crown of sorrow

@ dezz

Amarille was furious, but most of that anger was toward herself and not her sister. What if she was right? What if she was being too hasty with Caspian? She'd known him for less than a week, while she'd known her sister her entire life. She came to a stop when she felt Caspian grab her shoulder, staring down at the ground between them, feeling too awful to meet his eyes. "She meant it, Caspian.. she wouldn't have said it if she hadn't.." she murmured, shaking her head a little. "Everytime I try to speak to her about my concerns she just says that I'm overreacting, that imagining things.. You're the first person to ever take me seriously, Caspian, and I love you... But if she doesn't approve of you I... I can't marry you."

Her voice cracked as she spoke, clearly upset about what she was saying. She sniffled, raising a hand to wipe her tears from her eyes quickly before reaching into her pocket to pull out the vial the witch had given her, holding it out to him. "The witch said that this would help.. Take it before you transform, and it'll make you sleep... I-I know it's not a cure, but it's all I have.. You're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like, I won't make you leave if you don't want to." The idea of him leaning was heartbreaking, but she knew it would be painful to have to see him every day if they didn't marry. What if he found someone else? She wanted him to be happy, but she wasn't sure if she could stand seeing him happy and with someone else...

It was clear she was beginning to panic from all the thoughts overwhelming her, trembling as she quickly shoved the vial into his hand before turning to hurry back toward the castle, not wanting to have a panic attack in public.

---

Rainier had been using his magic on the two girls on their walk back, using it to stoke their emotions and the divide between them. With any luck, if he could keep their relationship in shambles then it would be even easier for him to convince Isolde to marry him and take the crown with him. He'd decided to follow Isolde back as well, sensint how upset she was, and finding himself worried about her.

He frowned when he came across her by the fountain, moving to take a seat next to her as he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "It's alright, Isolde.. what's wrong?"

Caspian stood in shock and disbelief for a few moments, holding the little tiny vial in his hand as he watched Amarille run away. He didn't think Isolde had mean to cause any of this, but still. He watched, dumbfounded, until he could no longer see Amarille. When her frame had disappeared into the shadows, he quickly hurried after her.

He caught up to her at the castle, but he remained a few feet away as he followed her into her room, trailing her like a lost puppy. When she stood outside of her bedroom door, he stopped her before she could slip inside and slam the door in his face. "Amarille..." He whispered, holding a firm grip on her arms, turning her towards him. "Please listen to me, my love." He could barely look at her, hating how her body trembled under his touch and the tears that streamed down her face. "Tomorrow, you need to speak with your sister because I do not think she meant for you to feel that she disapproved. She was just upset, just as you are now. Please, listen to me."

Bringing the princess against his chest, he stroked his hand down her head and let her son into his jacket. He pushed her bedroom door open and carried her inside, locking it behind them. "I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving you." If she didn't want to marry as soon as they had originally hoped, then fine. He would wait. He would never leave her.

---

Isolde jumped when she felt him sit next to her, his arm snaking around her shoulders. She hadn't wanted anyone to find her like this, but if someone had, she weirdly preferred it was Rainier. "Am-Amarille hates me and..." Isolde couldn't bring herself to look at the advisor as she spoke, each word bringing more tears to her eyes. She thought about how her sister had called her selfish and irresponsible and though she didn't know why, she felt so guilty and disgusting.

Fidgeting with her hands, Isolde picked at the skin around her nails and tried to contain herself, but it was pointless. "She called m-me a brat and t-told me all I'm ever g-good for is getting her in trouble and being selfish a-and, maybe she's right..." Isolde found it hard to breathe as she cried, gasping between each word as she brought her had up to wipe away her tears. "I j-just missed my sister so much and I-I ruined everything t-tonight..."

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille hurried through the streets, her vision blurry with tears as she rushed away from the forest and back to the castle. She hated herself for hurting both her sister and her love, the image of their heartbroken faces burned into her memory. She'd barely noticed Caspian behind her until he stopped her from going into her room, tensing as he held her firm. She couldn't look at him, instead staring at where his hands held onto her arms, although the tears leaking down her cheeks only blurred her vision, and she only felt worse when he asked her to listen to him.

She finally gave in to her tears when Caspian pulled her into his arms, the princess breaking down into sobs as she fell into his arms, sure that if he hadn't been supporting her her legs would have given out. She clung lightly to his jacket as he lifted her into his arms and carried her inside her room, tucking her face into the crook of his neck as she wept when he promised he wouldn't leave her.

---

Rainier frowned as she spoke, hating how upset she was. While he knew that he needed to fuel the divide between the sisters, he almost didn't want to since he hated seeing her like this. He pulled her closer as she began to explain everything, shaking his head. "Your sister doesn't hate you, Isolde.. You're just two very different people, and she's been put under a lot of stress lately,, with having to become Queen so young and marry. She'll come around, don't you worry." He soothed, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Holding Amarille in his arms, Caspian moved to her bed, gently setting her down before brushing hair from her face. "Please, my love, stop crying," he begged as he pressed soft kisses all over her face. He didn't think there was much he could do to calm her down. "Let me help you undress and then I can run a bath for you. Doesn't that sound relaxing?" His hands rubbed over her shoulders, his eyes scanning over her face. It broke his heart to see her so hurt, especially when there was no immediate way to fix things. All he could do was be there for her.

Running his hands down her back, the prince began to unlace the back of her dress. The dress loosened around her torso and Caspian took her hand, raising her to her feet once more. He pushed the dress down off of her shoulders, letting his hands linger over her smooth skin before watching the dress crumple to the floor. Hesitating before he pulled her back to his chest, Caspian kissed over her shoulders and tightened his arms around her, doing his best to comfort her. "Come on, a nice warm bath always makes me feel better," he whispered against her ear, before he led her into her bathroom.

---

Isolde pressed into Rainiers side when he pulled her close, relaxing into him as she sobbed. "No, she meant what she said," Isolde cried, still hearing her sisters words in her head, telling her to grow up and stop being so spoiled. The princess wrapped her arms around Rainier, hugging him tightly as she hid her face in his jacket. She was embarrassed, crying like a small child in front of him. "She thinks I don't approve of Caspian and I might've just ruined everything for her, the wedding plans, everything. She tried telling me I shouldnt-" Isolde's blood ran cold as she halted her words, blinking away a few tears as she thought about finishing her sentence. Should she tell him that her sister and the prince didn't trust him? Part of her wanted to, because she was hurt and scared and wanted to hear him tell her that she could trust him.

"Did you know Caspian was the monster?" She pulled away from him, her hands still lingering on his chest. "They told me I shouldn't trust you."

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille held onto his shirt even after he'd set her down on her bed, doing her best to stop crying when he told her to, although his kisses only brought fresh tears to her eyes. She didn't deserve him. She'd treated him and her sister horribly over the past few hours, and here he was still trying to care for her when she didn't deserve his kindness. She gave a little nod as he offered to run a bath for her, wiping the tears from her eyes as he began to undo the ties holding her dress on. She stood when he helped her up, tucking her face into his chest as her dress crumpled to the floor, feeling safe as his arms wrapped around her.

"I-I'm sorry.." she finally managed as he led her to the bathroom, holding onto his shirt tightly, as if afraid he'd leave her. Once the bath was filled she tugged at his shirt, looking up at him with eyes red and puffy from crying. "Will.. Will you sit with me?"

---

Rainier held the princess close as she cried, one hand rubbing her back soothingly while the other brushed over her hair. He hated seeing her like this, but he had to make her unhappy now so that one day they'd be happy together. "I'm sure she didn't mean it, Isolde. Your sister is under a lot of stress, I'm surprised she hasn't acted out before this.." he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Being Queen isn't an easy task.. perhaps your sister can't handle the burden of it."

He frowned when she asked if he'd known about Caspian, his frown only deepening when she revealed that they'd said that she shouldn't trust him. He ran a hand through his own hair with a sigh before looking down at her again. "I had my suspicions.. I'd heard rumors from the prince's kingdom about a member of their royal family being a werewolf, but I couldn't be sure until yesterday.. But your sister seems pleased with him, and the council likes him well enough. If whatever cure my mother provided works, there should be nothing to worry about."

"Of course, my love." Caspian nodded, his hands still holding hers tightly. "I'm not going anywhere, I will sit with you all night if you want me to." His thumb ran over her fingers, any small action he could make to comfort her, he would try. Helping her into the warm water, he only let her go when she was sitting comfortably, sinking down into the soapy water. Caspian pulled a chair away from her vanity, dragging it next to the bath so he could still be close to her.

"Just relax, my love, everything will work itself out. I promise." He ran his fingers through her soft hair, using his fingers to gently pull out any tangles or knots that had accumulated during her adventure outside of the castle. The prince felt sick to his stomach, wishing he could beg her to take back her words, to make her promise that she would still marry him, but he knew now wasn't the time. That, and she couldn't have truly meant it. The sisters would speak eventually and hopefully Isolde would explain that she hadn't meant to seem disapproving... He hoped. That's all he could do, hope and be there for her.

---

Isolde felt so frustrated. She was wanted to scream at him, beat her fists against his chest and demand he tell her why, that if even for a moment he believed the prince to be a monster, why then did he allow him close to her sister? Amarille could've gotten hurt, or worse... But she couldn't. She couldn't scream at him, in fear that such an outburst would push him away. If she pushed him away, then who would she have? There was no point in getting upset over something that couldn't be changed.

"Can I trust you, Rainier?" She whispered, her gaze falling to her hands. Isolde couldn't force herself to look up at him, fearful that she would look into his eyes and find him lying to her. Tears streamed down her face, collecting along her jawline before they slowly dropped one at a time, little droplets falling onto her dress.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille sank down into the steaming water slowly, letting herself sink down until her chin touched the surface. She wished the bath would swallow her whole, that she could sink further and further and never come up again. Caspian's fingers running through her hair served as a distraction from her thoughts, however, and she tried her best to do as he said and relax. It was hard, especially knowing he was still being so kind to her after she'd told him she wouldn't marry him. She wanted to marry him, desperately, but the thought of her sister disapproving of him upset her. She couldn't just ignore her only family's judgment, even if Isolde was refusing to listen to her.

She sat perfectly still in the bath until the water grew cold, goosebumps appearing across her skin. She was also exhausted, wanting to curl up in bed and sleep forever, but she couldn't bring herself to move, at least not until Caspian told her to.

---

Rainier could tell she was upset with him, sighing as he rested his forehead against hers when she asked if she could trust him. He moved his hands to cup her cheeks, gently wiping the tears from her eyes with his thumbs. "I hope you can trust me.. I don't mean you any ill will, Isolde. I'd never hurt you. But you're the one who has to give me your trust, you have to make that decision on your own.. of course, I hope you decide to trust me." He explained softly, pressing a tender kiss to her lips before pulling back.

"Come on, let's get you inside where it's warm.'" he murmured, slowly standing with her in his arms.

"Do you want me to wash your hair?" He whispered, focusing solely on how his fingers separated through the strands, brushing down until her hair fell from his hands. His heart was aching and he wanted to cry too, to just start sobbing and break down. If it weren't for the chair holding him up, he would undoubtedly fall to his knees and break. It was that, and the fact that he felt he needed to remain strong for Amarille, because what would it do to her if his expression faltered? If he let even one tear drop down his face?

He couldn't do that to her.

Grabbing an empty basin from the side of the tub, Caspian filled it with her bath water and slowly poured it down over her hair, holding his hand to her forehead to block the water from getting into her eyes. The prince started to humm softly, hoping the gentle melody would help relax her.

---

Isolde felt her heart sink when he answered. That wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. She had wanted him to tell her, yes, she could place his trust in him, but the way he answered... It only helped to louden the doubt in her mind. Still, the way his fingers brushed away her tears felt so calming, and she couldn't help lean into his hands.

Bringing herself to her feet, she held onto his arms, still sniffling away the tears. "Rainier, please, I don't want to be alone. I can't be." The thought of being escorted back to her room and locked away inside all by her lonesome only brought more tears to her eyes.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille gave a little nod when he asked if she wanted him to wash her hair, scooting back a little so that he could more easily wet her hair before leaning back once he began to massage the shampoo into her hair. She tilted her head back in his hands until she could look at him, soothed by his actions and the little tune he was humming. She could tell that he was upset, though, and after a while she reached up to rest her hand against his cheek, gently brushing her fingers along his jaw.

"You're upset.. I'm sorry.. You don't have to pretend, Caspian.. I don't want you to have to pretend." She murmured with a frown, slowly dropping her hand back into her bath.

---

Rainier pressed a kiss to her forehead as he held her close, gently cupping her cheek in his hand. "You can trust me, Isolde. I promise." He murmured before kissing her gently. He bent down and lifted her into his arms, one arm supporting her back while the other supported under her knees. He carried her through the garden and into the castle, managing to avoid any guards or nobles on their way.

Once inside her room he shut the door with his foot, moving her over to her bed before setting her down on the matress. "Don't worry princess, I won't leave you alone." He reassured, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Caspian fell quiet when her hand brushed against his face, her fingers gently tracing along the line of his jaw. He leaned his head into her touch, his eyes gently closing for a moment until she finally pulled away. He slowly opened his eyes, a small frown appeared on his face as he pulled his hands away from her hair.

"I might be a little upset, but it's nothing compared to what you feel." He swallowed around a lump in his throat as he began to rinse the soap from her hair. He was devastated that as far as they stood now, they weren't getting married. While Caspian was almost completely positive that soon the girls would speak and Isolde would give her approval, there was always that minuscule chance that it might not happen, too.

---

Isolde's breath caught in the back of her throat when Rainier kissed her. She felt her face heat up, also not expecting him to pick her up into his arms. Until that point, he had only kissed her hands, or her forehead. Wrapping an arm around over his shoulder, she let out a shaky sigh and brought her other hand up to wipe at her eyes.

Once they were hidden away in her room, and she was sitting comfortably atop her bed, she looked up at him and found herself forgetting to breathe again. Wondering for a moment if she had been bewitched, Isolde felt it was nearly impossible to look away from him. Isolde felt in love and it was terrifying. She reached out for his hands, giving them a light squeeze. "Come sit with me then..." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she crawled back into her bed, trying to get comfortable. "Do you think your mother's potion will help the prince? I... I've never asked her for a potion before."

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille's brows furrowed as he brushed his feelings aside as he began to rinse the soap from her hair. She knew he was more upset than he was letting on, and she knew it was all her fault. Once her hair had been rinsed she turned in the tub to face him, sitting up on her knees so she could be almost at eye level with him as she cupped his cheeks in her hands.

"Caspian.. Caspian, please don't pretend..." She murmured, shoulders slumping as she looked at him worriedly, looking rather heartbroken. "I want to marry you.. You know that, right? And I hate seeing you like this and knowing that it's all my fault.." she brushed her fingers over his cheek, fresh tears leaking down her cheeks. "I love you, and I want to marry you more than anything, I-I just don't know what to do about Isolde.." she sighed, resting her forehead against his in defeat. "I'd marry you tomorrow if I could.. I'd give up the throne for you, we could run away.."

---

Once he'd set down the princess in bed he'd stepped away to take off his jacket and fold it over the back of a chair, looking over at her when she asked him to come sit with her. He nodded, kicking off his boots before moving to sit in bed with her, taking the spot he had earlier in the day.

He hummed a little in thought when she asked about the potion his mother had given Caspian, shrugging as he stifled a yawn. "I'm not sure. It's not a permanent solution, and it will likely work for this next full moon, but after that he'll continue to have to get the potions made for him, and there's always a chance that he will build up a resistance to it and it will no longer work in the long run."

Caspian looked down at Amarille with heartbroken eyes. He hated listening to hear speak this way, talking about running away without telling a soul where they were going. He didn't deny that the idea sounded wonderful, but the two of them had responsibilities. And just the thought of her being ready to leave behind her last living family member, all to live happily somewhere else, with him, free of the crown?

It broke his heart for her. To think about how miserable she had to be inside to be willing to even suggest such a thing.

Reaching up to his face to grab her hands, Caspian gave them a gentle squeeze and sighed. "I know that we will marry. Maybe not as soon as we had hope, but one day I am certain of it. Our future will be bright and we will be grand royals. Please look forward to that day with me?" He couldn't help the frown that still decorated his face as he looked down on her, "I love you, too, my love. More than anything else in this world."

---

Isolde tried distracting herself from her emotions as she unlaced her shoes, pulling them off her feet and tossing them onto the floor. "Has a werewolf ever been cured before?" She feared the answer, worrying that if nothing could be done about Caspian's affliction that sooner or later, she would hear of her sister's grim demise: mauled to death by her beastly lover. She didn't want to even believe that could be a possibility.

Once her shoes were off, she crawled over to sit next to Rainier, opting to lay on her side. Her body felt so heavy and tired after the walk back to the castle from the woods, not to mention how her eyes were burning after such a long cry. Letting out so many emotions had exhausted her and she did her best to try and relax into the bed. Even though she had to fight to keep her eyes open, she didn't want to fall asleep. She rested her hand on Rainiers thing, craving any touch she could get.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille's shoulders slumped as she sat back in the tub in defeat, giving a little nod as she dropped her hands from his cheeks. She could see the heartbreak in his eyes, and she wanted to fix it, to tell him they'd marry as planned and that there was nothing left for them to worry about, but she worried that despite his reassurances that he loved her that he wouldn't accept her apology. That he'd change his mind and leave her for the way she's treated him. And she'd deserve it. She deserved every bit of pain and heartbreak she was feeling for her actions, and she didn't deserve his forgiveness.

The princess remained silent for a long while before she shifted in the bath again, turning her back to him. "I can finish by myself.. It's late, and you should return to your room before someone notices you're gone.." she murmured, reaching for a washcloth to scrub at her skin, although after a few moments it was clear she was scrubbing too hard, her skin red and raw from the course cloth.

---

"You shouldn't worry about things like that, Princess." Rainier murmured as he settled back against the pillows, watching as she made herself comfortable next to her. "I've never heard of a werewolf being cured, but I've never encountered one either, or met anyone who had, so I'm no expert." He explained, gently brushing his fingers through her hair. He could tell how tired she was, and when she rested her hand against his thigh he sighed, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze.

"You need to sleep, Isolde. Tomorrow you'll need to go speak with your sister, sort everything out between the two of you." He needed them to meet in order for his magic to continue to work it's way between them, pushing them further and further apart, and it would work best if they met face to face.

Caspian frowned, feeling defeated when Amarille turned her back to him, effectively trying to shut him out. "Stop, I'm not going anywhere." He repeated, getting on his knees next to the bathtub, watching as she rubbed her skin raw. The prince reached his hand out, grabbing the cloth from her fingers and pulling it from her grasp. Pulling his arm back gently, he let the wash cloth slip into the water, staring attentively at Amarille.

He forced himself to his feet, grabbing a towel from next to the bath, opening it for her. "Come on, let's dry off and get to bed." Lending her his hand, he helped the princess step out of the water, instantly patting over her soaking body. Rubbing the towel down her torso and back, over her legs, Caspian didn't stop until she was no longer dripping. He scrunched the towel through her hair, before grabbing her robe and sliding it over her shoulders. He let his hands linger on her, pulling her close against him. "Don't try to push me out," he breathed against her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

---

Isolde didn't argue with him, but rather let her hand slide up to his chest before tugging gently on his shirt. She scooted closer to her advisor, letting her leg rub gently against his, her hand lying over his chest as she hid in his side. Sometimes she didn't know what to do around him. He was so stern she found herself scared to try and fight against him, or in moments like these, when she wished for nothing more than his touch, she was afraid to ask for it. Even if he had just kissed her moments ago, now felt completely different.

"I'm ...not ready to sleep." She finally spoke, her head resting gently against his side, her arms moving to wrap around his waist. Isolde wanted to lay here and hold him. The princess had finally stopped crying and while her heart still trembled, Rainier was a distraction. She wanted to enjoy this moment.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille remained silent, eyes fixed on the tub or the floor as he helped her out of the water and dried her off. She didn't really care if she went to bed wet, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to sleep anyway. Once her robe had been slipped on and tied around her she leaned into his arms, fresh tears leaking down her cheeks, although she felt too weak to really cry in earnest.

"I've always been alone.. I can't remember the last time I was happy.. Maybe I'm supposed to be that way forever." She murmured into his shirt from where her head rested against his chest. After a few moments she pulled away, moving into her bedroom to get dressed, although she only stared into her wardrobe for a few minutes before turning away, moving to grab a dirty nightgown from her hamper.

---

Rainier let out a sigh as she moved closer to him, wrapping a comforting arm around her, hoping it would help soothe her to sleep. "Well, you should at least try. You look quite tired." He pointed out, pressing a kiss to her forehead. There was no way that he was going to do anything like they had this morning with her now. He didn't like the idea of taking advantage of her like that, even if he was manipulating her into being closer to him.

"I could use my magic to make you fall asleep." He suggested with a small smile, brushing her hair from her face."

Caspian slowly walked out of the bathroom, shrugging his jacket off and letting it fall over one of the chair in the corner. He slipped off his boots and stared at the floor for a moment, trying his hardest to keep a straight face. He was afraid if he so much as frowned, his eyes would start to tear up. Straightening his posture, he watched as Amarille dressed and he slowly tucked his arms by his sides. "I'm sorry, Amarille," he felt a sinking in his throat as he thought about how, truly, this whole situation was his fault. "If I had never of come here, or if I wasn't the way I am, a monster, you wouldn't have been trying to seek out a witch tonight with your sister. I would've never followed you there, I wouldn't have been able to. This whole night would've never happened."

He found himself falling into the chair, slouching down in it as he covered his face with one of his hands. The prince shut his eyes tightly, clenching his jaw to stop it from trembling. His curse again was ruining everything for him. His father and mother had shipped him off to this foreign land to rid themselves and their kingdom of his curse and now, his curse was pushing him farther away from the woman he loved.

---

"Don't use your magic on me," she nudged his side, her brow pulling down in disapproval. The last thing she wanted to think about was him using any sort of magic on her. That was her biggest fear, her emotions not truly being her own. Her head rested on his chest, finding the beating of his heart doing enough to almost help lull her to sleep. "Have you used your magic on me? Ever?" She couldn't help but find herself asking, pulling her head up so she could look at him.

His eyes were shadowed by the darkness of the room, only a bit of light trickling over his jaw and chest that came pouring in from the window. Isolde didn't expect him to tell the truth, knowing that if he answered with anything other than a yes, that she wouldn't believe him. Still, she trailed her fingers over his leg, in gentle circular motions.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille stood perfectly still at the center of the room as she watched him sink into a chair, his words echoing in her ears. He regretted coming here, regretted her. The thought alone made her want to throw up, but the overwhelming dread that accompanied it kept her from expelling the contents of her stomach onto the floor. She'd made him unhappy. She'd ruined their chance at being together and being happy. She'd ruined everything. She panic was too much, feeling like she was being crushed or suffocated, and she dropped to her knees when they finally gave out, fingers gripping uselessly at the floor as she sobbed.

"P-Please.. Please don't.. d-don't leave.." she begged, looking up at him with desperate eyes. "I-I'll do anything, please.. just don't leave me. I'm sorry. I-I'm so, so sorry.. I'll do anything to make you happy again. W-We can marry as soon as possible, whenever you want.. I-I'll let you bed me tonight, however you want just.. just please don't leave me. I can't.. I can't bare it.." she wept, hanging her head in shame. She was convinced that he would leave her, that he wouldn't want her anymore. And as much as she was terrified of that thought, she couldn't blame him. She was nothing special, other than the fact that she was to inherit her father's crown. Without it she was no one.

---

Rainier hummed softly as she snuggled into his arms, closing his eyes triedly as he held her, his fingers brushing through her hair still. "Hm.. I believe there was once when you were a baby. You wouldn't stop crying, and I couldn't get any work done, so I used my magic to get you to sleep.. Other than that, no, I don't think I can recall using my magic on you." He said, for one telling the truth. He rarely used his magic on others in the castle if he could help it, especially since some people could tell that they were being charmed, and the risks were too great.

Before Amarille could utter one more heart wrenching sob, Caspian had came to her bedside, where she was crumpled on the floor. He pulled her up into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. It made him sick to think she was willing to offer him anything to just stay with her, to just not leave. The thought had never crossed his mind in the first place. He'd never leave her.

Pulling her flush against his chest, Caspian brought his hand up to wipe away her tears, silent as he turned towards the bed and jerked the covers down. Helping the crying princess into bed, he slipped in after her, pulling the sheets back up and wrapping her up warmly and tightly in his arms. "I never said I was leaving, now did I?" He whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "We will marry, one day, when you're ready and it'll be a joyous day. I promise." Caspian rested his head against hers, wishing he could do more for her. "Let's get some rest. You'll feel better after some sleep, I'm sure of it."

---

Isolde couldn't help but laugh lightly at the thought, though she wondered if he was telling the truth. She rested her head against his chest once more, unable to deny her eyes from closing, his fingers roaming through her hair lulling her to sleep rather quickly. "Well, keep it that way," she laughed sleepily, her words trailing off as she fell asleep.

---

The next morning, Isolde woke up to a knocking on her door. She frantically shot up in bed, her hands grabbing onto Rainiers arm as she slid from the bed, pulling him with her. She didn't give him any warning or even a second to pull himself from sleep, before she was hiding him away in the bathroom.

"One moment-" she called to the door, shutting the door on Rainier before he could protest even if he wanted to. Isolde turned her bedroom door, her eyes narrowing, rather upset that she had been jolted awake, without even the chance to enjoy Rainiers embrace for a few single seconds. Opening the door, she could see one of her handmaidens, nervously playing with her fingers.

"Your grace, you are needed down in the throne room... There's a ..." the maiden cleared her throat before looking up to Isolde's stare, "a suitor that calls."

The princess felt her stomach instantly fall to her stomach, having expected it to be just a call for breakfast. Her hands began to tremble, and her mouth dried up. "A-A suit-" Calling her terrified would've been an understatement. "I-I will dress myself, Jillian, thank you-" she quickly closed the door, locking it before turning and pressing her back against it. The color had all drained from her face and she looked towards the bathroom door, feeling tears burning her eyes as she felt a sinking feeling in her chest.

@ katahdin

@ dezz

Amarille clung to him just as much as he seemed to cling to her, unable to control her sobs as he helped her into bed. The warmth of his arms and the blankets around them helped soothe her along with his words, and it wasn't long before she was sound asleep, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly, lest he leave her while she was sleeping.

---

When Amarille woke in the morning the first thing she saw was Caspian, the prince still sound asleep, looking at peace. She felt guilty for everything that had happened the night before, and she resolved to fix everything once he woke up. But it was only just after dawn, and they had time to sleep, so she snuggled further into his arms, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck as her arms wrapped loosely around his torso, soon drifting back off into a light sleep.

---

Rainier chuckled softly as the princess finally drifted off to sleep, and he too soon found himself falling asleep, trapped beneath her. He had a restful sleep, and would have enjoyed sleeping in, but Isolde suddenly pulling him out of bed and shoving him into her bathroom was not how he had wanted to wake up. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he stood by the door, listening closely to whoever it was that had woken them.

A deep frown appeared on his lips when he heard that there was a suitor calling upon the princess, clenching his fists in anger. He hadn't been informed of any such decision, and he'd strangle the man who had decided to invite this suitor here. Amarille hadn't even married yet, now was not the time to be marrying her sister too, nevermind his own feelings for her. Stepping out of the bathroom once he was sure the maid was gone he frowned when he saw how devastated Isolde was, stepping over to her to pull her into his arms.

"It'll be alright, princess.. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise." He tried to reassure her, already trying to come up with ideas to get rid of whoever it was that was waiting for her.

Caspian stirred not long after, flinching slightly as his eyes opened. Upon waking up, he had forgotten where he had fallen asleep, hoping last night's events had been nothing but a nightmare. To his dismay, he remembered falling asleep in Amarille's bed, remembering everything that happened last night. Peering down at the sleeping princess at his side, Caspian still smiled, brushing a bit of hair away from her face.

"Amarille?" He whispered, his hand running up her side to his shoulder, gently shaking her awake. He hoped she felt at least a little better, hoping there would be no more tears today. "Good morning," he smiled, nudging her awake, his nose bumping hers as he leaned in to kiss her gently.

---

Isolde couldn't hold back the tears, especially when Rainier took her into his arms. "Rainier," she hid her face in his chest, wanting to hide the tears silently streaming down her face. The princess was terrified for many different reasons. Amarille had been lucky to have been granted such a sweet prince, Isolde wasn't sure she'd share the same luck. He could be a monster, or a disgusting pig or just a cold, heartless shell.

Despite all of that, she loved Rainier. She froze in his arms, feeling her heart stop at the sudden realization. If she was forced to marry, she could never be with him. Ever. That was also terrifying because what if he didn't feel the same? Hesitating, she contemplated saying anything. "You have to, you have to keep your promise because," she stopped again, pressing her face harder against him, muffling her voice, "because I love you and I can't marry some snotty prince!"

@ katahdin