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From the beginning Dainsleif knew they were meant to end up together, even if they had yet to officially meet. It’s not yet time , the King had told him, assigning him task upon task deemed much more important than getting to know the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with, but His Majesty’s word was law and who was he to go against it.
Still, he wasn’t completely ignorant of her, even with her Father’s tendency to put him to work, if not for the sake of the Kingdom then due to his protectiveness towards his only daughter, he was allowed to know a few things about her.
For one, her appearance. He owned a portrait of her after all, as was obligatory between fiancé and fiancée to exchange, and though she looked like she was painstakingly painted by the finest masters of art, hours and hours poured into the brush strokes, he knew she was beautiful not by seeing it but by hearing of it.
Paintings could be altered upon request, could hide one’s true thoughts and feelings, but the same could not be said for the whispers carried through not only the corridors of the castle but the busy streets outside as well.
An angel , they called her, petite frame adorned with either pretty, morning dresses for when she took afternoon strolls and drank tea, or a white blouse with pants for when she sparred with her brother, the knights in awe of their skill, in awe of her elegance and grace that carried even in battle.
A saintess , they said, humble and helpful to a fault. Kind and charitable, the type of princess people often read about in the fairytales sold to children in the marketplace.
Truthfully, she’s the reason I work hard to become the next King , Aether had told him once, so she doesn’t have to be sold off to another Kingdom nor does she carry the burden of the weight of the crown . The prince hadn’t said more, but Dainsleif recognized the underlying threat between his words.
Lumine was lovely, likely lovelier than even her portrait, and some nights a part of him felt envious at those who got to experience that loveliness in person. Was it not unfair for her betrothed to have never basked in her presence?
Admittedly, he wished to meet her, but he hadn’t expected to meet her for at least another month or two— first, he had put in the request to finally make her acquaintance a mere day ago, and there was always a chance the king would reject it again; second, it was the night before the hunting competition, no one should have been out in the forest at such a time in fear of beasts coming to find easy prey. He, himself, had donned appropriate attire just in case and headed out only to train and tire his body.
As such, it was a shock to have her, in the flesh, right before him.
For a few moments neither one of them spoke a word, and Dainsleif took it as a chance to take her all in. Not Lumine from the portraits, not Lumine from the words of the common folk, neither the praises of gossiping ladies, nor admiring knights, nor that of her own brother. It was merely her , and he wondered if the chill of the night breeze was making him sick for how could he fall so deeply, so quickly and all due to a happenstance.
How could they be so right about her, and yet have them be so underwhelming in the face of the real thing?
By no means was Dainsleif the most devout of believers, far from it, but if her portrait was painted by a maestro, then she herself was lovingly sculpted by the Gods above in Celestia, living proof of their existence for how else could the universe be contained into a human being, eyes sparkling bright like the stars, be the color of the setting sun, yet her hair possessing the same glow as the moon.
“Your portraits don’t do you justice, princess,” his first words to her are much inappropriate in terms of etiquette, formal greetings and pleasantries all cast aside, though he supposed their meeting now would be considered scandalous to the eyes of many, unbecoming to the conservatives and… amorous to the romantics, so there was no point in being uptight about the rules.
“Is that flattery I hear, my lord?” she questioned, eyes flitting upwards to gaze at him, and if he were a weaker man he would have faltered immediately.
“Do I look like the type to flatter?” he countered coolly, “there’s no need for it when the truth speaks for itself.”
The princess may not know it but Dainsleif was no flirt, having no chance nor the desire to have ever done so with anyone before, but perhaps midnight sky had cast a spell on him momentarily, allowing all the right words to flow freely from his lips.
“Perhaps not a flatterer, but perhaps a flirt instead,” the lady smirked, the intrigue and amusement evident upon her delicate features, “should I be worried on whether you treat all the ladies like you do me?”
“Of course not,” he asserted, “I am a knight before I am a duke, and what knight would I be to disrespect my betrothed in such a manner.”
The past few seconds he did wonder if she was genuinely concerned over the state of his loyalty, but with the way she failed to hide her grin with outstretched fingers he was quick to realize she was teasing him. For her gentle disposition and the reputation she possessed, that was quite the surprise, but one he was drawn to.
“As for you, should I be worried about whether you often meet up with strange men in the middle of the night?”
Dainsleif could barely stifle the rising chuckle out of his mouth as Lumine coughed once, and then twice in embarrassment as she sputtered out a half-hearted excuse.
“You’re- I’d hardly call you a strange man, my lord!”
“How sure are you?”
“You’re my fiancé!” If he was given a few seconds longer he could have thought of another retort, but the blonde seemed to want to explain herself further, “I couldn’t fall asleep due to the excitement of tomorrow, so I took a stroll on the outskirts of the hunting grounds. Meeting you was a coincidence.”
Whether it be fate or mere coincidence he couldn’t argue with that claim, though that didn’t mean he fully bought her excuse. For one, the state of her appearance.
Dainsleif had spent a modest amount of time praising her face during their encounter, and yet he neglected to truly focus on her attire. He was glad the light of her lamp and the shine of the moon wasn’t enough to fully expose his image, for he’d probably disintegrate upon the sight of her night clothes. How dangerous it was to walk around in improper attire, with the milky skin of her collarbones, arms, and ankles so evident… this time he was the one embarrassed.
“Huh, at first it was difficult to get a read on you, but even I can understand that look on your face,” the blond flushed a soft pink, worried his indecent thoughts had been so obvious. How would she feel about him, then, if—
“Don’t worry, just because my sword isn’t with me doesn’t mean I’m defenseless.”
Dainsleif let out a giant sigh of relief. So she had misunderstood, and for the second time in one night he thanked the Seven for their services. Two times, that just about exceeded his quota of once a month at the temple.
“Just between you and me, I do have a dagger hidden… somewhere on me right now,” she giggled softly and his imagination was within the gutters once more, wondering just where she decided to put her dagger.
“I do believe you have the capability to protect yourself,” and he really did, despite never having seen her draw her sword before, her brother’s complaints about the ache after sparring with her enough to prove it. “I’m merely concerned over the thought of you waking listless and exhausted tomorrow. Let me escort you back to your tent.”
“Lord Dainsleif,” she had not finished speaking, and yet hearing her say his name for the first name evoked a strange feeling within him, “if we were to be seen leaving the forest together, a scandal would erupt from an unmarried couple’s tryst.”
“The princess is right, pardon my… lack of foresight,” he said, an armored hand coming to muffle a cough, “then I trust you can return by yourself. I will remain here and make sure the coast is clear,” of any prattling mouths .
“A shame I cannot take you up on your offer tonight. I would have enjoyed your presence a little longer... though perhaps tomorrow,” Lumine murmured something to herself, and before Dainsleif could try to decipher her words she had curtsied in front of him. He bowed in return, watching as her figure turned to leave for a few seconds, before whipping her head back as if she had forgotten something.
“Hope we can have our first meeting soon, my lord.”
The sight of her retreating brought a bittersweet smile upon his face. Right, when the sun rose again, he was back to never having known her beyond portraits and stories. For how many more weeks or months he would pretend he never knew how comfortable and natural it felt to converse with her, as though he’s known her for so long. Tonight never happened .
For the first time, Dainsleif knows of greed, knows of impatience, for how else could he already miss someone he had only met once by a stroke of luck?
Still, tonight will continue to exist, if only in his mind, if only in hers.
【✦】
The annual hunting competition was nothing special, at least by Dainsleif’s standards. Noble families and knights all gathered onto a grassy field, where sons joined the hunt, daughters socialized to strengthen connections, and the heads vied to show off their prowess through the count of their catch.
However, what most people desired was the prize of the first placer— a wish granted by the King.
None of those mattered to Dainsleif. He was already a respected knight, as well as the head of his household of one, so frivolous things such as keeping up appearances and prizes did not matter to him.
Or so he used to think, but things were different. The princess was in attendance this year instead of her brother, and although several nobles seemed quite disappointed at the absence of the future king, in return numerous men seemed excited at the prospect of having a pretty lady give them her blessings.
In the back of his mind, the duke found himself wishing he had asked for her private blessings last night— a selfish request that he’d wished she’d indulge.
Outside of his tent, his fellow competitors were already putting on their helmets, and with a sigh the blond decided to follow suit, covering up his hair, and then his face. That was another thing, the anonymity of most of the hunters, save the three with the most catch who would, inevitably, be asked to remove their armor.
Even if Dainsleif could see Lumine from a safe distance, she would not recognize him… unless he caught enough prey to have his face revealed to the public. Surely if he placed, their first meeting would be forced to hasten its pace, wouldn’t it? That scheming, overprotective king would have no say for the sake of following protocol.
Wanting to avoid socializing with the others, he quietly stepped out of his tent and scurried back into the forest, just far enough to not have people seek him out, but near enough to hear when it was time to gather for the ceremony.
“Lord Dainsleif,” to address him not by his surname but by his given name, that formal familiarity, that lilt in her speech… just what was she doing in the woods again?
“Princess Lumine,” he would have kissed her hand had he been in any other attire, but with his misfortune he settled for bowing instead, “how did you recognize me?”
“Your handsomeness radiates even through your armor, my lord,” she laughed quietly as to not draw attention, but it was no less pleasant than when he first heard it, “even in the darkness, I’d be oblivious to not have noticed you wearing the same armor last night. Besides, black and dark blue have always been your colors, even in your portrait.”
The cloaked lady was smiling at him, though it was clear to him that her hands were fidgeting from behind her. Was something wrong? Was someone bothering her? Did she come look for him for help?
“Princess, is there something you need of me?”
Her fidgeting slowed to a stop, and he watched as she let out an exhale, revealing a tassel atop of the palm of her hand— light blue crystals the same hue as her dress shaped like diamond stars in between tiny, round, white beads and a golden charm crafted in the shape of a flower.
“Are you… intending to give this to me?” Needless to say, he could feel the heat creep up his neck and ears, and even if she couldn’t see it he had a feeling she could hear it from the way he spoke.
“To who else would I give this to? What kind of fiancée would I be if I was disloyal to my future husband?”
Future husband . That sounded wonderful coming from her.
“Truthfully, I had wanted to meet you already, which was why I begged my brother to attend the competition in his stead,” Lumine continued, stepped closer to him, their shortening distance causing his heart to race, “I had intended to seek you out today, even if I had to search all over the place, then give you this tassel to serve as a personal blessing.”
“So last night…?”
“Truly was a matter of happenstance, albeit a very romantic one,” the blonde admitted, “though one I’m grateful for, for reasons other than being able to distinguish your armor from the rest. I suppose that, even for a moment, I was able to have my fairytale romance moment instead of the arranged betrothal scenario we’re actually in.”
Her hands hovered next to his armor, the tassel still hanging between her fingers, “I just realized I never asked if you would accept this, and here I am getting ready to put it on. May I?”
“Of course,” there was no way he was about to reject her anyway, not with her so close to him. “Is there a meaning behind the choices of the adornments?”
“I did prepare a proper explanation, something along the lines of white representing the purification of all evil that may serve as obstacles to your victory, but truthfully I just wanted to give you something that reminded you of me.”
Even if she gave him the plainest of tassels he would think of her, but he could appreciate the artistry that went into it. The white and baby blue that she was often seen in, like an angel flying up above in clear, blue skies, the stars shaped beads that reminded him of the night before, and…
“This is the royal family’s flower, is it not?”
“Yes, but it is also my favorite flower,” she said softly, “it is a selfish wish, but should you ever come across them again I’d hope you’d think of me .”
As her hands rested atop his chest, about to put the tassel on him, Dainsleif stopped her movements by putting his hand on hers. She looked up at him with mild surprise, curious as to what he was doing.
“Even if you were simply arranged to be with me, you’re willing to do this much?”
“My lord, you may believe it too soon but I found myself thinking of you often, fantasizing what kind of man you were, and upon meeting you last night I found you to have met and been beyond my expectations. Even last night I found myself restless wishing to see you again, so forgive me for my forwardness. Do you not feel the same way?”
Winning, as well, would grant him a prize. If a commoner won, the desired prize was usually some land and a title, perhaps merely gold. If a noble had won, it was usually harder to obtain property— perhaps a mine or some precious artifact.
As for him…
He detaches his hand from her own.
“With your token in my grasp, I am guaranteed victory,” Dainsleif said, watching her nimble fingers attach the blue and white tassel onto him, “in my princess’ name, I can even hunt down a dragon or a god should you so desire.”
“Even a god? How sacrilegious, considering I've just prayed to them for your safety,” she sounded amused as she laughed, but the shine in her amber eyes let him know she liked the idea of it, even if it did sound impossible, “ when you win, what wish will you ask for?”
Without a moment of hesitation, he answered, “to have our first official meeting. To finally court you like you deserve, exchange letters with you and meet up for afternoon tea, to stroll in the gardens and admire the flowers you love, to-”
“Hold- hold on,” Dainsleif was glad to have his helmet on, for now he could shamelessly admire the valberry stained blush rising on his fiancée's cheeks, her flustered state leaving her unable to form a coherent thought for a few beats. Yes, this too, to get to know her more and see all of her adorable expressions. He’d like that very much.
“You’re asking to incur my father’s wrath. A death wish.”
“Truly a death wish if it was anyone else, though our case is special . Would you not say it’s his fault for making you my betrothed, and yet refusing to have us meet until the time is right ? I wouldn't be surprised if I'd die on the battlefield before he lets me marry you.”
With her embarrassment dying down, Lumine nodded her head, seemingly sharing his frustration. Good, that meant he’d have even more motivation to come out on top.
“Then your wish is… me?”
“I wish for you,” his lady looked like she wanted to say more, her eyes as bright as the stars last night, but as the sound of a horn resounded, Lumine scurried away after sparing him one last glance, mouthing good luck one last time.
He looked down on the tassel attached to his chest, the sight of the tiny, flower shaped charm blooming affection within him.
He wouldn’t settle for admiring her simply through her portrait anymore. With her blessing, his victory was set in stone.