i need that fire just to know that i'm awake

butter_cup · Mar 14th 2019

Madison watched James shoot his arrow with a smile, her brown eyes twinkling in excitement and giving her an angelic look. She couldn’t help but to watch him closely, to take in the way his muscles ripples under his clothing, or the way his brows furrowed tightly in confusion and made an expression appear on his face that she found so attractive. She hated herself for it. Here she was about to marry her fiancée Luke and she was still in love with her guard. She couldn’t help it though. Madison has always been interested in James, ever since he first arrived to guard her life. She could remember vividly their first encounter, how her heart has speeded up at the mere sight of him. He drove her mad. His smile, his eyes, his hair. She loved it all. Some may say that she was evil for marrying a man she did not one hundred percent love but she had no choice. Not once did James ever make any indication that he shared the same feelings she had for him. It couldn’t be because he was worried her father wouldn’t approve of him because he was her guard. In fact her father would probably have wanted him to be her first choice. Who better than the one person you know you can trust with your only daughter’s life? Therefore it had to be because he only saw her as a best friend and nothing more so she needed to move on. Nine months ago she met Luke and he was handsome and charming and won her over. She truly did love him, she just knew that a part of her would always love James more but she knew that she could genuinely be happy with Luke, and was truthfully excited for their wedding.

At his words the young princess scoffed. She would just have to show him. This was their attitude towards one another ninety nine percent of the time. Lively and fun, Madison wouldn’t have it any other way either. However, one thing about Madison is that she was insanely competitive. Maybe it was just the lessons about becoming queen one day engraved into her mind but she didn’t like to lose. She suppose this mentality would help her immensely if she were to ever go to war as queen in the future but for right now her only problems were fighting her on going love for two men.

Stepping forward to get into the right position for shooting her arrow she reached behind her and grabbed one of the many she had strapped on to her. Lining it up with the string of the bow she pulled back the string to her face like James had taught her. Before she could shoot it she felt James’ presence behind her. Madison tried her best to focus solely on the target but it was hard when he was so close to her. Her rosy lips parted slightly, and she forced her eyes to stay focused on the bullseye target in front of her. When he stepped away she felt herself breath just a bit better. It hardly helped though. She could still feel his touch, and took in his smell of pine. It was nice, it gave her a sense of home. Shaking her head slightly, her thick hair black hair shaking in the process, she narrowed her eyes in concentration. She wasn’t about to miss her target and let him have free bragging rights. Lining up her arrow to the target, she let out a soft breath before releasing the bow. She anxiously watched as it flew before lodging itself right next to James’ arrow. A cocky smile lifted her lips and she turned to look at him, shrugging as if it was the easiest thing in the world and wasn’t that big a deal though they both knew differently. As she dusted off her dress a shocked gasp mixed with a laugh left her at his next words, her hand raising to hit him playfully in the shoulder. “Oh hush! You know I’m just as good, if not better, as you.” She stated, moving to reach for another arrow before she was cut off at him asking if she wished to work on her combat skills. The princess paused, a knowing look crossing over her gorgeous face and she looked at him with a raised brow. Surely he already knew the answer to that. Madison was not at all a fan of hand to hand combat. She much preferred her bow and arrow but of course that wasn’t enough for James. He believed that it would be good for her to know both archery, sword fighting, and hand to hand combat. Did he not see that she was not that physically strong at all? She had a personal guard for a reason after all.

Shaking her head she looked up towards the sky, the sun beating down on her and giving her a warm glow. “No I do not wish to go on to combat. Why can’t we just stay here and practice some more with archery? I don’t see a point to moving on to a new lesson when we only have thirty minutes and it wouldn’t be good for me to go to my music lesson while I’m tired from sword fighting.” Of course this was just her way of trying to get herself out of this but knowing James and how serious she was about her knowing how to protect herself if he was not around she didn’t think he would fall for her plan that easily. Still it was worth a shot.

(c)trexgirl

-ghost- · Mar 14th 2019

james zachary carbon//twenty two//royal guard

Any other day, James would not have let her get away with such a poor excuse. But for some reason, he decided to let it slide. One day without combat training wouldn't hurt, would it?

"Alright then." He said as he went to pick his bow up once more. "But just know that this means tomorrow morning we will be doing extra training and it will not be archery."
He knew she would find his words cruel, but he was simply a strict teacher. He needed to be harsh on her because one day she would be queen and the world was an ugly place. It was unfair and filled with death that did not discriminate. He simply wanted to prepare her for that.

But for now, on that warm summer morning, he decided that a little extra fun wouldn't hurt in the grand scheme of things.

"It is my turn." He said with that teasing smile of his as he walked past her.

He shot another arrow, this one landing above where hers had hit. It was almost like a reflex at this point and wasn't much of a game since it wasn't challenging. But it wasn't for him, it was for Madison.

Lowering his bow, he inclined his head toward Madison. She was smiling at him the same smile that took his breath away every time. Even after all of these years she still managed to make his heart skip a beat just by being close to him.

He first met her when she was nine and he was twelve. They were introduced upon his arrival and quickly became playmates. They would pretend sword fight and slay dragons and, when she had managed to convince him, they would play dolls. But as they grew older, and Madison filled in her dresses a bit more, James finally took notice. She stopped carrying around her doll and picked up reading poetry. Her mind expanded, as did her intellect. She became curvy and mature. She was becoming a woman and once they were teenagers, he thought about confessing his love to her. But then he decided against it on the account that he did not wish to complicate things. They were friends, but if they became something more it would only put her in more danger.

So he opted out of it and instead turned to fill the hole in his chest and the space in his bed with another woman. Her name was Wilma Dean. She was sixteen to his seventeen. They were young and dumb and thought that what they had was love. He still cared for her, dare say he may have loved her, but they were not in love like he was with Madison. Wilma could tell that when he looked at her he saw another woman and she cut him off. Ever since then, he had slept alone.

Madison never showed any interest after that and eventually found Luke. His legacy was pure and his loyalty to the crown was unquestioned. He thought he would make a good husband for Madison - they seemed to care deeply about one another. So now he was content with just their friendship and he assumed she felt the same. But when they looked at each other, it wasn't the way 'just friends' exchanged a glance. It seemed to be much more - multiple emotions swimming beneath the surface.

"Your turn." He said wearily - trying to dismiss such thoughts. They did him no good. What was done, was done. Madison and Luke were having their wedding tomorrow evening - hence the celebration that night. It was too late for anyone to be changing their minds.

As he stepped aside, he watched as her delicate frame shifted when she pulled the arrow back - her expression keen and her lips twisted in concentration.

He couldn't stop thinking about how lucky of a man Luke was.

butter_cup · Mar 14th 2019

Madison’s jaw nearly dropped at his words. She should have seen this coming from as long as she knew the man. Already she could feel the exhaustion that would become of her tomorrow morning which was completely unfair considering the fact that she was getting married that following evening. She needed to be as energetic as possible for her big night. Madison really was excited for what was to happen. She may not love Luke as she did James but she had always dreamt of her wedding. Ever since she was child she knew what her wedding would be like. Reading all of those fairytale stories at a young age, and hearing their father talk about her mother and their love made Madison into a helpless romantic. She already had a dress she was going to wear picked out, how she wanted her hair, what flowers she would be holding as she walked down the aisle and so on. She knew that it was a life long ordeal and that once she married Luke there was no second chances unless he died which she surely did not want to happen. He was a good, kind hearted man. He would be a good king, her father told her that after Luke left the day she told them they were courting one another. A part of her wondered if her father knew about her attraction towards James. More than likely not. Knowing him he would have said something to her about it. There was no way her father would let her spend the rest of her life with the man she loved, versus the man she was in love with without saying something first.

She watched as yet another arrow one of his arrows hit the mark perfectly and she mockingly clapped. As if they both didn’t know that would happen. He was the one reaching her here after all. A warm smiled lifted her lips though and she found herself staring at him, and him staring at her. It made her cheeks warm a bit and if anyone else were to be around they would be able to see that they weren’t just friends from this one glance at each other. The way he looked at her warmed her very being and made her heart beat faster. Whenever she looked at him all she could see was how happy she would be if he loved her. She could picture their wedding. It wouldnt be anything like the one she was having with Luke. James wasn’t a materialistic man and preferred life to be more simpler put for lack of a better phrase, Madison knew that he would want their wedding to be small and intermediated. Probably in her garden as well. She would want to recite her own vows and she would go all the way back to when they were just young children. How she had instantly developed a school girl crush on him when she was nine, how her feelings for him evolved rapidly over the years, and how she had been nervous to admit her feelings for him. Sucking in a breath she realized that maybe she would have admitted her feelings by now if it hadn’t been for him courting Wilma Dean a few years back. She had been fifteen to his seventeen at the time and seeing them together nearly broke her heart and reinforced in her mind that he did not love her as she did him. She managed to live with it by reminding herself that while they may not be lovers they were still best friends and that she knew that she could trust him with her life.

When he spoke she cleared her throat softly. “Right.“ She agreed, moving to walk past him. What was she doing? She was getting married tomorrow night and here she was imagining marrying another man. It was wrong and for a moment she wanted to call everything off and apologize to Luke for leading him on like this. She shook those thoughts out of her head. She wasn’t leading him on. She truly did love him. Just not in love with him. Madison shot another arrow, it lodging right into bullseye once more and a she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. She never smiled more than when she was with James, that was a fact. Turning to look at him she tilted her head, her brow raising in question. “So. Are you planning on bringing a date to my wedding? I haven’t seen you with anyone since Wilma.” Perhaps it was weird trying to convince the man she loved to find another but she wanted him to be happy. Even if that happiness was with another woman.

(c)trexgirl

-ghost- · Mar 15th 2019

james zachary carbon//twenty two//royal guard

James lowered his head in a bashful manner when she asked her question. He hadn't expected her to ask such a thing. It was such a weighted question to him, but he figured that she only saw it as friendly. In that case, he figured he could answer her in a friendly manner.

"Oh, Madion, darling." He chastised in a mocking manner as he grinned up at her. He knew it annoyed her when he spoke to her like that, but he thought he would try to lift the awkwardness that had settled around them.

"You would know if I was courting someone." James said in a voice as smooth as honey. He then set aside his bow and arrow and took a few steps toward her. His eyes watched her careful. A breeze caused her hair to dance and her neck was exposed. He imagined kissing her neck, but then he averted his gaze.

"I would ask her to dance with me. I would hold her close and we would dance until our feet could no longer hold us. And if even then she wished to keep dancing, I would know she is the one."

He wondered if she understood his reference. When Madison was younger, around fourteen or fifteen, she began to read James poetry. He did not take classes as she did and so they often did not make sense to him, but one had stuck with him. It was a poem by Karshan who was rather famous in Quoar. It was his favorite to hear her read. Once he had it memorized, he began to focus more on the lilt in her voice than the actual words. He thought that the reason he liked it was because it wasn't exactly a poem, but rather something Karshan wrote about a princess that lived centuries ago when he was still alive.

"how beauty is measured / by the color of her lips / by the curls in her hair / by the way she can kiss / is but a way to measure the illusion of it all / the real beauty, in question, is far more / it is the way she looks at you / the words she speaks / the way you look at her too / if you are yearning / ask her to dance / if she is to say yes / then you will dance until the sun sets / and your legs shake / and your eyes lock / and your smiles shine enough to bring back the day / and if she wishes to keep dancing / until the sun rises once again / then bend down on one knee / and ask for eternity."

James spoke the end of the poem aloud, just in case she needed her memory to be jogged. He spoke slowly, slow enough to give the poem more emotion. While he spoke, he gazed at her with icy blue eyes. She smiled warmly and in that moment he felt as if they were the only ones in the universe. Their titles, their responsibilities, the wedding... It all faded away.

Something came over him in that moment and he began to move toward her with purpose. He took her hand in his and decided that he wanted to ruin their friendship. He wanted to be her lover instead of Luke. He knew that she cared deeply for her fiance, but he had hope that possibly, deep down, she felt the same for him. If he were only to kiss her, then perhaps she would feel the same spark. He was willing to take that chance, even if it ruined everything.

He looked into her eyes and found it incredibly hard to figure out what she imagined of him. He would kill to know how she saw him through her eyes.

His knuckles brushed her cheek as he searched her eyes. And just as he leaned forward, only slightly, she convulsed and fell the the ground.

"Madison!" He cried out and fell to his knees beside her. Her eyes were glazed over, as if her body was now an empty husk. Fear coursed through his veins as he lifted her head in his hands.

"Madison." His voice was strangled as he spoke, but she did not stir.

It was then that he cried for help. Guards came running immediately. James watched Madison - feeling helpless, as if he had failed to keep her safe.

//so yeah this is where she sees the vision, sorry if i powerplayed a bit//

butter_cup · Mar 15th 2019

Madison watched him, her eyes rolling slightly at the tone of voice he was using. He knew she hated when he used it. Not because it was annoying, or because there was some secret joke to it, but because whenever he used it she practically melted. Her heart beat faster and she just imagined him using it all night long while they made love. Not that he knew that of course. Such a ting would ruin their friendship and she couldn’t have that. James was her best friend and the idea of losing him frightened her to no possible end. As much as she wanted to take the risk and to admit her love for him it was a risk she was unwilling to take. Despite how much it would pain her to be wed to another. Her cheeks started to burn in a pinkish blush when he continued on, bringing up one of her favorite poems with him. She absolutely loved that poem. She wanted someone to feel the same way about her as Karshan thought about the princess in the story. Madison dropped her bow slightly and stood there staring at him her lips moving into a warm smile. When he moved forward and grabbed her hand she had the urge to raise his palm and press a sweet kiss to it but instead fought those urges and kept their inter joined hands in front of her. She saw him moving in and for a split moment she thought he was going to kiss her, something she had dreamt of for years. They would not get that chance today though. Out of no where and like a relay horse something hit her. It was a vision of sorts and it was absolutely terrifying. There was blood everywhere, staining her hands, staining the floor, staining her dress. She could see her father, Luke, and James but she couldn’t move, she couldn’t reach them. It was like some invisible force was trapping her in place and wouldn’t let her go and mentally she reached her hands out towards them. Her father and Luke were both covered in blood, her father’s eyes life less. James was the only one who seemed untouched in this moment. She could hear the screams of pain and the cries for help and it broke her heart. She felt trapped and claustrophobic. She felt her energy dwindling slowly from her body as more and more images hit her. She didn’t even know where she was, or this vision was even real. Whatever it was it was completely draining to her both mentally and physically. Just as James was getting closer to kissing her, something that her mind had completely blocked out Madison felt her grip on his hand loosen, and her eyes start to close and just like that she fainted. Her body fell to the ground like a life less doll. She didn’t move, she didn’t speak. If one looked closely they may even say that she looked like a famous story book princess named ‘Sleeping Beauty’. She was so out of it that she didn’t hear James screaming her name and for help, nor did she feel it when guards came to figure out what happened. One of them lifted her up off the ground and began to carry her back to her sleeping chambers. Someone even notified Luke, who had came a bit earlier in order to surprise her of what happened and where she was now.

(c)trexgirl

-ghost- · Mar 17th 2019

luke kevin webber//twenty three//fiance to the princess

Luke knelt beside Madison's bed with his hand on hers. She was sound asleep, as she had been for half an hour now. She had woken for a moment after she fainted and mumbled a few incoherent words, one of which had been her royal guard's name. She then passed out again and was placed onto her bed. She now snored softly, hardly stirring. She looked almost peaceful.

The physician had looked her over, but told them that he would return once she was awake. He told them that for now, she seemed perfectly fine and had simply fainted. There were multiple reasons she could have fainted. Exhaustion, fright, dizziness from the heat... All of which caused Luke to eye her guard, James, warily. He truly believed that he was working her too hard with the training every morning. The guard stood outside of her chambers since she was brought inside and had not left since.

Luke watched his love with careful eyes, as if studying her. She was beautiful beyond words - both her body and her mind. He could remember the moment he had fallen in love with both.

She had been in the courtyard, down by the creek. She was picking up stones and holding them up to the light. He soon realized that she was collecting them. She was wearing a deep red dress and her hair was pulled back with flowers braided into it. Luke had been visiting the palace with his father to conduct business. When Luke felt he needed the fresh air, he didn't realize he would be approaching a beautiful woman sitting on the bank. At the time, he had no idea she was the princess. He introduced himself by pointing at a stone and telling her that the deep golden one matched her eyes. She then held up one that was a deep citrine shade and told him that it matched his. Months later, he had that same stone welded into his sword. He sat with her on the bank and they talked for what seemed like hours. It felt comfortable, talking to her. And as they continued to meet, the passion grew. And after almost nine months of being lovers, he proposed to her. Now their wedding was tomorrow evening. He could not be happier. He wondered if her nervousness caused her to faint. Did she have cold feet? He hoped not, but he understood if she did.

At last, the princess stirred and her eyes flew open - a gasp escaping from her lips. Her once peaceful expression was now gone and replaced by one of pure shock. The look in her eyes told him that she had been having a bad dream and thought that she was still experiencing it.

Luke lifted his arms to grab hers as he tried to make eye contact with her. "Maddie. You're alright. Maddie, look at me."

Finally, Madison caught his gaze in hers and the tension in her muscles relaxed. Though she still looked at him as if she were seeing a ghost.

Lifting his hand, he brushed his knuckles against her soft, ivory cheek. He then smiled gently and told her, "I'm here. There is no need to be afraid."

After only a split second, Madison was smiling back at him. Though her expression was still haunted.

Moving to hold her hand again, Luke glanced down at the ring he had given her. It had been his mother's before she passed away of consumption when he was an infant. Though he was never able to meet her, he knew that she would be smiling down at him on their wedding day.

He sensed her cringe at this, so he furrowed his brow and glanced up at her. "Talk to me, Maddie."

He had always called her Maddie. He felt as if Madison were too formal. He liked to think that they were closer than that, as if she could trust him with anything.

"They say you fainted. I was worried about you, so I have stayed at your bedside since they brought you back to your chambers. I was notified right away, of course.

Of course he was. He was meant to wed their next queen and rule beside her. If anything were to happen to her...

"You can tell me anything. I promise I won't laugh or judge." His words were soft and full of emotion. He meant what he said.

His hand gripped hers, as if afraid that she would slip away again if he let go.

"Has James been working you too hard?" He knew that he was not just her guard, but her best friend. Still, he didn't like the way he looked at her. As if he wanted them to be more than friends. Anyone could see it.

unknown

Deep in the Surnak Mountains, a man lay on a stone covered in tribal symbols and frost. The man was well-toned and muscular, his skin blemished by scars and tattoos. His sun-kissed skin was almost a pale gray and he lay motionless, as if he were a corpse. Frost covered his still form and in that moment, in the dimly lit cave, there was complete silence except for the soft flurry of snow that entered the cave.

The silence was then broken as the man sat up and inhaled deeply, as if he had not tasted the fresh air for centuries. His eyes were open, but he did not see the cave wall. He saw a young woman clad in armor. Her long, dark tendrils of hair danced in the breeze as if they were alive. She was coated in blood - the bottom of her sword, the tips of her hair, her hands... They were a deep scarlet color. The blood was still wet and warm around her sword as she plunged it into the chest of a young man. His hair was a dark, cinnamon color and his pale green eyes were staring up at her as he asked her why. Her lips were a thin line, but there was a ghost of a smile on her lips. As she slid the blade out of his chest and he fell limp to the floor, she turned to look at the man. Cinnabar droplets fell from her sword and melted into the pool of blood at her feet. Her ivory-colored skin was stained haemetic as she lifted her hand holding the sword. But when he looked at the item in her grip, it was a white rose. He then looked back toward the woman and her armor had turned into a pure white dress. The body and the blood were gone. She wore a crown with blood-colored jewels. She did not smile, she did not speak. There was no fear in her gaze. She simply mouthed the words that he needed to know.

The man was fully awake, his vision gone. He was gasping for breath, his entire body numb from the cold. He fell from the stone and crawled toward the entrance of the cave. He croaked out the ancient words of healing, "sanam efit: aterra etnon, influ untper artu, sutur calorn inso litus."

He was then breathing more smoothly and was able to stand. He then gazed into the mountain range and said, "She has woken."

butter_cup · Mar 17th 2019

Even in sleep the princess could not catch a break. Her nightmares still haunted her there was well as if haunting her while she was awake were not enough. This time it was a bit more nerve wracking. She was surrounded by darkness and her dream self kept trying to run but every time she would turn around there would be another body, looking as if the person had been brutally killed. She saw people she knew such as Luke and her father, and others she never met before in her life. The one that hurt her the most was when she saw a little boy, no older than nine years old who looked as if he had been stabbed through the chest with a sword. His eyes had been glazed over, there were tear tracks down his face and staining his cheeks. He was wearing a tunic and pants that were both the color of green but had been stained by the boy’s blood. He had continuously reached out to her as if she could help him and she did want to but she did not even know who this boy was. If he was still alive she wouldn’t even know where to begin looking. It seemed like hours and hours before she woke up and when she finally did it was not pretty. Her eyes shot open and her pink lips parted and started gasping as if she were struggling for air. For a moment she couldn’t recognize that she was awake and therefore not in that horrible nightmare anymore. She felt hands grasping her arms as if trying to hold her down, her name faintly reaching her mind in the back of her head. Her warm brown eyes searched around for a moment before they landed on Luke. Her body relaxed into his grip but her mind didn’t. She couldn’t get the sight of him dead and covered in blood out of her mind. It was like looking at a ghost. Someone who by your definition should be dead but was yet still alive in some way. She felt his hand brush against her cheek and she lifted one of her own to grasp his. Her lips lifted up into a smile. She was trying to down play this whole ordeal. The princess wasn’t sure if she should tell anyone what really happened. She didn’t want to be accused of being a demon or a witch. She didn’t even have any clue where these visions were coming from. Madison had never experienced them before and now that she had she wanted to know why. When her eyes spotted Luke looking at her engagement ring Madison nearly cringed. She had almost kissed someone else not to long ago and here he was anxiously worrying to see if she was alright. Madison wished that she loved him as much as he loved her. He deserved something that she knew she couldn’t give to him. When James was brought up and Luke asked if the man was working her to hard the princess instantly went to her best friend’s defense. She moved to sit up some more, leaning back against her head board. “No, Luke. James would never hurt me like that.” In fact there were countless times growing up where Madison would want to continue with a lesson and James would flat out deny her because he would see that she was starting to grow tired. She knew that James could hear them and it made her wonder what he was thinking during all of this. She would need to speak to him soon about it. Lifting her free hand up she gently placed it against Luke’s cheek. Leaning forwards she kissed the man. It was just a sweet and gentle kiss and didn’t last for more than five seconds before she was pulling back. She looked at him with faint adoration in her eyes. “Thank you for staying with me for so long, Luke. I know I scared you and I’m sorry. I promise you that it wasn’t James fault, I just nervous for tomorrow and I think it all just caught me at once and I fainted on the spot.” She could see the worry flashing before his eyes and she instantly moved to calm him down. “Don’t think that my nerves mean I don’t want to marry you. I love you, and I can’t wait for our wedding tomorrow.”

(c)trexgirl

-ghost- · Mar 17th 2019

luke kevin webber//twenty three//fiance to the princess

Luke smiled warily at her words, still unsure if she was well. Though she seemed fine now and he let out a slow, relieved sigh.

"I love you too." He said, leaning forward to kiss her again. It was a quick peck to return hers from moments before.

"And I cannot wait for you to become my wife and I, your husband." He placed his hands on her face and gazed deeply into her dark brown eyes with his pale green ones. He loved her deeply and with all of his heart.

The male then leaned forward and kissed her again; this one slow and filled with potential lust. They had never made love, though he had often wanted to. Though they were able, he respected Madison's wishes to wait until they were married. Still, a man could hope. Their wedding was tomorrow, after all.

As he pulled back, he smiled broadly before wrapping his arms around her. He hugged her close before using his strength to pick her up from the bed and spin her around. He relished in her laughter before setting her down.

He then leaned forward and kissed her again; slow, delicate, his tongue tracing her teeth.

He imagined himself stripping her down and making love to her, but quickly dismissed such thoughts. No matter how tempting she was, he must respect her wishes.

He looked at her then and decided he could wait, just for her.

"Are you well enough to come to the celebration tonight? The people would understand if you did not show." He knew the party was for both of them, but if she were not feeling well then he was sure everyone, including himself, would understand. He did hope that she would come, though. It would be his last time to see her before their wedding ceremony.

She turned away instead of answering and his worry grew once more. He moved forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Speak to me, Maddie."

He was sure of it now. She was worried over more than just her fainting spell or even their wedding. His curiosity, the suspense, were both killing him.

//sorry this one is so short, the next will be much longer//

butter_cup · Mar 17th 2019

Madison smiled warmly at his words. Though she knew that she would probably always love James, she knew she loved Luke as well and she whole heartedly believes that she could be happ with him. When he kissed her again, this one much more passionate and on the sexual side she found herself lifting a hand to grip the back of his neck. Madison knew that Luke wanted to make love to her for a few months now and a part of her wanted to as well, but she had always grown up with the idology that a woman should wait until marriage before giving up her virginity. Their wedding was tomorrow. She saw no reason why they couldn’t wait one more day. She knew that they could, that she would not be in any trouble if they did since they were engaged but it was just her view point on things. A loud fit of laughter left her, her hands gripping him tightly as she was spun around. She still kept her grip on him even after he set her on the ground. She smiled at him lovingly, her fingers gently rubbing the back of his neck. She returned his next kiss with just as much love. She couldn’t help the small part of her that wanted to keep this going, to cross the border line and make love to him but almost instantly her brain reminded her that James was just outside the door. Now she wasn’t really sure what to make of that almost kiss not to long ago but she didn’t think it would be fair for him to have to hear that, and it would go against her beliefs. Pulling apart from him she felt her stomach sink when he asked her about the celebration tonight for them. She knew she should be happy, that she should be bouncing around with joy because this was for her wedding. Maybe it was just now hitting her that this was the real deal. There was no more ‘our wedding is coming up soon’. Now it was ‘our wedding is tomorrow’. It was kind of scary knowing that once they were married there was no changing it. There was no such thing as divorce. Madison was afraid that if she married Luke that one day she would realize her mistake and that she would regret marrying him without ever confessing her feelings to James to see how he felt about her. Turning away from her fiancée she walked towards her balcony. Pushing open the doors, the cool breeze doing nothing to help her nerves. She placed her hands on the railing. Moments later she felt Luke’s arms around her waist. She instinctively leaned back into him. “It’s not the celebration itself, Luke. I just can’t shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen tonight.” Rather that was someone dying, or her confessing her feelings to James. If he shared her feelings she would have no choice but to be honest with Luke and fall off the wedding. If he did not she would be absolutely heartbroken. Maybe it was worth the risk. To give herself peace of mind.

(c)trexgirl

-ghost- · Mar 19th 2019

luke kevin webber//twenty three//fiance to the princess

Luke was considerably taller than Madison, so he was able to place his chin atop her head. He let out a small, soft chuckle at her words.

"That's just your nerves talking, Maddie." Luke said as he pulled her closer to him. She leaned into it and he smiled. He hoped that just holding her like this would calm her down.

As they grew quiet once more, Luke took to watching the sky. The sun was setting over the horizon - burning a bright shade of jacinthe. The sky was scarlet and yellows and lilac. It was beautiful.

Madison then turned to face him again, but he kept his arms around her waist. She was leaned against the railing and the sunlight seemed to shine through her - creating an orange halo above her head. She almost looked like she was made of sunlight. She was beautiful.

"I adore you." He said fondly to her before moving a dark tendril of hair from her face.

Leaning forward, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead and told her, "I will leave you to get ready. The celebration will be starting soon."

With one last adoring gaze in her direction, he left.

//i'm so sorry this is short, the next one will be longer

its just rushed and i just didn't have much to write until they got to the party//

butter_cup · Mar 19th 2019

Timeskip to the party?

-ghost- · Mar 19th 2019

yeah that works! madison could have some sort of grand entrance

butter_cup · Mar 19th 2019

After Luke left her alone to get ready Madison stayed standing on her balcony for a while. She thought about his words. Perhaps he was right and it was just her nerves messing with her and her mind was imagining the worst possible things that could happen. At least she prayed that’s what it was. Instead she focused on tonight’s celebration and how much fun she could have but even then her mind drifted towards James and their almost kiss. Why couldn’t life just be simpler? Now she was starting to see what everyone meant when they said that a royal could never be completely happy. She wondered if it was to late to admit her feelings to James. They almost kissed earlier so maybe, just maybe he had feelings for her. If so she would have no choice but to call off the wedding. She knew that it would disappoint a lot of people who came out simply for her and Luke’s big day but she couldn’t spend the rest of her life with a man she simply loved when she could be with the man she was in love with.

Gripping the metal bar tightly between her fingers, Madison looked up towards the sky and let out a stressed sigh. Her face was the epitome of conflicted. Silently she wondered if this was how her father felt years ago when he fell in love with her mother. He always told her stories about how he was engaged to a woman named Catherine but then he met Madison’s mother Viola and married her instead. She contemplated talking to the king and seeing what he said about her predicament. Madison knew that he only wanted her to be happy so if that meant he had to call the wedding off last minute she knew he would do so. She was lucky to have such a loving man as her father.

Before long she heard a knock against her door. Turning away from the balcony she sucked in a breath and forced a happy smile on her lips. “Come in!” She called out to whoever it was. More than likely it was ether James, or some servants coming to help her get ready. When the door opened she found out that it was the former. A servant by the name of Annabelle, waltzed in followed by a few others. Annabella and Madison weren’t best friends like James and Madison were but the princess considered the woman a friend. As soon as the three women were fully into the room they all went to work on getting the princess prepared for tonight. A nice rose bath to make sure she was clean, her hair even washed with essential oils. When that was finished they worked on her hair. It was delicately places into a large braid with two roses on either side of her head, not to far off from how it looked the first time she ever met Luke. She thought it was a nice touch. But her favorite part of this whole process was the dress she was going to be wearing. It was black with jewels embedded around the waist, with long sleeves. The material was soft to the touch and the color stood out nicely against her warm skin. She looked beautiful. Madison just hoped that Jam- Luke liked it. After all what woman didn’t want to impress her soon to be husband? She had picked the hairstyle and the dress out all for him to begin with. Tonight, she decided, was going to be about having fun. She was going to be happy and that was that. She deserved to be happy.

As she walked towards the top of the grand staircase she took a moment to close her eyes and pray to god that nothing bad happened like in those terrifying visions she saw. Madison could hear the noise from all the people in the ballroom. Some of whom she didn’t even know. A lot of these people were invited to the wedding for political reasons. They couldn’t not invite someone and feel as if they were being disrespected. One of the most important things as ruler was to have alliances. The more alliances you had the more power you had. If your country went to war you needed alliances in order to help you. So while Madison would rather have a small intimate wedding that wasn’t really possible because of who she was.

She stood outside the closed door. There were two guards on either side of the door waiting to open it for her for when her name was called. Madison took the last few moments to brush off her dress and make sure everything was in place. She stood up straight and put a smile on to her lips. Madison heard her name being announced and she couldn’t help but to chuckled softly. The long title for her was a bit much she believed but that’s how it was for all royals. The guards opened the door and if flew wide open to reveal Madison in all of her glory. As she made her way down the stairs she looked around. On one side of the room she saw James and for a moment their gazed locked and she smiled softly before tearing away in order to find Luke who was on the other side.

(c)trexgirl

-ghost- · Mar 19th 2019

james zachary carbon//twenty two//royal guard

James had been standing near the refreshment table just staring at the food and hoping that no one would try to talk to him. Not that anyone would, really. He wasn't anyone of high regard.

It was then that he noticed the light buzz of chatter seemed to quiet and the room grew still. He looked up as Madison's full title was announced, as did everyone else. The princess then descended down the stairs and James watched in awe at her grace. He could have sworn that she was a goddess walking among them.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, everyone continued to stare at her. Not because she was the bride to be, but because they had heard about her fainting spell. It was being talked about all night.

Quickly, James moved to stand beside her. He looped her arm in his and walked her through the crowd of people. Soon after they all went back to chatting with one another and the buzz started up again.

"You're welcome." He whispered to her, referring to his dashing rescue.

A few people kept their eyes on her, people who represented the royal families of the other kingdoms. One or two actual members of the royal families had arrived. They were all very eager to meet the princess.

As they reached the center of the crowd, James turned to her and spoke in a hushed voice, "I don't mean to alarm you further, as I do not wish for you to faint again, but your uncle Darren is here."

Using his head, he motioned toward where the king sat on his throne. His brother stood beside him. The two were speaking quickly, only pausing to laugh at some sort of joke. They looked similar, but also very different. One could tell which had the heart of gold.

"Don't worry about Darren. Your father trusts him and he is a wise man. I'm sure he will leave shortly after your wedding." James could not keep his eyes off of her uncle, though. Beside him stood his regal hound named Grey - standing very still but looking like he was ready to attack. Which didn't make much sense considering he wasn't gray at all. Still, he was convinced that his dog was the only family member of his he truly liked.

"He really only cares for Grey, so I'm not sure why he is here. Most likely for appearances." James mused about this, but couldn't help the awful feeling of dread he had.

"Speaking of loyal dogs, where is your fiance?" He glanced around as if to look for him before smiling toward Madison.

He then finally found Luke who was chatting to a couple of the royals that were visiting. He seemed like a good guy and he was glad that Madison had fallen for him and not someone who could possibly betray her.

His gaze then landed on Wilma, who stood off to the side sipping on her wine. He winced at the sight of her and quickly looked away.

butter_cup · Mar 19th 2019

Upon reaching the bottom of the staircase Madison noticed the way everyone was staring at her. Not in a way someone stared at the future bride but in a way of pity and concern. They all knew about her fainting spell she was sure of it. Of course gossip like this would have traveled around like this already. The guards or someone who saw her being carried away must have ran their big mouth and now she was going to have to hear about it at her own celebration. Simply wonderful. Thankfully James came to her rescue. She eagerly wrapped her arm around his and followed him as he led them away from the staircase and into the crowd. “Thank you.” She whispered softly, letting out a soft sigh of relief. She didn’t know how long she would have been able to stand there with people staring at her like that. Especially when she didn’t even know most of them. Madison looked around, her warm eyes dissecting everyone she saw. Some she did recognize as royals from other kingdoms, some where people that worked around the castle. Upon reaching the center of the crowd James turned to her and her brow raised silently in question. What he told her made her groan slightly. Following his line of sight she saw her father sitting upon his throne, a joyous smile on his face as he talked with his twin brother Darren. Madison didn’t know much about her uncle other than the fact that he gave her, as well as a lot of other people, a very bad gut feeling. She couldn’t quite explain it but she believed that he wasn’t as generous as he seemed. “I don’t see how my father can’t see what everyone else does. I suppose he just doesn’t want to lose another family member.“ After all that’s what caused him to be so over protective of her and why she was never allowed to leave the castle grounds growing up. The only thing about Darren Madison liked was his dog Grey. Still she wondered why he gave the pooch such a weird name considering he was brown, white, and black but he was far from grey. Hopefully James was right though and he would leave the day after the wedding and Madison wouldn’t need to worry about him any longer. When James mentioned Luke she almost felt sick to her stomach. She hadn’t really thought about this before but she wasn’t sure if marrying Luke was a good idea anymore. Not when she couldn’t keep her mind off of James. She looked up and found the man talking among some of his friends. She wouldn’t bother him right now. She knew he would come and find her once he was done. When Madison looked back towards James and saw him looking away from someone she immediately looked out towards the crowd to see who it could have been. Her gaze landed on Wilma and she felt her heart clench slightly. Did he still love her? From what she could remember she had been the one to cut things off with James, not the other way around. She hated to admit it but a part of Madison didn’t like Wilma. If she and James had never started courting each other all those years ago than Madison would never have lost her courage to tell him how she felt. “Do you miss her?” She found herself asking softly, clasping her hands out in front of her as she awaited an answer. She hated to be selfish but she wanted him to say no. To give her a small semblance of hope that maybe they did have a chance if Madison decided to put her pride aside and admit that she loved him.

(c)trexgirl

-ghost- · Mar 20th 2019

james zachary carbon//twenty two//royal guard

When James looked toward Wilma, he couldn't help but remember the good times they had together. She used to sing to him, he used to write her sonnets, and they used to have these deep conversations where he almost revealed too much about himself because of how caught up he would be. But he had never felt for her the way he felt for Madison.

James was snapped out of his nostalgia when he heard Madison speak. Her question caused him to frown. He wasn't sure why she was asking. Could it possibly be from the almost kiss earlier? He regretted now, after seeing her faint like that. He was so afraid for her and in that moment he decided that it was best to keep his distance.

"Sometimes." He said solemnly before glancing back in Wilma's direction. She really was a sight with her dark bouncy curls and her bright blue eyes. She was wearing a slim pale blue dress that brought out her eyes. She saw him staring and smiled softly in his direction. She looked like she wanted to speak with him, but then noticed Madison. She averted her gaze and continued to sip at her wine.

"Though I think that I miss the idea of her more than anything." James finally looked away from his previous lover and toward the woman he truly loved. He felt such a strong pull toward her that it was almost impossible to look away. He couldn't be angry with Wilma. He truly believed she had made the right decision. They both knew that his heart belonged to someone else.

A server walked past with a tray of shots and James grabbed one as he passed. He downed the shot, relishing in the flames that licked at his throat. He planned to drown his sorrows in liquor. It usually worked when he was younger. Besides, it was a celebration after all. It wouldn't look out of the ordinary to anyone else.

He then glanced over and saw Luke notice Madison. Luke smiled wide before making his way toward them.

With another frown, James turned to look back toward Madison. He loved her. He loved her so much. But she was engaged, soon to be wed. He knew that they would only ever have their friendship, nothing more. That would have to be enough.

"I will leave you two alone. I'll be nearby if you need me." He said almost bitterly, though he hoped she didn't catch on. He grabbed another shot on his way toward the back corner of the room. Far away enough to give them space, but close enough to get to her were she to run into trouble. Though he doubted there would be any.

butter_cup · Mar 20th 2019

Madison couldn’t help the feeling of jealously that washed over her when he admitted that he did sometimes miss her. She knew it was selfish of her but she didn’t want him to miss her at all. Now she felt the same way she had when she was fifteen and she found out that they were courting each other. Madison shifted on her feet and looked up to see Wilma looking at James as if she wanted to speak to him. If anything Madison found herself leaning towards him ever so slightly as if to get closer to him the same way a dog would guard its bone. Maybe she was over thinking this. Maybe James hadn’t almost kissed her this morning and it had been a figment of her imagination created to let her see what she most desired. If not than this was a cruel trick. Why would he almost kiss her and then admit hours later that he missed his old lover? Could she really blame him though. He deserved to find happiness, even if that happiness was with someone else and not with her. Even though it would pain her to see him love another woman. She averted her gaze away from the blonde man, trying to keep her emotions under control. A part of her wanted to demand why he had almost kissed her earlier if he still missed Wilma. Another part wanted to finish what he started and kiss him. The last part almost wanted to cry. This was one of the most stressful days of her life and she really did not appreciate it at all. When Madison looked back up she noticed Luke walking towards her and she forced a happy smile on to her lips. She didn’t respond to James, more so didn’t have the heart to. Even looking at him right now hurt more than she cared to admit. Holding her hands out for Luke she squeezed his larger ones affectionately. “It’s about time you came over and said hello to your future wife.” She joked, moving to place her hands on his arms. While she may not love Luke the same way she did James, Madison could feel the love he had for her and it made her feel special and wanted.

(c)trexgirl

-ghost- · Mar 20th 2019

luke kevin webber//twenty three//fiance to the princess

Luke approached Madison with a playful smile. He took her outstretched hands and pulled her closer to him. He then placed a kiss on the crown of her head.

"My apologies, but the Duke of Ellington demanded my attention. Only I could not understand a word he said. He spoke very quickly and has no teeth." He laughed in a gleeful manner, clearly very happy. Tomorrow he was going to marry the woman of his dreams. How could he not be?

"Enjoying the celebration?" He wondered as he pulled away to look down at her. He placed his fingers below her chin to lift her face toward him. His eyebrows raised as if to emphasize his question.

Then he looked around the room before looking back toward her. "Good food, music, people dancing and laughing..."

A sigh escaped from his lips, though it was one that showed that he was content. One of his hands came up to rest on her cheek as he spoke, "And good company."

He smiled that playful smile of his again, as if he knew a joke that no one else did. He wasn't aware of his charm, though many women at the party were. Many unwed ladies were eyeing him, even though his eyes were only on Madison. He paid no attention to any other women. He had no reason to turn his sights on another.

"I can tell you are anxious, but there is no need to worry." He offered a half smile before pulling her in close for an embrace. He squeezed her tightly in the hopes of comforting her.

After holding her for a minute or so, a rather long hug, he pulled back and took her hands in his again. "We will be great leaders and the wedding will be wonderful. This is a happy occasion."

He wondered if he was doing anything to quell her fears or not.

His eyes scanned her body and his grin reappeared. "You look absolutely stunning."

Bringing her hands up to his lips, he placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Would you like to dance, my love?"

Before she could even answer, he took her hand and twirled her around. The chatting dipped into silence for only a matter of seconds before picking up again. Everyone was watching the couple.

"Don't be shy. We both know you are an excellent dancer." He grinned again before placing his hands on her hips and moving to the music with her. He couldn't help but smile. This was one of the happiest moments of his life and it was all because of her.

butter_cup · Mar 20th 2019

Madison laughed along with Luke, trying her best to seem as happy as he was. Deep down though she felt extremely anxious and that feeling from earlier came back. She just couldn’t shake the idea that something bad was going to happen and soon. Madison knew that she shouldn’t be thinking about such morbid things the day before her wedding and she didn’t want to think of them, but she couldn’t get it to go away no matter how hard she tried. She looked up at her Luke, her brown eyes slightly showing her unease. His question made her stomach lurch. They were going to be married tomorrow and already she was beginning to tell him lies. She felt pitiful. “I’m enjoying myself quite well.” Maybe if she just focused on him than her nerves would go away, at least she hoped they will. She tilted her head slightly into his hand, pressing a soft kiss against his palm. She barely even noticed his comment on good company. If there was one thing she knew about Luke it was that he was a loyal man. Madison had no fears about him being a cheater during their marriage. The amount of beautiful women here with their eyes on him and he did not give any of them even a single glance. It warmed her heart. When he moved to hug she eagerly accepted it. Her arms wrapped around him and she laid her head against the top of his chest. He was warm and conforting. He always managed to help her calm down and think some. Pulling back she turned her gaze up to him and smiled. “You’re right.” They we’re going to be good leaders. Ever since she was a child she would always say that once she was queen her reign would be so great and splendid that by the time she died her story would be remembered and for hundreds of years people would remember her as queen Madison. Her lips tilted into a smile, a genuinely happy one that could make the strongest of men want to drop to their knees. She didn’t get the chance to answer on if she wanted to dance or not because he twirled her around in a circle. Madison laughed along the way, shaking her head slightly. She could tell that people were watching and her nerves started to move again. She had never danced in front of such a large group of people. This was really her first big celebration for herself so she wasn’t even use to be surrounded by such a large number of people. Madison nodded her head to Luke’s words. Her hands lifted to rest against his shoulders as they danced. Everyone watched them. Some looking in curiosity at their future rulers, some out of jealously, and some out of admiration. Luke was right. Madison was a natural born dancer and that was easy to see in the way her body moved so effortlessly. “Theyre all watching us.” She whispered to him softly, trying her best to keep her gaze on him but not being able to handle the way it trailed off every once and a while.

(c)trexgirl

-ghost- · Mar 24th 2019

luke kevin webber//twenty three//fiance to the princess

Luke moved to the beat with his fiance - his grip on her waist firm as he picked her up and spun her around. As he set her back down, he matched her smile. Though she still seemed anxious, fearful of everyone's eyes on her.

"Of course they're eyes are on you. You're the future queen of Quoar. They will always look to you for everything." He noticed that Madison was glancing around as he spoke, so he quickly moved to place his hands on either side of her face. Now all she could see him and his bright smile.

"But right here, right now, its just us. Not the future king and queen, but two people in love." Luke smiled at her and it reached his pale green eyes. His loyalty for her was so pure that she could stab him and he would still defend her.

Taking her hand, he began to dance with her again. The way she moved was with the grace of a goddess. He watched her with amazement as he spun her around. He still could not believe that she was his bride. The people continued to watch in awe and chatter among themselves. Luke paid them no mind and instead kept his focus on Madison.

As their dance ended, Luke placed a chaste kiss on her lips and smiled once more.

As the evening progressed, many of the royals and their dignitaries approached to tell them with congratulations and to wish them the best to the happy couple. Many men would pull Luke aside and inform him that he was a lucky man. He would simply tell them he knew and return to his bride.

Before the celebration was over, Luke kissed the top of Madison's head and told her, "You have not eaten all night. I will fix you a plate."

She said nothing. She looked pale, her gaze was distant.

Luke moved toward the refreshment table, but after taking a few steps, he heard gasps fill the room. With a sense of dread, he turned to face his love. Her back arched and she stumbled. Luke went to catch her, but she steadied herself. Still, he took her in his arms as she panted.

"Maddie?" His voice was laced with concern.

James was already by her side as well. He stood at a safe enough distance.

Madison began to speak gibberish - broken words and incoherent sentences.

"Maddie, you're not making any sense." Luke's eyes scanned her as if for any unseen wounds, but physically she was fine.

Eventually Madison slowed her speech and she seemed rather tired. Luke brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek. He then looked toward her personal guard.

"James, take her back to her chambers to rest. I will alert her father." Luke said as he moved toward the king.

King Daniel had stood to make his speech. He spoke eloquently, painting colors with his vibrant words. He spoke of his daughter and how he would like to raise a toast for the bride and groom. He raised his goblet of red wine into the air.

James was holding onto Madison and helping her out of the room while everyone around them stared toward the king and raised their own glasses.

"To my beloved daughter, the future queen of Quoar, Mad-"

And then there was a dreadful silence that filled the room as their king choked on the words. Or rather his own blood.

There was a clink as his goblet hit the floor and the scarlet colored wine spilled out onto the colorful tiles.

"What a shame." His brother, Darren, said as he pulled his sword from the man's chest and pushed his body onto the floor. He then smiled that eerie smile of his.

Then screaming filled the room as guards clad in pitch black armor entered the room and began to cut through the people as if they were weeds.

James held Madison close and told her, "Don't watch. Just run. I'm right behind you."