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birdie123au · 9 months

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mania

mania - a spirit who personifies madness and insanity

Grief has consumed your every waking thought. You are given an opportunity from a long lost ally to lose everything so that those you love can have it all.

tw: mentions of suicide and self-sacrifice

part five of five

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“The prince battled Odysseus for the armor of Achilles,” the doctor said, “When he had lost the battle, the young prince became mad with obsession– completely insane. It wasn’t until he finally found clarity did he realize the way he had disgraced himself, you, and his family. It was said yesterday night they found the prince after he had thrown himself on his own spear; right on the beach with the blood still fresh.”

The world around you ceased to spin. You felt as though your feet were glued in place. At that moment, nothing had felt real. You had known Ajax for almost twenty years and had been his lover for over half the time. You knew him. You knew he could never do such a thing. He would never lose his mind and disgrace himself severely over some silly armor.

“No,” you said, “I’m sorry, but this can’t be true.”

“Oh Y/n,” the queen said, eyes filled with tears as she approached you, “I’m so sorry, dearest,”

Queen Hesione then wrapped you in a hug, tears dampening your robe. You stood stiff, your expression completely blank.

The gods had completely turned their back on you that night. After discovering the curse of your father, your true parentage, and the death of your husband you were certain the night could not get any worse. It wasn’t until a young doctor came running down the hall to the door of your chambers where most of the royal family and staff were gathered did you realize something was severely wrong.

At the bedside of King Telamon you watched in complete shock as you saw his wife, your mother in law, cradling his limp body in her arms while screaming bloody murder. Princess Tonia had passed out at this point, so the handmaidens brought her to a nearby couch and began fanning her face.

“Don’t just stand there!” cried the doctor to his staff, “Fetch the medication, prepare to attempt revival!”

The night was chaotic. Doctors, handmaidens, and guards were sent running around the palace. This commotion had woken your children who then overhead of their fathers deaths through panicked and confused servants’ screams. Queen Hesione continued her screams even when the guards were forced to detain her off to the side of the room. Each time Tonia regained consciousness she only passed out once more. And so you stood, stiff as a board at the side of the late king’s bed, having not moved an inch.

“Mother!” Alex cried as he ran into the room.

“Mother, what's happening?” Simon said, running alongside his brother. The two boys stopped at either one of your sides. You placed an arm around each of their shoulders, pulling them in closer as you watched the frantic doctors' futile attempt to revive the dead king.

“Is it true?” Alex asked again, crying in grief, “Are they both dead?”

You said nothing to the boys, instead pulling them in closer to your bodies. Your boys, your poor, sweet boys, would now be forever without a father and grandfather. They would never know Ajax’s eyes, his mischievous smile, or his soft hair.

“Take the women out of the room!” a doctor yelled, “Prepare to make the incision into the chest!”

Queen Hesione began to scream louder; “No!” she cried, “What are you doing to him! Why is he bleeding from the mouth! What have you done!”

The guards then escorted the hysterical queen out of the room. Followed by several servants lifting the passed out Tonia after her. Followed by a guard placing his hand on your back and guiding the three of you out the door.

They brought you all to the queen’s chambers but separated you from your sons, promising to guide them back to their bedrooms. The shock of the evening had yet to wear off, but you once more watched in surprise as the guards locked the door from the outside.

The queen pounded on the door, still in hysterics, demanding the three of you be let out. She stood there for hours banging and pleading. Only then did you come up from behind her, dragging her away slightly. You expected her to fight back, but the poor woman was overwhelmed with grief, so she instead braced your touch. You had yet to cry, scream, or yell. You felt numb– completely incapable of expressing any other emotion beside neutrality. At this point you were on your knees, cradling the queen in your arms.

You began thinking. What had once been impartial feelings of denial began to change, transform, into much uglier, nastier feelings. You became consumed with a strong sense of anger. Anger at Ajax for his reckless actions.

How could he have possibly been so careless as to fight in a battle of a dead man’s armor. He had strong, durable armor of his own. Was that not enough for him? You wondered how losing in such a battle could have made him so erratic to the point he had been driven insane. Was he that desperate for a piece or medal? Or was it something more? Perhaps it was his final straw. He had been gone for a decade, not having seen his loved ones in many years. He was desperate to meet his children. When the boys had turned five years old he told you he had almost sent a letter to his father, beginning to go home, it was only when he realized that was the way of the coward to back down. Prideful he was, dead he is. You had to wonder if this superficial quality of honor and duty was worth the mental hardship he had truly endured over the decade.

It was only then when you imagined him, full of pain and deep sadness, wanting nothing more than to return home to your arms and back to his family, did the tears finally begin to flow.

–––––––––

The guards had locked the three of you in the queen’s chamber for thirteen days.

The only visitor allowed was that of your eldest son, Alexandros, the king of Salamis. You could tell he was scared, confused, and experiencing heavy grief at the loss of his father and grandfather. He remained strong and assured you that confining you to the chamber was by the order of the doctors, not him. The dowager queen yelled at him for this, calling him foolish and distrustful. The boy began to cry, assuring her that the doctor had your best interest in mind. He was only ten, you reminded the queen, ten and king of an entire kingdom– he is truly doing his best to rule during this time of great sadness, it was not his fault he had placed his trust in a man with sinister interest.

It took only a few more visits for the boy to command your release. The dowager queen was beside herself with pain, mumbling about how cruel the gods were to take not only one son but two as well as her husband all in a year. Tonia weeped constantly but, by the command of her husband, was forced to return to Sparta until the funeral would begin. Then there was you. Mother of the king, late wife of the crowned prince, and so you did the only possible thing you could imagine. You went to the temple of the gods and began to pray. You prayed to your father, the late priest, for guidance. You also prayed for your husband to have a smooth passage into the afterlife. He was a warrior, you thought, surely his great sacrifices would be honored. You developed bruises on your legs from the amount of time you sat praying.

The rest of your spare time was spent by your sons’ side. You counseled Alex on his leadership and decision making; you read academic passages and scrolls with Simon, making sure his reading ability stayed fulfilled.

Despite your tears and deep sadness, you held yourself together to the best of your abilities. That was until the funeral.

Something about watching Ajax’s bloody body, covered in a white sheet, being lowered into the ground caused you to snap. You began weeping, wailing even, and you needed to be held up by two members of the royal counsel to even stand up straight.

You went mad with grief. Locking yourself in your chambers, you refused visits from anyone but Dowager Queen Hesione and your two sons. Yet even when they visited with gifts and kind words to lift your spirits, all you could do was cry. Each day you would pace around your room, rereading the hundreds of letters from your late husband spanning back to your days as a teenager. This continued for weeks until one day when you had enough, tore up every single letter he wrote you during his time away at war, and threw them from your window.

When you told Hesione what you had done she cradled you in a hug, begging you not to destroy any more of his belongings or yourself. She thought it best to get you out of your chambers, going on walks with her. But each time you would pass by a statue of Hebe or emblem of a god you would begin to weep all over again.

During your time locked up in your quarters, you had shredded many of your royal dresses, opting to wear the same outfits as the servants, and developed a deep aversion for the ocean. Each time a person would walk in smelling of salt you would have a fit of sadness.

The queen, Alex, and Simon continued their best to not only process their own grief, but also help you with yours. In a final attempt, Simon wrote to his aunt, Rosaria, begging for help. It was then where you found yourself in a small carriage, being ushered off to the Temple of Athena.

–––––––––

“Y/n?” Rosaria said, helping you out of the carriage, “Do you need to sit down?”

You understood why she asked such a question despite the fact you were standing just fine. You had lost several pounds, due to the fact you hardly ever ate, and your eyes appeared sunken and dazed, because of all the tears you shed. The grief you thought you could once control had completely spiraled, driving you mad. You did not eat, sleep, or bathe. In fact, the very first thing Rosaria did upon your arrival was throw you in a cold tub of water.

She stayed by your side as you cried to her, complained, and cried some more. Rosaria spoke little to you, instead dedicating her entire presence as a sort of counselor. You appreciated her few words of wisdom, tales from the gods of tragedy and losses of love. It reminded you of your father. Oh how you wished he could be at your side.

Each morning at the temple you would take walks with one of the priestesses. They were short, low commitment exercises that the doctor had prescribed to you to ‘better your condition.’ You had no desire to go towards the beach, so you instead walked amongst the gardens and trees. The priestesses would tell you stories about the heroes and gods who had walked this very same path to the temple while you in turn would tell tales of the kings and warriors of Salamis.

A particular priestess who you took a great liking to, besides Rosaria, was an elderly woman by the name of Xanthia. Because her name reminded you of the headmistress who had grown up despising you or at the very least mistreated you, you did not trust Xanthia. However, these cruel assumptions were quickly shattered when you took your very first walk with her. She shared a story about her little sister, how her late husband was a great warrior built in battle, and how the girl was visited by the goddess Persephone one late night in the spring. She said this following was forever lasting, just like the memories she shared with her dead husband.

Xanthia had a maternal quality about her, a certain warmth not many of the priestesses possessed. This intrigued you, as Xanthia had never married nor mothered any children. Walking with linked arms reminded you of the Dowager Queen Hesione, who you missed dearly.

“Y/n?” Xanthia said with a frail voice, “Why don’t you tell me a story.”

“Oh course,” you replied, “About what?”

“I would like to hear,” she paused for a moment, “A story about your mother.”

“Ah,” you said, “I never really knew my mother… I was born a bastard and was raised entirely by my father.”

“If your mother showed up in front of you now, not at all dead” she said, “would you show her any ill will? Or would you place value on xenia and tradition over personal grievances?”

You thought for a moment.

“Well, I must confess,” you began, “If she showed up in front of me many years ago, I would have slammed the door in her face.”

Xanthia looked disappointed in your answer, but allowed you to continue with your words; “But…well, now I am a mother too. I understand there are certain sacrifices we must make. Sacrifices our children may never truly understand, but if they are to protect them, then who are we to judge and show ill will? It doesn’t excuse the way she made me feel, but it does bring me peace.”

“The gods will reward you for your graciousness,” Xanthia said, “Just you wait.”

The two of you continued on a path down to where a stream raced over a path of sharp rocks. Typically this is where the priestess would turn the two of you around, but Xanthia continued marching you forward. Her grip was strong despite her old age.

“Princess?” she asked, “Do you know how to skip rocks?”

You laughed, immediately being transported to a memory of when you and Ajax were 14. It was a bright summer day, and he had managed to sneak out of class, literally, through a window. His teacher was so exhausted he hadn’t even noticed the boy had left. It was there where he attempted to teach you how to skip rocks. You were terrible. For every distance Ajax’s rock would travel, you traveled a quarter of the way. The two of you spent hours pelting rocks into the sea, and by the end of it you were no better from where you had started.

“Oh– no,” you said, still giggling, “My husband tried to teach me once when we were very young, but I was no good.”

“You said you were a cupbearer, were you not?” Xanthia replied with another question, “I’m sure you have good hand-eye coordination. Come. Let us practice skipping rocks.”

You agreed, not wanting to turn down such an offer. It had been many years since you had last tried, maybe you would yield some better results. As you watched the elderly woman fetch you a rock, you began to ponder a peculiarity from earlier in your conversation: how was it she knew your mother was ‘dead’?

–––––––––

“I remember now!” you laughed, “He hit you right on the center of your face. There was so much blood, I thought father was going to pass out then and there!”

“It was ridiculous,” Rosaria clarified, patting Simon’s head, “He had no right to laugh at me– you don’t either, Y/n. Or should I remind you of the chum incident?”

“Oh please, that was with a prince! You got your ass kicked by a serving boy. What was his name again? Theon?”

“Theon,” she confirmed, “How could I forget.”

Today was one of the many days in which Simon was able to visit you and the fellow priestesses. Alex, your elder son, was often not able to accompany you due to his many duties as king. He was heartbroken over this, Simon assured you, and would write to you often demanding to know when your treatments were over and you could finally return home.

It had only been several weeks since you had left, but your children, mother-in-law, and handmaidens were said to have been itching for your return. You tried not to focus on such matters whenever Simon would visit. You instead tried to keep things light hearted by sharing stories, just as the priestesses had done for you. You were getting better. Some days you woke up incapable of getting off your bed, but others, most days, you found the motivation to pull yourself up and live through the day to the fullest of your abilities.

All was going well. Yet, you couldn’t shake the feeling that you were being watched. That someone or something was around the corner, reading again to tear down the walls you had built up for yourself.

“Well,” Rosaria said, “It’s time for me to relight the candles and bless the halls. Simon, stay with your mother and read her some more stories. I’ll be back as soon as I can to fetch you for dinner.”

“Yes Aunt Rosaria,” Simon replied, shifting in his seat to locate his textbook.

“Have fun!” you said, exaggerating your wave as Rosaria was walking towards the exit door of your chambers.

“Y/n, before I forget,” she said, turning around to face you once more, “Sister Xanthia would like to meet with you after the sun goes down.”

“Interesting, do you know why?” you question as Simon snuggled up next to you, ready to start reading.

“No,” Rosaria said, “But she does want to meet you at the beach. I think it's part of your prescribed treatment. Let me know if you want me to be there.”

The beach? You froze. You took a deep breath, regained your composure, and nodded. You and Rosaria would meet Xanthia at the beach.

“Try not to have too much fun while I’m gone,” Rosaria said, shutting the door.

You placed your head on your son’s shoulder, and so the two of you spent the rest of your afternoon reading tales of great heroes and their triumphs.

–––––––––

“It’s getting late,” Rosaria said, annoyed, “I don’t understand what could possibly be taking her so long.”

“Maybe she fell?” you replied, worried, “What if she lost her balance on the walk and is stuck waiting for our help?”

The two of you remained in the same spot for several minutes before deciding it was best to head back to the trail. Afterall, if Xanthia had truly fallen or gotten lost, it was best to find her as soon as possible and bring her back to the temple.

You and Rosaria walked in silence while holding hands. You were not nearly as mad with sadness as you thought you would be, returning to the beach for the first time in many weeks, especially at night. It was calm. Oddly calm, as if the beach had been blessed by the lord of the sea himself. The two of you had only made it for several steps when you both stopped in your tracks.

A feeling, unlike any you had before, began to consume your chest. You looked at Rosaria and realized very quickly from the way her eyes widened that she too was feeling it. It was a mixture of anxiety, the feeling of being watched by something far greater than yourself, and happiness. It was then when you noticed a faint glow from behind you. The two of you whipped your heads around in unison, breaking your hands apart in the process.

Behind you stood a sight out of an epic. Xanthia, or whoever it truly was, stood behind you. Though she was not the woman you had grown to love. She was younger, far younger, and significantly taller. She had long, brown hair that curled like a princess. Her beauty was breathtaking, but the sight of her strong arms disrupted the image. Despite this, her aura in which she stepped confidently was unbreakable. She was no mortal.

“Xanthia…?” Rosaria was first to ask after a few moments of silence.

The unknown woman’s face changed from a neutral expression to one with joy; “Yes, you could call me that.”

She began to walk towards the two of you. The closer she got, the more you and Rosaria understood that it was you who she was approaching. You who she had looked eyes with.

“Or,” she said, grabbing both of your hands into hers; they were soft and had a welcoming warmth, “You could call me my true name: Hebe.”

“Mother?!” you blurted out, stumbling backwards in your place.

“What.” Rosaria said, exasperated.

“Hello my child,” she said, removing one of your hands to stroke your hair as mothers often did, “How you have grown since I’ve last seen you in my true form.”

“I–I,” you stumbled, “What are you doing here?”

“To wish my dear daughter a happy birthday, of course,” she said, smiling with a warmth and beauty you had never seen before, “I also wish to speak of something important.”

You held your breath; “I have learned from a recent… discovery of yours that you have finally learned the truth of your father’s conditions. Or perhaps, your family's condition. I’m sure your knowledge is not vast, but it is true that my own father is responsible for a certain… curse that haunted my late lover.”

“Yes..yes because of his,” you paused, “His hubris, yes?”

“Well, sure,” the goddess responded, “But again, that is not the truth entirely. I’m sure he had not gone into great detail, but his own father lost his wife at a young age. His father’s father did as well, and so for many generations this was true. It was a great curse from the goddess Aphrodite, who was angered by an ancient ancestry of your family for being more beautiful as she and so she cursed her. She made it so a husband who she truly loved would die young and in pain. The goddess made it so any of her descendants would suffer the same fate. It was I who tried to lift this curse from my husband, but it only ended up making it worse as he sacrifices his virtues for love.”

“Mother,” you said, tears forming in your eyes, “Why do you tell me this?”

“Because,” her face grew stern, sad almost, “I wish to offer you a proposal.”

Your eyebrows bent in suspicion and anticipation.

“I recently had one of my other, godly children, wed a child of Aphrodite’s,” she began, “And so I sat down with that insufferable woman and negotiated a deal. A deal for your children, my grandsons. An agreement that would end the curse that has loomed over your family for generations. Your children would not have to live a life of misery as their lovers, children, or themselves are stolen away too soon; they would live long, happy, fulfilling lives. But the cost…is one very grim.”

“Tell me mother,” you said, squeezing your hands around hers in desperation, “How can I protect them?”

“A soul for a soul,” she told you, sadness consuming her being, “Well, a soul for two souls is more accurate.”

“I don’t understand?” you whispered, “Are you saying I need to…”

“Yes,” she responded without needing to hear the rest of your sentence, “The greatest sacrifice. You said to me, Y/n, that you believed mothers were capable of making sacrifices beyond their child’s ability to comprehend. You have always had great respect and love for your father, you threw away everything he ever knew and loved so that he could raise you.”

You pinched your eyes shut, debating what was the best choice for you to make. But then, you imagined a moment from several months ago when the boys chased their little cousin around. The looks of pure childhood innocent and fun in their eyes made your choice as clear as day.

“My children will not be alone,” you said, defying the very nature of grief, “They will grow stronger, and I will be united with my love once more.”

“So you will do it?” the goddess asked, “Oh Y/n, I knew it would be you. It always was going to be.”

“Um,” Rosaria said, “What on earth is happening.”

Instead of responding to her shock, you let go of your mothers hands and instead wrapped Rosaria in a hug.

“Rosaria,” you said, tears freely streaming down your face “My first friend, my ally, my sister. Please, promise me you’ll take care of them.”

Several moments later, without saying a word, Rosaria returned your hug. A silent sign of support.

And so your mother took your hand and the two of you walked deep into the water, never to return again. As the waves reached higher on your body, you looked towards where you mother stood. But there in her place was another figure, Ajax, grasping your hand and leading you through the ocean. He smiled at you. You smiled back.

–––––––––

The king stood on the great rocks, peering over the hill of Salamis into the great big ocean. His ginger hair, which fell down to his chin, moved as freely as it could under the weight of his golden crown. Every morning after breakfast at the very same time on the very same rocks he would look out into the very great sea. Sometimes he was joined by his brother, on occasions his grandmother, on holiday’s his priestess aunt, and oftentimes his wife.

The king was known throughout the land as being good. He was fair and ruled with jurisdiction. He was pious and had great respect for the gods. Each day he dressed in clothes of mourning, honoring his late parents who died when he was just a boy. Alexandros had been king of Salamis for eighteen years, a husband for twelve, and a father for ten.

The king loved his subjects, his family, and his role as their protectors. He had a rough childhood. No father, a tense situation at court, and growing up in the midst of one of the greatest wars Greece had ever seen. Still, he was deeply loved by those around him and was never seen as corrupt or unjust. However, one thing from his childhood that never ceased to shake him up was the death of his mother, the Princess Y/n.

The king’s brother, Prince Simonides, became the scribe of history. He too was loved by the people, but for very different reasons than the kind. He was seen as just, a historian who took into account several perspectives, and far less consumed by the grief of losing his mother. He worked alongside his aunt, Princess Tonia of Sparta, and his ward, the Princess Eudora. Despite their great distance in location, the two brothers remained extremely close and would visit often.

The king not only honored his deceased mother in his daily actions, he also remembered the father he never knew. Ajax the Great was sure to be remembered by all as a strong warrior whose skill was only less to Achilles. Statues, caves, and even a festival was created, by command of the king, to honor his name.

The king would spend the rest of his life mourning his parents. Still, he shared great moments of joy and fulfillment. He also found comfort in the fact that his parents were reunited in the afterlife, their love now eternal. From the love of his wife, brother, Aunt Rosaria, the Dowager Queen Hesione, and his children he understood why his mother did what she did. She chose love, and so he would too.

“Father?” the voice of his oldest child, a girl, called out to him, “Won’t you come inside? Mother is requesting your presence. Uncle and your Spartan Aunt have arrived.”

“Excellent,” King Alex responded, “I’ll be there in just a minute to greet them, Y/n.”

#ajax genshin impact #ajax x reader #childe genshin impact #childe x reader #tartaglia genshin impact #tartaglia x reader #rosaria genshin impact #major character death #tragic endings #angst #angst with sort of happy endings #partially inspired by the barbie movie lmao

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birdie123au · 9 months

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agon

agon - a contest, struggle, or conflict of personality, character, or values

War has taken from you everything you had known and loved. Still, new light has been brought into your life to keep you afloat. Through an unlikely friendship, you forge your way in the royal court as a force of great power to be reckoned with.

part four of five

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The sun was harsh as it shone over the sea, reflecting its intense rays off the clear ocean blue back into the sky. Despite the beautiful, sunny weather that often brought good fortune, the day was nothing but solem and the air was tense. A fleet of a dozen ships would be setting sail for Troy, and on one of those was your newlywed husband, Ajax.

It had only been several weeks since the two of you married, yet it felt like lifetimes ago. The very next morning following your wedding, you woke up in a room full of people you dreaded to see. The headmistress, the master guard, the King of Salamis, and the horse-stable man. Angrily, three of them demanded to know if it was true. If you had truly wedded the future king in the later hours of the evening without proper supervision or consent of the father. You practically had a heart attack after being bombarded by their questions, especially when they began to bring up matters of consummation and which chamber you slept in that night. It wasn’t until his siblings, the rest of the royal counsel, and Ajax himself arrived that you no longer felt you were the target of the attack.

After hours of debate, screaming, and scheming, the royal counsel came to the conclusion that, although they did not wish for it, the marriage was legal and therefore binding. This meant that the two of you were married officially, your betrothals ceased, and you were now a princess. But you were certainly not treated as such, especially after you guaranteed you would never have the favor of the king who was beyond mad his matchmaking skills with the Princess Arete had gone to waste.

But it didn't matter, as today was not about you. It was about your Ajax. He was to get on a boat for an indeterminate amount of time with the slight chance he would never return. The night before his departure you spent weeping into the pillows of your shared room. You no longer had shame expressing your tears, and you instead sought the comfort of those around you, including your husband, as a means of coping with your grief.

Despite all prayers and wishes, you stood in front of your husband, looking directly into his bright blue eyes. You couldn't help but wonder how things could have turned out to be this way. The twelve year old boy you once knew, who you used to play toys with, and watch his sports, had grown right in front of your eyes. His face had matured and his hair color had deepend. You tried to imagine the two versions of himself standing next to each other, how similar their smirks would be, how different their height. What that twelve year old boy would be feeling about all this, you do not know. Now matter how much reflection you could do did not change current circumstances. Ajax was leaving you, just after you finally, truly had him, and he would not be back for many more moons.

“Ajax,” you said, taking an additional step forward. He met you halfway in a bone crushing hug. Summers on Salamis could be sticky and unbearably hot at times, but you didn't mind how your skin stuck together slightly due to the line layer of sweat.

“Y/n,” he similarly addressed, “be a good girl for me, won’t you?”

You laughed into his shoulder before pulling yourself away to meet his lips; “Only if you promise you’ll be good as well.”

You were only half joking.

You heard a much deeper voice clear his throat from behind; “Son,” the voice said.

King Telamon was standing directly behind you, towering over both you and your husband. You decided it was best to move out of their way, opting to stand a comfortable distance at the side of Ajax. You watched as the two men embraced, and although Ajax was eighteen you couldn’t help but identify parts of his twelve year old self as he attempted to squirm and squeeze his way out of his fathers hug. You felt a pang of sadness in your heart as you watched the scene knowing you no longer had the opportunity to embrace your own father.

The Queen Hesione was nowhere in sight. Ever since the marriage of her eldest son to the bastard daughter of a beggar, tensions were ever high in the royal court. Hesione took a particular dislike to you out of all the women present. It was unsettling to you that you preferred the company of Headmistress Xanthe over the queen. She was cold, judgemental, and outright rude towards you despite the fact you had only formally spoken a few times. She did not like you, and you were fine with that. Afterall, she owed you nothing and you did not behave in a way to indicate that she did. But what you did find rather obnoxious was her refusal to send off her own son to war due to her grievances with you.

Despite this bit of drama, the rest of Ajax’s family and court were present. The Princess Tonia, Prince Anton, and Prince Teucer all had to blink back the tears in their eyes as they hugged their brother goodbye. You did not know his siblings well, but you were still formal enough as to have no public grievances. Watching the siblings interact in a way so caring, so loving filled your heart with joy. It reminded you of your childhood with Rosaria. You loved having a pseudo sibling, you loved the fact Ajax had a sibling, and you knew you wanted any future children of yours to have siblings as well.

It wasn’t much longer before Ajax had to say his goodbyes. With one last kiss, he turned toward you to say, “Good luck, girlie!” before heading off. No ‘I love you’ or ‘I'll miss you’ just a childish, silly phrase he would say. That was your Ajax.

With that, he was gone. You watched as the ships slowly disappeared over the horizon. Standing alongside the rest of his family and court, you became increasingly aware of a looming threat above you. Ajax served as the protector, the buffer between you and his enraged council. Without him, you were vulnerable, your only truly allies being Dimitri and the headmistress, if she was having a good day. You attempted to push away these thoughts in your head, and instead focused on watching attentively as you watched your husband disappear right before your eyes over the great ocean.

–––––––––

My dearest, Y/n

It's hard to believe over two years have passed since the day I left you on that dock. The war moves slowly, much like many of the old warriors who serve Menelaus. The days are long, and the nights seem to only grow faster. I urge Menelaus to push forward against their defenses. Afterall, we have many strong, capable men (like me) who are up for the task. Still, he assures me that his plan of working slowly against each of Hector and Paris’s wave of armies remains the best strategy available. I spend my nights drinking with Agamemnon, mornings reviewing strategies with Odysseus, and afternoons discussing more simple ideas with Achilles and his dear friend Patroclus.

Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my buddies! But two years of talking with only men has grown rather… repetitive. I long to hear your voice again. Some nights I find myself saying up whispering your name, to see if it still sounds the same to me, you know?

I hope things are going smoothly in court. It hurts me to know you're still dealing with these… problems with my family. Just know, you have someone on your side all the way across the sea. I’m sure you will rise above this seemingly never ending challenge, you always do! Keep me updated with this whole Dimitri–Linos affair. It’s the only good gossip I can get around here.

I know I always write the same thing, but I think about you everyday. I think about your hair, your eyes, your smile, the way your scent always reminds me of the beach. Reminds me of home. Getting to fight in a war is great in all, but I do find myself missing you and the family more and more as the days pass.

Take care of yourself, and tell the boys I say hi.

All my love,

Ajax

You sigh as you look up from reading your letter. The chambers of your room have a great window that looks out onto the sea. Ever since you had moved in almost three years ago you had been infatuated with watching the curtains blow towards you with each gust of wind. As the wife of the crowned prince, you find that you no longer have as many freedoms as you once did as a young serving girl.

You were no longer able to take a stroll all by yourself onto the beach, no, you were always under constant supervision by either the guards or ladies in waiting. Not like it mattered who it was, as no matter the type of person once their duties were done they would always whisper in the hallways calling you names such as ‘The Bitch Servant’ or ‘The Bastard Queen.’ Your skin was thick, and their words could not penetrate it. However, you always found it interesting how no matter your station in the palace, you would never truly have their respect. Not even by marrying the future king of all of Salamis.

Years had gone by since you had last seen your husband. Not even his letters could appease the growing hole in your heart that his presence once filled. Instead, that whole was filled by a person, two people.

As if they had read your thoughts, you heard the frantic knock of a young servant girl, and you therefore already knew who was here. Standing up from your chair, you fixed your light purple robe and adjusted the string that tied up your hair. The young serving girl had already swung open the door and there ran in two little bodies. Your boys.

Alexandros and Simonides, who you referred to as Alex and Simon, had recently turned two years old, and had the energy to prove it. The two toddlers would constantly be running up and down the palace corridors with their arms extended to their sides like little birds. The boys shared the ginger hair of their father, but inherited both their complexion and their eye color from yourself.

Alexandros was the older of the two boys. This natural born leader aspect of his character had already begun to show from the way he paraded his little brother around, commanding him which halls to go down, which foods to eat. He had a knack for mischief and liked to show it.

Simonides, the younger twin, was more sensitive than his brother. He cried more often than his brother, and was less ambitious to take on new challenges. Despite this, the boy had an extensive vocabulary for his age, and his delicate, intelligent nature served as the perfect foil to his more intense brother.

“Oh my boys!” you said, throwing the letter down onto a nearby chair. You crouched before the two of them, stretching your arms out wide to which the two boys gladly ran into.

“Thank you, Agatha,” you said as you dismissed the service girl. She did not respond, but rather bowed her head before swiftly leaving this door.

“Mama!” Alex giggled, throwing his little hands up in the air.

“For you,” Simon said, sudden;y releasing whatever had been clutched in his little hands. It was a small flower, most likely from a rogue seedling that had grown in the grass.

“Why is it beautiful!” you replied, pulling it up to your nose to take a sniff, “It smells very fresh. Did you boys find it on your walk with Agatha?”

“No!” Simon shouted, “Grandmama walk with us.”

“Ah,” you cringed, “Well, I hope you had fun, my sweet boys.”

Alex then sprung in an escape from your arms and began running around your bedroom. It had been difficult raising your children without your husband the past few years, but with the help of the staff and Ajax’s family you did not have to struggle as much as your father did. It did pain you that Ajax had never met his own sons, but you found strength in the idea that he may someday return. Although you knew many in his family had no love for you, they did love the boys, and for that you were grateful. Your children were your rock, they were what kept you strong. They were the reason you could hear vile whispers and allegations in the halls and walk past them with your head up, eyes forward. You only hoped that your sons would never have to face the same speculations that you had.

“Your majesty?” a handmaiden said, standing at the now open door of your chamber.

“Yes?” you asked, standing up from where you were crouched on the floor, watching your boys run all around the room.

“Her grace the queen wants to speak to you,” she paused for a moment and anxiously picked at her hand, “She says it urgent.”

“Oh,” you said, “Well, could you help me take the boys?”

“Um, she actually wants it to be just the two of you,” she replied, you raised your eyebrows in exasperation, “The boys will be sent down to the Princesses quarters until you can return.”

“Why,” you said, anger straining your voice, “I haven't seen my sons all day. What does she want?”

“I don’t know, your majesty…” the handmaiden said, looking as though she was about to cry.

You sighed angrily as you walked out the door, leaving her behind to escort your children. You then made the walk across the entire palace. Holding up your dress so as to not trip up the many stairs, you were fuming. It was not as though the queen intentionally kept your children away from you often, but she knew that today was when the letters from the army would arrive at Salamis. She knew Ajax had sent you a letter, and you knew that ignited the wounds of betrayal from years ago.

You had learned from Ajax in a letter he had sent about a year ago that it was the queen's idea to marry him to Princess Arete, and that the king had been the one to put the scheme to life. The queen’s cousin was mother of Arete, and Queen Hesione wished to have a family member nearby for comfort. It pained you to learn that she had been shipped off to Salamis at the age of only fourteen to marry the already eighteen year old King Telamon.

Not pausing to knock, a guard swung open the queen’s door at the sight of your arrival. The queen turned around from where she had stood, gazing out her window, much like you had been. Hesione was a beautiful woman, that was for certain. She had long, curled auburn hair with a section of it braided and wrapped around the back of her head going ear to ear. Her eyes were a beautiful light brown. The way in which she carried herself with confidence reminded you of her first born son, Ajax.

“Ah, Y/n,” she said, “Please, take a seat at the table.”

“Your grace,” you bowed before taking a seat at the small table by her window. It was an ancient wooden table that belonged to one of the first queens of Salamis and only two of its original chairs remained. Taking a seat, you glanced once more at the queen who was now approaching you. She did not look happy, but rather solem.

“I wish not to bore you with idle chit-chat,” she began, “I’m sure you received a letter from my son this morning, have you not?”

“I have, your grace,” you lifted the cup of wine that had been placed before your seat, taking a sip; it was bitter.

“Tell me what it said,” she said, startling you with her change in demeanor, “Tell me in total the truth of it.”

“Excuse me?” is all you could think of as a reply.

“Y/n,” the queen pleaded, “Please, this is very important. The queen commands it.”

“If I had known this was all that concerned you, I would have brought it to you myself,” you said before explaining to her the contents of the letter.

“I see,” was all she said in response, “I understand then.”

“Is that all, your grace?” you said, annoyance still present in your voice despite you trying to be as calm as possible.

“If I tell you this, will you promise not to spread this gossip?” she said; you were confused.

“Of course,” you replied upon instinct, “What is it?”

As if her demeanor had not shocked you enough, the queen began weeping. Despite your sour relationship over the past several years, you felt plain watching her cry in front of you, helpless to stop it.

“My son writes to me,” she said in between her tears, “That the Trojans are making their advances and are winning the war. Menelaus is stubborn and wishes to carry out his strategy with no change. They–”

The queen became overwhelmed by grief and sobbed into her hands. Awkwardly, you walked towards her offering an embrace. Much to your surprise, she had not rejected you, and instead allowed you to wrap her in your arms. It was strange, you had never been this close to the queen physically in your entire life. After a moment, the queen gained her senses and lifted her head back up. You took your seat at the table once more.

“They wish to take to battle more skilled warriors,” she finally explained, “Menelaus demands for my son’s brothers to fight by his side. Ajax has wholeheartedly agreed.”

“What?” you gasped, “But Anton has just begun his studies of philosophy. Teucer is hardly fifteen. Surely there is no way the king will allow this.”

The queen shook her head, crying some more; “I spoke with my husband this morning, Ajax had already written to him with this news months ago. What a fool! Does he not care for the lives and innocence of his younger brothers! He is meant to protect them, not drag them into battle. Oh, and my husband! I just cannot believe he would allow such a thing!”

“I’m so sorry,” you said, reaching your hands onto the table, “Is there anything I can do?”

In another shocking act, the queen grabbed your hands into hers; “I have been at this court for many years at the mercy of the men around me,” She continued tearing up as she spoke, “Not once have I had an ally completely partial to me, not even my own husband.”

It started to make sense. Queen Hesione, the same woman who had spent years mocking you to your face and whispering about you behind your back, had now realized that in all the time she spent tearing you down she had neglected the fact she had very few allies in court. She now needed your support, your perspective, someone who would agree with her: a fellow mother. The thought first disgusted you, how dare she treat you like that and then expect you to blindly support her in court! But the more you thought about it, the more you realized the great importance an ally of her status would mean for you. No longer would the servants be able to freely whisper about you in the halls, insult your late father, or question the legitimacy of your own children. You knew you had to dismiss your anger in search of greener pastures. You had to make an ally out of Queen Hesione.

“Y/n,” the queen continued, “Your support in this court would be a great help to me, to my own daughter. We are both mothers who care deeply for our children. Together we could protect them.”

“I completely agree, your grace,” you said, putting on your best comforting smile, “I believe that if you had the support of Princess Tonia and I, surely the head priest Dimitri would follow– as well as the high priestesses of the Temple of Athena.”

“I’m glad you see it as I do,” the queen said as she removed one of her hands from yours as to wipe her tears away, “Well, I must now go speak to my daughter, tell her all of her brothers will be sent away to war. You will come with me, and we will go visit my grandchildren as well.”

Walking with linked arms, you and Hesione left for the princesses quarters. As you walked through the halls, the servants stared, bowing down to the two of you in awe. An allyship, a statement to the king, a protest of sorts. Showing how two women at odds could unite under a common ground: the protection of their children. You and the queen, walking arm and arm.

–––––––––

The princess’s head was buried in her hands, sobbing. Her mother, the queen, was at her side attempting to comfort her with reassuring words of strength. Tonia had just turned sixteen years old, but carried herself with grace beyond her years. She was educated, had great posture, and had a beauty that would rival her own mothers. Much like all of his siblings, she shared practically identical features to Ajax.

Upon your arrival to her chambers, the young girl was playing blocks with your sons. Laughing as the two would take turns knocking over the towers she had built up. She was initially very confused why you and her queen mother had arrived at the same time, arms liked as though you were longtime friends. But the confusion very quickly turned to joy as she grew excited over the possibility of your friendship. That happiness quickly turned into horror as her mother sat her down and explained that her two remaining brothers would be shipped off to war, just as the oldest had been.

As the mother comforted her daughter, you stood off to the side, looking on in sadness as your little boys laughed and tugged at your dress. A few moments later, the queen stood up from where she had been crouching.

“My daughter,” she said, stroking the princesses' ginger hair, “I bring you more alarming news, but you should not worry. Your father has plans to marry you off to the cousin of King Menelaus of Sparta, an older man with no children. But we, you, Y/n, and I, will not allow this to happen. I will not have my only daughter, my only child remaining, shipped off to some far away kingdom to a man three times her age. You are to come to court, and the three of us will present our case. Y/n will write to Ajax demanding him to negotiate against his father.”

So then turned to you, “We only have so much time, you must write quickly.” Tonia looked between the two of you, tears still in her eyes, but the every deviant princess nodded her head in solidarity, and so the three of you devised a plan. By the end of the month, there would be a meeting at the royal court to decide upon the dowry of Tonia. It is where the three of you would present your case to King Telamon, and if all went according to plan the three of you would remain at court. Remain in power.

–––––––––

My dearest, Y/n

I am glad to hear that the boys are doing well. I remember when my little brother, Teucer, was their age. He also had a habit of running around, causing mischief, and keeping both the handmaidens and my own mother on her toes. The war has been going steady, though not too great for us, my fellow warriors and I have slew hundreds of Trojans and we won’t stop until Helen is returned to her rightful home.

As for the more pressing matter to which you write, I cannot believe how disgusting the situation is. If it was up to me, Tonia would not marry the cousin of Menelaus. He is a lazy bum, and more than twice her age! I already was on edge about accepting my brothers into my army, but this has truly gone too far. I certainly condemn this relationship, and I’ve already written to my father demanding he does not proceed. Trust me, I’ll take care of it.

I am also very pleased to hear you and my mother are getting along now! In her letter she wrote praises of you and your bravery. I can’t wait to hear more about all your adventures together. I miss you and the family more than anything.

Yours,

Ajax

The King Telamon crumpled your letter into his face, angrily looking upon his wife; “Hesione,” he demanded, “What is the meaning of this!”

“My dear husband,” the queen said, she was the only person at the small table of the royal counsel who stood up, “I believe that it would be in our best interest to not marry the Princess Tonia to the cousin of the King of Sparta. Instead, I propose we marry her to one of his sons when she is to turn eighteen.”

“Oh you stupid woman,” the king laughed, “You know nothing of politics! I have a fair trade with the cousin. Twentyseven oxen in exchange for our daughter! These oxen would bring great fortune and good to our local farmers. Strengthen the economy of all of Salamis!”

“Is that all our daughter is to you!” the queen yelled back, “Is she worth twentyseven ox? Is that all she means to you!”

The king grew even more angered, and opened his mouth in protest, but you instead cut in to speak your mind, “If I may, you grace?” all eyes turned to you as you stood from your chair, “The deal for your daughter is an excellent one, a clever political move.”

The queen raised her eyebrows in confusion as Tonia’s eyes widened in fear of what you would say next, “But it is clear to me you are being schemed by the cousin of Menelaus. He knows too well that Menelaus’s sons are a far better match for your daughter, and is attempting to woo you with animals that you could surely obtain through other means. In fact, if you were to marry your daughter to his eldest son, Nicostratus, I’m certain he could provide you with gifts of an even greater scale. Your daughter would be the future Queen of Sparta, she would be fair and good and loved by all her people. She would have status and power, you would have connection to the throne of Sparta.”

The queen smiled; “I agree with Y/n, my husband,” she said, “I will write to Menelaus, informing him of the proposal. Ajax will be quite pleased, and I am certain he will convince his fellow warrior to approve of the union.”

The king sat in silence for quite some time, thinking long and diligently about the proposal; “Headpriest Dimitri,” he said suddenly, “What are your opinions on the matter? Do you believe the union to be promoting and truthful? Is it the will of the gods?”

Dimitri practically yelped at being put on the spot. He stood up from where he sat, brushing his robes off with his hands in a fit of anxiety. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat before beginning to speak; “Your grace,” he began, “I believe that the queen and princesses proposal is a fair one. A proposal that will surely have the gods smiling down upon the union. Nicostratus will succeed his father and take Tonia as his queen. Connections with Sparta will certainly assure a bountiful harvest in trade and crop.”

“Is that so?” the king said, looking at his wife, “Well… Y/n, you should write to Ajax immediately informing him of this offer. Dimitri, I want to send word for Sparta tonight informing him of my intentions to marry my daughter to Nicostratus. And to my wife, you best not involve yourself in such political matters again. Women are unfit for such a station.”

Following the conclusion of the meeting, you, Queen Hesione, and Tonia spent the evening in the queen's chambers, eating rich food and drinking fine wine. You shared stories about your youth as a servant, including the one where you met Ajax for the first time. Tonia gasped in horror while the drunk Hesione laughed like a schoolgirl in reaction to you telling them about when Ajax practically drowned you in the water to wash off your clothes. You found yourself enjoying their comfort more and more as each day passed with your husband around. You no longer felt as isolated, as afraid of the people around you.

Despite King Telamon’s threats about the women no longer being able to attend his court, the three of you continued to do so until Tonia was married off to Prince Nicostratus. You and Queen Hesione, however, continued to hold powerful influences in court for many years. When King Telamon became too ill with consumption to attend the hearings, it was Hesione who sat in his place with you at her side.

It is not a king who rules over Salamis, they would say, it was a woman and a bastard, a queen and a princess.

–––––––––

My love,

I find I have little time to write to you. The war is near its end. Achilles is dead, I have killed Hector with my own hands. All that is left is for us to kill Paris and rescue Helen. I will finally be able to reunite with you.

I have recently been thinking about what I’ve been doing with my life for the past decade. Was participating in this war truly worth it? Was watching my dear brother Anton die before my eyes worth the gold and honor I would bring back with me to Salamis? Not being able to visit my father even though he's getting sicker? It's been ten years since my sons were born, and I still haven't even met them once.

Every night I think back to the night we ran away and got married. Nothing stopped us from continuing to run. We could have left everything behind and had each other. I would still be with you. When I can’t sleep, I leave my tent to go standby on the shore of the ocean. Watching the waves crash on the shore in the dead of night reminds me of you.

I hope the next time I write to you I’m on the ship, heading home. Tomorrow my fellow soldier, Odysseus and I will fight for Achilles’s armor. Once I have all my affairs settled, I will return home.

It won't be long now!

Yours,

Ajax

“Is that all he said?” you asked, continuing to weave the stitches on the loom.

“Yes, mother,” Simon said, “It’s shorter than usual, doesn’t even take up a full page.”

“Well, hopefully the next one he writes is longer,” you stop weaving to stand up and smile at your son, “Now, where is Alex? I have another meeting with the council this afternoon, and I want you both to be there.”

“Um, I think he's out training in the yard,” he said, “I can go grab him if you want.”

“I would appreciate that,” you kissed him on the cheek, “Take your time, you don’t have to rush.”

You smiled as you watched your younger son leave the room. He had grown a great amount in the past ten years, and he was tall for his age. He was several inches taller than his brother, but his build was more slender due to the fact he never trained outside. Alex kept his ginger hair to his shoulders while Simon kept it shorter and in a ponytail. It pleased you to see how good your boys had gotten along.

“Princess?” a handmaiden said, standing at your door, “The queen requests your presence in the garden.”

You nodded at the girl’s words, following her out the door to approach the garden. Walking through the large marble halls has always filled you with a sense of nostalgia, remember your walks as a young servant girl, fetching water for the horses or chum for the fish. You often thought about Rosaria as you walked through the courtyard to the garden, walking past the various statues of goddesses and gods. Although the two of you wrote to each other often, it had been several years since she last visited you and your sons at the palace. You appreciated the fact that she would also write to your sons often, establishing a healthy relationship as a caring aunt.

I love this chapter with all my heart. Expanding on Mc’s relationship with other characters was a real treat. Yay princess girlboss!

As you entered the garden and turned the corner, you were greeted by the face of the queen and several of her handmaidens.

“Y/n,” she said with a smile, “Come here dearest.”

You walked towards the queen, her hands taking yours as she reached out towards you; “I have a surprise!”

You stiffened in surprise as you felt someone's hands cover your eyes from behind. They were soft and delicate, they surely belonged to a woman.

“Guess who!” the cheery voice called out. You recognized you it belonged to immediately. Wiping your head around you made eye contact with her.

“Tonia!” you said, opening your arms wide for a hug to which she readily accepted, “Oh, how I’ve missed you!”

“I’ve missed you too!” she cried, “Exchanging letters was nice but it doesn’t compare to truly hearing your voice!”

The queen laughed as the two of you continued to hug each other. After several minutes of catching up in the garden, the princess turned to her mother and then to you again.

“Oh!” she said, “Mother, Y/n, there is someone I want to introduce you to.”

The princess then took both of your arms in hers, and the three of you made your way back through the courtyard. You had a good idea of what the princess was going to show you, but you could hardly contain your excitement when you entered the quarters and saw her. Tonia’s daughter, Princess Eudora, had just recently turned three years old.

Tonia grabbed her little girl and handed her off to her mother, the queen. Who had tears in her eyes as she held her granddaughter for the first time. The girl had dark brown hair like her father, but blue eyes the same shade as Tonia’s.

“I wonder where my boys are right now,” you said out loud, “I’m sure they would love to meet their little cousin.”

“Guards,” the queen said as rocked her granddaughter, “Go to the training quarters and receive Alexandros and Simonides. Tell them the queen demands their presence.”

“Mother! You’re going to scare them!” Tonia laughed. The queen had never truly gotten over using her summoning powers in a way that could send chills down someone's spine. You remembered it quite well, the first two years you had known her, you remember the intense anxiety of being summoned by the queen even when you had done nothing wrong.

Not even twenty minutes had gone by when your two boys appeared before you, excited as could be.

“Mother!” Alex said, racing to be at your side, “Can we please hold, Eudora? We promise to be gentle!”

“Alex!” Simon angrily whispered, nudging his brother’s arm.

“Simon’s right,” you said, “Remember your manners and greet the queen and princess first. Alex’s eyes opened wide, shocked at the fact he failed to remember a proper greeting.

“Grandmother,” Alex said as he and Simon bowed, “Aunt Tonia.”

Just as quickly, the boys shedded their formalities and raced over to the queen, who laughed as she handed her granddaughter over to Simon. Alex protested before eventually coming to terms with the fact he would have to be patient and wait his turn. Once he had finally had the chance to hold his cousin, he turned to you.

“Would you like to hold her, Mother?” he asked, grabbing the baby’s hand and waving it around.

“I would love to,” you said.

And so for the rest of the morning, the six of you spent your time in both the guest chambers and the garden, entertaining the young Eudora. You laughed as you watched your sons chase her around the garden as well as when she ‘tackled’ Alex to the floor. You drank your wine and listened to the bard’s music in bliss as you awaited the meeting at court that afternoon.

–––––––––

“I, Hesione, daughter of Laomedon, sister of Priam, and wife of Telamon, sit before you today acting in the interest of the king who is too ill to join us. My decision on each matter is representative and acting in the best interest of the crown and the kingdom.”

The queen delivered the same speech at the start of each meeting for the past several years following the illness of Telamon. In a room full of powerful men, it was important she established herself as a woman of great power and prestige, but also someone who valued morals. You sat in the chair directly next to the head of the table; you were at the queen’s side, readily available for whenever she needed you.

“Today, we are joined by a few special guests,” she said, using her arm to guide everyone’s eyes to the further end of the table, “Nicostratus, Crowned Prince of Sparta, and his wife, my daughter, the Princess Tonia.”

Next, she guided her arm to where you sat or, more accurately, next to where you sat; “My grandsons, the Prince Alexandros, future king of Salamis, and Simonides, his younger brother.”

“Today we hear petitions from various peasants,” she continued, “They will be in regards to land disputes, taxes, and family rivalries. I expect you all to give me counsel, when you are asked to do so, that acts not in the interest of personal ambitions, but instead what would be best for the kingdom.”

And so for the next several hours you and your children sat in court, hearing petitions from various families all with different concerns. Some of it was interesting, some of it was not. Whenever the queen was in need of counsel, she would either turn to you or to her master of economics. The afternoon passed without much quarrel, and after eating dinner with your larger-than-usual family you sent the three children off to sleep.

“Y/n, wait a moment!” Tonia said as you were exiting the dining hall, “Don’t go to bed yet– come with me.”

“What are we going to do?” you asked, playfully raising your eyebrow in suspicion, “Rob the master of economics?”

Tonia threw her head back in laughter, “No silly! We're going to sneak into my grandfather's office!”

“What? No!” you whispered, but it was too late, Tonia had already began to drag you across the palace halls.

“Trust me, Y/n,” she said, “the stuff we’ll find in here is gonna be worth the trouble it takes to get it.”

Tonia led you to a small room with nothing but a trap door. You began to protest once you realized the implications of what that meant: you were going to have to go in it. But with the princess’s pestering you eventually complied. You were crawling on your hands and knees for what felt like an eternity until Tonia suddenly shot her head up, effectively opening the other end of the trap door.

The ‘office’ of King Telamon’s father was less of a workspace and much more of a library. There were shelves upon shelves of books, scrolls, and hieroglyphics on papyrus. Tonia immediately began looking around the books despite the fact the shelves were at least thirty feet high. You instead decided to peek around what looked like a desk of pure gold at the center of the vast room.

Despite the fact the previous king had been dead for several decades, there was a scroll open that was far more recent. The date at the top of it read that it was from thirty years ago, just days after when you were born. You laughed at the coincidence before taking a seat on the old, wooden chair, but you stop laughing immediately when you read the name of the author. It was your father. Although under most circumstances you knew better not to read letters that were not addressed to you without permission, you concluded that this letter was a particular exception. Though looking back, you wished you had never read it at all. It began with:

My dear friend,

I write to you with a heavy heart and a great sense of urgency. As you know, following my studies in Athens, I trained to be a priest of the goddess Hebe.

It seems my ambition has led me down a path of great regret. It was a late night several moons ago when I was taking a walk down the beach. I had gotten into a great fight with a fellow priest over a sacrifice that had gone wrong. I was ever certain I was in the right, but when my superior scolded me I lashed out and fled the scene. It was there when I saw her the first time. The great goddess, my light, my savior, Hebe. She came towards me offering help, to overthrow the ‘corrupt’ head priest and instate myself in his place.

Together we collaborated for months, and it wasn’t until I was in the trenches of our passion that I realized I was completely and irrevocably in love. She was married, that was true, but I knew that gods did not value fidelity as strongly as humans do, even the women. And so we began our secret affair of which I wholeheartedly participated knowing I was sacrificing my dignity, honor, and manhood. But still I could not stop, my heart and head at war.

I suppose it was only a matter of time until the other priests found out. Jealous, angered, or genuinely betrayed I did not know, but it became clear to me that I was no longer welcomed as a religious leader. Matters were only made worse when the subject of this letter, my daughter, was brought before me by the goddess.

She explained that this child was the result of love, but that she could not keep her. Despite her trying to keep a secret, some of the other gods, including Zeus, her father, had found out about her affair with her own priest. My hubris, my believing I was worthy of loving a goddess as a god would, was my downfall. A curse was put upon not only me, but also my daughter. We would both be casted down for our love. Rapid aging has already set in for me as I feel my life slipping away every passing second.

But for my daughter, it does not have to be like this. Take her in as a serving girl. Help me protect her from the god’s wrath and my own deadly pride. If not you, then who will?

I hope to hear from you soon,

Your old friend

You shrieked. You cried out. You felt faint.

Tonia rushed to your side, confused by your fit of emotion. When she realized she could not calm you down, she was sent running down the hall in search of someone for help.

The room felt as though it spun. How could this be possible? You spent your entire life thinking your mother, the woman who gave you life, was nothing more than a common whore who ruined your fathers career through seduction. If your mother was a goddess, Hebe, goddess of youth and cupbearer of the gods, that meant you were half god. But that made no sense as you felt less than special in each aspect of life.

Yet it was true, it all made sense. Your father’s fear of the gods and how they would harm you, his dedication to warning people of fatal sins through the stories he would share, and his untimely death early in life.

By the time several handmaidens arrived with help, you had already pulled yourself up the ground and began racing to your chambers. Not even Tonia could stop you as you locked yourself in your room and ran to where you kept your quill and paper: you had to write Ajax immediately.

Not even an hour had passed when you had finished your letter, sealed it up, and began to walk towards the door in search of a servant to hand it to. That's when you realized you were hearing sobs from the other side of the door.

Swinging it open stood, your eyes widened in fear. There stood several handmaidens, Queen Hesione who was cradling a sobbing Tonia, Headpriest Dimitri, and several guards.

“What is the meaning of this?” you asked, suddenly feeling very guilty for your emotional outburst, “I didn’t mean to frighten any of you–”

“Your majesty,” one of the serving girls cut you off, eyes wide with terror, “We came here with urgent news, well, to tell you of–um.”

“Y/n,” Dimitri cut her off, “Ajax is dead.”

#tartaglia genshin impact #childe genshin impact #ajax genshin impact #tartaglia x reader #ajax x reader #rosaria genshin impact #children but no pregnancy #major character death #greek tragedy

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birdie123au · 9 months

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eros

eros - a love that leads to the desire for sensual and passionate affection

As the years continue to fly away, you find yourself in a unique predicament with the prince of Salamis. Through love, heartache, and great loss, you must navigate your position in a world that was not made for you, even if that means breaking a tradition or two.

tw: mentions of sexual harassment

part three of five

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The young actress screamed out in horror, crimson color fluid leaking from her shirt. She laid on top of the two young boys playing the role of her sons. The small children too were covered in the same deep red. The actor at the center of it all stood tall with large, bulging muscles, a noticeable beard, and red painted hands. Heracles. He had been driven mad by the gods, Hera to be specific, as stated by the Chorus at the beginning of the scene. You along with the rest of the audience gasped in horror at the sight in front of you. Clutching the jug of wine, you found it hard to tear your eyes from the scene. As soon as Heracles had gained clarity for what sins he had committed, your heart felt heavy as you heard the screams of terror rip from his throat. It all felt so real, too real for your liking.

The King had hired some of the best actors in the land to perform the play of Heracles, and they truly did not disappoint. As you made your way through the crowd offering various guests wine, you were often greeted with harsh shushes by insulting rich men who were annoyed simply by your presence. Over the past couple of years you had learned not to mind such cruel gestures as it was simply in the nature of your job as a wine pourer. You once frail and hesitant demeanor when serving guests had been washed away as you grew from adolescence to young adulthood. You stood with a strong, certain arm ready to impress the guests of your king. You took your job with pride, afterall, you were sure it would be the highest role you were ever to amount to in the palace.

There was still about an hour left until the moon reached its highest point in the sky in which your shift would be over.

You made your way out of the small amphitheater to rejoin a group of guests waiting outside. The guests consisted of mostly older women who did not wish to waste their precious time engaging in the arts but rather delectable gossip about those within their communities. As you offered the wine to each woman, you tried to overhear exactly what they were saying: births, deaths, hook ups, and flings all taking place at each one of their residences. You were used to hearing such gossip, as although you didn't wish to admit, you sometimes found yourself being nosy on the personal lives of your fellow staff. You sighed heavily as you continued to make your rounds across the floor. A particular group of girls caught your attention as you had seen them many times before. They were of the opinion that servant girls were nothing but dirt and were to be treated as such. You had attempted to obstruct your view from those girls as you passed them by, but like many times in the past one of them hollered out to you to come fill their glasses.

“Well isn’t it so nice to see you again, huh?” the taller one of the bunch remarked as her friends giggled beside her.

You wore a faint smile in hopes that she would not find a reason to be offended by your sort-of response. You knew she wasn’t really asking a genuine question; women like this enjoyed the thrill of thinking they were superior to at least someone in a society that did not truly value their contributions. Nevertheless you poured the wine as a good practitioner of xenia would.

“You know,” one of the women began, “those rags you parade yourself in are truly dreadful.”

“I know right!” another replied, “I cannot believe the good king would allow us to view his servants in such a state.”

You were used to this sort of abuse, but at this point their unprovoked remarks were beginning to anger you. Why could they never just leave you alone? As you went to step away, you found yourself suddenly losing your footing. By either coincidence or accident, your leg had caught along one of the gossiping women, and suddenly you found yourself making contact with the floor; you jug of wine barely being spared a shattering death as you managed to land in a position in which your body softened the blow of the fall. With a red, flustered face you turned your head back over to the group. Laughing. They were laughing at you.

As one of the women bent down to mock you one more, you heard a familiar voice interrupt her actions.

“What seems to be the problem here ladies?” the man asked. You practically laughed as you noticed the look on all of the women’s faces in the group morph into that of horror. Although they had been accused of nothing, they wore the countenance of a cowardly criminal caught during their crime. One woman audibly gasped as another threw her hands over her face as a shield. The tallest woman took it upon herself to respond to their unsuspected audience member.

“I’m so sorry, my prince!” she exclaimed, “There is no problem at all. We were simply… discussing the fashion choices of the serving girl.”

“Well,” he began, speaking in a tone not angry, yet serious, “I do hope you’ll redirect this attention of yours to the play, not the ‘fashion choices’ of my staff.”

You let out a small sigh of relief as you made eye contact with this ‘savior’ of yours. His hair that was once a bright orange had darkened slightly with the passing years. What was once a build of an athletic teenage boy had developed into a strong, muscular body of a man. His eyes which were a soft blue appeared black as the night sky in the lighting of the amphitheater. But what never changed despite age nor circumstance was the mischievous smirk he wore across his face whenever he smiled at you.

“Your majesty.” you said with a slight bow, smiling back to him with the same amount of enthusiasm. After standing and smiling for a few moments, the two of you seemed to realize how ridiculous you must look to the group of women Ajax had just scolded. So with an awkward laugh, the man scratched the back of his head before turning away and hastily making his way up the stairs. You bit back a smile at his antics.

And so the night continued. The two of you stealing glances and smiles as you paraded around serving wine while he entertained and drank. At midnight you would be relieved from your work and he would be sufficiently intoxicated. Most nights like these would end with the two of you meeting by the beach, you holding him in your arms and him lamenting to you about the circumstances in which you exist.

Ever since your seventeenth birthday almost two years ago, you noticed a change in Ajax. The once heartbroken teenager who broke sticks and played dirty began to take his role as both a prince and warrior far more seriously. Each day he would spend hours training, attending his study lectures, and drinking with his fellow politicians and leaders. But most importantly, his attitude towards you began to shift. What was once a genuine friendship of the closest kind began to grow more deep, passionate, and daresay lustful.

At first you denied any of Ajax’s advances. Afterall, the wounds of his months-long affair with Domitia were still too fresh for you to discredit. You did not want to be the girl Ajax went to just because he could not have her. You also felt guilty. Guilty that you had behaved in a way that could disgrace yourself, your father, and your head mistress. You were careless and had let your jealousy consume parts of you.

You also understood Ajax was partially to blame. Harboring jealousy between Domitia and you. Calling you names and petty insults. It took some time, but you eventually began to cave into his desires. Your desires.

He began to send you small tokens of appreciation: food, flowers, rings. But what really made your heart melt was the poetry he would send to you. Written and signed Your Ajax. In them were words of passion, desire, and appreciation. The way he would speak about the light in your eyes, or the gentle yet stern power of your words softened your heart. Each letter that would appear discreetly at your door would leave you prancing around like a young schoolgirl around your father’s home. You had been in love with him for many years, but it finally started to feel like he was capable of loving you back.

As you walked home that night following both your shift as a wine server and your meeting with Ajax, you took in the familiar scent of sea salt. Clutching in your hands was no longer a jug of red liquid, but rather a fresh new poem wrapped around a flower that Ajax had just handed you himself. He was more intoxicated than usual tonight, which also meant he was more careless, more physical in public, more open with his feelings for you.

Being around him in that state was exhilarating. You took in a deep breath of the flower he had given you as you quietly opened the door of your father’s home. The once small shack had only felt smaller as the years had gone by.

“Y/n?” you perked up at the voice of a frail, old sounding man, “My sweet child, have you finally come home to me?”

Stepping into the house further your eyes landed on a small bed in the corner of the room. There lay your father. Eyes shut tight and a sturdy chair with wheels by his side. Over the past several years, your wise father’s health had steadily deteriorated. Despite him barely being 37 his health conditions made him appear even decades older than age 70. He no longer was able to walk about the great halls of the palace, but instead had to be wheeled around in his chair by an apprentice scribe named Dimitri. His skin was as fragile as a leaf and he often found himself plagued by headaches. Many nights you found yourself weeping by his bed; you were heartbroken you could do nothing to relieve his pain.

Despite all of this hardship, your father never gave up his wisdom. What was once a weekly affair of gathering by the bonfire with many of the servants turned into a monthly one. He would still prepare an insightful story of the gods filled with important lessons on humility and decent morals. Your father was determined to keep the morale of the servants, and palace by extension, as high as possible. Afterall, he would explain, that is what I was put on the earth by the gods to do.

“Yes, father,” you responded, “it's me, your daughter.”

“Ah,” he said, “and Rosaria, is she with you as well?”

“No, father,” you said, “Rosaria no longer stays with us, remember? She lives amongst her fellow maidens at the temple of Athena.”

“Oh,” he replied, “Oh yes, I remember. She left us quite a few months ago. Y/n, my child, has she written?”

“I read her most recent one aloud only a few nights ago,” you softly said as you felt small tears begin to form in your eyes, “Remember…father.”

You couldn’t help but feel emotional at the sight of your father’s worsening memory. He would go through phases where he was incapable of remembering what he ate for breakfast, followed by shorter, more intense phases where he seemed to remember everything of his life spanning back to his infancy. The doctor who visited your father, per the request of his old friend the king, said he had never seen anything like it with patients who struggled with memory loss.

You lay down at the side of your father’s bed as you used to do for you as a child. You no longer found yourself comfortable in the bed you and Rosaria used to share, so instead you spent most of your nights alongside your father on the dark, cold floor.

You wished to protect him as he always did for you.

–––––––––

It had been several nights since King Telamon had hosted the performance of Heracles. The winds that were typically docile and calm at this time of year were unusually fierce. You sat with your back against the castle and your head facing the ocean. You closed your eyes to savor how your hair felt being blown by the cool, fresh air. Your blissful silence was interrupted by the sound of someone sitting down next to you; you hardly had to turn your face to know who it was.

“The stars look beautiful tonight,” he said, “They remind me of the broken glass I found earlier while training, scattered across the sand. Broken yet unbound. Separate yet still together.”

“They do,” you responded with a small laugh, “I didn’t think you were one for sounding so philosophical in casual conversations.”

“You know me well,” he said before shifting his arm so it now fell around you, “You always have.”

You had expected him to laugh along with you, or at least smile at your observations. Yet instead his eyes were darkened and he stared at the sea with a serious, unwavering expression.

“A flower for your thoughts?” you said, trying to sound as cheerful as you could manage, “You seem troubled, Ajax, is something the matter?”

“My father received word from Princess Arete’s father,” your chest tightened, “It seems our marriage is to go through. My father wants her to be my bride.”

Ajax was no fool, and neither were you. As the future king of Salamis, it was his duty to one day marry a princess with great wealth and connections to strengthen the empire and give him heirs. During your earlier years when he was with Domitia this very notion would make you feel physically ill and keep you up at night. It’s not right! You would think, How could he do this to me! It wasn’t until years had passed and your maturity raised that you realized this was an inevitable step in his life. He could not stay your Ajax forever and you were in no position to require him to do so. As painful as the thought was and still may be, you become at peace with it. Especially after you yourself had become betrothed.

Linos was a bastard serving boy who worked in the same palace that belonged to Princess Arete. When your headmistress had told you of her work you screamed out loud. You hadn’t thought it to be possible that a serving girl such as yourself would ever be married, not even to your own kind. But once you learned of the deal she had struck up with Linos’s serving maid to trade places with her you began to understand before becoming flabbergasted all over again when she told you she actually had your father’s blessing.

When you first told Ajax he refused eye contact with you for days. When he finally spoke to you again he said as though he felt the same heartbreak of Domitia all over again, though hundreds of times stronger. You watched painstakingly as you saw that heartbreak turn into anger to only turn into heartbreak once more as he learned of his father’s plan to betrothe him to the Princess Arete.

This news was weeks old, and although you had long made your peace with it you were not sure if Ajax could say the same. So instead of responding to his words you instead placed your head on his shoulder, thinking that your actions could provide more comfort than words.

“I’ve been preparing to take the Salamis throne all my life,” he began, “But the older I get the less prepared I feel. Hell, I’m sure a 15 year old me could do a better job than I could now.”

He chuckled at his statement; “But gods, I really thought it was what I wanted. The training, the education, the responsibilities, the politics.” He then rested his own head on yours, “I know there are so many young men and boys out there who would trade places with me in a heartbeat. But, gods I don’t know, the burden is getting a little heavier than I can handle.”

You then raised your head off his shoulder and turned to face his eyes, waiting for him to continue; “I mean being the king. King Ajax. I can hardly believe it!” he said, “But you know what I realized? Every day that passes gets us closer to a world to where that's a reality. A world where my father… and everyone else I love is gone.”

“The gods can be cruel,” you said, reaching one of your hands up to stroke his face, “But fathers, well– they can't live forever. We just have to learn how to make peace with the consequences of that.”

He leaned in and pressed his forehead against your own; “You’ll make a good king,” you told him, “It’s what you were born to do. Besides, you’ll have your brothers, sisters, Princess Arete, your children, and your millions of servants at your side.”

“Yes, I’ll have a random rich princess who I currently know nothing about at my side,” he joked.

“You say that like you have a choice,” you smiled back despite how painful the notion truly was, “Besides, what are you going to do? Run away and marry me instead?”

Your tone of voice and smile clearly indicated you were joking, but Ajax’s already solemn face only grew more stern; “You would be surprised…” he said.

“Oh now stop it you!” you laughed, playfully slapping his shoulder, “Now– stop talking. Let's go for a swim.”

Perhaps the water would keep his mind off things. Ajax let out an exasperated sigh as he reluctantly chased you into the water. You tried your best to smile in the most authentic way possible as you splashed water at him and swam in the cold, refreshing waters until the later hours of the morning.

–––––––––

“You! Girl, over here!” you spun your head around to see the source of the sound. Such brash words to call your attention no longer bothered you. After all, years of dealing with drunken old men taught you that basic respect and decency faded as a person sunk deeper into their cups.

With a jug of wine in one hand and a smile on your face, you made your way to where the man had been yelling from. Today was a great day of celebration as it was the Prince Teucer’s 12th birthday. It was strange to think that Ajax’s youngest brother was now the age the two of you were when you first met. You had only ever seen the young prince in passing, as Ajax had never formally introduced the two of you. Or to any of his siblings for that matter.

In the young prince’s honor, King Telamon hosted a great festival with games, food, shows, and drinks. In the center of the great courtyard was a pitched tent where the royal family sat. It was rare to see the queen and the princess in such a public display, but due to the nature of the day you thought you understood. The queen and king sat beside each other, faces bare with no conversation. Princess Tonia, on the other hand, sat beside her mother looking generally uninterested in the festivities. The three princes were nowhere to be seen, you noted, as they were likely running around all the various tents and activity centers.

You finally approached the man who had been calling for you. He was not nearly as old as you thought him to be. He looked around your age, maybe slightly older, he had big blue eyes and shining blonde hair. If it wasn’t for the harshness of his voice, perhaps you would have found him beautiful. The group of men he stood with were similar aged athletes, perhaps companions of Ajax, who were gathered around a game of toss.

“Well don’t just stand there and look stupid,” he said, “Come pour me some wine, won’t you?”

It was clear to you that the young man was very intoxicated as evidenced by his slurred speech and pink tinted cheeks. You held your tongue and poured his wine.

“Oh don’t be so harsh,” another, slightly taller blonde man said, “The girl probably doesn’t know better.”

Towards the right side of your peripheral vision you noticed another group approaching. Another five athletic young men walked straight towards where you stood. At the center of it all was the crowned Prince Ajax, dressed in slightly more formal attire than usual. The men who you stood by all bowed their heads to the prince as he approached, but after this usual sign of respect they returned to their business like it was nothing. So these were his friends.

“Anyways, like I said, I finally told her the two of us were done…” one of Ajax’s friends resumed the story you assumed he had been telling before you were called over. You then went one-by-one filling the cups of any man who held it out to you, tuning out much of the gossip during the process.

As you naturally completed the circle, you found yourself standing next to the very drunk blonde man who seemed rather angered by your presence.

“What is she still doing here?” he asked his friends, though this time he seemed more confused than annoyed. “She’s kinda pretty, maybe we should keep her around,” another one of his friends responded.

“Is she married?” the taller blonde asked his friends of course, rather than you yourself.

“I don’t see any jewelry from her betrothed.” another speculated.

“Wait, I didn’t know servants could be married…” a brown haired boy spectated.

You made brief eye contact with Ajax: a silent plea for him to dismiss you from the conversation. A wise sailor flees the water before the storm. But instead of seeing his classic smirk or any sort of faux joy on his face, you met his cold, dark eyes. He was clearly annoyed.

“Well, are you?” one of them finally asked.

“Betrothed yes,” you said, “Married no, and I don’t believe I will be for some time.”

“Hah!” the drunk blonde laughed, “Well if you ever want to experience a good time. Just stop by the gymnasium and find out.”

You cringed at his lackluster attempts to flaunt his sexuality, so you instead flashed him a strained smile. You hoped ducking your head down and walking away would deescalate the situation that you seemed to not realize was escalating in the first place.

Slowly stepping away, you began to turn your feet until you were stopped by a force. The taller blonde man, who you thought seemed the most polite of them all, quickly crushed those expectations as he wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you close.

“Why don’t we just show her now?” he turned himself and, by proxy, you to face the rest of his friends, “Come one boys, it's not like she married or anyth–”

You practically fell down to your knees upon impact. One moment you were held hostage by a man twice your size and the next that very man lay on the floor. It wasn’t until one of the other men had the mercy of helping you to your feet did you realize the horror of the scene. The tall, blonde man whose name you never knew lay flat on his back with the crown prince on top of him, beating him. You couldn’t help but cover your mouth in horror as you watched Ajax, the boy who you used to watch play ball, break cheap spheres, write poetry and songs was now defending your honor with his fists. The look of anger upon his face was unlike what you had seen before, even years prior at your fight with Domitia. This anger was not soiled by childlike naivete or personal insecurities; it was pure, genuine rage.

Several servants and guards had gathered around, and the friend of Ajax who once held you up was replaced by two young servant girls. The twins clutched at your arms as though the smallest gust of wind would have blown you off your feet. I’m not entirely sure they are wrong, you thought.

It took three fully grown guards to lift the prince off of the man who had harassed you. Time seemed to slow as the crowd of entertained and horrified spectators continued to grow. You practically passed out again when you saw King Telamon, strong and angry, shoving his way through the crowd to assess the situation. His younger son, Prince Anton, beat him to it as he was the first non-guard to physically hold Ajax back. Anton’s face was full of concern. You thought it would be in regards to the potential political consequences to his reputation, but it wasn’t until Anton’s worried glances began to center to you did you realize what was really going on.

Prince Ajax, first born son of Telamon the First, heir to the Salamis throne had just beaten a son of a powerful family from a nearby kingdom for a serving girl. Some may say Ajax was simply defending the honor and protecting his staff, but most knew that his reaction was very unusual. For the past six years you thought to have hidden your relationship with Ajax well, hell, your own father was unaware that your affair was still continuing, but judging by Anton’s attitude the two of you may not have hidden it as well as you thought. You never felt the need to ask if Ajax had ever spoken about you to his family, as you assumed the answer would be no, but now you thought you should have.

By the time Telamon had made it to his son, arms aggressively holding onto his son’s shoulders, did a majority of the spectators shift their gaze to you. The men raised their eyebrows in suspicion, disgust, or both, as the woman began to whisper to each other as they attempted to piece together all that had transpired. Although you could not hear what the king was saying, after a brief moment of yelling at his son, the two ginger men slowly turned their heads to you. Telamon, angered but not enraged, and Ajax, eyes darkened by sadness.

The two twin girls who had been supporting you suddenly let go of your arms. It wasn’t until you were being harshly dragged away by the headmistress did you begin to cry. Harassed, heckled, and humiliated. You wished to run to Ajax’s side knowing that he would comfort you without questions, and then the realization that that was not possible only made you cry more.

“Oh i’ll give you something to cry about, Y/n” the headmistress said, “It seems your disobedience is ever unwavering.”

Once the two of you had stopped at the front of the steps leading to the ocean, quite a ways walk from the festival, did she finally sit the two of you down on the nearby rocks. She immediately smacked you in the face.

“You’re a foolish girl,” she said, comforting the part of the place she had just slapped with her hand, “You grew up with even your fellow servants whispering ‘bastard’ behind your back as you walked through the halls. Do you now want to be called ‘whore’ as well?”

“No,” you said, defiantly wiping away your dried tears with the corner of your sleeve, “No, Headmistress Xanthe, I do not.”

“I only wish to protect you,” she said, “You already have a dark cloud of rumor that hangs over your shoulders, and you should try your hardest not to strengthen it. I’m certain Linos would not wish to wed you if he found your honor more damaged than it already is.”

“Headmistress Xanthe! Y/n! Come quick!” you heard a frantic voice emerging from the bottom of the stairs.

“Dimitri?” the headmistress replied, “What troubles you, boy?”

“It’s the old priest!” he screamed, “Something is very wrong!”

You, the headmistress, and Dimitri raced down the hill. You prayed to every god, both big and small, good or bad that your father would be spared.

–––––––––

Your father’s beachside cabin smelt of sea water and death. The windows were covered by draped rags that blew open with each passing gust of wind. Your father laid flat on the ground, rather than his bed. He wore an old robe of his, one that belonged to him during his days as a priest. A robe that he never removed from his closet under any occasion. Your heart began to race.

Running to his side, you noticed Dimitri had set a towel over his face, likely to shield him from the small waves of sunlight that shone through each time the wind blew. You grasped his hand; it was cold. The only sign of life was his chest that rose far slower than it should.

“Send for a doctor!” the headmistress cried, “And alert the king!”

Dimitri wasted no time and ran out of the cabin once more.

“Father?” you whispered, “It’s Y/n. Can you hear me?”

As gently as possible, you lifted the rag from where it lay over his face. Slowly and tensely, the man opened his eyes with a slight turn of his head.

“My daughter?” he spoke slowly with a wheeze, “Child, should you–should you not be doing… your chores?”

“Oh, father” you said, “What has happened? Will you be alright?”

“Y/n,” he said, “Listen to me…and listen n-now. I will not walk much longer amongst the physical world. The gods…your mother, they call me.”

You felt physically ill; “No, father. Father you cannot know that for sure. A doctor is coming– he will help you father. Father?”

Your voice was frantic. You placed your hand on top of his forehead, but he seemed to pay no mind.

“Y/n, I wish to tell you a story,” he said as he smiled to the best of his abilities, “There was once a young boy, from a small village outside of Athens. He was the son of a shepherd and a weaver, older brother to two young boys. But the gods did not smile down upon him, as by the time he had grown into a teenager all but his father had died. But the boy never lost his faith, no- no he did not, he left his father in search of becoming a scholar. A priest. He met many allies among the way, a blacksmith, a king, and even a goddess herself. No matter how sorrowful his life had been, he never stopped learning, writing, and telling stories. No matter who whispered what behind his back. It did not matter. Oh my sweet Y/n, you must not let the opinions of mere mortals and their mortal constraints stop you from being who you are.”

He suddenly began to squeeze your hand back, “Your entire childhood I spent being afraid. Afraid of what the gods may do to you what they did to me. What they do to mortals when they love too passionately, when they love outside what is conventional. But my child, I did so with your mother, and my life was most fulfilled–” he began to tear up, “Most fulfilled as my love for her led to my greatest gift of all.”

The clarity of which he spoke to tell the story amazed you, but you shook these feelings of awe away instantaneously. You leaned in closer to your father, determined not to weep but instead to stand as a beacon of comfort and strength. His breath began to fade even faster than before; his hand grew limp in yours.

“You…” he wheezed, “She gave me you.”

“Father,” you said, “Father I’m right here. Please don’t…”

“She calls out for me,” he interrupted, eyes staring straight at the ceiling with his arm as extended upwards as his frail body would allow, “My love, I’m here.”

Just like that, he was gone.

–––––––––

You spent the immediate several days following the death of your father locked away in the servants quarters, weeping. By the time the doctor had arrived, he, the headmistress, Dimitri, and several panicked servants saw you weeping into his chest. His limp, cold chest. The headmistress saw it best to stay in the servant quarters over the next several days, as she thought even bad company was better than no company.

On the fourth day Dimitri had the mercy to write Rosaria and inform her of you and your fathers condition. The very next sunrise she was there at your side, giving her own shoulder for you to cry. On the seventh day was when the headmistress dragged you out of the quarters. It was the day of your father’s burial. You and Rosaria held onto each other as the morticians lowered him into the ground. Because of his status as priest for the servants and friends of the king, many were in attendance at his funeral. Ajax stood at the very back of the crowd alongside his family. You caught several glimpses of him, dressed in black with a countenance more melancholy than before.

On the ninth day you were finally allowed back into your father’s cabin where you wept over the remainders of his scrolls and books. That is, until you were hit by a fit of anger; how could he have abandoned you? How could he have chosen the afterlife, your mother, over you? In this fit you ripped all the make-shift curtains off the windows and rearranged all of the furniture. Only hours later when you finally realized how foolish you were acting did you sit down by all of his belongings and begin to weep once more.

On the eleventh day was when you finally met up with Ajax. At the beach. During the dead of night.

You sat sluggishly on the sand, eyes swollen from tears, and heart heavy from sorrow.

“Y/n?” he said as he approached you, deciding not to sit next to you without warning. As soon as he sat down and saw your face he immediately pulled you into an embrace. Even with the moon as the only source of light, the grief in your facial expression was difficult to miss.

“I feel as though I’ve been cursed by the stars,” you said, “My father is dead. I won’t ever hear another story from him again.”

Ajax said nothing, but instead pulled you tighter against his body to say I know, and I’m here for you, and so you continued to speak; “I always knew this day would come, but I truly thought that him being only 37 would give us more time. Why do the gods kill those who have already suffered so young?”

“I’m so sorry,” Ajax finally said, “If I could trade his place, bring him to you, and see you smile I would in a heartbeat.”

He took a deep breathe before grabbing a hold of your shoulders, and pushing you back so you now made eye contact; “And I’m sorry for what I am about to tell you.”

“What do you mean?” you said, mind racing. No, you thought, surely he is not here to tell you he is to be married this instant. Or maybe that you would be married off instead.

“Y/n” he said, “There's going to be war. Helen of Troy has been kidnapped by a young man named Paris. Menelaus has reminded us of our oaths we swore. Oaths to protect her from any other suitors.”

“I don’t understand,” you said, “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because,” he replied, “I will go fight this war.”

You couldn’t help but begin to weep. After eleven days of doing so non-stop, it felt like second nature to you.

“Y/n,” he said as he tried to wipe the tears from your eyes to which you dodged his hands, “I'll go with Menelaus and we're gonna bring Helen home. I’ll bring the kingdom honor and gold when I return. Return to you.”

“Ajax please–” you closed your eyes and raised a hand to massage your temple.

“–Y/n, I need to ask you something important,” he said, using a hand to move your head to face him, “Do you love me?”

That's what was so important?

“Ajax you're being ridiculous,” you said, “Of course I love you.”

He looked you dead in the eyes; “Then we should get married.”

“What?” you whispered, “No.”

“What?!” he said, “But you just said? Y/n I love you– we love each other. What else are we to do?”

“Are you serious?” you said, “My father died not even two weeks ago. I am betrothed– and so are you! You are a prince, I am a serving girl!”

“Yes and I am leaving for war!” he said in a fit of frustration, “Neither of us are to be married to our betrothed for quite some time, especially now that I’m leaving. Besides, you don’t have to marry Linos. Your father is dead, the headmistress doesn't have the authority to force you. Y/n, what if we never see eachother again?”

As he continued speaking his frantic, angry words began to die down to desperate whispers.

“Ajax I don’t think you understand what you're saying. To marry me is to go against the wishes of your father, your people, your country.” You stand up from where you comfortably sat in the sand and began walking towards your cabin, “You should go to sleep, take some more time to think about your suggestion.”

Ajax did not relent. He ran after you and grabbed your arm. You spun towards where his face was, angry at him for his brashness, but instead he softly grabbed the lower part of your jaw towards him and kissed you.

“Y/n, sleeping is not going to change the way I feel about you,” he said, “Tonight, we ride to a temple and say our vows. No one can stop us because no one will know.”

Your heart began to soften, and the weight from grief you felt on your chest began to lift; “We don’t even have a priest,” is all you could say.

“Y/n,” he laughed, “Do you seriously think we didn’t think this through?”

“We?” you said, questioning his odd choice of pronoun.

Instead of responding, he flashed you his signature devilish smirk and held out his hand. Kicking up sand and fighting against the wind, the two of you made your way around the back of the island to where the horse stable was kept.

–––––––––

The sacrifice, proteleia, was done as a formality rather than an actual practice between you and Ajax. Rosaria’s fellow maidens brought before him a lamb which he slew as they recited prayers to the lady Artemis. This sacrifice was done in order to assure the favor of the gods, who surely would not be smiling down on this wedding seeing as it went against many Greek customs. Typically weddings lasted multiple days and were all about the bride. The majority of events taking place before the ceremony would be hosted by the bride’s father and after by the husband. But alas, you were a runaway bride with no father. So relying on the proteleia it was.

You were surprised Rosaria had gone along with this stunt. Ajax and you fled from the palace around two hours after midnight with no other company besides two horses, Dimitri, and a guard. As spontaneous as the event felt you couldn’t help but realize how meticulously planned it truly was. How you snuck past the main entrance right when the guards switched their shifts. How you rode down a trail that had only been mapped out days prior. How Rosaria was waiting for you at the front of her temple, identity covered by a long coat across her body, alongside half a dozen priestesses.

You and the prince wore similar coverings for protection, and it wasn’t until you were safely inside the main room with the statue of Athena that you could finally take them off. But you had to work quickly. In order to not raise suspicion, the two of you had to take a ceremony that would typically last hours and cram it into only two. After Ajax had finished sacrificing the lamb, two of Rosaria’s priestesses ushered you away to go get dressed.

Because you had no formal time to prepare, you did not wear a traditional wedding dress. Instead, you wore a priestesses robe with a hand-me-down veil gifted to you by a priestesses's married sister. The white veil felt odd over your face. You understood its purpose of being removed in the wedding ceremony, a symbolic shift between ownership from father to husband, but now you just felt silly and slightly grossed out by the notion. The maidens continued their dressing as they adorned your arms with gold bracelets and semi-precious gemstones. The one that truly caught your eye, however, was a small golden necklace with an even smaller piece of aquamarine at the center.

“It’s from the Lord Prince’s late grandmother,” one of the younger priestesses said, “He spoke of her great love for the sea.”

The temple was a beautiful marble with doric columns. There was a great statue of the lady Athena at the center towards the back with a vast fire pit at the center of the entire building. In front of that very fire was where Ajax stood, dressed in his finest robes, alongside the now royal priest Dimitri who was granted permission to perform wedding ceremonies. As you walked through the temple towards the fire, Rosaria holding your arm, you passed by each of the other priestesses. Each of whom whispered a prayer of love and fertility. When you finally stood directly in front of Ajax, you could only imagine your appearance with the veil.

“Please lift the bride’s now, my prince,” Dimitri requested, though his voice was rather timid than stern or ‘priestly’. He spoke nothing like your father.

With that, Ajax lifted the veil from your face, leaving you with a sigh of relief now that your vision was fully restored. You did not smile at him, instead you stood tall and with honor, just as your father would have wanted. For the next several minutes, Dimitri stumbled through various prayers and offerings to different gods and goddesses in his attempt to remain in tradition. Half way through this, he decided instead to speak some kind words of your fathers and their friendship. Perhaps to comfort his own feelings on the matter and leave him to believe that this is what they truly would want for the two of you. You knew this was not true, people married for status, not for love.

“The late priest of Hebe, Y/n’s father, and beloved serving man of King Telamon was a just sole with piety and morals,” he began, “He had great love for his child, his fellow servants, and his dear King Telamon. The two became friends in Athens during their teen years despite their difference of status, and bonded over their mutual respect for the gods, maintaining honor, and their country. We miss the late priest each day that passes.”

With the finishing of that speech you felt a tear begin to form in one of your eyes. It was Ajax who wiped it from your face with the sleeve of his robe, and so the ceremony continued. Dimitri ceased the official ceremony with a kiss, untraditional, yet in his eyes metaphorical. He saw it as a continuation of the veil ceremony. A solidifying action between two parties to bless a marriage. This kiss traditionally occurred for the first time between the couple later in the night, and in this case it was neither.

The ceremony ended as quickly as it began. Ajax and you linking arms as you excited the temple wrapped in disguises. You rode off into the mysterious darkness of the night leaving behind you childhood and a six year relationship of secrets.

Long time no see. Here are the three remaining chapters, all at once. Sorry for ghosting everyone for several months, I lost motivation to complete this story after writing the first two pages from this chapter. Recently, after reading some of the sweetest comments on tumblr, I finally decided it was time for me to sit down and finish writing this story, one last story. As always, thank you for taking the time to read this, I truly appreciate it.

#genshin impact #genshin angst #childe x reader #childe genshin impact #rosaria genshin impact #tartaglia x reader #tartaglia genshin impact #greek tragedy

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birdie123au · 1 year

Text

A Sort of Christmas Story (tartaglia x reader)

Your life had changed so drastically at multiple occasions in the year that you had felt as though you were getting dragged through life by your hair. With your parents constant pestering, friend group drama, and trouble adjusting to life after University, despite being grateful for the privileges and loving people in your life, you couldn’t help but yearn to get away from all of the stress and drama. So the solution was simple: Christmas by yourself. But with a chance encounter from a certain ginger neighbor you had been chasing after all year, maybe you wouldn’t be spending Christmas alone this year afterall.

Based on the song Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses!!

December 14th, 1991

The Snezhnayan air outside was the coldest this time of year. Your neighborhood was generously decorated with thick, fluffy snow which was the perfect backdrop for the LED lights strung up on each house. People’s yards showcased snowmans, inflatable decorations, and Santa statues. So there you stood, hot chocolate in hand, breathing in a sigh of relief as you savored the moment. This year had truly been a wild one; so crazy that it felt like nothing more than a blur. After graduating from college in June, you had just started your new job at a high end company only a few months ago. Your life had changed so drastically at multiple occasions in the year that you had felt as though you were getting dragged through life by your hair. Your parents hadn’t been much help either from their constant calls and letters asking about your life as if you hadn’t spoken to them almost everyday. On top of all that, your friend group had seen a dramatic shift at the breakup and reunion of two of your closest friends meaning the dramatic rants were practically never ending. You loved and appreciated all those in life who cared for you, and you loved the fact that you had such a stellar paying job for your age, but you couldn’t help but yearn to get away from all of the stress and drama that had hung over you like a cloud this year. So the solution was simple: Christmas by yourself.

Laughing to yourself over how silly the concept sounded, your eyes wandered back over to the highly decorated street that you lived on. Despite the fact that it was only six at night, the sky was pitch black meaning the only way you could see anything was due to the Christmas lights. Against your better judgment, you walked over to the far left end of the ginormous window in your living room, the one that overlooked the large golf field and country club. Your heart practically jumped out of your chest when you noticed him. Ajax. He was your neighbor, and he lived only a few doors down, but you, unfortunately, rarely saw him. There he stood, surrounded by all five of his siblings as he played in the snow and entertained the younger ones by building snowmen and making snow angels. His soft ginger hair had little snowflakes sitting on the top as he laughed along with his family. You had been infatuated with the man ever since you had moved in, as he had been a student at your university. The two of you first met at a Halloween party last year where you had gathered all the courage in your body to ask for his number, and to your luck he had said yes. But due to the unfortunately chaotic state of your life you are currently in, you haven't been able to see him practically all year.

As if having an extra sense, Ajax looked up to where your house sat slightly above the golf course to notice you staring down at him and his family. Rather than being weirded out, he flashed one of his signature, full smiles that you could still see even in the dark. You returned his gesture with a small wave before turning your heel and speed walking away, flustered that he had caught you staring. As you went to lie down in your bed, read a book, and drink some tea, you soon calmed your nerves as you thought of how incredibly relaxing this holiday season was going to be for you.

————

March 22nd, 1991

You tried to be as quick as possible when unloading your groceries. Your paper for your Macroeconomics class was due at the end of the day meaning not only did you have to finish writing and proofreading it, but you also had to drive all the way to your University to turn it into your professor. Professor Pantalone was known to have a zero tolerance policy for late work and you had heard horror stories of students receiving no credit for their work after only being a couple minutes late to turn it in. You normally despised procrastination, but you had been up all last night writing a different paper for a different economics course and you had almost forgotten all about the paper that was due today. Grabbing the brown paper bags from your red hand-me-down car, you swung the door shut with your leg in one swoop. Unfortunately, you had underestimated the heaviness of the bag on your left and could only look in horror as your vegetables, milk, and cans of soup hit the floor and began rolling down your driveway. Ready to end it all, you left out a cry in frustration as you put the rest of your stuff down to start to gather all of your rebellious food items.

“Uh oh!” you heard a small voice calling out. You look up to see three figures with identical sets of orange hair watching you picking up your food. The voice that had called out to you belonged to a little boy, someone no older than seven you would guess. Next to him stood a girl slightly taller looking on with pitiful eyes at your predicament. Finally, the tallest of them all stood with a smirk on his face. Oh you knew him alright; he was the guy from Hu Tao’s Halloween party!

“You need some help with that girlie?” he asked, pushing his hair out of his face. You nodded absentmindedly, mesmerized by his face.

“Alright, Tonia, Teucer, how about we lend our neighbor a hand?” he said as he bent down to pick up one of the cans that had fallen all the way down your driveway.

The three siblings made their way to where you were, helping you put away the groceries back into your bags. As Ajax went to take the parsley from your hands to put away, you almost dropped the damn thing when his fingers touched your own. Seeming to notice your flustered body language, Ajax let out an amused chuckle before helping you stand back up to your feet.

“Say,” he began, “my brother, sister, and I are on our way back home from the park. My other brother is at home right now making some medovik. I’m sure he would be more than happy to have you try some if you want to go back with us.”

You practically passed out at his words. You loved medovik! And an excuse to go to Ajax’s house for some dessert and to hang out with him sounded like a dream. Your heart sank though as you recalled the paper still sitting at home for you to complete. Imagining Professor Pantalone’s angry eyes made you physically cringe.

“I’m sorry,” you said, “but I have a paper due today that I need to finish writing. For Professor Pantalone, you know?”

“Yikes,” Ajax’s face grew sour, “That guy is super intense. Had him as a freshman for Intro to Econ and that guy was no joke.”

You laughed at his words; “Yeah, you're totally right. Are you maybe free sometime this weekend?”

“Oh, sorry.” he said, scratching the back of his neck, “I have hockey practice on Saturdays and Sundays.”

Your smile faltered; those were the only two days you were practically ever free. “No problem, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

He nodded; “Well, good luck to you, Y/n I’ll see you around?”

“You will. And thanks for your help with the groceries.”

“Don’t mention it.” He said before giving you a polite wave goodbye, ushering his siblings to begin their walk back home. As you watched with a slightly disappointed face, you picked up your grocery bags once more before attempting to reach into your pocket to grab the keys to unlock your house.

After panicking for a moment, you looked to see them still sitting on the passenger’s chair in your car. Fuck. This was going to be a very long spring.

————

July 6th, 1991

The salty sea aroma was something you thoroughly enjoyed during the summertime. Because Snezhnaya practically never saw an end to snowfall, you had to travel a couple cities over to get to Mondstadt, a small town with a beautiful seashore. After getting lunch with your good friends Jean and Ayaka, you had gotten to hear all of the drama about Jean’s lovelife with your other close friend Lisa. Lisa and Jean had an off and on relationship all throughout University, but this time it seemed like the two of them were truly calling it quits, or at least that was what Jean had claimed. Knowing them it would only take a few months of being apart for the two of them to realize how much they still needed each other, but the constant ranting and bad mouthing surely would cause some rifts in your friend group until then. You and Ayaka had spent most of the afternoon sharing awkward glances with one another as you listened to Jean’s stories. Nevertheless the three of you walked together, arms linked, across the boardwalk as you sipped your smoothies.

Ever since graduating Uni last month, you greatly appreciated all the time you could spend with your girls, even if it meant spending most of your morning driving to the beach. As you continued to walk along the boardwalk, the three of you took turns pointing out all of the ships sitting in the ocean.

“I have an idea!” Ayaka said, “Why don’t we go sit on the pier and name all of the ships!”

You and Jean shared a laugh at the idea, nodding your heads at Ayaka’s antics. “Well if it will take Ms. Gunhildr’s mind off of you-know-who then I’m in!”

Jean gave a dramatic scoff at your words before playing shoving you in the direction of the pier. The three of you stood for a couple hours, not only naming the different ships that passed by, but also checking out the different food and shopping stalls set up along the walkway. Much to your dismay, you seemed to have forgotten to wear some sunscreen this morning seeing as how Ayaka playfully teased your slightly red tinted face after the three of you passed by a particularly cute guy. You thought you should not be blamed, however, considering the fact that you rarely needed sunscreen in a place as cold and stormy as Snezhnaya.

As the three of you reached the end of the pier for the third time that afternoon, your eyes quickly laid upon a familiar head of orange hair, this time accompanied by two people who you did not recognize.

“Y/n?” Jean asked, “What are you staring at?”

Ayaka turned her head curiously as well, you quickly put your finger to your mouth and shushed them; “That's him! The Halloween guy!” you tried to whisper.

Ayaka let out a small gasp; “Neighbor boy?!” she exclaimed.

“Really?” Jean asked, “That red head over there standing between the short guy and the blonde girl?”

You nodded your head, covering your slightly embarrassed, sunburnt face with your hands.

“Huh,” Jean said, “Well I guess I can see it.”

“We should go say hi!” Ayaka added and Jean clapped along to her suggestion.

Before you could protest fully you found yourself being pulled along by the two women. As much as you would like to pull away and run, you felt a familiar pair of deep blue eyes staring at you. All you could do was smile awkwardly, hoping he and his friends wouldn’t think you were weird for being dragged along by two mysterious women they had never seen. As you approached their trio, you began to recognize the people who he was with. The tall blonde girl was none other than Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter, a girl who you had seen around campus quite a few times who you knew to have been on the volleyball team. The other was Kunikuzushi Raiden, the son of two of the professors at your school. You ended up having both women as your teachers for different classes, so you sometimes saw him standing around after class, though you knew for a fact that he didn’t go to the same University you did.

“Well well,” Ajax began, “we meet again Ms. Y/n.”

You let out an awkward chuckle as you looked at the quizzical glares you were receiving from his friends; “Ajax! Hi, it's really been a while, huh?”

“It has, hasn’t it!” he replied, flashing you a slightly apologetic smile, “Life has just been really crazy lately. Oh! I don’t think I’ve introduced you yet, but here are my good friends, Rosalyne and Kunizushi.”

The fair lady standing next to him simply gave you a nod while the short guy looked you up and down with a scoff.

“Yeah, you’re totally right!” you replied, “These are my friends Jean and Ayaka, they went to the same University as we did.”

“Right on.” the ginger replied, “Have you ladies been having a good afternoon? The waves today are totally awesome, Rosalyne and I caught some really good ones!”

“Oh wow!” Ayaka chimed in, “My brother really loves to surf, he would be so jealous right now.”

Ajax nodded, “Bummer, he really missed out then huh.”

“Hardly.” Kunikuzushi said, “The wind is ridiculous–”

“–Only if you're sitting on the shore.” Ajax said, “Well anyways. The three of us were about to take out my old man’s old boat for a spin if you and your friends wanted to join?”

“Sounds relaxing.” Jean replied, looking to you and Ayaka for any signs of apprehension.

Before you could reply, Rosalyne decided it was finally time for her to chime in; “Y/n, was it?” she began, “I’m not sure boating would be a great activity considering Ajax’s father’s boat doesn’t have a sunroof.”

Confused on what she meant, you raised your eyebrows curiously. Rosalyne simply gestured to your arms completely exposed by the tank top you were wearing. All at once the remaining four people’s faces morphed from shared confusion to horror at the sight. You quickly looked down only to be met with the sight of certainly toasted skin.

“Oh gods!” you said, now finding yourself embarrassed at the situation, “I had no idea it was that bad.”

“Oh dear.” Ayaka said, “We should probably head back home. Maybe we can stop by my parents' place for some skin ointment.”

“Ayaka is right.” Jean continued, “That burn looks painful.”

Reluctantly, your eyes met Ajax’s concerned ones; “Yeah, you guys are probably right. Um, maybe we can do it some other time?”

Ajax nodded his head enthusiastically, smiling, returning, “Yes! Definitely. For sure. I’ll call you soon and we can make plans.”

As your friends ushered you back towards the direction of your car you looked back one more time only to meet Ajax’s disappointed gaze as he watched you disappear into the crowd.

————

October 29th, 1991

“Perfect! So I’ll drive to your place to pick you up around 8, sounds good?”

You could hardly contain your excitement as you jumped up and down in the hallway of your house.

“Yup!” you said, “See you then, Ajax.”

“See ya!” he said one last time before you placed the land line back into where the holder sat on the wall.

You had gotten a surprise call from Ajax just thirty minutes ago where he had invited you to one of the parties his friend was hosting. Initially confused on why he felt the need to make a big fuss, he quickly explained to you the fact that he actually didn’t live fulltime in your neighborhood but also shared an apartment with his friend more towards the center of the city. It filled your heart with such joy when he told you he was willing to drive to your place and back just to take you to some stupid Halloween party. Though in some ways you found the gesture quite fitting considering it was almost a year to date from when the two of you had first met at Hu Tao’s party she had hosted on campus

You had intended on going to Ayaka’s house on Halloween with Jean and Lisa on Halloween day, so you already had a costume handy for the occasion. You were going to dress up as your favorite comic book character, Starfire; maybe not your top choice, but with Ayaka’s insistence on a group costume you had to oblige. Nevertheless, you happily got dressed up while listening to your favorite Halloween songs on your CD player.

It didn’t take you too long to get ready. In fact, glancing at your clock you were happy to be left with about ten minutes to spare before Ajax was going to pick you up. Deciding to take one last look in the mirror, you headed outside to wait for him, sitting on the bench on your porch.

By the time eight o’clock rolled by, Ajax’s white Sedan was nowhere in sight. You were understanding, he mentioned that the drive to your place was from the center of the city, and there was always traffic trying to go from the center to the suburbs and vice versa. You let out a shaky breath before laughing to yourself at your antics. It could not be denied you were nervous, so it was best to relax before Ajax ended up arriving.

Eight thirty at night and there was no Ajax. At this point you were growing slightly annoyed. Sure, there was still a possibility there was mass amounts of horrendous traffic, but could he really not try to leave his house a little earlier to show up on time? It was getting colder than it already was outside, so you thought it best to wait inside for him. Mind racing with possibilities, you decided to take your mind off of the situation by watching some TV.

Nine seventeen and you were seriously getting annoyed. Has this guy stood you up? But he had been the one who invited you to the Halloween party in the first place! Like clockwork, your thoughts were soon interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. Standing up from where you had been splayed across the couch, you wondered who would possibly be calling you this late.

“Hello?” you said.

“Y/n!” The voice of Ajax rang in your ear, though he sounded more nervous than excited, “So-uh, I have some pretty bad news.”

“Is it the fact that you are over an hour late?” you asked.

“About that…” he said, “I’m sorta calling you from the payphone at the car shop. Turns out the old Sedan was at its wits end. The car broke down halfway to your house– I had to hitchhike to get to a place where I could even call someone!”

Shit, guess you didn’t think about that; “Oh wow, sorry Ajax, I had no idea.”

“Well I don’t know how you could.” he laughed, “I’m really sorry Y/n, but it looks like I’m gonna need to spend the night in the shop.”

“Darn,” you laughed awkwardly, “I was really looking forward to going out with you.”

“Yeah…” he said, “Maybe some other time?”

You sighed; “Yup, I’ll call you later Ajax.”

“Oh– alright, see you then.”

You hung up the phone before you could even reply. You knew it was petty, it wasn’t his fault his car broke down. But you were in a bad mood nonetheless. Just then another call came through. Was he calling you again?

“Ajax?” you asked, picking up the phone.

“I don’t think so.” a smug voice replied, one you knew too well, “But nice try.”

“Kaeya, how are you?” you said. Kaeya and you had met in your junior year of University, and you had hung around with some of his friends ever since.

“Doing good,” he said, “but I would be better if you agreed to go to Angel’s Share with the lady Lisa and I.”

You knew that Kaeya often went to the Angel’s Share, his father’s bar, though he normally went with his brother and other male friends from University. The idea of a charmer like him and the intelligent, calculated Lisa going drinking together seemed silly.

“You and Lisa are going drinking?” you laughed.

“Yes, and you’re invited.” he replied, “Unless this ‘Ajax’ of yours has plans with you tonight.”

“Well not anymore.” you said, “Arcons do I have so much to tell you about him.”

“Looking forward to it, Lisa and I will swing by in ten.”

Saying your goodbyes, you hung up the phone. Seems like no matter what you tried to do with Ajax, life always seemed to have other plans.

————

December 25th, 1991

The fireplace was lit, the smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air, you were dressed in the coziest candy cane print pajama pants with a tank top; all was good in the world.

Earlier in the week you felt as if you were glued to the land line. Firstly, you had to explain to your poor mother how you actually could not be attending the Christmas family celebration with all 23 of your extended family members this year. As heartbroken as she was, you were sure she understood you reluctantly after your lengthy explanation of how hard this year had been on you and how unwilling you were to deal with any creepy uncles or bothersome cousins. Next came calling your dear best friends, Ayaka, Jean, and Lisa to tell them that you had to skip out on the Christmas Eve cabin retreat. Ayaka had tried to win you over once more with the promise of champagne, a jacuzzi, and much needed girl time. When she realized she wasn’t getting through to you, she swore her revenge for you forcing her to essentially be a third wheel for an entire vacation. A few more calls declining the invitations of Christmas themed parties from your friends like Kaeya had to be made as well, but once you finally finished turning down the invites you felt a wave of peace reach you.

You had decided to make yourself a small Thanksgiving style dinner for Christmas with some turkey, mashed potatoes, garlic green beans, and some cranberry sauce. You may not be a huge fan of Thanksgiving all by itself, but you surely could appreciate the good food that came with it. The turkey that you had received from the grocery store that had been tucked away in your freezer for the past three days was…underwhelming to say the least. Sure you were only cooking for one person, but you were fairly certain you wouldn’t even get two days of leftovers from the poor bird considering how small it was. Nevertheless you persisted forward as to not let the size of the turkey ruin your celebration.

Taking a bite out of one of the freshly baked cookies your elderly neighbor had dropped off earlier this morning, you decided to check back up on the state of the meal. With a random christmas romance film blaring in the background, you decided to check the temperature of the turkey, the state of the currently-baking mashed potatoes, the garlic green beans, and finally take the cranberry sauce from the pantry–

–where the fuck was the cranberry sauce?

You panicked to yourself momentarily. Was this some sort of sick joke? How on Earth did you manage to forget one of the four things on the menu tonight? Sighing angrily to yourself, you stormed into your bedroom to change into some pants, grab your jacket, some gloves, and your snow boots.

Thankfully your car was parked in the garage meaning there was no need to wipe any snow off of the windshield. Once you found your way onto the main road outside the neighborhood, you tried to remember exactly where the only grocery store opened this late on Christmas was located. The snow fall made it difficult to see the streetlights and signs, though you eventually found the location of the small store near the entrance of the downtown area. Slamming the car door shut you took a moment to laugh at the fact that it was so cold you could see your breath in the air.

The grocery store was more crowded than you had anticipated it to be, though technically that wasn’t saying much considering you had expected nobody besides yourself to be there. Locating the aisle for the cranberry sauce was no difficult task, and thank the archons there were still some left so last minute. You grabbed a single can of the sauce then made your way to the line. There were only about ten people standing in front of you, which was pretty good considering how crowded this grocery store tended to get being right outside the city afterall.

“Y/n?”

You looked up from where you had been staring at the magazine only to make eye contact with a familiar pair of icy blue eyes.

“Ajax?” you replied, “What are you doing here?”

The man let out a small laugh before scratching the back of his neck as he so often did; “Decided to spend Christmas alone this year– guess this is what I get.”

You raised your eyebrows curiously before looking in his basket to see what he meant. Cranberry sauce. He forgot the cranberry sauce.

“So am I.” you said, “Don’t tell me you also forgot the cranberry sauce.”

His eyes lit up suddenly; “No way! How crazy is that?”

“Great minds think alike.” you laughed, “This year has really been crazy.”

“Tell me about it,” he said, “I can hardly catch a break. I guess I just didn’t have it in me to spend Christmas with my five siblings and millions of cousins.”

“Totally get that, my mom nearly murdered me when I told her.”

“My mom did too!” he responded as the two of you began laughing once again.

As the two of you continued your banter, you suddenly began to realize that maybe this was no mistake after all. The timing was too perfect, especially considering the fact the two of you had been forced apart by poor timing this entire year.

“Say, Y/n.” Ajax said, looking more serious than before. Maybe he had caught onto what was happening too, “You wouldn’t really care if you–”

“–spent Christmas with someone this year?” you cut him off, “No, no I would not.”

The man smiled; “Well perfect, because I haven’t even begun to cook the turkey yet.”

“What?!” you said in disbelief, “Ajax those take hours to cook!”

“It’s not my fault!” he laughed defensively, “I have like, the smallest turkey ever! Surely it wouldn’t take that long to cook.”

“You are unbelievable!” you responded, faking offense, “That's it, we are definitely going to my house. My food is almost done practically.”

“You're the boss!” he winked at you.

Your plans to have a solo Christmas were completely foiled that night, though you couldn’t say you were upset considering the fact that you got to spend it with the guy you had been after for over a year. As the two of you ate, drank, and celebrated together, you wouldn’t have traded anything in the world to be able to stare into those eyes all night long.

“Merry Christmas, Ajax.” you said, rested your head onto his shoulder as the two of you sat on the couch.

“Merry Christmas.” he replied with a laugh before resting his head on the top of your own.

————

December 25th, 1992

“Y/n?! Did the cranberry sauce fucking vanish?!”

“Probably!”

“Dammit we had one job this year! My moms gonna kill us!”

You laughed as you fumbled to put on your second earring. Wearing your cutest Christmas dinner outfit you could find, you sorted through your closet full of shoes and hockey supplies to try and find you and your boyfriend's snow boots.

“Do we have time to get more?” you called out to him from your bedroom, still trying to find the other pair of shoes.

“Uhhh, probably not.” he yelled back, “Well it is what it is! Besides, do people really like cranberry sauce that much?”

After securing the other shoe, you made your way down the staircase to find him standing, waiting for you at the front door.

“Eh, only my little sisters really enjoy it.” he said, “My brothers and dad probably won’t care. Who knows about my cousins…”

“Arcons,” you said, “how many people are going to be there tonight?”

“Well you have my family, so that's seven not counting us, I have three uncles, two aunts, grandparents, eleven cousins–”

“–alright, that's enough.” you playfully punched his arm before handing him his boots, receiving a playful laugh from him.

“Well next year we can do your parents' place, and I won’t complain about your big family.” he said.

“Uh-huh ok.” you rolled your eyes in fake disgust, “Do you know how hard I had to fight my mom after telling her I wouldn’t be home for Christmas for ANOTHER year.”

“Yeah I was right next to you when you called her–”

“–whatever ginger. Let’s get going, or at this rate we are gonna be late to Christmas dinner at our own neighbors house.”

“Sure thing, boss.” he said, slapping your lower back as you left the front door.

“Ajax!” a little boy yelled as soon as you left the door, causing you to yelp and stumble back. Luckily Ajax stood behind you, grasping your shoulders with his hands so that you didn’t fall backwards.

Looking to where the boy had called, your eyes widened at the sight of five young redheads in matching holiday coats, smiling wide at the two of you.

“We came to surprise you!” the youngest girl, Tonia said, grasping the arms of her little brother Teucer as to mirror what her older brother was doing to you.

“Mom and dad wanted us to come and walk you.” the older girl, Sasha, said, clutching her hands together with a polite smile.

“Yeah because for some reason the two of you couldn’t walk a few blocks down by yourselves.” the older boy, Anton, said, annoyed he even had to be there. Ajax had explained to you that his brother was in his ‘I hate my family but actually don’t really hate my family age’; you were sympathetic, being fifteen was hard.

“Well thank you all for the nice gesture.” you said, stepping forward with Ajax’s arms still on your shoulder.

“We could have really gotten lost!” Ajax joked, “Say Anton, Tonia, do you guys think you could beat me in a race to mom and dad’s place?”

“Hah! You know I could!” Anton replied, while Tonia shook her head violently.

“Hey wait I don’t think that's very safe–”

Before Sasha could even finish her warning, three of her siblings had already set off racing down the road. You shook your head at Ajax’s antics, but you found some peace knowing the three of them were hockey players and therefore knew how to deal with ice.

“I’ll walk you over Y/n!” Teucer suddenly said, walking forward to take one of your arms before gesturing to Sasha to take the other.

So there you stood, walking in a line with Teucer and Sasha, watching Ajax and his siblings attempt to shake down the road to get to their parent’s house.

You thought back to the night the two of you first hooked up, and how none of this would have been happening if the two of you didn’t get together exactly a year ago from today. Shaking your head, you smiled to yourself as you made your way to another Christmas celebration. At the end of the day, a Christmas by yourself could have been relaxing, but if one thing was certain, you definitely wouldn’t be able to miss this one, not this year nor the last.

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birdie123au · 2 years

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zelus

zelus - the personification of jealousy in predominantly situations of romance

After several years of strong friendship with Ajax, you find yourself unable to contain your jealousy as he begins courting a rich beauty from another kingdom. Heartbroken yet angered, you wonder if befriending him was the right decision in the first place.

part two of five

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The large marble room was filled with bustling life. Men and women dressed in the finest of silk lounging, dancing, chatting, and drinking wine. The king was at the center of it all, gracious speaking along with his dignitaries as they discussed philosophy and politics. Those surrounding him threw their heads back in exaggerated laughter. Servants flooded the room with trays of drinks and snacks in hand. The rich guests were less than kind when receiving their food and drink, though the servants were not phased. Ever since you had turned sixteen just a few months ago, you had learned what a charmer the king truly was.

The head mistress of your servant ward still had a fiery dislike of you, something that you remembered of her since you were a small child. Constantly mocking you for not being betrothed to anyone, she assigned you with the task of pouring the king’s wine during each of his luxurious parties, a task that was historically assigned only to men. It was always humiliating, standing in front of a wealthy crowd as an unbetroved young girl. It sometimes felt to be even dangerous; you were never quite able to shake the alarming glances some of the older men at the party would give you as you walked by. Most nights you would go crying to your father, expressing how much you dreaded going to your job each night, how the people you mock and oggle. Your father’s opinion remained firm, in life the gods would constantly challenge people like you, and that you simply needed to rise above the occasion and prove the foolish mortals wrong. When you were younger you would always appreciate your fathers infinite philosophical and spiritual understanding of situations, though now that you are older you longed for him to say something more comforting.

Objectively the worst part of your job however, the thing that made you sob into your pillow each night, was that everyday you had to be with Ajax. Whenever you spoke of this with Rosaria, she would simply call you crazy. I am crazy, you thought. Ajax had been one of your closest friends for years. Although it was forbidden, ever since the two of you had met Ajax had taken the time to sneak around the palace to visit you when he was certainly not supposed to. From seeing you tending to the garden, weaving, scrubbing the floors, to serving wine, he saw it all. If any of his friends asked, you were his closest companion. He felt as if the two of you were opposites, yet understood each other better than anyone else. You would have believed him, agreed even if asked, until he met Domitia.

Domitia was a princess from a nearby kingdom, only a year younger than the two of you. She was a very pretty girl, with long dark locks and beautiful brown eyes. She was a natural charmer, and a smart one at that. She knew multiple languages, how to weave, play the lyre, and prayed to the gods often. She came from money, but was not spoiled nor egotistical. Despite the fact that she was younger, she spoke wisely as if she were years older than she was. You had never spoken to the girl, and yet you knew all of this information regardless.

The first time Ajax had mentioned Domitia was when you were fifteen. At first, you didn’t think too much of it, convinced he simply had a small infatuation for her. You were swiftly humbled when he began mentioning her in almost every conversation you had. It was then it became clear to you: he was in love with her. From the way he described it, it seemed she shared those feelings. He would often tell you how the two of them snuck away together almost every time their two families met. You tried not to let it bother you. Of course he would be in love with a woman like her. She was smart, funny, and rich. The latter being of utmost importance when it comes to marriage. You started growing frustrated hearing of their outings and gifts exchanged. But what really broke your heart was when he told you of how he brought her to the ocean and kissed her for the first time. He then said that's where the two of them go each time they sneak off.

The ocean was where the two of you met. Where the two of you used to sneak off to see each other. Where he used to tell you stories, sneak you food, small gifts, anything you could think of. You had to resist the urge to punch him in the face from the way he so casually mentioned this to you. Yet, the way he smiled brightly and his cheeks blushed made you instead turn your heels and walk away, saying you had work to do. He simply said his goodbyes, saying you could talk about this later. That was over a week ago, and you had been doing everything in your power to avoid him since then. It was an impossible task, considering he attended each of his fathers parties, so you instead stopped sneaking off to your meeting places during work.

You began to put much more effort into your work, the headmistress even noticing your change in work ethic. All of your pain, heartache, and jealousy became channeled into your daily tasks, meaning that you found yourself with far more extra free time because of finishing your work extra earlier. A few weeks ago, your first instinct would have been to run and find Ajax, but instead you spent the remainder of the time with your father.

Shaking your head, you quickly refocused on the task at hand: serving wine. One of the king’s men had called out to you, beckoning you to come over and refill their glass. You did so with grace, bowing your head to the men before pouring the wine into their cup. You kept your head down as a sign of respect for the king, he didn’t seem to notice you were even there. You were a poor servant, you were nothing more than a body that could do work in the eyes of the king.

As you made your way back to the center of the room, you felt a pair of eyes on your back. You initially froze, praying to the gods that it wasn’t another creep trying to make a move on you. Much to your dismay, the person who tapped your back was much worse. Beautiful blue eyes and soft ginger hair entered your peripheral vision. Ajax, you lamented. The young man was smiling, seemingly proud that he had found you in the sea of people. He would often joke that he knew it was you due to your incredible posture and strong pouring arm that made you so easy to identify. You would laugh along with him, saying it was his golden headpiece that made him an easy target.

Instead, you reluctantly turn to him, a small scowl on your face; “Prince Ajax, can I help you?”

“What on Earth?” Ajax laughed at your formal words, “I've been looking for you all week! You’ve been standing me up at all our meeting spots you know.”

“Oh, sorry.” you said, looking towards the floor to avoid eye contact, ‘I’ve been busy.”

“Hah, no worries, I get it!” he smiled at you, your heart fluttered, “Rumors tell me you’ve been working extra hard. I mean, that’s great!”

“Thank you, your highness.” you replied.

“Keep it up and we will totally have more time to hang out with each other!” he whispered excitedly.

You felt the urge to both smile and break out into tears at the same time. What he said is the exact opposite of what you wanted; “Sorry, I…”

His smile faltered, he was growing confused; “I don’t think that's…well, I still have a lot of work to do.”

“Oh.” he replied, “Well, that’s no problem girlie. I get it, you’re super busy.”

The atmosphere grew awkward, no one quite knowing what to say; “Um, we’ll still see each other though, right?”

“I work here.” you said, he bursted out laughing.

“Yeah, you’re right!” he nudged you with his elbow, you still weren't laughing. “I’ll see you around then, Y/n.”

You wanted to throw yourself down the palace staircase because of how embarrassed you were. Talking to Ajax was normally easy for you, but this time you were resisting your own tears the whole conversation. Nevertheless, the night went on. You continued to fill the wine glass of all the powerful people in the room. You overheard a plethora of conversations on advanced topics you could hardly understand, yet it kept you entertained as you continued your work.

Towards the very end of the celebration, the servants working the food and drink shift began to pack up, ready for the servants who cleaned to replace them. As you put on your overcoat of thin wool to make the journey across the castle and down the staircase to get home, your eyes wandered to the corridor. The sight before you nearly made you vomit.

It was Ajax and Domitia, laughing with one another, probably at another one of his stupid jokes. The way each of them looked at each other was different than how he ever looked at you. It was full of admiration, infatuation, love. He eventually took her hand, before glancing around to see if any adults would notice. As the princess stared out the door, his eyes landed upon you. You weren't sure what your face looked like, but from the way his eyes widened strangely, you were certain it didn't look normal. After a moment, he relaxed, giving you a smug smile before lifting up a finger in front of his mouth. Hush. Angry and tired, you weren't in the mood to be nice. It was your own fault in a way, pushing him away earlier in the evening. Maybe losing your friendship with him would be for the better, afterall, if the two were to be married you were certain he would stop talking to you completely.

So instead of smiling back at him as you usually do, you intentionally took a moment to gaze at the two of their hands joined together before making direct eye contact with him once more. You angrily narrowed your eyes at him, attempting to make the most disgusted look you could, and turning your heel with no explanation. He probably wouldn't care, you thought to yourself, afterall he was with his Domitia now. Only once you were sure you were out of his sight did you begin to softly cry into the long sleeve of your overcoat.

–––––––––

“I just hate it so much!” you sobbed into Rosaria’s arm, “I can’t believe the mistress is still making me work there.”

Rosaria racked her hand through your hair comfortingly before clearing her throat; “I’m sorry, Y/n. I’m sure it will be alright, the headmistress can’t make you do this forever.”

Of the people who had changed the most over these past couple of years, it would most certainly had been Rosaria. Although she had always been standoffish and cold, as a now eighteen year old she had matured into a wise young woman. Instead of taking a traditional path, she instead boldly declared that she would follow in the path of your father. Becoming a priestess was something you would have never expected of her, though once you saw her train and preach about the wise Lady Athena, you knew that this was always what she was meant to do.

“Rosaria?” your father called out, he had been uncharacteristically quiet, “It's getting quite late. I’m sure you have to work early in the morning. Would you mind leaving us be?”

The young woman nodded, getting up from your single bed to bid her farewells and take her leave. You looked over at your father, confused on why he had asked her to leave so soon. He turned to you, his tired eyes having no hint of anger or sadness in them. Instead, he used his cane to walk towards you, sitting down on the bed with a humph.

“Y/n, my child.” he began, looking you in the eyes, “Would you tell me the real reason this job is troubling you?”

Your eyebrows shot up; “Well, you see father. The old men! They, they make me so very uncomfortable–”

“–and I completely understand that.” he cuts you off, his hand caressing the side of your cheek, “But you have always been dealing with such horrid men. This job of yours is no different. I sympathize, but surely it must be something else.”

You grow quiet, weighing your options; “Promise…promise me you won’t be mad, father.”

You say, voice small. Your father does not agree, but rather shakes his head sympathetically, beckoning you to tell your story. And so you do. You had only ever told Rosaria of your encounters with the prince, so you could not have predicted the way your father could have reacted to the news of your secret years-long friendship. You had never truly seen your father angry, sure he yelled while the two of you were in disagreeance, but you had never seen such pure rage on the man's face.

Your father looked like he had just received the worst news of his life, actually, he may have just had. The way he clenched his weak fists and shook his lead from left to right, you knew you had messed up. Maybe this is good, you thought, father will forbid me from ever speaking to him again so I’ll have an excuse to never face him.

“I cannot believe this!” he began, “For years. Years! You have disobeyed my advice for you!”

“Father, you don’t understand!” you raised your arms defensively, not quite sure how to defend yourself.

“No!” he spat, “You don’t understand! Don’t you see? I’m trying to protect you! I always have been! Everything I ever do is to protect you! To keep my only child safe.”

His voice faltered towards the end of his ranting, he sounded as if he was about to cry; “From who? Ajax and the king?”

You questioned only upset him more; “No! From the gods!”

“Why?” you asked, confused what he meant.

“It seems you are still too naive to understand.” he brought a hand up to rub his temple, “That's it. You need to leave. Go stay with Rosaria for the night, tell her the truth. The full truth, Y/n.”

You nodded your head, worried about the implications of what he was saying about the gods; “And you are never to speak about your love for the prince to me again. Do you hear me?”

As you take your leave to walk to Rosaria’s house, your heart hurts as you see your father with his hands shielding his face. Although you still didn’t quite understand, from the way he sobbed into his hands you couldn’t help but shed a few tears along with him.

–––––––––

Your eyes were still red and swollen from the tears you had been crying all week. After your father’s strange emotional outburst, there was noticeable distance between the two of you each time you spoke. Rosaria was sympathetic, but after having a long chat with your father one night while you were away working, she too began to look at you with sad eyes. So there you stood, once again in a room full of rich people partying while you were simply the drink pourer. Not a single person the entire evening had tried to make conversation with you, much less ask why your puffy face looked like you slammed face first into one of the marble poles. Being invisible was something you became used to over the past couple of months you have had this job.

You decided that father wallowing away in self pity while standing awkwardly in the middle of a crowd, that you would prefer to actually make your way around to each group of people gathered. Just as you had suspected, most were busy chatting about meaningless gossip or surface level philosophy; standard rich people conversation. As you continued walking, you approached a group of younger women. Offering your services, you got a few jarring remarks from each of the girls claiming that they wouldn't be caught dead wearing the outfit you were. You simply kept your head down and continued pouring their drinks.

As you went to fill the glass of the final girl, you found that she pulled it away at the last minute. Her friends all laughed at your terrible aim. You looked up to see a face that filled your very soul with dread. It was Domitia, Ajax’s Domitia, and she did not look happy. You quickly set down the jug of wine on the floor to begin wiping up the small spill you had made. Domitia sighed as the other girls continued to laugh at you. This was no new occurrence, people making fun of you that is, but you rarely ever spilled the drinks you poured. On top of your already emotional feelings, this new level of embarrassment surely did not help.

“Dear gods,” one of the girls began to mock, “who even are you anyway? We surely need to report a slob like you to your head mistress.”

“I’m Y/n. I’m terribly sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you.”

A gasp escaped Domitia at your words. The other girls stopped laughing and turned to her, concerned, it was likely Domitia wasn’t often caught by surprise.

“You’re Y/n?” she asked, eyes wide with shock, “Ladies, do excuse my brashness, but could you excuse the two of us for a moment.”

Domitia’s voice was stern though not angered. The other girls seemed to catch on that what she was asking wasn’t truly a request, but more so a demand. Normally you would tremble if someone of her status called for you to be alone, yet you had to try hard to quell your anger towards this girl.

“Your highness?” you asked, arms clutching the jug of wine once more, “What seems to be the issue?

Picking up on your sarcasm, Domitia crossed her arms defensively; “I just believe I find this entire situation innppropriate. Do tell me why you find it so necessary to sneak off with my boyfriend all the time then mock me by spilling the king’s wine on the floor right in front of me?”

You stared at her, confused. She couldn’t have been referencing any events from the past week, because you hadn't talked to Ajax since the night you and your father fought. The only reason she would be able to know about any of your meetings would be if Ajax was telling her about them. Oh. Uh oh.

“I’m terribly sorry, your highness.” you replied in a neutral manner, trying hard to maintain the balance of sarcasm yet respect for her authority, “I haven’t spoken with your boyfriend in quite some time. Don’t tell me you’ve been jealous.”

The princess’s eyebrows shot up, her expression growing angrier. Before she could throw your comment back in your own face, you continued to speak; “I really don’t think you have anything to worry about. Afterall, I’m just some lowly servant. It's not like some prince would choose a pauper over a princess.”

Domitia took the time to glare at you; “That’s very true, afterall, lowly servant. Ajax has mentioned you before, but you aren’t half as beautiful as he described. You're still not engaged, huh? I can see why.”

Ouch. You could tell Domitia was truly flustered by your words, afterall, a scholar of her status surely would result in such insults unless truly provoked. You could see why a guy like Ajax was in love with her, she could have a tongue twice as sharp as yours; “Maybe I don’t need to be engaged. After all, your little Ajax isn’t either. Have you ever found it strange why the two of us meet in secret so much?”

You were certainly bluffing; Ajax made it clear through his talk about this princess that he harbored no romantic feelings towards yourself. Nevertheless, Domitia opened her mouth to fire back another retort. However, much to your dismay, a familiar face shows up behind Domitia’s, discreetly rubbing the back of her arm to signal that he was there. Domitia, however, took little comfort in his gester, opting to shake him off rather than indulge in the attention of the prince as she so often would.

When he made eye contact with you, he almost smiled. It wasn’t until he saw your angry scowl that he must have recalled the last time the two of you interacted. His expression morphed from joyous, to confusion, to anger. Without any more words said, he moved in front of the princess, his arms stretched out in front of her defensively.

“What do you think you're doing, Y/n?” he accused.

“The two of us were having a chat, Ajax.” you replied, Domitia scoffing at your response.

“Don’t tell me you’re taking your childish anger out on Domitia because you can’t spend as much time as her with me.” he began saying, “Surely you're just jealous of her beauty.”

Domitia stepped back in front of him to face you, rolling her eyes at his words; “Go away Ajax, this argument of ours does not need your unnecessary insults.”

“It’s only the truth!” he said, exasperated, “She’s been jealous of the time you spend with me and not her. She must be! That's the only reason a poor, lousy servant girl such as herself would speak with a rich girl like you.”

Domitia once again told him off, that he was missing context to your conversation. You however felt betrayed by the slip up of his words. A poor, lousy servant girl, you thought to yourself. If that's all he thought of you, then it was most certainly the best to end your years long friendship.

“Maybe you should save those comments for the next time you and the ‘rich girl’ go to sneak off and make out!” you fling your arms, speaking at a much higher volume than the other two had been. Even the groups of people surrounding you had begun to take notice in your conversation, whispering about the implications of what you just said. You could be spontaneous, it was a trait your father and Rosaria had always teased you about. However, this little comment would surely get you the punishment of a lifetime, so you may as well go all out.

Domitia and Ajax stood staring, horrified you had said it aloud at a volume so many people could have potentially heard. Ajax began walking closer towards you; blinded by rage, his hands curled up into a fist as if he was going to punch you. So you did the unthinkable. Hurdling the entire jug of wine at his face, one of the last things you remember of the night was seeing his clothes soaked in wine. Domitia stood covering her embarrassed face as the groups of people began to close in around them, some whispering while some laughing.

The absolute last thing you could recall, however, was how bad the back of your legs hurt while you made the walk of shame back to your small cabin after the head mistress punished you black and blue.

–––––––––

The large gusts of wind that blew through the large worship area of the palace served as a peaceful background noise to the prayers that were held. Over the past month, you had undergone the worst set of jobs you could have possibly imagined. Not only did you still have to pour the wine at the parties, but you had to do so with a humiliating bird mask placed over your noise. The guests would mock and call your ‘little birdie’ before asking if they could pluck your feathers or take you home to roast for dinner. Because you worked the night shift, you were normally given breaks during the day. Unfortunately, this was a privilege you had lost after the humiliating stunt you pulled weeks ago. During the day, you were forced to clean the stables, meaning you were quite dirty. The constant workload also meant that you found yourself getting less than five hours of sleep per night.

Currently, you are sat alongside your fragile father, praying to the goddess Athena for strength and wisdom to survive your current predicament. Your father was enraged after hearing what you had done, of course, though he used your mistake as a learning moment. Instead of taking your short lunch break, your father insisted you meet him at the palace church. For thirty minutes a day you would sit and pray. What first annoyed you began to bring you a great sense of peace; a sense that you were not alone, and that someone was looking out for you.

You had never been on worse terms with the entire cleaning staff until after your incident. They claimed it must have been a miracle by the gods that the king did hang you in his front lawn; who knows, maybe you were finally gaining some of their favor, though you believed it was long overdue. As you prayed to Athena, you thought of your dear friend Rosaria. It was likely she was still present at the temple considering the time of day, and though you doubted your father would willingly let you miss prayer, you may as well give it a shot.

“Pardon me, father.” you said, standing up to brush off your overly dusty clothes to no avail, “I’ll be headed to the washroom.”

Your father didn’t lift his head from where he had been praying, instead he gave you a stumble nod to acknowledge your comment. Although the two of you had your disagreements, your father’s everlasting wisdom and the way he carried himself never failed to impress you.

Walking down the long corridors of the temple, you tried your best to look as discreet as possible. If you were to simply call out Rosaria’s name, you would no doubt draw unwanted attention from the fellow prestiest, most certainly resulting in a punishment. The sight of her short maroon hair caught your eye as you stopped by one of the open arches. Inside the room she stood was a large statue of Athena with a large owl resting on her forearm. She held her head up high, ready to face any challenge coming her way.

As you walked towards Rosaria, your footsteps caused her head to spin around brashly. Her narrow eyes softened at the sight of your face; you were sure she was grateful not to have to deal with a fellow priestess at the moment.

“Y/n?” she said, “How nice of you to join me here.”

There was an air of sarcasm to her voice, though you could tell her intentions were lighthearted; “I came to visit you sister Rosaria. My knees were hurting from all the praying.”

“Your father is still making you do that?” she asked, “Talk about commitment.”

You nodded your head at her jests; “What are you thinking about? Why this statue?” You took a step forward, lifting your arm so that your pointer finger lay in front of the Goddess’s great owl.

“I was simply thinking.” she replied honestly, “Thinking about how foolish we humans are in the pursuit of personal affairs.”

You lifted your eyebrows up, unsure if she was attempting to make a pass at you; “Afterall, our owl-eyed lady never went in pursuit of a man. She always pursued victory, passion, and cunning.”

The two of you took a moment to silently admire the statue.

“Truly admirable, no?”

“Truly, Rosaria.”

–––––––––

After a long night of serving wine in the most humiliating way possible, you attempted to quell the stormy winds that raced in your mind with a walk along the water. Over the past few years, the ocean brought a sense of true serenity to you; a safe haven to go when the world and everyone in it shut you out. You remembered an incident not too long ago where you were walking along this very trail with the prince himself. You remember him babbling about a play that he and his brothers had just seen. A play about the word ‘zelus’.

At first you were convinced he said Zeus, though through his excessive explanation you learned of its entirely different meaning. The personification of jealousy in romance. Aphrodite’s greatest weapon to drive men mad. People always want what they could never have. You supposed this very memory of him being shoved back in your face meant the gods were somewhere laughing about your fragile human nature. The concept of jealousy and love was not a foreign concept for the gods, but you were sure the amount of superficial heart break they faced in comparison to humans was lackluster. As you continued with your train of thoughts, your mind was suddenly interrupted by a faint noise. This alarmed you, of course, who knew what kinds of people would be hiding out this late at night. A servant girl of your stature was surely an easy target.

Lifting up the largest shell you could find with only the moonlight to guide you, you began walking in the direction of the noise. Behind the fishermans abandoned cabin lay what you were sure had created the noise. As you made your way around the corner, you froze on the spot.

There sat Ajax. His soft ginger hair and bright blue eyes shining dully under the moonlight. Although it was hard to tell considering the darkness, his eyes were certainly red and puffier than usual; he had been crying.

“Who’s there?” he snapped defensively as you took another step forward. Perhaps you failed to register that a trained warrior such as himself would be able to tell you were coming from a mile away.

You should have walked away, dropped your shell in the dirt, and returned home without another word. Every logical bone in your body was begging you to turn the other way, knowing that whatever interaction the two of you would have would only hurt you in the long run. Regrettably, you too were simply human. Your emotions no doubt override the logic within you no matter what situation. And so, you took another few steps forward so that your silhouette would be at least slightly visible to where he sat, arms hugging his knees to his chest.

“It’s me…” you replied in a small tone, unsure if it was your nerves or simply the fatigue of working for ten hours a day.

Like a starved lion, he eyes widened while his head quickly turned towards where you stood. A mixture of confusion and suffering riddled his features. He was far too beautiful to look so sad, you noted while fidgeting with the shell in your hand. In a way, his suffering was surely to have been partially caused by you when you humiliated him and his secret love in front of the party guests all those weeks ago.

Instead of lashing out in anger as you assumed he would, his face instead somehow contorted to express more melancholy than before. Without thinking, you took another small step forward in his direction; “Ajax? What's the matter?”

The following silence between the two of you was broken by a muffled sob. Ajax turned his head away from you as if to hide his own shame. It took him a few more moments to recollect himself; “It’s about Domitia…”

You felt a pang in your chest at the mention of the name you so wished to wipe from your memory.

“Ajax,” you said, taking another step in his direction, this time it being much larger, “I-I want to apologize. If what you're about to say is my own fault–”

“Her father is marrying her off to another man.”

…What?

“I’m sorry?”

“Yeah.” he hiccuped in between sobs, “Apparently he was planning to for a long time. Ever since he suspected a thing going on between us. He wants her to marry someone older. An older, richer prince.”

He clenched his fists in anger as he ranted to you; “I just can’t believe it! I’m destined to be a powerful warrior– one of the best this word has ever seen! I could give her anything, anything. And yet her father would rather her marry a stranger!”

His arms flew dramatically into the air to add an angry emphasis, that is, until it all came crashing down; “From the start…I was never good enough for her…”

He looked as though he was about to burst into tears once more. Taking pity on the man who you had called your friend for the majority of your teen years, you walked to where he sat before planting yourself in the sand right next to him. He refused to meet your eyes as you sat right beside him; was he too angry, sad, or both?

“And now!” he shouted angrily, “I’ve lost the respect of my guests, my father’s confidence in me, my love, and my…”

He paused to finally look at you; “And my best friend.”

Your eyes widened, but before you were even given a change to reply his soft exterior hardened once more; “I fucked up, I know alright! It was so stupid of me! I don’t even know why I accused you of being jealous of Domitia’s beauty, it's just…when you're a guy like me and you see a girl you love getting into a fight– I shouldn't have gotten involved. I tried to make it better, I really did! I tried talking to my father; persuading him to keep his hands off you, to Domitia’s father to give me a second chance I-I.”

He tucked himself further into his knees. You place a sympathetic hand on his back.

“I’m sorry Y/n.” he said, his small voice unfit for his usual lion-like appearance and confidence, “You’ve been my bestfriend for so long I– it was stupid for me to ever forget that.”

“No.” you replied, “It was stupid and immature of me to pick a fight with your girlfriend. Oh, and spill all that fancy wine on you. I’m such a stupid servant.”

You joked, hoping to lighten the mood. Ajax left out a familiar laugh, before cringing after realizing the implications of you using the words ‘stupid servant’. Instead of apologizing once more, he chose to wrap his arms around you. He smelt of sea water and wine, you noted, wondering if he had been drunk this entire time.

“Did your headmistress chew you out?”

“Oh please, I still haven't heard the end of it. Oh! You should have seen my father.”

“Gods, I don’t even want to imagine how that must have gone down! Not that I can complain, afterall, my father practically threatened to drown you and I at sea. Romantic, huh?”

The two of you laughed together at his playful flirtation. Although he had never said something to you like that before, it all felt so familiar. Talking to him was as easy as talking to Rosaria, or your father. Oh how you missed these times. Times where you didn’t have to worry about anybody else making a surprise appearance in your conversation.

“Would you meet me at our spot tomorrow?” you asked, “I’m gonna need a few hours to process all of this stuff.”

The two of you laughed at your jest, Ajax finally letting go of the tight squeeze he had captured you in.

“Of course!” he wiped the remainder of his tears away, “What time?”

“Probably midnight?” you smile awkwardly.

He rolled his eyes in exaggeration before putting an arm around your shoulder. As the two of you watched the celestial stars twinkle in the night sky, you wondered if this too was perhaps a sign from the gods. Maybe your good fortune in their eyes only came when you sat next to one of the most blessed of them all, a fated warrior, a prince, and, for better or for worse, your best friend.

–––––––––

The sound of the wooden spear breaking to pieces once it made contact with the tree came in the form of a loud thus. The small fragments of the wood flew across the soft sand of the beach. Although it was hard to tell because of the dark, you tried your best to dodge the splinters by raising your hands above your head defensively.

“Another one?” you laughed in awe. Ajax let out a shaky breath, using his left forearm to wip the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead.

“It’s not me, I swear.” he replied, holding up the now-anihilated stick dimly lit under the moonlight, “See, it’s the dumb sticks.”

“Those are spears, Ajax.” you corrected him as you hand your hands through the cold sand. He laughed at your half-joke before throwing the spear into the sand once and for all.

“You know,” you began, “I remember the time where you couldn't even break a spear in half. Let alone destroy four in a ten minute period.”

“I know!” he replied joyously, “Just wait until you see me playing again during one of the ball games, you won’t even recognize me!”

You shuddered simply imagining it. Your mind flashed back to the time you first met when your legs had fallen victim to one of his signature kicks. You were certain that had that happened recently versus when you were twelve that your legs surely would have blown off. Ajax eventually decided to retire down next to you, most likely because of the copious amounts of training and lessons you assumed he had gone through today. You had to hold back a laugh as you imagined Ajax trying to sit still in a lyre class instead of running around like a crazy person as he so normally did.

“So,” he began, “do you think you'll be able to make it to my game this weekend?”

Each time he asked the question your answer almost always remained the same. There was no way in hell you could try to sneak around in an area with so many people, and with the additional rules placed on you recently the chances became even more slim. You turned to him, giving a knowing glance to signify your answer. Although he had heard it at least hundreds of times, his face never failed to deflate. He shook his head with a sign, moving all of his fluffy ginger hair to the front of his face, sticking to his slightly damp forehead.

Laughing at his childish antics, you moved your hand out to move the hair from in front of his face. You half expected him to swat your hand away, half expected his to completely dodge you all together. Instead, he gave you an incredulous look, one you had never been on the receiving end of. His blue eyes enlarged and his mouth slightly agape, he looked onto you in awe as you corrected the strange positioning of his hair. Offering a small smile, you began to retract your arm but were interrupted by the sound of a slap.

He had grabbed your hand harshly, holding it in place against the side of his head. Looking you straight in the eyes, you tried to signal for him to relax. Nevertheless, he kept that same expression as he stared into your eyes, slowly narrowing his eyes and closing his mouth. He was thinking. About what exactly, you had no clue.

“Uh–” you cleared your throat, “Earth to Ajax?”

Just like that the young man released your arm and backed up a noticeable distance. Shaking his head, and messing up his hair again, he quickly discarded whatever he had been imagining. He then paused all together, his movements growing rigid; he had just realized how strange he had been behaving. In the dim moonlight, you thought your eyes may have been playing tricks on you, you noticed his face grow a tinted shade of pink as he caressed the side of his face you had just been holding onto. Moments later, he snapped out of it.

Standing up suddenly, face perfectly content, and dusting the sand off of his cloak. You flashed you another one of his signature smug smiles before lifting his hand up to wave goodbye.

“I should probably head up now, Y/n.” he said, “Wouldn’t want our dear ol’ headmaster to find out I’ve gone missing.”

“Alright,” you replied, “I'll see you soon. I’m thinking about three days at the beach?”

He winked at you before turning his back; “You know it!”

As you watched him walk further and further away, you self consciously held onto the part of your arm he had taken a hold of earlier. Your face grew a shade of pink as you watched the ginger haired young man walk further and further from the beach. You couldn’t wait until you could see the prince once more.

#tartaglia x reader #childe x reader #ajax x reader #prince ajax #rosaria genshin impact #tartaglia genshin impact #childe genshin impact #greek tragedy #growing up together #poor reader #unrequited affection #jealousy #misogyny #time skip #reader and ajax are 16 now #hurray for frienship #best friend #crushes

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birdie123au · 2 years

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Series Masterlist

here is a list of all the works so far!

Oneshots

A Sort of Christmas Story

pairing: tartaglia x reader // modern+university au // tags: strangers to lovers, neighbors to lovers, chance meetings, reader has bad luck, hockey player ajax, set in the 90s, based on Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses!!

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Series

Marriage of Convenience (completed)

pairing: diluc x reader // spy X family au // tags: fake/pretend relationship, angst, angst with happy ending, family drama, reader is pulcinella's niece

Greek Tragedy (completed)

pairing: tartaglia x reader // ancient greece au // tags: major character death, angst, angst with a sort of happy ending, poor reader, prince ajax, time skips, trojan war, misogyny, growing up together

#genshin impact #genshin angst #diluc x reader #diluc x fem!reader #diluc x y/n #diluc x you #klee genshin impact #diluc genshin impact #angst with a happy ending #family drama #tartaglia genshin impact #tartaglia x reader #greek tragedy #time skip #major character death

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birdie123au · 2 years

Text

Greek Tragedy Masterlist (ongoing) // tartaglia x reader

hubris - excessive pride tending to lead to defiance toward the gods

Being a young servant girl of a disgraced priest meant that you were often ridiculed; forsaken by the gods. By a chance encounter with the crowned prince of Salamis, Ajax, you find yourself infatuated despite the concerns of your dearest disgraced father.

pairing: tartaglia x reader

ancient greece au

tags: major character death, mentions of suicide, mentions of sexual harassment, hella time skips, angst, angst with a sort of happy ending, poor reader, prince ajax, time skips, trojan war, misogyny, growing up together, children with no pregnancy

chapter index:

one - hubris

two - zelus

three - eros

four - agon

five - mania

#tartaglia x reader #childe x reader #ajax x reader #major character death #genshin angst #angst with a happy ending #poor reader #prince ajax #trojan war #misogyny #growing up together #unrequited affection #but not for long #children but no pregnancy #lololol #greek tragedy #tragedy

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birdie123au · 2 years

Text

hubris

hubris - excessive pride tending to lead to defiance toward the gods

part one of five

// next

The scent of sea salt came with the breeze as it blew through the palace halls. The sound of leather sandals against the granite floor flooded your ears as you walked down the hallway side by side with your dearest friend, Rosaria. The two of you were tasked with carrying large buckets of chum to bring down the cliffside towards the beach. The older Rosaria held two buckets with you only held one. Instead, you opted to extend your left arm outwards to run across the textured pillars that adorned the halls. The sun shone bright, high in the sky. The hot weather in combination with the cool sea breeze of the palace made for a perfect summer day. The perfect day for you to complete all of your chores in a comfortable, timely manner before the king would call you and your fellow servants in for meal time.

You had been born into servitude, similar to most of the other girls in your age range, such as Rosaria. What had made you so different, however, was the fact that your father was once a high priest of the goddess Hebe, daughter of Zeus. He was a well respected man throughout the land of Salamis, a philanthropist, an honest man, and a defender of the people. Many thought that he would someday become the head priest of the entire church, though those thoughts were shattered the moment he had you.

The very night you were born, you were told your mother had died. Your father packed all of his belongings into one single bag, and made the expedition to the king's palace to swear his life to servitude. Once word had gotten out about your fathers actions, many people of Salamis were appalled. As a priest of Hebe, your father was never supposed to marry, let alone had a child. Rumors had spread that this was the doing of the gods, that your mother had been cursed to die in childbirth and that your father was forced to become a servant. Some say you were cursed as well, whispering appalling things behind your back and calling you names such as ‘bastard’ or ‘the cursed child’. Those who were especially religious would oftentimes avoid you all together, afraid that they too would anger the gods if they stood too close.

Despite the fact that many palace members, mainly the upperranked servants or warriors, would purposely bully and degrade you, there would still be lower ranked, dirt poor servants such as yourself willing to befriend you. One of these people was Rosaria, a girl about three years older than you who was the bastard daughter of a weaver, the result of her mothers affair. She had been sent to live at the palace when she was five years old, and the two of you had been inseparable ever since. Servants like Rosaria grew to appreciate your father and his naturally moral manner. He always gave wondrous advice on how to deal with difficult situations, and although he was no longer permitted to lead sermons in the palace church, he found ways around this rule. Every other Friday night when the warriors and high ranking officials and servants would be out enjoying a game, you and the lowly servants would meet behind the large, jagged rock on the eastern side of the cliff to listen to your father preach and tell stories of great heroes and their adventures.

Tonight was another even friday, which meant you and your fellow lowly servants were in especially high spirits about the nightfall, and with the perfect weather conditions the two of you could hardly believe your luck.

“Rosaria, did you hear that the prince, son of Telamon, will be one of the players in the ball game tonight?” You asked as the two of you approached the rocky stairs that would eventually lead you down the side of the cliff. Rosaria simply scoffed at your question, clearly not in the mood to engage with you in conversation. It was also no secret that she detested much of the royal family, despite the fact that King Telamon was a respected and honorable warrior.

Your father had always been on good terms with the king, who was willing to look past his scandals and welcome into the servitude ranks, knowing the effect on morale he held with the poorest of workers. You had only ever seen the king in passing, when you and Rosaria were tasked with transporting items around the palace. He was a strong, muscular man, whose most prominent features you noted to be his long auburn beard that matched the color of hair on his head. The way he spoke and fought with a stone cold expression surely would bring even the strongest of enemies to their knees , you thought.

“Did the head mistress tell you where we should put these buckets?” Rosaria huffed, clearly growing tired from carrying around not one, but two buckets packed to the brim with chum.

“Oh yes, she told me to carry the buckets past the rocks and playing field out towards the stables.” you replied earnestly.

“Couldn’t they have gotten some of the boys to do this work? Why are they making their female servants do all the heavy labor!” she angrily replied.

“Well that's because all of the boys are setting up the formal playing field at the otherside of the mansion at this hour.” you said, earning you another exaggerated groan from Rosaria.

Of the many servants of the palace, a majority of the time it was the boys who did the heavy labor and long trips across the manor. Though because of the fact that they needed to set up the field for the copious amounts of wealthy guests that would surely be arriving today, they were needed elsewhere. The head mistress couldn’t have spared even a single boy to help the two of you young girls out, afterall, the young female servants of the house were forbidden to interact with the male servants until they were at least fourteen. This rule was put in place for your own protection , the head mistress would always say, you wouldn’t want your future husband to know you used to hang around and do your daily chores with a bunch of boys, would you? She was most certainly right.

The sweat on the back of your neck made your hair stick to it making for a quite uncomfortable sensation as the two of you approached the end of the step pathway. The moment your feet hit the sand you exhaled a breath of relief; the hardest part of your journey was over. You and Rosaria took a moment to place down your buckets and catch your breath. Under most circumstances your taking of a break would result in punishment, though Rosaria reassured you it would be alright since your superiors were nowhere in sight. You enjoyed the way your hair felt as it blew along with the cool wind, helping to take some of the heat off your body.

The creak of the bucket handles was Rosaria’s sign to you to follow her head and pick up your buckets once more; “So, do you know what legend your father plans on telling tonight?”

Your ears perked up at the word ‘father’; “Oh no, father would never tell me in advance. He refuses to spoil the surprise!”

Rosaria simply laughed in return as the two of you continued walking forward to your destination.

–––––––––

The everpresent seasalt wind viciously blows through your hair as you walk on the warm sand beneath your feet. You, of course, thoroughly enjoyed any amount of time you were permitted to walk along the palace beach, however, the way your hair vigorously blew into your face served as a great annoyance when you were trying to get your work done.

Rosaria seems to be having a similar issue. Though, unlike yourself, she did not have a free hand to brush away all of her hair that used to be in a ponytail away from her face. She instead opted to try to blow the hair away, but by the way she was huffing angrily you could tell her efforts were futile. You took this as your cue to inch closer towards her, tucking the loose strands behind her ears to the best of your abilities. The two of you walked in comfortable silence as you began to take note of the change in scenery all around you.

Before the only thing present from beside the long staircase on the rocky hill was simply the ocean. However, as the two of you walked towards where the front of the castle is at the top of the hill, you noticed an increase in greenery, playing fields, and marble statues of various gods attached to fountains. Despite the fact you were on the beach, the feeling of being in a lucious, green backyard never seemed to disappear when you were at the nicer parts of the palace. The parts of the balance where the nobles lived, worked, and played in.

“Ugh, I can’t do this anymore!” Rosaria angrily said, dropping the two buckets. As you turned your head to meet hers, you noticed she was staring at her hands. Two large blisters had begun to form where she was holding the wooden handles, no doubt she had splinters as well.

You began to panic as you realized you were now in a part of the palace in which head maids and servants lurked about. If any of them were in an especially bad mood and came across the two of you slacking off, you were sure you would be meeting the end of a stick that night.

“I shall carry them for you, Rosaria!” you said, childlike determination in your voice.

“Really?” she gave an annoyed reply, “You’re gonna carry all three buckets?”

She could tell she was teasing, though your face lit up lightly. How embarrassing. Rather than respond to her obvious gest of a question, you instead picked up one of her buckets and continued your walk forward.

“Well isn’t someone determined?” she smirked before grabbing the remaining bucket to follow after you.

“Oh look!” you suddenly said, “It’s the practicing field!”

You tried your best to point with one of the buckets, though you found it difficult to lift even a foot higher off the ground.

Amongst the columns decorated with green, there lay a large field full of sand with vertical hoops attached to the centermost columns. This place, known as the lesser field, served as a practice arena for all the young boys in the house, those who were training to be warriors. Currently, there were about twenty or so boys playing ball, some looked to be about your age, others either looked much older or younger.

“I wonder if Theo is playing right now!” you said.

Theo was a servant boy such as yourself. However, due to his innate talent at playing ball, and his natural large frame for a fourteen year old, he had been invited to practice with the rest of the wealthier boys. You wished you could ask him what his experience was like yourself, your father instead had to explain the various stories Theo would tell the other serving boys and their fathers. The stories you were forced to miss out on as you and the ladies learned how to weave properly in your spare time.

Although not all that interested, Rosaria stopped alongside you as the two of you attempted to view more of what was happening. You once more began to walk, only this time more towards the field. It was unfortunate timing, truly, or maybe an act of fate when a ball suddenly came hurling towards you. As you were in the process of walking, unable to stop yourself with such little notice, once the ball came in contact with your unbalanced legs it sent you flying forward.

Face in the sand with two painfully giant buckets of spilt chum all on your back, you heard the cries and laughs of boys coming from in front of you. Rosaria was at you side in an instant, despite the fact you swore you heard her chuckle the moment your face hit the sand. It didn;t take too much longer until the two of you were completely surrounded by the group of boys, who were all whispering and laughing amongst themselves. You had doubt they had ever been in this close of contact with servant girls such as yourselves.

“Woah man, you really hit her good!”

“Ew, what was she carrying?!”

“That’s so disgusting!”

The sounds of their mocks and questions overwhelmed you as Rosaria helped you up off your face. Although you were not that keen on crying in front of others, you felt that this moment would be a very justified time. Just as your eyelashes began to grow damp with tears, out of your peripheral vision you saw one of the guys, the one holding the ball that had just hit you, step forwards to meet where you sat.

“Are you alright?” he said, his voice an awkward combination of a laugh and a cringe. His shoulders were being held by two guys behind him, Rosaria’s hands grew tense. You recognized this boy immediately.

Telamon had four children, three sons and one daughter. The boy standing right in front of you was his oldest child, Ajax.

Ajax looked to be about your age, twelve or so. He was tall, but lanky, not quite yet old enough to develop any sort of noticeable muscles. His face was adorned with light orange freckles, most likely formed during the amount of time he had spent outside in the sun. His most striking feature of all, however, was his light ginger hair that illuminated under the light.

One of his arms rested rigid on the back of his neck, despite the smug grin he wore on his face, his inability to maintain eye contact with you was a sure sign that he was nervous. So this was who kicked the ball at your legs.

“Erm,” he made a noise at your lack of speech, “I’m sorry for…for hitting your legs.”

You only wished to cry more. What would father say? You panicked, unsure of how he would react to the entire situation you had gotten yourself into. You closed your eyes, simply wishing that you were elsewhere, somewhere where you weren't falling on your face and embarrassing yourself in front of a group of boys.

“Here, let me help you up.” Rosaria gasped as Ajax made his way towards you, handing the ball to one of the very amused boys observing his antics. You almost flew forward once more at the sheer force he used to pull at your arm.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t know you would be that easy to pull up!” he smiled widely, his friends all laughing in response. You weren't sure if you wanted to burst out crying or slap him in the face. Maybe both.

“Oh, I know!” He said, “The ocean is right nearby! Allow me to take you there.”

“No! I mean uh, she can come with me…” Rosaria attempted to interject, getting shot back with laughs from the rest of the group. Making fun of her for daring to disobey the prince’s suggestion. Though you knew they had to know why she would suggest that in the first place.

Before she could open her mouth to reply, Ajax had once more taken your arm. He tugged less harshly this time, yet you had to admit it was difficult to keep up with him as the two of you ran off. Running along the sand was harder than you imagined, his and your feets picking up large amounts of sand whenever you tried to take a step. You tried to tell him to slow down, though you found it especially difficult considering you were yet to say a word to him.

–––––––––

“Ugh, this stuff smells real gross!” Ajax laughed, dunking you under the water once more. You were terrified, truly. Despite the fact the boy was only a few inches taller than you, he managed to have the strength to repeatedly pick you up and toss you into the water. You couldn’t even imagine how strange it must have looked from afar: the young prince trying to waterboard a young servant girl.

After ripping you out of the water once more, Ajax placed you harshly in the upright position. Your hair was soaking wet and you felt you had at least choked on a gallon of saltwater. As you took the moment to catch your breath, Ajax continued his berate of teasing; “I had no idea it was possible to look this much like a fish out of water! Don’t tell me you’ve never been swimming before.” He meant it as a jest, you assumed, but you couldn’t resist the urge to retaliate. To protect the little pride your father’s name had left. You lifted up your right leg before swinging it into the water in the direction of Ajax.

“Gah!” the prince cried, rubbing the salt water from his face. His expression quickly changed from that of pure shock to instead a mischievous glare. “Two can play at that game!”

Ajax took a swing at the water towards your direction, laughing as he did so. Perhaps challenging a boy who you had just witnessed playing ball was not the best of ideas, as the amount of water he flung at you sent you stumbling backwards, just in time for a large wave to knock you off your feet. Your body trashed under the water, you found it difficult to emerge back to the surface considering the wave sent you doing flips. It wasn’t until the ocean’s wrath settled down that you could finally stand upwards, falling back slightly as you felt a pair of hands secure your shoulders.

“I’m so sorry! No idea that wave was even coming, I promise!” the prince laughed, clearly not taking this situation as seriously as you desired.

“Gods…” you mumbled, spitting out the salt water that remained in your mouth. You were then hit by a horrible realization; “Oh no! My clothes…what will my father say?”

You had managed to destroy one of your only outfits. If you told your father, he would need to contact the head maids, and they would need to fetch you a new outfit to work in. This wouldn’t go unpunished either, you were very aware that no one would dare blame the prince for knocking you over. I’m gonna be on cleaning duty for the rest of my life! You lamented, angry at yourself for even trying to view the game in the first place. You knew you should have just done what you were told, afterall, look where misbehaving had left you…

“Oh, don’t worry!” Ajax replied, letting go of his grip on your shoulders, “I’m sure the sun will dry your clothes in time for supper!”

You gave a slight smile to him, though his words did little to sooth your worries; “Speaking of fathers. My name is Ajax, son of Telamon! Though I’m sure you already knew that. And you are?”

The boy flashed you his best prideful smile, putting his hands on his hips and shutting his eyes from dramatic effect. You resisted the urge to kick water at him once again. You finally introduce yourself formally, hand shake and all. Ajax seemed to take a special interest once you had revealed the name of your father.

“Wait, as in the old priest?” you nodded your head at his question, “Huh. I didn’t know his daughter was my age.”

The boy scratched his eyebrow as he processed all you had told him; “Father would sometimes mention him. I think the two of us were even formally introduced when I was little… That’s so awesome!”

The boy's attitude once again turned joyous. You were slightly put off by the level of enthusiasm he had when speaking with you.

“I think that’s super awesome that we met!” he said, “Where have you and your terrible balance been my whole life!”

You winced slightly as he playfully punched your arm. His jovial, carefree nature began rubbing off on you, as you soon found yourself laughing along with him; “What do you mean? I’ve obviously been dropping chum buckets the whole time. Can’t believe you didn’t notice sooner.”

The boy laughed even louder at your words, covering his freckle painted face with both of his hands as he attempted to calm himself down. He seemed to have a sudden realization as his laughter ceased with no warning.

“You’re coming to my game tonight, right?” he asked, eyes wide, “You are, surely?”

Your laughter halted at his question. You knew it would be rude to deny the prince, but you would surely be punished if one of the head maids had found you at such an event, surrounded by people well above your social standing.

“I’m sorry your highness, but I don’t think I’m allowed to go.” the boy opened his mouth to protest your words, you cut him off before he even began, “My father wouldn’t permit such a thing.”

Ajax knew better than to argue against the words of a father, so he reluctantly nodded his head as another wave crashed into the side of the two of your legs. The way his expression fell sort of made him look like a sad puppy. Though he swifty got over what was bothering him, shaking his head as his grin returned. He reached his hand out to grab your arm, guiding the two of you towards the shore.

“I get that! You probably have lots of important stuff to do.” he stopped as the two of them met the shore, turning his body to face you once again, “But promise me that you will come see one of my games soon. I’ll have one of my personal men talk to your dad myself!”

He held out his pinkie finger towards you; “You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. You break a pinkie promise, I’ll leave you for the flies. The heat will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the sand will burn your tongue so you never lie again.”

You bursted out laughing at the riddle he told you. Rosaria had taught it to you years prior, and the two of you had since declared it ridiculous. Ajax laughed along with you as your pinkies linked together.

Not long later, the young boy began his journey back to the ball field, giving you a small wave as he ran off to his friends. As you yourself made your way back to where you saw Rosaria in the distance, you found it hard to wipe the smile off your now warmed face.

–––––––––

“Y/n? My child, is that you?”

You heard the familiar voice of your father ring from the corner of the small shed-like home the two of you shared. Made of wood yet sturdy as stone, you lay your hand against one of the walls by the entrance to take off your sandals. Rosaria stands next to you in the doorway, arms crossed as she continues to process the events that had just occurred.

“Yes father, Rosaria and I have come home.” you replied.

Hearing your fathers signature rumbly laugh, the two of you turn the corner to see him sitting under the light of the window. His hair tied back into a low ponytail, despite his young age numerous gray hairs painted his hair. For a man of 32 years, he was more akin to that of a 70 year old man. He was reading another one of his scribes. The servants of the palace had always admired your fathers ability to read, a talent that you yourself barely possessed, while the majority of the servants were completely literate. You shudder slightly as you are met with flashbacks to when you were younger, sitting on the chair underneath that same window being scolded by your father for mispronouncing the alphabet. You were proud of how far your reading had come, especially considering the fact you were a girl.

“Welcome home, my girls.” he begins, “I do hope you finished your tasks in a timely manner today.”

Rosaria takes the seat opposite to your father, sighing in relief after being able to sit down for the first time in hours. You walked over to your fathers side, quickly trying to glance to see if you could recognize which story he was reading. Unfortunately for you, due to your fathers position, his arm was covering the majority of the text. Planting a kiss on his cheek, you notice your father’s body language change completely.

“Is that salt water I smell?” he asks calmly, “Oh my child, don’t tell me you evaded your work to go swim in the ocean.”

“Oh no!” you shifty retort, eager to clarify the meaning of this, though you found yourself stumbling over your own words “I had a little accident. One of the boys…he well– um hit my leg an-and I spilt the chum and then we–”

“The boys?” your father accused, “What could have possessed you to hang around those–”

“No father! We were quite far away, it was a ball that hit my legs!”

Your father’s gaze softened ever so slightly; “Whose ball? Must I tell the headmistress about this?”

“Please don’t father. It was the prince’s kick that hit me.”

You realized quickly the mistake you had made judging by the way your fathers eyes opened wide, his mouth falling open in shock.

“The prince?” he asked angrily, “You fool! Don’t you know what kind of reputation you will have seeing as you have made a mess of yourself in front of the heir to the throne? Is he the one who helped you swim?!”

As he continued his lecture, his voice grew angrier. Your father had only ever wanted to protect you, as he was very aware of the foul reputation you already had due to his own wrongdoings. He couldn’t bear to watch you in pain anymore, even if his methods of expressing his disapproval were often harsh.

Before you could respond to his accusations, he cut you off; “Rosaria? Did you know about this?”

You looked over to your equally surprised friend. She clearly did not anticipate this foul reaction from the man who treated her like his own; a man who would do anything for his daughters.

“No–well, yes sir. But it wasn’t Y/n’s fault! The prince knocked her over, mocked us, and then nearly drowned her in the water!”

“Drowned!” your father yelled.

He looked towards you for confirmation. You reluctantly nodded your head, gazing to the floor rather than trying to meet his eyes. “Y/n, my child. Promise me. Promise me you will not become too attached to this boy.”

You looked at him, confused as to why he would think such a thing. His expression grew quite painful, it was obvious he knew something more about the implications of your interaction with Prince Ajax, though you weren't quite sure how or what he knew.

“Father…” you replied, “I don’t understand.”

“Then tonight, I will make sure you will.”

Your father’s bold declaration was accompanied by his swifty standing up and reaching for his cane left on the side of his chair. You and Rosaria both were quick by his side, offering to help him go wherever he needed to. He motioned the two of you away, claiming he needed to go on a walk of his own, as he needed to rethink his entire lecture for the night.

Munching on the stale bread your father must have grabbed more from the kitchen after the conclusion of his work day, you and Rosaria sat in silence as you nervously imagined what he could have possibly meant by his words. Perhaps you would try to ask him once he returned, perhaps he would be unwilling to communicate with you entirely. Regardless, you knew it must be a very serious matter.

–––––––––

The small bonfire lit by one of the older serving men lit up the dark knight sky. The stars seemed to be hiding behind the clouds, something unusual for the island you all lived on. You and dozens of poor servants sat gathered around the fire, while your father had taken a stand in front of everyone. Propped up against his cane as well as one of the youngest boys, years younger than you, your father prepared his sermon for the night.

“Daedalus was a genius man.” your father began.

“Born with the hands of a sculptor, he created pieces of ceramic so fine that even the most perceptive of men could not distinguish them from real humans. The inventor of our beloved bath houses, dance floors, and wooden dolls. Daedalus could create it all.”

A few excited murmurs from the crowd arose as your father began his story; “Daedalus was so wonderful, that many said he stretched human limitations created by the divine.”

Limitations created by the divine. In Greece, mortals were mortals, and the gods were gods, there was no circumstance in which those lines were to be crossed. “Much like all good things, an equal yet opposite reaction occurred. Daedalus was an egotistical, stubborn, hubris ridden man.”

“Driven by madness to be the greatest creator, he soaked his hands in the blood of his own uncle. He was forsaken from Athens, city of scholars, and forced into the Kingdom ruled by King Minos.”

A few gasps could be heard from the crowd, you and Rosaria's hands gripped tighter in anticipation; “King Minos’s foolish wife was cursed by the God of Sea and Earthquakes, our own Posiedon.”

“The shameless woman fell in love with a bull. With the help of the cocky Daedalus, she was able to conceive a child, the Minotar, with the bull through the use of a prosthetic cow costume.”

Disgusted whispers filled the audience, condemning both Daedalus and the foolish wife. “King Minos did not stand for this. After demanding Daedalus to construct an inescapable Labrinth, he was locked away along with his only son, Icarus.”

“However, this did little to stop Daedalus.” your father’s gaze darkened, “Using wax from a candle and the loose feathers of a bird, Daedalus constructed wings for both him and his son. Together, the two flew into the sky.”

“Unfortunately, Icarus too was a fool to the power of hubris. Ignoring his fathers commands to be weary of flying too close to the ocean or two close to the son, Icarus was overwhelmed by the power he felt when being able to fly.”

Your father took a pause, “The wax on the wings melted, and Daedalus could only watch in terror as his sun was struck down from the sky.”

“Afterall, the only creatures who could fly besides birds…” your father looked directly into your eyes, “are gods.”

At the conclusion of his story, the crowd erupted into cheers and riveted discussion of your fathers magnificent story telling. As you and Rosaria discussed what you had heard, you felt the warning gaze of your fathers eyes on the back of your head.

–––––––––

As you lay in the bed you and your father were both forced to share due to the size of your home, you found yourself struggling to sleep after all that had happened in just twelve hours.

The moral of the story that your father expressed through his sermon was clear to you, though you failed to stay focused as thoughts of the red-haired prince clouded your mind. You found yourself infatuated by your interactions, replaying each individual word the two of you exchanged.

Eventually, you began drifting off to sleep, hoping only that the prince had too been thinking of you…

#tartaglia x reader #childe x reader #ajax x reader #rosaria genshin impact #tartaglia genshin impact #greek gods #tragedy #angst with a happy ending #genshin angst #time skip #growing up together #prince ajax #poor reader #daddy issues #misoginy #duh its ancient greece

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birdie123au · 2 years

Text

Weddings and Fine Wine

After a series of conflicts, you find your life once again settling into a new normal. Change comes as easy as the autumn wind, you can only hope that the closure your heart has longed for its entire life will finally be fulfilled.

The warm autumn breeze delicately kissed your face as you sat by the large opened window in your bedroom. The ladies in waiting had recently finished tending to your hair, intricately braiding it with seasonal flowers all throughout. You didn’t dare touch it, terrified that if you accidentally pulled on one flower the entire style would come undone. You sat in your wool robe staring over the vineyards as you procrastinated putting on your dress. Your uncle sat next to you, carefully sipping his freshly brewed ginger tea. You only had a few minutes left before Adelinde would surely come breaking down your door, ordering her fellow maids to help you into your dress. There was a certain air of anxiety throughout the household this late afternoon, a disappointing contrast to the peaceful wind that blew through your room.

“I’m just frankly not quite sure I understand.” your uncle said, his tone amicable as his eyes not once left the vineyard he gazed over, “Are you certain in your decision?”

You left out a shallow sigh, your serene smile faulting in the process; “I know it’s sudden, but yes, the decision I’m making is final.” You felt your uncle’s head finally turn to face you; you returned the gesture.

“It’s so strange,” he said, “I never thought I would imagine you, my dearest niece, resigning from your position as a cicin mage in the fatui just months after receiving a promotion of such scale.”

You looked down towards where your hands lay on your lap, a proper ruby ring finally sitting upon your left ring finger. You had acquired it just days ago after Diluc’s insistence that you take a part of the necklace he gave you and send it to the jewler to be fixed into a proper engagement ring. The beauty momentarily distracted you from your uncle’s words.

It was true, after all the years of your loyal dedication to the fatui, you had ultimately decided it would be best to leave the organization. It was no easy task, considering your superior, Sandrone was all the more suspicious of your departure after you had sworn you were close to discovering who your target was. This is when you ultimately decided to come clean, resulting in a meeting between the fatui and Master Diluc, in which the two came to a contractual agreement to stay out of eachothers work for the most part. Diluc had refused to go into heavy detail, though from what you heard it was clear the meeting had gone relatively well for him. You were simply overjoyed he was no longer an assasintation target.

You of course had your suspicions, not doubting for a second that the fatui were still scheming. It was certain that Diluc would secretly continue his work against the organization, and that the fatui clearly had some other motivation for agreeing to ‘keep the peace’ between the two of them. You tried not to dwell on these various scenarios in your mind, instead wishing to enjoy your time in the present with your family.

“You must not worry about me, dear uncle.” you said, “I’ve already found myself a new place for work. The Zapolyarny Academy was in need of a history teacher with an extensive knowledge on Snezhnayan culture.”

Your uncle forced a small smile, though it’s clear to you that he would much prefer you to return back to Snezhnaya.

“I respect your decision, my dear Y/n.” he replies, “Though I can’t help but wish you to live closer to the family. Your permanent presence will surely be missed.”

“That’s a very kind thing of you to say.” your expression once again morphing into a jovial one, “I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to be here.”

“Well I most certainly wouldn’t miss such a momentous occasion in my niece’s life.” he chuckles a reply, “Besides, as soon as I broke the news from your letter to the rest of Fedorov family, they were practically the ones dragging me down to Mondstadt.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the notion. It was ridiculous to imagine your parents, cousins, aunts, and uncles all frantically scrambling to see you. Your family had arrived just yesterday evening, taking refuge in the Inn located in downtown Mond. Unlike the eccentric festival your uncle had planned for you just months before, the only Snezhnayans in attendance would be your immediate family. Coming face to face with your estranged parents once again would surely be uncomfortable, but you tried not to let it take away the joy of the day.

“Thank you uncle.” you said, “Thank you for always believing in me, even when no one else would.”

Your uncle finally set down the tea he had been drinking. Standing up from where he had been sitting he made his way towards you and gave you a soft embrace. Holding back your tears, you returned what could only be described as the goodbye hug. The bittersweet moment between you two was unfortunately interrupted. Just as you had predicted, the stressed Adelinde came marching through your door before almost dropping dead at the sight of your clothing. Mortified that you weren’t yet in your dress, she ushered your poor uncle out of the room before commanding you to finally change into your dress.

“For the sake of Barbatos!” she cried, “You're getting married in just under forty-five minutes! Why on earth are you not in your wedding dress!”

Her lamenting was quickly drowned out by the giggles of a young girl. Klee came running towards you in her puffy, light-pink shoulder strap and skirt fell over her white blouse. The small pink crown, a povyazka, she wore covered parts of her hair that was tucked away into her signature pigtails. The traditional Snezhnayan flower girl dress looked adorable on her, it sort of reminded you of your own dresses you use to wear to relatives' weddings when you were a little girl.

Grinning back at her, you stood up and made your way to the wardrobe where your dress lay hanging. It had beautiful puffed sleeves that lead to where your white corset created a sort of deep U shape on your chest. Finally, the skirt of the dress was slim yet flowing, something you thought suited the autumn weather quite well. The dress was an embodiment of Mondstadt culture, though your uncle had insisted that you wear the kokoshnik that had been passed down to you by your own mother.

Once you had finished getting ready, it was time for you to make your way to where the ceremony would actually be held. That was, the area to the right of the great vineyard. This would also be where you would come face to face with your father for the first time in a little over two years, as he had dramatically insisted to your uncle that he be the one walking you down the aisle. You couldn’t help but wonder if he would be expressing this same benevolent attitude if the news wasn’t accompanied with your resignation from the fatui.

Nevertheless, you followed Adelinde and the rest of the maids down the hall into the front of the house, walking hand in hand with the enthusiastic, energetic Klee.

————

Despite the cool breeze that blew through the vineyard, you found your hands growing clammy as they clasped your husbands. After the long monologue of traditional marriage affociantries and vows, you took the time to steal quick glances of the venue around you. There were a few chairs leading to where the two of you stood, surrounded by shubury, trees, and grape vines. You hadn’t expected yourself to be as anxious as you were a few minutes ago, not even taking the time to look at the guests before you as your father had walked you down the aisle.

As you turned your head once more, though this time to look at your audience, you felt a harsh squeeze on your hands. Your head quickly snapped back in place, where it had been just moments before, in which your gaze was met by a very confused Diluc. The young master was wearing one of his traditional black suits, though his fiery hair that was normally tied back in a low ponytail had been formally brushed out. Embarrassed, you looked towards the priest for some sort of answer. The man struggled to hold back his laughter, making you further wish to bury your head in your hands.

“Eh hem,” the priest cleared his throat while holding back another chuckle, “You may now kiss the bride. Again.”

“Oh, oops.” you found yourself saying before you could even process. Your small audience erupted into laughter; Diluc stepped down onto your shoe.

This time it was your turn to laugh as you leaned forward to kiss the ever so stubborn man. As your lips finally met, the audience's laughter turned into claps and cheers. You found it humorous how such a small group of people could be so incredibly enthusiastic. After the two of you pulled apart, the two of you simultaneously turned to face the audience. For the first time, you were able to have a proper headcount of those in attendance.

The first row on the left side of the aisle contained your uncle, father, and mother. Behind them were your aunts and uncles. While the final row included your few cousins, and your dear friend Dimitri. Your ex-subordinate gleefully whispering into the ear of his mysterious plus one. The right side of the aisle had little Klee sitting in the first row, clapping her hands enthusiastically while Adelinde sat beside her. The two remaining rows were filled with a small number of who you could assume to be business confidants, as well as a blonde girl with a small floating companion. What shocked you however was the sight of a man with blue hair and an eye patch. He sat in the furthest location to where the two of you stood at the makeshift altar. Making eye contact, Kaeya offers a small nod and smile. You reciprocate.

Turning your head back to Diluc, the two of you begin making your way down the aisle together. Per Snezhnayan tradition, the two of you offer small bows to each passing person. The smiles of pride from each of your guests causes your heart to swell. At the end of the aisle and up the hill lay a small carriage that the two of you would board. It would take you up past the winery to the small patch of grass in which your uncle hosted the festival weeks ago.

After taking the hand of the carriage driver and trying your best to climb in without scrunching your dress, the two of you were finally alone with each other for the first time in hours. Diluc sighed, taking the moment to take off his jacket and loosen his tie.

“So tired already? You know we have an entire night of partying left, right?” you tease. He lets out a frustrated grunt.

“I’m well aware.” His grimace turns into a soft smile, “I’m quite looking forward to seeing what you Snezhnayans’ have in store for dances.”

“Just you wait.” You said, “One of my cousins is known throughout the land for being an amazing break dancer.”

“Oh dear.” he said, laughing at your phrasing.

“Oh dear indeed, dear.” you snicker at your own words; your husband audibly groans at your phrasing.

————

“You know, it's humorous to me.” Diluc begins, “I had no idea you of all people would be such a horrid dancer.”

You sigh in frustration as you once more step on the foot of the younger master. Whether it be from the pressure of having your family and friends watching the two of you waltz, or it be the fact that you were just plain bad, you couldn't help but repeatedly assault Diluc’s foot. You knew that as soon as the romantic, melodramatic music ended that you would never hear the end of Dimitri’s teasing and your parents lament at the fact you danced as if you had two left feet.

“It’s quite alright, your dancing reminds me of Klee.” he said. You gasp in offense.

“Klee is six!” you whisper back.

“Yes, I’m quite aware.”

“Oh you little–”

Diluc abruptly interrupts you by dipping you to the point where your head practically makes contact with the floor as the music halts to a stop. You playfully slap him as lifts you back up to make your way back to the large dining table, the soft cheers and claps from the guests ringing in your ears.

The sun had long disappeared from the sky, your reception being lit solely by the illustrious fairy lights that adorned the various wooden pillars decorated with plants. The two of you sat down at the head of the table, making polite conversation with those directly next to you as dinner began to be served. Dimitri, as eloquently as always, made conversation with you as his mouth filled with the steak served to him.

“This is really great, Y/n!” he said, “I’m so excited to have a place to stay when I visit Mond! And such great hosts as well!”

You leaned in towards him to reply; “Chew with your mouth closed, god damn it.”

He chuckled, nearly spitting out his food in response.

“Speaking of hosts,” you began, “care to introduce me to that little friend of yours you had been speaking with earlier?”

He choked on his laughter, or food, in response once again; “Him? Oh for the love of the Tsarista! I can’t believe I haven't introduced the two of you earlier! Turns out Mond has multiple good bachelors, har har.”

“How long have you two been together?”

“Next questions.” he smiled at you kindly.

“His name?”

“Clark.”

“What a boring name.”

“So true, Mrs. Ragnvindr.”

You playfully swat at his antics. After people had finished their dinner, they made their way to the dance floor. It was no surprise much of the music playing was traditionally Snezhnayan. You looked on to see your family and friends dance angelically to the music, while those from Mond struggled more to keep up. What you most appreciated, however, was the fact that your father had taken the time to lift Klee onto his shoulders, dancing up and down to the music. The guests gasped and cheered as they danced in a circle around her. When the two of you made eye contact, the young girl waved at you, astonished at the fact that she was this high up above everyone else. Throughout the rest of the night, you sporadically got up to dance with everyone else.

It took until well past midnight for the dancing to finally die down, and for people to return back home.

————

“So…” Diluc clears his throat, “Do you still plan on leaving tomorrow morning with your uncle?”

The two of you were walking with arms linked, weaving through the large vineyards. It was late, at least two in the morning. Klee and the other guests had long left to sleep, leaving just the two of you with your own thoughts. Your plan to return to Snezhnaya tomorrow morning with your family was so that you could retrieve your belongings and say your farewells to friends, family, and ex-colleagues. With school beginning just two days later, and Diluc’s work having no time for breaks in the foreseeable future, you had decided it would be fastest for it to be just you to return to the motherland to collect your stuff.

“Of course,” you replied, his expression growing slightly sour, “No need to worry. The sooner I leave the sooner I can get back to the two of you.”

“Are you sure you should be going alone?” he asked, “What if your uncle is planning something…”

“Oh please, you saw how my uncle was earlier, teaching Klee how to do the box step. He would never think of hurting his family in such a way.”

“That’s indeed true.” he admitted, “I’m simply surprised a man of his age has such a way of dancing. It was a fascinating spectacle.”

You laugh, pulling him closer towards you.

“You know..” he begins, “Klee told me something earlier that I think you would like to hear.”

“What did she say this time?” you laugh, imagining all of the various chaotic things that girl could have said.

“She said she was so glad you get to be her mama.”

“Oh. Oh wow.”

The atmosphere grew heavy as the two of you stopped in your place. You had a deep love for Klee, though it still felt oddly sentimental each time you heard that your emotions were reciprocated. You often found your own mind wandering to if your own mother felt that way about you, then you would grow both angry and sad that it most likely wasn't the case. Nevertheless, you appreciated the time he took to tell you this information, your heavy heart growing jovial at this information.

“I’m glad it was you who I ran into that night.” Diluc continued, “There is no one I would rather have at my side.”

You meet his eyes, an affectionate smile plastering your face.

“Promise me that when I come home you’ll be waiting here for me?”

“Always.”

prev.

#diluc x y/n #diluc x fem!reader #diluc x reader #diluc x you #klee genshin impact #diluc genshin impact #genshin fanfic #family drama #happy ending #angst with a happy ending #genshin kaeya #resolved conflict #genshin angst #wedding #yayyy #series finale

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birdie123au · 2 years

Text

Soft Smilies and Solutions

You and your heart had been set ablaze. You spend your spare time walking the fields of flowers, hand in hand with the wind, wondering if there would ever be an escape from the troubles that had been plaguing your relationships. Perhaps the best solution would be to face the challenges head-on, to have it out with them here and now.

The yellow lights in the Cathedral illuminated the otherwise dark, stained glass grand hall. The sound of soft whispers eloquently traveled to the front of the room. It was a peaceful night, yet the coldness within the Cathedral was an indeed contrast to the warm comfort you had desired. After being carried into the building, surrounded by two pyro users, you found the cold, stiff bed you had been placed on to be less than satisfactory. Placed flat on your back, you found it hard to move because of the pain you were in. Nevertheless, your right hand was being grasped by ones far smaller than your own; little Klee held onto your hand so tight that you can only assume that if she let go you would go with it. She had tear-stained cheeks, though was attempting to lift your spirits by mocking dance with her stuffed toy, Dodoco.

You tried your best to laugh at the girl’s antics. Giggle each time Dodoco would bounce up and down, or show her your smile each time she made the stuffed toy give your hand a kiss. It was difficult, each time you laughed your skin ached on your chest. The sisters of the Cathedral were gathered around you, bringing you a wet cloth to put on your forehead, creams that numbed the pain on your skin, and the young deaconess, Barbara, used her healing hydro ability.

Diluc stood five feet from the bed he had placed you on. Although you couldn’t see his face, you could assume that he wore the same expression he had when he first explained the situation to the sisters, one of blatant seriousness. He had originally been pacing the floors, evident from the sound of boots on the marble floors, though eventually the noise dyed down as time continued to pass by.

The sisters continued whispering to one another as they continued to dress your wounds. Burns . They kept on saying. Eyes drifting nervously between you and your husband. A pyro abyss herald was what you had called it. It was no surprise this alleged monster roaming around Mondstadt, setting people on fire, would spark fear in the eyes of the citizens. You had no doubt in your mind that one of the sisters would report your story to the Knights of Favonius, or maybe even the Adventurers Guild. The more the word burns was repeated, the more the atmosphere of the Cathedral changed.

Diluc appeared by your side, eyes wandering to where you and Klee held hands. His stone cold gaze then left to meet where the sisters were treating your wounds. His face grew especially pale at the sight. Is it really that bad? You fought the urge to ask. He seemed especially disturbed at what lay before him. You also knew that even if you asked, he likely wouldn’t have replied. The young master was especially stubborn. You weren’t all that sure he had even finished processing all that had been revealed tonight, perhaps those realizations were just settling in.

“Will she survive her wounds?” he said. A simple, straightforward question.

“Oh! Yes sir, do not worry, she is in great hands! She will likely be healed enough to go home in just one days time!” the young Barbara replied, briefly taking her attention off her healing.

Diluc’s expression softened ever so slightly, his eyes closing while sighing in relief. Seconds later he resumed his regular, guarded pose. Arms crossed with a scowl on his face. He grabbed the hand that Klee held onto before kissing them both. You and the young girl watched on silently as he grabbed his claymore sword that had been propped upon one of the many long, wooden chairs before he began walking towards the exit. Just like that, he was gone.

“Where is papa going?” Klee asked, her voice small and uncertain.

“Fo-for a walk.” You winced in pain. Hoping your story sounded convincing enough to ease your daughter's worry.

The sisters' faces morphed into that of pity, their mood growing increasingly solemn as they continued their work. As the minutes passed by, you and Klee grew more and more exhausted. Adelinde, who had been standing off to the side, discussing the situation with one of the other sisters the entire time, soon took little Klee in her arms. You had asked her to take the girl home, so she could get a good night's rest and return to you the following morning. The thoughtful maid obliged, though with a little reluctance, wishing you a peaceful rest as the little girl blew you tired kisses.

Young Barbara had finished all of her healing for the knight. Your chest and abdomen had been dressed fully in bandage with cold ointment in attempts to calm your inflamed skin. As your mind began to drift off to sleep, you thought about the night of the Krsnik Noc you had spent in Mondstadt. The imaginary warmth of the bonfire consuming you whole.

————

Your skin rubbed up against your bandages in an increasingly uncomfortable manner. Arms linked with one of the sisters, Jilliana, as the two of you slowly made your way down the vast staircase that led to the town square. There were parts of your walk where you felt the only solution was to give up, growing frustrated with yourself that you were unable to walk normally, the pain becoming too much. Though each time, sister Jilliana would remind you that you had guests waiting for you at the Good Hunter for breakfast, and that you could most certainly make it. At this rate, we are going to be meeting for lunch , you would reply. Jilliana would sigh in defeat.

The sight of the grand fountain in the middle of the square was a breath of fresh air. Literally. The heavy wind blew through your thin, white gown you had been wearing so as to not enrage your skin further. You had insisted on wearing a corset so that you would seem slightly more put together, though the sisters adamantly refused, instead opting to put an overcoat on you. Great, so now you looked like an old granny, walking around town in a casual outfit while occasionally limping. Jilliana laughed when you voice your concerns outloud, stating that she too felt this way when she had to wear her maternity outfits all those years ago.

“Mama! Klee is over here!” the little girl was frantically waving her arms as she called out to you all the way across the plaza.

When the two of you finally made it to the table, you were met with four sets of eyes. Klee continued to stand on her chair, adamantly denying the requests from Adelinde for her to sit down. Dimitri laughed at her antics before getting up to scoot back your chair, his arm ushering you to sit. You smiled, letting go of Jilliana’s arm as you sat down in the chair. The fourth person sitting at the table was someone who you were not familiar.

“Ma’am,” he said as he shot up from his chair, “my name is Lawrence of the Knights of Favonius! I’m here to ask you just a few questions as you and your family eat breakfast.”

You give a small smile, slightly weirded out by his formality.

“Where is Master Diluc?” Dimitri asks, taking a sip of the tea he had ordered.

“Diluc?” you asked, confused, “I have not seen him since last night.”

Dimitri’s brows rise, he shares a glance with the similarly surprised Adelinde; “Is something wrong? Was he not with the three of you last night?”

Adelinde let out a little, uncomfortable laugh; “No. The master did not return last night. We assumed he was staying with you…”

Her voice wandered off as she continued her sentence. You weren’t quite sure where Diluc had gone, but considering you had just gotten a first hand account of what he could do when fighting enemies, you were sure he was at least alright.

Lawrence cleared his throat in a loud, over exaggerated manor. The rest of you froze.

“My apologies, I don’t wish to intrude on your breakfast for any longer than necessary. All I need is an eyewitness account of the abyss herald.”

You nodded your head, though stopped momentarily to panic. What if the knights were also interviewing Diluc? How would the two of you give similar accounts of what happened if you hadn’t even talked about what you would say?

“Oh! Erm, of course sir.” you said. You recounted the story to the best of your knowledge, though instead of mentioning all that transpired with Diluc before you started to fight, you simply talked about how you were ambushed by the abyss herald right outside of your house. You weren’t sure how convincing your story sounded, or if the details made sense in a logistical way. Nevertheless, one of the first skills you learned when joining the fatui was the ability to stretch the truth. You thanked the Tsaritsa that you had been forced to learn this ability.

“Thank you very much ma’am, enjoy your meal!” Lawrence’s voice boomed loudly. He once more rigidly stood up from his chair, saluting you as he made his way towards the patio’s exit.

“Well, he was really, uh, something.” Dimitri said. “Wait, Adelinde. If the abyss herald attacked from right outside the house, did you see anything?”

Adelinde set down her teacup before putting a hand on her chin, thinking; “Come to think of it, no, no I did not.”

Dimitri turned to you with his signature dumb, perplexed expression. You grabbed a hold of his lower arm before squeezing it as tight as possible. He yelped in pain. You pour yourself a cup of tea.

————

“Klee loves the pancakes at Good Hunter!” the little girl said to the waitress as she came to collect the dirty dishes.

“You could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, huh Klee?” you replied.

“I could too!” Dimitri said, “They taste so similar to the ones back at home!”

Adelinde silently nodded her head. Wiping the corner of her mouth with her napkin. As the four of you stood up to return home, you were interrupted by a familiar, cocky voice.

“Well what do we have here?” the man said, “My own family , having a group breakfast, without me ?

The man placed a hand on his forehead, mocking betrayal.

“Master– I mean, Sir Kaeya? Adelinde replied with a shocked expression.

“Kaeya?” you said.

“Who?” Dimitri added.

“Uncle Kaeya!” Klee cheered. Running around the patio gates to jump into his arms.

“Well isn’t my timing impeccable.” he said, holding Klee in his arms. “The two people I was looking to talk to stand right before my eyes!”

He tucked a strand of Klee’s hair behind her ear; “Dimitri, sister in law of mine, may we have a little chat ?

You, Dimitri, and Adelinde shared a quizzical glance. Adelinde eventually nodded her head, grabbing her hand bag before taking her leave. Klee whined as she was taken from her uncle’s arms, calling for you to stop Adelinde. You simply giggled, telling Klee to be a good girl for Adelinde while the grownups were talking. The girl dramatically threw her head back with a sigh. Kaeya took the opportunity to hop the fence and sit down at your table.

As you went to retake your seat, you glared your don’t say anything stupid , expression at Dimitri, praying he would keep his mouth shut.

“Y/n, how are you doing?” he began, “Word on the street has it that you have been attacked by a maniac abyss herald.”

“Yeah, last night! She totally got burned!” Dimitri cut in. You slapped your forehead.

“Hm, is that so?” He props his arms on the table, “Then I do believe I am owed an explanation.”

“An explanation for…?” you replied nervously, not quite sure where he was going with it.

“An explanation for the fact that the dear Master Diluc showed up to my house late last evening.” he said,

Your eyebrows shot up. You assumed there was bad blood between the adopted brothers after hearing the details of your very first meeting with Kaeya. The fact that Diluc would choose to stay the night at his house without telling anyone was surely surprising.

“Why?” is all you could muster for a reply.

“That's why I’m here.” he said, “I have the exact same question. I mean, it's not everyday that your distanced brother comes by for a visit, refuses to entertain any of your questions, then proceeds to stay the night in your spare bedroom with no further context.”

“Wait, brother?” Dimitri asked, “Diluc never said anything about a brother.”

“Did he not?” Kaeya said, a knowing expression on his face, “How strange. I was told Diluc still refers to me as his brother often.”

Kaeya and Dimitri then synchronously turn their heads to face you. You give a restrained, awkward smile in response. You had been caught. Maybe Kaeya had never believed you in the first place, or perhaps he did. All you knew for certain is that he surely could see through your lies now. Well, since Diluc knew everything that was happening, there was no point in trying to hide anything anymore.

“What do you want to know?”

————

“Wow.”

“That's, well.”

“My god.”

The two men stared at you, their expressions were the embodiment of the word shock. Dimitri was seen pulling at his hair, unsure what to make of the fact that you had found your target, that he had been your husband all along. Kaeya simply scowled, clearly less than pleased to learn that it was Diluc who used his vision against you.

“Well, I guess the two of us have even more in common.” He stated. You looked on quizzically. He used his hand to remove the eyepatch he had always worn, revealing a large scar across the front of it. Next, he pulled up the sleeves of his jacket, showing burn marks that closely resembled your own. It took you a few moments to process what he was showing you, but eventually you understood. You could finally understand what had happened between the two brothers.

“The night my father died, well, lets just say the two of us–”

“–got into a fight?”

He nodded at your question; “I suppose this was good information to know. Really good actually.”

“Why would you say that?” you asked.

“Well, let's just say I find it a little shocking Diluc didn’t outright kill you after learning you’re fatui. I mean, after all they did to his father and daughter…”

Daughter ? Daughter. You thought back to all the conversations you had about Klee and her biological mom, Diluc’s late wife.

Your eyes dramatically widened; “Oh god, did they kill his first wife?”

“First wife?” Kaeya laughed at the absurdity, “Diluc had no first wife , Klee was adopted.”

“What?” you said, “She was adopted?”

“Now I thought this fact was obvious. No offense, but the two really don’t look all that similar.

“Care to elaborate?” you pried him for answers.

“Klee was once a child experimented on in a fatui lab. A child test subject from Snezhnaya. Diluc went on a little, erm, persona non grata rampage a few years back, and well, let's just say Klee being home was a result of that.`` His voice was solem, though straightforward.

You felt like you were going to be sick. Child experimentation was a word sometimes thrown around in your ranks of the fatui. You were an assassin, in charge of dealing with foreign and domestic affairs, and within your circle of fatus child experimentation was nothing more than a nasty rumor. Something nobody thought could really exist, even outside your department.

Dimitri responded similarly, flabbergasted at the notion that child experimentation was true within the fatui, much less that the girl he had been referring to as his niece for the past several months was a victim of it.

“How…how could that happen? Where were her parents?” you frantically questioned.

“Who knows.” he said, “Fatui destroyed all of the documents after the lab went up in flames. They were probably dead though, much like the rest of the children in the fatui.”

“I–I can’t believe it.” you said, glancing over to your subordinate.

“Well, thats all I really came here to say.” he replied, “I’m sure you have a lot of reconsideration to do over these next couple of days.”

Just like that, Kaeya was gone. As you and Dimitri made your walks of shame back to the Dawn Winery, your skin still very much in pain, you thought about Klee. Little Klee all alone, scared in a dark, vain fatui lab.

————

“What are they doing down there, uncle?” you said as you and your uncle watched from the top floor of the Zapolyarny military base.

“Well, my dear, they are saying goodbye to their families.” Your uncle responded, sipping his tea while observing the people down below.

“Why are they saying goodbye, uncle?” you asked.

“Because, my child, they are being sent away.” He took a step closer to the edge of the balcony.

“Why are they being sent away? Will they ever see each other again?” you could tell your pestering was beginning to annoy your uncle, judging from the way his eyebrows scrunched upwards as you spoke,

“Perhaps. Perhaps not.” he began, “I wish to tell you something very important, my child. There are some decisions in life that are far more difficult to make than others. Some of them involve leaving your family for the sake of purpose, others involve the opposite. It's the decisions we make that define how we live. If you want to be happy, you must make the decisions that are right for you.”

“So, you're saying they go to work because it makes them happy?” you giggle, “I don’t believe that at all!”

Your uncle laughed along with you; “Yes, yes it does, little one.”

“Does your work make you happy, uncle?” you said. He nodded in response.

“Yes, but so does being with you. I do my work so I can provide and be with my family. That is the decision I have made for my life.”

“I like that decision a lot!” You said, “When I grow up, I want to make decisions just like you, uncle!”

All the two of you continued to chuckle together, you were suddenly interrupted by the boom of the office door opening.

“Y/n.” you father said sternly, “What in Teyvat are you doing here? Come downstairs at once! The two of us are leaving.

“Yes father…” you reply, before turning to your uncle one last time, “See you soon!”

“Yes, see you soon, my dear.”

————

It had been three days since Diluc was last seen at the Dawn Winery. Klee had questions, Dimitri was still in a state of shock. You were still recovering.

You thought often about the various conversations you had during your past that had defined you most as a person. Majority of them involved your uncle, most certainly your parents, and other times your immediate supervisor, Sandrone of the fatui harbingers. As you were walking in one of Mond’s many grassfields, attempting to clear your head, you thought about all the times you spent hiding away in your uncle's office.

Every time you had felt overwhelmed, overworked, upset, or angry, most of the time towards your parents, you would always sneak away to his office. Sometimes he was there, sometimes he was not. Nevertheless, you found yourself hiding away. You were surprised it took you so many years to realize, though you were now determined not to hide away any longer. For so long you had tried to hide from your emotions and aspirations. Look where that's gotten me now, you thought.

As you looked around, taking in the scenery of Mondstadt. You felt an overwhelming sense of peace as you gazed up at the tall grass, copious amounts of flowers, and Diluc. Diluc? What in the name of the Tsarista is he doing here?

He had yet to notice you, facing the opposite direction as he looked upon the fields of grass and flowers. You took this as your opportunity to confront him, praying to the gods it would go much smoother than your previous attempt.

“The flower fields here are truly beautiful, are they not?” you asked, as you took your place right beside him. He wore his signature, cold expression.

You half expected him not to respond at all. Perhaps after thinking it through for the past several days, he had decided it would be best to kill you after all. And after what you had learned about Klee and the fatui, you thought his hypothetical solution may not be half bad.

“Yes.” His short, monotone response caused you to smile. Though your expression quickly neutralized once more as he turned towards you, his expression was still that of anger and repulsiveness; “What are you doing here, Y/n?”

His tone was full of accusation. You shut your eyes as you took a deep breath; “Just thinking. Plus, I could be asking you the same thing.”

A silence fell over the two of you as you both refused to meet each other's eyes. So stubborn, that Diluc , you thought to yourself. You wondered if that's where Klee inherited her innate ability to argue. Argue over bedtimes, stuff toys, and cleaning up. Despite the revelation that the two of them were not blood-related, their actions proved more than enough that the two of them shared many similar characteristics. This thought brought a smile to your face.

“Well, I suppose the two of us need to have it out now.” you start.

“No.” he protests, “We most certainly do not.”

“Yes, yes we do.” your eyes meet his own once more, “You have a brother. An adopted brother. He is a part of the Knights. You hate the Knights. Is that why you hate him?”

Diluc scoffs at your rapid fire questions, crossing his arms defensively; “You have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Alright then. Let's continue.” you said, “You have a daughter. An adopted daughter. A daughter you rescued from the fatui. Do I have any idea what I'm talking about there?”

“How do you know–”

“–the adopted brother of the Knights.” you cut him off.

“Fine, something happened between the two of us. I see no reason to bring up these past conflicts. The two of us get along fine enough nowadays. Secondly, I had no reason to tell you about Klee’s history. In fact, now that I know you’re a fatui, I’m glad I kept my mouth shut”

“Wonderful. Now it's your turn.” you reply with a snark, crossing your arms to mirror his own position.

“If you so insist.” he gritted his teeth, “You're a part of the fatui, no, you're a high ranking fatui assassin sent to kill me and wreak havoc on my home city. Plus, the mayor of Snezhnaya–”

“My uncle. He is my uncle.”

“Uncle? Well isn’t that wonderful. I was married to the assassin niece of the fatui harbingers. An assassin niece who enjoys meddling in my personal familial matters.”

“Listen, when I first joined the fatui, assassin isn’t really what I had in mind–”

“So what did you have in mind? Join the military for a year or two? Pay for your college? What could have possibly justified your decision to join the fatui?”

“My parents.” you said, “Since I know probably more than I should about your late father, I’ll tell you a bit more about your in-laws.”

“ My in-laws?” Diluc asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, two rich people from rich families came together to live in a rich house, work in rich jobs, and have a rich baby.” you paused for a moment, “But, oh no! Their rich baby was a girl. That means that she must do this, but can’t do that, must marry him, but can’t marry them!”

You continued on your ridiculous rampage, waving your arms in the air for dramatic effect, until you finally arrived upon a realization.

“I wonder what my parents would think of you…” you said, an uncomfortable silence falling between the two of you.

“You know..” you start, “I didn't know about the labs, or what they did to kids like Klee. I do bad things, I know… but I don’t– I didn’t…”

“I know.” he suddenly spoke up, “I know you didn’t from the way you treat Klee.”

“Would you…could you ever forgive me, Diluc?” you carefully ask. His lack of response fills you with dread.

“Are you going to stay?” he replies.

“What do you mean?” you say.

“Are you going to stay with us?” he takes a step closer to you, arms falling flat at his sides.

“Well…after knowing all I know. I think…I think yes.”

“Then marry me.” he replies, “Stay here with us. With Klee. Then perhaps I could think about forgiving you.”

You burst out laughing before making your way over to take hold of his face. He reluctantly closes his eyes while you lean in to kiss his lips; “You really are stubborn, aren’t you?”

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#diluc genshin impact #diluc x fem!reader #diluc x reader #diluc x y/n #diluc x you #klee genshin impact #genshin fanfic #genshin angst #genshin kaeya #diluc and kaeya #ragbros #confessions #but for real this time #first kiss #pulcinella #family drama #spy x family au

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birdie123au · 2 years

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vineyards and vengeance

Forced by guilt and insecurities, swords are raised and the ensuing conflict is not pretty.

Confronting memories of your painful past you had long wished to forget, you find yourself stuck in everlasting strife against your own personal ambitions and the ambitions of those around you. After all, facing your fears is always the best way to overcome them.

“...What?”

Diluc’s voice sounded hoarse. He swifty removed the glove from his left hand before firmly placing it against your forehead. His eyes frantically shifted back and forth from where his hand lay to your eyes, looking for any sort of sign that would falsify your claim. He then moved both off his hands to plant on both sides of your face, angling your eyes upward to face his own.

“Did something happen at the orientation? Are you feeling unwell?”

The artillery of questions launched at you made your head spin even more than the copious amounts of wine in your system. You placed your hands atop of his own, and offered a smile either full of love or remorse, you weren't sure. Diluc’s naturally dark gaze hardened to stone, his eyes ceasing their rapid shifting and the concern countenance he wore was wiped off his face. His eyebrows creased and his mouth was slightly ajar, as if silently asking you a series of questions, though not a sound escaped him.

“You said you were a part of the adventurers guild” his voice was small, but not timid.

“And you said you we-were a *hic* businessman,” you said, “not the…the Darknight Hero ''.

Diluc took several steps back, removing his warm hands from your face; “How the hell did you know that”.

His calm gaze rapidly shifted as he processed how in Teyvat you could have possibly known that secretive information about him. You simply gazed at him, eyes misty as you took note of how defensive his body language became. It took him several minutes before you were certain he had finally put two and two together; you had spied on him, you were a fatui spy. His eyes were filled with pained betrayal as he looked you up and down as if to ask why? Did you have an answer? What motivated you to come to Mondstadt in the first place, and why would you accept a stranger's marriage proposal?

You tried to think back to what made you want to be a fatui office originally. It felt like a lifetime ago when you sat under the icy tree in your uncle’s backyard, crying under the weight of familial and communal expectations. You wiped the familiar dampness off your face as you looked towards the ground, unable to face the judgemental gaze of your husband.

“Why? Why would you tell me this? How could you not have told me this!” His voice grew angrier the more he berated you, spewing various accusations as if his words could reverse time back only just a few minutes before your revelation came to light.

“Don’t you get it?” you said, “Who do you think I’ve been after this whole time?”

His eyes narrowed; “What the hell do you mean after? Are you a fatui assassin?” He mocked, emphasizing the word assassin as to question your credibility.

“Well you shouldn’t act so innocent either!” you said back, your fists shaking in anger as you struggle to stop swaying while standing in place, “You’re the persona non grata! And..and you never told me!”

He let out a bitter laugh; “I believe it is best not to dwell on past issues. Now answer the damn question.”

His voice was filled with an anger you had yet to see from Diluc. Still, your fragile mind struggled to process all that was occurring around you, in fact, you found that your vision had become progressively blurry as you found it difficult to balance the weight of your head on your shoulders. You clenched your fists and let out a deep breath; “I..I needed to find out information on the Darknight Hero so I..”

Your voice faded to a soft whisper as your sentence continued. Diluc’s patience was just about spent; “You what? What did you so desperately need to accomplish?”

“So I could kill him.” you said plainly, “So I could kill him to alleviate the public outcry he unleashed towards the fatui.”

Diluc’s posture completely changed at your words. The defensive way his body was planted against the viney concrete steps turned aggressive as he began walking towards you, right hand resting on where his claymore sword hilted by his side. This threat of violence sobered you up instantly, instinctively reaching for the dagger that lay on the inside of your coat. Your mind traveled back to the night the two of you met once more, only this time the victim at the end of your blades was not an evil abyssal creature, but rather each other.

The very first time you had ever gotten into a physical fight was when you were ten years old and your older cousin, Ivan, was visiting your family for the summer. The two of you were arguing in your backyard over who should be allowed to compete in the potato sack race, his argument being that you should be the one judging since you were a girl, you thoroughly disagreed. One thing led to another and suddenly he had slapped you in the face, so you retaliated by tackling him to the ground. Your uncle had praised your natural talent in taking down the enemy, your parents grounded you for weeks for your violence.

Damned if you did, damned if you didn’t; the situation felt all too familiar to the one you were facing at the moment. Always disappointing someone, whether that be your parents, uncle, boss, or husband.

You saw as Diluc readied his attack stance, although he may deny it, his battle strategies reeked of the Knights of Favonious. You too readied your defensive stance, taught to you by your fatui general during your time in the academy. You thanked the stars that you could still remember what to do in a defensive situation after all these years of being on the offensense.

Diluc swung his claymore directly towards your chest, you found it difficult to doge considering how small you weapon was in comparison. You used your cryo vision to conjure up a thin layer of ice for him to smash into as you lept backwards. You similarly tried to fire a shot of cryo directly towards him, but his large claymore easily blocked your attack.

He unleashed an array of pyro at you as he did a five strike consecutive attack. The fire surrounding him made his face difficult to see, his hair looking as though it was made of flames. If you weren’t in the middle of fighting for your life, you would have taken more time to appreciate how beautiful the pyro compliment made him look.

“I should have known!” he shouted, finding it hard to breathe as his attacks remained relentless, “I should have known this was too good to be true!”

You continued to doge his consecutive attacks until you found yourself bumping into the carriage you forgot existed, slamming your shoulder aggressively into the side door with a yelp. Diluc’s strikes did not cease, as he managed to slice the left sleeve of your dress, crimson blood beginning to seep into the fabric. For a brief moment the two of you stood there, his eyes wide with horror before regaining his train of thought as he begrudgingly resumed his offensive position. Mother fucker.

The dark sky lit up in colors of red and blue, clashing together and creating small explosions; “I owe my loyalty to the Tsarista only! Not...not to my family!”

This seemed only to anger him more, as he let out a sort of angry cry to try to drown out the sound of your own voice. As well as the unfortunate realities it brought with it. The sort of cat and mouse chase the two of you engaged in continued for quite some time, Diluc launching a premeditated, coordinated attack while you did your best to dodge it in your less than adequate physical state. At some point, he began angeling his attacks towards your feet. This caused you to accelerate backwards, occasionally losing your balance and practically falling on your ass before regaining your ground only for the process to repeat all over again.

“You bring shame to the Ragnvindr name!” he spoke up once more, releasing another burst of pyro you would need to combat, “All of you spies do!”

“I was hardly ever a Ragnvindr!” you cried, blinking back your tears. I was hardly ever a Fedorov too, you miserably thought to yourself.

“So that’s what you truly think? Did we–Klee mean nothing to you?!” he fired back, your weapons clashing against one another.

His question felt airly similar to one you had heard before. Do we mean nothing to you? You remembered your father being accused the night you announced your allegiance to the fatui…

“This is ridiculous Y/n! Look at what you are doing to your mother!” Your father angrily snapped at you, gesturing over to where your mother sat.

Your mother sat on one of your many luxurious white furred sofas, head buried in her laced gloves, lugubriously sobbing.

“You horrid child!” she cried, “How could you do this to our family!”

It was no secret your parents disapproved of you joining the fatui. Your uncle, Pulcinella Fedorov was a highly respected and honorably ranked fatui Harbinger, as well as the mayor of Snezhnaya’s capital. This meant that your family were a part of the Snezhnayan elite, viciously scrutinized by the public whenever you strayed away from what was socially expected of you. You. A young bachelorette with a superb education, as well as a valuable grasp on domestic chores, were expected to marry off to another powerful individual as soon as you came of age.

“You had one job. One job your entire life, Y/n!” your father said, “You could study whatever you wanted, wherever you wanted! Practice any sort of hobby you could ever imagine! Live comfortably in any Snezhnayan town! And all we asked in return was that you married well!”

You wanted to cry. Cry out that this wasn’t fair. You weren’t some pretty political pawn to be used by your family. You had aspirations of your own as well. But, at the end of the day, you were a spoiled rich girl from Snezhnaya, and that’s all you ever thought you would be.

“I will marry well, I promise!” you began, “But…but I want to establish a good career first!”

“A good career?” your father sneered, your mother sobbed even louder than before, “A good career as a military officer in the fatui?!”

“My sweet daughter! You know it isn’t safe, your uncle has warned you countless times about what can happen to girls like you!” your mother tried to reason with you, dabbing her damp eyes with her silk handkerchief.

“What will the townsfolk say when they hear of this?” your father rubbed his temple with his hand, “ Sweet Y/n Fedorov, studious, joyful, promising, young bachelorette turned military whore!”

You opened your mouth to reply, though you were shiftly cut off as he continued his rampage; “Is this some sort of sick teenage rebellion? Was being a noble born too much pressure for you?”

He then turned his body towards your sorrowful mother; “If we had a son, we wouldn’t have had to deal with a fraction of this stress!”

“It’s my life!” you finally screamed, “You cannot control me forever!”

Your mother grew silent, eyes bulging out of her head from the shock. Your father crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

“Do we mean nothing to you?”

“You have not a clue what you're talking about, Diluc!” you reply, sending another wave of cryo in an attempt to get him to back off. “Without the fatui, I am nothing! I have nowhere left to go!”

Diluc’s attacks grew more aggressive, swifty decreasing the amount of time taken to fire consecutive strikes. The two of you had started towards the front of the house, but at this point had made it towards the left side of the hill, large trees looming above you from all around. You tried your best not to completely obliterate the various grapevines, though you found this quite hard due to the chaotic nature of literally dueling another human being.

“Nowhere to go?” Diluc suddenly stopped his attacks, resting on the side of his claymore as he took a moment to catch his breath; “Y/n…”

Diluc lifted his claymore after about ten more seconds of standing around. He put his left leg forward, bending his body downwards slightly. Alarm bells went off in your head as you began to notice little sparks shooting off from various points in his body, and by extension his sword. Part of you wished nothing more than to release a flurry of cryo based charges at your husband, to dig your dagger deep into his chest as you had done many times before in your line of work. Yet you found that you couldn’t– no, wouldn’t move an inch. The other part of you, the part that you had suppressed for years, wished to drop your weapon, embrace him, and apologize for your deception.

The amount of sparkles around him doubled in quantity before turning into large, vicious flames. Oh no. He drew his large sword back, placing it over his shoulders. Please no. And in one foul swoop sent a fiery phoenix flying at you.

“...I’m right here!” his voice called out, you could barely hear it as you covered your face in your hands, embracing the burning flame that engulfed your body.

You sat atop of your favorite tree in your uncle's yard. Your hand covering your face as you buried yourself into your knees, crying like a big baby. During the height of the heated argument, your parents had threatened to disown you. Cut you completely out of their life, both socially and financially, as if they never had a daughter. As if you never had existed in the first place.

Sneaking into your uncle’s backyard was like riding a horse, muscle memory. You hadn’t even bothered to say hello, too embarrassed to even admit what you had done. All you wanted was to make a name for yourself, as Y/n, not Pulcinella’s niece or your parents’ daughter. You enjoyed serving your people, your queen, though only two months in you were already questioning if you made the right choice.

Snow fell softly from the sky as you felt the tears on your eyes begin to freeze due to the cold atmosphere. You loved the cold, it was all you ever knew, though times like these you would indulge yourself in thoughts of what it would be like to live in a place that wasn’t covered in white power almost every day of the year. How warm and welcoming it would be…

“Y/n? Y/n dear is that you?” a familiar voice called from down before.

“Uncle?” you lifted your head, whipping the tears off of your face as you peered down from where you sat.

“Y/n! It’s below freezing! What on earth are you doing sitting on a tree this late at night?” your uncle scolded, impatiently tapping the top of his cane.

“I–I told my parents about me joining the fatui,” you began, finding it near impossible to hide the fact that you were crying in your voice, “oh uncle, they said they would disown me if I didn’t quit and marry in this instant!”

“Oh Y/n…” your uncle began, “I would never allow something so terrible to happen to you! Come down from the tree this instant and come inside. It seems the two of us have a lot to talk about.”

“Are-are you sure?” you continued to cry.

“I’m positive. Marriage and strong careers take time to build! You mustn't rush into it. Now for the love of the Tsarista, please get off my tree!”

You opened your eyes as your body convulsed in pain. It took you a moment to realize, but there Diluc sat, straddling your lap with a claymore raised above your chest. His hands shook vigorously as he struggled to keep the sword from falling out of his hands. His eyes were once more shifting rapidly between your wounds and your eyes, as if he was terrified of his own actions.

“Diluc?” you said, your voice not being able to go above a whisper.

He nearly flinched from the shock, a few seconds later narrowing his eyes and puffing out his chest.

“Y/n.” he said, “Is-is there anything you would like to say to me?”

He tried his best to sound menacing, though it was clear he was deeply troubled at the sight before him. The two of you made eye contact once more, you smiled.

“I love you.”

He dropped his sword.

There the two of you sat. Injured, burnt, laying down next to your husband’s claymore he had tried to muder you with just moments before. Diluc remained on top of you, staring down at his hands with an exasperated look on his eyes. The fires around you trickling out of sight, as if symbolizing your personal conflicts dying down. The two of you didn’t speak for quite some time, just simply laid there together in the moonlight, enjoying each other's presence and warmth.

After what seemed like an eternity, Diluc reluctantly began to speak; “Y/n, why did you not just simply–”

“Mama! Papa! Klee has been looking everywhere!” a sobbing young girl appeared in your peripheral vision.

“Klee!” Diluc said, eyes grew even wider in shock. Klee had clearly been crying for ages, her eyes red and puffy while her nose ran marathons.

“The maids said you were missing! Big fires everywhere!” the girl continued to cry, rushing over to the two of you before confidently diving onto the two of you. Diluc cringed as he noticed you wince in pain.

“Klee? Klee darling, where are you?” You heard a familiar voice cry, Adelinde. You heard the rustling of bushes as the maid emerged from the shadows.

“Oh thank Barbatos!” she said, “The three of you are alright!”

She rushed towards your side, gasping when she noticed your physical state. The maid helped Klee and Diluc off of you, surely taking note of how difficult it was to pull him off of your injured body. You and your husband exchanged glances, you wondered how you would ever explain this situation.

“An abyss herald.” Diluc said, his voice a little too loud, a dead give away that something was seriously wrong. “She needs help. We need a doctor at once.”

“Of course!” Adelinde said, deep concern in her voice, before turning on her heels and running back towards the direction of the winery.

Diluc took the opportunity to pick up his exhausted daughter, before looking down at you. He stared for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face, before eventually leaning down. You had always known Diluc was strong, but you surely underestimated just how much weight his arms could hold.

Carrying both you and Klee in his arms, you looked back to the spot where the majority of your confrontation had occurred. The only noise to be heard was that of the small fires fizzingly out, despite how large they had seemed mere minutes ago. The three of you went together towards the comfort of the Dawn Winery…

…the comfort of your home.

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a/n: make sure to check out this post in order to help me decide between ideas for the next series I'm working on!!

#diluc genshin impact #diluc x fem!reader #diluc x reader #klee genshin impact #genshin angst #fights #injuries #diluc x y/n

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birdie123au · 2 years

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New Series Alert!!

so, let's say I was writing an AU fic with tartaglia as the love interest:

should it a. be a Tangled AU or b. Ancient Greek (Iliad) AU (sounds weird but hear me out it works)

i'll prob end up doing it both, but if I was to do the iliad with tartaglia, which character should i do for the tangled? inbox is open, plz bless me with your wonderous advice, tumblr.

(side note, do polls exist on tumblr?? help???)

#genshin fanfic #genshin impact #tartaglia x reader #childe x reader #ajax x reader #someone plz help #diluc x reader #diluc x fem!reader #decisions

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birdie123au · 2 years

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cake and confessions

Guilt has consumed your entire being as you find it difficult to simply exist at home and around family. Noticing your change in attitude, your ever-caring husband has tried just about everything to reach out to you, though each time he tries you feel yourself sinking lower and lower than before.

With the orientation for Zapolynarny rapidly approaching, you wonder how long you can remain floating before you inevitably drown.

The soft giggling that filled the manor was that of nails on a chalkboard. Your body was as stiff as the unstirred coffee that sat directly in front of you. The three cheerful voices that bounced around you should have brought along joy and happiness, today was a big day afterall. The orientation for Zapolyarny Snezhnayan Immersion School had been on your family calendar for weeks now, with a large heart circled around the date courtesy of Klee. The little Klee sat directly in front of you, her short blonde hair pulled back into pigtails with a red headband sitting prestinely on her hair, twirling the auburn ribbon on the front of her new school uniform. She was excitingly disclosing her entire day's plan to your subordinate, talking across the table with her mouth full of pancakes. Dimitri sat next to you, his brown hair and suit neatly groomed. Your eyes tried not to reach the person sitting to the right of Klee, despite his numerous attempts to converse with you throughout breakfast.

Diluc was at the most joyous you had ever seen him, staring over at his daughter with nothing but pride in his eyes. The fiery red hair that had normally been lazily thrown into a low ponytail was securely fastened in a high ponytail, the suit he wore was a modest deep blue. Just the mere two second glance you had stolen from him practically made your heart fly out of your chest, but for all the wrong reasons. It had been a few nights since your…revelation of sorts and from the moment you had returned home you had made it your mission to avoid him as much as possible. Each time he had tried to inquire about your situation, you would brush him off similar to that of how you would dismiss Dimitri. Whenever you had a moment of clarity in terms of your mission, you found that your hands would shake uncontrollably and that you felt lightheaded.

“Y/n?” Diluc’s stern tone stole your attention, “Would you mind passing me the syrup?”

You took a sharp breath before reaching for the syrup that lay in front of you. You noticed in your peripheral vision that all eyes from the table were on you. It reminded you of your life back in Snezhnaya, always feeling small under the gaze of the powerful people surrounding you at the dinner table. Your hands began to shake slightly as you lifted the porcelain pourer, slowly extending your arms to meet your faux husband’s in the middle. With a slight smile of gratitude, Diluc grabbed the syrup holder from your hands, his fingers brushing up against yours. His ever cold gaze sent a shiver down your spine, He doesn't know, does he? As your mind began to race to find the most horrid of scenarios, you involuntarily drew back your arm a moment too soon, and you watched in abject horror as the syrup pourer fell down to the table with a large cracking sound.

“Oh no!” Klee chimed in, “Mama dropped the syrup!”

Your face grew increasingly warm as you heard your comrade chuckle besides you, making a lighthearted remark about your clumsiness. “Y/n? Are you feeling alright?” Diluc said.

As you turned your gaze back upwards, you were met with a man whose features contorted in a concerned manner, a strong frown present on his face. But when you took a moment to stare into his eyes, you saw the very same icy gaze you had been fearing the moment you got back from the Angel’s Share.

“I’m fine.” you snapped.

————

“It is those who have passed through the threshold and overtaken the snowstorm who are present with us today.” The sound of the officiant’s voice rang through the large walls of the Zapolyarny Academy Cathedral.

“Through your hard work and dedication, you along with 103 other students have found their rightful place at Zapolyarny Snezhnayan Imersion School. Congratulations on this momentous achievement! And may the everlasting snowfall of winter carry our welcomes to you!”

You and your family sat on one of the many rows of porcelain chairs that led to the front of the cathedral where the officiant stood tall in front of the large statue of her majesty, the Tsarista. The church’s infrastructure practically transported you back to your hometown in Snezhnaya, the stained glass windows depicting the various battles won by the Tsarista and her comrades were exact replicas of the ones located in the real Zapolyarny. The choir sang traditional Snezhnayan songs, each of the performers in traditional church attire. Klee sat between you and Diluc, excitedly swinging her feet back and forth as she admired the interior design of the cathedral, similar to yourself.

“We will now call forward students along with their homeroom teachers.” The officiant began lecturing once more, doing exactly what he proposed as he began listing the names of various students in correspondence with their teachers. Eventually, Klee Ragnvindr’s name was called as she got up from her chair and did a very confident yet rigid march towards the front of the cathedral. You couldn’t help but chuckle at her antics along with Dimitri as the small girl passed the various rows of people.

You suddenly felt a weight against your shoulder, as you turned to your side to notice Diluc had closed the gap between the two of you. Before you could ask why, he gestured his head to his daughter doing her silly little march as he let out a quiet laugh. You tried with all your might to muster up a genuine smile in response to his antics, though all you managed to do was to exert an anxious smirk. Diluc’s face grew rather serious, and you could feel your heart rate accelerate. You tried once more to smile genuinely at him, but he simply allowed his gaze to travel forward. He applied more pressure on your shoulder as he placed his hand on your upper thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“No need to worry, we made it Y/n.” His voice was small but sturdy.

You wished to shoot yourself in the head with a skirmisher’s gun.

————

You relentlessly poked at your meal of honey glazed chicken, golden roasted potatoes, and greens. Eating at The Good Hunter had become a staple in your life ever since you had come to Mondstast. Each Saturday while Diluc was busy around the winery, you would take little Klee out to lunch and the two of you would share your favorite meal of honey glazed chicken together, before taking another stop at the Angel’s Share to order some apple juice as a dessert. She would always tell you little stories about her adventures growing up in Mond, and how she had always wished to have a mama to take her to afternoon meal times and go shopping around the plaza with her. So many wonderful memories you had associated with this restaurant, though tonight it had felt especially hard to eat any of your food.

Diluc had noticed your lack of appetite, though you quickly shut him down after he inquired about it the first time. After the stone cold rejection, he had remained relatively quiet throughout the meal, doing little to try to make conversation with you as he normally did. You weren't sure if you should be relieved or terrified at this notion. Dimitri proposed that you ordered a glass of wine to help wash down your dinner, yet it was becoming more and more apparent to your table that the various glasses of wine would be the only thing you touched this evening.

“Oh! Th-then Klee was shown around the commons area!” The young girl enthusiastically continued to rant about her day, “It was so big! Like ten times bigger than papa’s restaurant. It was the best!”

“Klee, less talking and more eating!” Dimitri laughed as he motioned his fork towards her plate, “You know, when I was little, my dad used to force me to eat a plate of seconds if it took me too long to finish my first because of my talking!”

“What?! He made you have two dinners?” Klee was taken aback by the near thought of it, though you knew Dimitri neglected to share the fact that Snezhnayan proportions for children were typically filled with lower calorie and less filling food items.

“He sure did! He was a soldier, so there was no arguing with him.” your subordinate raised his glass of beer towards his lips, “Oh! Y/n, did your dad ever make you do the same thing when you were little?”

You jolted slightly at the mere mention of your name; “Me-me? Oh no… mother and father hardly permitted me to ta-talk at the table in the first place.”

Your words slurred slightly as you lifted your fork up only to stab it back into your chicken. Your mind traveled back to the time when you were a little girl just about your daughter's age. Being from a noble family with great political power, it was no surprise that children such as yourself were expected to be seen not heard. You had always wished to share stories about your day to your parents, or exchange lighthearted banter with your dinner guests, but no, you were unfortunately never given this luxury. Instead, you were expected to nod along to your parent’s every word, and to behave in a dignified manner, especially if your uncle was present.

You looked over to Klee, eyes full of childlike joy and admiration. Although your heart swelled with happiness as you saw her features shine, a part of you felt sad inside, knowing you had never looked that way as a child.

“Hm. Truly?” Diluc questioned, you anxiously yelped when his gaze met yours. His eyes were filled with unamicable curiosity as he stared at you, clearly not too pleased with your parents actions in your story.

You nodded at him furiously before raising your hand to order another glass of wine. The sorrow in your chest grew exponentially as you felt the weight of his gaze on the back of your head. You wanted to yell at him to leave you alone, to stop worrying or staring, it was too painful to bear. You had never been in a situation where your job was taking this much of a toll on your mental wellbeing, on the wellbeing of those you loved.

Love has always been sort of a funny word to you. Before coming to Mondstast, you would have said that the only person who had loved you and to you had reciprocated with that of your extravagant uncle, a man who you unfortunately didn't see as much as you wanted to due to his crazy schedule as a politician. Love had always been something you had cast aside, though after meeting the dapper Diluc Ragnvindr, the richest entrepreneur of Mond, king of the wine industry, and his adorable little girl you had come to call your daughter, you weren't so sure. Hell, even you had come to love your stupid, loudmouth joke of a subordinate as a friend and wonderful uncle to Klee. Maybe your denial of love for so long had set you up for even greater failure once you had finally found it.

Your eyes damped with mist as you thought about your purpose, your role in the fatui. Your job as a high ranking officer surely outweighed the importance of your role as a wife, mother, and friend, right? Afterall, you weren't really married.

“Oh don’t give Y/n a hard time, Master Diluc!” Dimitri interrupted, “Y/n is just being a bit of a drama queen.”

“Hey!” you said, exasperated that that was his reply. Klee began to laugh, mumbling to herself about how mama was a drama queen. Diluc simply let out a sigh before looking back over to you with a small smile.

“Well you don’t have to cry about it.” your subordinate mocked, pointing to where your face had been dampened by your slight tears. It took everything in you not to slap him. If he had tried to say this in front of any other officer, he surely would have been beaten black and blue, you thought to yourself as you shook your head at him.

“Well anyways, since we are on the topic, did your parents do the same thing to you, Diluc?” Dimitri placed his hand on his hip while waging his other like a condescending mother would.

“Ah, well…my mother would have never done anything of the sort when she was still around,” Diluc began, “but that doesn’t sound like anything father wouldn’t be above doing.”

“Haha! I’m sure you and uncle Kaeya were bad boys!” Klee interrupted, shaking her head and giggling at her own comment. Diluc froze slightly at her words, before looking towards you to see if you had noticed your daughter exposing him.

You already knew about Kaeya, and the buzz of alcohol that had gone to your head didn’t make you concerned about getting a confession out of Diluc. Instead, you chose to focus on another part of his response; “Wha-what do you mean by…when she was still around? Is she dead?”

As soon as the words left your mouth you wanted nothing more than to shove them back in there. You knew this was a completely inappropriate and invasive question to ask, but the liquor courage from all of the wine you had consumed had surely gone to your head. Even Dimitri had lost the smile on his face, blanking staring at you as to ask if you were really being serious.

Diluc turned his head away from you slightly, eyes looking everywhere but the table before responding; “No, she's alive. It's just…it's complicated.”

You felt a surge of pain in your chest as you saw how his facial features contorted to express melancholy.

“What does that–”

“–well anyways!” Dimitri clapped his hands together, “Let’s order a glass of water to sober up miss drama queen over here.”

Klee bursted out laughing again while Diluc’s body grew far less rigid.

As the dinner conversation continued, you grew more and more horrified by all you had said throughout the night as you drank more and more glasses of water. If your body hadn’t felt the symptoms of severe stress over the past couple of days, it was surely feeling it now. Your hands grew more clammy and shaky. You ended up excessively fiddling with your amber necklace around your next that Diluc had given you the night the two of you had met. You also found it harder to breathe as the night progressed, as if someone was putting more and more weight onto your chest every second.

“Papa! Mama! Can Klee get dessert?” the little girl asked.

“Well, tonight is a celebratory dinner for you, I don’t see why not.” Diluc said as he turned his face towards you, raising an eyebrow as if to ask if you were in agreement. You nodded your head before quickly turning your gaze away from him.

Diluc’s neutral convenience soured slightly at your aloofness, though he still ordered four pieces of chocolate cake nonetheless. The rest of the evening amounted to Klee and Dimtri continuing to joke around and share stories with one another, while Diluc tried his hardest to grasp your attention and engage you in the conversation.

After the bill had been paid, the four of you made your way to the carriage that had been stationed just outside of Mondstast’s walls. At this point you had partially regained your sobriety, though definitely not fully, as you watched Diluc carry the sleepy Klee who was fighting to stay awake so that she could finish telling the last of her blast fishing story to the three of you. The warmth of the carriage beckoned you in, though as you took Diluc’s outstretched hand to assist yourself in climbing into the vehicle, you felt Dimitri tap your shoulder.

“I’m actually going to be staying at a friend's house tonight, I hope you don’t mind.” he said as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

“A friend?” you asked, raising your eyebrows at him.

“This ‘friend’ of yours doesn’t happen to be that man from the festival we held all those weeks ago, no?” Diluc joined you in your skepticism.

Dimitri’s face became flustered as he scrambled to find an explanation all before he decided that simply turning on his heels and running was the best solution to his problems. As you grabbed Klee from Diluc’s hands to find your seat in the carriage, you couldn’t help but shake your head at your subordinate’s antics. You laughed alongside your faux husband at the surrealness of the entire situation.

The three of you rode in silence as you made your way back to the Dawn Winery. As you looked down at your sleeping child in your arms to the man who sat in front of you who wore a small smile on his face, the familiar feeling of damp skin under your eyes returned.

————

It was late into the night when you had finally returned home. You and Diluc were greeted with a slightly aggravated Adelinde, scolding you for keeping poor Klee out this late. You sat in silence, staring down at your fingers as the maid whisked the little girl inside so that she could finally be tucked into bed for the night. Your mind spun as you attempted to make sense of all that had happened to you over the past couple of weeks, how your life had been turned completely upside down all because of a singular mission from the fatui.

Diluc seemed to notice your silence being far more abundant than usual, even in terms of these past couple of days.

“Y/n?” He calmly asked as he sat down in the door of the carriage, “Are you feeling alright this evening?”

He slowly reached out to take your hands into his own, moving as if your hands were made out of porcelain and could break at any moment. You were much too tired and tipsy to shake off his advances, so there you sat, head hung down and your own hands resting in your husbands. You carefully lifted your head to meet his gaze, how you wanted so badly to smile at him, to reassure him that you were alright. But you couldn't, not knowing what you know about him. Not knowing that you had completely violated his privacy and personal affairs. Not knowing that you would eventually need to betray him or lose everything.

“You don’t have to cry…” He said, face unchanging.

“Diluc…” you began, “there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“Yo-you know, I really wish…I would have told you this much sooner. From the day I met you…I knew there was something special about you. Just…please excuse my brashness”

Diluc’s eyes widened at your words, his hands involuntarily contracting around yours. His hands grew rather warm as he found it rather difficult to look anywhere but your face.

“I-I mean you're a wonderful businessman with such strong morals an-and a great dad. I mean just so great. You know…for a long time I never really felt like anyone carried all that much about little ole me, nor that I deserved anything of the sort…but, with you…”

Diluc stod from where he was seated at the front of the carriage as he slowly guided you towards the exit, his hands still ever tight around your own, scared that if he accidentally let go you would disappear right before his eyes. Your legs wobbled slightly as you were met with a harsh reality: you were still very tispy.

“I don’t even think I can describe it. I-I mean the way in which we came together…I’ve bever had someone care about me so…your just…you just make me feel so…”

Your voice grew quieter as you continue to mumble your tangent. Diluc thought– no, he knew what you were trying to say, he had to. He took a step closer towards where you stood on the first step of the carriage, silently reciprocating your words as he pressed his forehead against your own. The nightly breeze of Mond caused both of your hair to sway peacefully. Drunken tears pricked your eyes as the two of you stood together in silence, until you finally found the words you had been trying to tell him this whole time.

“I trust you…really I know it's crazy but after learning what I have I just feel like I get you. I care for you so so much that I just need to tell you now. Diluc I–”

“I know, Y/n I–” he opened his mouth, his face showing a level of vulnerability you had never seen on him before, not even when his own daughter. You knew that it was time.

“–I’m a fatui.” “...What?”

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#diluc genshin impact #diluc x fem!reader #diluc x reader #diluc x y/n #diluc x you #klee genshin impact #genshin angst #drunktimes #confession #sad boy hours

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birdie123au · 2 years

Text

red hair and harsh realities

masterlist pairing: diluc x reader genre: angst w/ happy ending

A looming sense of dread has fallen over the Dawn Winery. So many questions with so little answers, it was only a matter of time before you would need to go and search for them yourself. You supposed it was time to finally pay a visit to the Angel's Share, perhaps a certain alleged brother-in-law could be the key that ties together all that you have been searching for...

The dark atmosphere of the Dawn Winery at night used to bring you comfort. The way that the dark room was illuminated with a bright yellow hue from the old chandelier or the fireplace facilitated a cozy feeling. The smell of the fresh apple cider made by Adelinde, and the fuzzy white blanket draped over you as you lay on the couch, Diluc sitting to your left while Klee would be draped over your laps made you feel warm inside. Only tonight felt so much different than those times before. It had been several days before Diluc had returned home from his ‘business’, and you had anxiously tried to ask about his whereabouts before you were politely shot down with his signature businessman smile. Considering all that you had found out, you lived the next few nights sort of horrified that he would discover any sort of sign you had been snooping through his papers in his office, though it seems that you had at least been able to cover your tracks relatively well.

The feeling of impending anxiety never left your chest, so as you sat on the couch, your shoulders mere inches away from your husband, your heart continued to beat rapidly. This feeling was extremely new to you, considering that you had never felt this dreadful when your missions were close to being compromised in the past. Besides, you had already detailed most of what you learned to your subordinate so that he could write a letter to your superior with news that the two of you had made progress. Tonight the two of you even had plans to make your place to Angel’s Share to attempt to gather more information from the nights. Everything was all going according to plan, so why was it that that very notion was making you more nervous than before.

“Y/n?” Diluc’s inquiry interrupted your thoughts, “Is something troubling you? Your hands are shaking?”

You quickly looked away from wherever you had been staring down to your hands. Though it was hardly noticeable, you could tell there was a slight shake in your hands that would occur every couple of seconds. Diluc had always been good at reading body language, yet you would always chalk that up to his background in business, but knowing what you now know about his place, this very notion of his top knotch ability to read you like a book sent shivers down your spine. You opened your mouth to reply, yet the words had not yet come to you.

“Look,” he said, “I understand that these are uncertain times. With Klee’s interview rapidly approaching I know a lot of our familial…relations are being put on the line”

He then turned his body to yours before taking your slightly shaking hands in his own; “Your love for Klee truly makes me smile. So it's best not to put too much pressure on this upcoming orientation, as I am sure the three of us will figure it out together.”

The way the corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly before kissing your forehead never ceased to make your heart flutter. All of what he was doing would kill any thoughts of doubt in a normal person's mind, but you had been trained for something like this. It was his eyes. Something you had taken little notice of before but now seemed to be more prominent than you ever could imagine. When he spoke to you, you couldn't tell by his eyes if he was sincere or not, something you had always been able to do. Hell, it was something you had been trained to do!

You stared into his eyes as you squeezed his hands, trying your best to send an organic smile back to him. As admiration and genuine care filled your heart, the feeling of everlasting dread did nothing but grow in your chest.

————

“Are you ready to head out?” Dimitri asked, throwing his comically large choat over his figure.

“Almost, Dimitri.” you replied in a slightly annoyed tone. He had been asking you the same question for the past five minutes, despite the fact it was clear you had still needed to lace your boots and find your overcoat.

It had been about an hour since Diluc had left his place on the couch in order to put the little Klee to sleep in her own bed, and after you saw his retreat to his office as he needed to finish his ‘work for the Winery’. As you finished buttoning your thin coat as Dimitri was ushering you out the door, you sent one last look in the direction of the office, pausing for a moment to admire the beauty of the hidden door.

“Y/n? Let's go.” Dimitri said, his voice akin to that of a winning child wanting to leave the house so that they could go to the park. You scoffed as you made your way out of the manor and down the cobblestone steps in order to get to the area of where your horses were being kept. As you lifted yourself onto the large creature, you and Dimitri exchanged words in order to decide what your plan that night would be, and how you would attempt to approach the knights.

The ride from the Dawn Winery to Mond never really felt like you were traveling all that far. Back in Snezhnaya, the combination of harsh snow, jagged rocks, and slippery ice made any sort of horse travel take hours longer than it would traveling the same distance in Mond. The wind was your great companion as you let it guide the two of you to the great city walls. Despite the fact it was nightfall, the city was still bustling with life. Shops, restaurants, and taverns all lit with the same hue of yellow light from their lanterns that could be found in the winery. The jovial voices of citizens and visitors alike filled the city walls as you and your subordinate made your ways to where the Angel Share tavern was located.

The last time you had visited the tavern was several days ago when you and Klee decided to visit the town while Diluc was still away. Because you had only ever been to the Angel’s Share during the daytime in the company of a child, you could never quite appreciate it the same way you did in this moment. Dimitri opening the main door was as if he opened a portal to a new world. The entire bar was filled with people of Mond, all enjoying drinks, song, and each other's company. It seems that Snezhnayan drinking culture remained consistent throughout all of Teyvat. As you looked around the room, scanning it for potential leads, your eyes fell upon a man sitting at the counter near the bartender.

What made this man stand out the most was his unique appearance. Compared to the rest of the tavern that was mainly filled with men in both standard Knight attire or Adventurers Guild uniforms, this Knight in particular seemed to have a custom made suit judging by the fur trim that adorned his top. Though what was most appealing was his hair. Hair you had seen before in the large family portrait located in Diluc’s office. It was the specific type of blue hair that had been pulled into a low ponytail. This was the Knight you were looking for. This was Kaeya .

You turned to where Dimitri used to stand before noticing he had made his way to a table in the back, sitting next to a random man in an adventurers uniform at a table with what looked to be an adventurers club. You took this as your chance to make your presence known to your now alleged brother-in-law by asserting yourself into his view. You took a seat down next to him and ordered a glass of grape juice. You would have preferred a glass of your favorite drink to order at a bar off all times, fire water, though you thought it was best to remain as sober as possible to conduct your interview.

“Grape juice, eh?” the blue haired man pipped up. You suppressed a grin as you celebrated how easy it was to get the man's attention. As you looked over at his face, you were slightly surprised. The portrait in Diluc’s manor had Kaeya’s face burnt away, so seeing a man with a very prominent eyepatch and star shaped pupils was something you hadn't exactly imagined him having.

“Yes,” you started, “I suppose my husband’s drinking habits have rubbed off on me quite a bit.”

You giggled, hoping your statement would give him somewhat of a hint at what you were getting at. The blue haired man simply laughed in return, as if it was the funniest thing he had heard all day.

“My, my,” he said “why is it that I’m unlucky to come across so many grape juice drinkers. I mean, why come to Angel’s Share in the first place if not to drink alcohol Miss–?”

“Y/n. Because my husband works here,” you decided to take it up a notch, noticing the eyepatch man raise an eyebrow and glancing around at the staff of the tavern, “well actually he owns this establishment.”

Kaeya nearly spit out the wine he had just previously taken a sip of; “Oh! Oh. Pardon me.” The young man chuckled as he awkwardly wiped the little drops of wine that had gotten on his face. “You don’t mean Diluc, do you?”

“I do, as a matter of fact.” you reply, “Why? Are the two of you familiar?”

There is a layer of teasing in your voice, something you are thankful he seems to have noticed.

“Yes, you could say that, I suppose.” the young man laughs, “So what brings you here alone? Was the master so cruel to send his wife to drink at his own establishment alone?”

You laugh along with his tease, “No, actually, I decided to come here myself. You see, I’m a member of the Adventurers Guild wishing to write a story on Mondstadt’s Darknight Hero, and word has it on the street that a certain brother-in-law of mine might be able to help.”

“Brother-in-law!” Kaeya says, his eyebrows practically sky level, “Well now this just became a whole lot more interesting.”

Kaeya orders another glass of whatever he had been drinking before, judging by the look on the bartender's face you could tell this certainly wasn't his first or second beverage of the night.

“Well now you have certainly piqued my curiosity,” Kaeya says, taking a sip of his new drink, “the mysterious wife of Diluc coming into the Angel’s Share in hopes to find out new information about the Darknight Hero from her brother-in-law ?”

“Is something the matter? Is this whole situation really that funny?” you ask, slightly concerned you had compromised yourself somehow.

“No, no. It’s simply…Diluc has clearly not told you as much about me as he probably should have. I mean this is practically hysterical!”

Although he was clearly meaning most of what he was saying in a joking way, you could tell there was some sort of sadness in the way that his eyes were looking at you.

“Are you not Kaeya? Perhaps I have the wrong blue haired brother?” you smirk.

“Ah-ah, there you go again!” he takes one final, large sip of his now fully draken new beverage, surely about to order another one, “It’s been quite some time since I’ve been referred to in such a way…does Diluc refer to me as his brother towards you?”

The last part of his sentence was spoken slightly quieter than the rest of it, his joking tone getting more serious as he continued speaking. That's when you truly decided to analyze the situation before you. It was strange, strange that Diluc had never talked about his brother to you. Strange that his brother had never tried to visit you and Klee. Strange that it seemed Kaeya wasn't all that surprised that Diluc had not informed him of his marriage. Strange that the family portrait had Kaeya’s face burnt out of it. Oh. Oh .

You knew it was wrong, but maybe this information could be used to your advantage; “Why, sometimes, yes, yes he does.” But the success of the Tsarista was more important than your feelings of love for your new daughter and strong admiration towards your faux husband.

Kaeya wore an expression of bewilderment, taking a sip of at least his fourth or fifth drink of the night; “Is that so?”

“Yes, in fact,” you said, “he told me that I should be asking you for information on the Darknight Hero specifically.”

You tried your best to smile genuinely at him, though it was hard to tell exactly what he was thinking due to his intoxication. The young man flew his lead back with a laugh, clearly at a loss for words. He felt the need to place his hand on top of his forehead for extra dramatic effect. Perhaps you shouldnt have laid it on this thick, eased him into the conversation. Though you had learned from your uncle years ago that when a person was intoxicated, it was much easier to get information out of them no matter the method.

“Well what would you know,” he finally replied, “looks like the young master is finally off his rockers.”

You tried smiling sympathetically, perhaps he was too intoxicated to answer any of your questions. What a shame, now you would need to try to find another knight to introduce yourself to and try to weasel out information. You sighed, grabbing your practically full glass of grape juice as you ready yourself to stand up and look around.

“So tell me Y/n,” Kaeya interrupts, “what is it exactly you want to know about this Darknight Hero character?”

You pondered his question momentarily before finally replying; “How long has he been in Mondstadt for?”

Kaeya put his hand on the bottom of his chin, stroking it most likely for dramatic effects; “Hmm… what a lovely question. I-I would say…about a year and a half or so?”

Excellent, now if you could identify a stressor, maybe you could figure out who would have the motivation to do such a thing; “Does anyone know why this man started to do what he does?”

“Well that's easy,” he laughed once more, “let's just say that perhaps this person has personality problems and an antihero complex.”

You noticed the lack of seriousness in Kaeya’s expression, as if this was some sort of game to him. As if the mere fact you were even asking these questions was silly.

“Say… where did you say you were from again?” he decided to ask, “I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“I’m from Snezhnaya–”

“Snezhnaya?!” he interrupted, exasperated humor in his tone, “Please humor me, Y/n, is this all some sort of joke? Don’t tell me this is Diluc’s bizarre way in order to get us to bond or something?”

“Um, no?” you said, “Sorry, am I missing something important here Kaeya?”

“It seems that you are, considering you are asking me these strange questions!” he laughed.

“Could you please…explain?” you ask.

“Well sure, though I would have thought a Snezhnayan like you would have been able to pick up on this by now..*hic*” He cleared his throat, “Is Diluc’s behavior not seeming strange to you? I mean, disappearing for days on end, not introducing you directly to his own supposed ‘brother’, asking you to ask me about the Darknight Hero?”

All you can do is send him an unbothered glance. It truly wasn't any of your business about Diluc’s familial and work issues, the only real reason you knew about his brother in the first place is because you snooped through his office.

“Well, since he won't just tell you like a grown man, I will.” Kaeya continued to tease, “I mean, your his wife after all, I’m sure your unity as a Mond-Snezhnayan duo will surely aid our circumstances.”

You were confused about what he was getting at, before you saw him drunkenly pull what looked to be a paper out of his side pocket before handing it to you; “I’m sure Master Diluc will find the contents of this report amusing, do show it to him for me, would you?”

You nervously grasped the letter from his hands, could this report really have all the answers to what you had been looking for these past couple of months. You held your breath as you looked what was inside:

Report: 10023e106

Knight: Kaeya Alberich

Department: Domestic Affairs

Witness: Dona Schmidt

I was simply walking outside the gates one night, hoping to collect some of the new flowers that had just bloomed for a dear friend of mine. I was admiring the beautiful flowers when suddenly an army of slimes had emerged from the water and began heading towards me! I screamed out and began to run for the gates when my foot became stuck in the wet soil, causing me to trip and injure my leg. I was absolutely hopeless! But then, a man appeared before me and started to attack the hydro slimes! He had a pyro vision, so he was able to wipe them out in only a few hits. It was amazing! He then carried me to the gates of Mondstadt so that the guards could take me to the infirmary!

What? His description? Oh yes…well you see. It was dark at night and a little hard to tell, but he was wearing a mask! It was in the shape of a beak and-and he was wearing an all black cloak around him. Oh…but the most incredible part was his hair! Even though I could barely see anything around me, his pyro vision practically lit his hair! It was such a beautiful fire color…

End of Witness Testimony

Witness Signature: Dona S.

Knight Signature: K. Alberic h

It was hard to tear your eyes away from what you had just read. You heard Kaeya laughing in the background, looking up at his face it was clear he was waiting for your reaction as he joyfully smiled at you.

Pyro vision. All black clothes. Red hair. Experience in comabt. Fuck.

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#diluc genshin impact #diluc x you #diluc x y/n #diluc x reader #diluc x fem!reader #genshin angst #sad moments #ragbros #klee genshin impact

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birdie123au · 2 years

Text

spy and seek

masterlist pairing: diluc x reader genre: angst w/ happy ending

With a headache and hangover, you want nothing more than to enjoy a peaceful day in the winery surrounded by your wonderful faux family. Though in a twist of events, your husband is sent out on a mission for the day, leaving you all alone with little miss Klee.

A game of hide and seek changes it all as you are suddenly made aware of the truth behind your situation. Now with a plausible plan in action, you can finally complete your mission and bring pride to your family and higherups. Though you can't help but shake a guilt feeling within you the entire day.

The bright sun that beamed through the window served as a horrifically brutal alarm clock. Your head pounded as if it was being stepped on by a ruin guard. You had not been in Snezhnaya for over three months at this point, though it seemed that the effects from not drinking strong liquors for a long period of time to drinking multiple cups in only a few hours was nothing to laugh at. You tried to lift the covers further over your head to shield yourself from the penetrating light, not quite in the mood to get out of bed yet.

A polite knock at the door made you want to physically shrivel up in your bed for all of eternity; “Master Y/n? Are you awake?”

The sound of Adelinde’s soft voice reassured you, and although you were in no mood to socialize, you didn't have it in you to simply ignore her. So you got out of bed and adjusted your hair, you didn't bother changing out of your nightgown just yet. You made your way to the door, thankful that at least it wouldn't be Dimitri’s face that would greet you. After the conversation the two of you had last night, the last you saw of him was that he was drunkenly flirting with a Szehnayan man, and who was to tell what became of that.

“Good morning.” Adelinde said, greeting you as you opened your door, “I have a letter for you from Master Diluc, he left early this morning and asked if I could deliver it to you as soon as you were awake.”

The head maid held out her hands, within them layed a folded letter; “Oh, thank you Adelinde! I’ll be downstairs for breakfast in a few minutes…could you maybe prepare me a coffee?”

The woman chuckled before nodding, you shut your door as you saw her turn to leave. The letter from Diluc felt a bit strange. Most apparently, his handwriting looked uncharacteristically disheveled, as if he was in a rush while writing it. The letter was addressed to you by first name only;

Y/n,

Thank you for such a beautiful experience last night. I truly appreciated getting to know you and your family more than ever before. Unfortunately, something came up this morning for work, and I will not be home for some time. Rest assured, I will be back well before Klee’s orientation for school. In fact, if you are willing, I would love to celebrate this accomplishment with you as soon as I return.

With Love,

D. Ragnvindr

Great. He was gone again just before you planned on asking him questions about your target. You had been in Mond, married, for quite some time now and the only information you had truly been able to gather was from that of the Adventurers Guild. Even then, the people in Mondstadt very rarely gave any information on appearances, just the fact that he was a young man wearing a mask.

You frustratingly set the letter down on your nightstand. Perhaps today was the day you should visit the Angel’s Share, though you would need to wait until nightfall considering most knights ended their shifts just before dinner time. You changed out of your nightgown into something more appropriate for breakfast, before making your way down the large oak staircase that you had come to love. You hoped that once you returned to Snezhnaya that you could renovate the stairs in your flat to match the ones in the Winery.

“Look Dodoco! Mama is awake!” You heard Klee shout from the table, holding her little stuffed toy in her hand.

“Good morning Miss Klee.” You said, shooting a warm smile in her direction.

“Mama should sit down next to Klee! Klee is eating pancakes for breakfast!” You almost needed to cover your ears from how loud the girl was shouting at you, you were just thankful Adelinde prepared a coffee that should be able to soothe your hangover. You took a seat next to your young daughter who was more than happy to take your presence as an invitation to go on a long rant about how much fun she had yesterday at the festival.

“And then, Uncle Alexander took Dodoco from Klee to make a-a flower crown!” The little girl happily recited her interactions with Pulcinella, “Wait, when is Mama going to take Klee to Snech-snez..naya?”

The question made you sad. The way she looked at you with stars in her eyes, asking when her mother would take her home. Unfortunately for her, you would be eventually returning to Snezhnaya by yourself, instead of your child it would be another dead body to bring to your superiors. You tried not to think about life after the current mission all that much, because you could tell you were growing a little too attached to your life here in Mond, a little too attached to your now husband and child.

“Someday very soon!” You enthusiastically said, knowing deep down that it was all a lie.

“What should we do today mama?” the girl asked with a mouth full of food, “Oh oh! Klee will take you blast fishing!”

“Um, maybe not.” you chimed in, the term blast fishing did not sound very ‘hungover friendly’, “I’m sure your father probably wouldn’t appreciate that very much. Is there anything fun we can play at home?”

Klee pouted, her mood clearly destroyed by your denial of her fun activity planned for the day; “Oh, Klee’s knows! Let’s play hide and go spy!”

You nearly spit out your coffee at the word spy. Perhaps the game was different back in the motherland, but you were certain the word was ‘seek’ not ‘spy’. The little girl hopped down from her chair, clearly full from the breakfast she was given, before she quickly tugged at your hand to follow her. You begrudgingly set your coffee on the table as you followed Klee up the stairs and into one of the many rooms in the household. The room was clearly meant to be some sort of office, judging from the two large desks and how the walls were lined with many different cases of books. Though the atmosphere was strange, and it was clear this office space hadn't been used in at least several years.

“We used to play this game all the time in the lab!” Klee cheered to herself as she dashed around the old room.

Wait. The lab? Did Diluc use to work in some sort of research facility?

“What lab, Klee?” you asked, although it was immediately clear you shouldn't have. The young girl froze in place, an expression of fear and guilt on her face.

“There is no lab!” Klee said, waving her head back and forth like a crazy person, “Kl-klee has been with papa for a very long time!”

This response confused you more, what in Teyvat did she mean by that? Klee clearly didn't want to explain anymore as she swiftly changed the subject at hand; “Mama needs to count to sixty while Klee hides! No peeking!”

The girl ran out of the room as the game began, you stood there confused about the sequence of events that just transpired, opting to cover your eyes anyways to appease the young girl. After counting to sixty, you opened your eyes to see that the room was completely empty besides yourself, which was most definitely a given. You took that as an opportunity to flee the creepy abandoned study before making your way to the various bedrooms.

You checked each and every one of them thoroughly, looking at all the places you'd think a child would hide; under the bed, the covers, in the closet, behind the door. Nothing. This left you with one final option: the master bedroom. It was the largest bedroom of the house with a large, slightly circular, oak door with a large hinge on the front. You had never been into Diluc’s room before, though you assumed he would not truly mind in the context of playing a game with his daughter. As you opened the door you were suddenly reminded of the night the two of you first met one another.

The room had a large black chandelier at the center, similar to the ones at the soiree. There was also a fireplace with several black leather couches surrounding it. A vast fluffy rug sat in between the two items, one that you assumed to be made out of animal fur. The dressers, nightstands, and closet all seemed to be on the same theme as each other; oak wood. Though your attention was most off all drawn the king sized bed that sat in the back of the large room. It was a canopy oak bed with dark red sheets, it looked really comfortable. It made you quite jealous considering what you were currently sleeping on in one of the guest rooms.

As you made your way to where the bed lay, you noticed a lump in the covers, which stood out considering the bed was made and the pillows were fluffed. Klee , you thought to yourself, what a funny girl . When you finally reached a place in which you could physically grab the lump, you heard a chorus of giggles from under the sheets.

The covers suddenly flew up into the air as if there was an explosion underneath, and out emerged a young girl with little pigtails and elf ears; “You found Klee! Klee is really good at hiding!”

You laughed in response, taking the little girl into your arms; “Is it my turn to go and hide now, Miss Klee?”

The girl continued laughing before nodding her head; “Yup! Klee will count to sixty now. Go hide!”

You sat the girl down onto her fathers bed before making your way out of the room. You opted to go and explore some of the rooms downstairs, seeing as many of the other hiding places you checked before didn't seem all that appealing. As you made your way down the staircase, you noticed an absence of workers from the home, meaning that most of them were outside cleaning up. You walked towards the end of the large room behind the stairs, as you took the time to open the door. What you once thought was a stairway to a basement was in reality a pathway to another section of rooms from the house, ones that were strangely boarded off.

One room that caught your attention was at the end of the hallway, it was another study, like before. Although instead of two desks and collecting dust, it was one large desk that had been used recently. You approached the piece of furniture and noticed how messy it was, letters scattered all over the place, meaning however was there recently was clearly in a hurry. Your inner fatui snoop got the best of you and you decided to take a peak around the area.

Several of the letters were addressed to Diluc himself, talking about various stocks of wines and other beverages as well as detailing shift schedules with employees. Yet the more you looked the more strange the letter became. One of the more recent ones talked about the abyss herald that had attacked Dimitri all those nights ago, while another reported about an ‘urgent mission’ regarding the ley lines. The common denominator for the lot of these was that they all had something to do with the abyss order in some sort of way, but what set off alarm bells in your head was that none of them were addressed to Diluc directly, and the senders never signed their names.

Could this be related to his business with the fatui from years ago? Some sort of underground network?

Your mind raced a million miles an hour, attempting to make sense of all of these letters. You decided to check the drawers, in which you found many more. One of them was from the Grandmaster of the Knights of Favionous dated a few years back. The Grandmaster expressed his great sadness for the death of Diluc’s father, and how the Knight responsible for ‘covering it up’ would be investigated. Covering it up? Could this be what that bitter man from the school interview was implying when he spoke with Diluc?

You read the series of letters all from the time span of four years ago until about a year ago. This is where you were able to put together the details of the tragic death of Diluc’s father. Apparently he had saved some of the Knights of Favonius in exchange for his life, in which one of the Knights tried to cover it up for public relations and that is the reason why Diluc ended up leaving the knights. You also noticed a detail about a man by the name of Kaeya, and how he was somehow connected to everything. This made you even more confused than before.

You lifted your head up to look at the wall in front of you, trying to clear your mind. But what you saw made you gasp. It was a portrait, but not just any portrait, a family one. You immediately recognized Diluc as one of the two gentlemen standing in the back. Your eyes also caught the attention of the man sitting on the chair, he looked like an older version of your husband, but with a beard and brown eyes, something that made your heart clench in pain. It was his dead father. Finally, you looked back up to the two men standing in the back of the chair, next to Diluc was a peculiar-looking person with blue hair, the two of them stood in Knights of Favonius attire.

The painting wouldn't have made you blink an eye, if it were for the fact that the man with blue hair’s face was seemingly burnt off of the large tapestry. You went over to touch the area of burnt tapestry when you lay your left hand onto the small table underneath. You froze as you felt a piece of paper on the small table. You looked down to see that in between the two vases filled with flowers lay another letter. At this point, you were in too deep to look away, if you were gonna snoop you might as well make sure you get through everything. The handwriting inside the letter was beautiful, something you couldn't help but appreciate:

To D,

Well wouldn't you know it, perhaps my suspicions about the timing of your arrival back home and the sudden appearance of the Darknight Hero weren't completely unfounded, no? As per standard request of the Knights of Favonius, I will soon need to pay you a visit for some questioning.

After the recent attack with the abyss herald at your manor, and the similar defeat of another group of abyss mages later that evening, the Darknight Hero has truly brought upon us some valuable time when it comes to dealing with these non-stop prolonged attacks. It seems that the abyss order, in general, has become more dangerous as of late.

I would love for this meeting to be the chance for me to get to see my niece once again, as I promised that I would visit her as soon as possible the last time I saw her at headquarters. Word on the street is that the young Master Ragnvindr has a wife. I find it strangely comforting in the fact that you now have a partner, no more working alone then I presume? I cannot wait to finally meet this mysterious young woman.

I also would like to mention that although the Knights only suffered a few small injuries last facing the abyss order, it seems one of the traveling merchants has been taken and held hostage, prompting the Knights to once more suit up for investigation.

Perhaps these changes in circumstances would prompt the collaboration of the Darknight Hero and the Knights of Favonius? The odds of success would surely improve, no?

See you soon,

Kaeya

Kaeya? Kaeya . That was the same name referred to in one of the letters sent by the houseworkers that you had previously read. Diluc’s brother. Diluc actually had a brother? You suppose you could be too upset, considering you didn't exactly disclose your family heritage either, but still, Kaeya wanted to meet you, he said it himself!

More importantly, it seems that Kaeya knows much about the Darknight Hero, considering the language used in the letter as well made you even more suspicious. You could only hope that Kaeya wasn't referring to Diluc as you assumed he was. So there you had it, all of the missing details in your mission that you could possibly need. All you had to do was find this ‘Kaeya’ character and you were practically a step away from completing your mission and returning home.

It all felt much more real now. All of the memories shared between you and your little family in the past month felt more real . You clutched your amber pendant that still hung around your neck, though it seemed much heavier now. You thought of Diluc, how once your mission was over you no longer needed to be married to him, you no longer were obligated to stay and help him with his own troubles. You thought of all the times the two of you shared meals together, joined arms and walked down the streets of Mond, the way he was willing to take risks for your sake as he did at the festival yesterday, the way you kissed his cheek…

“Mama! I found you!” Klee bursted into the room. Klee . Her bright smile immediately lifted up your spirits, though it was clear by your facial expression that you still felt down.

“Wha-whats wrong? Why is mama sad?!” Klee said, worried in her voice as she clutched onto her stuffed Dodoco. You simply couldn't hold back anymore. Perhaps you would never be as strong and carefree as your fatui peers, but you felt as though it would be heartless to trample on the feelings of your fellow humans all for the sake of the mission. It had been years since you became fatui, and you had been sent to eliminate countless targets which you had done in ease, so why did this time feel so different?

You made your way over to Klee and picked her up in your arms, your eyes felt slightly watery as you did so; “Congratulations! Now let's go back to the living room and think of what other games we can go and play.”

As you shut the door to Diluc’s office, it felt almost symbolic. Klee began to rant to you about how long it took to find you, and how she thought she had managed to lose you in such a large home. For the rest of the day until the evening, the two of you continued to play little games with one another, and Klee had finally offered you a Dodoco of your own in order to match hers.

You decided to place the stuffed toy chain on your belt, so ‘it could always be with you’ as Klee said. Diluc didn't return home that day, though you were sort of glad he didn't, meaning you had more time to yourself in order to process everything that transpired. You decided to write your superior another letter that night, detailing the majority of your findings and your plan of action. Something you did once more when Dimitri finally returned to the Dawn Winery just in time for a late dinner.

The entire time that you sat at the table, laughing with your subordinate and daughter, the remorseful feeling never subsided no matter how much fun you were having. You couldn't help but have one thought haunt you from the back of your mind…

What made this mission so different?

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#diluc genshin impact #diluc x you #diluc x y/n #diluc x fem!reader #diluc x reader #klee genshin impact #genshin angst #genshin kaeya #family drama

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birdie123au · 2 years

Text

fruits and family (dis)functions

masterlist pairing: diluc x reader genre: angst w/ happy ending

With the arrival of various 'friendly' faces from Snezhnaya, you try to balance enjoying teaching your newfound family about your culture while simultaneously attempting to uncover new information about your target and a potential location to speak with various witnesses.

The gloomy atmosphere acted as a sort of cloud of sorrow that fogged up the living room. The sound of the tea kettle screeching aided the claustrophobia. The three of you sat in complete silence, processing what had just occurred. Not only were you sure that your family had been rejected, but you had also learned many things about your faux husband during the interview, things that he had conveniently not told you about. For example, he was a member of the Knights of Favonius? This had never once been mentioned to you, in fact, the only talk of the knights that had ever occurred in the house was by that of little Klee. You had always assumed she had been exaggerating her title as a knight, but you had no idea the Ragnvidr family had any real connections to the knights at all. Despite being your husband on paper, you understood you knew little about Diluc and his personal life, but still, what exactly happened between him and the knights? Did it have anything to do with his late father?

“Papa, Klee is very sorry.” the young girl interrupted your thoughts with a solemn tone in her voice, “Klee didn't mean to mess up, she is very sorry…”

You glanced at Klee, she seemed so small and defeated, it was truly a pitiful sight.

“Don’t apologize Klee,” Diluc sighed, “I know how much you wanted to pass for my sake. Although our odds of getting accepted are impossible at best, I want to take the time to thank the both of you for trying your best”.

Diluc looked up to you, cracking a small smile; “I wouldn't be too worried! The man on the right clearly overstepped some sort of boundary when he took to insulting his potential clients!” you chimed in.

Klee’s eyes lit up as she nodded in agreement. The young girl ran over to you and set her head on your lap. Even during an interview with the fatui, back in Snezhnaya it is seen as unforgivable to openly insult someone's family, let alone a child.

“You're correct,” Diluc stood up from his seat, “besides, we did aid the institution after the stunt that Dimitri pulled with the slime”.

Yes, the stunt with Dimitri , you thought to yourself. Oh shit, Dimitri!

You quickly rose from your chair, resulting in Klee almost falling backwards; “Dimitri! I’m terribly sorry. I have to go and check on him.”

Before Diluc even had the chance to respond, you raced up the staircase and practically kicked down one of the guest bedroom doors. There sat Dimitri, letters in hand, clearly reading over the latest article about the Darknight Hero you had given to him days prior.

“There you are!” he says, smiling before he stands to salute you, “Here is the letter from the lady!”

You snatched the letter from him, your hands feeling sweaty from the sheer amount of nervousness within you. Well, here you were, about to get the verbal beating of a lifetime from your superior. Yet, at the same time you still had some hope that there would be valuable information written in regards to your target:

Y/n,

I am beside myself with how you have chosen to handle your assignment so far.

Why? Why would you find it within you to partner with the Persona non Grata? Although I applaud your ability to infiltrate the target nation and make contact with people of political interest, it is incredibly dangerous to house yourself with a man known to kill any fatui he comes in contact with. Utterly ludicrous behavior!

This is something I would expect of a lowly fatui footsoldier, not a high ranking mage such as yourself. Albeit I would enjoy discussing this issue with you further, I write with news the Adventurers Guild has gathered about your target.

Here in this envelope along with my letter lays several first hand accounts of sighting of your target, as well as complaints that have been filed directly to the Knights of Favonius. From what I seem to make of it, your target enjoys working in the dead of night, and although he was once a target of the Knights, it seems that his persecution has been put on the back burner. I trust you will find the reason for this and use it toward your advantage.

Finally, after a recent meeting with my fellow harbingers, your uncle asked of me to relay some valuable information to you, so I left a note that should be stuck to my letter.

I expect of you to put an end to your comical antics, and instead focus on the true task at hand. Know that the consequences of your inability to put a stop to your targets foolish theatrics will result in the further exposition of fatui information.

Do not disappoint me,

Sandrone

You could practically feel the anger seething from the letter, it sort of made you want to cry. The lady was not someone to mess around with, and by the way her penmanship angrily jumped off the page, it was very clear her patience with you was becoming limited. You examine the other contents of the envelope, just as she said, it was mainly comprised of civilian testimony that had been reported to the Knights. At least you now know exactly what kind of people you should ask in regards to the Darknight Hero. This made your newfound revelation about Diluc’s past even more useful to yourself.

Before examining the testimonies any further, you find great interest in a sticky note attached to the lady’s letter. Oh dear. Just as she had mentioned, your eccentric uncle had written you a message, though you weren't quite sure what it was about. Seeing as family is of utmost importance in the motherland, receiving a letter from the man who had given you a great amount of fatherly affection when your own dad was cold and distant wouldn't be too strange. But you knew he had far more important business to attend to, so why waste his time by writing you such a small note?

“Is something wrong?” Dimitri asked, still standing awkwardly as you dissected the various pieces of information you were sent.

“Uh…no, nothing is wrong,” you say, clearly distracted, “but could you do me a favor?”

“Of course!” he smiled cheerfully.

“I need you to find me a location where the Knights typically mingle after work hours. A ballroom, restaurant, bar, brothel, whatever. I need that information as soon as possible.” you say.

“Yes ma'am!” He salutes you before taking his leave.

You turn your attention once more to the sticky note, you wonder what your lavish uncle could possibly want from you:

My dearest Y/n,

How proud I am of you for taking up such a sophisticated mission, I wish you the best of luck my dear! I’m writing to you with some very exciting news! As you know, Krsnik Noc is right around the corner, and I can't help but feel saddened by the fact that you will be alone in Mondstadt with no one to celebrate. So I took the liberty of inviting myself, along with some guests from our hometown, mostly my coworkers from the city council, to come to you for the festival! Don’t worry, I will be equipped with a wonderful disguise, and you may refer to me as Uncle Alexander rather than my true name. See you in a few days time.

All my love,

Your dear uncle

What. The. Fuck. Was the only thing you could think of at the moment. Your uncle, the mayor of the capital of Snezhnaya, a man so powerful that he was the fifth of the fatui harbingers was coming to you, in Mondstadt. You were yet to tell him of your marriage, or the fact that you were now a mother to a six year old child! Well actually, perhaps this would be a good thing, afterall if your uncle was able to see that you were now married, he could inform the rest of your family so that you would no longer have to stand their snarky comments about your marital status.

Yes , you tell yourself, this is simply a blessing from the Tsarista in disguise . Now all you had to do was go downstairs and break the news to your unsuspecting husband…

————

You lost count of the amount of hands you had already shaken, and it was merely eleven o'clock in the morning. You had never seen so many Snezhnayans all in one place in a foreign land all at once. Many of the people there you recognized as politicians or members of the city council, along with them were their children and teenagers. The guest list was so vast that the area of celebration had to be held a five minute walk from the Dawn Winery, at the very top of the hill near the Statue of the Seven. It was a good thing that the only hotel in Mond had been rented out by the fatui, or else all of these people would have nowhere to stay.

Diluc had been suspicious when you suddenly came to him with news that your crazy uncle would be arriving in Mondstadt in just a few days time with an army of civilians from your homeland. But seeing the vast amount of people and families that were really there left him utterly dumbfounded by the sight before him. He stood stiff and alert next to you as the two of you shook hands and greeted the many guests. Many of them recognized you instantly, seeing as your uncle had photos of you and your cousins all around his office, something that you were unaware of.

Majority of the families were shocked by the fact you had a husband, considering Pulcinella never mentioned that detail when he talked about you. The thing you most enjoyed, however, was the way their gaws practically hit the floor when you informed them you were now a mother to a young girl. You won’t lie, their congratulations and praises boosted your ego greatly, something you were much appreciative for. Every so often you would turn your head to the big bonfire that was being set up, and how little Klee was running around the stacks of wood, playing tag with the young Snezhayan children.

Seeing her wearing an all white dress with blue embroidered flowers down the front and the back, along with a mini flower crown designed for the children to wear made you feel a sense of pride and nostalgia, remembering all of the fond memories from when you were a child and would celebrate Krsnik Noc. You too were dressed in traditional Snezhnayan clothing, though this was the first year you wouldn't be wearing a large flower crown, but instead a very small one, considering you were now married and therefore couldn't take part in some of the traditions designed strictly for unmarried women.

It had taken much convincing, but Diluc finally had agreed to wear traditional clothing along with yourself. You assumed he didn't want to considering the fact that he had literally made an enemy out of your entire home country. Regardless, you hoped that he could at least partially enjoy the festivities tonight, it wasn't everyday someone from Mond got to experience a Snezhanayan celebration firsthand. In fact, you noticed that although the celebration hadn't truly begun yet that citizens of Mondstadt were stopping by to see what was going on, and that the people from your homeland were offering them clothing to wear, flower crowns, and food.

This would be a great distraction for Dimitri to easily slip into Mondstadt and gather the intel that you had asked of him, this was a win for everyone involved! Well, almost everyone…

“Well isn't this a wonderful sight!” the sound of a jovial old man’s voice appeared in front of you, “My dearest Y/n, nightfall hasn't even struck and the decorations are already coming together so beautifully!”

There stood your small uncle, dressed in a traditional Snezhnayan style pantsuit with a tall blue tophat that matched the embroidery on his outfit. Your uncle, in the flesh, and although you were excited to see him again you couldn't help but be confused. Pulcinella had promised he would inform his coworkers and their families about the importance of concealing his identity while in Mondstadt, but the only thing different about him that you noticed was that his mustache was now far longer and bushier than he had always had it. Was this mustache his disguise… ?

You shook your head, attempting to regain your focus, “Oh! Hi um, uncle Alexander, s prazdnikom!”

You leaned down so he could kiss you on the cheek; “Thank you my dear! Now who may this fine young gentleman be.”

“Diluc Ragnvindr, head of the Ragnvindr Clan.” you husband replied, crossing his arms in suspicion. Your uncle seemed to immediately recognize him, for all the wrong reasons, you assumed as he narrowed his eyes and his face scowled slightly.

“Ragnvindr you say–”

“My husband!” you interrupt. Your uncle's eyes are as wide as saucers.

“Husband?” he replies, his voice full of perplexion.

“Yes, m-my husband. And I assure you that I understand the sort of shock this may bring but that I have it all under control! B-by that I mean…uh, the two of us are very happy together!” you link hands with your husband, a sickly large smile on your face. Diluc nods before taking the time to turn to you and smile.

“Well isn't that some wonderful news,” your uncle clears his throat, still clearly stunned by your outburst.

“And the two of us have a daughter together.” you add, squeezing Diluc’s arm harder.

“Pardon me?!” your uncle once again cries out.

“Yes, my daughter from my previous marriage. Her name is Klee.” Diluc reassures him, his arms signaling to the location of the young girl, now stationed at one of the food stations, eating some Blini along with her group of newfound friends.

All your uncle can do is look at you. He clearly had many questions to ask you; “Why don't you follow the two of us and we can go and introduce the two of you.” you say before he can speak up again.

Pulcinella sighs as he walks closer towards you with his cane; “I would be delighted, my dear.”

————

The rest of the morning ran smoothly as the number of citizens from Mond increased. By midafternoon there were just enough Snezhnayans and Mondstadtians to begin some of the traditional activities that would typically take place during Krsnik Noc. Though that being said, there were some creative liberties that needed to be taken in order to accommodate for the lack of snow. You had spent most of the day socializing with old acquaintances, answering some of your uncle's most urgent questions, and explaining to Klee the various ceremonies that would take place along with which ones she would and couldnt take part in. Diluc also spent his time interacting with the people from Snezhnaya, but there was an element of seriousness in the way he socialized.

By the time the sun had set the festival attendees all gathered by the now lit bonfire, eating borsh, bread, drinking, and sharing mythological stories about old Snezhnaya. You and the little Klee were busy eating and painting your lantern that the two of you would be releasing tonight. You sipped casually on your Fire Water, something that you hadn't had the pleasure of drinking in ages. Everything felt so wonderful . Krsnik Noc used to be a festival you dreaded, considering its emphasis on marriage and love, though now you found you could finally appreciate it for what it was: community . An entire group of people, both from Mond and Snezhnaya, all in one place, sharing drinks and memories together. You were truly appreciative of your uncle, and how greatly he cared for you and your wellbeing in a foreign country.

“Attention festival goers!” a deep voice interrupted, the crowd quieted down, and you recognized the man to be one of your uncles' assistants, a hydro fatui skirmisher named Benedikt. It was odd to see him without his mask and disguises, though you were curious what he had to say nonetheless; “I wanna take a moment to thank the great Uncle Alexander for taking the time to plan such a wonderful event!”

The crowd erupted with cheers and clapping as Benedikt went in for another sip of his drink; “To the citizens of Mond who we are fortunate enough to share our culture with!”

The skirmisher took a moment to turn to where you and your little family sat, a drunken smile on his face; “And to the Mrs. and Mr. Ragnvindr! Who were kind enough to allow us to throw our festival in their very large backyard!”

The crowd clapped once more as Benedikt saluted the two of you.

“Now that the night is upon us, let's start the fire jumping festivities! Sage Snezhevna, Mast Diluc, I think the two of you should start us off!” he says as he motions to the firepit.

You cringe at the name he uses to address you, way to keep it subtle man .

“Fire…jumping?” Diluc questions, his arms folded as he looks to you in confusion.

“Oh, right!” you start, “Fire jumping in one of the traditions that couples partake in during the festival! The two of us hold hands and try to see if we can jump the fire without falling in a getting burnt”

You smile at him, clearly excited. This was the first year you would be able to compete in this tradition, how exciting! Diluc looked concerned.

Despite his hesitancy, you with the help of some of the Snezhnayan women dragged him over to the bonfire as Klee cheered and clapped. It was clear he didn't appreciate the way he was being touched by the strangers. The two of you now stood at the foot of the fire, your head buzzed in a combination of excitement and most likely tipsiness. Diluc carefully studied the fire pit, clearly not as interested in the ordeal as the people around you.

“Alright, lets...let's do this!” you cry out, shaking his arm you hung onto for dear life. The people who were in immediate earshot cheered around you.

Diluc sighed before stubbornly gripping your arm harder than before. The two of you took a couple of steps back before you were suddenly pulled forward. Because of the alcohol hindering your mobility and reaction time, your husband had to do most of the work when it came to physically launching yourself over the fire. You shrieked as the two of you launched into the air, though Diluc remained relatively quiet, focused on timing your landing correctly.

As the two of you flew over the fire you imagined being back home in Snezhnaya, enjoying this festival with the rest of your family and friends. You imagined the light snow and how cold you always were. You thought of Diluc. The two of you arm and arm launching yourselves over the firepit back at home, how you wished you could spend your first Krsnik Noc as a married woman in the motherland. For the first time since you had been here you felt a pain in your heart thinking about your marriage, your fake marriage, about the fact that it wasn't real…

Your mind is drawn back into the present by the sound of people cheering, but more importantly the sound of laughter. Diluc’s laughter. It's clear he wasn't quite anticipating how fun of a time fire jumping could be. You pushed back the painful thoughts about the two of yous relationship, instead opting to laugh along with him. You looked into the crowd to see your little daughter on the shoulders of one of your uncle's subordinates, cheering and clapping with a wide smile on her face. In a moment of impulse, you plant a kiss on the unsuspecting young master’s cheek. The cheering grew louder.

The rest of the fire jumping activities came and went with very little trouble. Only one or two couples were put in any real danger, then again thanks to the disguised hydro skirmishers standing by the bonfire it was easy to put out in the case of any emergency, only to be relit moments later. Now that it was time for the final festivities, the lantern sending and the reef ceremony, the crowd of people made their way down the side of the winery in order to make it to where the small lake lay at the bottom of the hill.

You walked beside Diluc with Klee in your arms. The little girl was hanging onto her Dodoco themed lantern for dear life, fearful that the paperweight would fly away if she didn't grab it tight enough. As the three of you approached the side of the river, you saw it was time to start letting go of the lit lanterns. Klee seemed unwilling to part with her creation, but after a reminder of what it was for, she eventually obliged.

“Alright Mr. Dodoco Lantern! Be free!” the young girl said as she went to release her creation. The three of you watched in silence as the sky was illuminated with at least fifty lanterns. Little Klee wrapped her arms loosely around your neck as she watched on in awe.

Next to the three of you, you noticed groups of Snezhnayan girls gathering at the bed of the lake, taking off their large flower crowns and setting them on lit wooden rafts. You watched as the flower reefs drifted further and further from the shore, as the women from Mondstadt began to follow suit at the example.

“Mama? Klee wants to know why you aren't doing the same thing as those girls over there!” Klee said as she pointed to the reef ceremony.

“Ha…ha,” you laughed, “well Miss Kleeeee. The r-reef ceremony is for unmarried women! And do you…see all of those young men jumping into the water? They are trying to c-catch the girlies' crowns!”

“Oh, okay! Is that why mama's crown is so small?” Klee replies, her little hands grab the crown on your head before fiddling with it in her hands. Suddenly, a large gust of wind snatches the reef away from the little girl's arms, caring it out into the lake.

“Oops!” Klee cries, horrified at the sight, “Klee is so sorry mama!”

Before you even have time to reply, Diluc leaves your side and begins wandering into the lake in search of your crown. It takes him a few minutes to find it, and by the time he does he is practically waist deep in the water. He emerges victoriously nonetheless, and hands you back your crown. Heat rises to your face, so much so you need to turn away. Although Diluc may not understand the true weight of his actions, you as a Snezhnayan do. And Diluc Ragnvindr retrieved your reef during the reef ceremony !

“My dear Y/n! May I speak to you alone for a moment?” Pulcinella says, standing right beside you. Had he been there the whole time ? You nod as you hand Klee to Diluc, still not able to look him in the eyes. You follow your uncle to a remote location at the edge of the crowd of festival attendees. You quickly noticed Dimitri standing where your uncle was taking you, a smug smile on his face.

“My lady!” your subordinate says, “I have some great news I needed to tell you! About the locations, I mean. So it turns out, many of the Knights spend their evenings drinking together!”

Dimitri then launches his hand into his pocket, trying to fish out a paper; “And the best part about it is that they most of often drink in the bar your husband owns! The Angel's Share!”

He hands you a paper with the address and contact info for the bar, stuff you already knew about after the tour Diluc and Klee gave you days ago.

Pulcinella scoffed at the mentioning of the name; “Yes, Y/n that husband of yours…”

“Do you not find it suspicious that he was so willing to marry a Snezhnayan woman? One he just met at that?”

“What do y-you mean by that?” your voice slurs.

“I’m just saying, what sort of motives do you think a man hated by the fatui would have with a woman such as yourself?”

All you can do is stand and blink, your brain is far too tired to process what is happening.

“Uncle Alexander! Can we get some help over here?” A random voice from the crowd interrupts. Your uncle sighs as he looks in your eyes one last time.

“Make good decisions Y/n, you're far too precious in my eyes to go to waste.”

And just like that, he was gone. Disappeared into the crowd. The very same crowd that held your daughter and husband, most likely confused about your whereabouts. After the conversation with your uncle, your mood had been practically destroyed. Just when you started to think, no hope , Diluc’s intentions were genuine, you were hit with another cruel reality of your situation. You turn your heels and get ready to make your way back into the crowd.

“Oh, Y/n, before I forget!” Dimitri suddenly pipes up, “Adelinde wanted me to tell you or the young master this as soon as possible. A letter was sent today from Zapolyarny Immersion School!

…Klee got in!”

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#diluc genshin impact #diluc x you #diluc x reader #diluc x fem!reader #klee genshin impact #genshin angst #drunktimes

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