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blissfulraine · 5 months

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Duedett: a Bayveres 2014 fanfiction

intro: okay so this is just creative writing to up my games for in general fun and creative outlets, (if you have requests or math cup i still write them,message me separate in my ask box) anyway like it or dont this is here for amusement and personal gain. Enjoy <3

CHARTER TWO

I groaned.

For what feels like the 80th time I held the crouched pose , smiling, and waving my hands in a frenzy, all while trying to look good. As much as I love drama, sometimes it sure does get aggravational to do this sometimes.

“ higher arms maddie!” My head snapped up as I lifted my arms higher to touch one of our ‘flounder’ actors' shoulders making my arms as straight as I possibly could, the stiffness in them starting to burn at my muscles. I think his name was James but I could totally be wrong. I squinted my eyes up at the tanned, overly exaggerated and forced smiling face. ‘He sure looks like James to me’. holding the pose I smiled brighter, making my best mersister face. I think Ms.green knew we were tired because she heaved a sigh and lifted her arm in the air; like clockwork the five other mersisters surrounding me raised their arm and after a moment or two took a steep bow. i to took that steep bow, although I’m not very good at it in the costume.

“ That's it for today, remember i'll be posting the dance you just did inside the drama classroom so watch it,” she looked up over the edge of her red rimmed glasses, bringing her eyes to Veronica the junior, her tone dripping with annoyance,

“and practice it.” you know it's bad when she mentions that we need more practice, we are so close to opening night and we barely have the routine down. I grunt, slinging the 30 pound backpack over my shoulders, leaning down to collect the rest of my spilled belongings that sat under tue seats of the auditorium. With a handful of pens,loose papers, and a book the size of my face I trudged off to the left wing where my locker graciously awaited to relive me of the massive weight. I had long since remembered that passcode to get in, it was now merely muscle memory as I pulled out the several text books I carried with me all day as I turned the numbered knob expertly. God only knows why the school system has to make each text book 20 pounds a piece .Dusting myself off, my shoulders now lightened from the load,I catch my reflection in the reflective surface of the glass panes leading into a random classroom.

“Oh god” I said , turning around to meet eyes with myself in my disheveled, sweaty glory. "I really need to change.” And so instead of going my normal route to the front door, I grabbed my second pair of clothes and changed them in the locker rooms. As I straightened my glasses in the mirror and checked my mascara, staring at my reflection, my favorite loose white overalls and a baggy t-shirt underneath, all paired up wit my low cut UGGs; I look like a art kid. I grabbed my handbag. It was full of pens, ruined mechanical pencils, loose change,chapstick ,my phone and ID. I started hurriedly walking in the direction of the metro station, going the same way the rest of the busy pedestrians was heading. i zoned out,not taking in the noise as the world seemed to melt into a colorful blur of people and indie music that blared deafeningly into my ears, that is until an bloodcurdling scream rang so loud, so clear,i stooped all movement, the scream piercing the air like a sharp whistle. I pulled my head phones out to be met by pure, overwhelming, hectic chaos. hundreds of people screaming and running around from men in full black suits and masks, undoubtedly the largest group of terrorists to be in New york city. the Foot clan soldiers that have been the pinnacle of conversion and politics for the past 5 months were dragging innocent and screaming civilians down into the meteor station. My heart seemed to begin sprinting in my ribcage, my ears ringing, as I began to hyperventilate, panicking where I stood. People from all sides rushed to get away from the oncoming masked brigade, as all around me people were being grabbed and brought down to the subway station. Every instinct in my body told me to run; every fiber of my body was yelling at me to move my feet that seemed to be frozen to that corner as adrenaline and fear streamed through my brain. My bearings hit me like a bus to say the least, turning on my heel I made a mad, clumsy dash for anywhere but where I was, as I zeroed in on the screams coming from every direction. Right before I could even get a measly 2 feet, the air I could barely retain in my lungs was shivering as I was grabbed by the back of my shirt,yanking me back as I stumbled into the most unfriendly embrace of a chokehold i've ever been in. I cried out, never having been so panicked in my life, never having my thoughts run at the speed they were going at now, as i struggle and squirm, hyperventilating, just trying to get away to the best of my abilities as my brain engrossed in the thought of being killed in a mass homicide until now. I didn't know I had been dragged all the way down the stairs into the long, cold tunnel of the tan tiled walls of the subway station B3 of Manhattan until I was harshly thrown into the ground by the man who had grabbed me.

“Stay down if you want to live.” he told me threateningly, pointing a large machine gun in my face. I looked frantically all around me for away out, that was until my eyes landed directly on a small curly haired girl. She looked no older than 6 years old, if it's possible I looked harder at her, trying to get through the tears streaming down my face and past the sobs that wrecked her body. I tapped her on the shoulder, and smiled at her gently as she whipped her head around to face me, fear distinctly engraved in her features. I must look insane so I wiped the bottom of my eyes to make sure no mascara would smear, making me look worse. I motioned for her to sit closer, but to no avail she didn't move staying frozen in place.i looked around to see if there were any guards, i need to give her some comfort, this must be traumatizing to her and to everyone here but for a young girl to have this happen without mom or dad? No way.

“Sweetie, did you lose your mom or dad,” I asked gently shoving the voice cracks and fear down, looking around for a similar, yet older, match to her tanned caramel face. She nodded as she continued to cry, I shushed her gently, it was all I could do without making a scene while trying to get my bearings and have at least some control over the situation. She was terrified and obviously didn't know where or what was going on; and to be honest, neither did I.

“ Hey,” I stated gently grabbing her wrist. “ I can help you find them after this is done, but you gotta come here so I can keep you safe.” she nodded, crawling over to the corner I was thrown into. Surprisingly, insead of being hesitant like most kids, she straight away buried her face in my shirt, trembling. I know she isn't cold but I untied the pink, almost roble like hoodie that was tied into a ball around my purse straps and covered her in it. It isn't much protection, I think as I look over the girl covered in the light pink fabric, but at least it can give her something to hide in and feel safer. I looked around for anything else I could giver here when I saw the light blue glowing star plush keychain on the corner of my bag. It unclipped with a snap of metal as I handed it to her, She looked up at the movement, tilting here head.

“ That's Daryal, he'll give you good dreams for later,keep it, it's yours now.” She hugged it close, burying her face back in my sweater. Then I heard it. Over the gunshots in the distance, over the yelling, was a clear and consistent beeping noise; from right behind me. I turned to face whatever it was, and oh my god…

it was a bomb, counting down for 10 minutes till explosion. Panicking I mashed the red button aggressively with my thumb, hoping to whatever god out there it didn't go off. I thanked my lucky stars as the timer stopped.I looked around for others that i could do the same to, but nope, i couldn't reach any others spread out through the room, at least if i don't want to get shot. All of a sudden, a woman spoke. She was the only one without a mask and by the way she held herself, with such authority,obviously was the person in charge of the masked terrorist group.

"WE KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE!" she shouted with a thick accent that sounded similar to japanese. I looked around but only saw the Foot soldiers and fearful hostages, looking around in bewilderment. Was she talking about the vigilant April was going on about? Does this mean April is not in need of mental help? Who were they?and where could they be? There's where else for a person to hide in this broad, barely lit station. She turned to me and before I knew what was happening she had pointed a gun directly at my forehead. There was a click to my far left as we both craned our heads to look and see April O’Neil, camera out, and recording the scene. With a closer look my blood ran cold, it was April, her camera out and looking directly at me. The dark haired woman began a march up to her, gun outstretched in a firing position.

"WE'LL START WITH HER" I gasped mortified at the scene, as the girl sobbed at full capacity into my side. I was scared. I was mortified of what was about to happen to my friend, my caretaker, my step-aunt! I thought of what would happen when the rest of her family would think if she was killed, what would happen after april to? I looked at the girl and back in April, who caught my gaze, looking at me with a mix of horror and shock. So I did the only thing my brain let me do.

“APRIL!”

#teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtle imagine #tmnt 2k16 #tmnt michelangelo #tmnt bayverse #tmnt 2016 #bayverse tmnt #bayverse turtles #tmnt fandom #tmnt fanfiction #tmnt fan iteration

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neoninky · 1 year

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TWST Fanfic "Her Ivory Crown": Chapter 11

Hey y'all - I'm back to repost the last stretch of 'Her Ivory Crown' after a nice cliff hanger lol. Once again, comments, likes, and reblogs are appreciated! You can read the rest of this finished fic and its sequel on my AO3 page here.

Ch. 11: Open Season, Good Hunting

Luna and Cowrie Cerith, the mermaid and rumored siren sisters of the Cerulamare dorm had reputations that proceeded them. Luna was the cool, collected, and more sensuous of the two always held her cards close enough to her chest until the time to strike like an underwater venus fly trap. Luna was also very proficient in love potions and enchantments which let her name travel through many different circles for various reasons. Cowrie, two years younger, was much more straightforward, seemingly more playful and teasing of the two. Her talents were more physically and stealthily inclined. Sometimes toxin-based as well. But it was her curiosity that motivated Cowrie in her most sly moments. So really, poor Reine should have known better than to have her little tryst in front of a large open underwater tank. Cowrie just happened to be in the mood for a swim right around the time Riddle and Reine decided to break away from the party. And the younger mermaid just happened to notice the two getting comfortable with each other and decided to get a closer look, hiding among the seaweed. Cowrie's bright eyes lit up with excitement when she saw the two suddenly lock lips again and again and internally squealed when she silently made her way back inside.

"Lu, Lu, Lunaaa~"

The elder mersister smiled at her younger sibling's excited face as she sat next to Elise in the same booth, "Cowrie, did you enjoy your swim? I'd like to go next."

The smile on Luna's face grew as her sister leaned in to whisper excitedly in her ear. Cowrie was so cute when she discovered something interesting. "Really," Luna's brow lifted in interest at this juicy information. Her sister just giggled and continued. Elise was still talking to Azul but was distracted by the two sister's suspicious whispers. This was always a sign that they were up to no good.

"And what has you two so entertained?"

Cowrie didn't hesitate despite the fact that Azul and the twins were right there, "I saw Reiny-senpai with the little rose king. Looking rather cozy~" she was practically wagging her tail she no longer had in glee. Elise just frowned and scolded her junior like a disappointed parent.

"Cowrie! It is very rude to spy on people! Especially on Reine who rarely gets privacy as is-"

The mermaid just ignored her dorm leader and blurted out, "And they kissed! And kissed...and kissed...aaaannnd kissssseeedd~" Cowrie giggled wickedly at Elise, Azul, and even Jade's shocked faces. Floyd giggled along with the younger sister, finding this all very interesting.

"Oooooo Goldfish-chan and Mantie-chan? Sneaking off and making out together?! Heheheeeeh~"

Elise ignored Floyd and tried her best to keep order in spite of the internal glee she felt at the news of her best friend and Riddle getting a moment together, "As I said, Cowrie! Rude! And keep your voice down! I doubt Reine would want the entire room knowing about this."

Cowrie pouted as Luna patted her on the head, "Elise has a point, baby sister. It's not nice to pry into our dear friend's private moments like that."

"Ellie-senpai's just grumpy because stupid Rielle had to leave the festival early and now she can't dance with him-mmf!"

Luna covered Cowrie's mouth with her hand but still snorted at her sister's jab at Elise's history of missed opportunities with the mermaid prince. Oooo was this a sore subject! Elise's face glowed bright pink, "Y-You! That is enough out of you, Cowrie!" Azul said nothing but the twins definitely noticed how his furrowed brow twitched at the mention of Prince Rielle's name. Luna saw Riddle leaving the lounge in quite a hurry.

"Ohh? There goes the little rose king now...all alone. My, what could have happened to give him that face?"

Elise quickly motioned for the sisters to move so she could leave the booth, seeing her chance at escaping before these devious sisters could embarrass her further, "Excuse me, Mr. Ashengrotto, Jade, Floyd. I'm going to go check on Reine," her polite sweetness turned sour when she looked at the Cerith sisters, "And you two. Come with me. I can't take you or leave you anywhere!" she huffed before storming off. The sisters just snickered, showing off matching pairs of shiny, sharp teeth that caught Azul's eye.

"Before you go, ladies...what kind of mermaids did you say you were?"

"Snowflake Eels." they chimed in perfect sync, their bright eyes shimmering with mischief, Luna's yellow-gold, and Cowrie's pale blue. "We're a smaller breed of Morays but no less vicious when need be," Luna added melodically, giving the three boys a wink.

Azul had several questions, the first being how and why a human princess came to befriend two eel mermaids. Just sitting across from two more rather devilish eels made him feel both intrigued and nervous. The brothers, however, felt their previous suspicions confirmed and rewarded with a shiver of instinctual excitement running up each of their spines. Floyd gave the girls a toothy smile with the same glint of mischief in his eyes while his brother remained a bit more stoic behind a simple but curious grin.

"Oh...dear."

Reine's eyes were bloodshot and still leaking tears when Elise found her, curled into herself on the cushions in the secluded little area. Elise immediately went into caretaker mode and propped Reine's head onto her lap once she was seated. She gently stroked the sad princess' platinum locks and cooed, "It's alright, my rose, tell me what happened." Sure, Cowrie kind of ruined it but Reine clearly didn't need any more reasons to be upset. For a few minutes, Elise couldn't make out any of the words Reine let out in between soft sobs but she just kept stroking her hair, patiently letting her cry it out. Elise saw the sisters peak around the corner, looking far less amused and spirited now that they saw the state the princess was in. Cowrie and Luna just kept their distance, making sure no one else would come that way and intrude on the two princesses.

"He kissed me...and I k-kissed him...and...everything just got all messed up...a-and he just left-" that was all Reine could get out before another sob hiccuped out of her. Elise sighed softly as she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and started to dab her friends' eyes, "Goodness, all this fuss over some kissing? Rosebud, what's wrong with that? You did kiss him back, right? You wouldn't have unless you wanted to and for good reason."

"I told him it shouldn't have happened," she sniffled, "b-but I wanted it to! But...I'm supposed to..."

Elise smiled sadly down at Reine as she looked up at her with teary, searching eyes. Elise had known this girl since Reine was fresh out of kindergarten and she hadn't seen Reine this upset since those days. 'Suppose to' had become part of Reine's everyday life since then and each day following, Elise watched her become more and more obedient and subdued. It never occurred to her to question it, Reine seemed perfectly content and would say so if asked. But now...

"You're supposed to what, Reine? Make yourself absolutely miserable over every little decision you make? Sweet rose, no no..."

Reine couldn't say it out loud because it was so obvious that what she was expected to do wasn't at all what she wanted to do and it hurt too much. Elise just hushed her gently and continued to dry her tears, giving her time to calm down. Once she did, the Cerith sisters came out of hiding to give their dorm leader's best friend a hug from both sides, protectively cooing at her like she was a tiny frightened animal.

"We'll take you back to the dorm. Clearly, today has been a bit rough for you," Elise smiled gently at the princess cuddled in between her girls. Reine appreciated the offer but shook her head.

"You should stay, Elise. You're the biggest reason there's a party to begin with."

Before Elise could argue, Cowrie took Reine's hand, "I'll take her back, Ellie-senpai. You and Luna should stay. Luna promised Floy-Floy a swim anyway~"

Luna pouted at her younger sister's waggling eyebrows and smug grin, "My you have been busy keeping tabs tonight, baby sister, but yes you are right. I don't wanna keep Floyd waiting. He seemed awfully eager..."

Elise decided not to ask, getting enough info from the flirtatious smirk on her vice's face, and just turned to Reine, "Alright, if you're sure. You message me if you need anything though, you hear me?"

Trey was greeted with a loud, miserable groan as he entered Riddle's room. The dorm leader had retreated to his bed where he was completely buried, determined to let himself rot. The vice dorm leader just sighed and borrowed the chair from Riddle's desk where he sat and waiting patiently for Riddle to start talking. It seemed like it was going to be a long wait when Cater and Che'nya also invited themselves in after several minutes of silence passed.

Cater gave Trey a questioning look as Che'nya just waltzed in and sat on the edge of Riddle's bed, gently patting the lump that was Riddle's head, "Heeey RRRiddle! What's wrrrong? Why are you hiding??" No answer came from the mound of blankets except more mumbled groaning that sounded like he didn't want to be disturbed but it was already too late. Cater announced he was going to go make some tea while Riddle's childhood friends kept trying to coax him out of his hiding spot. Eventually, Riddle decided to come out and face his friends. They'd never leave him be if he didn't. Che'nya and Trey both jumped a bit in shock at Riddle's disheveled hair, clothes, and exhausted scowl. Oof, it was far worse than they thought!

"Hey, Riddle..." Trey started out gently as if talking to a cranky child, "What's wrong? You left the party in such a hurry out of nowhere."

A deep sigh fell from Riddle's lips, signaling the beginning of a long story, "...I kissed Miss Reine...a few times...actually." His face grew hotter with each word as they reminded him of the princess' sweet lips and touch. Trey and Che'nya just looked at each other and him with wide eyes until finally, the other shoe dropped. "...and she kissed me back."

"Oooh!! RRRiddle! You and Purrincess RRReine?!" Che'nya's smile couldn't get any bigger as his tail swished at lightspeed, "Hmm hmm!! OH Zehn will be so furriousss hmm hmm hmmm!" He was clearly enjoying himself but as soon Zehn's name was mentioned, Riddle's mood grew even darker.

"Ugh that bastard...I almost forgot about him," Riddle held his head in his hands, "I'm not much better than him now, am I?" NOW his friends were even more confused.

"Hold on, what?! Riddle, what are you saying?"

Riddle told them what happened between him and Reine. Everything. The talking, the flirting, the kisses, and even the awkward, sudden end. The entire time, it was obvious he was sick with guilt and something akin to regret but not quite.

"Ugh what she must think of me now?" Riddle muttered into his palms as he covered his face, "she was just...just right there...being entirely sweet and beautiful. Then I launch myself at her like some kind of brute. After an entire day of having other guys aggressively hovering about her every other second, snapping at each other like feral beasts. Of course, she reacted the way that she did! It was so...it was too much."

Riddle immediately felt worse and confused once Trey, Che'nya, and yes, even Cater who heard the whole thing from the doorway, burst into laughter. His temper practically shot flames out of his ears with how fast it rose through his system, "W-WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?! HOW DARE YOU!"

"Oh Riddle, you are so adorable sometimes," Cater wiped a tear from his eye after he set down the tea tray on the dorm leader's desk, "Ahh young love and all it's high's and low's...ok but seriously, stop with the dramatics and think back to what you said before: she kissed you too yeah? Doesn't sound like it was too much for her to me."

Riddle's temper lost all traction to how obvious those words were. Che'nya giggled and grinned at the redhead knowingly, "And RRReine is not the kind to give lovey-dovey kisses to just anybody. She doesn't even give them to Zehn. She barely holds his hand honestly, heheheeh~" Riddle would never admit it aloud but that last comment gave him a tremendous near intoxicating rush of satisfaction. Still...

"I know I said it was inappropriate. I-I mean it was, I should have asked permission first at the very least! But...ugh I'm so...so confused. It seemed like it was going so well and then the next thing I know, she's getting upset and apologizing... and I'm running out of there like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs." Saying it out loud made Riddle just want to bury himself in the actual ground.

Trey put his hand on Riddle's shoulder and gave him a calm smile, "The real problem doesn't sound like you or Reine. Being the next queen, I'm sure her situation is very complex but...I think you should talk to her."

"Yeah, Dorm Leader! Forget that Zehn guy, the princess doesn't even wanna hold hands with him!" Cater laughed, "So really what chance does he have that you don't?"

Riddle deadpan stared into the void, having thought this through a ridiculous amount of times in the last hour of his life, "The current Queen's favor gives him a pretty big advantage. The last time I checked, the future queen doesn't have to love or even like her king for them to get married. He just needs a pretty, silver-spooned pedigree which is something I've never had. And be tall and handsome or some nonsense..." Good grief, why was he suddenly having flashbacks to that ludicrous ghost wedding incident?!

The three seniors quickly rallied before they completely lost Riddle to this unusual defeatist stance he adopted out of nowhere.

Cater sat on the bed and shoved a cup of herbal tea into Riddle's hands, "Hey hey hey! No! Stop that right now, Riddle Rosehearts! YOU are the King of Heartslabyul! And you took the throne with a vengeance like two seconds after getting here! Common status be damned, you are our amazing dorm leader, one of Night Raven College's best students, and you are the sharpest looking dorm leader we've ever had!"

"That's right, RRRiddle! You and RRReine are a purrfect match: a clever, strong, and determined king for a beautiful, compassionate, and resilient queen. She may be actually rrroyalty but she's sweet on you even though you are not. It's clear as day! A pretty purrigree has never mattered to her and it's her opinion that matters the most, yes?"

Riddle did feel a bit bolstered by his friend's comments. He still didn't know if he really stood a chance but he knew that he really wanted one. Trey handed out the other teacups as the four of them got a bit more comfortable as the atmosphere lightened, "Like I said, you should talk to her. Clear the air and just see where things go. She'll hear you out, I don't doubt it for a second."

"And once you two understand each other, start off with something simple: ask her to the daaaance. You really think she wants to spend another dance with stick-up-his-ass Cavalier?" Riddle gave Cater a questioning gaze, "...what? The Rosabyrine girls like to talk."

"They aren't wrrrong," Che'nya confirmed, "Zehn is very pushy. Reine wanted to go with me for fun to the last dance Royal Sword hosted so his 'frrriends' stomped on my tail and locked me in my dorm room so I couldn't leave," Che'nya growled at the memory, "I wanted to tell her but they threatened to do worse if I did...they get away with all sorts of harassment."

Riddle scoffed, "He threatened me face to face at the music contest today..."

"Whaaaat?" Cater and Trey's faces both fell into wide-eyed shock as Riddle recounted that memory as well. Neither of the Heartslabyul seniors got angry very often but after hearing Che'nya and Riddle's experiences, this...this was the last straw.

"Riddle, surely there is some rule somewhere about defending your lady queen-to-be from scoundrels like Zehn Cavalier. If there isn't one, you should personally make one right now!" Cater huffed. Trey crossed his arms and nodded in stern agreement.

"That won't be necessary..." Riddle set the teacup down on his desk and straightened up his hair, "I've done enough damage for one night. However, come tomorrow, I will set things right. Cavalier can try to get in my way if he wishes but he will fail." The fire in the dorm leader's eyes put the boys' minds at ease. They knew that look and they knew there was no stopping Riddle Rosehearts once he got it.

It had started to downpour on the way back to the dorm, much to girls' dismay. Not only were they soaked to the bones but Reine was currently jogging back to the dorm as fast as she could with a now transformed eel mermaid on her back. Cowrie wouldn't have been that heavy if it weren't for her long tail. Reine managed to lift the mermaid's torso onto her back as she tucked her arms underneath what would be Cowrie's thighs. The mermaid wrapped her arms around Reine's shoulders and part of her tail around the princess' waist to help support her weight.

"I'm sorry, Reiny-senpai...I'm not as good as holding my human form as Luna is yet," Cowrie pouted.

"Don't feel bad, Cowrie. You're still a first year, after all. You have time to grow into it. Hold on tight. I don't want you to slip." Reine still managed to stay smiling even with a giant eel on her back and rain pelting down all around her. She was just thankful this was the one day she didn't wear all white. Of course, as soon as they got to the garden gates, the rain started to let up. Figures...

"There we go. That's better, isn't it? ...sorry it's not as big as the Monstro Lounge tanks."

Cowrie was curled up in one of the dorm's bathtubs but the water felt nice so she didn't seem to mind. Plus one of the ghosts had found a tiny rubber ducky and left it in that same bathroom so she was as happy as a clam. Reine left her a small bucket and towel before heading upstairs to the bathroom next to her own room. The princess practically collapsed into the tub as soon as the warm soapy water hit her skin. The events of the day just pilled up in a jumbled heap of feelings, firing off one after another. Her sigh echoed off of the bathroom walls almost like she was a ghost too. She had already vented out all of her negative feelings, well most of them. But for a moment as she sank further into the warm water, Reine let herself remember the feeling of Riddle's lips on hers, his hands on her back and waist, holding her close to him. It was the most tender of feelings that made her face heat up with a feverish rush. It gave her an equally feverish desire for more kisses, more touches...more everything.

Everything in her life before now had been decided: who she was, who and what she would become, what she would do, whom she would be courted by, etc. and then one step into new territory and suddenly she was tumbling down the rabbit hole, head over heels, breathless at every new turn. Not just with Riddle but with every new day, every new face, every new experience that she encountered since they arrived on Night Raven's campus. Reine's heart fluttered with a rush of happiness remembering all of it. She wanted to hold onto it tightly so she decided that...she would. Tomorrow, Reine could and would fix things so this feeling would never leave. Hopefully. Her confidence in the matter was shaky at best but she didn't want to focus on that feeling too much.

Reine finished her bath and went back downstairs after changing into her nightgown to check on Cowrie. The mermaid managed to dry off and go back to her room where Reine found her sprawled out on her bed like a starfish in oversized pajamas, snoozing away without a care in the world. The princess tried not to laugh too loudly as she tucked her junior into the bed properly. Cowrie curled up in a ball as soon as she was covered and Reine's heart melted, leading her to take a picture and send it to Elise and Luna before turning off the lights and quietly leaving the room. The princess was about to dive into her own bed before she noticed familiar green fireflies floating outside her window. Reine gasped excitedly and wrapped herself in a blanket before running back downstairs. She poked her head out into the chilly evening, looking for Malleus, and spotted his signature horns ways down the path.

"Lord Draconia!" Malleus grinned seeing the porcelain princess waving to him from the front door, "What are you doing? It's cold and wet out!"

It didn't personally bother him but seeing the little rose queen wrapped in a thick blanket made him aware of the potential hazards. He quickly disappeared and reappeared right in front of her so she wouldn't have to chase after him with her bare feet. The princess beamed up at him with a surprised giggle, "Oh hello. I'm so glad you and Master Lilia came today. Did you have fun?"

Malleus gave a nod and chuckle, amused that the princess adopted Sebek's title for Lilia, "It was a very interesting day, indeed. I brought you a thank you present for inviting me," he mused as he pulled something from his pocket.

Reine gave him a teasing smile, "Oh?? And here I thought an alliance with His Highness, the Future King of Thorns was my gift."

The dragon prince chuckled, "Yes but I do hope you like this even more."

Malleus opened his hand to show her a small red briar rose in bloom and encased in a crystal teardrop pendant, hanging from a silver chain, "It's a different kind of little rose from my home. Consider it a talisman for protection against any more problematic interlopers."

Reine's eyes lit up like Malleus just offered her the heavens themselves, "It's beautiful! Oh, thank you so much!"

The princess was practically bouncing as he put the necklace around her neck. The dragon had never seen anyone so pleased with a gift from him before, aside from Sebek. It made his chest warm with a deep sense of pride. She looked up at him suddenly, an idea alight in her eyes, and asked, "Lord Draconia, may I..give you a hug? As a thank you?"

The was literally the first time the dragon prince had ever been asked such a thing and it showed. He blinked his wide green eyes down at Reine's waiting expression in pure disbelief. His eyes soon narrowed in amusement as he laughed, "You dare approach the terrible, Future King of Thorns with such a request, little rose? What a foolhardy queen you are."

Malleus' teasing was cut short as the princess suddenly wrapped her arms around his torso and gave him a gentle hug, looking up at him like a rebellious child, "Well it's a good thing you gave me this protective charm then isn't it?"

Humans would never fail to surprise him, of this Malleus Draconia was now certain. He just chuckled and gently placed one hand around Reine's small frame and affectionately patted her head with the other.

"You are in daring high spirits tonight, aren't you? Did something happen, little rose?"

Reine's face warmed as she pulled away from him, "Not really," No one in this conversation believed her, "I just...made one very important decision. But now I have an even more important one to make."

"Are you really so conflicted?" Malleus was giving her that look again, it was like he knew everything in the world and yet was still surprised by so much. The princess just let out a deep breath and wrapped the blanket even tighter around herself.

"I know what I want, Lord Draconia. It's just I'm not entirely sure what the other person wants...yet. I wish this was something more simple like just worrying about who's going to ask me to the dance," she mumbled that last part but Malleus still tilted his head in curiosity.

"Dance...?"

Reined looked up at the prince in shock but lo there he was, looking genuinely lost, "There's a dance in three days to celebrate my coronation, on the last day of the festival...did no one tell you, Lord Draconia?" His disappointed pout said it all, "Well that's unacceptable! I'm the guest of honor and I say you should come! I'm officially inviting you!"

Two invitations and a hug? Would wonders never cease with this princess? Malleus pondered over the prospect of attending a dance. He wasn't too familiar with the experience, unfortunately. Once Reine explained the logistics of said dance, the process of procuring a partner, and any and all other details, it did sound interesting. Even so, it did sound like there were going to be a lot of people there and not in a situation where he could easily blend in like at the music contest. His expression didn't change much but somehow Reine still picked up on a hint of doubt coming from him.

"I understand it can be a bit overwhelming. I've been to several dances and balls and they wear me out too, honestly. So you should come but only if you want to, Lord Draconia."

"...would anyone actually want to dance with me?" Malleus was so used to others giving him a wide berth on the most mundane days. Attending a dance in hopes of not scaring the daylights out of the other guests didn't seem very likely.

Reine's enthusiasm got the better of her and even caught the tall dragon off guard, "Lord Draconia! Of course, they would! Even if you don't ask a specific girl to be your partner, I have no doubt the girls of Sacred Crown would love to meet you and dance with you! And even if they prove me wrong, I will be honored to save a dance for you!"

"...I will consider it, little rose." His smile was a bit shy but Reine was satisfied with his answer nonetheless. He knew a certain red tyrant would try to off his head if Malleus did ask Reine to be his date. As amusing as that would be, Malleus knew better than to step all over another king's courtship so rudely.

"Rise in shine, ladies! Hunting season is officially open!!"

Reine mumbled as Manari's excited shout rang up the stairwell. She had one hell of a headache and seemed to be having trouble getting out of her bed properly. Alyssa, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, let herself into her dorm leader's room with a chipper smile, "Good morning, Reine!"

The princess mumbled a greeting in return while rubbing her eyes. The tiny blonde set a small clear case on Reine's bed for her to inspect, "I finished your boutonnière for you since you've been so busy!"

Reine smiled in tired approval at the two-rosed decoration: one white and one red rose wrapped in a checkered ribbon with a small silver crown pin holding it all together. It was perfect. Alyssa was already wearing hers pinned to the vest on her Rosabyrine uniform. It was a yellow gerbera daisy wrapped in a black bow that resembled the one she wore in her hair with a tiny teacup pin. Nice and simple, cute and sunny: it suited her.

Alyssa helped Reine get ready, putting both red and white roses with black ribbons weaved into her braided hair to match her dorm uniform. Once she was fully prepared, Alyssa pinned the rose boutonnière to her vest lapel, "There. You look perfect. Good Hunting today," the blonde giggled excitedly. Reine couldn't help but catch a bit of it too and she smiled, "Thank you. I hope a certain first-year wins your lovely daisy," the dorm leader gave her second a playful wink. They both knew exactly who she was talking about.

"And what about you? ...will you be going with Zehn Cavalier again?" Alyssa asked hesitantly. Reine didn't seem offended or even bothered by the question as she looked herself over in the mirror one last time.

"No. I don't believe I will," the blonde gasped excitedly as she waiting for further explanation, "Good Hunting, Alyssa." Reine smiled mysteriously and left the room before the blonde who just scurried after her in a huff.

"Reine! You can't just leave me hanging like that!"

It was the day the 4th year students from all three schools came to the campus to present the results of field research or personal study they had been pursuing all year. The lineup of topics was interesting but most of the students who were not involved or attending the presentations were a bit...distracted. Every Sacred Crown girl who had not been asked to the dance already could be seen sporting their homemade boutonnière, pinned to them and waiting to be given away to the boy that won their affections. Honestly, the majority were still waiting. Only a handful had made arrangements beforehand like Adela and a couple of other seasoned third years. Otherwise, it was a beginning day just like every other time the girls' 'hunting season' opened. There always seemed to be this tense feeling in the air like everyone was waiting to see who would be the first brave soul to step up to the plate in hopes of succeeding....granted that was usually with just Royal Sword. How would things go with both Royal Sword and Night Raven in the fray at once? Only time could tell but that didn't stop the excited girls from placing friendly bets. Manari took it upon herself to give the dorm leaders and their vice's code names based on who they had dressed as the day before because why not make things more interesting?

"Alright, so Queenscholar (Adela) already has her date, surprising to no one. My bet is that Mama Snake and Mistress Mushroom are going to be the next ones to go. They're always so stinking popular," Manari was talking about Jinnah and Luna, "What's your call, Deal Maker?"

Elise sipped her drink as they sat in Night Raven's open cafeteria with Charlaine and a few other girls buzzing about, grabbing breakfast, "Our vice dorm leaders do seem to always take the lead don't they, ''Sunshine Royal?" Elise snorted at the ridiculous nicknames Manari had given each of them, herself included, "Luna-excuse me- 'Mistress Mushroom' has a reputation for breaking hearts...and yet the boys just don't stop trying their luck."

Charlaine pouted, "they're both so alluring and beautiful. And tall...and curvy...it's no wonder." Poor Charlaine had developed a complex ever since she became the shortest and most petite of the dorm leaders. She was by no means unattractive just...lacking...in certain areas of her anatomy in comparison to the others. Manari frowned at the tiny songbird's attitude.

"Heeey come on, Beauty Standards! You are absolutely adorable and lovely so hush...granted you are not wrong. I mean we're the dorm leaders and yet it's our second-in-commands that steal the spotlight in these situations. I love our brother school and all but is it just me or are some of those boys kind of...dense?"

Charlaine felt the ice-cold chill of humiliation flood her entire body as she flashed back to the last dance, "...I wrote an entire confession letter to Neige and got up the nerve to read it to his face. He just said thank you and how much he appreciated my support and shook my hands as if I was just another fan at one of his events. I wanted to DIE..."

Both Manari and Elise groaned from second-hand embarrassment, "Wow. That. is. ROUGH. Man, no wonder you didn't seem nearly as smitten as usual at the contest yesterday. But hey! I mean...at least now you can move on right? It's not like you had this big misunderstanding and he thought you were some princess or nobleman's daughter that you clearly weren't and instead of telling him that no, you were just a commoner adopted by some silk merchants out of fear that he would completely ghost you...you just decide to avoid him at all costs, face to face, but keep responding to his messages....with more ambiguous half-truths..."

Elise and Charlaine just stared at Manari who just chugged her drink with an extremely guilty look on her face. Charlaine looked at Elise, starting to mention Prince Rielle but judging from the dark look on the girl's face...

"I don't want to talk about it," Elise said bluntly.

Clearly, not all the SC dorm leaders were having luck in romance lately...

Reine kept laughing at Alyssa's fits of frustration as they were making their way across the campus together. The blonde had been too eager to get more information out of Reine ever since they left the dorm but Reine's lips were sealed tighter than Azul's contract safe. Cowrie was silently following along behind Alyssa as they were classmates and good friends who decided to be each other's wingwoman. Meaning that if any boys who were not Deuce Spade tried to approach Alyssa that day, the mermaid would quickly scare them off. So far four boys found themselves face to face with Cowrie's sharp teeth and glowing eyes. When she wasn't emotionally scaring other freshmen boys, Cowrie was enjoying the outdoor scenery and taking pictures of various plants and bugs they passed with her phone.

"Reeeine, you've been grinning at your phone all morning! And after that half-confession about Zehn, what gives! Tell meeee~"

The princess just giggled, "Oh trust me, the two aren't connected. My favorite cousin - his words not mine - is going to be presenting today and he's been texting me nonstop about getting together. Apparently, he has some 'exciting news'..."

Alyssa's previous concerns were swiftly forgotten, "Jasper's coming today?!" Alyssa was incredibly fond of Reine's cousin, Jasper Elfern. He was from the Red Queen court but he and Reine had always been close. The fact that he had been courting Alyssa's older sister for years didn't hurt either. Hopefully, this 'exciting news' meant that Alyssa was finally getting a brother soon.

The very same Jasper Elfern had also reached out to his old dormmates in Heartslabyul who were unknowingly heading the same direction as the two girls. Riddle was walking tall with perfect posture and purpose in his step. He kept to his schedule like clockwork, given himself an adequate amount of pep talks in the mirror as he prepared for the day ahead, and took extra care to make sure his dorm attire was spotless. It wasn't every day Riddle Rosehearts got to meet the old dorm leader he personally dethroned. There was no bad blood between him and Jasper, though a little honest bragging never hurt, he also wanted to look his best when approaching Reine today...so might as well kill two birds with one stone.

"You're in top form today, Dorm Leader. Go easy on her, wouldn't want Reine to swoon too hard." Cater teased.

"Or maybe he just wants to flex on Jasper a bit as a nice homecoming," Trey smirked.

"You're both being ridiculous," Riddle scoffed and yet a smug smile stayed on his face.

They saw Jasper in his NRC Heartslabyul uniform standing outside the hall where the presentations would be taking place that afternoon, facing the other direction. The tall, dark-haired upperclassman had a bright smile on his face as he was waving to someone coming towards him in the opposite direction. Riddle's eyes widened and he came to a halt when he saw it was Reine.

"Jasper!" she practically skipped right up to him and threw her arms around him looking happier than ever, "Welcome back!"

She let out a high-pitched giggle as the tall boy hugged her tight and twirled her around playfully, "My sweet little cousin! Look at you, when did you get so grown up and beautiful?" he laughed.

Cousin? ...did he hear that right??

COUSIN???

Riddle's brain all but exploded. The same Jasper Elfern that was once the Heartslabyul Dorm Prefect that Riddle challenged and usurped as a first-year was also the crown princess' COUSIN?! Trey and Cater looked just as shocked as their dorm leader.

"Hold on...does this mean he's like a PRINCE or something?!" Cater whisper-yelled to the other two, "...wait...not only did Riddle knock down an actual prince but also his crush's cousin?!"

Riddle Rosehearts suddenly did not feel so confident...why was the world so small and so cruel? Jasper's wine-red eyes caught sight of the three Heartslaybul boys and he waved them over, "Hey! Long time no see, fellas!" Cater didn't waste a second and practically teleported over to his old dorm leader and the girls, "Elfern-senpai, why didn't you tell us you were royalty?! And you're also Reine's cousin?!" The boy's smile didn't waver at all, "Oh so you guys know my cousin already! Great to hear! Not surprising at all though, she's been itching to meet my dormmates ever since I told her about a certain freshman knocking me down a peg." He laughed as Reine's expression turned bright red. More puzzle pieces fell into place as Riddle looked at the pleading wide-eyed look Reine was giving her merciless cousin. "Is that so...?" Riddle asked in a bemused tone. Jasper put an arm around Reine's shoulders and grinned mischievously, "Oh definitely. She couldn't get enough of my stories about living in the dorms with you guys! So how does it feel to finally know the infamous Riddle Rosehearts, cousin? Has he lived up to your expectations?" Poor Reine could only give a muffled reply from behind her hands, "Please stop, Jasper..." The three seniors were momentarily distracted in their reminiscing, giving Riddle a moment to speak one on one with a still very pink Reine. She had a bashful expression he couldn't help but find adorable as she finally came out from hiding, "...I may have been a bit curious and learned about you before we actually met," Reine confessed quietly. Riddle felt a strange sense of power in that moment. It wasn't that his awkward feelings about the night before had suddenly vanished but now knowing that this shy princess had been curious about him before they even crossed paths certainly gave his ego a healthy boost. His smug smile and previous confidence returned as he asked her, "Well? Have I lived up to your expectations...Reine?" Hearing Riddle say her name so straightforwardly without a hint of nervousness threw her for a small loop, taking Reine right back to that moment the night before. What she didn't see was how his heartbeat took off like a racehorse as her eyes shined and she said: "Oh no...you have definitely exceeded them, Riddle Rosehearts."

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