Chapter Text
“Trust me, you’ll like her.” His father crooned as they approached the doors to the Morningstar palace. The young prince scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“But, Papa, what if she’s mean? Like Helsa?”
“Miss Charlie is nothing like your sister, I assure you. Now, please behave, Seviathan. I know you’re upset, but all I’m asking is for one play date. Understand?”
Seviathan nodded at his father as the doors to the palace swung open. A little imp greeted the Envy demons and quickly led them to an empty ballroom. The little prince marveled at the tall ceiling, gorgeous murals, various instruments scattered about, and the breathtaking chandelier in the center. Never in his seven years of existence, had Seviathan seen a room like this.
In the middle of the room sat a little blonde girl, who appeared to be around his age. She sat with her back turned to them and she had two, red, goat-shaped dolls in her hands. A blonde man sat with her and quickly walked over to Fredrick and Seviathan.
“Fredrick! It’s wonderful to see you again!”
Seviathan tuned the two men out as they laughed and spoke together. He kept his focus on the girl, Miss Charlie, he assumed. She kept glancing over her shoulder at him, then turning and whispering to the dolls. His eyes widened when he saw the two dolls move, realizing that they were, in fact, alive. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and spun around to see the blonde man kneeling down to him.
“Well, you must be Prince Seviathan. I’m so very happy to finally meet you.”
Seviathan adverted his eyes and nodded. He had never felt so bashful in front of adults before. The blonde man laughed softly.
“It’s alright. I know this can be daunting, but I bet the two of you will get along swimmingly! My Charlie can be a little shy, especially around new people, but she loves making new friends.”
He nodded again and glanced over to Charlie again. Fredrick gently pushed Seviathan towards Charlie and he cleared his throat.
“Now, go on. Don’t be shy. Remember, be nice.” His father urged him.
Seviathan sighed and accepted his fate. His father and the blonde man left, leaving him and Charlie alone. He slowly walked over to the girl and she quickly stood up. She had a nervous look on her face and she swiftly curtsied, almost like she had been trained to make such a gesture and it was almost second nature to her. Seviathan faintly bowed and then the two children just sort of stared at each other. Seviathan cleared his throat, a habit he picked up from his father, to fill the silence.
“So…” He said gently. “You must be Charlie.”
She nodded and smiled as she sat back down. The two goats stood behind her, and they seemed more nervous than the two children combined.
“Yes, I’m Charlie. Well, actually, my real name is Charlotte but everyone calls me Charlie.”
The young prince paused and raised an eyebrow as he stared at the princess. Charlotte was definitely more regal sounding, so why didn’t she just go by that? He shrugged and sat down with her.
“Do you have a nickname? Like, my name is Seviathan, but my sister calls me Kiwi because of the black and white spots in my hair.” He said as he pointed to the white stripes and black dots in his emerald green hair. The princess shook her head.
“No, I don’t have a nickname.”
“Well, how about Lottie. I like that. It’s short for Charlotte.”
The princess smiled and stood up. She placed her hands on her hips in an attempt to seem more commanding.
“Alright, I’ll make you a deal. You can call me Lottie as long as I get to call you Sevvy. A nickname for a nickname, if you will. Deal?”
She stuck her hand out as Seviathan stood up. He shrugged and took her hand. A faint smile tugged on his lips as they shook.
“Deal.”
A small red and green spark erupted from their hands. A gentle shock sent them both tumbling to the wooden flooring with a gasp.
“What the heck was that?” Seviathan cried as he helped Charlie back up to her feet. Be a gentleman, his father’s voice repeated in his head.
“I don’t know…” She mumbled as she used his hand to pull herself back up. She gasped as she looked down at their hands. “Look! Sevvy!” She said as she held their still clasped hands up.
A little red light of string was tied around her pinky finger and pooled on the ground below them, fading into a rich green that tied around Seviathan finger.
“Woah…” He mused. “What is it?”
The princess shrugged and smiled.
“I don’t know. But, you know, I really like being with you.” Charlie said before she leaned over and gently kissed his cheek.
‘Boys like it when you kiss their cheek’, her mother had told her that morning. ‘But,’ she had also warned. ‘You should only kiss the cheek of boys that she felt like she was tied to.’ Lilith would say as she lifted the princess up into her arms. ‘For a queen such as myself would never dream of kissing another man other than your father.’ Charlie would giggle and her mother would kiss the top of her nose and remind her just how beautiful she was.
The light faded, but yet, the two could still feel the knot. They played together in the ballroom, and it was time for Seviathan to leave before he knew it. He thought he would hate this play date, but he couldn’t help but feel sad as he left.