Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kris hissed as a damp cloth brushed against their cheek, their mother attempting to clean away the dirt from their wounds. Thirteen years old, fresh from training, and still not used to the restraints put on them, it was all they could do to keep from crying.

They clenched their hands, glaring at the floor. "Why do I have to do this? Everyone else is way stronger than me, I can't even use magic like they can."

Toriel sighed, looking down at them with a sad smile. "If I could have chosen a different path for you, my child, I would. But I'm not in the position to make those kinds of decisions."

"But Dad was," they muttered.

"He…" Toriel shook her head, dispelling the anger on her face. "He is a coward, yes. He caved under the queen's pressure. That does not mean he does not love you."

"Then why would he let her do that?"

"It is complicated, my child." She worked the bandages around their cuts, paws working dexterously to repair the injuries. "It has not been long enough since the war to forget what the humans did. Many are scared of you, though you have done nothing wrong. What the queen did was not just, but she did it to ease the minds of her people."

The war. She'd told them some details, but most were left vague. "The one where I was abandoned."

"That is partially true, yes, but I think it is time that you learn the whole story." If the implication that they had been told a white lie wasn't already enough to gain their full attention, the tone of their mother's voice certainly was.

"Years ago, this kingdom, Bergentrükung, was ruled by humans. At first, we lived in peace. The humans were just rulers to both of our people, until their laws started to become… troublesome. There were many such cases, but the one that sparked the most outrage was the ban on magic. While it theoretically affected both monsters and humans, humans had to deliberately learn magic, while monsters like us were born with it. Those of us that were adults could handle it, of course, but our children who had not yet learned to control their abilities became the targets.

"It was at that point that we knew we had to do something. We could have just left, yes, but how long would it take before they began to follow? Not to mention it was our home as well, just as much as it was theirs. So, we made the hard decision to fight back. We never intended for it to escalate to war, yet it had. The rulers refused to change their unreasonable laws, instead pushing further, until we were backed into a corner. The decision was made that we would siege the castle, and take over." She let out a quiet sigh, looking out the window with an air of disappointment and shame. "The battle was long and bloody, but in the end, we had won. The king and queen had been killed, the heads of the siege had been put in power, and the remaining humans had chosen to flee our kingdom to the human country Oberfläche in the south. I cannot say that I blame them, though if they'd chosen to live with us here in peace, we would have welcomed them."

"They still left me, though." Kris pointed out bitterly. They loved their family now, of course. How could they not? But it was hard not to but upset that those who should have held a kinship to them had thought it better to let them be killed.

Toriel looked at them with grief-stricken eyes, caressing their cheek. "My child, I… I do not believe you were abandoned intentionally. After the battle, those who'd survived were in a hurry to escape, but even if they hadn't been, I'm not entirely certain they had ever known of your existence. We certainly hadn't."

Kris tilted their head, and consequently pressed further against her hand. "Of course you hadn't, I was just some random baby."

"No," she shook her head, brows upturned and pinched together as she closed her eyes. "You were not. We had found you in this very castle, Kris. Nestled safely within a cradle next to the king and queen's bed."

They stared at her, eyes wide. "You mean I'm- I was…"

She nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek before she leaned forward to pull them into a hug. "I am sorry, my child. If I had known, I would have tried harder to find another solution."

"It wouldn't have fixed anything," that at least, they knew was true. Even now, they stood on rocky ground with any nearby human ruled countries. The best any of them could have done was keep the old kind and queen prisoners. That would have only delayed the inevitable at best. "I'm just glad you took care of me."

"Always," she murmured. "Your heart is extraordinary, Kris. Be it knight or civilian, you will accomplish wonderful things."

In the end, her story hadn't changed much. Kris still learned to fight, dedicating every minute of every hour to mastering their technique. There were times where they wondered about what could have been, but they'd always brushed those thoughts aside. If they'd been raised by the humans, they likely would have grown up cold and bitter. At least here, any chill was a sign of joy, letting them know that Noelle was nearby.

Not that she was ever not. They made it a priority to always be within a close perimeter of her. The only times they stepped out were when she requested privacy or they were off-duty— a rarity for them. As the personal guard of the princess, they knew better than to leave for too long. Even their rooms were close, just in case.

"Noelle can't protect herself," December had told them, placing an armored hand on their shoulder. "That's why you're training to be her sword and shield."

As it turned out, they happened to be more of a decorative coat of arms than a deadly weapon or an iron-clad defense. Most of their job was sitting by on standby, 'looking pretty', as Noelle herself had teased once. Not that that meant they couldn't take it seriously. They'd been granted one of the most important jobs in the kingdom, and the honor came with rules they couldn't disobey.

"Kris?" Noelle's voice was as soft as snow as she called out, breath billowing in the cold. They'd gotten used to her informal address ages ago, but her calling them directly still made something in their chest jump.

"Yes, your Highness?"

The deer monster drew herself out of the chair at her desk. Her gown billowed behind her, the delicate circlet of silver adorning her head and horns dulled with frost. She walked with an air of gracefulness, hooves gently clicking against the ground. "You must be tired," she murmured, reaching out to take their gauntlet in her hand. Little patterns of ice emerged where her fingertips brushed. "You've been standing here all day. Would you like to sit down?"

"I'm fine." Sure, their legs were getting a little sore, but it was nothing they couldn't handle. Besides, the time it would take for them to stand could be precious time lost in an emergency. "This is my job, you don't need to worry about me."

"Just because it's your job doesn't mean I can't worry about you." She reached forward, as if to hold their cheek, but stopped herself. "You're free to take a break if you wish— and only if you wish. But, um, know I could use one. Maybe we could take a stroll in the gardens. You know… like we used to?"

"If that's what you want, then it's my duty to follow." Kris murmured. In reality they wouldn't have minded either way. They could stand here all day, or walk to the far side of the country, if it was only what she asked.

Her smile wavered, just a little. "What do you want, Kris? Come on, let me-" She put her hands over her mouth and shook her head. "I'm- I'm sorry. I mean, can't you let me spoil you a little? It's not fair if you do everything for me and not let me help you back, is it?"

"You're the princess," they pointed out with a little smirk, hoping it was enough to ignore the flush of their cheeks, "I'm meant to spoil you. Even if it weren't my job."

That got her to twitch her lips up, just a little bit. "Gosh, you're such a charmer. If you weren't so good at being a knight, I'd want you handling public relations for me, faha!" She took their hand, carefully leading them to the door. She'd made her decision, then.

They snorted, raising a brow at her. "You know I couldn't do that for the same reason your sister can't. The moment someone talks bad about you, we'd probably just end up starting a war singlehandedly."

That definitely got her smiling. She tucked her hair behind her soft ears, hiding her mouth in that way that she used to try to hide her two buck teeth. They didn't know why she tried to obscure something so endearing, but it wasn't their place to say that.

"You're right. Maybe I should just assign you to Prince Berdly, faha. Make him go through you every time he wants to talk to me," she joked.

Though it was (mostly) for show, just to hear her laugh again, Kris made a disgusted face. "Please don't, I don't think I could handle that. I might actually end up killing him."

It got the desired result, but only for a moment, before the sadness that had been lurking in her eyes as of late. Ever since that announcement, it had been harder to make her happy. Honestly, they were surprised she'd even brought him up with a smile, considering the responsibility on her shoulders.

"I suppose…" She looked up into the night sky as they passed through the doors. The guards dropped their heads in respect as the two passed. "I suppose you'll have to get used to him, though, considering the circumstances."

Kris forced themself to look forward. She wasn't happy with the arrangement, it never even had to be said—though she had, on numerous occasions. Sure, Berdly wasn't awful, but he did… try too hard. He was probably just trying to make the most of the situation like she was, but that still didn't change the fact that even if she did let out a little huff and lightheartedly roll her eyes at his poorly timed jokes, it was never the real, genuine laugh that Kris got to hear. They wanted to see her with someone who could get that look on her face every day.

"I don't hate him, he just…" They tried to find a way to put it kindly. "Has a lot of personality, that's all. I know there aren't many better options around but I- I want to see you with someone that makes you happy."

"Kris…" Noelle sighed. She looked sadder, somehow, even when she smiled. "It's okay. I'll be fine. I have to learn to love him eventually, right? Considering we're- we're… engaged, now… B- but it's like my mother said. Love takes time and work. It will happen eventually."

"None of our parents had their love chosen for them." Kris argued.

"It's different. You know it's different. I have to find an eligible partner and fall in love as soon as possible. I can't keep going like this." She shook her head. "My parents have given me years to find someone I love. It hasn't worked out. And if I don't, then the curse won't break. At least this way, I'm doing something, right?"

They shouldn't press the issue any further, they knew that they shouldn't, but their loyalty was to her, and her happiness. "The curse can only break from true love, not forced love. What will you do if it doesn't work? Remain cursed and unhappy?"

"What else am I supposed to do?" She paused before the fountain in the center of the garden, frosty dress shining with the full moon. She looked beautiful, divine in a way that even the best paintings couldn't capture. Even in her melancholy, they couldn't help but think that anyone would be lucky to have her. "I'm useless as an heir if I can't use my magic, but Dess still refuses the throne. There isn't time to waste."

"If that's the case, then they should wait until you find someone that you do love! But even without your magic you're no less capable. You're the smartest person in our entire kingdom!"

She turned again to look at them, and there was a frozen tear on her cheek. "You shouldn't say things like that, Kris. It's only going to make it harder."

It would only make their grief worsen, being so affectionate with her, but they couldn't help but reach out and brush the tears from her face, unable to stand seeing her upset. "It'll be alright. One day, you will find someone that you love, and they'd be more than lucky to have you."

"I have," she whispered, voice breaking. It sounded more like an admission of guilt than a celebration.

"Who?" Kris asked, taking her hands in their own. Frost crept along their gauntlets. "Tell me their name and I will scour the earth to find them and bring them to you."

And for some reason, she laughed, tears still brimming in her eyes, and laced her delicate fingers with their own. "You won't have to go far. They're right here with me."

They always figured that they could withstand any cold after being around her for so long. Any pain of hers was theirs to keep and protect her from, and that included the frost she was cursed to create. Yet this? At this they froze. Not because of the cold, but because of the confession. They couldn't withstand the ice that formed in their own veins and they knew that they couldn't take away any grief she felt. Not because of a lack of love for her— theirs ran far deeper than they had any will to admit, sitting hopelessly in their chest since they were a small child still learning to navigate the world, unable to see anything but the light she radiated— but because of duty.

It could never be allowed. They were only a knight, and a human one at that. All the fantasies they'd harbored of simply running away with her were pointless. They'd be hunted down, and potentially even killed. Perhaps they could break her curse before she went off to marry, but that felt unfathomably cruel.

She was looking at them with expectant eyes, though, and they knew they had to say something. A denial, perhaps, but it wouldn't have been true, and they were certain she would be able to catch them in the lie. "Noelle, I-"

They were cut off by a sound, low and reverberating through the air. They had to search the night sky, but in the distance they could see it: a distant shape, not unlike a bird, growing nearer and nearer. They waited, expecting it to just fly over, but the steadily growing sound of wing-beats stopped, overtaken by a whistling sound. The ground shook as the beast landed, and as they pushed Noelle behind themself and readied their blade, Kris found themself face to face with a dragon.

It was massive, a single foot crumbling nearly a quarter of the grand fountain in the center of the garden, with yellow, slitted eyes and a mouth full of teeth like swords. Purple scales gleamed, each deadly enough to make a weapon out of alone. Giant iron bands wrapped around its wrists. This creature was a beast meant to kill— and kill it would, if it was left unchecked.

Red ran through their veins, awakened by a command they'd received at their knighting.

"Do you swear," December started, holding her sword to the ground, "to defend my sister, Noelle, from any danger that may befall her?"

"Yes," they responded, face turned to the ground.

"You must protect her with your life. Be her shield to guard her from risk and her sword to slay any foes that may pose her threat. If ever she is in harm's way, you must be prepared to perish to fulfill your duty. Swear to me you will do this."

"I swear it."

Their sword touched each shoulder, and the handle was passed to them. Their mentor smiled faintly and nodded. "Do your duty well, Ser Kris Dreemurr."

They'd taken an oath. No matter how they may feel, this mattered more. She mattered more. They'd raise up their sword a thousand times if it meant protecting her.

"Kris," she squeaked out, voice trembling.

"Stay behind me," they told her, never taking their eyes off the beast in front of them. "When you see a chance, run, and alert everyone that you can."

The dragon took a step forward, towards the pair. Faintly, Kris could hear screaming, but they focused on the dragon, shield held high to protect their princess.

"But what about you? You're trained to fight people, not that- that thing!"

They steadied their hand, trying to find the best angle to strike. If they were lucky, its scales would be weak. "I still have to try."

If nothing else, they could buy time for her to escape, for the royal guard to move in and handle the situation properly. The dragon tilted its head, revealing the softer looking underside of its neck. It was a dangerous move, but even one well placed strike could turn the tide of an entire battle. They lunged forward and swung, but the beast moved, only allowing them to nick its jaw before it reared back, forcing them to stumble away.

They recovered quickly, but their stance was unsteady. It attempted to lunge past them, and they dove front with their shield raised. In a proper clash, their strength was no match. They were knocked to the ground, head spinning with the impact.

There was a loud click, then a spark of light, and Kris had only a moment to raise their shield in front of their face to defend themself as their world erupted into flames. They realized in that moment, as the heat engulfed them, causing the metal of their chestplate, shield, and sword to all groan and creak as they seared against their skin, just how pleasant ice truly was. They could hear screaming, and only hoped it was their own and not Noelle's.

Kris forced themself to move when the flames weren't focused entire on themself despite the way metal still burned their skin. The garden was ablaze, flowers that had taken months to grow all wilting into ash. Everything was hazy from the smoke.

A familiar shriek pierced the night air, and when they turned, they saw Noelle clutched in one of those massive paws. Her eyes locked with heir own, and they could see her fear. They could feel it in their very bones. It was her life on the line, now, and they refused to live on in a world where they couldn't protect the only thing that ever truly mattered.

She shouted their name, reaching out her hand, and they grabbed for her, only brushing her hand with their gauntlets before she was snatched away in a single beat of the beast's wings.

They could do nothing but watch as she was carried out of their reach and into the sky. They watched as the figure grew distant, until it was nothing more than a small speck disappearing over the mountains as guards from the night watch piled into the garden, far too late to be of any help. One looked around, eyes wide at the still blazing fire.

"What happened?" That was the head of the night watch, sword at the ready.

"A dragon." Kris replied, pushing through every breath that burned their lungs. "It took the princess. Inform my father and the Queen. Let them know that it crossed the mountains to the west, and that I will be heading out now. If we're lucky, we can rendezvous near its location."

"But- but you're injured!" One guard argued. "And we'll have to pass through human territory if we follow it directly!"

"That's exactly why I'm leaving now. I might be able to secure passage for you through their settlements, but if not, you can track my scent and find the quickest way around." They explained, before projecting their voice as loudly as they could manage. "Now go, all of you! Relay any extra information you might have and do it quickly. Time is not on our side with this."

And as they all scattered, Kris made their way through the chaos and to the castle gates. They reached into their satchel, pulling out a glimmering compass. Its needle shifted every so often, but remained relatively still, pointing directly at her. They closed their eyes, holding it like a promise. "I will find you, Noelle. I swear."

Susie closed her freezing talons against the squirming princess in her palm. The first part of her plan had gone better than she expected— the princess wasn't even in her room, where Susie would have had to break in. Instead, she was wandering around the gardens with a human, completely ignoring any potential danger. And though the human had put up a fight, it was no match for her in all her glory.

Now, Susie had the spoils of a relatively easy battle clutched in her talons, and this was proving to be the difficult part. Mostly because Princess Noelle wouldn't stop squirming. That, and almost giving her frostbite.

Do you want me to drop you?! Susie wanted to say, but it was no use when she was in this form. So, she let out a deep growl. Unfortunately, that only redoubled the girl's efforts. Honestly, the punching probably hurt the princess more than it hurt Susie. Too bad.

Not like the ice didn't sting, though.

If Susie were any less nice, she would have dropped the princess and dove to catch her. Unfortunately for Susie and fortunately for the princess, she had the restraint not to do that. But just barely.

It was a relief after nearly two hours of flying to see the overgrown tower she called home. It stood alone atop a mountain, guarded by a plethora of protective spells and its very reputation. Though it was in human territory, none would dare to conquer it. Legend said that it housed a powerful sorcerer and his rogue pet dragon.

Laughably inaccurate, but hey, it gave her a free pass to do basically whatever the hell she wanted.

She landed heavy on the wall, wincing as it creaked (thank goodness Ralsei had reinforced it magically, or else the whole place would probably collapse), and scrabbled through the window, careful of her unwilling guest.

Right on cue, Ralsei stormed in, hat on and glasses askew. "Susie, what did I tell you about-?!"

"Who are you?" The princess's voice was high and nervous, but still fierce. "What do you want with me?"

Ralsei put his hands over his mouth, clearly in disbelief. He blinked, shook his head, opened his mouth, and then shook his head again. "Oh, goodness, I- oh, no. Susie, we need to talk."

She turned her head away, and he put his hands on his hips in a poor attempt of being stern.

"Now."

Maybe the part of her being a pet wasn't entirely inaccurate, considering how he treated her sometimes.

With an annoyed grumble, she dropped the princess and curled her wings in, settling into that familiar feeling of her bones shifting and popping. It wasn't a pleasant sensation, but she'd long since gotten used to it. Once her form had adjusted to being a monster again, she shook the tangled mane of hair that covered her eyes and wrapped around her neck.

The princess was staring at her, she noticed. She flashed her teeth at the other monster, who simply pressed herself closer to the wall. Frost crept along it.

"Fine, lets get this over with." Susie sighed, rolling her eyes as she shoved her hands in her pockets. She glanced back at the princess and snapped, "don't move an inch."

"Or what?" the girl asked defiantly.

Susie grinned, showing her fangs. "Let's hope you don't find out."

The flinch she got was satisfying. After a moment of staring her down, she stormed down to where Ralsei was waiting in his study. The poor monster looked like he was seconds away from full-blown panic, agitatedly pacing.

Admittedly, she did feel bad for worrying her best (and only) friend. He'd taken her in years ago when she had nowhere else to go, just two lost kids trying to find a place in the world. He had a kind heart— almost too kind— and even when she'd hissed and snapped and burned, he'd held out his arms.

Ralsei, in all honesty, was the one light in this pitch-black world. Seeing him this agitated made guilt start to well up in her.

"Ralsei," she started, taking a step to where he was perched beside the cauldron.

"What were you thinking?" he interrupted, throwing his arms out.

"I already told you." She crossed her arms defensively. "I'm getting revenge."

"You were being serious?" Ralsei shouted, then put his palms on the lenses of his spectacles. "Oh, no. Oh, this is bad. How many people saw you? If you snuck in, maybe you can return her before most of the kingdom knows."

"It was just one knight who's probably dead by now and maybe a few guards. It's no big deal." She shrugged. "But I'm not bringing her back, not yet at least. I mean, the humans totally won't expect a reverse surprise attack, they'll be caught completely off guard when those guys roll in, and once the battle is over, we can bring the princess right on back home. She won't even have to get hurt!"

He let out a long, dramatic groan, and raised himself from his hands. "Okay. Okay. This is- okay. Let's go over your plan again. You want to provoke the monster guards from Bergentrükung to go through Oberfläche to get to our tower and discover the surprise attack the humans are planning in the midst of it."

"Yep. And preferably slaughter all of those human bastards who kept me chained up."

"And what happens once they get past the humans, Susie? Even if we return their princess, do you really think they won't hold a grudge? She could tell them where we are, and my magic is not strong enough to hold out the entire Bergentrükian army. And- and where will we even keep her? What if she escapes? What if she gets into my magic things? And that curse— what if she freezes all my ingredients? Or worse, my potions! Any foreign magic, and they become unstable, you know. Or- or what if-?"

"Calm down, it's not a big deal." Susie groaned. "All we gotta do is keep an eye on her. There's two of us and one of her, we can take turns sleeping if you're really that worried about it. And if any of those bastards decide to come after us, I'll just fly us somewhere new."

Ralsei groaned again. It really, really felt like he was being overdramatic. "I don't want- okay. Alright. This is… fine. She's here now, so I guess, just… we need to find a place to keep her. And control the ice."

"It sounds like you're talking about a pet."

He peered over the "You're not helping, Susie."

She shrugged. "Wasn't really trying to. But seriously, it's going to be okay, Ralsei. I promise. I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"And if you get hurt? You may be a dragon, but you're not invincible." He reached out to place a hand on the iron cuffs that still clung to Susie's wrists. She'd managed to remove the chains that linked them, but the braces themselves were stuck. "I worry about you. You know that, right?"

"Nothing is gonna happen. We'll be fine." She assured, holding him by the shoulders. "But if the humans got to that kingdom and destroyed it, what do you think they'll do to us once they're ready?"

He went quiet, seemingly considering that, then sighed. "I guess you're right. But the princess is our guest, alright? Treat her with respect until we return her. She's done nothing wrong."

She groaned, shoulders sagging. "Fine… that doesn't mean I have to cook though, does it?"

"Susie, I already cook for both of us." Ralsei laughed. "You know the deal. If you want meat, you hunt it. And if she wants meat, you also hunt it."

"Alright, works for me." She grinned, then paused. She could've sworn she heard some kind of noise near the door just now. "I should probably go make sure she hasn't started snooping around or something, huh?"

"I'll be here." He gave a small wave to her. "Oh! And remember to introduce yourself, too. Politeness matters."

"Yeah, yeah!" she called over her shoulder, then jammed open the door to what she affectionately liked to call 'her landing zone'. Which was really just the space that Ralsei had lent her when they'd met, converted into a haphazard room. Weapons and pointy things in one 'corner' (not exactly, since it was round and all, but she made do), a nest full of any bedding she'd been able to find (and steal) in another, and miscellaneous junk in the third. The fourth was where she kept her meager horde of precious things, mostly given to her by Ralsei. And if she wanted to sleep as a dragon, she did so splayed out in the middle near the giant window.

Ralsei had offered her more furniture, but she didn't need that shit. She was a dragon, what the hell did she need a table or chair for? Besides, after the second time she'd accidentally destroyed it with her tail, they'd both figured it was a pointless task.

In short, Susie liked her room. Which was why it was a little annoying to see it turned into an ice rink by a princess who was hurrying back to the corner, not even subtle about her eavesdropping. Seriously, did these royal types never learn to lie?! She'd been given warning and everything! Which was good for Susie, but still. Yikes.

She'd followed the trail right up to where it ended, glaring down at the princess. "You know, if you're not going to listen, you could at least try to hide it better. I know you're probably used to get away with doing whatever you want, but here, what I say goes. Understand?"

She didn't seem to understand who was in power here, because she crossed her arms. "Is it true Oberfläche is planning an ambush?"

"Yes? But that's not the point. The point is, for as long as you're here, you can't go wandering around here without a care in the world. I mean, what if you break something? With how much weird shit Ralsei collects who knows what might be cursed."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have kidnapped me if you didn't want me looking at your stuff, Susie," she huffed, looking every bit the picture of a spoiled little princess.

She could already feel the heat rising in the back of her throat, sparks ready to be ignited. But she pushed it down. If she actually ended up hurting the princess, than she probably would be dealing with an army, and monsters were a lot more magically inclined than humans. "You are so- ugh, fine! Poke around in here all you want, but don't go in Ralsei's study, and absolutely do not go outside."

She glared for a second more, then sighed, all ice draining from her expression. "If me being here will keep my home safe, then it's worth the sacrifice. Though, for future reference, you could have just given the army a tip."

Susie opened her mouth to argue, but stopped herself short, considering the option for just a moment before shrugging it off. "Nah, it's more fun this way. Not to mention, you guys were clearly already being infiltrated, so making it so your army wouldn't waste time planning was probably the best option."

"What do you mean, 'already being infiltrated'? All of our guards and advisors have been carefully picked, and none have shown any affiliations with Oberfläche."

She gave her the best are you serious look she could muster. "You're joking, right? You were literally just with a human. Doesn't matter how nice they might pretend to be, that's your number one enemy!"

For whatever reason, that seemed to piss her off. "I appreciate your concern," she snapped, "but Kris is my most trusted knight. They are under no suspicion, and I would quite appreciate it if you didn't speak on topics you don't understand."

"Oh, I don't understand? You didn't even know the humans were planning an attack until just a few minutes ago!" Susie argued. "So how the hell can you know for certain that they aren't just there for information?"

"I've known them since we were both merely toddlers. Their dedication and loyalty is unmatched. I trust them more than my parents' closest advisors. I don't know what your problem with humans is, but it certainly doesn't apply to them, and that is final."

Susie could have made her point further, after all, there was years and years of history that showed very clearly just how bad humans could be. Not to mention she had to learn herself, first hand. But it didn't matter, assuming the human did somehow manage to survive, than Susie was sure one one of them would be proven right eventually.

She huffed, crossing her arms and making her way out of the room. "We'll see, I guess." She doubted she would be the one who was wrong.

Before she closed the door, she heard Noelle speak, just barely loud enough to be heard. "Please hurry, Kris."

The early morning air was fresh with the smell of dew, grass, and perhaps a distant rain storm. Kris could only hope they wouldn't have to cross paths with it, but luck never seemed to be quite on their side, especially not as of late. The horse they had taken from the stables was growing slower by the minute. Even with how little they had taken before leaving the kingdom, the creature had clearly grown tired.

Kris themself knew that they couldn't rest, though. Not with Noelle's life on the line. The most they could spare themself was a mere few seconds of letting their eyes drift shut, but even that was a danger. If they failed to catch an obstacle their horse couldn't see, it could end in a spectacular failure. They'd much rather die fighting than in such an embarrassing way. But they found themself having to correct it more and more. Its steps became unsteady the longer they went on, and they knew that come noon it would surely collapse.

But as though some angel was smiling down on them, they could see smoke rising in the distance, and as they crested the hill, they could see a small settlement not too far away. Hopefully, they'd be able to find someone there willing to keep the horse until they (or the rest of the search party) arrived to retrieve it.

There weren't many people, from what Kris could see, and those that were there quickly vanished off the streets and into their homes. It wasn't unusual, but it was certainly less of a common experience back home. They couldn't blame any monsters this far out for being wary, though. The humans had been attempting to expand their territory every chance that they got, and seeing one ride into town in full armor likely didn't bode well for anyone.

A small sound caught their attention, and they motioned for the horse to stop, before looking down at a child standing off to the side of the road, staring up at them with wide eyes.

Despite trying to remain passive, they couldn't help but frown. What was a kid doing out here by themself? Kris certainly meant no harm, but it was still dangerous. "Hello. Shouldn't you be inside with your family, little one?"

"Are you gonna kill us?" Well, it wasn't what they expected, but they couldn't be surprised that a child was being so blunt. "My brother says you will."

As morbid as it was, and as much as they loathed the thought, they could only just barely stifle a laugh at being asked with such an air of innocence. "No, I'm not. In fact, I'm one of the people who want to keep that from happening."

"Really?!"

"Yes, really," this time, they couldn't keep the smile off of their face. "But I could actually use your help. Would you happen to know anyone around that would be willing to look after my friend here for me? I'm afraid she's very tired, and can't keep going on my journey with me."

The child nodded, pointing a bit further down the street towards a slightly larger building. "Miss QC helps all the travelers who come through town."

Kris nodded their thanks and waved a quick goodbye as they motioned for their horse to move. It didn't take much time at all before they arrived at the small inn. It was mostly quiet inside, other than a bit of noise from behind the front counter, with no other patrons in sight.

"Just a minute!" A voice rang out before they could even ask, and after a few clangs and crashes, a purple rabbit monster stepped out to greet them. "Well, hello- Oh! It's not very often we see any humans around here. Got any friends nearby or did ya lose your troop?"

They shook their head. "No, ma'am. It's just me right now."

She put her hands together, starting to say something, but when her gaze drifted down to the emblem on their dented chestplate, she cut herself off by putting her hands over her mouth. At once, she bowed, a little clumsily. "Oh, my. I didn't realize we'd have such esteemed company. What can I do for ya, Ser Dreemurr?"

They were surprised to be recognized so far out, but they certainly couldn't complain. "I'm traveling towards Oberfläche right now, but my horse has grown tired and can't keep up the pace that I need right now. If you have the space, I would appreciate it if you could keep it safe and taken care of until it can be retrieved."

"Of course!" She nodded. "Golly, there's been so much unrest 'round here. Pardon me, but it's about time the knights came to check it out. I just didn't expect it to be the princess's personal knight."

Kris frowned, leaning forward. As much as they wanted to reach Noelle as quickly as possible, if there was anything more than a few sightings of the Oberflächian army, than it could be cause for concern. "Why, has anything happened recently?"

"Quite a few whispers. It's made the folks 'round here quite uneasy. Can't say I'm not a little nervous, too. Some of the things I've been hearing…" She looked at the desk, then shook her head. "But I'm sure General December knows. We can definitely help you get to Oberfläche. We can lend ya a horse and a room and have you on your way by dawn."

"That won't be necessary," they assured. "I've realized that while the company is nice, the journey I'm taking is a difficult one, and having to keep a steed cared for enough to be useful will only slow me down."

"If not your steed, you should take a break. You look like a strong breeze could blow you over, hon," she laughed.

They weren't sure how much information they could give. If the people found out the princess had been kidnapped, it might cause a panic, and that was the last thing anyone needed. "I appreciate your concern, but I can't. Someone very important to me could be in great danger right now and if I waste my time resting then it might be too late by the time I get there."

Something sad entered her eyes, but she nodded. "You ought to take some food for the road. We'll take care of your horse. I hope you find whoever it is you need to find soon."

They gave her a tired smile. "I hope so, too."

Chapter Text

Noelle's kidnapping was going both better and worse than she expected. After her captor, Susie, had stormed out, the sorcerer Ralsei had sheepishly apologized and introduced himself. At least he seemed to be kind. Honestly, he kind of reminded her of Asriel. Though his fur was shorter and curlier and his horns were pink instead of dark gray, he looked like they could very well be related— and that wasn't even including mannerisms.

So, naturally, Noelle had gravitated to him whenever she wanted to make any kind of request. It was hard to always call him here, considering one of the rules she'd been given was not to go into his study, but he seemed to make her comfort a priority, and she couldn't be more grateful for his kindness.

On the other hand… Susie. Apparently, that girl hadn't done any planning other than kidnapping Noelle, because every logistical question seemed to piss her off. Noelle wanted to sleep? Susie wasn't about to share her nest, so, "tough shit". (Thankfully, Ralsei had overruled that one pretty quickly, and Susie had given up some of the bedding with a death glare akin to Kris's.) Noelle needed to change out of her gown into nightclothes she didn't have with her? Susie just laughed at her and told her she was lucky to have nightclothes and day clothes. Noelle got tired of just waiting around? Too bad, that was how being kidnapped went.

It felt like she was losing her mind with these simple requests. Honestly, she was trying to be the least intrusive she could be. She didn't love having Susie around, but she did like Ralsei, and she didn't want to make his or his friend's life harder. So, she asked for the least she was used to. No frills, no ribbons, no fanfare. She didn't want to be picky or spoiled or anything like that, but it seemed that everything she did seemed to make Susie hate her more.

She shouldn't want to be liked by someone like that. But she still did.

Quietly, Noelle pulled a delicate silver chain out of where it was tucked into her neckline. On the end was a compass, needle pointing steadily to the horizon.

To Kris.

The urge overcame her to write, as she usually did when the feelings in her chest became too large to hide, but there was no parchment, nor ink and quill, nor desk to write on. She considered, for a moment, leaving it be, but the itch in her wrist and her need for stimulation overcame her. So, she shifted her position from where she was looking at the window to look back at Susie, who was lounging in her nest without a care in the world.

Nervously, Noelle cleared her throat. "Ah, Susie?"

She knew she got the dragon monster's attention when one yellow eye opened to look at her.

"Do you know where Ralsei is?"

"In his study," she responded tersely. "Where you're not allowed."

"Ah." She looked back at the window, watching forlornly. Would it be too much to ask? And why did she care? Why did she need validation from her kidnapper so badly? "Could I bother you to get him? I'd like to ask for something."

Susie huffed, sitting up. "Not that I want to go doing every little thing you want, but I'm literally right here. So unless it's got something to do with magic, wouldn't it just be easier to ask me?"

"O- oh." That did seem less complicated, didn't it? Still, she was a little uneasy. "Could I request a scroll of parchment and the instruments to write on it?"

She was quiet for what felt like an excruciatingly long time, though that could have just been Noelle's nerves, then stood with a shrug. "Yeah, okay, you're right, Ralsei probably would've been the person to ask for something like that. But stealing from his stash sounds pretty funny right now anyway, so sure."

"Stealing?" She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. She didn't want to cause any trouble!

"Uh, yeah?" Susie, for whatever reason, was looking at her like she was the crazy one. "Haven't you ever just… taken shit from your friends?"

Was this a normal thing? Did average citizens do crime all the time? Or was it just Susie? "…No? If ever I need something, a maid will usually get it for me." Oh, now Susie was glaring at her. "I just mean I've never had the need to. I'm sure it's perfectly normal."

She wasn't, but she didn't want Susie to glare at her like that.

"Right. Well, just 'cause I'm doing this, it doesn't make me your maid, so don't think it'll be happening often." Susie growled, and then, as though an afterthought, she added, "and don't think you can get Ralsei to do it either."

"Of course not!" She was horrified even thinking of that. "I don't expect unpaid labor. Other than, um… what you're comfortable with."

Susie just laughed, the sound clear with hostility. "Yeah right, that's why you're constantly asking us for shit we don't have. In case you haven't noticed, this place is just one really bad day from completely falling apart. We're also in the middle of human territory, and you know what that means? It means everything we have, we either have to travel miles to find anyone friendly enough to trade with us, or we make it ourselves. And neither of those options are very forgiving when it comes to time."

Noelle felt a twinge of guilt. Of course, she should be thinking of the less fortunate. They didn't just lack gold and jewels and the superficial things, but food and hot water and all the things she'd taken for granted. She tried to think of the experiences of the citizens that didn't have wealth like she was born into, she really did, but it was difficult to imagine a life without what had been drilled into her as the barest minimum. She dropped her gaze to the floor. "Of- of course. I'm sorry. I guess I never thought of it like that. I appreciate you and Ralsei's hospitality. Even if you, um, kind of kidnapped me?"

"Kind of?" Susie snorted, and it was the first time Noelle had seen her smile somewhat genuinely. Even it was still just a little mean spirited. "Honestly I'd hope that taking you to a completely far away and unknown location would be more than a 'kind of' kidnapping. If you were expecting a dungeon full of rats or something, sorry to disappoint, but we don't exactly have those- okay, well, we might have rats, actually, but they're very sneaky. Something's been taking shit from my food stash though, and I know it's not Ralsei because he's super picky about what he eats."

She laughed, if only because of the absurdity. "Well, this is definitely a step up from what I feared being kidnapped would be like."

"What, you've thought of it before?"

"I'm a princess. There are a lot of different people who would want to kidnap me for a lot of different reasons. That's why Kris is around, to keep me safe from them. I'm just lucky the one that got through them isn't so bad."

Kris…

The smile faded from her face, and before Susie could respond to that, she asked again, "could I… get that parchment? I'd like to write something down."

"Yeah, yeah, fine." Susie grumbled, already walking towards the door. "But please, actually stay put this time. Your ice already got way too close earlier, and apparently anything you break is on me. Which isn't great because these hands are not made for fixing stuff."

"Of course," she replied.

Susie left, leaving Noelle staring at the compass. Only a few minutes later, she returned and set parchment, a quill, and a pot of ink down by her side. The ink froze near-immediately, but Noelle was used to that.

"You'll have to write on the floor. That, or the windowsill," Susie told her, flopping back into her slightly-smaller nest. "Only desk's in Ralsei's study."

The floor was a little bumpy, but the windowsill was cracked and splintered. After a moment of indecision, she picked the lesser of two evils and carefully tucked her gown underneath her. Oh, her mother would be furious for getting it dirty, but she hardly had any other option. Crisp whites weren't made for a floor like this, after all.

But, she didn't complain. That problem wasn't important in the grand scheme of things. Maybe it was good, she thought, to have an experience like this. It could connect her better to her citizens, so she could do right by them in the future.

So, she settled down and chipped a bit of ink out, crushing it small enough to melt back into liquid and be picked up by the quill. And then, she began to write.

Kris, my dearest,

It has been less than a day apart, and yet I still find myself missing you. After the way we parted, I can only hope you don't hold any resentment. I realize now that it was improper of me to ask something like that of you. More than anything, you are a person I can rely on. I suppose that's why I fell for you. Since we were just children, you have been my closest friend and confidant. I can't imagine losing that relationship just because of a slip of the tongue and a feeling I couldn't repress.

Part of me hopes there's a chance. A world where you love me as I love you— deeply and unashamedly, without any cares for our roles. I have imagined, for years, running away from my responsibility, as Dess did. In all those fantasies, you are by my side. We live a life together, away from it all.

I know I could never do that. With Dess as general, I'm now heir. I can't abdicate the throne as easily as she did. That's why I agreed to this marriage. Were it just you and I, I would have gladly lived with this curse for the rest of my days just to be by you, just to have a chance of being available if ever you change your mind. But I cannot. I have a duty to my people, and a limited time to fulfill it.

Yesterday, Prince Berdly promised me a new guard. He told me that, if my protection was so important, he would secure an entire team for me, instead of a single human knight. I said no. I said that if you weren't by my side, I would not agree to his proposal.

I feel awful. In a way, I'm leading him on. I wish I could love him as he loves me. I want to, so badly. But I cannot disentangle my heart from yours. You stole it many years ago, and I haven't the chance to take it back. I think that's why I asked you, in the garden. I knew time was running out. I wanted you to know how I felt before I was stuck in a loveless marriage to a man whom my heart does not beat for. I know it's selfish, and I'm so sorry for putting the burden of my feelings on you. In the end, I want this to be your choice. I want you to love me, not for it to be a soulless command. And I fear so deeply that that may never come to pass.

I know this message will never find you. I've written so many of them by now, and I haven't the courage to send any. I suppose I just like the idea of speaking to you. That one day, the words I can't express may be given to you through paper. Though I doubt that day is today, I shall still write them.

I adore you more than words can describe, my knight, my love, my Kris.

With love,

Noelle

She stared down at the parchment, filled with neat cursive writing, and cursed herself again for being so hopeless. Another letter added to her collection. It screamed of the childish romanticism of a schoolgirl crush, with none of the simplicity. All of this was messy. Even if Kris loved her back, what were the chances they could be together? How could they outgrow their roles, when Noelle had less power than her mother and Kris had no approval? The wedding plans were solidifying fast, and she'd feel absolutely rotten having an affair behind her husband's back.

All of the logistics gave her a headache. Why had she even confessed her love in the first place? What a selfish move, to all parties involved. No matter Kris's response, it would only cause them pain, and that wasn't even touching on Berdly. Despite his quirks, he wasn't a bad person. She didn't want to break his heart.

She sighed and moved to fold the paper and tuck it into her gown, close to her heart, but a purple hand snatched it away the moment before she could reach it. She twisted to see Susie, holding up the parchment to the light. "You done? What'cha writing, anyway?"

Wasn't she supposed to be napping? When had she gotten out of her nest? "W- wait-!"

"Sorry," Susie said, not sounding very sorry at all. "Gotta make sure you're not conspiring. Kidnapping stuff and all. Now let me see this…"

"I'm not," Noelle about shrieked, feeling herself go red. "That letter is very private, so please-"

"Kris… my… de-are-est…" Susie squinted, then rotated both the paper and her head sideways, as if that would make the words clearer. Time seemed to slow as she mouthed the words, stopping and starting every so often, as if puzzling it out. After an embarrassingly long minute, she pointed to the word resentment and asked, "what's this one?"

"Um… resentment?" Honestly, Noelle wasn't sure why she was going along with this. Probably because tearing the paper from Susie's hands and jumping out the window wasn't really a viable option.

"Oh."

Another minute passed, and Noelle realized that Susie seemed to be taking an abnormally long time reading what was, in all honesty, a rather simple letter. Meekly, she asked, "…do you… know how to read?"

"Obviously," Susie snapped. Noelle could swear she saw some pink on her own cheeks. "I'm reading it right now. Just- your handwriting sucks! That's all!"

With that, she squinted harder, parsing out more words. After a moment, she growled.

"Ugh! You use too many fancy words! Just- you read it! And tell me what all the words mean!"

For a moment, Noelle wondered how exactly she'd gotten into this situation, and what to do about it. She really, really didn't want to read out her declaration of love, but Susie was holding it so they could both see, and she seemed pretty adamant about reading it.

"Is there any way I can say no?" Noelle squeaked out, ears pinned against her head in shame.

"Nope. And I'll be counting the words, so don't think about lying about what it says."

With a heavy, forlorn sigh, she started reading. As the sentences rambled on, she felt herself getting warmer and warmer, and the room dropping far colder. By the time she got halfway through the second paragraph, freezing and burning in equal measure and stuttering despite all the etiquette she'd been taught, Susie stopped her.

"You know, maybe I was taught the wrong definition of the word growing up, but none of that really screams 'resentment' to me."

"I just meant-" she squeaked out, then covered her face with her hands. "Gosh, this is embarrassing. I didn't think anyone would actually read it!"

Susie gave her a look that made her want to scream. "So you just write long ass love letters whenever you get bored or something?"

Somehow, she could swear she blushed more. "…And- and what of it? I'm entitled to spend my free time however I want."

"Is it just the most interesting thing you can think of doing?" She asked, but despite the teasing tone, there was an air of genuine confusion there. "I mean, you're a princess, you can literally have anything you want, and I'm pretty sure most people would jump at the opportunity. So what's stopping you?"

Ah. That question. "It's hardly safe for me to leave the castle grounds, and that's if I don't ruin things with my curse. It's difficult, being a normal person, when my blood and my magic set me so far apart. Writing is one of the few things I can do with nobody telling me it's unsafe. For me, or… otherwise."

Susie hummed, looking thoughtful. "You have ice magic right? What if you just like… found someone with fire magic? That would negate the whole thing wouldn't it?"

She remembered, at once, when she and Kris were little. Eleven or so, far before Kris had been made obedient. They'd snuck into her room, whispering excitedly.

"Elly," they whispered, poking her shoulder. She grumbled, putting her hands over her eyes. But they didn't stop. "Psst, Elly!"

"What do you want, Kris?" Her voice was thick with sleep, and more than a little annoyed. After all, she'd hardly known that this version of her best friend would cease to be as the years flew by.

"Elly, look." They opened their hand, and there, in the palm of it, was a tiny flame.

All sleepiness forgotten, Noelle sat up, shaking snow off her antlers. "Woah. How'd you learn to do that?"

"Mom taught me. She told me I couldn't show anyone, but I wanted to show you."

"Have you shown Azzy?" Noelle asked quietly. They shook their head.

"Not yet. I wanted you to be the first one to see."

"Why?"

"Because…" They reached forward with the flame, and what she expected to burn her only thawed the ice on her hands. And for a moment, holding onto Kris's hand, Noelle felt warm.

For their sake and her own selfish reasons, she tucked that memory close to her chest.

"…It would, in a way. The fire would have to be warm though, not hot. Otherwise, it would burn me."

"Yeah, I guess you have point," Susie shrugged. "Too bad we can't just learn new magic, huh? Would probably fix just about every problem we could ever have if we got creative enough with it. So I guess we're lucky the humans would rather try to banish magic than put in the effort to learn it themselves."

Not all of them, Noelle wanted to say, but on the off chance that Susie might realize what she meant. "…I suppose. Um… could I have the letter back now, please?"

"What? No way, I'm keeping this. It like uh… what's the word, contraband or whatever? Plus, I can use it to make fun of you for your shitty old hobbies." Susie told her with a grin, then she became just slightly more serious. "That means we're finding stuff for you to do that's actually interesting. Like uh… throwing rocks at the human soldiers that try to get too close."

"…Is that what you do for fun?" she asked, slightly concerned but more warmed than anything. Were kidnappers supposed to be so nice? Noelle was pretty sure most wouldn't bat an eye at what their captives' hobbies were.

"Only when they actually show up. They haven't in a while, but I don't think they've actually learned their lesson. Ralsei keeps saying that I shouldn't provoke them, but they're in my territory, so honestly I think they're the ones provoking me."

And surprisingly, Noelle felt herself laughing. Susie kind of reminded her of Kris, in a way. Only, the Kris she used to know. The Kris that didn't have to follow her orders. Sure, they sometimes shone through now, but it was dim. Upsetting.

That didn't make her love them any less.

But maybe, for now, while she was here, Susie could be something like a friend.

Traveling through the open wilderness for miles and miles without a horse had been slightly more of a challenge than Kris had been expecting. They didn't have the slightest clue where they were, and sure, maybe the lack of sleep was starting to get to them just a little, but it wasn't that bad. Maybe they felt a little dozy, their heart beating just a little faster than it should and causing their mind to spiral into panic, but it was fine.

It had to be fine. Because if it wasn't, if something happened to them out here, then what would happen to Noelle? Would she be okay? Would anyone even be able to find her before it was too late?

They clutched at the compass that usually sat tucked away under their armor. They were the only one able to follow it. It was a gift their mother had given them after their knighting, it would always point to Noelle, no matter where she was. As a precaution, however, it no longer functioned the moment it left their hands, or if they were to die. In that second, unfortunate circumstance, Noelle's would cease to function as well.

For now though, it pointed straight to her. They had faith in its magic to guide them, and though their legs ached, pain arching up their body with every step, they continued marching on. Through forests and grasslands, over creeks and through rivers.

No time was wasted on stopping. The pain was merely a motivator, their hunger was just an excuse. If sleep wanted to take them, it could wait until they were sure she was safe.

Try as they might, however, there was only so much that sheer willpower could do to stave off the inevitable, and when it finally hit, it hit hard. Their knees buckled, forcing them to the ground. The earth stung at their palms through their gloves and shockwaves echoed up their arms from where they'd put their hands out to catch themself.

When they tried shaking off the pain and continuing on their way, however, their body refused to stand. Every limb shook with the exertion and effort, never even making it to the halfway point before giving out again. And again, and again, and again. Each attempt failed worse than the last, and Kris could feel their frustration growing. They couldn't stop now, not when they had gotten so far. They had to be close to finding her.

Another failed attempt, and the tension in their chest bubbled out as a piercing scream of raw emotion. Frustration, anger, pain, fear, every little thing that had been steadily building released loud enough that any nearby animal chose to flee. Long enough that their throat stung with the effort. The screamed until their lungs had long since been emptied, leaving them unable to produce a single sound.

It didn't help. It didn't ease the frustration, nor did it give them back the ability to move. In fact, all it really did, was make everything worse. Because now their struggle was added to by desperate, heaving breaths, trying to take in any amount of air so they no longer felt as though they were going to pass out. Their eyes blurred and they couldn't even focus on that fact long enough to be able to tell whether it was just brimming tears, or something else to be concerned about.

Am I dying? they wondered halfheartedly. It certainly felt like it. Between the exhaustion, emotion, and faint pain traveling up and down their nerves, they thought that maybe it was their time. Maybe they just weren't good enough to save her.

But death never came.

Kris had no idea how long they remained in that state. Be it minutes or hours, they couldn't pull themself out of it. At least, until the loud crunching of leaves and twigs on the ground gave their feeble mind something to focus on. Their gaze flicked up, trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

Never give your opponent time to strike while you're down, Dess had told them once. The order flowed through their veins, and a force that seemed beyond themself drew them to drag themself up, hand clenching on the sword in the sheath they carried.

"Woah, hey, easy there," the voice caught their attention, and their focus was drawn to a person— a human, standing with their arms raised in surrender. "I don't wanna hurt ya, just figured I'd come check out what the commotion was."

They wanted nothing more than to believe the stranger, but the last time they'd ever interacted with another human had been long since forgotten. Every story about their race since had been nothing good, either. Even if they were the same on a fundamental level, they knew humans were notorious for making outcasts even within their own ranks, and Kris doubted it would take very long to see that they themself weren't exactly a well fitting puzzle piece.

So they searched the stranger for any weapons, lest they get caught off guard and pay the price and— they felt their heart sink. There, strapped to the stranger's hip, was something they never wished to see. A weapon they'd only ever heard rumors of. One that was faster than a bow and more efficient than a slingshot, deadly enough to pierce through even an enchanted shield, as well as compact enough to be concealed like nothing more than a small knife. Everyone had brushed it off as an attempt at fear-mongering, but they could still remember seeing the unease on December and their father's faces.

The stranger stared at them awkwardly for a minute, before following their gaze, making a small sound of surprise and patting the gun at their side. "Oh, you don't need to worry yourself about this old thing. I hardly ever even use it, and even that's just for emergencies."

"Why do have it now?" Kris's voice wavered, and they cursed themself for sounding intimidated. The last thing they needed was to show weakness in an already dangerous situation.

"Can't really predict when an emergency will show its face, can I? Even if I could, I still probably would've brought it with me, though, after hearin' someone screaming their lungs out in the woods." They shrugged.

Kris narrowed their eyes, but let themself lean against a tree. Still standing, still able to get into action, but enough to take the strain off their aching legs. "How'd you get it?"

The stranger only gave them a strained smile, offering a hand. "How about we save that story for another time, preferably when we're not out in the open like this?"

It all screamed of suspicion, but if they wanted to progress, they'd have to take whatever was given to them in the moment. Even if they loathed the idea. "I appreciate the offer, but I need to get going. Do you know what's south of here?"

The stranger looked them up and down, crossing their arms. "A few bigger settlements, and the mountain. Flush on the other side's the capitol."

The capitol? Is that where the dragon took her? Was it sent by the humans? But why would a shapeshifting monster like that be working for them?

Maybe they were forced to. They'd seen the giant iron shackles on its wrists. Still, something seemed off about all this. "Have you heard any rumors about dragons around these parts?"

"I don't know where it lives, if that's what you're asking." They answered, adjusting their hat. "I doubt it'd take very kindly to being found though, especially by a soldier."

Then it did live somewhere around here. Kris wasn't surprised that this stranger knew something about it. After all, dragon monsters were rare, and especially shapeshifters. "I have to try."

They sighed as though deciding to give up on a monumental task. "If you're really sure that's what you want to do… but first, why don't you at least stop here and rest for a moment? We don't have much, but we can spare you a little food before you go on your way."

QC's warm meal had lasted them through the night, but they were starting to get hungry again. Ultimately, an offer like this would help save the time of hunting and cooking. It meant they would have energy to help Noelle.

Plus, it didn't seem like a trap. If this human wanted to kill them, they would have by now, right?

"Fine," they relented. "But I won't be staying long."

"Didn't expect you to," the stranger replied with a laugh. "I'm Clover, by the way, and even if you don't plan on sticking around, I'd appreciate knowing what to call you as well."

"Kris," they replied curtly. Better not to bring up their surname around humans, if only for the sake of caution.

"I'm sure that won't get confusing." Clover muttered with a smile, before turning to lead them… somewhere. "Well, right this way, then. I'm sure the others will be curious about you, so don't be surprised if they ask a lot of questions."

"Others?" They hadn't agreed to others. Clover wasn't hostile, but these 'others' might be. The last thing they needed was a fight.

Clover nodded. "Of course. Living alone out here… well it probably wouldn't be the best decision given my circumstances. Then again, the same could probably go for all of us. It's safer to stick together, where we can all protect each other."

"These other people, are they human? How many are there?"

If Kris was honest with themself, they hadn't really met many other humans. Sure, some ambassadors here and there, but no one like them, and certainly not so similar. It was already strange to see a person whose face looked like their reflection, they weren't sure how they could handle more than one.

And that wasn't even taking into account the hostility between the two countries. Waltzing into a human settlement with the delta rune plastered on their chest hardly seemed like a way to make peace with their kind.

"Eight of us all together. You probably won't be meeting everyone if you plan on leaving soon, though." Clover told them. "And yes, we are all human. This was the furthest we could get from the capitol without being seen as a threat to your people. Even if we are Fallen, I doubt your doors are still open to us, with how high tensions have been."

"…Fallen?" Were they deathly ill or something? As far as Kris knew, that tended to be a monster term, not a human one.

Clover looked back at them, like it was a surprise they didn't understand. "Humans who don't agree with the things happening in our country. Or those of us who chose to speak out and act against it, at least. Traitors are the ones who get caught, but the Fallen are those of us who managed to escape with our lives and freedom still intact. We do our best to put it to good use."

"It's that bad in Oberfläche? The humans would even turn on their own people?"

As hard as it was living as a human in Bergentrükung, at least the monsters seemed more scared of humans than anything. That was why they'd been forced into the path of a knight, so that their presence could bring hope instead of terror. But to think that humans here could be cast away for even sympathizing with monsters… it gave them a sense of unease.

"I wouldn't say it's a particularly human condition, though at least one of my friends would certainly disagree with that sentiment. But it's… harder to find community amongst ourselves, things as simple as a difference in identity can make an outcast out of someone." Clover explained, beginning to walk. Kris followed at a distance. "The way that we are is a double edged sword. Our differences can bring about a whole heck of a lot of ingenuity, but it can also make things go sour, too. We can tell when something is different than what we're used to, only problem with that is, it gets hard to tell if that difference of the fun and exciting variety, or of the dangerous kind. Most nowadays aren't willing to take that risk, and with how little contact we've had with monster kind in the last few decades, it's gotten pretty easy for that fear to be capitalized on."

"I can promise you, monsters aren't bad people. Most of them, at least." Kris pointed out. They staggered on weak knees, and Clover hurried to brace them. They quickly disentangled and steadied themself so as not to make that mistake again. It didn't matter that their muscles screamed for a break. They needed to be able to stand on their own.

Clover hovered for a moment, hesitating before finally stepping away. "We can discuss this more inside. Come on, we're almost there."

They followed the other human's gesture, and there, nestled in the trees, were a few cabins. It would be surprisingly easy to miss if they didn't know where to look, tucked at the bottom of a hill inside a small clearing. Without fireplaces, it made sense that these houses had stayed under the radar. Still, they were a little impressed at the scale of the operation.

Kris followed Clover down the hill, watching the grass and leaves become more worn-down until it formed neat dirt paths spiderwebbing between the houses and into a fire pit between them.

"Welcome home!" Clover announced cheerily. "Well, our home, at least. I think most of the gang's out or busy, so you probably won't get to meet all of them. Let me go grab some food, I'll send one or two of them to go prep things out here. Sit yourself down, take a break."

They, of course, followed the order and sat themself down.

It wasn't long before another human joined them, and while Kris could differentiate their features from Clover, like their straight, bluntly cut hair, there were still similarities as well. It was strange, to see people who almost looked like a reflection of themself, but just a little bit off. Actually… seeing the way this new human smiled at them, maybe it was more than just a little bit off.

"When Clover said we had someone new, I almost didn't believe them. Frisk was the last one to show up, I think, and that was a few years ago now." They took a seat across from Kris, staring at them intensely. "Not that I'm surprised. Walking around with armor like that certainly makes a bold statement. You probably stirred up quite a bit of commotion with that, didn't you?"

"It's standard armor where I'm from," they replied. "I'm not staying, either. Your friend offered me food and water, I'm simply taking it and going on my way."

They stared like they were trying to pick Kris's very being apart. It was unnerving. "You're serious? You look like if you take two steps you'll keel over and die, and trust me, one good meal isn't enough to fix that. Plus it's not like you can just-" they cut themself off, leaving an oddly tense silence in the air before continuing. "You're from Bergentrükung, aren't you?"

It would be hard to hide the crest on their shield and chestplate, so they nodded. "I am."

"And you're a soldier? How'd that happen? Last I heard, they were wary about even taking in people like us, here."

"I'd prefer not to speak of it."

The other human gave them a withering glare "Hey, we're feeding you. Least you can do is tell a story."

They supposed that was true. "I was born in Bergentrükung and taken in by the monsters there. The queen decided she wanted me to serve as a beacon of peace, so I began training under her daughter. That's about it."

It wasn't. It really wasn't. But they could hardly explain the secret that lay underneath the armor, nor the pain that came from it. Like it or not, they were a knight. They had to follow orders. And that was that. Nothing else mattered. So why explain the pain to a stranger they'd never see again, if they hadn't even let it out to their brother or Noelle?

"Of course they would," the human laughed, glaring at their feet as they kicked absently at the ground. "They're all too kind for their own good, aren't they? It's hard to believe they'd ever even close their gates to outsiders, but I suppose it's really the only option to keep their people safe. You're lucky, to have the chance to be a part of it."

Were they? It was hard to see it like that sometimes. But then again, they would hardly like to stay in Oberfläche. Whatever they said, it would probably just be a waste of breath. So instead, they stayed silent.

Thankfully, a third stranger hurried out of one of the cabins. They looked eerily similar to the one in front of Kris, were it not for the slightly-different hairstyle and different-colored striped sweater.

"Chara, Justice says to actually start the fire instead of sitting around," they called, steadily getting closer.

The person sitting across from them— Chara— groaned. "I was getting to that. It's nowhere near dark yet, I don't see why we should uproot our whole routine for someone that just showed up. They're not even going to stay!"

"Justice said so," the newcomer repeated.

"Justice? Is that another one of you?" Kris asked, a little confused.

"What? You already-" Chara frowned at them, before their expression quickly morphed into realization. "Oh, of course they'd introduce themself properly. Justice is a nickname we use for Clover. The rest have similar ones as well, except for me, of course. They just couldn't figure me out, I suppose."

"They were gonna call you Determination before I came around," the newcomer corrected.

Chara crossed their arms, glaring at them. "Determination doesn't fit me."

Through squinted eyes, the other stranger, Determination, lifted their eyebrows and let out an oddly sincere, "okay. Justice said to start the fire, by the way."

"I heard you the first time." Chara hissed. "If you want it done so badly, why don't you just do it yourself?"

"Because Justice said you should do it."

"Justice said one of us should do it, not specifically me. Just because I walked outside first doesn't mean I volunteered!"

"Justice told me to make sure you started the fire, which means Justice wants you to do it," Determination persisted.

"…I can start the fire," Kris offered, if only to keep the peace. Well, that and to get going.

Chara put their hand up, gesturing for Kris to stay where they were. "If you and Justice want the fire started so badly, one of you should do it, then! Or, hell, get Patience to do it! She usually starts the fire!"

"But Justice said-"

Chara stood, voice raising. "I don't care what Justice said! They're not the boss of me, and neither are you!"

"…I can still start the fire," Kris repeated, a little more awkwardly.

"You're being a bad host, Chara," Determination pointed out.

"Oh, I'll show you a bad host-!" Chara hissed, and Kris could only watch as they wound their arm back, hand balled into a fist, and-

"Chara, knock it off!" Clover's voice rang out loud and clear through the air, causing everyone around the fire pit to freeze in place. "If you two want to fight, go find somewhere else to do it. This isn't the time or place for one of your squabbles."

Chara's lip curled into a sneer, but they at least lowered their arm, no longer looking a single movement away from punching Determination. "And Frisk," Clover continued, "don't antagonize them when you already know they won't listen. Starting a fight is no way to make a guest comfortable."

Determination— or, Frisk, it seemed— giggled into their hands and nodded. They grabbed Chara's hand and pulled them down to take a seat, as if the two were best friends.

"You're such a pain." Chara muttered, but didn't even attempt to move away. In fact, much to Kris's surprise, they leaned in closer, practically using Frisk as an extension of their seat.

"Are they always like this?" Kris asked Clover, a little concerned. Was this normal human behavior, or just in Oberfläche? Were they the odd one here?

Clover just laughed, smiling while they carried over some small twigs and a few larger logs, placing them into the fire pit with a practiced sort of ease. "Yup. We've stopped questioning it at this point, but if those two are apart for any amount of time they just get agitated. Luckily, for whatever reason, they only take it out on each other, so you don't have to worry about getting caught in the crossfire. Honestly, I think it's like enrichment for them or something."

Not necessarily normal, then. That was good. Kris had a feeling they'd run into quite a few people on their journey, and they would much prefer knowing how to handle the people of this country. "I… see."

Frisk was the next to speak up, tilting their head into Chara's shoulder. "Are you from Bergentrükung, Kris?"

"Yes," they replied. For some reason, the newest human frowned.

"Oh. That's not good. Has Clover told you, then?"

"Told me… what?" They glanced around the group, feeling somehow even more out of the loop.

Clover pulled their weapon from its sheath, holding it flat in their palm. And though Kris was still wary of it out in the open, they forced themself to remain still, lest they risk it actually being utilized. "You recognized this earlier. A lot of people in Oberfläche likely wouldn't even be able to tell you what it is. I'm not sure if somehow, your people were given information on these weapons, or if you're just naturally cautious, but wither way, you at least knew that it was dangerous. It- how much do you know about these, actually?"

"Not much," they admitted. "Only that it's a dangerous new weapon. I've heard them compared to cannons in terms of raw strength, but I don't understand how that would be possible without powerful magic. And even then…"

"That's close to it," Clover told them, striking flint and steel over a small handful of dead leaves tucked into the center of the pile of wood in the pit. "The bullets hold gunpowder, which is ignited by a pin inside the pistol, and the force of that explosion sends the part of the bullet meant for actual damage, flying towards its target. Then, if you take into account their size and speed, it's very easy to pierce through many things. Including armor, and while I haven't seen it myself, I've heard some have even gone through residential walls before, though those were only made of wood and a few inches thick."

They frowned. "It can pierce armor? Why would the humans develop something like that, if they weren't planning for war?"

"That's exactly the problem," Chara muttered, and when Kris looked at them, they had a grim expression, staring into the now quickly glowing flames. "They are. They've been using tactics of fear mongering among their citizens, and trying to provoke your nation by sending out soldiers. They want you to retaliate with force, so that they can garner enough support for a proper invasion."

Clover nodded along, stepping away from the now lit fire. "Which is exactly why you should turn back. Whatever it is you're trying to find in their territory… it's not worth the risk to your people. You should warn your higher ups about this, not go chasing dragons."

"I can't. Someone important was taken from me. I have to get her back. Whether a war starts or not doesn't matter to me. I have to get her back," Kris murmured, looking down at the start of the flames. Underneath their chestplate, the untreated burns started to sting in tandem.

"So you'll trade your entire country for one person? That's insane! You have no idea how far Oberfläche has gotten with their weapons development, if a war starts, monsterkind could very well be wiped out!" Chara argued loudly, but Clover just raised a hand, telling them to be quiet without words.

"Chara is right, this threat is unlike anything that you've seen before. Your people aren't prepared for it, and if a war starts now, they might never get the chance to be." The sighed, taking the gun into what Kris assumed was an offensive hold, and aiming for a tree several paces away. With a single motion of their finger and a loud bang, the bark on the tree split and splintered, flying in every direction. Even from this distance, Kris could see the destruction one single bullet could cause. It was fast, far too fast to dodge, and far too small to see. "That is what these weapons are capable of, and given it's been quite some time since I got my hands on this one, I can only assume they've improved the design that much more. If a war starts, you and your friend won't have a home to return to."

Noelle or their entire country. The princess or the people. Their duty or their home. They could feel their teeth clench at the idea, gaze still fixed on that single point where a piece of metal the size of a pebble had destroyed so much of an entire tree with no more force than a squeeze of a finger.

She wouldn't be safe if she got caught up in this, but Kris couldn't very well turn back while she might be in danger. Out of habit, they pulled out the compass. It still pointed south, towards the capitol. Not spinning, they reminded themself. She wasn't dead. She wasn't safe either, but she wasn't dead. If the humans had captured her, what did they want? An excuse to start this war? A hostage for money? Or was the dragon even working for them?

They wished Noelle were here. She was smart, she'd know what to do. At the very least, her presence would be a comfort. But she was lost somewhere far, far away, and Kris's body wasn't strong enough to make it all the way there without food and, as much as they loathed to admit it, a little rest. They'd been traveling for over a day and a half now, and they had no idea how much more was to go.

"How far away is the capitol?" they asked, hoping they didn't sound as scared as they felt.

"On foot, a half day from here," Clover replied.

"Are you stupid? I just told you, it's a fucking death wish-" Chara started, but Frisk put their hand on top of theirs.

They seemed to look right through Kris's soul when they spoke. "It's someone important to you, right? Someone you have to protect?"

"With my life," they confirmed quietly.

Neither of the other two looked particularly happy, but Chara just let out a pointed sigh. "Whatever. Your funeral. Hope you're happy when your kingdom is destroyed."

That was also true. Noelle couldn't exactly come back to a destroyed home, but what else could they do? They had no backup here to send a message. And the next troops would only get here in a matter of days.

The other troops.

"Could I ask you three a favor?"

"Of course." Clover agreed with a smile.

"Because you aren't already being helped by us," Chara muttered quietly. Frisk sent them a look, and they huffed.

"Right." Kris nodded, then slipped back into the armor of the knight they'd been trained to be. "Bergentrükian soldiers are following as my backup. I can't say when exactly they'll be here, but they should arrive within a matter of days. Tell them what you told me."

"You think they'd believe a group like us?" Clover asked.

"If you tell them Ser Kris Dreemurr of Bergentrükung, personal guard of Princess Noelle sent you, they might," Kris replied. The whole group seemed to shift as the news sank in. Only Frisk looked more excited than shocked.

"You're saving a princess? Wow…"

Chara frowned. "What if they dismiss us? Even I've heard the surname Dreemurr. I'm sure anyone could use your name to pull rank."

"Ask for General December. When she comes…" They scavenged in their satchel for their belongings. Inside was their shield (collapsed to save space, thank goodness), the compass, their personal stamp (with no wax to use it on, of course), minimal rations, a few tidbits, and… "Here. She'll recognize this."

"It's…" Chara looked down at it. "…A drawing of you and some monsters?"

"My brother drew it when I was younger. I keep it as a good-luck charm. Moreso, it's proof of my identity."

"It's cute," Frisk commented. "You're not even in armor in this one. You look so cozy."

They cleared their throat. Ordinarily, they never would have shown that vulnerability, but they hardly had a choice here. They'd rather be embarrassed than fail to keep their home safe. "I'd appreciate the food post-haste. I hope my kingdom may repay you with asylum someday."

"Right!" Clover stood. "The food! I got so distracted with the squabble, I forgot to bring the ingredients out. It will take a while to cook, so relax. Take a nap, it looks like you need it. We'll wake you when it's done."

An order, they thought, eyes beginning to close on their own, was an order.

Chapter Text

The human in front of her paced, a sword at his side and armor so shiny it hurt her eyes. She watched him with slitted yellow eyes. She hoped that somehow, some way, even the barest extents of her limitless hate for him shone through. Though it was probably just a drop in the bucket compared to what she actually felt. It was only the muzzle on her snout and the chains binding her that kept her from roasting him alive or snapping his bones like toothpicks.

"A genuine Trümmer heir." He leaned down, prying her lip up to look at her teeth. Smoke trickled out of it, dark and charred. She hoped it choked him. "I didn't think we'd get so lucky. It may not be Bergentrükung's own princess, but I'll take you. Your grandfather used to own this very land almost two hundred years ago. Now, we'll use you to take back ours. A princess for the prince that was taken from us. Seems like a fair trade, doesn't it?"

She wanted to scream that she didn't know what he was talking about, that she was no princess. Her whole life had been being passed from human to human, picking up language from when they'd ask what they were supposed to do with her.

She'd hated most of those hands. She really, really hated this hand. He'd chained her up, told his ally to do something to her, and now she couldn't stand up on two legs anymore. She was trapped as a pitiful little wyrm, wings bound tight to her body. She didn't have her hair anymore, nor a mouth that could speak.

Not that she could do that with her mouth muzzled anyway.

"Are you sure it's safe to be around?" One of his other bastard friends asked. She'd learned that word a while ago, when it was shouted to her. She thought it fit quite well on these no-scales.

"Soloman put quite a few spells down. Don't worry, we've been cautious. And this one's young. Easier to tame, if not a little more spirited. By the time the year's out, we'll have it broken in. Trust me, it's not going to be anything but a beast for a long, long time."

She strained around the shackles, but none burst. She spat flame and only burned the inside of her mouth. She snorted smoke, but it never seemed to catch in his lungs and strangle him.

She was trapped.

"Susie," he said, and she froze. That was a name. That was her name. But she didn't have a name. Names were bestowed to people, and she wasn't a person. She was a beast.

"Susie," he repeated, firmer. He reached down and put his disgusting hand on her snout. He was as cold as death. "Susie, wake up."

Her tail thrashed. But wasn't it supposed to be shackled to her side as well? Had the chains broken?

She whipped it back, forth, back, forth, struggling against the chains. At once, they snapped, and she burst forth, spitting flame to decimate the troops that had tormented her.

But when Susie snapped her eyes open, there was only the scorched wall of the tower she'd lived in for years and the figure of a girl, barely out of the way of the blast.

Noelle.

In the two days Susie had had with her, she'd realized quickly that the princess really wasn't all that bad. Sure, she was prissy and proper and spoiled and, worst of all, in love with a human, but…

Well, it was hard to hate someone she had so much in common with. Which was insane, because Susie had grown up with shackles and fire and Noelle had grown up with fucking maids that attended to her every whim, but it was true. She was bored and restless and lonely, out of her depth with a curse that she couldn't be rid of, and as much as Susie hated to admit it, that part of Noelle was like looking in a mirror.

All that was to say, Susie was pretty sure they were kind-of friends now. Or, at least, they didn't hate each other. Considering they'd spent half of yesterday playing time-waster ink and parchment games, she was pretty sure she could make that claim.

Which is why it scared her all the more that she'd nearly torched the princess alive. The second person in her life who'd ever given a damn about her, and she'd almost turned her to ash over a stupid nightmare.

She looked down at her hands— talons, they were talons, when had she transformed? In her sleep? Of course she had, she always got nightmares when the remnants of that stupid curse caused her to transform in her dreams, and then she got into a panic and couldn't go back-

Calm down, Susie. You can be a monster again. You don't have to stay a beast. You don't have to hurt people anymore.

That little voice sounded like Ralsei. Ralsei, he should be here. He was always here when she woke up roaring, shaking the tower with the destructive force she'd been trained to harness.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair, why wasn't he here?

"Susie," Noelle repeated, and out of habit, out of fear, she snarled. The princess flinched, but didn't quaver. Just like Ralsei, all those years ago. "You're okay. You had a nightmare, that's all."

She huffed, her breath shaky as she did with puffs of smoke rising from her nose. She still couldn't communicate in this form, every attempt at a word would come out as another growl. But at least this time it was softer, more like a grumble at worst. Still, she tried forcing herself to be still so she wouldn't scare the princess further. It was stupid, but she'd really rather not be alone at the moment.

"That's it." Her voice was so soft. All of her was soft. So easily breakable, and yet, she didn't seem to care. She didn't even seem to realize how easily Susie could destroy her. "Just breathe. You're okay."

A monster, no older than her and looking just as scared stood across from her. "Easy. Easy, I'm not trying to hurt you. You have a curse on you. I just need to get close so I can get rid of it."

She stood still, and he reached forward, to the crown of her head where that horrible mark still defiantly remained. And his hand had been terrifying, just another sorcerer that could hurt her, and she'd snapped.

If the bite had been any harder, she could damn well have ripped his hand clean off.

And he cried, and he held it close, and his chest heaved in pain, but for whatever reason, he didn't run. Instead, bloody and shaking, he smiled.

The whole situation was too similar for comfort. Susie didn't want to hurt Noelle. Maybe a few days ago, she wouldn't have cared, but now, she was scared. She was always scared. Not of Ralsei, not of Noelle, but of herself.

"If you want, you can come closer," Noelle offered. "Being close to someone helps me when I have bad dreams."

What was worse? Giving in to weakness, or suffering through it alone? It was never really an easy choice for Susie to make. She wanted to be close to others, but the mere thought of it terrified her. They could hurt her, or she could hurt them. It was always a gamble, and though in most scenarios she loved taking risks, it was moments like this where she actually stopped to ask herself if it was really worth it.

She hesitated for only a moment longer, before ever so slowly creeping forward. Noelle didn't so much as flinch as Susie settled down beside her, and while the air was a little more than just 'cool' around her, it was still kind of nice to be near another person. Though, she did still keep her eyes open, the vulnerability of letting them fall shut, even for a moment, was something she wasn't quite prepared for yet.

Noelle was so small like this. Her waist fit in Susie's palm, her whole body merely the size of Susie's draconic head. And yet, she didn't necessarily seem scared. Her hands shook, but her face was placid. How was it that easy for her to hide her fear, when Susie couldn't even do that much?

Susie startled as she felt Noelle's arm brush against her neck. It was cold, just like the dream. Had Noelle been the one to touch her snout? Why would she do that? Why was the pressure even growing? It wasn't painful, feeling her… captive? friend?… lean against her scales— in fact, the cold was pretty manageable. It was just odd. Why would she want to get closer? What if she just wanted to hurt Susie?

"Sorry," she said, seeming to realize Susie had gone tense. "I just wanted to get a little more comfortable, and- and your scales were warm, so…"

Susie was convinced she'd never figure this monster out. This monster, who didn't seem scared by fangs or fire but seemed to tremble at the idea of feelings and mice. How could someone be made like that? How could that kind of kindness exist in a world like this?

She huffed a bit of smoke, settling down. She was still tense, but Noelle had done her a solid. It was the least she could do to be a warm place to rest.

She never really liked staying in her current form for very long though, especially not after a nightmare. It just made her feel trapped, like the chains she couldn't shake off were still being used to tether her. It hurt without ever causing any actual pain.

But with Noelle there, as a calm and gentle presence, it was far easier for Susie to gain her bearings. Even if she was still cautious, it was better than it would have been if she were alone. Still, it was different from what she had grown used to. While Noelle sat there in relative silence, letting Susie take in everything her thoughts had to throw at her, Ralsei would have usually started talking, drowning out all the noise in her head with something more pleasant, yet still near impossible to understand, like the functionality of magic.

She had to be the one to focus her attention on shifting. The silence made the way the magic crackled and popped along her skin that much more noticeable to her own ears, and it was hard not to just give up and stay as she was. It was always so much slower to change when she wasn't in a good mood, and the effort only frustrated her that much more. Not to mention, she was able to feel every twisting bone and muscle. The pain wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it was far less than pleasant being dragged out like this.

The time still passed though, even if agonizingly slow, and she managed to find herself sitting, staring down at her own hands. Hands that were still tied up in chains she couldn't break no matter how hard she tried. Sometimes she wondered, if she managed to get them off, would they remain imprinted in her mind? Would she ever be able to shake the memory? Or worse, would it feel like something was missing?

The pressure of a person leaning on her side suddenly dissipated, and she glanced over to see Noelle staring at the ground. "Um… g- glad you're back, Susie! How are you feeling?"

"I-" for whatever, godforsaken reason, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. One moment of weakness was already enough, though, and she forced herself to turn her back to Noelle, curling into herself as much as she possibly could. "I'm fine."

The princess didn't move to change their positioning. "You don't have to be. Or- I- I guess that's not a good phrase. All I'm trying to say is that I won't judge. I don't know what you've gone through, and you don't have to tell me, but I guess- you know, I'm here. If you want it."

Susie could've laughed at the situation she was in. It was difficult with the nightmare still fresh in her mind, but that didn't mean she couldn't still poke a bit of fun at it. "You know, most people wouldn't be trying to comfort the person who kidnapped them. Honestly, it's kind of surprising you haven't just taken the chance to run. You really are weird, Noelle."

"I would say I've been told, but you're the first one who's actually said it to my face," she laughed back.

"Yeah, well…" Susie leaned back so that she was resting back-to-back with Noelle. "It's true."

A moment of silence panned out, and Noelle murmured, "I'm… glad I met you, Susie. Even like this."

It was hard to resist a smile at that. She hadn't met anyone who was actually happy to have been around her in a long time. And while their start had been rocky, she certainly couldn't say that she hated Noelle, either. It didn't suck to spend time with her, at least. "Gotta admit, you're not too bad yourself."

She could've sworn she saw Noelle smile out of the corner of her eye.

The capitol of Oberfläche was… different. Not just because of the mass amount of humans that lived there, walking the street and most barely even giving Kris so much as a second glance. But there was something in the air. Not just metaphorically, either, they could see a literal haze that lingered like smoke and made it hard to breathe.

Everyone looked the same, and dressed the same. Like seeing the save five people with the color just slightly altered. It made their head hurt a little.

They couldn't even push the blame of that onto the lack of sleep anymore either, since while they had stayed at the small homestead of the Fallen humans, they ended up resting properly. Not exactly by choice, of course, their body giving in like strings had been cut when Clover told them to sleep while they cooked the meal. But they supposed it couldn't really be helped, it was at least a good way to pass the time, rather than sitting around and waiting.

Chara had been right, though, it was far colder here. Still not enough to justify the sweater they had insisted Kris bring— which was safely tucked away in their satchel— but it might prove useful later on, especially once the night fully set in.

They never expected to feel like more of an outcast than they did back home, yet here, they passed through the streets like nothing more than a ghost. Just a mere afterthought to the people around them and nothing more. At least that made it easier to get to where they needed to be. Though they had to duck into empty alleyways every time they wanted to check their compass, just to be sure they hadn't somehow passed where Noelle was being kept. Yet it still remained true, pointing past the mountains, even now.

They sighed, stepping out of their temporary hiding place to continue trudging forward. The streets had been growing more quiet as the sky darkened however, and that made it easy for Kris to pick up on the sound of metal armor scraping against itself and clanging with footfalls on the cobble road. As it grew closer, they could feel their nerves winding up, they hand already twitching to held their sword.

"Well, if it isn't the talk of the town," an unfamiliar, yet unexpectedly cheerful voice rang out as a hand landed on their shoulder, stopping them in place. They turned, slowly, to the source and came face to face with a man covered head to toe in armor that looked as though it had never even seen a training field, let alone a battle. Polished to complete perfection. "With how elusive you've been, I wasn't sure I'd actually get the chance to see you before you slipped away for good. Not often we get a Bergentrükung soldier way out here, after all. Let alone one of such a high standing."

Kris reached up to the emblem on their chest. Shit. They hadn't even been thinking about that. If they focused, they could even hear the shuffling of more armor, not too far away. Other than that and the sound of their own breathing, the streets had gone dead quiet. When they looked around, there were only guards.

"I'm only passing through," they stated, trying to project as much authority into their voice as they possibly could. "I don't mean any trouble, and if it's not an issue, I'd rather continue on my way."

"I'm afraid I can't let you go that easily," he replied.

Body reacting out of sheer muscle memory, they grasped for the handle of their sword, ready to pull it out if needs be. With how shiny this man's armor seemed, they were sure he couldn't have actually been in a battle. They were sure they could overpower him if it came to it.

"That won't be necessary, Ser Dreemurr. I only want to talk peacefully. Our nations are at peace, after all," he said, lazily placing his hands up.

They bit their tongue, forcing themself to keep from asking if he truly believed that, and let go of their sword. Though the tenseness didn't subside from their body. "Of course. I would have chosen to go around, otherwise."

"Of course," he agreed. "Now, I'd like to introduce myself properly. My name is Hildebrand. Though we haven't met properly, I've heard plenty about you. And I'm sure you've heard my name, as well. I'm well-acquainted with your mentor."

General Hildebrand. The de-facto leader of Oberfläche, and someone Kris really, really didn't want to be slowed down by around now.

"Ah, yes I've… heard of you." What December had told them wasn't exactly anything good of course. She had always been loud in her dislike of him when it came to regaling them with her ventures into Oberfläche. It was hard to tell just how much she had been exaggerating in her tales, but Kris certainly understood her discomfort.

The general nodded. "Right. Well, all that is to say, I'm surprised you've come to our nation. Did something happen to the princess?"

They wondered just how much they should say. Though he put on a friendly face, they knew the man before them was an enemy, and one they should be cautious around. However… if the dragon had taken Noelle here, then they couldn't very well break into the main fortress. Their best bet was to play nice, and try to negotiate for her release.

"A dragon showed in our kingdom, just the other night," they explained, keeping their voice as even as they possibly could. "It attacked, and stole her from the palace garden, before flying towards your country. I was sent to retrieve her. So, unless she is here, I'd like to request that you let me carry on with my task."

For his part, Hildebrand looked genuinely surprised. It was only for a moment, before his face evened out into something more stoic. "I see. That's unfortunate. Though, I must say, I wouldn't expect that they would send only a single knight to retrieve her. Especially one in your state."

"It's been a long journey. However, my princess is my priority above all else, and if that means I appear worse for wear, than so be it." Even if he wasn't being outright hostile, they couldn't risk their current weakness being taken for what it was. They also thought back to what the Fallen humans had told them, and if their request was delivered upon, then there would be no backup coming for them unless they found way or reason to send for help. "As it is, I am the only one currently traveling this way to find her. I intend to bring her home safely, though whether I achieve that through combat or negotiation lays fully in the hands of whoever it is that has taken her."

"I doubt you'll find negotiations with that dragon, and chances are slim you'll defeat it. Trust me, my men have tried," the general warned. "I say this as a human to a human: if you go there, you will not come back. Not as you are now. If you would like a night to consider the price of your life, Oberfläche is willing to give you room and board."

They'd been more tempted at the Fallen settlement. It was far more pleasant, even in their dazed and haggard state. So, though they didn't express their distaste, they could have scoffed at the suggestion of staying here. "There's nothing to consider, I made my decision long before I reached this place. If you truly want to assist me, than directions to where the dragon resides will suffice."

"I see. Well, it lies south of here, about a half-day on foot. Be warned, it lives as a pet to a monster sorcerer. Even my best mage, Soloman, was unable to break the spells of protection around that place. You'll be lucky if you make it close," he explained, taking a pace back like Kris's determination was some sort of illness.

"Then I suppose we can only hope that I live to see the next sunrise." Kris replied curtly. They had no time for lingering any longer, and Hildebrand's words did little to scare them. They had trained to fight with monsters for roughly half their life, they could dodge a magic attack in their sleep, and they had already been burned by the dragons fire once.

As long as they still had the strength to lift their blade, they wouldn't stop until they could see Noelle's face again, smiling as brightly as she had before she was taken.

Ralsei's quill danced along parchment, tracing ink in precise lines. His handwriting was dense but expertly crafted over years and years of practice. To anyone else, it would probably be near-unreadable, but he could decipher the text with ease. And really, he was the only one who needed to read it.

Ralsei had learned most things out of books, and how to write for himself was one of the first. He didn't remember a lot from his early childhood. There had been someone, he thought when he looked back. Of course there was; it wasn't like he could learn to speak or read by himself. But when he thought back, he couldn't remember a single detail about whoever it was. Their species, their gender, even their relation to him… he couldn't remember.

All he knew was that, by the time he could recall his life, he was alone in this tower, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves as his only friends and all the skills he needed to survive.

So, he'd taught himself. Or, more accurately, the books had taught him. Past, present, future. How to write, how to cast spells, how to brew potions, which foods were safe and unsafe and how to cook them. And over the years, he'd written his own. They were inexpertly bound, of course, but he'd felt the need to give knowledge back to the source where he'd learned it. If not for anyone that came after him, then for appreciation for the collection of books itself.

Susie always said it was kind of stupid to love books like family, but she didn't discourage his practices. She was kind, he thought. The best first friend he could have asked for.

And right now, he was writing about her.

Not any sort of memoir— though he was mildly tempted to list down all her characteristics and motivations one of these days, if only to understand her better— but something far different. An analysis of a prophecy he'd found tucked in a yellowed scroll. At first, it had been one of the countless artifacts that wasn't relevant to him. So, he'd put it aside and out of his mind. That was, until two days ago, when Susie had brought a struggling princess covered in ice to the tower he'd grown up in, and he realized all at once that the prophecy in the scroll may be happening now.

In Ralsei's defense, there were several other prophecies in that same stack that had presumably either come true already or were far ahead of their time. That hardly made him feel better, with how obvious it now seemed.

He drew his paw across the scroll to flatten it again, mouthing the words silently.

Discord in matters of heart

A single kingdom torn apart

Three curses placed on children pure

Borne of snows and flames of war

An heir to an heir, a true love's kiss

A knight whose heart is not amiss

A princess frozen in the cold

A dragon monster, brave and bold

Together, they face fate and find

A union to connect both kind

Annotating the scroll itself would be nothing short of sacrilege, so he'd resorted to writing it down on another page. He just… needed to be sure they were the exact same words. Again. Making sense of this text could help him advise Susie and Princess Noelle on what to do next. And 'what to do next' looked like watching those two fall in love. An heir to an heir had to mean those two. Susie came from noble blood, after all, even if she didn't want to admit it.

It seemed literal enough, but he wanted to be absolutely sure. Deciphering any non-literal elements may be the key to creating the union. He still wasn't quite sure how the knight came into play, or how a kiss between two monsters would connect both kind, which could be an element he had to figure out to garner peace among all these tensions.

Or maybe it wasn't the kiss. Maybe it was facing fate that would identify that solution, but that was too vague. What type of fate was it? A good fate? A tragic fate? He'd hate to find out that it was an omen of doom and have to keep it from her. How was he even supposed to tell her in the first place? Should he tell her? Did he have a moral responsibility to, or would it interfere with fate if he did? What about Princess Noelle? Did she know? Was this something she was raised with? If she told Susie, would it ruin things? Or was the prophecy self-fixing, where nothing he did mattered, or-

"Hey, nerd!" Susie's voice pierced through the room from the top of the stairs, and he just about jumped out of his skin. The flinch tipped over the inkwell he was using, causing him to have to scramble to save the parchment with the prophecy on it. His analysis, however, was ruined. And he hadn't even gotten to do any analyzing yet, either.

"Careful with the frost, Susie!" He called back. "I have plants in here that can't be exposed to the cold for too long!"

"Yeah, yeah, she knows not to come too close. Hey, c'mere for a second."

Uh oh. He'd known Susie long enough to know that tone was for troublemaking and shenanigans. Her heavy footsteps started down the stairs, and he fiddled with his ears as she came into the mess that was his study. "Er- I really ought to clean up around here-"

"Nope! You've been in there all day, now get your ass out here."

He had been here for an awfully long while, and maybe he did need some sunlight, and he didn't not want to spend time with his best friend, but the prophecy seemed like it would be approaching soon, and he didn't want to miss something crucial before it came, and-

Susie's large hands wrapped around his midsection, effectively pulling him up and tossing him like a sack of potatoes over her shoulder. Before he could even process his new situation, she pulled him up the stairs into the top-most room of the tower that had been converted into her living space and set him down in the center of the floor.

Near the window, Princess Noelle had her hands over her mouth, brows upturned in something between pity and barely-restrained laughter. "Susie, are you sure we should bother him?"

"It's fine," Susie told her, grinning from ear to ear. "He'd never stop working if we didn't. Trust me. Honestly, I'm pretty sure he only went outside of this place a few times a year before meeting me."

"I went outside!" Ralsei defended himself. "How else would I get ingredients?"

"Did you get those ingredients in bulk?" She countered.

"…Mostly. B- but, I had to get them! So I did go outside semi-regularly. Mostly just to the garden, though."

"You have a garden?" Princess Noelle looked excited. "What sorts of things do you grow?"

"Mostly herbs, mushrooms, and tubers," he laughed. "I don't have the space or time to take care of flowers. And last time I tried, Susie took a bite out of one of them."

Susie just nodded along, like the fact that she had done so didn't even phase her. Though, he knew it didn't, there was little she had done that she'd never admit to with her full chest. "Yeah, it didn't taste the best, and I'm pretty sure I got sick afterwards. That could've been from anything, though."

"It was the flower," he told her.

"Could've been anything."

"No, it was definitely the flower. That kind is poisonous, I told you multiple times."

"Anything."

Despite himself, he couldn't help but smile, and, judging by Princess Noelle's little giggle, she felt much the same.

"Stop laughing!" Susie demanded. "We have serious business to do."

"…Do we?" Ralsei asked, a little lost. He'd known Susie had mischief on the mind, but he wasn't aware of the exact plan.

She nodded sharply, then pointed to Princess Noelle. "She needs you to give her wings."

He glanced between Susie and Princess Noelle, the latter of whom looked a little embarrassed. Even though she came from nobility, she always seemed so guilty asking things of him. He'd assured her that she was his guest, but even now, she wasn't the one demanding wings. And speaking of which-

"Susie," he started, more amused than anything. "That's not how magic works. You do know that's not how magic works, right?"

"Uh…" she squinted, then leaned over to Princess Noelle, doing a stage whisper that he could still very much hear. "Do you think that's a trick question?"

The princess giggled again, sending Susie a look that was surprisingly fond. "Susie, even I know how magic works, and I don't live with a sorcerer."

Susie puffed up in faux-offense and punched Princess Noelle's shoulder the same way she always did with Ralsei. That only prompted another laugh from Princess Noelle.

Ralsei knew they were getting along better now, but it was still odd to see such a sweet exchange. There was a prominent smile on both of their faces, but his eyes were drawn to the sharp-toothed grin on Susie's. Goodness, the dragon monster had made so much progress since he'd met her. The first time he'd seen her smile, he'd thought he would never see it again. Now, it seemed to be ever-present on her face, whether in mischief or kindness. Sometimes, he wondered if she knew she'd saved his life as much as he'd saved her.

And now, he hoped dearly, not only for the sake of fate but for the happiness of the person who'd changed the trajectory of his lonesome life, that she'd just found love.

"What are you smiling for, you dork?" Susie asked, and he shook his head to clear it.

"Nothing, hah."

"Yeah, yeah, weirdo," Susie snorted in that sarcastic, oddly-sweet way she always did. "Anyways, why can't you make wings on her? You put it on my monster form once or twice!"

"You're a dragon, that's why," Ralsei told her. She still looked clueless, so he paced to where an inkwell (more than likely stolen from his study) was placed on the floor. When he twisted it around, there was the same sigil he'd placed on most of his study materials. The glass was a little cold, but the ink still ran liquid. Good. He stepped a little further into the center of the room so that the mess he would make wouldn't get on anything important.

"See, magic amplifies or weakens what's already in a vessel," he explained, tilting the inkwell so dark liquid spilled out.

Both his friend and his guest seemed a little surprised at the demonstration. It was a little excessive, sure, but maybe a practical application would help Susie understand. He remained quiet for a moment, letting black dribble down until the amount of the floor had far exceeded the amount the container could realistically hold. And yet, it still poured out in a steady stream. Having made his point, he tipped it up. The well was still near-full.

"An inkwell's purpose is to hold ink. I strengthened it so that that purpose exceeded what it could have otherwise achieved non-magically. As long as there's ink in it, it will remain full. And take, for example, the tower. It shouldn't be able to hold what it can. But I, and the ones who were here before me, strengthened the stones and mortar to hold together under extreme force. Bodies are made to repair themselves, so magic can be applied to help that along.

"It can also be used to weaken things. I could enchant a piece of glass to break the moment it's touched, or to become opaque, or to collapse into the sand used to make it. It depends on the property being amplified or weakened and if that thing or person has those traits in the first place."

"And that's how curses work too, right?" Princess Noelle was still smiling, but it seemed a bit more sad.

"Exactly. A curse is just an enchantment— or a long-term spell held by a marking— that's placed maliciously." He could probably go more in depth into the semantics of enchantments versus spells, but he didn't want to overwhelm Princess Noelle or Susie. And that wasn't even touching potions, either.

Susie nodded, looking thoughtful. "Guess that's how you knew how to break my curse, huh? Must've been pretty easy for ya, since you're strong enough to put this whole tower in a barrier."

"You were cursed?" Princess Noelle looked genuinely shocked, glancing between her and Ralsei. "And- and you broke it? How? All of the court mages have tried to break mine, and none of them could get close."

"That's because of the way they placed the enchantment on you. It's much harder to break an enchantment that has a non-magical means of release. If the enchantment is designed to be broken eventually by a certain action, it can be nearly impossible to break." He hated to see the way that Princess Noelle seemed to droop at that. "I'm sorry. I would have done it if I could."

Despite that, she still smiled. "Oh… I guess that makes sense. The humans cursed me to try to win the war. If it could have been gotten rid of that easily by just magic, they probably would have by now."

"Well it doesn't hurt to try, right?" Susie asked, looking disappointed, but still a little bit hopeful. "Maybe they overlooked some small detail or something that would make it easy for you to break?"

"I suppose. Just… don't get your hopes up, okay?" Princess Noelle nodded, and he approached cautiously. He really didn't want to be offensive with this, but he hadn't exactly grown up with references for typical social behavior. "Where is your curse mark? I need to be able to feel it to try to break the spell."

"It's along my back," she replied, turning so her back was facing him. "It goes most of the way down. Do you need to be able to touch it directly?"

He looked over her gown. It was laced tight in the back, the white a little dirty now. Ice crystals clung to her skin and her dress, making it hard to identify what was skin or cloth. But there, above the back of the fine clothing, two small white bumps protruded. "Only a small part. I think I can work with what you have now. Do you mind…?"

"Not at all," she said, and he placed his paw to the curse mark.

When he closed his eyes, he could see it clearly. Two angel wings, folded and bound tight with chains. He traced the chains with his other paw to the small of her back. In his mind's eye, the lock was bound tight with a hexagonal sigil of pure ice. It chained her control, weakening the part of her that stopped magic from spilling out. In essence, she was a leaky tap. No matter how much she tried to close off the flow, any magic that welled inside her soul would come out anyways.

The ice over the lock had to be melted. The original method was with a true love's kiss. Even if he didn't know about the prophecy, he could tell that much by the intent on the spell. She'd said it was to win the war, so the humans had probably meant to just get her out of the way for fifteen or so years. Still, it was quite a cruel method to do so.

Not that any curses weren't cruel, though.

He eased a bit of magic out of himself, the surplus that he hadn't bottled into potions, and encouraged the diamond of ice to melt underneath his palm. Stubbornly, it stayed. So, he put out a little more warmth into the cold, a little more magic, a little more pressure.

Clearly, too much, if the way that the princess gasped and jerked away was any indication.

"I'm sorry!" He pulled his hands closer, already guilty. "It's just… stubborn. I could probably do it if I really tried, but it would take a lot of magic and probably hurt you in the process. I don't think that's ideal for anyone. You'll have to break it the way it was meant to be broken."

"Damn it." Susie swore quietly, reaching out to steady Noelle and make sure she was okay. It was rare to see such softness from her. Than again, he only really had himself to compare to. But then, despite the way everyone's mood seemed to plummet that much more, she grinned, all mischievous and knowing as she looked at Princess Noelle. "Guess we just gotta wait and see if your crush shows up, huh?"

"Her… crush?" The question came out without his input. Noelle had a pre-existing crush? But what about the prophecy? The kiss had to be an heir to an heir, right? How did another person fit into the equation, when Susie and Noelle were getting along so well?

Princess Noelle went pink in the face, waving her hands in front of her. "No, no, no, not- l- like- they're just a friend, y- you know? Um, why- why don't we talk about something else, actually-?"

"You mean like that letter you wrote?" Susie was smiling wide, showing all her pointed teeth without any hint of malice.

That was what it took for her to put her face in her hands, ice creeping along the floor. She seemed more embarrassed than anything, but Ralsei still felt a little bad for her.

"It's alright, Princess Noelle," he tried. "Having a crush is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure whoever it is is very lucky."

"Yeah," Susie agreed with a small laugh, patting Noelle on the shoulder, before her face fell slightly and she shrugged. "They are a human though, so like… probably could've made a better choice on that front. Not that I'm judging, though… that much, at least."

A human? And even more vexing, Susie seemed okay with that? If there was one thing he knew about Susie, it was that she hated humans. Had she changed her mind? Was there something about Princess Noelle or the words that she spoke that had somehow swayed the unswayable?

"Gosh, you don't have to look so surprised," Princess Noelle muttered, peering between her hands.

"No, no, I just-" he started, an excuse already bubbling on his tongue, but the soft noise of grass underfoot and the whisper of magic along his spine alerted him to danger.

It had been a long time since the soldiers of Oberfläche had given up trying to re-capture or even slay Susie. He hadn't gotten a visitor in nearly a year, let alone one with steel boots and the sounds of metal clanking along their body. He twisted at once, hurrying towards the window that Susie used as her personal perch and looking out at it.

"What is he doing?" Princess Noelle asked.

"He enchanted the grass around the tower to alert him to visitors. My guess's some human's come to slay me. Finally, it's been forever since I've had entertainment!" Susie laughed.

The princess perked up. "It could be my knight!"

"There's no way," Ralsei told her. There was a figure barely within the range of his observational spells, humanoid in shape and decked out in armor, but it seemed different than the armor of Oberflächian soldiers. "There's no way. It's- it's only been two and a half days. They'd have to travel nonstop to make it here this soon."

"Guess I get to kick someone's ass, then." Susie stated, already making her way towards the nearest window. Her form shifted into something more inhuman, slitted yellow eyes focused on the traveler in the distance.

By the time Noelle yelled for her to wait, she was already flying down to meet their new guest.

Chapter Text

After miles and miles of wandering, days without rest and minimal food or drink, Kris could see it: A tower pointed right up into the sky, old an ruinous, but somehow still standing. Their compass pointed right to its heart, and they knew intrinsically that she was there.

They couldn't let out a sigh of relief yet, though. They still had to get her back through whatever means necessary. It seemed they'd have no time to wait and think, however— not that they wanted to, of course. They hadn't gotten this far by wasting time, and they weren't going to start now, in the final moments of their journey. As they walked through the open grassy field that surrounded the spire, they felt as though they'd crossed an invisible threshold. The air within was thick with magic, and had it been any other time or place, they would have taken great comfort in it.

But as though their entrance had set off a bell, an earth-shaking rumble could be heard, and when they turned their head to the source, they stood face to face with the dragon they'd been prophesized to meet, appearing just as suddenly as it had that fateful night. Kris didn't waste a single moment, readying their sword and shield.

The beast remained still, and though instinct told them to wait, they knew they couldn't make the same mistake again. One moment of hesitance meant everything, and if they weren't the first to act, if they faltered for even a moment, they would die. They would gladly do so, if it meant Noelle's safety, but there would be no one else reaching this place in a very, very long time, so even if they could defeat the dragon with their final breath, what happened to her would still be up to cruel fate. Especially if they were to believe what they were told about a sorcerer residing here as well, which, if the magic was anything to go off of, was a surprising truth.

They let their feet guide them, every step a familiar and practiced stance, until they were close enough to see their target. It was nothing more than a healed over scratch now, but the one place their blade had managed to hit days ago was still weak. Without their previous clumsiness, the cut made was smooth and effortless, digging far deeper this time around.

The dragon reared back, a roar loud enough to make their ears ring echoing out into the air. It wasn't hard to see that the beast was furious, smoke already pouring from it's mouth and nostrils. Kris braced for the flames, but instead something thick as a branch and quick as a whip collided with their side. It was only when they were on the ground, still reeling with shock from the unexpected blow, that they could just barely recognize the tail that had hit them as it completed its arc.

Kris, only thirteen, yelped as the blunt end of December's wooden sword hit them in the side. Even in the cloth training armor, it stung worse than almost anything they'd felt and sent them tumbling to the ground. They rolled from the force of the blow, sending a dust cloud into their throat. They twisted, winded and coughing and trying desperately to catch their breath.

The sound of footsteps approached, and the shadow of their mentor blocked out the sun. "You know what your mistake was, right?"

"I know," they grumbled hoarsely. "It's hard to remember to parry in the moment."

"That's why we're practicing."

That was always her response. That, or reminding them how many times they'd 'died' that day. It was meant to be encouraging, but the bitter taste of dust still burned Kris's throat. "Whatever."

"Kid, you've gotta learn this stuff," December sighed.

"I don't want to!" they snapped, feeling tears in their eyes. "I never asked for this! I hate training, I hate having to remember all this stuff! I wasn't made for this, Dess! I want to go back to playing the piano! I was good at that! Why- why do I have to be the one to pay for all the stuff the other humans did? It's not fair!"

December looked quite sad for a moment, but only sighed and shook her head. "Things are… complicated. I wish you could go back to playing piano, too, but you're a knight now. Like it or not. You may not be made for it, but we'll shape you into one. And I have an idea as to how. Come on, get up. Let's work with what you have."

They dragged themself off the ground like they had a thousand times before. The metal where they'd taken the hit was dented.

All the exhaustion from the days of travel and pain from wounds untreated had taken a backseat, replaced by the red that usually took them over in battle. Their body moved on its own, a perfectly-trained fighting machine. Facing them, the dragon snarled.

"When you see a weapon that's aimed to hurt you or the one you're protecting, parry or block the ways I've taught you to."

Before they could even really process that the dragon's talons were bearing down, they raised their shield. The claws came down heavy, the sheer force of them enough to make Kris's eyes water.

"Don't sit there all day and waste your energy fighting against whatever's got you in a bind. Shields are curved for a reason. Redirect the energy and use it to catch them off guard."

They twisted the shield, and, like water whose dam had been broken, the force the dragon had been using to try to crush them redirected. It stumbled, and they ran forward to get under its belly. There had to be something soft under there, some weak spot to hit. But before they could find it, the beast swiped for them. They blocked the talon again, but the tail got them square in the back, tossing them forward.

December crossed her arms as Kris, now fourteen, caught their breath lying on the dusty ground. "Your problem?"

"I- ugh- fell for the feint," they wheezed.

"Exactly. Be ready to move at a moment's notice. You can't rely on telegraphed attacks all the time. If your opponent changes course, you have to as well."

They looked up at the blistering sun and hoped to any force up there that she'd decide training was done for the day. But instead, she held her hand out and grinned. "C'mon, we're not done yet. Get up."

Kris barely had time to drag themself up before the dragon's claw came down again, this time in a crushing motion.

"If you see an attack you can't parry, dodge it. Moving in every direction is crucial for a real fight."

Their best shot was the throat, it seemed. Even if they could find a chink in the armor in the underbelly, it had too many ways to attack from there. Honestly, they were lucky it hadn't just crushed them then and there.

"Don't take unnecessary risks. Being creative with your attacks will get you killed. Vital spots are vital for a reason; hit them."

They were cut off from their musings by a click. They just barely had enough time to raise their shield before the flames hit, blisteringly hot. But unlike last time, the dragon didn't stay still. Huge footsteps thundered across the earth, and they only had time to realize that its talon was bearing down the moment before they tilted up their shield to protect themself.

They needed to redirect the force, but they couldn't with those flames licking at their shield.

"Abandon your equipment only if you need to. It makes a good last resort."

Their hand trembled faintly as they unstrapped the shield guard and calculated the jump to safety.

And then, the flames stopped, and the tail hit again.

Kris, fifteen, hit the ground again, wiping at their eyes. Across from them, December laughed, wiping off her gloves of the dust she'd just hurled at their face.

"What the hell?!" Kris snapped, squinting out at her. "That was dirty!"

"It was. But you can't always expect a clean fight. You're both fighting for your lives here. Not everyone's gonna play nice. But if they can play dirty, so can you. Use your environment to your advantage."

"Does that mean I can throw dust in your face, too?"

"You can try," she snorted. "One more round. No holds barred. Get up, let's see what you've got."

Kris's chest heaved as they stood on shaky legs. That tail was a problem. It was fast, and it was dangerous, and the dragon liked to use the element of surprise. They had to stay out of range of it, especially with their shield gone. Use their environment, and play dirty.

"Remember the vitals. Every monster or human you meet will have eyes, a throat, and a heart. Aim for what's deadly first, and if you can't do that, try to dispatch them by other means."

The underbelly hadn't worked, but the scales that protruded could probably be climbed. They dodged another swipe of the tail and feinted a dive for their shield. It fell for the feint, and they used the momentum to redirect towards its arm.

The scales were slippery, and the beast tried to knock them off, but they held tight and climbed, the handle of the sword lodged tight between their teeth.

"More than anything, don't give up. Don't go out without a fight. Try everything until you have nothing left to try, and try some more."

It twisted and writhed and flapped its wings to try to get them off, but they clung onto its horns and grabbed their sword and raised it and-

"Don't!" Noelle's voice shrieked. "Kris, stop!"

All of their muscles tensed, locked in place by the simplest of commands. That was all the dragon needed to throw them off into the grass. They hit the ground hard, winded, for the fourth time.

A sixteen-year-old Kris laid on the dusty ground, forehead beaded with sweat and panting. It was almost dusk, and they were exhausted.

December loomed over them, a faint smile on her face. "Good job today, kid. You held your own damn well, especially for someone who's 'not cut out for this'."

"Are we done?" they asked between breaths.

"For today. You've got a few more months to go. Now get up, let's grab some water."

They couldn't stay down. It was a battle. This was the enemy. But there was Noelle, standing near the tower and looking horrified. They wanted to call out to her, to tell her they were here, it was okay, she would be okay. They would protect her until their last breath.

The red in their veins had them twisting and pulling themself up, but a moment later, they were pressed down into the ground. Not hard, surprisingly, but enough to trap them so that, no matter how they struggled, they couldn't-

"Get up. Always get up. Keep fighting, Kris."

It hurt. It hurt so badly that black crowded their vision. Though they weren't being crushed, this was a torture all of its own, liquid fire running through their veins compounded by exhaustion and untreated burns and infection and overexertion. The scream that tore through their throat felt like honey in comparison.

A hand was reaching for them. They tried to reach back, but when their hand inched up to meet hers, the puppet strings finally snapped.

For once, they disobeyed a command. They let themself fall.

"Kris!"

Noelle's shriek was what startled Susie out of her shock.

This was Noelle's knight. Her crush. A human. She had known that before, of course, even seen them, but she didn't think it was the same one that had just tried to stab her eye out. Like Ralsei had said, Kris would have had to travel nonstop to get here so fast. So, she'd fought! What else was she supposed to do?!

Even trying to kill them, they'd somehow almost bested her. A sleep-deprived, shambling human. They didn't move the way she was used to. They were fast. Fast and precise and dangerous and lacking all the stupid mistakes she'd come to expect from her opponents. Of course they'd gotten knocked around a few times, but it wasn't the life-ending mistakes of one of the common soldiers of Oberfläche, and they never stayed down long enough to properly end.

They'd gotten on top of her. They'd climbed her scales. They'd almost gouged out her eye.

Now they were still beneath her, unmoving and no longer a threat. But she still felt shaken. Something had happened and she didn't think it was her fault. Yes, she had meant to kill, but her intent was for it to be quick. Had she not stopped when she did, they wouldn't have had time to scream. So why did they?

She took a breath, letting it fill her lungs to the brim, and as she exhaled, she let the magic of transformation rush over her, until she was standing on two feet and only just a bit taller than the human on the ground in comparison to her previous form. They were still small enough that she could easily lift them with one hand if she wanted to, though. She'd never had to linger long on an opponent after taking them down before now. Usually she could just turn and leave without a second thought, but now she stood still, quietly assessing them.

Their breathing was shallow, practically invisible beneath the chestplate. She wondered how much of that was actually her fault, though. Clearly they had pushed themself too far even before reaching the tower, and though it was a surprise that they had gotten there so soon, she couldn't help but be glad for it in hindsight. If they had been any more focused, or at least in a more stable condition, they very well might have killed her.

She shivered at the thought, thankful the fight ended when it did. But now came the question of just what she should do. She couldn't kill them, that much was obvious to her, and leaving them out here wasn't much better. But she didn't exactly want to bring them into her home, she'd had enough experience with humans to know that the moment that they were in better shape, they'd probably just try and kill her again.

Maybe she could take them to Oberfläche? The humans would probably know better what do with them than she ever could— no, that was a bad idea too. Even if the humans were weak, having just one like them on their side could cause even more harm than if she were to have just killed them and lived with the consequences.

Bergentrükung was still an option. Though, they could probably redirect the army straight to the tower, without ever crossing through Oberfläche, which would make her plan completely pointless. No matter what she chose, it seemed like a useless endeavor.

She couldn't even fully come to terms with that though, as Noelle rushed up beside her, panting heavily and dropping down next to the human on the ground. "Kris? Oh- oh gosh- Kris, wake up!"

Maybe Susie should've had more of a reaction to her friend being so upset. But it was hard for her to feel much of anything for the human, other than apathy laced with bitterness. The more frantic Noelle got, shaking them as though it would do anything more than simply agitate their wounds, the more the air seemed to fill with a creeping sensation of dread.

The princess pulled at a string around her neck, lifting a shimmering pendant and holding it over her friends body. It took a moment for Susie to recognize the compass, hardly even able to keep track of needle inside as it swung wildly from one side to the other, sometimes making a full circle before arcing back again. She didn't know what it meant, but if the way Noelle's hands shook as she held it meant anything, it wasn't exactly good.

She took one of Kris's hands in her own, bowing her head close to their chest, and Susie could see the frost spreading across their armor. Then, she whipped her head up to meet Susie's eyes, gaze fierce and determined despite being full of tears. "Help me carry them inside."

It wasn't a request, it was a demand. The kind that left no room for argument. And though Susie had her qualms about doing someone else's bidding, or letting a human into the home she worked so hard to protect, she didn't feel like she could deny those eyes. She didn't even think she wanted to.

"Fine," she muttered, kneeling down beside the fallen knight, and looped her arms under their shoulders and knees with a sort of care she didn't think was possible from herself in such a situation, "but I'm not going to be nursing them back to health or anything. Pretty sure more than half of this is their own fault anyway."

"Then I'll get Ralsei to do it," she snapped, sending a withering glare to Susie.

"What? I'm just saying, they already looked like shit when I got down here!" Susie growled in response, already turning to move towards the tower, eager to get this whole thing over with.

In a moment, Ralsei slammed open the door, wide-eyed and panting. "Princess-! Oh. Oh, no…"

"You need to help them," Noelle insisted. Her head was held high, but she looked scared. Not in the way that she had when she was being kidnapped or when she'd calmed Susie down. Her brave face had cracks in it, accentuated by the way her voice trembled and the way she clenched the compass tight. "They don't have much time. You have a healing potion, right?"

Ralsei's face, already fallen, seemed to look more distraught. Susie wasn't sure why he cared so much. He was a softie, sure, but didn't he care that this human had almost killed her? Why did it even matter if they were almost dead now?!

"I don't- potions are volatile. You went through my study, your magic touched them— I don't know if they'll work at all. And my magic… I used so much of it to try to undo your curse, I- oh, this is bad. This is very bad," he worried, already starting to pace.

"We're wasting time!" Noelle pointed out, with no shortage of stress of her own. "We have to try something."

"Then- then if it's not me…" Ralsei murmured. He looked up, focusing pink eyes on Susie.

Oh, no. She did not like where this was going.

"No. No way." Carrying them was already bad enough. Bringing them into her home was bad enough. "Even if I wanted to help, there's no way my healing skills are anywhere near enough to deal with this."

"It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be something," Ralsei told her. "Even if you can just get them up to my study and give them a healing potion, that might be enough to save their life. You can get there quicker than either of us through the window."

Oh, so now he wants me to use the window, she thought bitterly. But when she opened her mouth to protest, Noelle had already shifted Kris's weight further into Susie's arms, looking up at her with teary doe eyes.

"Please," she begged quietly.

Goddamn it. Goddamn it, this was unfair. How was she supposed to say no like this?

Susie sighed, wondering just how she'd gotten roped up into this. Then, she let her wings unfurl, there wasn't much of a point in fully shifting her form this time, as it seemed like most of the knights weight came from their armor. Most other people probably would've found that to be a concerning detail, but she was already at her capacity for just how much she could care at the moment. "Yeah, okay, sure, whatever. I'll uh… meet you guys up there."

She didn't wait a single extra second for them to respond, already launching herself up into the air with little effort. When she reached the window, part of her considered just tossing them inside, but that idea was short lived. As was a thought of a similar decree as she slinked in through the window and set them on the floor, leaning against the wall. The temptation of just pouring out the potion and claiming it didn't work was more than high enough, but… she could already see the anger and resentment burning in Noelle's eyes, and the disappointment in Ralsei's.

What a fucking hassle. When she had come up with the (admittedly rushed and half-assed) plan to kidnap a princess and start a little war between the humans and monsters, she never thought something like this would happen! How the hell was she supposed to know the princess would have a human as her royal guard, and that she would actually care about them?!

Susie took one of the healing bottles off the shelf with enough force to make the surrounding glasses shake and marched over to the knight, still looking as though they were just sleeping peacefully. She didn't bother with gentleness as she kneeled beside them, popped off the bottles cork, and brought it to their lips. "Drink up, asshole."

Their face scrunched up a moment after, before they forced her back with flailing arms and a sputtering cough. After a few heaving breaths, their eyes flew open, locking with hers, and then… Oh, of course. She scoffed seeing their hand fly to their side, which was luckily empty of a sword. The moment they realized their lack of weapon, they scrambled to get as far away from her as possible, backing themself into a corner and—

She yelped, narrowly dodging the dusty old scroll that would have otherwise collided with her head. "Hey, watch it jerk! I'm trying to help you!"

"Who are you?" Their voice was hoarse, red eyes glaring up at her. Odd, she hadn't even realized humans could have red eyes. "Where is Noelle?"

"She'll be here in a minute, jeez." Susie grumbled. "And since it wasn't obvious, I'm the person you decided to try and kill. Don't try that shit again, by the way. Because I will kick your ass and I won't be helping you a second time."

Their eyes flicked to the door, as if attempting to run through in their head. After a moment, they made the motion she now recognized as trying to get up. Even heavily injured, legs shaking and chest heaving with the effort, they were still trying to get up.

"Sit back down!" She demanded, if only to stop the inevitable chew-out she would be getting from Noelle if they killed themself. She didn't expect it to work in the slightest.

And yet, glaring at her like she'd personally cursed their family, they followed her order.They sat back down in the corner with a quiet groan. Susie didn't think humans were supposed to be that pale. And their chestplate, too, was dented beyond belief. They had to have awful bruises.

That was their own damn fault, but still.

"You're a real pain, you know that?" She grumbled, slowly walking over until she was close enough to hand them what was left of the potion. "Here, so you don't drop dead before they actually get up here."

Kris glanced mistrustfully at the potion, then back up at her. "What, are you trying to poison me now?"

"It's not fucking poison!" She snapped, barely restraining herself from throwing the bottle at them. "It's a healing potion, you idiot! What, do you not have those where you're from?"

"We do, but what do you have to gain by giving it to me? Do you expect a debt? I have nothing to give the likes of you," they snarled at her. It wasn't very effective, considering how exhausted they looked.

She glared, baring her teeth. "I'm doing it because your friend asked me to. Trust me, if I had a choice, I would've let you die on the ground out there."

That seemed to get through their thick skull. They reached out with trembling fingers to take hold of the potion wordlessly. She would have handed it over, could she not feel that it would definitely slip out of their hands. Honestly, how they'd had the strength to get up that many times was baffling.

"Hang on, just-" she scooted a little closer, much to both of their chagrins, and held the potion to their lips. "Don't choke on it."

Kris glared for a moment more, then closed their eyes and weakly tilted up the bottle.

When the liquid was gone, their hands dropped, one laying by their side and the other clawing against their chestplate in clear discomfort. Susie thought she would have felt some sense of twisted justice, but she just kind of pitied them. Well, maybe pity wasn't the right word. All she knew was that it didn't feel good to see them in pain.

"That's probably not good enough, is it?" She knew the answer already, they already looked worn down by the time they reached the tower, and now, even after the potion, they still looked worse off than before the battle.

"I'm… fine," they ground out, clearly still in pain. "Where's Noelle?"

"I already told you, she's outside. Now hold still, you look like you tried to fight every person you came across on the way here, and got you ass handed to you every goddamn time." She mumbled, carefully searching for where the straps on their armor hid.

"W- what are you-?" they took a sharp breath in, but didn't move.

"I know the healing potion didn't get it all." She told them. It wasn't exactly her first idea to open up, or to try and help mend their remaining wounds, but they just looked so pathetic, she couldn't really help it. She found the straps and started undoing them to take off the dented, battered chestplate. "Trust me, I've had to use 'em plenty of times to know they don't heal everything."

As she lifted off the chestplate and tossed it aside, she started to speak. "I'm not nearly as good at healing as my friend is, so I'm going to have to see what I'm working with, alright? If I try to generalize I might miss something more vital. Plus," one small sniff of the air had her scrunching her nose. They stunk of dirt and sweat, and something else that was off and unpleasant. "I dunno when the last time you took a bath was, but if you don't get cleaned up something's gonna get infected. Most we have here is water and a few cloths, though, so we'll have to make do with that, since I doubt you're really up for a trip to the creek."

And for the first time, she saw the first glimmer of fear in their eyes. They pulled away, taking a shuddering, pained breath as they did, and put their arms in front of their chest. "D- don't- You can't."

"Can't give you a bath? Dude, you need one-"

"No! No, you can't- you can't take it off."

Susie knew humans had their own beauty standards. She wasn't too sure about monsters, but she knew she personally didn't care one way or another about going shirtless. She mostly just kept one on for Ralsei's sake. The point was, she was aware that the taboo to show one's chest depended on gender, and with Kris… well, she couldn't exactly tell if they were theoretically 'allowed' to take their shirt off in front of others.

But Susie had seen plenty of human bodies, and she knew that whatever was under there really wouldn't shock her. "Dude, now's not the time to be shy. I'm trying to help you, dumbass. Do you want to be healed or not?"

They twisted their head to the side, unmoving otherwise. Their torn, burnt gambeson moved in time with their shallow breaths. Almost too quietly to hear, they muttered, "do what you will."

She tried to quash down the guilt at their obvious discomfort, that clearly got worse as she carefully traced her claw down the cloth. It split where the cut grew, and she carefully pulled it open.

Immediately, she mentally took back her own words. Instead of the female human figure she'd expected, their chest was flat. Not that she cared, compared to what was painted on their skin. Sickly shades of purple and yellow and red made up a grisly painting on their torso, the smell growing intense. But on top of it all, there was a fully-red marking. A heart, she thought, with two abstract hands circling it. Where their fingers ended, red veins emerged, stopping just short of their heart and burrowing into their skin.

A curse mark.

Never once had she met a human who had been cursed. In her experience, they were usually the ones doing the cursing. Though, she couldn't really say she'd be all too surprised to find out they'd do it against one of their own. They didn't exactly have a good track record when it came to… anything they didn't like, honestly. Even that thing could have otherwise been an ally.

Still, it was a lot to take in, and she couldn't help but be curious about it. So many questions ran through her head as she stood to find a clean cloth she could wet down, and they didn't vanish even after she had gotten everything she was searching for, including a few bandages. Now that her focus was more on the wounds though, it was far more clear just how bad they were. The knight's skin was red and marred under all the bruising, and festering and clearly infected.

She cringed, pressing the damp cloth against one of the worst areas she could see, trying to ignore how they flinched back with a hiss. Well… it was as good a distraction from the current situation as anything else, and she might be able to glean a little more information on them, which might help ease her still lingering worries about letting them stay here. "So, what's it do? The curse, I mean."

They didn't grace her with an answer, twisting their head away. Their jaw clenched with the movement, and she could swear she saw the heart shape on their chest pulse. But when she looked back, it was still.

"Seriously? You're not even going to talk now?" She couldn't help but be a little annoyed. It wasn't exactly like she wanted to be here, either. The least they could do is make conversation so neither of them had to suffer in silent awkwardness. "Look, I get this isn't exactly ideal- trust me, it is not my idea of a day well spent either, but you could at least say something. Literally more than half the people in this tower have some kind of curse mark, so it's not like I have any room to judge you for it. So just tell me what it is."

That got a reaction. The curse mark on their chest pulsed, the roots from the hands digging deep into the heart. It pounded once, twice, and they went pale, bringing their hand to their mouth and biting down hard. A whine escaped their throat. They closed their eyes. On their chest, the heart shape beat, powering the veins that seemed to creep further into their skin.

She pulled back, stopping her previous task of trying to get their cuts clean. She was afraid to get anywhere near close enough to touching it. Not entirely for her own sake, but she didn't know what the hell it could do. "What the fuck? Are you- what's happening? Why- tell me why it's doing that."

Kris let out another whimper, the veins taking further. After a moment, they seemed to reach their breaking point, clutching their arms tightly and gasping, "c-commands. I ha- have to follow them. I have to. And if I resist, it- it hurts."

That was… horrific, actually. Who the hell would even come up with something like that? It really wasn't any better than when she had been put in chains and near forced into submission. If her will had been any weaker, she'd probably be stuck doing the humans' bidding, remaining as their 'secret weapon'. This, though, it practically removed any actual sense of free will they might've had. Sure, she hated humans, and she certainly didn't like this one, but she also didn't think anyone should have their freedom taken away.

It was only a moment longer before she realized what what they had said actually meant though. If she was right in basing their choppy response and the way the curse mark morphed whenever she'd spoken… she felt sick. She didn't want to be like the people who had hurt her, even if accidentally.

"Sorry," she murmured. Part of her still didn't believe she had any reason to apologize, and it wasn't like she'd known. But it still didn't sit right with her. Well, the least she could do now was try to avoid it. "What uh- what counts as a command?"

They looked away, and for a moment, she thought they would refuse to speak again, until- "any direct order."

"So… questions don't count, right?" It wasn't ideal, but she could make conversation with that.

Kris shook their head. The heart had stopped beating. A little nervously, Susie stepped forward again with the cloth. The sooner she patched this up, the sooner she could heal them and be done with this mess.

"Cool, uh- cool. I can work with that, I think." She was a lot more careful this time around when pressing the cloth to their skin. Sure, she had been before, too, but now their was an extra bit of caution to it. Even if she tried making the excuse that it was some form of revenge, or that it didn't matter if she was going to be healing it all anyway, it still didn't push down the discomfort that refused to leave until she dismissed the idea entirely.

Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't still going to try and distract herself. "How'd you get it, anyway? I know for mine, I was caught by some humans who just wanted a pet dragon or some shit. You must've pissed them off pretty bad to get something like that, though."

"It wasn't the humans," they said, still not quite looking at her. "I was a threat to my kingdom. They got rid of that threat."

What? "What? No- wait. If it wasn't humans, then… were you originally from Oberfläche or something?" That was the only logical answer. What other reason would the monsters have for a curse like that? Sure, no reason would ever actually be good enough to her, but it was better than nothing!

"No, but I'm human. One of the only humans left behind. The only way to calm the minds of the people was to make me a knight, and the only way to make sure I couldn't misuse that power was… making me obedient."

She didn't think she had it in her to pissed off on the behalf of a human. Let alone one that had tried to kill her, and yet, here she was, anger bubbling under her skin while a bitter, humorless laugh burst from her throat. "That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard, and I've been told some pretty damn stupid shit."

Maybe she should have taken them back to Oberfläche. Maybe… the idea that humans and monsters just couldn't mix had more merit than she'd first thought. And maybe that fact wasn't entirely one-sided. But… no, the humans there were still as cruel as anywhere else she'd been. Moreso even, as far as the ones she'd spent time with went. They'd probably take advantage of that curse the moment they caught on to how it worked.

"You're starting to sound like Noelle," they laughed weakly. They sounded exhausted, but that was probably the only reason they were telling her any of this. "Well, she'd probably put it in a nicer way."

"She'd still be right, though. I mean seriously, who does that?" Susie asked, though she wasn't expecting an answer, all of them knew it anyways. To some extent at least. "Wow, I don't like this random kid, I'm an adult and I'm scared of a little fucking idiot who still hasn't learned to spell. Let me just curse them and ruin their entire life, because that's what helps me sleep at night because I'm a terrible person."

They smiled ruefully. "I wish I'd been cursed as a child. At least then, I wouldn't know what freedom tasted like."

"Well… curses can be broken," she offered weakly. Sure, it wasn't always easy, but it was possible. And that's what really mattered, right? "Might take a while, but I'm sure Ralsei can figure out something."

"It's not that simple," they replied, smile falling. Susie wrung the cloth back out, watching the water turn copper.

"Why not? I mean, I get it if it's a complicated curse, it definitely looks like it is. But that's no reason not to try."

But they only shook their head. "I have a duty to my kingdom. I have a duty to Noelle. I can't risk losing the trust the crown has in me, just or not."

There was a lot to process, with the things they were telling her. Sure, maybe her moral compass was entirely fucked, but she'd figured that out a long time ago. Nothing about the situation before her made sense, and none of it felt right. But just as it had taken a long time for her to feel safe and actually trust someone other than herself, she figured it would probably take a long time to convince them that what had been done, none of the line of thinking that led to them being cursed, had made it justified.

She wasn't sure why she was thinking so hard about that, as if she would be the one trying to do so. As if she would ever be able to care enough for a human to bother. Still, as she pressed the cloth against their skin, cleaning away what she could of the dirt and grime that stubbornly stuck there, she thought to the princess waiting outside, and how they had traveled for days without rest just to reach her. It was a loyalty she could understand, a bond that ran deeper than anything else, to the point where one would put their life on the line to ensure it stayed intact.

"You must care about her a lot, huh?" She asked, setting the cloth aside for a moment to let her hands channel what little healing magic she knew how to utilize, and watching as near festering skin turned to a familiar, scarred pink. She was familiar with that kind of scarring on humans, had seen it before and caused it many times.

Upon closer analysis of where the more infected looking wounds were, she realized the burns would have fit perfectly under their chest piece. Had this idiot really walked the whole way here without drinking so much as a healing potion beforehand? Shit, this probably wasn't even all there was. The rest of their armor was probably hiding similar damage.

Still, they let out a sigh of palpable relief, like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. After a moment of keeping their eyes closed, they opened them a little and answered with a soft, "more than anything."

"That's uh… good. She needs it, I think." Her mind wandered briefly to wondering if the feelings between the two were mutual. Then again, it would be hard to imagine anyone putting themself through so much for someone they didn't love. Well, that was good, meant that Noelle could get her curse broken. Then they'd probably both go back to Bergentrükung together and Susie would never… she shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the more pressing task at hand. "I think I got the worst of it, but we should deal with what's under your gauntlets and greaves, too."

They made a small noise of acknowledgement, but didn't move to help her out, blinks getting longer and slower like a contented cat, even as they clearly tried to fight it.

She sighed, realizing that any more attempts at conversation would probably get her nowhere. That was fine though, she just wanted to get the rest over with anyway, and at least she could be assured that they were too tired to try and kill her or some shit once she dealt with the rest of their wounds. Carefully, she pulled their gauntlets off of their hands and cringed. The damage there was arguably worse. Both because they'd ended up using their arms to try and block the flames, and because they obviously had to use their hands far more than anything else.

Even in their now near half asleep state, they still let out quiet whimpers every time she pressed down too hard while trying to clean away the stubborn dirt and grime and dried blood. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was provided with the thought that most of that was probably her own. There was no way she'd be able to heal all of it on her own, especially not if she wanted to have a bit of energy left over for when she had to deal with however badly fucked up their feet were.

She couldn't help but note, though, as she slowly waved magic over the worst of what she could see, that they really didn't seem like someone who had been built for fighting. Sure, their hands were covered in blisters and old calluses, but other than that they seemed oddly delicate. As though they were meant for something far more gentle.

It was a strange thought, and one that she quickly tried to push down as she moved on to her next task. Thankfully, whatever gods that might have existed seemed to smile down on her for once, because though there was still a bit of burn damage along their legs and feet, it wasn't nearly as bad as either of the previous areas she had cared for. She probably wouldn't even have to use healing magic for it. She was still careful and as thorough as she could be with her cleaning, but it still didn't take anywhere near as long for her to be done.

Soon enough, she was making use of the bandages she had found, winding them around what remained of the knights injuries. They still looked more or less worse for wear when she was done, but it was a major step up from what it had been. Honestly, she was surprised that she had actually managed it all as well as she had. Someone should give her a gold star or some shit.

As she stepped back to finally let herself relax, though she had the nagging feeling that there was still a bit more to be done— ah. Well, that was less than ideal. But after all the effort she had just put in, it wasn't like she could just leave them on the floor.

"Alright, let's get this over with." She grumbled, crouching down yet again to wind her arms around them as best she could without disturbing the burns and bruises. Without the armor weighing them down, it was scarily easy to lift them. So much so, that she'd stumbled due to how she'd overestimated just how much effort she'd need to put in. They grumbled a little, but otherwise didn't complain.

Susie really didn't want another person crashing in her room, let alone a human. But it was the only place in the whole tower that would work. Not only because it had relatively comfortable bedding, but also Noelle was already staying there anyway, and the knight seemed to listen to her. Plus, Ralsei wasn't exactly a fighter, so if she stuck them in his room, and they attacked for whatever reason and she couldn't stop it— she would never forgive herself if she put her best friend in danger like that.

So they would stay here, where she could keep an eye on them. Because they were dangerous. No other reason.

For now though, she should probably worry about getting the princess back inside. It had already been a while since she'd brought the knight into the tower, and with just the little bit she'd learned about Noelle over the last couple days, it was glaringly obvious the girl was the kind of person to worry a lot. Jeez, she'd probably paced a hole in the ground by now. Actually, with her and Ralsei's power combined, they'd probably created a moat around the tower by now.

Susie laughed quietly to herself as she set the knight down in an unoccupied corner of her nest, and then made way to leap out the window for the second time that day.

Chapter Text

Kris was here. Noelle couldn't focus on any other thought, any mere idea, even after almost a full day of watching them rest. It didn't feel real, seeing them splayed out in Susie's nest of bedding, clothed in a warm green-and-yellow sweater and a brown skirt that Susie had lent them. None of the armor, none of the cold half-personality they'd shown since they became a knight. Just Kris, warm and protected and sleeping peacefully.

Seeing them without armor was a rare pleasure. It reminded her of when they were a kid, using those graceful fingers to play a concert for her, Dess, and Azzy, or of when she woke up before them and managed to catch a glimpse of them under their covers, resting from a long day of protecting her.

They had none of that responsibility like this. It was just Kris. Her Kris.

Carefully, selfishly, she reached out for them, winding her fingers through their brown hair, if only to feel their presence. To play with their soft hair, like when they were kids. It wasn't soft anymore. Unlike the careful upkeep Toriel had maintained, they washed only when necessary, letting their hair become brittle and, in this case, greasy. Not that she could feel it much, with the frost that coated it the moment her hand touched the strands.

She wondered what they were dreaming about. Ralsei had placed a spell that made their sleep more restorative, and she hoped it warded off the nightmares they had sometimes, too. At the very least, they seemed peaceful.

Noelle could take comfort in that, at least.

"Still sleeping?" Susie asked from the door.

Noelle put a hand in front of her mouth to signal Susie to please be more quiet, but answered in a low murmur anyway, "yes. Seems they need it."

Susie hummed halfheartedly, lingering. Despite how she acted, Noelle could tell there was a little concern there. It was honestly endearing, seeing how quickly she'd switched from hating Kris to watching over them. Noelle was honestly starting to doubt if she even had a mean bone in her body, or if it was all for show. If it wasn't, well, she wasn't doing a very good job of being bad.

Speaking of… "I feel like I haven't thanked you enough for how you helped them. They- they were in really rough shape. I was kind of worried that they would- would-" She took a deep breath and shook her head. The thought of Kris dying was still foreign. They were so strong, so sturdy… seeing them in that shape had scared her worse than anything. "But… you took care of them. You healed them as best you could, even when you didn't like them. And I know it wasn't just because Ralsei and I told you to. You- you really went above and beyond, Susie. I don't know how I can properly thank you."

"I- w- well, I uh-" Susie sputtered, and though she quickly tried to turn her head, Noelle still caught a glimpse of the blush on her cheeks, "couldn't just let them die, y'know? Yeah, they're a human and all, but it just… they kinda reminded me of myself, I think."

She'd met them, then. Properly, at least. Noelle had the feeling she had, and this just confirmed it. "They're pretty amazing, aren't they?"

Susie snorted, rolling her eyes. "Well, I wouldn't exactly say that, but they're not uh… awful. Still not as cool as me, though."

"You are pretty cool," Noelle laughed. "At least, I think so."

There was a slight twinkle in Susie's eye, and a grin slowly spread across her face. "You're also a very cool person."

It reminded her of one of the bad jokes that Ms. Toriel would tell, and she couldn't help a little snicker. "Well, then, I guess that makes you a hot person, instead." It took her about two seconds for her brain to catch up to her mouth, and she immediately waved her hands in front of her face, blurting. "L- like! Because of the fire, I mean!"

"Nope! I am not letting you take that one back." Susie told her, sounding all too proud. Noelle could swear she saw a little blush. "In fact, I want it in writing, too."

"Absolutely not!" Noelle all but yelped. "You already have one of my embarrassing letters, isn't that enough?!"

She raised her eyebrow, looking just slightly unimpressed. "I already know you're going to write more anyway, and I'll be adding those to my collection too, I think. Maybe I'll even fly on over and get the rest of 'em too."

"Oh, gosh, I should have never asked for that parchment-"

She was cut off by Kris letting out a small noise, twisting in their sleep. Immediately, Noelle's attention was on them again. She wanted to place a hand on their cheek, to thumb over their jawline and feel the warm skin there. But then, they'd be cold. Cold and uncomfortable and waking up in pain. So instead, she tucked their hair behind their ear with as light and careful a touch as she could muster, as if they were made of glass and she was a hammer.

They were so fragile, she thought. So brave, but so fragile.

"Kris?" Noelle breathed.

Their eyelashes fluttered to reveal those beautiful red eyes, and they reached up for her. Without a second thought, she laced her fingers with theirs. They looked almost starstruck, sleepy and warm in a way that made her heart melt. "Noelle."

"I'm here. I'm here, Kris. I'm right here."

"Thank god," they murmured, eyes falling lightly closed as a peaceful smile crossed their face. "I was so worried, I thought I'd never reach you."

"I'm here," she repeated, trying to blink back tears. "You're safe. You can rest. As long as you want, I promise."

They made a sound in the back of their throat, squinting their eyes open yet again. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About a day, give or take," she told them.

"So too long, then." Kris stated it so matter-of-factly, she didn't even realize she should refute it before they were pushing themself up on shaky limbs.

She grabbed their shoulders, gently attempting to push them down. "Hold on, hold on. It's okay. We're safe here. You don't need to get up until you're recovered, alright?"

"I'm fine." They insisted, though their voice was strained as they attempted to push back against her and continue standing. "We need to get home."

"Not yet," she told them. Theoretically, she probably should, if only to put her peoples' minds at ease, but if she was being honest with herself, being here with Susie and Ralsei had been a nice break from everything. And plus, "Oberfläche is planning a strike. If our army comes to find me, they'll discover it before it can happen."

Kris looked away, their hand clutching the fabric of the skirt they wore. "But these people aren't affiliated with Oberfläche. If our armies invade thinking that they're coming to save you, it could start a pointless war. One that we could have avoided. If there's a strike planned, shouldn't we go back and warn everyone? What if they're stronger, now? It's been years, and we all know the resentment has been growing, who knows what they could have created in that time?"

That was a good point. Noelle would have liked to think her soldiers were prepared for anything, especially knowing they'd be traveling through Oberfläche, but she couldn't be sure. If a war would happen anyway, would it be better or worse to have it on her own land or the humans'? This might be a good conversation to have with Susie and Ralsei, she thought, turning to call her friend into the conversation.

But when she looked at the doorway where Susie had been, the dragon was gone. Noelle felt a little bad, she hadn't even realized when she'd left.

It was just her, then. Her and Kris. "Even if we started back now, it would take days of travel through dangerous territory. The easiest way is for Susie— or, the dragon you met— to take us. She's on our side, and she's keeping an eye out for us. So far, the humans haven't made a move. If they do, she'll let us know."

They looked uncertain, wearing that same worried face they had whenever she suggested doing something even slightly out of the bounds of their established routine. Like even the smallest of change was somehow a danger. "You'd really trust the person who kidnapped you to tell you the truth about something like that?"

"I do." She could say that much with certainty. "Susie is a good person. The more I get to know her, the more I think so. She's been hospitable, she's given me food and water and bedding, and… well, she saved the life of someone I really care about."

"I…" they sighed, expression becoming unreadable, but she could see just the slightest bit of pink dusting their cheeks. "I think that she certainly has a lot of personality, and I suppose I should be glad that she didn't let me die. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be able to protect you very well anymore. Not that I've been doing all that great at it recently."

"You know I don't care about that," she murmured, taking their hand in hers again. "Even if you hadn't been so stupidly stubborn in trying to save me, I'd still love you. I- I love you, Kris."

They stared at her with something akin to grief, yet still, they lifted her hand ever so gently to press a light kiss against her knuckles. It was an act of basic chivalry, but it still caused her heart to race. "I know," they murmured softly as they pulled away.

They didn't seem happy. Even as her heart beat fast, it seemed to sink. She tried to tell herself she wasn't upset. If she showed she was upset, then Kris would no doubt take it upon themself to make her happy at the expense of themself. So instead, she gave them a sad smile. "But… you don't feel the same, do you?"

"I'm sorry," they told her, and those words held all that she needed to know. "You… you deserve someone who can give themself to you without reason or consequence."

I don't care! She wanted to scream. I don't care about your role, I don't care about the rules you put on yourself!

But they'd said no. Even if she could read them, could hear the way they'd avoided the question, they'd said no.

So instead, she told them, "I understand. And… I'm sorry. For putting you in this position."

"You've done nothing of the sort." They insisted, holding her hand in a firm, but gentle grip. "But I can't, Noelle. It would have to be kept a secret, and you would still have to marry someone else. That wouldn't be fair. I know you, Noelle, you would want to show your love without a second thought, you shouldn't have to keep such a secret."

"I wouldn't care, if it was you," she tried, though she knew they were right. She wouldn't have the heart to marry if Kris was still an option.

"But you should. If our families found out, we might never be able to… I don't want to lose you."

That was it, then. It was doomed from the beginning. She'd figured, but hearing in the way they danced around their words that they loved her, too… it somehow hurt more than she'd expected. How was it fair to have them this close, heart all but laid out to her, and not be able to show them just how much she loved them?

Kris stared at her with those beautifully intense red eyes that matched the pink on the parts of their cheeks that weren't touched by shadow. Their breath came in foggy wisps out of lips she'd always thought would break the curse eventually.

They still could, she thought, but as if Kris was reading her mind, they squeezed her hand. "We can't. If we open this door, we'll never be able to close it. As your knight, I can't let you be hurt like that."

It hurt anyway. It felt like her heart was cracking into pieces, even when they were holding it so gently.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Okay?"

"Okay, I understand."

They nodded, though they didn't look any happier than her.

Carefully, painfully, she pulled her hand from Kris's. What was once warm had become cold, red and white and splotchy in the way it always did when they didn't have gloves on. Had she hurt them more? Caused them pain, when she was only trying to help?

"I'm sorry," she told them, again.

"You've done nothing wrong, Noelle. It's not your fault." In one brief moment, they pulled her close, slotting them into a hug that was far more comfortable than any of the tiny bouts of affection she'd dared to give them over the years, no armor pressing into her skin like a cruel reminder, just soft fabric, just thin enough that she could feel some of the heat from their body. "I'm sorry, too."

Noelle didn't want Kris to see the tears welling in her eyes. They were strong, so she had to be, too. The last thing she wanted was to make them feel bad for making a decision like this.

She couldn't keep clinging on, though. It was time to let go, lest their hands go black with frostbite, unable to release her.

Pulling away felt like an ending. She was wordless as she looked over them once more, then turned away to ghost to the door, a trail of ice following her. To where, she wasn't sure. She just needed to be away from here.

It wasn't meant to be, she told herself. She'd known that much, though her fantasies told her otherwise. It was written in the prophecy that she was to fall in love with an heir. And no matter what she hoped, that wasn't Kris. Fate itself had told her it was impossible to be with them.

She just… had to accept that. No matter how painful it was.

She'd go back to Bergentrükung, marry Prince Berdly of Schattenwelt, make a peace treaty with the humans of Oberfläche, and slowly fall in love along the way. That was her fate.

She just wished it didn't sound so… unappealing.

"Princess Noelle?" That was Ralsei's voice. She looked up to find herself where she'd only been once before. Ralsei's study, just the floor below Susie's. She remembered running through, mind ablaze with thoughts of Kris, Kris, Kris. How funny that even the second time here, her mind was tracking through that same train of thought.

"Ah. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's alright, I already moved all the volatile ingredients and potions," he assured her. He looked concerned. "Are you?"

"What?"

"Alright? You look pale."

She steadied herself with a breath. "I just… need some air."

"Of course. You must be awfully bored. Please, feel free to roam. Just don't go beyond the barrier or too close to the garden," he replied. Before he was finished talking, Noelle swept past him, down the stairs.

If Kris was so loyal to their kingdom, then why wasn't she? Why did she want to burn the whole system down here and now, if it meant she could change fate? Why did a hurt, traitorous part of her want to scream that they cared more about their so-called duty than her?

…But that wasn't really true, either. She couldn't be mad at them, even if a selfish part of her wanted to be, to make this easier.

It wasn't meant to be, that was all. A futile endeavor that would only have ended up in heartbreak, like now. It was her own fault for going and falling in love with them.

Soft grass touched her hooves, and she realized blankly that she'd descended the entire tower. The first time, it had felt like they continued forever. Now, she kind of wished she was still walking.

At least the sun felt nice on her skin. Small mercies.

Outside the tower was much like what she'd seen from the window— green grass charred by a recently-extinguished fire, with mountains to one side and a rocky bay to the other. The tower itself was on a hill, multicolored plants nestled near the base and down one side of it. She thought she could see the capital of Oberfläche from here.

The one thing that stood out to her as unusual was the figure of a monster, barely within view. Susie was staring off at something in the distance, hair gently ruffled by the wind. At the very least, it looked peaceful.

Noelle circled the tower to join Susie, taking a seat next to her without a word.

"What's got you so upset?" Susie asked quietly.

Their name was on her tongue, as usual. It always was. Ever since she was just a teenager, watching them train with Dess from the window and wondering what they'd sound like with her last name.

And somehow, just thinking about that was enough to break the dam that had been holding back the tumultuous emotions in her chest from flooding into the world, where she couldn't stop them. The sob that pealed out of her throat was ugly in a way she was embarrassed to show. And yet, she couldn't stop the tears that streaked down her face and into her hands.

"Woah, hey- uh," Susie reached over, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder, "it's okay? Uh, shit, how do I do this again?"

"It- it's not-" she hiccuped, trying desperately to clear the tears turning to ice on her fur. "Not your fault."

"I'm not really good at this whole comforting people thing." Susie admitted quietly. "So, is it okay if I just kinda… sit here? I can totally go if you want me to, but, y'know, you were there for me when you didn't have to be so I just figured…"

Noelle nodded, still wiping at her eyes miserably. Next to her, Susie cast her gaze back up to the sky. It reminded Noelle of the nightmare Susie had had, when she'd stayed by her side. Only now, the roles were reversed. It didn't feel the same at all. She felt weak, even though she'd never thought that of Susie in the moment.

But she remembered one thing, one crucial detail that had stuck with her. Susie's warmth, that in the moment had made her feel calm, even at the sight of her friend's pain. Maybe, just maybe, she could allow herself to indulge again.

Tears all but dry, she leaned over, just enough to lightly rest against Susie's side. Her friend stiffened, but, after a moment, pulled her a little closer.

It wasn't much, but it felt like comfort.

Leaning up against the large windowsill, Kris stared out at the little world below. The action was familiar, in a soothing sort of way, though they didn't find themself doing it as often as they used to. They understood why the dragon and her friend had chosen to live here. It was a peaceful place, tucked away from all the chaos and hardships of the world.

They had wished many, many times that they could just leave all their responsibilities behind. To abandon everything and start a whole new life, perhaps even in a place just like this. Lingering on those thoughts would only ever make the yearning grow, and that would be to their detriment. After all, even if they had truly wanted to leave, they couldn't. It would be seen as a betrayal, something they could never go through with after years and years of commands guiding what they could and could not do.

Still, regret lingered in their soul. They were in the perfect position to leave everything, wipe their slate clean and start anew. Noelle, she loved them, she wanted them, and yet, they had to go and break her heart because they knew a war would be inevitable, and if they didn't return, it would be all the more bloody. Even if they could prepare, there was no way Bergentrükung could withstand a full and well thought out attack from Oberfläche with the short time they had.

Their mother, their father, Asriel, December, everyone else they'd cared about at home could very well die. If it were as simple as just running away, perhaps they would have taken what was offered to them like a blessing. But they knew they couldn't do that. Not to themself, and not to Noelle.

She would take the chance and run with it, only to later on realize what the consequences were. They knew she could never stand the thought of losing her family. She would want to go back, to help them, and if she returned with Kris in tow, there would be no way to avoid the truth. Everyone would learn one way or another, that they had chosen each other over their responsibilities. They would be separated, and both would lose the trust of their people.

They had grown up knowing a relationship with her was doomed from the start, and so, they placed every ounce of love that they had for her into everything they did. Somehow it still wasn't enough. They couldn't save her from a a heartache of their own making.

That guilt would likely remain with them for years to come. But no matter how hard they may wish for another choice, it would never erase the phantom pains in their chest whenever they so much as thought about abandoning their purpose. Even if they somehow gained the will to get it removed, they doubted the burden of the curse they bore would ever truly cease. The need to fulfill their duty far to strong of a force to be reckoned with. After all, enchantments could only strengthen a trait that already existed.

Kris pulled away from the window, out of their thoughts and back to the reality around them at the slightest hint of danger. If they were anyone else, any other human, it would've been unlikely that they would have heard the near silent sound of padded feet on stone. However, Kris had been raised by monsters of that very likeness. They had learned how to listen, and how to listen well, especially as a small child, staying up far later than they ever had any right to do.

So it was of no surprise to them, when the sorcerer walked through the door. They'd expected him to bear some sort of threat, but he looked almost shocked to see them, and perhaps a little nervous, as well. Maybe their gaze was too intense? They had always been told as such.

"A- ah. Kris. You're awake. I figured, with… well, um, I just thought I'd properly introduce myself and this place to you. If that's… alright?"

They shrugged, they still weren't entirely keen on getting to know these people well, knowing that they and Noelle would be leaving in due time, but… it was a welcome distraction. "Do as you'd like, it's your home, after all."

"Right." He straightened and nodded, putting on an air of nervous confidence. He reminded Kris of Asriel in more ways than one. "Well, my name is Ralsei, and the dragon that healed you is Susie. Um, as our guest, I'd like to encourage you to ask for anything you need. Oh, and to be assured that your princess is in safe hands. I know you traveled a ways to get here, so- oh! Right, you must be hungry. I made soup. Like I told Noelle, I'm sure it's nothing like you have at Bergentrükung, but it can at least fill your stomach, I'd hope."

"Oh, thank you." They muttered, it might be a good idea to eat while they were here, they'd be walking most of the way back with Noelle, after all. In hindsight, perhaps they should have brought a horse along, if to to give her a place to rest when her feet got tired. Perhaps they would see about borrowing one on their way back.

"Of course! It's an honor to be able to host you. And, um, ground rules! Just, don't touch the plants or potions in my study and try not to go outside of the protective enchantments while you're still here. Um, with that, I can bring a bowl up if you'd like?"

Staying in this room, alone with their thoughts, left a bitter taste in Kris's mouth. So, against their better judgment, they stood. "Actually, I would like to come with you, if that's alright."

That seemed to be the right thing to say, if the way Ralsei straightened was any indication. "Oh! I can show you my study, then! I just cleaned it, so it should be suitable for guests. Come with me, then!"

The command started their legs moving, and they only had a moment to look out the window before the doorway covered it. Outside, they could swear they saw Noelle, hand-in-hand with Susie, being led across the grass.

Their heart ached with a longing they couldn't even begin to describe, but they pushed it down as much as they could stand. It would be better not to dwell on it. "So, you practice magic, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I like to think I'm decent at it, at least. Then again, I just learned from old books, so it's probably not fantastic or anything," he laughed, descending the stairs into a room about equally as large as the one above it. Which was to say, rather big. It rivaled the throne room of Bergentrükung in size, but it didn't feel nearly as empty with the maze of bookshelves and tables and drawers. Dried herbs and potions nearly filled the shelves on one side, so numerous they must have been collected over years and years.

And somehow, despite all the clutter, the room still seemed neat. That must have been magic in itself, because Kris was fairly sure that any place else with this many things in it would be a disaster.

"Did you collect these yourself?" They asked, barely able to keep down the awe in their voice. "Even my mother doesn't have a collection of this size."

Ralsei glanced back at them. "Um, the bottom shelf is from before I got here. There are still some I'm trying to decipher the nature of. I made all the rest. Most of them are basic mana potions, though, and I still have to test if they're still all good, but, um… yeah. I guess you could say I collected most of them, haha."

Kris hummed, nodding. "Impressive. Something like this would take years of work, you hardly even look older than myself, so to have the knowledge and skill to create and maintain something of this caliber… you must have dedicated most of your life to it."

They could see a smile grow on his mouth, the fur on his cheeks fading into a light pink. "That means a lot. I've been practicing since I learned to read, so it's… nice to hear I'm at least a little good at it. I could, um, show you around, if you'd like?"

He seemed fairly eager, despite his shyness, and even if Kris hadn't wanted to, they didn't think they could crush someone else's hopes today. Seeing that barely masked, broken look on Noelle's face was bad enough. "I would appreciate that. Perhaps I could even learn a thing or two."

"Of course! Well, over there is obviously my potion shelf, and the bookshelves near it are all about magic… there's history over there, fiction, and assorted nonfiction," he explained, pointing around to various bookshelves. "You're free to read any of them, of course. I've only ever taught Susie magic, and, well, she's not the most enthusiastic student."

She didn't seem like she'd be, they thought, but clearly he'd taught her enough to figure out how to heal them. By instinct, their hand ghosted over their chest, right above the curse mark.

Thankfully, Ralsei didn't seem to notice. "Herbs are over there near the potion bowl— I've started to use them more in cooking, too— oh, and you can grab a bowl of that soup if you'd like. I don't want you to feel like you have to listen to my rambling or anything!"

"I don't mind," they replied honestly. Sure, he was rambling, but it reminded them of how their mother would often go on small little tangents about whatever she had been working on any time they got the chance to see her between training and keeping Noelle safe. As they made their way towards the still simmering pot, they paused, an open scroll catching their eye. They had only intended to glance at it and move along, but the words they read were familiar. Sure enough, as they looked closer, their suspicions were confirmed. "Is this the prophecy?"

"That's-!" Ralsei hurried over and rolled the scroll up nervously. "Um, that's… my work table. I… forgot I left that out. I was in such a rush to hide the dress I was making for Noelle, I totally forgot that was there."

Part of them wanted to ask about the dress. It would be a shame if they had to leave before he could finish it, but then again, it wasn't like where she lived was a secret. Still, their mind lingered on the scroll and familiar words that it held. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to snoop but… it's just been a long time since I've been able to properly read it."

"You've heard it before? I- I mean, of course you have. You said 'the prophecy', I just… wasn't expecting it. I didn't know if this was the only copy or if others knew. Oh, goodness, does Noelle know? Should I tell Susie? I would have, I just- I didn't think it would be her, you know?"

"Noelle knows… some of it." What she knew wasn't nearly enough, it was just a general overview of the words, and abridged version that didn't give her nearly enough information to form her own opinion and make decisions based off of it and— "wait, what do you mean, you didn't think it would be her?"

Ralsei tilted his head. "Susie. She's the dragon monster, isn't she? And, technically by blood, an heir as well. I just figured, you know… it has to be you three, right?"

Kris had known. They'd known since they were small. Their mother made sure of it, spending hours a day just analyzing the words with them in secret. She had never wanted them to go into their life unprepared, but that prophecy was all she could give them. It wasn't much, but it gave them hope. A small glimmer of a wish that they could one day be free of all that rested upon them.

Still, there was a bitter feeling that came along with it now. They had always wondered who the dragon might be, hoping to one day meet. After meeting her though… they weren't so sure that childish wonder remained. Of course they wanted Noelle to be happy, and of course they knew their responsibilities, but when they'd faced Susie in a battle, a cruel little part of them hoped that would be where one of their supposed roles ended. Yet, both of them had survived, and now Kris had no clue what to make of it.

"What purpose do I serve, then?" Was their only reason for existing just the same as it always had been? A knight and a servant and nothing more? Was that where their importance ended?

Ralsei just smiled sadly and said the words that Kris had dreaded so badly. "I… don't know, Kris. I wish I had a solid answer, but all I have is a guess."

"What's your guess?" The words were bitter on their tongue as they spoke. They didn't want to hear it. They didn't want to face their uselessness.

"Susie…" Ralsei sighed, shaking his head. "I can't tell you all of her story. That's up for her to share. But, to put it concisely, so that you know what you're working with… humans weren't kind to her. Being descended from the dragons of Trümmer, I imagine they feared her. And that fear manifested as hate. And in return, she hates them. I've had to stop her from storming the capitol and turning them all to ashes. She holds a grudge, and I can't say I blame her, but… well, if anyone can change her mind, I think it's you. I think easing that hate she's held might start to bridge a peace between humans and monsters."

Kris couldn't help but scoff. "You really think that I could convince her? I nearly killed her! Not even the people of Bergentrükung think highly of me. Besides, even if I could convince her, what makes you think I would want to?"

"Out of the goodness of your heart?" Ralsei tried meekly. "I promise you, Susie's a really good person. If Noelle ends up with her, I think it could be good for both of them."

"That's not what I meant. I mean, why should I bother when she's right?" They hissed. "They don't care about anyone, not even their own kind. They certainly didn't care about me when they abandoned me in that palace!"

"But- w- wait, palace? Are you- do you know who your parents are? Your birth parents, I mean." He was already hurrying to the 'history' bookshelf, mouthing titles to himself.

Kris hesitated, unsure if they should really say. It was a close kept secret, one they weren't even sure December and Asriel knew, one Kris themself certainly wasn't supposed to know. They weren't exactly proud of it, either. They kept quiet about it out of shame, if nothing else.

And yet, there was a part of them that longed to speak of it. That little writhing bit of impulsiveness that somehow stayed stubbornly in their brain despite how many times they'd tried to squash it. The truth was terrifying. It was exhilarating.

"They were-" Kris took a deep breath, unable to quiet their nerves or quell the shaking of their their voice as they spoke. "They were the former rulers of Bergentrükung."

Admitting that felt damning.

Admitting that felt freeing. Like the kind of rebellion they were always so terrified of committing to.

Ralsei turned back with a book in his hands, looking almost haunted. Wordlessly, he placed it down, and Kris only had the time to read History of Bergentrükung on the cover before he opened it to almost the end. With shaky hands, he flipped a few pages back until a full-page portrait came into view.

On it, two humans stood tall. A crown rested on both of their heads, long amber-brown hair flowing from the woman's and dark, dull brown curling around the man's. The woman's eyes were gray, but the man's were piercing red, the same color Kris saw when they looked in the mirror. They could pick out features from their own face that matched, more than any other human they'd seen before.

King Ulric and Queen Swanhild, the current rulers of Bergentrükung, the words under it read.

They breathed in sharply, tearing their eyes away. They weren't sure if they wanted to see it, after so long of being told that they never could, they'd put any desire of it out of their mind. Looking upon the names and faces of the people that would have been their parents left a lingering feeling of… something, within them. It wasn't longing, they didn't think that they missed the people on the page before them. Yet still, their finger carefully traced the image, touch light as a feather, as though they were terrified of damaging the only remaining portrait of the family they had never met.

"I've never seen what they looked like before," Kris admitted quietly. "I wasn't even told their names."

"They look just like you," Ralsei murmured. "It's remarkable. It has to be true, then. But how-? Why would they-? If you're an heir, then who?" He left the book lying down on his desk and got the prophecy scroll again, opening it and reading through the words. "I don't understand. There are two heirs, right? But all three of you… is it meant to be you and Noelle? Why would Susie be involved, in that case? Unless it's you and Susie, but then, the kiss to break the curse would be made moot. None of this makes sense. Why are there three of you?"

Kris felt like their head was spinning. They wished they could give him answers, but they were lost as well. On top of that, for whatever reason, they could feel their heart beating just a little bit faster. They shouldn't take his words and twist them into false hope, yet a part of them still wanted to be important to all of this. "Maybe it… doesn't matter who breaks the curse. I mean, it's been left vague for a reason, hasn't it?"

"Perhaps," he conceded, shaking his head. "I'll, um, need to do more research on this. Would you like to stay down here? I could teach you magic, or you could just help me sew, if you'd like. I think we both need to take our minds off this."

They only needed to consider it for a mere moment before nodding. While their needlework wasn't the best, it had been ever so long since they were allowed the time to indulge in a creative endeavor, so it would be a welcome change of pace. Besides, they were more than curious to see what it looked like, and even if it was only slightly, they felt that helping make something for Noelle might serve as some form of an apology. "Of course, I would love to."

With that, he lead them further into his study, to a small chest that had a mess of fabric haphazardly shoved inside. And over the next few hours, for the first time since they were young, Kris was able to indulge in a task that was tedious yet soothing.

Chapter Text

December surveyed her soldiers with one sweep of her head. Nearly three hundred monsters in total, armored and ready for anything. The last stragglers were still arriving to where she'd signaled to stop with one hand. In enemy territory like this, she couldn't be too cautious. After all, she needed all her men to survive until the battle itself.

"The soldiers and horses are getting fatigued. Should we stop here for the night?" One of her lieutenants asked.

"No need," Commander Undyne growled back. "We can continue on for some time. The princess is waiting. Come on, what are we waiting for?"

"The scout." December sent her an unimpressed glare, and Undyne crossed her arms sullenly.

"We're making progress at a snail's pace here! I swear, that damn kid needs to go faster. Where the hell did they run off to now? Ngahhh, I should have trained them better!"

December sighed. The sun was setting, and the lieutenant was right. She had to consider her men as well as Noelle. As much as it pained her to call it quits for the day, she knew rushing into things was a bad idea. Three days of preparation to gather an army and enough food to fuel them, but she had to work with what she had. And what she had was admittedly, not much.

She put a hand on Undyne's shoulder and turned to face her men. "We stop here tonight. Lead your horses, but don't set up camp yet. Until the scout gives an all-clear, remain on alert."

"What? We don't have to-"

"Undyne, keep an eye on the platoons under you. Give them my orders. That's a command from your superior," December snapped.

Maybe it was a little overboard, but she wasn't in the best of moods right now, and unfortunately for Undyne, all of her father's temper had gone to Noelle. Which left December with her mother's attitude, and a hell of a problem to contend with. With a whole legion of monsters to command and no time to prepare for what Oberfläche could have in store, the stress of a possible— no, likely war was on her. Noelle was to the south, and she wouldn't put it past Hildebrand to take a hostage. Especially one as helpless as Noelle. She wouldn't be surprised if the dragon was his, meant to sow discord and finally put her kingdom past its tipping point.

Will three hundred be enough? she wondered, unrolling her map again and tracing the path to the capitol. Though Asgore had told her that three hundred would be plenty, she didn't have the numbers for how many opponents she was up against. This was her first battle, her first chance to prove that she was just as good of a leader as Asgore before her, and she felt completely out of her depth.

"General December, the monsters in platoon three have an injured horse. What are your orders?" A lieutenant asked, a frown in his voice.

She barely cast him a glance. "If the injury is dire, seek help from one of the warlocks. Papyrus specializes in healing magic, he can help if any bones are broken. Is that all?"

"Yes, ma'am," he called back and hurried away.

Until the capitol, avoiding civilizations was a realistic goal. About a half day's detour, but not much more. Down through the mountains… that may be a hard trek for the horses and soldiers. But avoiding it would take nearly two days, and taking the well-traveled paths would definitely alert Oberfläche of their presence. Not that that was very avoidable, with nearly three hundred monsters.

And would it even be a good plan to rely on stealth? If Hildebrand hadn't taken Noelle, if the dragon wasn't his, then approaching with stealth would be a surefire way to spark a conflict that was otherwise avoidable. But if she approached from the front with only three hundred monsters, then would he have time to prepare a counter-strike? Was he waiting for her to approach with the might of an army to claim she'd instigated the attack? Schattenwelt to the west likely would continue to be an ally, but some of the human nations might be swayed to ally with Oberfläche against Bergentrükung, and she couldn't afford to risk it.

Approaching with an army was inevitable. She'd already made that choice. Relying on stealth would ensure that they'd be the aggressors. But would that be worth it? What use was having the moral high ground if her army was decimated?

"General December, half the rations of our platoon were left behind in the rush," another soldier fretted. "What should we do?"

"If you run out, then take some of the emergency surplus," she ground out, sending them away with a wave of her hand. These questions were not good for her temper. Didn't anyone know commanders existed for a reason?

Back to planning. She could avoid the settlements, but there was hardly any choice but to travel through the established paths. Even if she wanted to rely on stealth, it would simply take too long to form a new path with all of them. She had too big an army to hide, and too small of one to risk losing any soldiers to the mountains.

So, straight through it was. But sending in the full army would be too risky. If she staggered the groups to appear smaller, she ran the risk of having less manpower. But then, Hildebrand would be less threatened. He'd underestimate the army. If she entered the town with fifty soldiers and no commanders, it both increased the chances of negotiation and ensured that she had backup. But where to send the platoons to, to make sure they weren't noticed by any humans? A single witness report of one of her other troops and all good faith would be discarded.

Maybe, if she traveled west-

"General December," yet another of her underlings disrupted. "I'm sorry, but-"

"Take it up with your commander," she told them.

"Um, she told me to go see you."

Ugh. Of course she did. Undyne had work ethic and a stallion's worth of strength, but her flaw was logistics. It was helped by the warlock Alphys, thankfully, but her indecisiveness usually cost the two a finite answer. Well, that wasn't December's problem right now. "And I'm telling you to tell her to figure it out. Unless it's urgent and something only I can do, then please, don't disrupt me."

They nodded meekly and shuffled off to talk to Undyne again.

The ridges of the mountain might do. The horses likely wouldn't be able to follow the soldiers, so that risked the carrying capacity of the team, but half a day wouldn't be the end of the world for her men. She'd send small teams to meet them on the other side with the horses and supplies, set up camp and recharge, then rendezvous at an agreed point near the capitol. From there, she'd send a signal if things went to shit and have them attack in two groups on either side of the city in a pincer formation.

She just had to split up the teams effectively, then. One warlock per group, in case things went badly, and two platoons. That left two lieutenants per group. But which groups would she send the commanders with? Were they too valuable to risk crossing at another point? Maybe they should go with the horses instead-

A timid voice brought her out of her musings. "General December-"

"What?" December snapped. "What could it possibly be that you couldn't take up with- oh."

It appeared, she realized with a twinge of guilt, her scout was back. They looked terrified. Terrified, but alive and unhurt. That was good news.

"…I'm sorry. I'm rather wound up right now. What's your report, MK? Is it clear to set up camp?" she asked, making sure to keep her tone even.

"Um, k- kind of?" MK glanced back. "There's a settlement ahead, but they're friendly."

How would they know that, unless… "You talked to them?!"

"…Unintentionally? They kind of caught me. But, uh, they're, like… asking to see you. Like, specifically. I seriously tried to ask if they could talk to Commander Undyne, haha, but, they said no. So, um, I'm asking you," MK rambled, rocking on their feet.

Oh, this reeked of a trap. "They're trying to get me alone. I'll gather a team and handle it. I'd hoped not to cause conflict this soon, but it seems it's unavoidable-"

"No!" MK cried, then shook their head apologetically. "I mean, um, dude, they seem cool. Really, haha. And they told me to tell you Ser Dreemurr sent them."

Kris.

That changed things.

"How do we have proof it's really them? These people could be using their name to incur unfounded trust," December warned.

"They said to give you this," MK relayed, using their tail to fish in the satchel around their shoulder. They grabbed a piece of paper on their tail spikes and passed it to December.

She unfolded it, expecting a wax seal with Kris's official stamp on it or something of the like. Instead, she was met with a drawing Asriel had drawn of their family, plus December herself and Noelle, over nine years ago now. Kris had to be eleven there, semi-realistically depicted near the center of the little group.

And immediately, all of her doubt was gone. Because nobody but Kris themself would give a silly little drawing to their mentor and general as proof of their identity. They were lucky she liked them so damn much, because hardly anyone else could get away with this kind of thing. But then again, Kris had always been special.

"Alright," she relented, tucking the drawing into her own bag. "Fine. Lead me to them."

"W- wait, really?"

"Before I change my mind."

That seemed to get MK going, because they straightened and hurried to weave through the underbrush. There was a reason they were the scout here— despite not having arms, their agility was unmatched. Branches and leaves that got in her way seemed to be a non-issue to the young monster, ducking and weaving with hardly a glance back to their general. It was just as well, she thought. This kind of wily speed was the exact thing that got them into and out of trouble so often.

Before long, she found herself winding down a hill and into a surprisingly well-hidden little settlement. Whoever owned this place seemed like they didn't want to be found.

And 'whoever owned this place' happened to be standing right in the middle of it all. She counted three humans at the front, with five half-hiding around the periphery. Well, 'hiding' was a bit of an overstatement for some of them. There was one in the back who seemed to be cracking his knuckles, and another nervously grasping a skillet.

December strolled up to the three humans in the front, towering over all of them. "Well? You have my attention. Make it count."

"I'll try to be quick, since I doubt any of us want to waste time, but… you should turn back. Your armies aren't ready for what's waiting ahead for you." The one wearing a hat answered.

"Is that a threat?" she asked, a little incredulous that a so-called friendly human would be saying that. Unless it was true, at least. She felt a little uneasy about that.

They shook their head. "It's a warning, ma'am. They've got weapons I'm not sure your people can handle. Not as you are now, at least. You'll be wholly unprepared, and they've been waiting for a reason to attack. If you give them that, they'll take the opportunity to slaughter your people."

She glanced over to the other humans to try to find any tells that this one might be lying, but all she got was about the same expressions she'd been getting. When she looked at one of them behind the human in the front, she noticed they had red eyes. They must have been distantly related to Kris, then. As far as she knew, that trait was only carried in the original Bergentrükung line.

Focus, December.

They had weapons. Weapons she'd heard of, coming from a source who knew far more than rumors. Even if they were lying, what would be the purpose? To scare her? But then, why would the opposing army want over-prepared soldiers? No, this had to be genuine. And moreover, Kris had trusted them. And if she trusted any one of her underlings, it was Kris.

"What kind of weapons? How many are there? If I can get precise information, I can get the warlocks to cast enchantments against them and have my army ready to fight by daybreak."

The human leader let out a sigh of relief, then took out an oddly shaped piece of metal from a sheath at their side. "Alrighty then. Let me show you what you're up against."

For the longest time, Susie feared sleep. The act was fine itself, usually. All she had to do was lay down for long enough, and she'd ease into a comfortable enough position to drift off. No, sleeping itself wasn't the problem. It was what came after, the roulette wheel inside her mind that decided between nothingness or opening her eyes to find herself shackled.

And though the nightmares usually didn't come more often than once or twice a week, they were bad enough to ruin any trust she had in her subconscious.

There was nothing more she hated than waking up as a full-blooded dragon, where she wasn't sure whether to consider herself more lucky to awaken with Ralsei at her side or completely alone. At least alone, she wasn't a burden on her only friend.

But long story short: she hated sleeping, and hated shifting in her sleep more. But oddly enough, when she found herself waking up, monstrous and reptilian and all the things she hated being in the morning, she was calm. Maybe it was the grass underscale or the sun shining down on her that caused this change.

More probably, it was the frosty princess curled up next to her, pressed deep into the curve of her vulnerable neck. Noelle was breathing deeply, no sign of the tears that had afflicted her yesterday. She was pretty, Susie thought, trying not to move too much. Her cool cheek rested right above where the fire brewed in Susie's throat— no doubt because of how warm it was.

It was peaceful. Peaceful, and a little terrifying. One move would be all it took to kill her. Susie was a weapon made for war, not a gentle giant to be resting on. And yet, she found herself staying completely still, to let Noelle sleep a few moments more.

Was she always so easy to tame? Or did Noelle and Ralsei just have something that no one else in the entire world seem to have?

Damn, I can't be getting this soft. Even if she is unfairly hard to get upset at. Plus, she should probably realize that cuddling with a literal dragon is a stupid idea that could get her killed.

Still, when Susie tried to pull away carefully, Noelle let out a whine that was entirely unfair and shifted to cuddle closer.

It was nearly impossible to move in this form without waking her. If Susie shifted so much as an inch, Noelle began to stir. Overall, not an ideal situation. Unfortunately, she was getting sort of antsy, the desire to move and do something was far too strong. She had hoped that if she moved carefully and quickly enough, she could get away, but of course, nothing could ever work out in her favor. A tiny little sound and a loss of the weight against her side told her all that she needed to know.

"Mmh…" Noelle rubbed at her eyes and looked up blearily. "…Susie?"

Shit. She angled her head to get a better look, huffing and letting out a low rumble that she hoped wouldn't be taken as aggressive.

She looked around at her surroundings, taking it in with a sleepy expression. "Oh, yeah. We fell asleep out here, didn't we? I'm sorry, did I lean against you?"

Susie rested her head back on the ground, letting her eyes fall shut for a moment. How was she supposed to say anything that could be truly understood, when she was like this? At least she felt more peaceful than usual, properly able to focus her mind and, though it was still somewhat painful, shifting had come far easier than the last time.

"It's fine, not like it's winter or anything." She mumbled as she rolled over, blinking up at the sky. Absently, she wondered if her hair still covered her old curse mark, but she couldn't really find it in herself to care all that much. "So, you finally wanna talk about it? The whole thing about them not liking you or whatever, I mean."

"I guess." Noelle laid back next to her. When Susie turned to look, her eyes were trailing a fluffy cloud above. The shine of it in her eyes and around the faint frost of the grass was breathtaking. There was part of her that cursed herself for going and getting attached like this, to her of all people, but she couldn't be too mad. Right now, it was peaceful. She could get upset later.

"Well, hit me with it then," Susie told her.

She sighed, breath coming out in a puff of fog. "Honestly? I'm not surprised. I just told them now, but I've known them a long time. I knew how dedicated they were. I knew they would probably say no. I just got caught up in the moment, you know?"

"Can't really say I get it," Susie admitted. "Never really liked anyone like that. But what I can say is that it's not very cool of 'em. I mean, a kiss is supposed to break your curse, isn't it? If they're so duty-bound or whatever, why the hell won't they help you with that? It doesn't make sense!"

"I suppose… they didn't want to risk it," she mused.

That was bullshit. All of that was bullshit. "Risk what? Kissing the most awesome princess of all time?"

"Susie!" That got her to laugh, a sweet little giggle that pushed most of the sadness away.

"What? It's true!" she defended herself. "You're smart, funny, kind, passionate— hell, you write fucking love letters when you're bored! Like, as as a hobby!" She shook her head incredulously. "If that doesn't count for anything, I'm not a dragon."

Another laugh. Man, Susie was knocking it out of the park here. "It's not about that."

"Isn't it? I mean, you're cool, is what I'm saying. Who wouldn't want to kiss you?"

"Plenty of people, I'm sure." Noelle replied, though it wasn't without a smile.

"They're wrong, then. Like, objectively." Susie threw her arms out on the grass, rightly outraged on Noelle's behalf. "Anyone who's sane would kiss you if they got the chance."

"Anyone?" Noelle sat up, a little smile on her face."

"Anyone. Hell, I would kiss you if I got the chance!" She wasn't sure why she doubled down. Perhaps she just wanted her grave to be extra deep today.

Immediately, she realized that that might have been laying it on a bit too thick, if the way Noelle covered her mouth with one hand was any indication. The fur on her cheeks mostly covered it, but Susie saw the blush there. "You- you would?"

"Uh- well- yeah?" She sat up in turn. Shit. Why was she so nervous now? "You're like… pretty, and- and nice. I don't know!"

Noelle stared at her a moment more, then dropped her gaze. When her hand twitched, Susie could see a smile pulling at her snout.

"Okay, then," she said, taking a moment to glance up and then back down.

"Okay? What's okay, what are you saying okay to?"

"Okay, let's do it," Noelle pulled her hand away from her mouth, revealing cute buck teeth and a little giggle. "You're getting the chance."

Susie stared at her, mouth falling open for a minute. "Wait, seriously? You actually want to? Isn't it like, way too soon?"

"I mean, it's just a kiss, isn't it?"

Just a kiss. Like that was a totally normal, platonic thing people did.

"And it probably won't even do anything about the curse either," she justified, to avoid saying that she hadn't ever actually kissed anyone before. She barely even had proper lips, what if she was so bad that Noelle made fun of her or something?

Oblivious to Susie's internal panic, she tucked her hair behind one of her soft ears. "That doesn't matter to me. I just… kind of want to. If you don't, though-"

"No! No it's not that. I- I do. At least I think so?" Susie stuttered out, feeling more and more embarrassed by the second. "I just… dunno how."

"It's not like we're making out." Noelle laughed. Still, she reached out, closing the gap between them by taking Susie's cheek in her cupped hands. Somehow, she managed to look both shy and dazzlingly confident. "But, um, I can lead, if you want."

Susie could only nod, terrified that if she so much as opened her mouth, she'd start spitting fire, and that would be a disaster of a first kiss.

Noelle leaned forward, and their mouths connected at the center.

Susie didn't have a reference point, but she was pretty sure Noelle was a really good kisser. Or maybe it was just that this was Susie's first kiss, and that it was with someone who was as out of her league as they came. Either way, it wasn't a long kiss. Soft and sweet and pretty tame, all things considered, but Susie could swear her heart was beating straight out of her chest.

Noelle pulled away too soon and right on time, because Susie was pretty sure she was going to die right here and now if it went on any longer.

The first thing she said after giving Susie her first kiss was, "your tail is wagging."

"Wh- no it's not, shut up!" It was, but like hell she would ever admit to that.

Noelle laughed again, and Susie couldn't even find it in herself to be mad that she was being made fun of. "Don't worry, it's cute. It's a cute tail."

"Whatever," Susie said, feeling herself flush deeper. To try to change the subject, she asked, "you, uh, feel any different?"

Noelle looked down at her hands. The ice on her palms was still present. "I don't know," she answered with a nervous little smile. "I've never not had it. But I think I feel a little warmer than I did. I've never had a kiss that I've actually liked before this, though, so maybe it's that, faha. I guess the only way to see would be to check my curse mark, but I can't see it on my own. Or, um, with much clothing on."

She tried not to think about the implications of this being the first kiss that Noelle actually liked, and instead offered, "maybe Ralsei can help? I mean, he can see it, right?"

"Good idea!" Noelle stood, brushing off her dirt and grass-stained dress. It had none of the crisp whites it used to have, the soft tulle and satin ruined from days of use. Somehow, Susie thought it looked better this way. And when Noelle offered her hand, Susie took it, grunting to pull herself up.

"C'mon, let's go the fast way." She didn't give Noelle a chance to object before she scooped up the princess by the knees and back, pulled her up into a carry, and took off with newly-sprouted wings. It wasn't a long ride, nor even a particularly treacherous one, but Noelle still yelped and clung tight to her until they were on the floor of her room.

Susie placed her down, still feeling the aftershocks of the princess's shaking where Noelle held tight to her arm.

"Can- can you tell me next time we're going to fly?" She squeaked out.

"Sorry," Susie laughed, not that sorry at all.

"-think I heard them," Ralsei's voice, ascending the stairs, called. No doubt to Kris. Ugh. Well, she'd deal with them if it meant figuring out if this kiss had broken the spell. It probably hadn't, but hey, she could dream, right?

Sure enough, he and Kris emerged from the stairs. Kris had a bundle of off-white fabric in their arms, held close to their chest. Whatever it was, it hardly mattered. What did matter was the way Noelle let go Susie's arm, taking a step away as if she didn't want Kris to see her clinging on. As if she was embarrassed, when she'd been the one to offer that kiss.

Susie was beginning to hate the pattern that was emerging. Or maybe she just hated how stupid she was to think a kiss wouldn't still put her in second place.

At least this time, Noelle seemed to notice her favoritism, but one apologetic look wasn't enough to get rid of the fact that she remained distant.

"You two are back!" Ralsei greeted cheerfully, before she could even tell him to check Noelle's curse mark. "Perfect timing. Kris and I just finished up the surprise I've been planning."

"O- oh." Noelle blinked, sending another glance to Susie. Susie looked away. "A… surprise?"

Kris nodded once. When Susie checked, their blood-red eyes didn't leave Noelle's face once as they handed over the fabric to her. As she unfurled it, they explained, "Ralsei wanted to do something nice for you."

"And Kris helped quite a bit!" Ralsei chimed in. "Really, I couldn't have finished it so fast or pulled off some of the sewing tricks without them. A- anyways, I just wanted to say sorry for causing you stress, Princess Noelle. It's been lovely having you here."

A dress, more elegant than anything Ralsei had probably ever sewn. Honestly, it was still pretty simple, made out of cotton and with none of the lace or silver Noelle's current gown had, but it had a good cut and even more heart in it.

Which would be fine if it was Ralsei, but this was Kris. The same Kris that had turned her down and left her crying yesterday. Were they trying to win her back or just toying with her some more?

"Oh, Ralsei, Kris, it's lovely!" Noelle gasped. She looked at Kris, reaching out, then pulled her hand back and looked down, something pained entering her eyes. "It really is. Do you have somewhere I can try it on?"

"Of course," Ralsei nodded. "Follow me. I'll give you a room and a mirror to see if it fits."

And just like that, Noelle had completely forgotten about her again. Worse, Susie was alone with Kris now. Kris, who was just standing around by the side of the door at attention, a perfect picture of a pretty little knight placed for show. Like they didn't even realize what they were doing to Noelle.

"Nice going, asshole," she muttered, leaning against the wall decently far from them. "You feel good about yourself now?"

"If you think I enjoy this, than I doubt I can inform you of just how wrong you are." They replied flatly. They didn't even look at her.

The inattention burrowed under her skin, got right into the nerves where she was most sensitive. She scoffed, trying to pretend like it didn't piss her off to no end. "Yeah, sure. You know, for someone who claims to care so much, you sure do toy with her feelings a lot."

"Excuse me?" Oh that got them to look at her. "I am not toying with her! I am trying to protect her. If I had the ability to give her what she wanted, I would."

"If you could? You can!" She didn't know why she was so angry. It was only because Kris had rejected her that she'd even bothered with Susie, wasn't it? But that was the problem. She was a second choice. Someone Noelle had picked when she didn't get her way. And as much as she didn't want Kris and Noelle together, at least if they were all lovey-dovey, then maybe Susie would stop feeling this gross gunk in her heart. "What, did someone tell you not to say yes to her? Ralsei can get rid of that, I already told you!"

They tilted their head, ruby gaze piercing into her soul. "You mean like how he was able to get rid of hers? Even if he could, it doesn't matter, the end result would be the same either way."

She rolled her eyes. "You'd be kicked out of your cushy job. So what? You're a human anyway. All you guys ever do is look out for yourselves."

"I have a responsibility to my kingdom," they told her icily. "You wouldn't understand."

Oh. Oh, they did not just say that. She could feel her anger bubbling up like fire in her throat, all gnarled and ugly and twisted up, entirely representative of who she was as a person. "Excuse me?! I wouldn't understand responsibility?! Iwouldn't?! You don't know shit about me!"

"We'll, I'd say I know more about you, than you do me. After all, I'm not the one who decided to put the only person who cares about me in danger by kidnapping someone and damn near starting a war that I would be at the center of." They hissed. The fact that their voice hardly wavered only really served to rile her up that much more.

A snarl built in her throat. Forget the commonalities she thought she'd had with this human, they were just like the others. Selfish, cruel, and willing to use anything to cut at her. Somehow, words were worse than a blade. How dare they? How dare they use the kindness she and Ralsei had shown them to spit in her face? She'd healed them! She'd helped them! For a moment, she dared to even think they were different!

"I don't know you, huh?" Susie snapped, stalking over to glower down at them. "Sure I do. You're an entitled upper-class snob who's never had a truly hard day in your life, adopted by a happy little family and whining that you have to follow rules you choose to follow! You have a princess who'd drop dead if you asked, and you play with her feelings like a sick fucking game!"

Part of her felt dirty for using what Noelle had told her over the days she'd been here against someone she cared about. She pushed the feeling down. Clearly, she didn't know how horrible Kris was.

(Clearly, she didn't really know Susie, either, or else she'd never have offered that kiss. She'd surely be disgusted if she was here.)

All too suddenly, there was a weight crashing against her. If she had expected it, she could have stood her ground easily, but as it was, having a human, even one as scrawny as this, crash into her when she didn't see it coming, was nearly enough to knock her to the floor. Of course, they couldn't just stop there. Balled fists raining down aimlessly against her scales and giving her little time to block. Not that it mattered, they were so weak she wasn't even sure it would bruise.

"I care about her more than anything else in this world! You honestly I want to hurt her? I love her! I have since I was a child!" She could only catch glimpses of their face as they shouted, each movement chaotic and uncoordinated. "I would have given up everything to be with her, if I were any more selfish!"

"More selfish?" She caught their arm, allowing it to tighten around their weak little human wrist. "You're already selfish! You act like you have the hardest life imaginable when it's you putting restraints on yourself!" In one swift motion, she spun them so that their back was to the wall, her other hand over their chest, where she knew the curse mark was. "Do you know what it's like to be hungry? To be chained? To be treated like a weapon instead of a person?"

"Of course I do! I've had to spend my entire life, trying to make up for the fact that I was ever born. I had to give up everything that I was, and it's still not good enough!" They kicked at her shins in retaliation, which, okay that actually hurt a little. "I know I haven't had the worst life imaginable, but it wasn't perfect and you have no right to claim that it was!"

They're like me, part of her thought. Just a sad, pathetic creature with the wrong body for where they'd been born. It should have made her feel better. Instead, it made her want to scream, to tear and claw and spit until there was nothing left. The beast that the humans had twisted her into was ugly, and the kindness of Ralsei wasn't enough to soothe it into hiding its hideous face.

They'd taught her to be vicious. Upon any threat, she'd been trained to attack. And relating to a human was a threat of the highest caliber.

So, she snapped. "You should be sorry! You're just like the rest of your kind. If they deserve to pay, you do too! The only thing that would fix you is if you dropped dead!"

The words tasted vile on her forked tongue. The venom she spat coated her tongue, and in a single second, she knew she'd gone too far.

They stilled, then, slowly, they raised their head, face entirely blank, yet their eyes bore into her in a way that made her heart stutter. "Why not just let me die, then? You had the chance, so why not take it? Just to rub in how awful I already know I am? In fact, why not just kill me right now?!"

Susie froze in return. She'd wanted, almost her whole life, to kill a human. Even just one. She wanted to rip their ugly sneers off, wanted to bite and breathe fire and kill like they'd made her kill. But she hesitated. She hesitated, and she hated herself for hesitating, and she hated herself for wanting to take the chance, and she hated herself for what they'd broken inside her to make her this hateful.

I hate you, she wanted to scream.

I'm sorry, she wanted to whisper.

"I-" was all she managed to get out before the clicking of hooves caught her attention. She twisted to see Ralsei and Noelle, both looking rather surprised. She'd expect them to be upset, but instead, they just looked… awkward. Susie didn't realize why until she remembered that she was, in fact, pinning them to the wall with one hand on their chest and the other on their wrist.

In an instant, she flushed and let them go.

They stumbled, nearly falling, but somehow managing to catch themself. After only a moments hesitation, they mimed dusting themself off, clearing their throat and standing at attention like the stupid, perfect little knight that they were. "You- ah… you're back."

"What were you two… doing?" Noelle seemed more confused than anything.

"Oh, you know, just-" Susie cleared her throat, faking being casual by leaning against the wall. "Just, uh…"

Shit, what was she supposed to say? Oh, yeah, Noelle, you know that knight you really like? Well, after being alone in a room with them I proceeded to verbally beat them down and also considered killing them.

Oh, hell no. She couldn't say that! Even if Noelle really did deserve to hate her, Susie couldn't imagine what kind of sad look she'd give her.

So, instead, Susie elbowed Kris in the arm, jerking her head to try to tell them to just make something up. Noelle would believe it, if it came from their mouth. And even if she was loathe to admit it, they had a way with words.

"Flirting." They said it so dead-faced and serious, Susie herself almost believed it for a moment. But that moment passed quickly and she nearly got whiplash from how fast she turned to look at them, wanting to scream because that was not better!

"No, we weren't," she corrected, putting her entire hand over their face. "Shut up, we weren't!"

"You don't have to be embarrassed if you were," Ralsei offered weakly, though he looked like he was questioning all his life choices. "Um, it's okay to express yourself."

Kris carefully removed her hand, though she was hesitant to let them, but following their gaze, which seemed almost sad, or maybe regretful, to— oh. Noelle. She looked stricken. Not quite the mess she was when Susie found her in the clearing, but almost as though she was holding back from becoming that yet again. Kris sighed, shaking their head. "No, it- she's right. We were just… messing around, that's all."

With all the grace she would have expected, but never earned in any of the times she had fought them, Kris stepped away. Giving no time for a response, nor heeding to a call as they vanished through the doorway. As they disappeared, Noelle murmured quietly to herself, only just loud enough that the two still with her could hear.

"That's not a funny prank, Kris…"

Chapter Text

Guilt weighed down on Kris's very soul more heavily than it ever had before. What the hell were they thinking, saying that?! It was a spur of the moment decision, sure, but that was no excuse. They had just wanted to find a way to quell Noelle's worries, and instead they had— god, they were an idiot.

And of course their stupidity couldn't end there. No, they had to let themself be goaded into a fight. They should know better, they shouldn't have let her words get to them, they were used to it. Yet somehow, today they seemed intent on proving to be a monumental screw up. Why had they said that? Why had they done that? Why wasn't it enough?

Their hand clenched, mind itching for a certain sort of release as it replayed through the last hour over, and over again. Had that fight not been enough? They'd been the one to start in in all but words, surely it could have counted for something, and yet… Though she retaliated a little, Susie hadn't actually harmed them. She'd only held them still enough to ensure they couldn't continue their own attack, there wasn't even so much as an ache in their arms that could indicate a bruise.

Why had they all but asked her to kill them? Why had they wanted her to? Sure, everything she said stung— it burned worse than the fire she breathed— but it was nothing that wasn't true.

Despite how badly they wished to deny it, they'd had a good life, for someone in their standing. They'd been kept alive and given a purpose despite how pointless the effort was. After all, they couldn't even keep the princess safe, nor stop themself from breaking her heart. They had a family who loved them, and at least a small handful of friends who cared. Was a measly curse and a job they hadn't wanted really enough to negate all of that?

Their footsteps echoed on stone steps, far too loud to their own ears and only serving to frustrate them further in the midst of their thoughts running rampant. Besides, they were far away enough from everyone by now. All they needed was a good place to hide away.

A door with rusted hinges seemed to practically beckon to them. It would work as well as any empty hall or room in the castle back home, they supposed. Pushing it open was a difficult task, they'd no doubt gotten splinters in their hand and the way the old wood and frame creaked was a bit louder than they'd been hoping for, but in the end they were inside, door shut snugly behind them and blocking out the rest of the world. It was a decently-sized space, probably a sort of storage room by the looks of it, that had a layer of dust that had to be years old. Not that they cared. Any detriment would be only to themself, and they had no right to complain about such a thing, knowing what they'd entered the room for in the first place.

They lifted their satchel off their shoulder, letting it fall to the floor with a thud and a cloud of dust that caught the rays of dying sunlight through dirtied window panes. They followed quickly after, sitting on the unclean floor and trying not to care for how it ruined their borrowed clothes. With careful hands, they rolled up their sleeves and began unwinding the bandages encasing their arms.

The wounds were still sticky, and though they knew it was just an unfortunate part of the healing process, they still cringed. The removal itself stung just a little, but it still wasn't enough to satisfy that itch. Metaphorical as the feeling may have been, they still brought their hand up to scratch at the deeper lesions that had scabbed over. The healing potion and magic had done most of their expected work, though, earning nothing more than small rivulets of crimson.

Humans were bloodthirsty. That was a fact that had been repeated to them throughout their entire life. Anyone and everyone who had a mouth to speak the words did. Of course they'd always quickly correct, "oh, but not you, Kris!", "other humans, I mean.", "you're different, obviously." And so on and so forth, until they'd heard every variation of the phrase.

But they weren't. Not really. It was just that the blood they craved hadn't come from monsters or from the few humans they'd encountered. It was their own.

There was no reason for it. Not one that they could figure out, at least. Maybe it was some strongly worded command that had faded from their mind, but with the action it led to lingering. Or maybe there was no reason, maybe something was just fundamentally wrong with them. A human raised by monsters with no proper direction to point the violence they'd craved.

They turned their arm, glad that the burns were as bad as they were. If not, than Susie surely would have noticed the other scars that littered their arms. Any of the tentative, meager trust she might've found in herself for them would've been tossed out the moment she realized, they were sure.

Knowing that should have been enough to make them stop. They'd already pushed things far enough today. Yet they still dug into the satchel on the floor beside them, fishing through miscellaneous items until their fingers curled around a small, sheathed blade. Every movement after was familiar, practically a blurry haze.

"Take your weapon from its sheath." The distant memory guided them. "Good, now turn it on your enemy, and strike."

It was as though all the pressure had suddenly been released. A single rush of calming pain. One should have been good enough, but then again, it rarely ever was. They raised the blade again, preparing for another attack, and—

The door swung open with a low, grating creak, filling the room with nothing but its own sound. Just enough to drown out the clatter of the knife as it slipped from Kris's hand and fell to the floor in their surprise. They turned their head to face the intruder and— shit. Out of everyone it could be, it just had to be Susie, didn't it?

They stood as quickly as they could, tugging their sleeves down and hoping that would be enough. Or hopefully she just wouldn't care. Perhaps they would be lucky and she'd leave as soon as she saw them, or—

"What the hell are you doing in here?"

They stiffened, giving to room a quick once over. It didn't seem like anything important. "Am I not allowed to be?"

"Well, I guess, it's Ralsei's place, so- whatever." She shook her head to clear it and pointed at them. "Point is, you seriously ran and hid the moment you got your feelings hurt by a little argument? What are you, five? And what was with that excuse?! Why the hell'd you tell her we were flirting?!"

They shrugged, they knew it was stupid. Arguably the stupidest thing they'd said in a while. "It was the first thing that came to mind."

Susie squinted at them for a long moment, then shook her head. "Whatever, dude."

They fiddled with their sleeves, a little uneasy. "Did you need something?"

The dragon's jaw set, and she kept her gaze stubbornly pointed away. "Ugh. God, Ralsei's the one who's good with this kinda stuff. But if I told him about that stupid argument, he'd get all- all sad and stuff, and- ugh! Look. Look. I hate you, okay? I do. But you mean a lot to Noelle. So I'm not gonna kill you or hurt you or whatever."

She should. The words wanted to slip from their mouth, but they tried as best they could to keep it at bay. Find something better to say, or do, just get her to leave somehow so they could take care of the thick liquid they felt rolling down their arm, just barely hidden.

"Then just tell them we made up, we can be civil, for as long as Noelle and I are here. But I don't think we should be expected to become friends after everything that's been done. After everything that I've-" they clenched their hand, tearing their gaze away. Why was guilt so hard to admit to everyone but themself?

"Obviously," Susie snapped, ever-harsh. She sounded even more annoyed, somehow. But after a moment, she just turned away, running a hand through her hair, and swore quietly. She turned back, opened her mouth, shook her head, and looked away yet again. When she spoke, it was only to say, "I'm going now."

Kris lowered their head. They should be grateful for the small mercy. They should just keep quiet and leave it be. It would be in their best interest to do so, after all. Let her go, finish what why'd started, and move on with the day.

"You're right," shut up. Shut up. Stop talking. "About me, about the humans. They- we're no good. I think… it must be intrinsic to us, to hurt people. Even when we don't want to, or know that we shouldn't."

They could feel the blood pooling in their clenched fist, just moments away from dropping to the floor. Part of them begged for her to move on, to ignore what they said and not care at all. But there was something else there, some weak, yet desperate thing clawing at their chest that was so, so afraid. They didn't want to be alone, to the point where even her company sounded far better than whatever noise their mind might create to fill the silence.

She turned. A drop of red fell to the floor, all too loud in the still quiet of the room. They pulled their arm behind their back, pretended it didn't happen, and prayed she didn't notice.

And yet, her eyes focused on it, pupils narrowing into slits. She remained quiet for a moment, then pointed out, "you're bleeding."

No acknowledgement of what they'd said. They couldn't even tell what kind of emotion she was saying it with. She was entirely still. It reminded Kris of a predator lying in wait.

They used their free hand to grip their arm over the cut, willing it to stop. As it was, they could never follow commands given by themself. "It's nothing, I just… irritated my previous injuries while removing the old bandages."

"The hell'd you do that for?" She looked faintly annoyed again. "Just- get over here, lemmie have a look at it. Wait, shit-"

Kris's feet moved without input, their heart pounding as they fell under that familiar trance. They tried stopping, they wanted nothing more, yet they didn't stop until they were right in front of her. Their arms shook as they brought them forward. It was stupid to want to cry and yet, they did. This was a secret known only to themself. Neither their mother nor even Noelle knew of it, and they wanted nothing more than to keep it that way.

Having Susie learn… Susie, who already hated them, who already thought of them as dangerous, and cruel and any other awful thing they knew that they were… If she didn't want to kill them before, she certainly would now. She'd have every reason to, after all.

They pulled back their sleeve now stained with blood, hands quivering as they tried to push pack against the command. The cut itself wasn't so bad. Hardly even the worst they'd ever made and over all innocuous, but it was clearly made by something sharp, not ripping off sticky bandages, and the scars that had become more obvious now that the burns had more or less faded made for all too damning of evidence.

"I'm sorry," their voice came out shaky and weak, and they didn't really know why they were apologizing, but it felt necessary, for some reason.

Susie's face twisted into something like disgust, and stayed there for only a second before she promptly turned away, hands shaking, and punched the wall.

"Damn it!" she shouted, breaths coming heavy. "Damn it, why do I always-?!" she cut herself off by shaking her head, free hand curling into her mane of dark purple hair. She swore yet again, much quieter this time.

Kris slowly lowered their arms. The command had only been to show her, hadn't it? But her anger was still evident, clearly so, and they couldn't just pretend that nothing had happened or ignore it or anything because now she knew. And if she knew, then she could— They fell cold, a special kind of fear making its place within them.

"Please." Begging wouldn't help. She had no reason to listen, but they still couldn't stop themself from spouting desperate words. "Don't- don't tell her. She can't know."

Susie took one more ragged breath, pulling her hand back. When she turned back, her face was pulled tight into a neutral expression, but her tail was lashing behind her. She stepped towards them, taking their wrist in the same harsh grip she had before, and tugged the sleeve down.

The motion hurt, blood smearing over their forearm, but they didn't dare speak as her other hand, scales torn from the force at which she'd hurled it against the wall, hovered over the injuries. It glowed green, the same way it had when she'd healed them the first time. The scales on her knuckles sewed themselves together, and so too did the wounds on Kris's arms.

"Other one," she snapped out. "I need to see if you did anything else."

"I didn't," they replied, even as they raised their right arm and pulled back their sleeve. It was nothing more than the few times the bandage had caught on their still healing burns. She let out a small grumble, and, despite the lack of anything substantial, still passed over the area with magic as well. "Why-?"

"Shut-" Her hand tightened on their arm, and then released. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. This is stupid. Don't do that shit again. That's an order."

Susie turned, opening the door back up from where it had closed.

They wanted to scream, for so many reasons, half of which they couldn't fully comprehend. But their voice failed them, fading off weakly after a choked sound. They wanted to ask what gave her the right to give such a command? They knew it was still awful, they knew that they shouldn't and yet, "why? Isn't it better if it's me, and not anyone else?"

Where else would that intrinsic violence go, if not turned inward?

"It's better if it's no one," she replied curtly. And in one motion, she slammed the door between them, leaving Kris in the dark again.

They let themself drop to the floor, only just slow enough as to not injure themself further. They weren't even sure if that was a subconscious effort, or if the unclear confines of their latest order could stretch even that far. They knew it would be near impossible to get the stains out of their sweater if they sat around for much longer, and there would be no way they could ever return it to its rightful owner in such a condition, but as the dust curled around them like smoke while they stared at the ceiling, their mind had quieted, for once.

Though, there was one thought, still echoing within, and they could almost laugh at how stupid it was. Yet they couldn't find the will to brush it off. I should really clean this place up.

Noelle was getting awfully tired of how tall this tower was. It made for a good outlet of pacing, going down all these stairs, but she dreaded having to come up if Susie didn't carry her back.

Susie. Susie, her true love.

Oh, goodness.

She hadn't expected the curse to go away. Honestly, she'd just wanted to check to be extra thorough, to make sure that the newfound warmth inside her was just the butterflies of something close to a first kiss. The first kiss that she'd actually liked, at least. In fact, she'd been almost certain it wouldn't break the curse. The prophecy High Priestess Toriel had told her about a true love's kiss making a union had mentioned it had to be an heir. That wasn't Kris, and that wasn't Susie. Or, she'd thought.

But when she'd glanced at her back in the mirror while changing, she'd found the mark she'd bore since she was but a child free of the chains she'd grown used to. Instead, two unmarred wings were painted on her fur, following the curve of her back down to where her torso split into legs.

Which meant Susie was her true love. Which was insane to think about, not only because of the implications of that but because she'd only said yes on a whim. Love took time and love took work— or that's what her mother and father always said. A silly little crush didn't count. It couldn't. She'd enjoyed the kiss, but then, what was love if it came so easily? How was she supposed to love Berdly, if she'd never felt like that looking at him? Was she even supposed to be with him now? Had fate changed, or had it just come in a different way then she'd been told? Why would she even be told, if it wasn't the right prophecy?

And worse, how was she supposed to tell Susie? How was she supposed to tell Kris? A day after they'd agreed that it wasn't a good idea to be together, and she'd found her true love. Her only true love. Wasn't this supposed to be good? Why did she feel like crying? Why was she so terrified to tell her true love about this?

Oh, and her mother. Her mother would be furious. Even if her father approved, Queen Carol was ultimately the one in charge, and what she said went. The only one who'd dared to go against her was Dess, and their mother had refused to even speak to her for months. It was nothing short of a miracle Uncle Asgore and her father had managed to talk her into letting Dess lead the army. And the worst thing Dess had done was say she didn't want to be the heir. If Noelle even mentioned wanting to marry a monster like Susie, her mother may finally reach a breaking point.

How was she supposed to choose between having a mother and having a partner?

That was, if Susie was even interested. What if she wasn't? What if she was being nice, and her eyes were actually on Kris? The position they'd been in had been rather damning, and she was sure that they either had been 'messing around' or fighting. Honestly, she wasn't sure which one she dreaded more. At least if Kris fell in love with Susie, they could probably be with her. Noelle was hopeless either way.

I'm going to have to leave soon, and then how am I going to explain it? How am I supposed to return to my life before, when everything has changed?

The stairs flattened out, and she exited the doorframe to see the same field where she and Susie had kissed less than an hour ago. And, where she'd been expecting to see the dragon monster, the space was empty. But she'd seen Susie leave after Kris, so where could they be? How many rooms did this tower have, and would she even be able to search them all in time?

"Princess," Ralsei offered weakly.

"Noelle is fine," she murmured back, mostly out of habit.

"Well, Noelle. Um, you seem stressed. Why don't we sit for a moment?"

She complied with the gentle request. The fabric of the dress was new, but not uncomfortable. It had definitely been crafted with care, and she appreciated that fact.

"I've known Susie for a very long time," he continued. "We were each other's first friends. She came to this tower five or so years ago, and she brightened this space up so much. Before I met her, I- I guess I didn't really have a purpose in life. I read, I upkept the tower, I practiced magic, but all that was… a chore, I guess. Something to keep me busy. Since she's been here, I've had someone to share my meals and my thoughts with. Um, all that is to say, I know her. Even if she's a little hard to understand sometimes, she's kind and reliable. I can't think of someone better to have by your side. That being said, I wouldn't discount Kris, either. You have two wonderful people by your side. I'd say… you should trust them to be able to tell them, right?"

Her heart was pounding, a quiet thrum in her chest. Sure, Kris would understand, and everything they'd ever told her implied nothing more than them being happy for her. But it almost felt wrong for her to move on so quickly. Not that she truly had, of course, Kris still held a very special place in her heart, and she doubted that would ever really change.

And Susie? Gosh, Susie was so kind, despite everything. She tried so hard to make herself out to be rough and tumble, yet at even the slightest sign of something being wrong, she'd stop and show her more gentle side. It was a little confusing at first, but oh-so-endearing.

But Noelle felt a fear she couldn't displace. An anxious worry that clung to her when she thought of bringing up the topic. What if she was rejected again? Sure, Susie seemed happy in the moment, but if that had changed? She thought Kris returned her feelings and well… look where that assumption got her. "I know, but… she's so nice, what if- what if it was only a fluke, or- or a single moment kind of thing, and she doesn't actually like me? And Kris- oh gosh, Kris- will they be sad if I just move on? I know they only want the best for me, but for the longest time I had always thought that they where what was best for me and now… now I don't even know."

"It's okay not to know. And it's okay to love more than one person, you know. Even if nothing comes of either. As for Susie…" He shook his head. "She would never do anything she didn't want to do. Trust me, I've tried. If she kissed you, she likes you. She very rarely hides her true feelings, and if she does, it's often behind anger instead of fawning. I… don't know Kris as well, honestly, but I think they'd want to see you happy, whatever that means for you."

Choosing both of them? Was that… really an option? No- well, maybe, for some. But not for her. Her choices were limited. True love or not, if who she fell for wasn't royalty- wasn't an heir, than she'd never be allowed to keep that love. Prophecy or not, the rules set out for her as a princess left her with little wiggle room. "What if I can't be with her forever, though? I- I have to go home at some point and… is it selfish of me to still want this anyways?"

"Why would it be selfish? You can't help what you want. What matters is how you act on it, and even then, it's only fair to tell her, isn't it?" Ralsei gave her a kind smile.

"I suppose you're right, I just-" she sighed, turning her gaze to the floor. "I know I'll have to leave eventually, and I don't want to lead her on. That wouldn't be fair."

He seemed to consider that a moment, opening his mouth. Before he could reply, however, a loud creak came from a few flights up. Noelle swore she'd heard a while after Susie stormed off as well, but now that she was listening, she could pinpoint the location. Hurriedly, she picked up the skirts of her new, clean dress, sent a glance back to Ralsei, and started ascending the stairs.

As she'd expected, it was quite a tiring journey up. By the second flight, her breaths were coming heavy, and she had to brace herself against the stone bricks that made up the outer wall. Ralsei, next to her, slowed as well, but he didn't seem nearly as tired. Of course, he'd probably made this trek countless times. His legs must have been strong.

Thankfully, she didn't have to make it all the way up— Susie had come to them. She froze in place, glancing between Ralsei and Noelle. Her voice was low when she spoke, clearly not in a good mood. "I thought you two were up there."

"Susie, you-" she stared, worry growing with the passing seconds. "Is everything alright?"

"Peachy. I gotta go check on that war," Susie growled.

"Wait." Noelle grabbed her wrist as she tried to push past. "Susie, I- I want to talk to you about something."

Yellow eyes shifted to look at her. The tension in her shoulders seemed to buzz into the air, making every breath a little harder to take. In a way, it reminded Noelle of her mother when she seemed to have a stormcloud over her head. "It can wait. How 'bout you check in on that knight of yours?"

"But it's important!" She insisted. The effort to do so felt extreme, mentally at war with her instinct to fawn. "My- my curse, it's-!"

Ralsei put a hand on her shoulder. His expression looked tight. Under his breath, he murmured, "maybe now isn't the time."

"The time for what?" Now her eyes were on Ralsei, intense enough to burn.

"Perhaps you should take some time to cool off. We can talk later," he offered weakly.

"I'm not a fucking child, you don't have to baby me," she snapped. "Whatever you have to say, just say it. Can't be goddamn worse than- god. Whatever."

Noelle wanted to ask what happened, desperately so, but she had only just barely worked up the nerve to come this far. It was now or never. She couldn't wait for another chance, one might never come. "My curse was broken. I think that youbroke it, Susie."

Her face twisted, wrist tensing in Noelle's hand. It was with an incredulous laugh that she shook her head and said, "no, I didn't."

"But you did, Susie. There's no one else it could have been." Noelle told her softly. "I never believed in fate, I never wanted to, but this? I want this, I want it to be you."

Susie pulled her hand away like she'd been burned. She looked scared. "No. No, you don't. Even if you think you do, you don't. You can't."

Noelle took in a deep breath, willing herself to be as firm as she was gentle. "Yes, I do. I'm tired of people making decisions for me. This prophecy, my mother, even Kris rejected me not because they didn't want to, but because they thought it was the best choice for me. I'm not going to let you do that too. I'm choosing this, and I'm choosing you. If you really don't want me, then just say it already, but if you do, don't turn me away just because you don't think I can handle whatever might come from this."

"Damn it," Susie cursed, digging the meat of her palms into her eyes. At this angle, the shackles on her wrists gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the narrow window. "Fuck- I-"

"Susie, I think-" Ralsei started nervously, and that seemed to be the trigger. When she looked up, her face was contorted in fury.

"Shut up!" she snarled, then cursed again. A tear ran down her cheek, shining in the sunlight next to her shackles. "Can't you fucking see? I'm not like Kris! I'm not a hero! All I ever do is hurt people! That's all I'm good for!"

Noelle clenched her fists, tears welling up in her own eyes. She should've expected this. Another rejection was inevitable. Maybe that was what the prophecy meant, maybe she was just supposed to find a 'true love' before being married off. But it still hurt. She still didn't want to accept it. "I don't care! I don't need another hero! I just… need someone who can love me, too."

"I do," Susie choked out. She'd calmed at least slightly, more bitter than angry. "And it sucks, because I know I'm going to screw it up. I already have."

"So what? I would rather it be screwed up than nothing at all." Noelle insisted, though her voice shook. She wondered just how long she could really hold herself together for.

Another dry laugh, and Susie held up her hands, resigned. "Fine. Fine, then. Talk to Kris. Ask them to repeat what I said to them. And if you don't hate me by the end of it… then I guess nothing I do can scare you away from making a stupid choice."

"I think you give yourself too much credit for how bad you think you are." Noelle muttered.

She didn't react to that, instead looking at Ralsei. "I'll be back eventually. I'm gonna check on the humans. And, for the record, I didn't mean it."

"What you said to Kris or to me?" Ralsei asked quietly.

Susie didn't reply. Instead, she turned away and started down the stairs wordlessly. Noelle watched her go until the curve of the staircase obscured her form. When she looked back at Ralsei, he had a sad smile on his face.

"Both, then," he murmured, as if to himself.

"Are you sure we don't want a white flag, General?" MK squeaked as December strode purposefully forward. "They must have gotten a tip we were here, they're ready for us. Like, really ready. Like, dude, they all have those- those gun things."

She didn't spare a glance. As much as her scout had a point, she knew waving a white flag to indicate peace might be misleading. A war could very well break out if Oberfläche had Noelle. If she waved a white flag and then decided to attack, they could very well lose allies. Allies she would need if this war commenced. Allies who she desperately hoped had gotten the messenger ravens she'd sent. So instead, she carried a pure-black sword and a shield emblazoned with the symbol of Bergentrükung.

"How many are there?"

"I- I don't know, a hundred?"

"We outnumber them, then."

"Not as we are now!" MK yelped, running to keep stride with her. "There are like, twenty of us now, and the reinforcements still have to come-"

"I'm aware. Trust me, I have it covered. Now, go back to main camp. You've done well. I'll take it from here." Her tone was final, and the scout clearly understood. They slunk off, leaving only December and the platoon under her.

Like clockwork, the enemy garrison, already poised around the border, congealed to form a single line of defense. Even from this far away, the garish colors of their flag embellished on their shields spelled danger. Each individual was a threat. As a military nation, Oberfläche tended to have the upper hand in the strength of each soldier. Combined with dangerous weapons, that was a deadly mix. It was why she'd brought only her strongest as an initial party. The most passionate, the monsters who had served Bergentrükung in the revolution and taken over the tyrant king and queen who had ruled before. They had saved the kingdom once, and were ready to again.

But is passion enough? December wondered, growing steadily closer. Are our numbers? Even if there are only a hundred now, they definitely have reinforcements. There's no way the initial amount of soldiers they put out is all they have. How many hundreds of humans do they have? Should I have gone back and prepared more monsters? Waited for a response from the ravens we sent?

The doubts that were plaguing her mind weighed heavy, but she held her head high, hoping she looked the paragon of confidence she felt so far from. With one hand, she signaled her platoon to stop and took a few steps forward, watching the enemy line. The humans glanced between each other, but did not attack.

"We come to talk. Bring out your general," she called.

None of them gave a signal, and yet, a moment later, the headache and a half himself came out, dressed in polished armor that hurt her eyes. For him, the soldiers parted, so he could pass. Her eyes flicked to the sheath at his side, shaped completely wrong for a sword.

Stay calm, December.

"You and your monsters are invading my land," he said coldly. "Turn back and leave, or we will use lethal force."

She took no heed to his words. They were for show. He'd attack if he wanted to attack. Instead, she kept her composure and drew her shield. "Our princess has gone missing. Tracking spells point through your country. We seek passage and the right to search through your land wherever the spell might point. If you are innocent of the claim, grant us this right and we have no need for bloodshed."

It was a farce. Her warlocks had determined Noelle was beyond the capitol, and perhaps even beyond official borders. But from what the humans had said, if she didn't approach head-on, he'd use the excuse of monsters in his land at all to wage war. She had to do this the right way. Make him be the enemy, despite how desperately he seemed to want the opposite. If he backed out under that pressure, she could continue on her way. If he didn't— which he certainly wouldn't— then she could engage what she'd prepared. Once the war was on her side, she could leave her forces in Undyne's hands and go herself to get Noelle.

Hildebrand's eyes narrowed. She had but a second to raise her shield before the deafening sound of the weapon made to kill her people went off. The metal fired from it hit her shield with a clang that her ringing ears could hardly handle.

But when she opened her eyes, she was still alive. Her shield was dented, but the enchantment on it had held. Her soldiers would be protected, at least from attacks to the vitals. The countless enchantments her warlocks had placed over the armor of the monsters who needed it were not in vain, no matter how many potions they'd gone through.

That was it, then. That was his decision.

Slowly, she lowered her shield, raising her face to look him in the eye as she positioned the black sword she held in her off hand so its tip faced the ground. In one smooth motion, she plunged it deep into the earth, will coursing through it.

It was a symbol Hildebrand and all his soldiers would recognize. The Bergentrükung ritual of war, declared without a single word.

"Have you gone mad?" The opposing general laughed. "You may have your spells, but you're vastly outnumbered. Place down your shield for surrender and at least some of your platoon may be able to escape."

December tried to keep a straight face. She really did. And yet, she couldn't help a little smile. Because she knew without knowing that her troops were already on the move. A weapon as flashy as a gun had one downside: it was the perfectsignal to send to an enemy that things had gotten violent. And now that her army had that information? Oberfläche's preparation was all but naught.

All she had to do was wait.

Chapter Text

"Kris, you really don't have to do this," Ralsei fretted, following his human friend into the third room they'd insisted on cleaning. Despite Ralsei's protests about how most of the mess was contained and he could clean it if they wanted to use the space, they'd been hell-bent on tidying up. They'd organized his preserved food storage and helped sweep the near-barren room he used as his sleeping quarters, and now they were onto the miscellaneous storage room that he hadn't even touched since Susie came here. All the stuff that had been in the tower already that he had no use for went here, and it had dust and shed fluff covering almost every surface. There were some tracks in it, both human and monster, meaning Kris had gone into the one room he hadn't cleaned since Susie had gotten here.

In a word, it was a little embarrassing, to have a guest see somewhere as messy as this, let alone . And yet, Kris didn't stop, wielding the broom like a weapon.

"I understand that, but I want to." Kris replied, before grabbing a sheet off of an old chair and shaking it out, sending dust flying. Which, unsurprisingly, had the both of them coughing for several second afterwards.

He blinked the dust out of his eyes, shaking his head. That probably didn't help the spare fur in the room, with how much he shed on a daily basis. "I… really don't think you do. I'm not sure anyone would have fun cleaning this place out. I think you're just trying to busy yourself to avoid talking about your feelings."

They huffed, carding a hand through their hair and pushing stray strands away from their face with the motion. "No offense, but I don't see how that's of any concern to you."

He stepped a little closer, hesitant. With Susie, an honest approach tended to be best. Gentle, but honest. He hoped Kris was the same. After spending the whole night sewing, with occasional conversation— about their family, their background, their curse— the distance between him and them didn't seem as grand. Noelle was sweet, but she was a little intimidating. Not like Kris wasn't, though.

"Well… I like to think we're at least somewhat friends now. And I'd like to help you out, if I can. I could be a listening ear, if you want to talk about… you know."

Noelle. Her curse. It felt a bit mean, pushing Kris to talk so soon after they'd heard that Susie and Noelle were an item, but it had been a day and they seemed no closer to facing that fact. And no closer to telling Noelle or Ralsei what Susie had said to them, either. Whatever it was, it had to have been bad. They downright refused to speak of it.

They looked at him warily, but paused all the same. "I'm not exactly one for talking, especially not of matters of this sort."

Goodness, they reminded him of Susie. "You don't have to," he told them, "but I'm here, if you ever want to say anything. It will stay between us. And… if you want, I can help you clean up? It's the least I can do, as your host."

"That's really not necessary. I've handled it fairly well so far. Besides," they shot a quick glance at him, "I couldn't allow a friend to live in such a state of disarray."

He couldn't help the smile that spread on his face at the word. "Well, perhaps I'd just like to spend time with a friend. It's been quite a busy few days. This is the most action I've had in my entire life. It might be nice to have some down time."

"Tell me about it," they grumbled, folding the sheet and passing it to him.

Ralsei placed it down by the entrance, eyes watering from the dust. He'd have to launder this, along with Noelle's old dress. He also had a few more robes that needed cleaning, and Susie could definitely use a wash for that leather vest she always wore. Another thing to add to his list of chores, right after checking if the vegetables he was growing were ready and helping Noelle, Kris, and Susie work through their feelings. Even without the rest of his to-do list, that alone would take a while.

He was quite fond of all three, really, but even with his poor socialization, he recognized that what they had going on was especially messy. He had to admit that Susie played a major part in that, through no fault of her own. What the humans had done to her was despicable, and she'd been raised only to react with anger. She'd grown tremendously since they'd met, really, but in times of stress, even that progress wasn't quite enough.

He remembered a moment, a few years back. The outburst wasn't particularly memorable— some argument they'd gotten in over something silly. She'd yelled at him, said things he didn't care to remember, and left in a huff. Which, in itself, wasn't necessarily out of the ordinary for their arguments. But when she'd come back, she'd done so in tears. That was what had stuck out in his mind. She'd been emotional before, of course, but not like that. Ralsei still recalled the way she'd held him tight, pressing her snout into his neck and murmuring apologies.

"I'm sorry," she'd hiccuped into the silence of the tower, "I'm so sorry. I keep doing this, I don't know why, I'm sorry. Something inside of me is broken, I'm so sorry. Please, please don't leave me. I'm sorry."

How could he hold onto anger, after that? Even if she was angry, even if she lashed out, he couldn't help but forgive. And maybe that wasn't right, maybe it wasn't healthy, but they were all each other had.

He remembered, that day, whispering back to her, "never. I won't ever leave your side."

And it was true. Despite everything, he knew with certainty he could always rely on her. Because under all the bravado and harsh words, there was a gentle soul who'd taught him so, so much about being a person. Before he'd met her, he wasn't real. He followed the motions he'd been taught by a face he couldn't remember. He cooked, he ate, he practiced magic, he tended the garden, and he went to sleep. Sometimes, he'd look out into the distance and wonder if his life meant anything. That, if he disappeared in the blink of an eye, nothing about the world would change. Then he'd think about his garden, think about the responsibilities he held to the tower that had kept him alive, and continue working.

Susie had changed his life for the better. She'd brought ups and downs and a reason to continue going on more than a sense of flat obligation to keep himself alive. She'd saved him as much as he'd saved her, and that was more than reason enough to remain loyal, despite any breaks in her progress.

He never thought a human would come here. He didn't think she'd have to come face-to-face with the embodiment of her still-raw scars. He should have kept an eye on her. He should have done something to prevent whatever had happened. He knew how she felt about humans. And yet, he'd let her be alone with them, out of some stupid idea about a prophecy he had the faintest glimmer of an idea on how to solve.

What did she say? How could he justify it, to make sure Kris held no resentment?

He looked back up at them. The silence was thick, and they didn't seem uncomfortable, starting to sweep at the floor to clear a path to things deeper inside the room, but he felt restless. If they were the key to making sure Susie and Noelle stayed together, and perhaps even beyond that, shouldn't he be doing more?

"Um, Kris… A- about Susie…"

They tensed. He sucked in a breath, immediately regretting the dust that gathered in his nose. They glanced back at him, "what about her?"

"I know she can be… a lot. And I'm sorry. Whatever she said to you… I know she didn't mean it. And, um, that doesn't mean you can't be hurt, obviously! Of course you can. You don't have to forgive her, I just- I- I don't know-"

"She can say whatever she wants," Kris replied sharply. "It's not as though I disagree with most of it. But don't try to explain it away to me. If you truly believe that it's something that should be forgiven, then she should be the one to give me her reasoning and apology. Otherwise, it hardly means anything at all."

"…I suppose," he allowed uneasily. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. Sometimes, I just feel like I ought to try and help you three more. Like I'm not doing… enough."

Kris looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "It isn't your responsibility to get us to see eye to eye, Ralsei. I understand you want us all to get along, but I don't know how I could possibly change her opinion of me, or if I even should."

"But if I can aid you in figuring this all out, shouldn't I? Isn't that my duty as a friend?"

"None of us are children," they told him, not unkindly. "You don't have to do everything. Just… take a step back. If we can 'figure this out', then it will happen or it won't."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then some things aren't meant to happen."

He supposed that was true. Susie was capable— she'd apologized to him plenty of times. Maybe it would be different with a human, but he wouldn't know unless he saw it. So… that was that. He just had to watch from the sidelines. Be their support if they needed it. That was his role. It didn't feel great, but they were right. He needed to take a step back.

Ralsei gave them a smile, if only to show that he'd gotten the message. "You're very wise."

"Hardly," they muttered. "I just… learned a lot from my mother, that's all. She always has some kind of advice to give and I tried to take it to heart whenever possible. Whenever I'm away from her, and get stuck in a situation I can't wrap my head around, I always try to think of what she might tell me."

"She sounds like a wonderful person. I'd love to meet her."

Kris finished sweeping most of the dust around all the items in the room— it was inexpert, but it cleared a path that wouldn't trail dust everywhere. They started on the sheets next, pulling them off much more carefully than the one on the first chair. Underneath one was an old mirror frame with nothing inside. As with last time, Ralsei took the sheet passed to him.

"Maybe you could," Kris offered quietly. "Eventually."

The thought was nice, but awfully unrealistic. "The trek from your kingdom to here is long and dangerous. I wouldn't want to put her through that."

"She's no stranger to travel, trust me. If she's determined enough, she'll probably make the walk in less time than I did." They told him with a very faint laugh. "But if it really concerns you, I don't see why you couldn't come to us instead. It's not as though you'd be unwelcome, especially if Noelle and Susie are…" They trailed off, the silence after feeling just a little more somber.

It was a lovely idea. It really, really was. Part of Ralsei wanted nothing more than to leave this tower where he'd spent what had to be nearly two decades by now. But… "I couldn't. I have to take care of this place. I owe it that much."

They sighed softly, disappearing out of his field of view, though he could still hear them sweeping away and removing more sheets. "Well, it doesn't have to be forever. Quite honestly, if we somehow can magically make peace with Oberfläche, than I think that having some kind of outpost within their boarders might be beneficial. Like an… embassy, of sorts."

"Maybe," he said, though the thought made him uneasy. He'd spent this long here doing the same things, how was he supposed to change so easily.

He plodded a little further into the room, picking up each of the unused sheets of fabric. He had hardly even considered pulling them down until now. He'd looked underneath all of them, of course, but he'd been careful to place it back just as he'd found it, unless the item came in use. The reason all of this stuff was here, though, was because it served none. Glancing through the major items that had been uncovered, they were all either broken or he'd thought it better not to disturb it.

He glanced to a vaguely skull-shaped copper shell tipped on its side. It had pipes protruding from it, and it crackled with magic. A prime example of what he'd thought better of touching, even if it did connect him to the past owners of the tower.

Kris pulled off another, and the sharp intake of breath had his attention immediately on him. Had they found something dangerous?

But… no. It was just a piano. Worse for the wear, with yellowed keys and worn wood, but nothing magical. He remembered toying around with it as a child, feeling a little like he was in trouble for touching it, but he'd lost interest after he'd found no books on how to play, nor a way for his clumsy paws to stretch to hit multiple keys. It was a human instrument, after all.

They looked away from it, pace quickening to reach the next item. They seemed disinterested— too disinterested. He thought back to when he and Kris had spent the night sewing, chattering idly on and off.

"I used to play piano, before I was a knight," they'd confessed quietly.

"Were you good at it?"

They hadn't answered that question. Perhaps they were embarrassed at their skill level. But Ralsei had to admit, he was curious. He'd never heard the instrument used correctly. He'd hardly heard any music at all. That was one of the many things books couldn't do.

He went a little closer, running his paws lightly over the keys. "I forgot this was here. Most of this stuff is useless, but I bet it still works, if you remember how to play it?"

"I can't right now, I still need to finish this." They replied, pointedly turning away from it and moving on to sweeping the floor. Not even taking the time to remove any residual dust like they had done with all the other covered objects.

"You don't need to do anything. This is all optional, remember? If you don't want to, that's fine. But, um, like you said, it's okay to take a step back, right?"

Kris turned to look at him, something akin to a glare on their face, though they didn't seem particularly mad. "You'd really use my own advice against me, huh?"

"I'm using your mother's advice against you," Ralsei corrected helpfully.

They huffed, rolling their eyes, but still set the broom aside, leaning it against one of the few remaining covered objects. "The details don't really matter, though. It's all the same in the end, isn't it?"

"Is that a yes?" he asked, a little excited.

Kris glanced at the piano, looking hesitant. But they still slowly approached, running their fingers lightly across the worn wood of its body. "I haven't played in a long time, not since before I began my training as knight, and I have no doubt that some of these keys have fallen out of tune, so it likely won't sound the best."

"It'll sound better than when I tried to play," he laughed. "Trust me. No matter what skill level you're at, I'd love to hear what it's supposed to sound like."

In one fluid motion, they sat at the bench like seat before the instrument. Taking up a pose that, after all of Ralsei's own struggles with trying to play, just looked right. Their fingers hovered over the keys, as though they were still hesitant, though the moment passed quickly. The sound that echoed through the room was gentile, and yet despite seeming to slip a few times, Kris quickly recovered, growing more confidant with each note, and the sound seeming to gain power as the song went on.

It was an unfamiliar melody, yet for some reason it still made Ralsei's heart well up with unfamiliar emotions. It wasn't quite sadness, or even joy. More like a melancholic sort of déjà vu. For whatever reason, he was reminded of something like a home, small images flashing in his minds eye that he couldn't quite make out, nothing more than blurry memories that he couldn't make clear even if he tried.

There was no reason for him to feel such a way. He knew how silly it was for tears to be brimming in his eyes, yet he couldn't make them stop. He decided for the moment, it would be best to just chalk it up to the song sounding pretty. After all, despite Kris not seeming very confident in their ability, they played very, very well. He could tell that there were years of skill behind each and every note. He was certain that he could listen to it for hours, if given the chance. But the minutes passed quickly, and though he might've wished for the song to go on forever, if for no other reason than to keep chasing those fleeting memories, he could recognize when it was coming to it's close.

As the final notes rang out in the air, he could feel his cheeks start to grow damp as the tears fell freely. He tried hastily to remove them, but he couldn't be certain he'd managed to be rid of any trace by the time Kris turned around to face him. There was a slight redness to their already ruby eyes as well, though. But they seemed… happy.

"It's been such a long time since I've played," they laughed softly. "I'm glad I got the chance to, again."

Ralsei smiled despite himself. "It was beautiful, I would love to hear more, one day. But ah- what was the song called, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I… can't remember, it was one of the first songs I learned, and it's been so long since then that I've forgotten. I'm sorry." They apologized, but before he could even begin to feel any sort of dejection, they quickly added, "but, I know where it came from. It was a gift from my brother, he got the sheet music for it while on a trip to Schattenwelt. I'll admit, I wasn't too keen on it at first, but it was one of the only songs I had to play at the time that didn't come from an old book. After a while, it became a bit more sentimental to me, so I did my best to memorize it."

Schattenwelt. The kingdom next to Bergentrükung and Oberfläche, and one with a history he'd read about many times. Their borders had once encompassed this place, many years ago. Perhaps that's where his lineage was from. Or perhaps, the fact he knew that song like a memory was merely a coincidence. Either way left him feeling odd.

So instead, he deflected. Focused on others, as he usually did. "It's lovely," he murmured. "The song and the instrument. You're so talented— why did you ever stop playing?"

They were silent for a moment, a sad look on their face. "I didn't want to. My whole life I wanted nothing more than to… just keep playing. It was everything to me. But then I was cursed, and told I had to become a knight. I had to devote every hour to that, instead of the things that really mattered to me. I can't give it the attention it deserves anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't still love it, even if I probably wouldn't ever be allowed to express that in a way that matters to me ever again."

The way the sentences were constructed, he understood that perhaps, this wasn't just about the piano. Maybe he was reading too far into it, but in case he wasn't, he had to be careful about the advice he gave.

"Well…" he started, wringing his hands as he tried to decide the way he'd say this. "Just because you can't… spend as much time with it as you used to, or play the way you'd like, doesn't mean you should abandon it entirely. I'm sure you taking some time our out of your day to play it once in a while would be beneficial, for both of you." Oh, goodness, he'd taken the metaphor too far, hadn't he? He probably looked insane. "I- I mean, I'm just saying, you don't have to reach new frontiers. Just… playing like you used to could be good, you know? Instead of pretending you don't care to show other people you're serious about your profession. You can love playing piano and be a knight at the same time. It doesn't have to be one way or the other."

Kris hummed softly. "I'll… think about that. Thank you though, Ralsei. Really. I doubt I ever would have been able to recover this old passion if I hadn't ended up here."

"I'm happy to help a friend," he replied with a smile.

December looked among the remains of her troops, scattered among their camp after the long battle. They'd certainly dealt more damage than received, but that wasn't to say that the first siege was a total success, or that future ones would be.

The drawback to focusing more on strategy than brute force was that, often, tricks didn't work more than once. She'd gotten the upper hand by hiding her troops and strategies until they were first used. The look on the enemy soldiers' faces when she demonstrated that she'd been taught to use one of those new weapons was priceless, but the surprise only lasted so long. Now that Hildebrand knew her and her soldiers could point their weapons back on them, he had time to plan a counter to that.

More than that, they had the home advantage. They had all the ammunition, along with structures to hide in and reload. Her own men could only use what was loaded and any ammunition they came across, and even then, they didn't have the lay of the land to know where to catch their breath.

The battle had turned. She knew it would, if it went on that long. There was only so much stealth could achieve. Still, this was bad. She had neither the supplies nor the men for a long battle. Her best bet was waiting, seeing if she couldn't get Schattenwelt's army on her side. But how long would that be? An army with so many soldiers would take days, even weeks to mobilize. She didn't have that much time. The supply train was already running a bit thin, and even with the meat from the horses who'd fallen in battle, she may have to resort to pillaging to keep her remaining soldiers in top shape that long.

She knew it was a hasty decision. A war declared too quickly, with only empty ego and a few backhanded tricks to try to prevail. And though Carol had agreed that she could wage a war if she deemed it necessary, was it? Was it really?

Hildebrand wanted them to invade. Wanted them to strike first and be the enemy. He would have declared war on his terms if he'd seen her soldiers this close to the capitol. And tensions had been rising, word of a stealth strike. Bergentrükung couldn't handle that. So she knew, she knew she was doing the best with what she had, but that didn't make it feel any less pointless. Noelle was out there somewhere, and she'd started a war off the chance that one would happen anyway on Oberfläche's terms.

"Have we finalized a count of the fatalities?" She asked Commander Undyne and the warlock hovering above her.

"Fifty-three dead," her injured second-in-command wheezed out. "More injured. It's not looking great."

And, more importantly, she was injured. Which meant that, even when the tides turned, Undyne wouldn't be well enough to lead the charge. A shot to the gills wasn't easily recovered from, and she was pretty sure taking as many bullets as Undyne had would cause some major bruising.

Damn, now wasn't the time to think about that. She had to focus on making a strategy to keep them all alive. "More? How bad are the injuries?"

It was her warlock, Whimsalot, who answered in a voice like a bell, "it's hard to measure. The injuries vary quite a lot. We've already healed the worst of it, but many are badly wounded. Thirty-six are completely unable to fight. Many more aren't in great shape, but we haven't the mana to heal all of them."

She went cold. "Already? What about the potions?"

"If you forgot," another warlock, Madjick, chimed in, "you had us enchanting three hundred sets of armor. Our entire stock is almost out."

Shit. Shit, this wasn't good. A large chunk of her army was gone, and they were already almost out of supplies. All after a single battle. Worse, all her hope relied on an army she wasn't sure was coming. The rulers of Schattenwelt were intense, to put it lightly. At the best of times, the King was capable, if stern, and the Queen was charmingly eccentric. At worst, they were dysfunctional and more interested in their own personal needs than that of their country. They toed a strange line between tyrannical fools and surprisingly adept monarchs. But that line was thin, and if they happened to have received the raven on the wrong day, the chances of them taking action were low.

That was, if she didn't have help. With the elder prince marrying Noelle, there was a much higher chance they'd cave and aid the nation they were marrying into. At least, she hoped.

"General December!" She heard the shriek of her scout, overlaid with hurried footsteps. MK came to a stop in front of her, stumbling. They looked terrified. "General, they're coming!"

No. No, there was no way. If December's forces were this damaged and the battle had gone their way, Oberfläche's couldn't be too much better off. It had only been a few hours since the first battle concluded, they had many fewer mages, and the sun wasn't even up yet. There was no way Hildebrand would be this stupid, she thought, hurrying out to look at the horizon.

But there they were. Forces she'd fought, shields dented and damaged but still sturdy in the early dawn's barest light. He'd come to wipe them out. A stupid, stupid gambit with wounded soldiers, but one that made sense in his position. December's army was tired, lesser in number, and would ultimately benefit more from down time, considering the number of warlocks they had. Oberfläche was willing to use some soldiers' lives to eliminate the threat once and for all. December didn't have that leisure.

She felt like she did in her first battle. Hopeless, scared, and trying hard to put on a brave face despite wanting to run. It never seemed to get easier, to be in this position. Every time she was faced with danger, she froze. She was only lucky that those periods of time were getting shorter and shorter, when it wasn't just her life on the line.

"All soldiers, into formation," she barked. "Shields in front, archers behind, cavalry flank. Soldiers of the cavalry without horses, join the infantry. Warlocks and monsters who are unable to fight, take cover. Injured soldiers in the back. Find the enemy soldiers who are injured and immobilize them. Our aim is to take out enough of them to force a retreat."

Immediately, her army followed her direction. Tired horses and monsters were roused from sleep, chestplates were put over gambesons, and a sense of tension crackled over her army.

If only she'd had a little more time. A full night of rest, or at least more than they'd gotten, would have done wonders. As they were now, groggy and miserable, she doubted their combat prowess. Not because of any of their skill levels, of course, but because, even now, she herself was exhausted. Exhausted and terrified. All her troops in one place, able to be exterminated. If Hildebrand's gambit worked, she'd be a failure of a general, having led her people to ruin. A cautionary tale of a defeat borne of haste.

"General December?" A small voice caught her by surprise, and she turned to see a young soldier. A boy near Kris's age— she could swear he'd sparred with them once or twice. He was a snowdrake, not much different than any others. He clung onto a wounded wing that she was sure made him count as one of those unable to fight. She could see the fear in his eyes.

"What is it? You should seek shelter."

"Will-" he clung a bit tighter to his wing. "Will we make it out of here? I never apologized to my dad, I- I can't… I don't want to die before I do."

"I'm scared, Asgore," December whispered to her mentor, trembling like a mouse behind the wall she'd used as cover. "I don't want to die."

Asgore held strong, a sort of tired patience in his eyes as he put a large hand on her back. He never seemed scared, no matter how dire of straits they were in. Always sure, always steady. The trident in his hand never shook. "Doesn't everyone?" he asked with a small smile, then sobered once more. "I'll do all I can to get you out of here. You and everyone else. All you have to do is trust me."

"Trust isn't going to stop them from killing us," she'd all but sobbed.

"But we have to have it anyway, do we not? The people of our home trust us to keep us safe and free. Remember, December, why we do this. There is no greater honor than dying for one's home."

How had he done it? How hadn't he been terrified to lead? Or had he been just as scared as she was now, a monster in charge of the lives of hundreds under her command. Had he put on a brave face, like she'd learned to do, when he wanted nothing more than to flee? Was that the responsibility of a general? To keep hope among her soldiers?

Why, why had he put her in charge, when she was nothing like him?

That question didn't matter now. She was, and she had a scared soldier. She had to keep steady, for him. For all of them.

December took a deep breath, steeling her nerves and pushing the anxiety she held far down within her. "You'll make it out alive to apologize, if I have any say in it. I'll keep as many monsters safe as I can. You have my word. Now take shelter. If they siege our camp, you may not have a choice but to fight. Rest until you do."

The snowdrake gave her a shaky nod and hurried off, and December parted her forces to take a spot in the center front. Exposed, but confident. Unwilling to hide behind the members of her army as the threat approached.

But before she could meet head-on with the enemy, a low growl pierced the sky. A shadow darker than that of dawn's light flew over, getting bigger and bigger, until the massive form of a dragon landed on the rocky terrain. Its scales were deep purple, eyes so yellow they seemed to glow. Every inch of it screamed danger, from the axe-like crest on its tail to the glinting iron shackles on its wrist. The same description given to her by the night guards of the castle. This had to be the dragon that took Noelle.

A monster, she knew. It had to be. Whether intelligent or no more than a beast, she wasn't sure. The faint triangular crest on their head screamed of enchantment, but she couldn't tell what it was supposed to be. And then it was locking eyes with her, chest heaving, and she knew that if it turned its fire on her, she wouldn't be able to save her soldiers.

And then, it turned away. Turned away, and to the humans. The soldiers of the opposing army raised their shields, just in time to block the flames it spat. A moment later, in one swift motion of its tail, the neat structure of the front lines was decimated. Human soldiers were sent tumbling back, screams tearing through carefully-crafted formations. A beast, come to save her in the last moment. It was as terrifying as it was relieving.

Claws, teeth, blood. Its attacks were brutal. An army of its own, it roared, drowning out the noise of gunshots aimed directly at it. Every piece of pain it was given, it dealt back. Men crushed under its palm, bruised by its tail, bisected by its teeth and claws, charred by its fire. Blood covered its scales, its own and the humans'.

The attack had to only have lasted a minute before retreat was called. The surviving humans ran for their lives. The dead ones stayed piled in their own crimson gore.

The dragon took a few heaving breaths, then turned towards December again. Hastily, she raised her shield. But it did not attack. It only turned away once more, spread its wings, and took off into the sky with enough force to knock her and several other of her soldiers down.

December only realized that she should be following the moment after it left. But how could she, when she had an army to rely on her? Undyne was injured, and none of the other commanders were trustworthy enough to let lead on their own. So what was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to follow and get her sister back, when the weight of the war was on her back alone?

"General December, what are your orders?" one of her commanders asked, by her side in an instant.

I don't know, she wanted to say. I don't know what to do.

Instead, she ordered, "return to what you were doing, but stay on guard. If no danger comes within thirty minutes, take the time to rest."

The tight formation of soldiers dispersed, leaving her staring at the form of the dragon disappearing into the south. She needed to follow it. She needed to know what it wanted with the humans and her sister. Why would it help, when it had so deliberately taken Noelle? How was she supposed to handle this? Be a leader, when she was just as lost as the rest of her army?

She should be elated that the war was turning her way. But instead of using that and coming up with a strategy, she was itching to follow the direction of the dragon.

Not that she had much time to consider that, with the sound of hooves on rock. It sounded like a small group of horses, bending around the corner. Some human stragglers? They could be a threat, if there were more than just a few. But if it was as many as she heard, she could dispatch them herself. Her hand clasped the sword in her sheath, ready to pull it out at a moment's notice, in case these stragglers were dangerous. Behind her, some of her own men did the same, on guard as she'd asked. This would be plenty.

And yet, as the small caravan came into view, she was greeted with not the faces of humans, but monsters.

No way. There's no way they were that fast.

And yet, there they were. The eldest prince of Schattenwelt, followed by a few of its forces and, most importantly, its general. Berdly was the first to dismount his pure-white mare, head held high with regality. He was outfitted in minimal armor— most definitely for show more than practicality. He flashed a cheesy smile and announced, "your prince in shining armor is here."

"Save it for Noelle," she huffed, sparing him only a pat on the shoulder as she passed. He seemed to deflate, but it didn't matter much to December. He needed to drop that ego anyway if he was going to be on the battlefield, and especially if he was going to marry her sister.

And besides, he wasn't who she wanted to see. That honor went to the monster next to him, mounted on an old, heavily-armored horse. Honestly, she had to stop herself from showing just how elated she was. If Asgore was her mentor as a knight, this old monster was her role model of a general. When she'd been overwhelmed in her new role and Asgore was wracked with guilt, he'd stepped up and taught her how to be a leader.

"General Gerson," she greeted, trying hard to keep her composure. "How- why are you here so soon? Where's your army?"

He laughed, carefully stepping off his own horse to greet her face-to-face. "Don't fret, young lady, they're on their way. Figured it'd be better to value haste over numbers, but we've got plenty, gya-ha! They'll be comin' in waves. Should all be here by mid-afternoon. Fresh supplies, plenty 'o warlocks, the whole nine yards."

"So quickly? We only sent those ravens a few days ago," December pointed out.

"You can thank the young prince for that one," Gerson explained with a toothy grin. "Second he heard his bride was missin', he put out orders to mobilize straight from the top. 'Course, I helped a little, but he was the one with all the logistics."

She glanced to Berdly, who looked back and puffed his chest right back out, as if he'd never been disheartened at all. "It's true. And I came with, so I could get her back from those dastardly brutes once and for all."

Right. She'd told them that the humans likely had her. Information that no longer seemed to be true. "She's past them. To the south, with the dragon that just flew off. If we can get around the capitol, we can find her while it's still injured." And now that she had new troops and someone to lead… "Gerson, can I trust you with my troops? We have injured monsters who need leadership, and I can't leave while they need me. If you can hold up the fort here, I'll take my most trusted platoon and trail the dragon. You can tell Commander Undyne or MK to catch you up on the goings-on."

"I'll take care o' them," he promised. "That cowardly general'll be running by the light of day, if I have any say in it."

She grabbed his wrinkled hands in her own. "Thank you. I'll be back with her soon."

And then, she was running to her black stallion, swinging one leg over the saddle and grasping the reins. "Lieutenant Astigmatism, gather your platoon as quickly as possible. We're following the dragon's trail."

"I'm coming, too," Berdly insisted, mounting his horse.

Part of her wanted to argue, wanted to yell how dangerous it would be, but she didn't have time. Besides, with how much he'd helped, she didn't want to push back too much. Seeing a familiar face might comfort Noelle. "Then we go. With any luck, we meet Kris along the way. Once we have her, we get her home and finish what we started here. Everyone understand?"

Various affirmations called around her, and she turned to where the dragon had gone, watching the sun start to rise above the mountains.

Wait for me, Noelle. I'm coming for you.

Chapter Text

It had been a long time since Kris felt the warmth of their own magic. They'd disallowed themself from anything beyond fleeting moments of touch with Noelle, not long after becoming her knight. She always looked saddened when they'd pull away, and they wanted nothing more than to give her that warmth that she deserved, but they just… couldn't. It was as though some kind of mental block had been placed on them with the curse, they just couldn't get themself to use that ability they once adored- that she once adored, and they didn't want to have to meet with her disappointment of them no longer being able.

Maybe that's why they'd agreed to sit in on Ralsei and Noelle's magic session. Orr maybe, they just wanted a distraction from the thoughts in their own head. Whatever it was, they had, leaving them sitting across from Ralsei, next to Noelle. It reminded them of when they were younger, listening to Toriel's stories and plotting mischief.

Of course, they weren't a child anymore. Instead, they sat, calm and obedient, listening to Ralsei speak.

"Now, if both of you can focus your attention on your soul? Try to take a moment and feel it in your chest. It's the core of your being, and the source of your magic. Understanding it is the key to casting," he instructed, a few books scattered open around him. The pages were brittle and cool, but not frozen.

Subconsciously, they glanced to Noelle by their side, just to make sure she was really there. It felt surreal, not feeling the ice around her in her presence. Even as a little kid, they'd had that tell. Now, it was more or less gone. Because of Susie.

Don't think about that, they told themself, shifting their gaze to the ground. Even without a technical command, they should be following Ralsei's teachings. Maybe they could learn something. So, they turned their focus inwards and located the soul, right underneath the curse mark in the center of their chest. It pulsed red, steady and determined.

"Can you feel it?" Ralsei asked them.

Beside them, Noelle hummed affirmation. They weren't surprised she'd gotten it so quickly. She'd spent nearly half the day yesterday trying to get her magic under control. It was probably starting to become second nature to her.

"Yes," they replied quietly. In all honesty, they'd rather not. What used to be a wonderful feeling now wasn't even all that good. But a deeper part of them yearned to have it back, so even if it was unpleasant in the moment, they would keep pushing on.

"Wonderful. Now, Noelle, you've made incredible progress over the past day. It may be a little too early for you to try actual spells, but I'd like you to try to focus on keeping it in check. Remember, it's difficult at first, but it gets easier once you get the hang of it. Work on practicing so that you can control it even when you don't focus. Eventually, the magic that was leaking out will gather in your soul, and you'll have enough to try a spell, though it might take a while."

Next to them, she nodded. She looked a little discouraged, but they were sure she understood why it had to be this way. "Alright. So, just… practice what we did yesterday? With keeping the magic inside?"

"Exactly." Ralsei confirmed. "I know it's not very exciting, but you have to learn the basics before anything else. So, today, I'd like you to multitask. Try to keep one eye and ear out on your surroundings, and focus on both listening and control. Can you do that?"

"I think so," she replied. They could feel her eyes flicking to them, and, a little nervously, they sent her a smile. That seemed to cheer her up, at least a little.

"And Kris," he continued. "You already know a little bit about magic. What are you looking to learn?"

They stopped for a moment, asking themself the same question. In all honesty, they'd just wanted to try and reconnect with that part of themself. It just felt like the right time, even if they were just a little bit scared. "Well, I suppose it would make sense to start with fire magic, since that's what I specialize in, right?"

Ralsei gave him an odd sort of look. He was still smiling, but it seemed sort of confused. "What do you mean, you specialize in it? You're a human."

"What does that mean?" Kris was a little worried to know the answer. They had been made aware that it was unlikely that they'd ever be all that powerful at magic. It was rare for monsters, and even rarer for humans, from what their mother had told them. But they were still hoping they could be at least good at it.

"Oh- don't worry, it's nothing bad. I suppose if you grew up with monsters, you wouldn't know. It was just a little surprising, is all. I suppose I should start from the beginning." He adjusted his sitting position, glancing between Kris and Noelle, who was taking deep, controlled breaths. She looked focused. "Human and monster magic is very different. Monsters were the first ones to discover it, since it comes inborn within them. They tend to specialize. Certain monsters are better at certain types of magic. Noelle specializes in ice, I specialize in healing, and Susie specializes in fire. Many monsters have the misconception that specialization means they can only do that type of magic, but it's really more of a guide as to what they'd be best at."

They remembered their mother teaching them fire magic. She'd asked, gently, what their soul told them they would be good at. When they'd responded that they didn't think they had one, she'd only laughed, told them that everyone had a specialization. And she'd been so good at it, so authoritative, that Kris had never thought to question it. They'd told her they wanted to do fire magic, like her, and she'd only smiled and told them that that must be theirs.

Could she have been wrong? Were they really that different? They couldn't be. They couldn't have another difference, more than this body they'd been born into. They didn't want to know. And yet, their mouth still moved in the shape of a question.

"And humans?"

"Humans are generalists. Unlike the magic that monsters have inside them, they can't make what does not exist already. You couldn't make ice, for example, unless the air is already a little cold. Of course, that's a core tenant of magic itself, but in a way, monsters break it by the way our souls and bodies are composed of magic. Since we are magic in and of ourselves, more than humans, we can amplify ourselves, and that takes the form of specialties. Humans don't have that, but that's not necessarily a downside. When monsters taught humans how to use magic, they molded it to fit themselves. They- you have incredibly strong souls. It can hold massive amounts of magic, and create more powerful enchantments, at the cost of a steeper learning curve. But at the core, we're similar. We both have magic in our souls, and the skills and knowledge to use it," Ralsei explained.

Kris hummed, mulling over the information. It was a lot, but it was also more than a little exciting. "Would I… be able to learn healing magic? I know it's not exactly a naturally occurring element, so I understand if I can't. But if I can, I would really like to at least try."

"Of course you can. Bodies heal themselves all the time. All healing does is speed that up. That's why it doesn't heal everything right away," Ralsei told them with a smile. "I'd love to teach you. And speaking of not healing all the way, you still have some injuries, don't you? We can work with the ones on your arms, if you'd like. That way, we can see what we're working with."

They felt themself grow cold, though it wasn't the mildly comforting familiarity of Noelle's magic. On instinct, they pulled their arms to their chest, a twinge of panic already rising within them. "How do you-?" No. No, wait, he wouldn't have known about that. Susie… she wouldn't have told anyone, right? She'd already healed them, it wouldn't matter. Plus, they had been pretty beat up when they first set foot in the tower as well. "Oh, you meant the burns. No, that- that won't be necessary."

The room dropped, and when they turned to look at Noelle, she had one eye open, glancing over at Kris. When Ralsei shifted his gaze to her as well, she seemed to notice. "O- oh! Sorry, I, um, lost concentration."

"That's alright, Noelle," he told her. "Just try again."

She nodded and closed her eyes once more, but Kris had a feeling she was still listening.

"Sorry about that," Ralsei said sheepishly, facing them again. "I could have sworn Susie said the injuries were too bad to heal in one go. I must have misremembered."

"No, it did," they started, feeling mildly hesitant. "It's just that after we… had a small argument, she helped heal them then rest of the way, that's all."

Again, the temperature of the room stuttered, but Kris paid it no mind this time. They were more focused on the way Ralsei's face pulled into something more sad. "Ah. I'd believe it. She often… well- I suppose it's not best to dwell on it right now. Do you have any injuries anywhere else? We can't practice casting without something to cast on. I wish there was— it would have saved me a lot of paw pricks."

They let out a very light laugh, then nodded. "She only healed my arms, since I had been checking under the bandages at that moment. But my chest is still quite a bit worse for wear."

"We can definitely work with that. Do you think you can go based on feel or would you- I mean, I know humans have their own standards, would you be okay with going based on sight?"

They opened their mouth to answer, but Noelle cleared her throat before they could, decidedly pink. "U- um, maybe we should h- hold off on that. I mean- just because of- of you-know-what! That's all!"

"What?" They asked, trying to push down the amusement in their tone as much as possible, though they doubted they were all that successful. "Noelle, he and Susie both know about the curse. It was kind of inevitable, after all."

"O- oh." She put her hand over her mouth, still quite pink. Her eyes darted away, then back at them, like she wasn't sure whether to look or not. With a very deliberate clearing of her throat, she said, "I- um- I guess there would be no reason not to, then."

Kris sighed softly, tugging the worn sweater over their head to reveal the bandages underneath, careful of their arms to make sure they didn't show prominently. The pained look in Noelle's eyes when they glanced at her made their heart ache a little. "You don't have to look, you know. Even without the curse, it's… not a very pretty sight. I doubt that will ever change."

They didn't exactly resent Susie for what she'd done in their first encounter with each other. She had more than made up for it, begrudging as she was to do so. But there was still a lingering feeling of upset whenever they saw it. Sure, they could all the scars easily, and it wasn't as though they were guiltless in the marks that littered their own body, but they still knew how unsightly it was. They were already average at best, for a human, and now, if they were ever lucky enough to find a lover, there would be no hiding the marred canvas they had become from that person.

Her expression changed ever-so-slightly, more sad than pained. "Oh, Kris…" She moved to reach out, then pulled back, shaking your head. "I don't care what it looks like right now. I don't want to look away when you're hurt like this. If I'd have known it was this bad…"

"It's alright," they murmured, looking down at themself and hesitantly loosening one end of the bandage that wrapped around them. "None of this should even be a worry to you. I should be able to protect myself as well as you, otherwise, how could I protect anything at all?"

"I want to worry over you, okay? I don't care what you should or shouldn't be doing. I want to know you're taking care of yourself," she scolded gently. They wanted to reach out, to take her hand, but at this angle… they couldn't risk their arms being exposed.

They instead opted for a weak laugh. "Alright, if that's truly what you want… but I do wish you never had a reason to worry in the first place, my own responsibilities aside."

"I wish I didn't, either," Noelle murmured back, and that was that.

They realized, all too suddenly, that Ralsei was watching. He looked fond, but didn't comment until Kris looked at him. "Ah, don't let me interrupt you two."

"It's okay, we're done anyway," Kris mumbled, trying not to be too embarrassed. "Let's… continue with the lesson."

"Alright. Noelle, would you like to go back to practicing?"

She shook her head. "I think I need a little break. I'll just watch you two, if that's okay."

Well, now they were hoping their cheeks weren't too red as they gave a short nod. "That's fine," they looked to Ralsei again, trying to shake away the odd feelings that clung on to their heart. "What do we start with?"

"I'll teach you the type of healing I learned. It's closer to a human style, so it should mesh well with your current abilities and your soul. Speaking of, that's what we start with. Focus back on it, if you would." Ralsei settled back down, and so did they. "To cast any spell, you place all your focus on your soul, and feel the current of magic throughout your body, however it may flow. Let it be. Connect with yourself."

Connect with themself… Their soul clearly wasn't sure how to interpret that command, if the twinge of pain was any indication. And yet, they felt their own heart slowing to a steady beat, breath evening. Their eyes closed unconsciously, processing the order. Connect with themself.

"If there's any clutter in your mind, place part of your attention on it. This may be painful feelings, or a memory you may not have fully accepted. Work through it, and once it's untangled, let it be."

They weren't sure if it was even a command that counted— their mind couldn't be altered by the curse. That was one of the things they knew about it, and something they found mild comfort in. It was impossible to command them to feel or think anything. At the very least, their beliefs couldn't be touched, even if their actions could.

And yet, they found themself following the instruction anyway, back to a day they'd refused to relive consciously.

Kris, thirteen years old, opened their book of sheet music to a random page, playing an arpeggio with their free hand. They had to be playing. Not only to be good enough to warrant a place for themself in a professional seat, but to drown out the noise.

Between notes, setting up their finger placements, in any moment of silence, they could hear it. Shouting through the walls, too loud to ignore but too muffled to listen in on. A cacophony of background noise that itched at the back of their mind. Their fingers strayed every time they heard their name, barely distinct over the rest of the mess.

Whatever they were arguing about, it was about Kris. And yet, whenever they asked, both would assure them they didn't need to know.

So, they pretended not to hear. Played random songs until their fingers hurt, and then played some more, if only to try to stay ignorant.

It never worked.

Their name was shouted through the walls in the middle of the sentence, and the chord they'd been preparing fell sour.

"Man, they're really going at it today, aren't they?" Asriel laughed, but it didn't sound genuine. At the very least, it was more noise. Another distraction. Something, anything, to drown it out. "I knew they had their fights sometimes, but it's never been this bad. I don't even remember Mom shouting like this during the revolution. Then again, I was, like, six. Maybe it really was this bad."

They hummed halfheartedly and played the chord again, better this time.

"Hey, it'll be okay, Kris. I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually," he offered, though even he didn't seem sure.

"Then they'll just find something else to be mad about." They muttered, going over a string of notes that sounded a bit awkward.

Asriel frowned, then shook his head and put a smile back on his face. "Well… you know what they can't be mad about? The fact that you're going to kick butt at that recital next week. Bet if you impress Aunty Carol enough, she'll finally let you play at one of those fancy parties!" He ruffled their hair. It was a transparent tactic to get them feeling better, but they had to admit it worked. Slightly, at least.

It was a hopeful thought, but after so many rejections, and so much effort to become better, to be beyond perfect, Kris had all but given up on that dream. "Like that'll ever happen. She hates me." They didn't even know what they'd done wrong, but it must've been something awful, if the rest of their family got to be treated as close friends.

"She doesn't-" Asriel started, then cringed. Even he couldn't seem to tell them that lie. "You know how she is. Maybe Uncle Rudy will change her mind? Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if he already has."

They just looked away. The shouting had stopped, at least. They could hear footsteps now, ascending to the piano room. Two sets. Both of their parents. Sure enough, a moment later, the door opened. Only their father entered, with a strange look on his face. He was smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. It looked unnatural, on a monster as kind as him. "Kris? Queen Carol would like to see you."

They found themself looking at Asriel, who glanced back with a grin on his face. He didn't seem to notice. Instead, he mouthed, "see?" and said aloud, "I'll get some nicer clothes on-"

Asgore shook his head. "No, no. That won't be necessary, Asriel. I'm afraid the audience is one only Kris will be attending."

For a brief moment, they felt a twinge of excitement. Maybe Asriel was right, maybe they really would be allowed to play at the next event. They turned to him briefly, his own face matching what they were sure their own looked like. Quickly, they looked back to their father, nodding just a bit more enthusiastically. "Alright, should- should I change? Or will this be decent enough? No- no, of course it isn't- but I don't want to keep her waiting either-"

"Just… follow me," their father instructed. They hurried off the seat to follow, heart beating fast inside their chest. And as they rounded the corner, they could see their mother leaning against the door.

She looked furious. Beyond furious. She was crossing her arms, and they could see wet fur just below her eyes, which were set on Asgore. He turned back to her, and opened his mouth, but she snapped, "not a word, Dreemurr."

A beat of silence. The elated feeling in their chest popped like a bubble, leaving them feeling a sense of dread. Was she still mad? Why would she be? Wasn't this happy news?

She seemed to see their expression, and hers softened into something sad. In one swift movement, she crossed the distance from the door to where Kris was standing and enveloped them in a hug. Into their ear, she murmured, "good luck, my child. I will be here when you return. Know you can always, always speak to me, alright?"

"…okay?" She was acting strange. Everyone was acting strange. The anxiety that they had felt earlier was back tenfold, now, and it only grew as they turned to follow their father through the castle corridors.

Kris's hands tightened in their lap, but they remained calm— or, at least, tried to. They didn't like thinking about that day. About what had happened before, or what had happened after. But they'd faced it. They'd faced it, and that would be enough, wouldn't it? There was no more disorder in their mind.

"Is your mind clear?" Ralsei asked, across from them.

They took a deep breath, trying to steady themself and appear less disoriented than they felt. "Yes, what's next?"

"Alright. Now that you're steady, if you can place your hands to the affected area?" A pause, as they lifted their hands up to their torso. "Good. Feel, again, the magic flowing within you. Think about what your body does. The way your skin heals over into scars, and leaves all the pain behind. Now, let the magic in your soul help it along. You're not trying to alter the course of what it does, simply accelerate the pace."

Focusing wasn't easy at first, but they figured it must be similar to the fire magic they already knew. However instead of searching for warmth, they looked for the feeling of relief that came with a wound no longer aching. It felt a little counterintuitive to channel energy from their soul, which rested in their chest, throughout their arms and… back to their chest again. But magic didn't work well without steady guidance, so they figured it was best not to try and simply project it out to where they wanted.

The moment they actually directed the magic that welled up in their hands, however, did that crushing wrongness return. Not long after, they could feel themself growing distant. Falling away from themself and their body, and back into memories they'd rather forget.

Queen Carol stood tall and imposing on her throne. The silver armor over her ice-blue dress glimmered dangerously in the light, a black ceremonial sword and a silver shield lying dormant next to her throne. On one side of the two thrones was the royal magician, Alphys, and on the other was December. Neither looked at them.

It was said that, in dire circumstances, one took in all the details, even if none of it mattered. That must have been why they recalled the details, when all of it was so pointless. When nothing mattered, not then. Not in the face of the announcement they'd been given.

"Wh- what?" They could hardly hear their own voice.

"I said, you are to cease any activity and start training as a knight. By week's end, you're to live in the barracks and train as a soldier for this kingdom," she repeated.

"But I- I don't even know how to hold a sword. There's no way I'd ever-!" They cut themself off, they didn't need to say what everyone else already knew. If it came to a battle, there would be no chance they'd survive. She knew that, and yet still, she'd decided… she really did hate them, didn't she?

"You'll be trained, of course," King Rudolph put in, his voice a strained sort of cheerful. "It'll be okay, kiddo. We'll have one of the best for you. December herself. And we'll put you in a safer position. It's all for show, you know? As a human, you'll serve as a symbol of peace. Monsters and humans working together. That's all it is."

They looked to their father, and though his face seemed conflicted, he didn't speak up. He didn't defend them, he had brought them here instead of telling them himself. Neither December nor Alphys did, either. They should have been angry, and deep down inside they were, very much so, but above all was a sadness, the realization that what their mother had told them was true. That one day, they'd be in a situation where they were the only one who could advocate for themself. Today, it seemed, was that day. "I can't- I won't. I don't want to do this! And even if I did, I'm not ready. Why can't I just work with my mother as a priest?"

Carol's eyes seemed to narrow. "My decision is final."

"Mother-" December started hesitantly.

"Need I remind you that you aren't to call me that, December? It's unfitting of a knight to speak up in a meeting such as this," the queen interrupted coldly.

December sighed, but continued, "your Majesty, then, with all due respect, why make them a knight if they're unwilling? It seems counterproductive. I'm not sure I could train a knight that doesn't want to be trained."

"I've accounted for that," she said, turning to look at Alphys. "If you would?"

"Carol." The king reached over to take her hand. "We don't have to do this. They've been a good kid."

"I've had enough of teenage rebellion. They're a liability, and I won't make the same mistake I made with December of being too lenient. As I've said, my decision is final." She pulled her hand away and called, "Alphys, step forward. You're to do as requested."

Alphys? What did she have to do with any of this? She worked with enchantments. Sure, that went hand in hand with things like weapons and armor, but it they didn't think them so much as joining the ranks of the knights would be of any concern to her, right?

The court magician shuffled forward, trading a look with their father. She took a place in front of Kris and murmured. "I- I'm awfully sorry about this, K- Kris. A- Asgore, can you make sure they- you- you know, ho- hold still? The magic won't work well if they're… s- struggling."

What did that mean? What was going to happen? Everything felt cold, but not in the pleasant way it would if they were spending time with Noelle. Their heart was racing and they couldn't stop it. They took a step back. They wanted to run. They looked up at their father, hoping praying that he would change his mind and put a stop to whatever was about to happen. But his face remained blank, only the slightest hint of emotion there. "Dad? Please, I just want to go home."

"I'm sorry, my child." He took their shoulders in his paws, and, for a moment, Kris thought it was a gesture of safety. At least, until they tried to move, and realized that his grip gave no room for movement. He was following her instruction. He was holding them down.

They tried to struggle with renewed vigor, but it was a pointless task. Against the strength of a general, they were hopeless. Alphys put one hand over her mouth, looking downright sick, but still reached out with the other hand and placed it on their chest. Their very soul was in her palm, and both of them knew it. Again, she whispered a single apology, and let her magic flow.

It hurt. It hurt then, and it hurt now, that same agony that came from the current of magic within them being twisted against them. Their soul, crushed by two unforgiving hands. Their claws— dull and flat and horribly human— tore against their chest, over the curse mark branded on their too-smooth skin.

Someone shouted, and they swore it got colder. A hand with five fingers, like theirs but with short, soft fur covering its surface, held onto theirs.

Their breathing didn't feel quite right. Too fast, not quite deep enough, not enough to keep their lungs any amount of full. The chill felt nice though. As familiar and comforting as their mother's fire. It felt like home, even when their own home didn't.

Noelle. Always there. Ever by their side, even when they had neither the strength or courage to stay by hers in any sense beyond the physical. She stayed with them even now, with the kind of gentleness they knew they didn't deserve. But as quickly as it came, that touch began to retreat, and in their haze, they closed the small distance made and clung on as desperately as they dared. They knew, soon enough, they would regret their actions, but they didn't think they could care right now, even if they wanted to. "Don't go. Please."

She took in a small breath, and placed her hands on their back, closing the hug. Her hands were cold against their warm torso. They didn't care. A moment later, her head rested on the top of theirs, golden curls splaying in the space where their arms met. "I'm here. I'm here, Kris, it's okay. You're okay."

"What happened?" That was Ralsei, behind her. "Was- was your magic not flowing correctly?"

They made a small sound of disagreement in the back of their throat, not wanting to move and needing an extra moment to try articulating anything close to a proper thought. But he waited patiently, for their breathing to even out, and the whole time, Noelle never once left them. She hardly even shifted in place to get comfortable. "No, I just- I forgot how it felt, that's all."

"…You're crying." That was Noelle, still holding them close. They could feel her words reverberate from where their forehead was pressed into the crook of her neck. They noticed, only half-aware, her hands running through their hair, one curling through the greasy, tangled mess to hold the back of their head oh-so-gently. "I haven't seen you cry since we were kids."

"I'm sorry." They should be stronger than this, and yet a little magic and a memory were somehow enough to do them in. Hastily, they attempted to reach up and wipe their eyes and shrug off their weakness. "I'm sorry, I know I should be better than this, but I can't- I never wanted to be like this. I still want to protect you, but I wish it had been my choice."

She held a little tighter, pulling them close once more. For some strange reason, it felt safe, instead of the overwhelming dread that came with Asgore holding them. "Don't apologize. Please. You're allowed to be upset. I'm upset for you. You're- you're still a person, Kris. Despite what she wanted you to be."

"I wanted to be with you." They confessed. And as terrifying as it was, the words felt like a weight off their chest. "I wanted nothing more than to spend every moment with you. My choice or not. Being a knight or not. I never could have regretted it so long as you were still there. I'd be happy, just to see you smile each day. But I always wanted to be the reason that you did."

She moved slightly, and a gentle pressure touched their forehead. Soft, sweet, loving. And then it was gone, and she was pulling back. They moved to try to close the distance, but her hand was on their cheek before they could. The other brushed their bangs away from their eyes, holding them oh-so-carefully. There were tears in her eyes. "I know. I could see it before. But you were right, weren't you? She'd never let it happen. And- and Susie, too. She'd never let me…" One tear fell down her cheek.

Kris clenched their fist tightly, a renewed determination coursing through them. "I won't willingly allow her to separate the two of you. If I can't be the person to make you happy, so be it, but I know that she does. I've seen the look on your face when you're near her. It's the least you deserve." They laced their fingers through her own, looking into her eyes, hoping she could see just how honest they were being. "I will fight for this, if I have to."

"If it were that easy, then I'd want you. And that's the horrible part, because I'm falling in love with two people I can't have. Even if I could be with one of you, what would I do? How could I do that to you, to Susie? To- to fight, and cause conflict, and know that, even if I get what I want, there's always a path I haven't gone down? Someone I've left heartbroken?"

Kris hummed, leaning further against Noelle. They hadn't considered that all too much. Honestly, they'd figured after their initial rejection that Noelle had moved on. But they couldn't help but smile a little, not simply because she still loved them, but because she was right. Falling for more than one person… what blessing and a curse. "Susie really is wonderful. Even with every reason she could have to hate me, even with all the words she says, her actions are still so kind. I know that if you choose her, you'll never have to wonder if you're loved."

"I don't think I'll have to worry about that either way," Noelle murmured, thumbing over Kris's cheek tenderly.

They wanted to speak, wanted to say something, wanted to tell her something, but a gasp from Ralsei broke them out of whatever trance they'd been in. And then, the light from the window darkened, and the tower shook violently. The scraping sound of oversized claws scrabbling against stone had them instinctively reaching for a sword that wasn't by their side.

"She's back," Ralsei murmured, face turned towards the stairs.

Kris pulled slightly back from Noelle's hold, preparing to stand, but stopped themself short. "You… should both go see her. She might still be upset at me, and I don't want her feeling like she has to leave again."

"I don't think she will. Susie likes to process her emotions while she's away, and come back to deal with the problem. If she's back, she's probably thought about it and wants to talk. Besides, you'll see her again eventually, won't you?" Ralsei pointed out.

"Well, sure, but," they hesitated. For some strange reason, they really did want to see her now. "Are you sure it's a good idea?"

Noelle squeezed their hand. "We'll be here this time around. You won't have to be alone."

"I'm not worried about being alone, I'm just…" worried about her. They thought, but elected to keep that to themself. "Alright, if you're really sure she won't mind me being there, then let's not keep her waiting."

With that, they shrugged their sweater back on, hauled themself uneasily back up, and held out a hand for Noelle. She placed her delicate fingers in their calloused ones and stood, brushing the dust from her skirts.

The walk wasn't long at all. Being in Ralsei's study, it was only one room above. But somehow, it seemed to stretch longer when they caught the familiar scent of blood. Ralsei clearly smelled it too, if the way his fur seemed to raise was any indication. Was she hurt? Had she hurt someone else? What could she have done that would leave this much acrid metal in the air?

They quickened their pace, taking the steps two at a time, until she came into view. The mighty dragon that had taken Noelle was lying in the center of the room, wings splayed out on either side. Blood, both fresh crimson and dried to a dark maroon, marred purple scales. Her chest was heaving, and her eyes, pressed closed, opened into a squint as she faced the three that had entered the room.

"Susie!" Ralsei was the first one to move, running towards her and placing his paws on her large neck. She let out a quiet snarl that faded into silence and a puff of smoke, as if even being angry was too much effort right now. Her eyes slid closed with a heavy sigh.

Kris took a step forward, then another, and soon enough they were right beside her. A quick observation told them that the blood on her was far too much, even for the wounds that she had. But they didn't really want to think of where the rest might have come from. Their first instinct was to try and find something to clean the blood away, but they knew that would be a useless endeavor if it still flowed from open wounds.

Ralsei murmured something to Susie, paws glowing green as they hovered over one of the wounds on her lower neck.

They glanced at their own hands, already certain of what they should do, but after earlier they wondered if they'd even be able to. The last thing Ralsei needed right now was two people needing help. But she needed it more, and quickly. She was losing a lot of blood, even for a beast so big.

Memories be damned, Kris would just suffer through them if they came. For now, they just had to put use to what little magic the knew. They mimicked Ralsei's actions and what little they could recall of what he had told them, but it didn't seem to be working fast enough. They knew that was to be expected. They hadn't used magic properly in years, and they had only just learned healing, and the first attempt was less than desirable, but time wasn't on their side. With Susie in the state that she was, it must've been worse than they could even see yet.

Asriel's horrified face, staring at them in disbelief. The way Asgore's eyes never seemed to catch theirs ever again, the way he stepped down only a year or two later as they started to climb in prestige. Toriel's grief, cleaning every wound they got from training.

There had to be an easier way of doing this, some quicker way, a faster-

Oh. Maybe that was it. It probably wasn't the solution Ralsei would have wanted them to come to, but it was the only thing they could come up with on such short notice. Instead of focusing their thoughts into all the little intricacies of what happened while healing and speeding that up, they imagined a small bubble around the wound, and then all the time it would take to heal passing faster and faster, everything weaving together perfectly as it should.

December's guilt, how she always seemed to go easier on them when she was reminded of the curse. How she used it to their advantage, using it to ensure their survival at all costs.

Somehow, it had worked. The wound was closed, but there was nothing but scarred skin there. They wished they could go on, to try and get some new scales growing, but Ralsei had already healed two of the worst wounds, and seemed close to finishing up a third. Making sure she was no longer bleeding was the most important part.

This time, they tried to be a bit more calculating, and find the worst of the injuries that they could see near them. It would probably take a bit longer, but they knew it was far more pressing than all the shallower holes in the armor that her scales provided. They tried again, this time making their imaginary bubble a bit bigger, and focusing all their efforts on making to time it would take to heal pass by faster.

Noelle, standing in her best clothes, on the day of their knighting. The way she seemed to shake minutely, frost climbing the walls. Her face when they told her the curse that had been placed on them three years ago, downright distraught. How she'd pulled them close and apologized, over and over, like it was her fault.

The skin healed over, and again, the scale remained with a puncture.

"I've got the worst of it on this side," Ralsei called over to them. "Have you been able to heal anything, Kris?"

They looked over her, there were still some pretty bad spots, but the most life threatening one they could see had been dealt with. "I've managed to get some of it," they called back. "But there's still some pretty bad ones."

Noelle, still hovering at the entrance, asked meekly, "is there anything I can do to help?"

Ralsei spared her a smile. "Please, don't worry about it. Kris and I have this under control. She's hurt, but I think she may be more tired than in any danger. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to see you once she's healed."

Noelle looked down at the ground and mumbled, "I… suppose I'll stay in the study, if I'm not needed."

"Wait," Kris called out to her, but hesitated, glancing back at Susie. They didn't want to see Noelle so upset, but with Susie so covered in blood, they didn't think that they could focus on her right now. But they could recall that extra bit of kindness Susie had given them when they first arrived here, and they could only imagine she'd want the same in return. "Try to find something to help clean her off. I doubt we'll be able to get everything, but it will at least help."

She looked up at them, something akin to gratitude in her eyes, and nodded, hurrying her pace. They watched her leave for only a moment longer, before turning back to Susie. Ralsei was already nearby, working on one of the worst cuts. They took a deep breath, and focused all their attention onto what they could see and help with.

Memories came and went, but each time they grew shorter, less volatile, until they were once again recalling how Noelle had first reacted when they'd shown her what they'd learned. They were crouched beside Susie's hind paw, and despite the situation, they were both a bit fearful and in awe of the well kept talons. Claws as large as knives, and sharper than a freshly polished blade.

They watched as the cut there turned to nothing more than a scratch under their hands and let out a sigh of relief, moving to stand. In the next moment, however, they were stumbling back, trying to get away from the purple blur that came right at them. They felt a sharp twinge of panic, remembering just how badly it had hurt when that tail hit them before, but they had no time to get away, they doubted they'd be able to withstand a blow from it without their armor.

Where they expected the blade-like crest to dig into them, however, they were instead met with slightly softer scales. It still knocked a little of the air from their lungs, but at least they didn't feel like they were being stabbed. In the end, they found themself sat on the floor, back pressed against Susie's side, pinned by their torso and legs by her tail. They tried to push it away and stand to give her the space and rest she probably needed, but it didn't budge.

Their attention was drawn away from their current predicament by the sound of Ralsei's soft laughter. "You better get comfy, she's not going to be letting you move for a while."

"Wh- well help me, then!" They halfheartedly glared at him while trying again to get loose.

"I can't," he shook his head, grinning. "Once she has her mind set on something, she's not going to budge."

They opened their mouth to try and argue for their freedom again, but before they could, the door cracked. After a moment, Noelle stepped through, holding a few rags and a bucket of water, they could see the aftermath of tears on her cheeks and wanted to ask what was wrong, but again, they were interrupted, this time by her eyes landing on them and her own giggles ringing out into the air like bells. Not long after, Ralsei joined in, and they swore they heard Susie let out a very suspicious sounding huff as she tightened her tail around them.

They really wouldn't be getting out of this any time soon, would they? They sighed, and leaned back, trying to adjust a little and get comfortable, and resigned themself to their fate while their eyes slipped closed.

She glared out at the humans around her. Closest to her was one of her many 'handlers', the most recent in the line of many who had quit. In other words, she'd broken them before they'd broken her. It was one of the few pleasures she got in this hellish place, seeing a human becoming so frustrated that they passed the mantle to the next human who thought she would be easy to tame.

"We've tried everything!" the latest handler all but shouted at the man in the armor and cape. "I'm telling you, General, the beast is untameable! Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, nothing works! It's been two years and it's not any closer to being broken in."

The general crossed his arms. "What's worked the best?"

"Starvation, best as we've seen. Gunpowder can scare it, and words can sometimes get through to it, but the moment it's given a chance to fight, it always does." They gestured to her, and she tucked her chained legs in, glaring as fiercely as she could.

I hate you, she thought. I hate you, and I will never let you win.

The general remained tall and imposing. "We have to get it into fighting shape. Bergentrükung's general stepped down yesterday, and his replacement is young and inexperienced. More than that, she's in conflict with the queen herself. They've offered up weakness on a silver platter, we must take it. Every second that ticks by is one where their vulnerability lessens."

"What are we supposed to do, force it to cooperate?" The handler asked. "If Soloman hasn't figured out how to do that with magic, then how are we supposed to without?"

"Let me try," the man told the handler, pushing him aside to come face-to-face with Susie.

She didn't blink, didn't move, didn't breathe. Every thought in her mind was focused on hate. Hate, hate, hate, so thick and dense she thought she may never be able to feel anything again. And why would she, in a world as terrible as this? Monsters, beasts, they didn't deserve to be able to love. All they could do was hate. And she would. She'd hate, and hate, and hate, until the world choked on her smoke.

In her mind, she conjured up the image of him dying a million deaths by her teeth and claws. Somehow, that only made her feel worse.

He put his filthy human hand on her muzzled snout. She snarled loudly, breathing smoke, but that didn't seem to dissuade him. He spoke in that horrible voice she couldn't remember anymore. "I know you can understand me. You've been a pain for the other trainers, it seems. But I'm less lenient."

Yeah, right. Less lenient. As if she hadn't heard that countless times already.

"You're a valuable asset to us. Your scales, your teeth, your claws… combined, they make a formidable enemy. But understand that you are worthless if you don't behave. You have a choice now. Submit, or we'll keep you alive and use you for parts. Your scales, teeth, claws, and horns will be used for battle, and you'll be nothing but a chained animal."

It would have been one thing to be told she was dying. She would have picked that in a heartbeat. But being kept alive, humiliated even further and stripped of everything that made her strong… the thought scared her. She didn't want to give in. She didn't want to be humiliated. But did she have a choice?

Damn, now wasn't the time to be proud. Either way, her dignity would be stripped from her. At least this way, she had a chance. It was a pathetic tactic, acting tame to escape, and one she'd tried before to no success, but now was her last chance. It was now or never. She just had to last until they took her out to fly, instead of trying to run with her wings still chained. With any luck, it would be soon.

So, hate filling every crevice of her body until it seemed to seep from the cracks of her scales, she closed her eyes and let him keep his hand on her snout. She couldn't see his smirk, but he knew it was there, as his hand traveled down her head, to her neck, and to her back. And then, there was a weight there, between her shoulder blades. His weight, settling in to mount her like nothing but a common horse. When he commanded, she listened.

The hate oozed out of her, viscous and deep black, and she hoped she choked on it.

Susie's eyes snapped open with a startle, and she barely stopped herself from roaring. The hunger pangs from the dream had left, but she was still disoriented, phantom chains binding her to the ground. Much more real, however, was the aching feeling of holes in her scales and a weight pressed against her side. Had she fallen asleep next to Ralsei again?

But when she looked, there was a human. Brown, messy hair covered a pale face like his, sculpted perfectly in the way she'd come to expect from humans. It didn't matter that they were slumped over. It didn't matter that a part of her knew who they were. They were human, and they were dangerous, and they would hurt her. They would pierce her with weapons meant to shatter scales and cut holes into her. They'd starve her, set off explosions near her feet, hurt her in any way they could. They'd take away any semblance of goodness she'd have in her and leave her a husk that didn't know how to love anymore.

The only thing more powerful than hate, Susie thought, was fear. And as much as she pretended she didn't have any, it was engraved into her very bones to be scared.

Her claws scrabbled against stones as she moved to get away from the human, sounding downright grotesque to her ears. And clearly, to the human's, if the way they startled from sleep and winced was any indication. They rubbed at their eyes and blearily looked up at her.

Instead of brown, like she'd been expecting, they were a pretty shade of red, one she'd come to associate with only one person.

And suddenly, she felt absolutely stupid. Of course it would be them. Why else would they be in the tower? Ralsei would never let anyone in here that wasn't safe. She knew that. And as much as she loathed to admit it, they were safe. In an odd, horrible way that twisted her head trying to understand, they were safe.

A safe human. It was an oxymoron, wasn't it? She hadn't really understood that big word while Ralsei was trying to teach it to her, but now she did. Because Kris themself was that word. A moron that she really, really, really wanted to hate, and just couldn't.

A safe human.

What a bad joke.

"Susie?" They croaked out, voice still strained by the after effects of sleep. "Are you alright? What happened? Is there still an injury we missed? I can try and heal it for you."

Right. They'd healed her, hadn't they? Them and Ralsei. Where the humans had shot that metal into her scales and skin, they'd patched it up. More painfully than Ralsei's healing, but she hadn't the mind to complain then. It was almost unthinkable. She'd been so cruel, stained by a hate that was too big for her body, even like this, and they'd still helped her. Why? What kind of sense did that make?

It reminded her of Ralsei. The kindness she'd chalked up to him being a monster, exhibited by a human.

She didn't understand. She couldn't understand.

She forced her bones to shift into a monster's, wincing at the feeling of the holes in her scales twisting with them, and stood tall in front of Kris. "Why-?"

Why were you healing me? Why are you like this? Why can't I hate you? Why, why, why?

"Why were you sleeping against me like a weirdo?" She asked instead, crossing her arms in a pathetic attempt to look scary.

Their face quickly turned a shade of pink, and they narrowed their eyes, looking at the floor and crossing their arms. "You wouldn't let me move, and I… didn't want to wake you."

Ah. Great. So she'd made even more of a fool of herself, and they were being undeservedly sweet. Great. Great, she was having a great time. Like it wasn't already bad enough they'd made them hurt themself because she couldn't stop running her mouth. Maybe she should just take a vow of silence to stop fucking things up, because apparently, that was the only thing she was good at.

Damn it.

Damn it, how was she supposed to be a good partner to Noelle if she couldn't even verbalize how she felt?

"Look," she ground out. "Forget that. Why'd you heal me in the first place?"

"Because you were hurt." They replied without missing a beat. "Besides, you helped me, even when you didn't have to. You could have ignored everything that happened in that old storage room, but you didn't."

"What happened in the storage room was my fucking fault, okay? I made you do that, so I fixed it up. That's all."

"You didn't make me do anything," they corrected.

"Well, you wouldn't have done it if I hadn't been an asshole to you!" She snapped back. Faintly, she wondered why she was arguing about how much of a jerk she was. "I told you, just- fuck. Goddamn it. Okay. Look. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said any of that stuff. Like, at all. And don't you dare agree with me, asshole, because I was wrong. I was-"

She really, really, really didn't want to admit weakness. But she owed it to them. So even if she wanted to curl up and die, she'd say it.

"I was… being awful to you. Because I haven't gotten over some shit that humans did to me. And it was unfair. To you. Okay? Okay. I'm- that's enough of that. God. How the hell does Ralsei do that?"

They let out a small sound that was suspiciously similar to a laugh, and when they looked at her, they were smiling. "I forgive you. I won't try to tell you that the things you said were right, or that they didn't hurt, but I don't want you to linger on it, either."

She couldn't help her own awkward smile, though she still felt a little bad. "Doubt I'm gonna be able to forget it, heh. I, uh, don't think Noelle's gonna be able to forgive me after all that. That's why I told her to ask you."

"I, ah," they coughed, matching her own awkwardness. "I never actually told her."

"…What?" She stared at them. They didn't look like they were lying, but it didn't make any sense. "The hell wouldn't you?"

"Well, for starters, I never really blamed you. I was a little upset, sure, but I wasn't really mad, so I saw no reason to make her upset at you when you were clearly already upset at yourself. Plus, even if that weren't the case, it's just that… I know her," they started, looking hesitant, "and I know that she'll want to ask even more about what happened, and I don't think I'd ever want to explain to her what I'd done. You weren't even supposed to know."

God. Goddamn it. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Susie wasn't the person to trust with a secret like this! And to make it worse, they were staring at her with those bright red eyes, so serious and honest and damn it, how was she supposed to be normal about this when they were so similar to her and she still didn't even know how to like herself?

She'd been expecting them to tell Noelle the worst of it. How ugly Susie was on the inside when she wasn't with the people who made her better. Instead, they'd blindly assumed she had good in her. And sure, maybe some of that was to keep their own secret, but there was still the baseline of the fact that she'd told then they should die for a trait that they couldn't control, triggered their self-destructive tendencies, and somehow, somehow, they'd still seen good in her.

It was stupid. Really, really stupid, and it kind of made her want to cry. How could a human be so good? How could a human make her want to be better the same way Noelle and Ralsei did?

"I think you should tell her," Susie said. Even if she had a chance to get away with her bad behavior, Noelle deserved to know. She had a right to make the choice that was best for her. And… "Everything, I mean. What I said and what you did."

"No," they shook their head, seeming on the verge of distress. "No, I can't. I already worry her so much, especially lately. It's the last thing she needs right now."

"I know what it's like. Kind of, at least. I used to have some shitty habits when I got here, and I didn't want to put more on Ralsei's plate. I didn't even want to admit I had issues, and put myself in a position where he had a chance to hurt me with them. But… having a friend you can rely on when the world sucks is worth it. And more than that, I know she'd want to help. Monsters like her never give up on people like us." She offered a weak, crooked smile. "Even if we want them to."

They opened their mouth, then closed it again with a quiet sigh, chewing absently at their lip for a moment, before looking back up at her with searching eyes. "Could we tell her together?"

She wondered, faintly, if they'd always been so pretty. Maybe that was a weird thing to think. She'd never thought of any other humans as pretty. Just… human. And that in itself, to her, had been inherently ugly. But now that she was looking…

Absolutely not. She wasn't going down this train of thought, especially in a moment like this.

"Was already plannin' on it," she joked. "I mean, gotta make sure you didn't weasel out of it, right?"

They completely deflated, as though relieved, and gave her a gentle smile. "I suppose we should get to that then, hm?" They asked before turning, already walking for the door.

As she followed, she found herself staring at the back of their head and wondering how a human like Kris could exist.

Chapter Text

"Is it possible?" Noelle asked. Across from her, Ralsei put his paw to his mouth, frowning. They were in the middle of another magic lesson, making the most of the time Kris and Susie spent napping as morning rolled lazily to afternoon.

She was getting better at unconsciously controlling her magic, sure, but seeing Kris just get healing so easily, merely a few minutes after learning the skill… it made her want to do more. To try harder. To do something to help, when she'd been useless thus far.

Seeing Ralsei's wince, however, told her she might not be so lucky.

"Theoretically?" He gave her a little half-smile that resembled the ones her father would give her when there was bad news to be told. "I mean… if more magic is poured into it than when the curse was originally placed, the enchantment will break and it can probably be broken, but… I've tried. I've tried almost every way I can think of to get them off, and I still can't do it. There's a large difference between healing a wound and breaking a curse. I don't want you to get discouraged if it doesn't work."

"I want to do something for her," Noelle mumbled, discouraged yet again. Why did she have to be so useless? Even here, where she was so free, she couldn't help Susie the way she wanted to. And it made sense, really, she knew she wouldn't be good at magic right away, but it seemed like all she ever did was wait around and watch things happen to her in front of her eyes.

It was like that at home, too. Always watching. Waiting. Playing the role of the damsel in distress, when all she ever wanted was to be equal to everyone else. Before Kris had become a knight, it wasn't that bad. She at least had friends, though her mother was strict about her not spending too much time with December.

"She's a bad influence," Carol would say, but never forbid her. Maybe she felt bad, or maybe she just thought Noelle was too pure to be corrupted by someone like December. Either way, Dess had been her only solace for a while. With Asriel leaving to study abroad, Kris barely talking to her, and everyone else too aware of her position, she hadn't had many friends at all. And then Dess had become general, and Kris had come back, and she had no one to lean on.

Until Susie had taken her. Because of a kidnapping, this past week had been the best she could remember. Kris had been more open with her than they had been in the last six years, the curse had been broken, and she'd made genuine friends. And found love, too. She couldn't remember being this happy since she was a little girl, before Dess abdicated the throne. It had its plights, and she still felt useless sometimes, but it was better. Here, she was a person, not just a princess. She could play games and explore and laugh and all the things that the castle had been too stifling to do.

It was horrible of her to think, but she didn't want to go back. She was a little homesick, sure, but this place was starting to feel like her home. Isolated from the rest of the world, and still more connected than she'd ever been.

"Don't you get tired of it?" December asked to a seven-year-old Noelle, polishing a sword she was pretty sure Dess wasn't allowed to have. "It's stifling, being here. It doesn't feel right. We've claimed a throne we once hated, and now Mom's all up on my a- er, I mean, butt, to be a princess when I'm not. I still remember being normal. I still remember when we had to fight to survive! Now we're all cushy and everyone bows to us and… ugh. It doesn't feel right."

She hadn't understood it at the time. In a way, she still didn't. But she was starting to. Seeing the way Susie treated her… she liked being normal. She liked Ralsei and Susie not caring about what she was or whose blood she held. She hadn't realized just how lonely she'd been until she was here, treated not as a princess, but as a person.

Maybe that was too much to ask. Maybe she was stepping out of her role. Or maybe, she was just overthinking, when she really ought to be focused on the topic at hand.

Not that she had a chance to focus again, with the sound of footsteps. Two pairs.

Kris and Susie.

It hit her suddenly that she'd left those two alone, after an argument that had been so bad that Susie was convinced that Kris would hate her. And even when she'd promised to be by their side for it, it had completely slipped her mind, seeing those two curled up together. Why had she been so inattentive? Had she really been so caught up in magic that she'd completely neglected the needs of two people she cared so deeply about?

When she turned, she expected… something. Some silly part of her thought that maybe an argument would spark up right as she thought of it, and that it would be a disaster.

Instead, she saw them holding hands, Susie leading Kris down the stairs. It was hard to catch their expression, but she could swear they were a little embarrassed. It was as if, in the short stretch of time she hadn't been monitoring them, they'd suddenly become best friends.

Ralsei seemed just as surprised, trading a confused smile with her. "Um… hello, you two. Did you… have a nice nap?"

"Shut up." Susie muttered with a halfhearted glare, the same moment Kris mumbled, "it was fine." Both of them equally red in the face. It was… honestly kind of cute.

She couldn't help a little giggle. Sure, she'd been a little afraid that they might find each other instead of her, but that fear had eased slightly. Maybe it was the way that Kris had confessed how they really felt, or maybe it was Susie's stubborn tiptoeing around her own feelings, or even just the fact that she was less scared now— about the curse and about the future— that seemed to dissolve all worry.

Her two people were getting along. How could she be upset about that now? Plus, it gave her a chance to tease them back for all the grief they'd given her. Kris, over the years, and Susie, about her crush on them. Maybe it wasn't smart to push it this soon, but this was cute, and, as a bonus, payback.

She put a hand over her mouth to hide her teeth in the grin that was spreading over her face. "So. Flirting, huh?"

Kris put their head in their hands, and she was sure they were red in the face.

"We were not!" Susie all but yelled, looking equal parts frustrated and flustered. "We were just- God. Okay, we wanted to talk to you about some things, alright?"

She sounded serious, so Noelle dropped the grin. "Oh- yes, of course, sorry. Um, should we sit down?"

Kris nodded wordlessly, and she settled down onto the ground, watching as the other two followed suit.

"I'll give you three some space," Ralsei murmured, making his way deeper into the study, where he'd tucked away the more volatile ingredients and potions.

"Alright, Kris." Susie gave them a firm pat on the back, copying the wince they gave a moment later. "Shoot, sorry. Forgot you were still a little hurt. Do you want me to fix you up?"

They shook their head. "Let's just… get this over with."

"Right, yeah. Well, go ahead. I think you should be the one to say it."

Were it not for the fact that genuinely seemed a little upset, Noelle would have thought the pout they aimed in Susie's direction to be also a little cute. With a small huff, they turned back to Noelle. "I think you know the most important parts by now. Susie and I got into an argument, some regretful things were said, and she apologized after finding me in the storage room."

"'Some regretful things'?" Susie repeated, raising a brow. "Kris. You don't have to sugar-coat it."

"It's fine, Susie. It wasn't even that bad." They muttered, glaring at the floor as they picked at a loose thread on their skirt.

She threw her arms up, as if in disbelief. "The hell do you mean, 'not that bad'?! I told you the only way to make up for the fact that you were born was to die! How is that not that bad?"

The only way to make up for being born… no wonder she'd been worried Noelle would hate her. Even if Susie regretted it, those kind of words didn't just go away. It was a type of calculated cruelty, words meant to hurt. Clearly, they had, too. Even now, Kris looked away, the way they seemed to whenever anyone talked about that subject.

And yet, they never spoke up. It had always been that way. Even faced with injustice, Kris took it on their shoulders and never fought. They were mischievous, sure, but never combative. It just wasn't in their nature to fight— not for themself, at least.

Or maybe it was. Maybe it had been forced out of it before they'd ever set foot in the training grounds, before that curse had been placed.

A conversation came to mind, a vignette of when they were both little. They'd snuck into the kitchen after dark in search of something sweet, both hushing each other a little too loudly and giggling at any close call. Of course, they'd gotten caught, and parents had been called. After a brief scolding, Carol and Asgore had gone into another room to discuss punishment.

Kris, eyes shining with further mischief, had put out the idea of listening in, and Noelle had giggled nervously, but followed suit. They'd both pressed themselves close to the door, straining to hear.

"-wouldn't have if it wasn't for him! I'm telling you, Asgore, you have to control that boy!" her mother had snapped, audible strain in her voice.

"He's just a child, Carol. No different than any other monster. Don't you remember how December was at that age?" Asgore asked.

"Exactly. We cannot risk him ending up like her. I don't care if it seems strict. He's a human, and you know as well as I do how he could end up."

"He's a child," Asgore repeated, a little firmer.

Carol matched his sharpening tone. "He won't be forever. And if he even shows a single sign of becoming like his parents, I'll put a stop to it myself, do you understand?"

A brief pause, then, "I understand."

A sigh sounded through the door. "I know it's not easy. You have a kind heart, Asgore. Too kind, sometimes. But if I were to trust anyone with the burden of a human's violent nature, it would be you. Hopefully, your reasoning for taking him in is sound, and he ends up like you and your wife instead of his birth parents."

"And if he doesn't?"

"I won't let that happen." Her hooves clicked on the ground, further away from the door. "Think of a suitable punishment, and pass it by me. I'd like to return to bed as soon as possible."

The opposite door closed, and Noelle took the moment to shuffle away from the door. Kris stayed still, eyes focused on the door ahead. Red eyes that matched the devil horns mounted on brown hair stared forward, and she could swear she saw tears in them.

But a moment later, Kris just turned away, head settling down so that that mop of messy hair covered any emotion present.

"…Kris?" She asked softly.

"It's fine," Kris replied, just as quiet. "…I get it."

Even then, they hadn't fought. They hadn't complained, they hadn't even acknowledged they'd heard. Just bore it, the weight heavy on their shoulders.

And Noelle wasn't stupid. Even if they hadn't said it to Susie, she knew they had to have heard worse. Whoever had said it just hadn't dared to do so in front of Noelle.

"…Is that true?" she asked Kris. "Did she say that?"

Their hands tightened, clenching around fabric, like they were battling against saying anything at all. "She- she already made up for it. It's fine."

"Is it?" She had to make sure. She had to make sure they weren't just being strong for her sake. "Have you really forgiven her, or are you just saying that? I have to know, Kris. I want you to be honest with me."

"I have," They replied, looking so, impossibly deep into her eyes. "She's done more to atone for it than anyone I have ever met before, and so quickly at that. How could I not?"

She spared a tiny smile, glancing over at Susie. Susie herself looked tense, deeply uncomfortable and staring at the ground. It reminded Noelle of herself, the way she braced herself for her mother's anger whenever she'd done something wrong.

But if Kris forgave her… "then it's not my apology to accept. Why would I hold ill will when Kris doesn't?"

Susie looked up at her, seeming startled. "Wait- wait, what? You don't hate me?"

Noelle shook her head, and Susie let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh. "You two are insane. Actually insane. But, uh, I mean, shit, if you don't hate me, then…" She scratched at the scales on her neck for a moment, then shook her head. "Off topic. We can talk about this later. Kris, you should tell her about the other thing."

They tensed back up, and then quickly shook their head. "I don't think that's necessary, is it? It's hardly even an issue anymore."

"Nope. You're not getting out of this one, dude. If you trust her, you should be able to tell her, right?" Susie reasoned. Noelle was burningly curious, but she stayed quiet. If Kris wanted to tell her, they would. Until then, she just had to wait. Be a soft place to land, for what they seemed to not want to admit. Though it made her worry. Was it bad? Was it about her? Oh, she hoped not.

With more than a little more hesitation, they uncurled their hands from their skirt, and instead moved to the sleeves of their sweater. They paused once more, before looking away from both her and Susie, their hair falling in front of their eyes, and rolling back their sleeves to reveal rows of scars, new and old. Most, if not all, were clearly self-inflicted as well. Now they were even backed by a canvas of burns.

"I'm sorry," Kris whispered, their voice catching in their throat in a way that made her heart ache. "I just didn't want you to hate me, or know that I was proving everyone right."

Another secret. Another thing she wasn't privy to, when it felt like everyone around her already knew. And suddenly, memories were coming back, bits and pieces of her life before all this.

Armor clanked, and Noelle looked up from where she'd been fiddling with her fingers. There they were. Kris and Dess, fresh from training. Dess had that usual confident air about her, completely unshakeable, and behind her, Kris merely stared forward. Their hair covered their eyes the way it never used to do, and she could see a growing bruise on their cheek.

"Elly," Dess greeted, putting up a hand. "How long have you been waiting around?"

"A few hours," she admitted.

"You know you can watch us train, right? I don't see any issue."

Noelle shook her head. "I'm not allowed in the training grounds. Mother says she doesn't want me playing with swords."

She neglected to mention that Carol had added a few words about how that didn't end well for December, but her sister seemed to understand anyway. "Ugh. Makes sense, she's always been stubborn. Well, I say we all go grab some dinner. Celebrate how much Kris's been improving. What do you say, Kris?"

Their mouth twitched, and they mumbled, "may I be excused, ma'am?"

The easygoing smile on Dess's face faded, replaced by something more serious, more commanding. "You may."

They didn't even acknowledge Noelle as they passed, movements stiff and practiced. It had been that way since they started training a few months ago. They'd hardly uttered a word to her. She wondered again if she'd upset them somehow, made them not want to talk to her. Was that why Azzy was pulling away, too? Was it her fault?

"It's not about you," Dess reassured her, as if she'd read her mind. "Kris's just having a hard time adjusting. Training, you know? Heavy stuff. You remember when I first became a knight, right? I was gone all the time."

Not like that, though. Not like the light had drained from her. No, she'd been renewed. She'd found her purpose. Instead, Kris just seemed… dull. "Why did they start training, if they don't like it?"

December's brow twitched. "…It's complicated, Elly. But I'm sure if you ask them sometime, they'll tell you. I hope they do, at least."

She'd known. She'd known everything. It still hurt to think about, that Noelle had been so naïve. That she'd missed something right in front of her.

Noelle stood tall by her father's side, heart beating out of her chest as she stood in practiced posture. In front of her, her mother passed the ceremonial sword to December, who held it between her and Kris, knelt low to the ground. They'd hardly spoken a word to her in three years, and yet, here they were, being assigned to her side where no knight had been before. A precaution, her mother had explained. An easy role for them, her father had told her in private.

"As their mentor and as general of Bergentrükung, I hereby certify that, despite their young age, they have shown the incredible skill and heart required to become a knight of this kingdom." December continued toward the gathered onlookers. She looked down at Kris, focusing her words on them. "Do you swear to defend my sister, Noelle, from any danger that may befall her?"

Carol tensed slightly from where she'd taken a position next to Rudolph. Clearly, she hadn't approved the mention of their blood relation. However, she remained silent, staring on. If Noelle looked closely, she could almost see a bit of pride in her expression. To Kris or to December, she wasn't sure.

Kris's voice, solemn and steady, rang out through the throne room with a single word. "Yes."

"You must protect her with your life. Be her shield to guard her from risk and her sword to slay any foes that may pose her threat. If ever she is in harm's way, you must be prepared to perish to fulfill your duty. Swear to me you will do this."

"I swear it."

It was hard to see either of their expressions from here, even if she could tell what Kris was thinking. And yet, the ceremony continued, December lightly touching the black sword to each of their shoulders before it was passed to them to hold it, if only just for a moment. A symbol of trust, that their kingdom could be held safely within their hands, even if it would be returned by the end of the day. "Do your duty well, Ser Kris Dreemurr."

She hadn't known. She hadn't known. But if she had, what would she have done? How would she have stopped it, as helpless as she was? Would she have stopped the ceremony, or would she have sat there, useless and meek, just as her mother wanted?

"…Kris." She whispered into the dark of her room.

On the other side of it, her knight spared a glance from under their bangs and looked back forward, stationed like any other soldier. They didn't say a word. It was as if she was invisible, and they'd merely heard something they were concerned about. They were strong, silent, steady, so far removed from the child she'd grown up with that it was downright painful to think back on who they'd used to be.

"Kris, are you- did I do something to upset you?" It was a question she'd asked before, and one they answered the same way.

"No, you haven't."

The words were so curt. She could feel the ice harden around the sheets she was settled upon. Ice crept up their armor. It was a symptom of her worsening mood, and one she resented. One, unfortunately, that they had to know very well by now. And yet, they didn't even spare a glance. They'd been assigned to her, forced to spend time, and they still refused to speak more than a few words. How could the notion of duty do this to them? How could it change them so dramatically, when they were so unwavering as a person? She had to have done something. They still talked to Asriel, and Dess, and Toriel— it was only her they seemed to avoid. So why? Why would they hate her like this, if she hadn't done anything?

Tears grew in her eyes, and she wiped them away before they could freeze, too. "I'm sorry if I did. I never meant to make you hate me."

"I don't hate you," they said.

"Then why- why aren't you-?" Her breath hitched on the border of a sob. "Please, Kris. Please look at me. Talk to me!"

They tensed, worse than the typical stiffness of their rigid posture, visibly gritting their teeth as they turned towards her. "Alright, what would you like to talk about, then?"

A rare twinge of anger mingled with the sadness. They were really wondering what she wanted to talk about? After all this? "Us! We- we used to be best friends! And then you- you just left. Became a knight, just like Dess did, and stopped talking to me at all. You say you're not mad at me, but every time I try to reach out, you act like I don't exist! Can you please just tell me what I did wrong? Why you don't like me anymore?"

"You did nothing. You're the only one who didn't-" their voice seemed to catch, and it was one of the now very rare glimpses of emotion she'd seen from them anymore. They shook their head in a quick sharp motion. "There's nothing you've done to wrong me, and there's nothing that's made me hate you."

"Then what is it? Why do you keep ignoring me?"

They hesitated, then mumbled, "I'm a knight now."

"And Dess is a general. She still talks to me." She realized her tone was a bit too bitter, and softened it. Even if she was upset, she wouldn't take that out on Kris. "You were my friend before you were ever a knight. Why did that have to change?"

"I didn't have a choice," they murmured. "It's just how things have to be now."

"Why?" she pressed. "Why are you choosing this, if it makes you so miserable?"

There was a flash of frustration on their face for only a moment, before it completely broke. "I'm not I don't want this, but I don't have a choice. Just-" they let out a sound that was an odd mix between a growl and a whimper. "I don't think I could explain it with words. I don't want you to have to see it, but I can't possibly tell you in any other way."

"What are you- K- Kris?" She squeaked as they started taking off their chestplate, and then their gambeson. She was too puzzled to look away as they untied the fasteners along the side and the belt at the center . She probably should, she thought. Even human-like monsters had a standard of modesty, but this clearly had to be important. Even if she could feel her ears heat up.

When they finally finished with the finicky bindings and pulled the front open, she immediately understood. Because on their pale chest lay a mark not unlike her own. Instead of the angel wings that lay bound on her back, there was a red heart on theirs, two hands circling it.

And suddenly, the world was nothing but horror.

It was the same nauseous feeling she'd had that day, spiraling into thoughts of how hadn't she noticed? and why didn't they trust me? and how could this have happened?

The first time, she'd been sickened by her mother. By the fact that Carol had known how devastating curses could be, and how she still chose to hurt Kris in such a fundamental way. This time, she had no one to blame. Not her mother, not Asgore, not even Kris themself.

"P- proving everyone-?" Noelle repeated, feeling utterly sick. "What do you mean, proving everyone right? How- how long have you…?"

"It started not long after I was cursed." They answered, reaching up to tug their sleeves back down. "I was so angry at everything, and everyone. I wanted to be able to make someone hurt too." They laughed, weak and broken as it mixed with a sob. "Isn't that horrible? Not only did I want to hurt someone, I was so still so weak that I was the only person I could even do anything to. But once I started, even after I got better and could win training duels, I still couldn't stop. Even now, even though I can't anymore, I still want to, and I hate myself for it."

"Oh, Kris…" her voice broke, and, in an instant, she lurched forward and pulled them into a tight hug. "You're not horrible. You're not horrible at all. I'm so sorry you felt that way. If I'd have known, if I'd have been there-"

"I didn't want you to know! Even if you don't think badly of me for it, I still didn't want you to see me like that." Slowly, ever so timidly, their arms circled around her as well, as she could feel the dampness of tears soaking into her sleeve and shoulder. "I just wanted to be someone good, someone strong- for you, and I couldn't even do that much."

"You are. I promise, you are. And I'm so, so glad you told me. I want to help you. I want to be there for you when you feel that way." She pressed herself a bit closer. "Thank you, Kris."

They shook a little, and after hugging her tighter for just a moment longer, they pulled back, cheeks damp and blotchy as they ever so gently moved to brush the hair away from her face. "Noelle, I… I want to make sure that you're as happy as you possibly can be. So, whatever you choose, whoever you choose," they took her hands in theirs with a delicate hold. "I'll do whatever I can to ensure it, I promise. Not as your knight, but as your friend."

Ah. The choice. She knew it was coming. There was no real way to stop it, after all, no way she could have her cake and eat it too. But she'd thought she'd have more time. How could she choose between Kris and Susie?

Kris, who she'd loved so deeply for so long, and who she could never truly be with. If she didn't choose them, she knew she'd always be wondering somewhere in the back of her mind what could have been. But how could she be with them? Her mother hated them enough to put that despicable curse on them.

Not that she'd have a much better chance with Susie. Susie, who'd started to give her butterflies. Unlike the old, steady love she had for Kris, Susie was new and exciting and spontaneous, a crush that she could easily see solidifying into love. Not to mention, she'd been chosen by fate itself, and Noelle could see why.

Both of them were kind, good down to the very core. She could see herself with both of them— and that was terrifying. Because either way, she couldn't have them. Not as it was now. At home, she was engaged to be married with a monster her mother approved of, and one she had no feelings for.

How could she pull her people into another conflict over a selfish desire of hers, a choice she knew she'd always be wondering about.

She cast a glance over to Susie, who sent her a grin that she could already tell wasn't fully genuine. "Hey, I can, uh, say the same. Whatever happens, as long as I'm there, I'll have your back."

"I'm not going to choose," she replied, taking one of her hands from Kris's to reach for Susie. The two shared a look, but Susie reached out to take her hand as well.

"Is that… something you can do?" Susie asked.

"I mean- not yet." God, she wished she could just decide not to choose, but if her mother already wouldn't approve of one, she couldn't imagine how she'd react to Noelle announcing she'd marry two people. "I still need to get back, and all. Um, Susie, I can probably get you a place in the castle. And Ralsei, too. You two took good care of me, I'm sure that has to count for something. And then, if I can convince my parents to let me marry one of you… then I'll choose."

Kris let out a quiet little laugh, a bittersweet smile on their face. "If I weren't certain Dess would eventually find her way here, I'd say we should just stay, instead."

"Dess…" Susie mumbled, as if in thought, then pointed to Noelle. "That's your sister, right? The general? I think I saw her when I was, uh, 'helping her troops'."

"Then she probably saw you, too," Kris mumbled, clicking their tongue. "I'm glad that you helped them, of course, but they'll probably be here sooner rather than later."

Noelle felt her throat going dry. "How far were they? Wh- when-?"

"At sunrise, at the capitol of Oberfläche. Don't worry, they're in the middle of a war. It'll probably take 'em a couple more days to finish that all up," Susie reassured, but Noelle felt her heart sink all the while.

Any other general would wait to finish the war before leaving. But not Dess. She'd never followed rules, she'd never fit in boxes. That made her strong, but that also meant that 'probably' didn't apply to her. Oberfläche's capitol was a half day away from shore on foot, and the shore was in view of here.

She looked at the sky out the window. Afternoon. If Susie had seen them on sunrise, and the horses went faster-

"No," she whispered to herself, rising to hurry to the north window. "No, no, no. I was supposed to have more time- I'm not ready to go back!"

Kris, by her side, took a sharp breath in. They saw it, too. There, on the horizon, was a small cavalry led by a black stallion.

December pulled the reins of her horse, beckoning it to slow, and put a hand up to signal the same to the squad following her. The sound of hooves on grass lowered from a gallop to a trot, then to stillness. She cast a stray glance to Berdly, who, thank goodness, seemed to be following orders. She wasn't sure if she could keep him within her platoon if he didn't.

"Madjick?" She asked.

The warlock needed no further clarification before they responded. "Yes, yes, this is it," they crooned. "She's within that tower. It's crackling with magic, though. Stronger than I've ever seen. Whatever magician is inside… goodness, this is exciting!"

"What if they've put her under a spell?" Berdly fretted, putting his wing to his forehead. "Oh, my princess!"

"She's already under a spell," December pointed out.

Berdly threw his arms out. "I know! They could have double-cursed her!"

"Lower your voice," she snapped at him, and he seemed to deflate. With that problem dealt with, she turned to Madjick once more. "Do you have any idea what the spell or spells may be? Are they dangerous?"

Madjick didn't answer directly, only mumbled words that made her ears hurt and sent out two orbs, rippling with color like an oil spill, ahead of them. They stared out for a moment, then shook their head. "Protective. Observation. He knows we're here."

He. The dragon, or someone else? How many people were here? But…

"If he's already aware, then we continue. Be on your guard," she directed, lightly spurring her stallion on. He started to trot, ever-obedient, while she kept a lookout. There were signs of a scuffle on the grass as she approached. Bits of charred grass that seemed to have been blocked, or deep scars in the earth that seemed to suggest a beast had been fighting here.

Kris. It had to be. They'd made it here, then, but if Noelle was still there…

A glint caught her eye. A shield, lying face-down in the grass. Without even seeing the delta rune on it, she knew it was theirs.

Oh, no. No, no, no. They weren't supposed to get involved in something like this. The point of being Noelle's guard was that they could have an easier station. It's what she'd spent hours arguing with the queen about. That, no matter what the prophecy said, Kris should at least be granted the dignity of not being killed in a fight they'd never chosen to be in. And yet, they'd still been caught up in this. The dragon, the knight, the princess— if this was fate, then they couldn't meet their demise here, right?

But that shield. They never would have left it, would they? They were too smart, too cautious. It didn't make sense. It just didn't.

Wingbeats. A shadow. Instantly, she pulled her horse out of the way and her shield out, shouting a warning to the rest of her men. She'd seen the destructive power of this dragon firsthand, and she wasn't sure it had any allegiance. She couldn't rely on the fact that it had helped them once before.

The attack she was expecting didn't come. Instead, the beast before her held something— someone it held within its claws out, and placed them gently on the ground.

Kris looked different. They still had the same red eyes covered by messy brown hair, but instead of the armor they always donned, they wore a green-and-yellow sweater and a brown skirt. Under the skirt, she could see their legs and feet, bare and unarmored. They were soft and squishy in all the ways she'd taught them not to be. A stray blow could fatally injure them, and within enemy territory, they should have expected that. And yet, they were still so vulnerable, even next to a beast that could have killed them in a second.

Even without armor, though, they had the same demeanor. Stoic, serious, obedient. They fell to one knee the moment they were standing on their own legs, bowing deep before her. "General December, Noelle is safe and well."

"Ser Dreemurr," she replied in kind, chin held high. Now wasn't the time to show any sort of friendliness to them. That could wait until they were in private. For now, she would treat them as any other soldier. "Give me a status report. I need a run-down of what all has happened here, and why you haven't returned with the princess."

"I set out just moments after Princess Noelle was taken, and it took me nearly three days to get here, most of my traveling had to be done on foot, as I couldn't risk a steed growing tired and getting itself injured. Upon my arrival, I dueled with the dragon and I… I lost." It wasn't hard to tell that had been the case, just from how everything around her looked. But that raised the question of how, and why they were still left standing, she doubted that she'd have to wait long for the answer, though. "Despite this, she brought me into her home and healed me, to the best of her ability. However, I still needed time to recover, and though I was sure I could get back to Bergentrükung myself, I was worried that I may not be able to keep Noelle safe while traveling through enemy territory with the state that I was in. This was the safest place for us to be until you arrived."

She supposed that made sense. Still, something about it made her uneasy. "You may rise," she told Kris, then glanced to the dragon, who stood tall above her. It— she— had healed them, allegedly. That meant she had to be conscious. "Can you speak?" December asked.

The dragon huffed, and her skin began to ripple until a monster not too unlike December herself was standing before her. Purple scales, wings, yellow eyes. It reminded December of the description of rulers of the empire Trümmer. This dragon was likely a distant relative, if that was the case. There weren't many more of her kind out there. And yet, there was a kind of sneer on her face that seemed unlike royalty. "I can."

"What's your aim?" She wasn't about to beat around the bush. "What are you trying to do? Stealing our princess, but helping our troops and our knight?"

"Well, would you have believed me if I just showed up and told you the humans wanted to go to war? I figured if you guys got angry from your princess being taken and took the fight to them instead, you'd stand a better chance at winning." The dragon shrugged.

That also made sense, but still… "how do we know that was truly your intention?"

Kris, from where they'd stood still and straight with their arms behind their back, spoke up. "I believe Susie is being honest, ma'am. She has my endorsement entirely, from the days I've spent with her. She and the owner of this tower, Ralsei, have shown nothing but kindness and honesty, and I implore you to treat them as allies instead of enemies. Along with that… I suggest we give them a place to stay within the castle."

It was a tall order, but they'd never been one to lie. Especially with the reputation they'd worked so hard to build at stake, December couldn't imagine them turning traitor for two monsters they hardly knew. "Understood. I trust your judgment, Ser Dreemurr. I'll advocate for Queen Carol to forgive her treason in light of these circumstances."

"How do we know they're telling the truth?!" Berdly, who'd been mostly silent up until this point, asked, pointing a feather at Susie. "They still haven't given over our dear Princess Noelle!"

She shot him a withering glare. "You are her fiancé, not a member of Bergentrükung's army, Prince Berdly. I suggest you remain quiet."

Susie's mouth dropped open, and she mouthed, "fiancé?" to Kris. They glanced at her, but spared no more than that.

"R- right," Berdly mumbled, looking rather embarrassed.

She spared him the ego boost of telling him that was a question she was about to ask, too. "Kris, retrieve Princess Noelle posthaste, and gather any intact belongings. Put any intact pieces of equipment on, and any that you've lost, we'll find replacements for within camp." Likely from any bodies that were near their size— after all, those were the only ones with enchantments to protect against human weapons. "And you— Susie, is it?— gather your friend and any items you may want to bring with you. If you're to seek a place within our kingdom, you'll need to stand trial before the queen."

Kris nodded shortly, already turning to move back towards the tower, but Susie stopped them, grabbing their arm and looking at December with confusion. "Wait, you guys are just taking out of here that fast? I get that you have kingdom to go back to and shit, but you haven't even asked Noelle what she wants to do."

What sort of question was that? "She has to return home. The king and queen are expecting her return. It's been too long already, we must do this quickly."

Kris's face twisted in discomfort, and they pulled at Susie's arm. December felt a little bad at giving them an order they were being prevented from completing, but she couldn't show weakness. She couldn't change her language to accommodate for them, if she spoke like that to everyone else. There was no place for favoritism with them.

"Let's just go," Kris hissed quietly.

Susie stared at them for a moment, before something in her fierce façade seemed to break, though it was subtle, and she relented, nodding. "Yeah, alright, sure. Guess it's finally time to get you guys home."

For some reason, Kris's face only seemed to tighten further.