sight was you hardly trying to cover a wide smile. He had thought you weren’t capable of a radiant smile like that and a look of perplexity crossed his face as he approached you two. There was no point in trying to be sneaky when his shoes sounded with every step he took. 

“Rosehearts.” You two stopped talking and looked behind you. He was still upset from earlier but he does not show it on his stoic face. You scooted away from Riddle and took your place beside Malleus. “I hope your stay here was alright,” he continues speaking. 

Riddle hums. “It was. [Name] here has been a wonderful host.” He looks at you and you couldn’t help but smile, albeit a small one from trying to hide it. Malleus gives a low, prolonged hum; eyes darting to and fro between you two. “I see.. Then, I'm at ease.” 

The words exchanged between the two were very short and before you knew it, Riddle had gone home. It was thought that it would be that and Malleus was already on his heels to leave the hall. You look off to the direction Riddle took off on his horse just for a second and leave as well. You thought it best to bring up the invitation to Malleus later over dinner.

In the meantime, as you let out a soft sigh, you let your muscle relax. Most of the mornings and part of the afternoon were spent entertaining Malleus and Riddle for the rest; you are determined to have some time for yourself just until dinner. 

Still.. It was the most wonderful visit that you’ve ever received. Seeing Riddle again made you feel as if you’ve gained the strength to continue on with this duty of being wedded to the Valley’s prince.

✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙

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║Aether║Intertwined Fates

Gender-neutral.

Word count: 800+

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His name lingers on your tongue everytime you say it. You didn't know who he was and such a name was foreign to the nations of Teyvat, but it sounded so perfectly when you utter it.

Aether.

You weren't much of a talker so you didn't know many people, but for some reason, you always seem to utter that name-- be it out loud or in your mind. You didn't mind though, loving how the name rolls off your tongue.

A smile slowly crept up to your face-- a small smile, but there's no difference.

"Hey, (Y/N), you're kinda scaring me, you know?" Your friend- whose name is completely irrelevant- spoke, eyeing you weirdly. Lately, you have been smiling to yourself and always utter 'Aether' which started to creep her out and some others, although they don't express it.

"Ah, sorry.." You rub your hand on the back of your neck. "Anyway, I'm quite curious," they start, waiting for you to show a gesture to continue. "Why is it that you're smiling a lot? Did you find someone you like~?" They poke your shoulder while covering their mouth with their other hand, although it did not hide their huge, teasing grin.

"I don't know.." you answered truthfully, looking down at the ground. You were truly wondering if this 'Aether' guy was actually real or not. All your life you have had that name being left your lips like a sort of prayer, but you have not met a person whose name is Aether. Sometimes, you think you just made it up, but something in you begs to differ.

"Huh? That's a weird answer, don't you think?" they ask, face visible of confusion. You shrug, saying nothing.

Having no choice but to take your response as answer, they switched the topic. "Well then, we should probably bring our fair share of logs home or we'll freeze to death. Snezhnaya's cold doesn't show mercy to anyone." They hinted at the pile of chopped wood on the ground.

You nod, walking home with the logs in tow. "Welcome home. I see you brought a lot back," your mother greets, a smile obvious on her face.

You nod and put the pile of wood on its rack, placed by the fireplace. "Well, if you need me, I'll be in my room," you muttered before leaving.

Snezhnaya and its ruler was merciless. There wasn't much entertainment than that of Mondstadt, the city of bards. So, in your room, there you sat on a sofa that was backed against a window, turning your upper body to stare outside at the frozen wasteland to at least have something entertaining to watch.

Staring at the stars, you were suddenly reminded of the name 'Aether'. You wonder, is this person ever going to come, or will you forever utter that name?

Tired out from the workout of dragging wood, you decided to skip dinner and go to sleep, getting deep under your blanket for warmth.

The next day, your friend had invited you to hangout around the town since they didn't like sitting around and doing nothing. "Hey, did you hear?" they excitedly ask, eager for you to respond. "No, what's up?" you ask, looking at him side eye.

"There's a commotion going on that the Honourary Knight from Mondstadt is in Snezhnaya!" they said, finally relieved of the build-up excitement. 'The Honourary Knight?' you question. Such person has been a talk across Teyvat, but for what reason could they be travelling? You did not know.

"Let's go see the knight!" Your friend took you by the wrist and dragged you to the square of the town. "Hey, look, I think that's them!" They point towards a blonde male.

Stopping when your friend does, your heart fluttered upon seeing the knight. Why did he feel so familiar? You have never met him, but you can't shake the feeling that you know his name.

The knight turns your way and at that moment, realization struck you and it seemed as if he, too, seem to know. "Aether," you called, barely audible.

"Huh? That name again..?" your friend said, but his attention was turned away from you and to the approaching blonde male. "Ah, he's coming this way..!" they quickly say lowly, clenching their teeth.

The knight stops in front of you and your friend quickly straightened his posture. "H- hey, you're the Honourary Knight, right?" your friend points out. You look at them, not knowing why they were so nervous when he looked relaxed. "Um, yes, I am," the blonde answers and looks at you in a seeming manner. "I'm Aether."

That was it. That was all you needed to hear. "Do you.. Perhaps know my name..?" you ask, now regretting that such a silly question came out of your mouth.

A smile parts his lips and gentle eyes sparkle back at you. "Of course. I have been searching for you.. (Y/N)."

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