Distantly Close (Fuscontidox & peach tea!)

[Fuscontidox]

(Smashes in after five months of death *o* I LIVEEEE)

Leal waited outside the sacred grounds, quite honestly fighting sleep, deep inside himself. He had recently sparred with some of the other guards and had gotten only a little while of rest before a certain someone had come to fetch for him.

He rubbed his hand down his face, leaning against one of the pillars, the idea of being on high alert would usually be out the window at this point, if it hadn’t been for he and the princess being further out than usual for some royal business. Sometimes it honestly scared Leal at just how much trust they put into him.

He listened to the rippling water as the princess proceeded to move deeper, readjusting the towel on his shoulder as a smile found his lips. Her fuss over the situation was nothing short of amusing, mainly because she hardly ever grew annoyed with anything, thus leading to someone as intrigued as he to enjoy these moments where she showed her mortal side.

He watched a glow omit from the sacred grounds, and waited for a moment of silence, broken by the princess sloshing back out of the water. She appeared shortly with a staff in hand, the beautiful white dress clinging to her legs. He still couldn’t help but admit that it suited her well, no matter her opinion on the “tedious life of royalty.”

With a hidden huff of laughter, Leal held out the towel on his arm, “So?” He started, “how did it go?”

[quit-cs]

(!!!!!! I personally have gone through at least 3 username changes since you've been gone)

Angelina huffed, taking the towel and thanking him as she wiped herself off. "It seemed to be nothing short of amusing for you," she said, smirking at him. "For me, it was just wet and bright. I guess I'm being crowned empress tomorrow... or something. Honestly at this point I'm glad we can both rest, at least for a little while," she continued, ruffling the towel over her arms and front.

Huffing once more, she took the staff in her hand and started to make her way back to the palace, looking behind her to see that Leal was following.

[Fuscontidox]

(Yes Peach x’D yes you have lol, confuse the heck out of me, only discord tells me who you are tbh lolol, and even then your user is still different help meee)

He swallowed back his laughter, averting his eyes like a proudly guilty child, he watched her for a moment, so elegant as she moved, and yet from her came an aura of power, even with just this simple thing, he had no doubts that she would make a good ruler.

“Sounds like music to my ears.” He replied to the mention of rest, though slight sarcasm wasn’t missed. He wondered how often he would continue to have a lack of much needed sleep.

When she took up the staff again, Leal followed behind her, keeping a keen eye on his peripheral vision. His gaze turned away from her for a moment, only to glance back, catching her watching him for a second before she turned back to look in front of her. She was a bit of an odd one, this princess Angelina, but despite her quirks, she seemed to be able to seek and find whatever would further her future, though part of Leal wanted to believe his presence here with her, and the status he had gained, was a matter of pure luck that kick started in their first encounter.

[quit-cs]

Thankfully, their wasn't much walking to do, and when she made it to her room she sighed happily.
"Finally, some sweet sweet rest," she said, turning to LEal. "Thank you for escorting me. You can go rest now," she said, offering him a gentle smile.

She turned and shut her door, changing into a nightgown and crawling into bed.

---

Coronation day. Hooray. Angelina's favorite thing. Not really.

Getting ready was a struggle enough as it was. The corset was too tight, the royal blue gown too long, and so many other things. Either way she had to deal with it. Thankfully she was wearing heels so the gown wouldn't drag. She wore golden jewelry, a choker, wristbands, and many ornate things on the rest of her body. Her short hair was done up in an ... interesting way, but after a few hours of getting ready, she stepped out of her room and into the palace halls, making her way to the carriage that was to take her to the church.

[Fuscontidox]

As the princess and he reached the grand doors of her rooms, Leal and the princess heave a sigh and relax, already dreaming before they could sleep. “Rest well, princess, I shall see you in the morning.” Leal offered a soft bow, waiting for her doors to shut safely before taking his leave.

Leal’s quarters were not too far off from the princess’, having that he was in fact, her personal guard, his presence was needed by her side on the daily. As he opened his door, he didn’t wait for it to even close completely before he tore off the light armor and his uniform. He cozied up in bed, and laid his head down, though it took much longer than nessisary for him to actually find sleep, with his senses seeming to look for every possible thing that wasn’t even worth alerting him for.

———————————————————————

By the time morning came about, Leal had little sleep, and his gut felt tense with the wish to rest.

He groaned, and forced himself to get up, making small preparation for himself, he walked out of his room, fresh and ready for the day, only to be stopped by the royal planner, who shoved him off to the tailor for the uniform he had forgotten to pick up, adorned in epaulets and braided rope hooked to buttons, gold rimming, and whatever else they had chosen to design. The color was mostly an off white, with a deep blue to accent the gold. He really didn’t think it suited him and his oddly miss-matched eyes, but he didn’t have a say in the royal attire.

Soon he found himself on horse back, much to his dismay, with an extra escort number of twenty-six men, who would join the princess on this day when she arrived with her team of thirty. They made way to the church, watching as people lined the streets, gazing upon them, the voices raising with excitement. The few horses they had brought were taken to a local stables, and they waited on the steps for a carriage to appear from the distance. It was so odd to Leal, the whole plan for he and the princess to be apart put him on edge, and he couldn’t stand still like they were told to.

The royal planner was next to him, and he scowled, displeased with this set up, annoyed with listening to the man jabber after hearing him jabber from the moment they left the palace until the present. “Would you shut up?” He snapped, “Your nonchalant rambling about this absurdly planned event is doing nothing but giving me a headache.” His voice was low, but the message was clear; he didn’t want to listen to a man who separated him from the princess’ side.

“I beg your pardon Leal,” the planner said, “but I was hired with more experience, than anyone else who had slightly remote capabilites to my job description.”

“According to what you’ve shown of your skills, you appear to be no better fit than a peasant planning their child’s birthday party.” He retorted, “Next time you would like to address me it’s, Sir Leal, personal guard to her highness Angelina. I expect that if you’d like to keep your job, in the future, you wont cake me in with another job discription than my requirement to be by her majesty’s side at all times.” The planner sucked in his thin lips and squinted at Leal, all the while intimidated by his more muscular frame and seemingly killer instinct that poured into his aura.

Turning away from the little nusence, worry set deep into Leal’s chest, as he waited for her carriage. With everything they had seen in the past, he had found himself unable to think much further than her safety above everyone else; even his own, especially his own. It was killing him to not be right there with her to know everything was going as it should, and it made him want to lash out further at the planner for setting it up like this.

[quit-cs]

Angelina had a bad feeling about today. Something wasn't right. Not just because Leal wasn't at her side, but something else felt ... off. Everything about today was odd.

Her carriage rolled up, led by the most gorgeous white horses anyone could have gazed upon. She stepped into the carriage and rode off towards the church. She hated the attention, but she smiled and waved to the crowds anyway, only doing what her father wanted her to do.

The sun shone brightly. The weather was perfect. But Angelina felt the day wouldn't go perfectly. The man who planned this all was nuisance, and in idiot too. He clearly failed to realize that Leal was her personal guard and was to be at her side most of the 24 hours of the day. The reason he wasn't nearby she would know soon enough, a simple audience and a talking to to him would make her feel better.

But the thought of an audience with him didn't settle her nerves. Something was up, but she didn't know what. And that was highly offputting.

--
To her relief, she spotted Leal as the carriage pulled up to the church and she stepped out. He looked... handsome in royal gear. But she could tell just by looking at his face he didn't like it. Not one bit. She knew he preferred clothes that were far less tight, and honestly, she couldn't agree more. The corset she had to wear made it hard to breathe, her heels were tight, and she had to hold up her dress so that it wouldn't drag on the ground.

After she made her way inside the church, the guards and the other teams here to help with the event went inside to their respective locations where their duties would be held.

Gentle music played, and it was time for her to make her way down the center aisle to where the Bishop stood. Staff in hand, she gracefully made her way down, looking to Leal and offering him a smile as she made her way down to the area in front of the Altar.

After a moment, she stopped and turned towards the audience, the bishop making his way to stand at her side.

"We are gathered here today to witness the ascension of Princess Angelina Angelite D'lladro. Today she will be crowned Empress of the Hukuya Empire. We would not be an empire if it weren't for out found fathers Brother Sun and Brother Moon. Today we honor them as we raise a great woman to lead us! May the bless her with fruitfulness and bounty, with power and grace, with kindness and the ability to see to matters in the way she thinks is best. Under God, Brother Moon, and Brother Sun, may I present for the very fist time..."

The bishop's voice faded out of Angelina's attention, when she spotted someone threatening behind Leal. Their arm was raised and in their hand, a dagger. As if the world were in slow motion, she let out a yell and ran towards Leal, pushing him out of the way, only to cry out in sheer pain. The dagger had been driven into her chest.

The world sped up once more, back to normal speed. Through heavy breathing and gritted teeth, she looked up at the man who tried to kill Leal. Staff in hand, she pushed herself further onto the dagger to point her staff at the man. The man in which she recognized as one of the men who tried to kidnap her all that time ago. When she first met Leal.

"YOU!" she yelled, anger fueling her judgement. "You were the one who tried to kidnap me! To think YOU were the event planner! You will not get away with this!" Her voice boomed.

The man let go of the dagger, and, scared, ran off into the crowd. "Don't you dare think of getting away so easily!" Angelina said, trying her best to run after him, but collapsing just outside the church. Her staff and crown fell to the ground with a thud that almost sounded as though it was louder than the sound her body made at is collided with the ground. She tried to hoist herself up, but her arms gave beneath her weight, and she fell onto her side, the dagger still in it's place.

Soon enough, her world went black.

---

Angelina awoke in a field of daisies, the sun smiling down on her. She sat up, her crown on her head, and staff in hand. Beneath a cherry blossom tree, she saw him. Brother Sun. She stood and approached him excitedly, but in fear, he backed away from her.

"Who are you? And how did you get here?" Brother sun asked, fear in his eyes.

"Please, I mean not to hurt you, nor did I intend to scare you. You're ... Brother Sun! You're one of the two kings that lead Hukuya Empire to it's rise and what it is today! Oh! I should introduce myself... I have your staff after all! I'm--"

"Empress Angelina." another voice spoke, interrupting Angelina. From behind the tree, Brother Moon emerged. He gave her a cold glare. "You don't belong here. This is limbo. A place between life and death. You are here because you so foolishly threw yourself in the way of Leal. You are here because you are on the brink of death." Brother Moon said, crossing his arms. "You are an Empress! You should be making smarter choices! Not throwing yourself on a blade to protect someone who should be protecting you! He would have gladly died for you!" Brother Moon yelled and scolded Angelina.

"Brother Moon that is enough! How dare you speak to our successor that way!" Brother Sun interrupted his brother's angry words.

Angelina looked between the two of them. She wanted to ask why they were here, but at the same time, she felt as though she could find that answer in the living world. She eyed them. They looked so suspiciously.... physical... What if they were really here? In Limbo? Between life and death? Could she bring them back? She had their staff, their had to be a way.

So many questions, all had to be left unanswered. Well... there was one she could answer. She went up to Brother Sun and poked him in the chest. Her hand didn't phase through. So this was where they disappeared to. Brother Sun looked down at her and raised and eyebrow, pouting his lips.

"You must return to the realm of the living. Limbo is no place for a powerful Empress like you." Brother Sun said, offering her a gentle smile. He took the staff from her gently and snapped his fingers. In a flash of light, the staff changed design. He handed it over to his brother. He did the same thing, and even more intricacies had been woven into the shaft of the staff. Handing it back to her he nodded towards something behind her.

She turned around and saw a bright light in front of her.

"Go," Brother Moon said gently, giving her a light push. She nodded and stepped into the light, her world going black once more.

[Fuscontidox]

(Wtheck are we doing to our hearts)

As the beautiful white horses came into view, Leal couldn’t stand another moment next to the coordinator, and took the opertunity to breach the crowd of soldiers. When she pulled up, and stepped out of the carriage, she was as radiant as ever, the gown was stunning on her, despite how much he knew she fought the idea of a corset. The shoes she wore seemed to make her that much closer to his eye level than before. The stress that had been laid over his chest dispersed at their reunion, and he relaxed, holding out his arm for her to take as they walked in, clustered into the center of fifty-six guards. Leal’s left hand remained on the hilt of his sword as they entered the building.

The ceremony began, and Leal fell behind her as she walked in first, he took his place as closest to the podium of the guards that had followed. Not missing a glare exchange with the annoying planner. They took their places, but as the princess was about to be crowned, Leal’s hackles rose, he turned, face to face with the planner, who had pulled out a dagger from inside his clothing, a gruesome smile of pure furious pleasure over his face. He raised his hand and the other guards, as well as Leal, seemed caught off guard, Leal put up a forearm in defense.

But as the man’s hand fell, Leal felt a jolt, and a blur flew over his sight, it was the princess stepping between them, before he saw red. The adrenalin in his veins slurred his hearing, Leal was on the ground watching as the princess stood, clutching her chest and barking orders, making her way to the front of the church. The culprit had made a run for it, failed his job, and injured the wrong person. Leal stood, and made his way to the from of the church, the princess stood for half a second, before collapsing from her wound.

“Angelina!” He practically screamed, breaking through the crowd and catching her before she hit the stone beneath. A growl set in his throat and he lashed out, hovering over her with fear and pain swelling in his tear filled eyes, “Get back!” He yelled, “Don’t touch her!” It had all happened so fast, his hands were shaking and his breathing was becoming stiff with anxiety. “Wake up Angelina.” He sobbed into her hair as feet pounded behind him in a flurry.

the princess was pride from his grasp, “No! Get off me! I said don’t touch her! Give her back! Angelina!” They men held him back, and he fought, elbowing them, and flipping them over the stairs. They loaded her into a carriage that had stormed in, and laid a blanket over her barely living form. The men came around with rope, and like a wild animal, they lassoed and tied Leal down, until a doctor arrived, and used pressure points, causing him to black out.

When Leal awoke, he was in his quarters, he sat up quickly, and busted out of his room, making a bee-line for the infirmary, Angelina was the first thing on his mind, and nothing but fear ran through his veins. When he approached the door, their Her father stood, and his brow furrowed with a frown over his lips, his eyes landing on Leal.

“Your majesty.” Leal fell to the floor in a kneel of great respect, “I am so sorry, I failed you.”

“Yes,” he said sharply, “you did.” There was a pause and the king huffed, “these actions as of late have been extremely inauspicious. I expected greater of you both, and if you had both just followed through with what is required of you, then my baby girl....” the king clenched his teeth to hold back tears that lay deep in his glossy eyes.

“Please don’t put this on the princess, I take full blame for that which has taken place from the start until now.”

“Please stop, you aren’t her, and it isnt your job to raise her. Your job is just to keep her safe.”

“Sir, I promise, from the start until now, it has never been anywhere but my best interest to keep her safe, I hold to my word that I will do everything in my power to be the one who lays their life on the line for the young empress.”

“I hope you remember this as a warning Leal, Angelina’s safety always comes first.”

“Without a doubt, your majesty.” The king moved away from the door, and Leal waited until he was gone before rising, and bursting through the doors. Finding maids coming and going from a large curtained corner of the room. He made his way closer, and pulled back the curtain, the maids looked at him, and tried to usher him out, but his eyes had already landed on the pail from of his precious, young empress.

“Leave us.” He stammered brokenly, swallowing a lump in his throat as he stood tall and walked towards her, the maids filing out. He took up a chair and sat, terrified to touch her. The doctor came in shortly there after, a little nurse standing behind him and peeking through.

“Sir Leal, I was told you’d come sooner or later.”

“Of course Is old, there isn’t anyone in the castle who would dare think otherwise.” He sneered.

The doctor offered an agitated half-smile, and cleared his throat. “She is stable that we can tell, breathing, heart beating. It was thanks to her corset that her heart is safe, despite her efforts to get closer to the culprit, it kept the dagger from driving too deep. She lost far too much blood, and would have died if it wasn’t for quick thinking. though it would have been easier if a certain something, hadn’t suddenly gone mad and oddly possessive.” He grumbled.

Leal was a little puzzled, his mind had blacked out about the time the princess had collapsed, and he couldn’t quite remember what had been his reaction. “When do you suspect she will awaken?”

“If all continues to go well, possibly within this week sometime.” He walked back out once more, “She is quite a fighter, most other would have never been able to hold on as long as she has through the entire situation.”

Leal’s focus landed back on the princess, his attention was on his surroundings, so afraid of any of those horrible thieves coming for her once again, the idea of her being taken away from any reason and Leal’s blood running cold. The night fell over the land, and Leal had wasted the entire day by her side, pondering hundreds of reasons as to what could have possibly seemed like a reasonable excuse for her to jump in front of a knife for a man whose job was literally to prepare for possible death. But even amidst his never ending thoughts, he felt exhausted, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep with his head laying at the foot of the bed.