Chapter Text
The cold wind stung Pure Vanilla’s face as he trudged to the shoreline. The water was impossibly black, devoid of any light, and crashed loudly upon the black rocks on the distant cliff side. The bleak, gray, and desolate sky scattered snow down onto them, and Pure Vanilla could see them land on his sleeves without disappearing.
“When we saw the maps during our days of the academy of the Licorice Sea, I didn’t think the ink used for the water would be so… accurate.” White Lily said quietly.
She walked over to the shore as well, observing the way the water moved. To Pure Vanilla’s surprise, she crouched down on the black sand and scooped some of the water with cupped hands.
“L-Lily!” Pure Vanilla stuttered.
“Lily!” Hollyberry exclaimed, “Are you out of your MIND?!”
The tall woman ran up behind her, effortlessly pulling White Lily away from the water.
“For gods’ sake, that water is FREEZING. You’ll catch your death!”
White Lily blinked, looking dazed, and let the water spill out of her hands. She shook the liquid off and hugged her hands to herself.
“I’m s-sorry. My curiosity got the better of me.”
“As it always does!”
Pure Vanilla warmly chuckled, then held out his staff for Hollyberry to take. She accepted, and he took off his outer cloak to wrap around her shoulders. With no sight, he could feel White Lily’s cold hands hands wrap around his. A ‘thank you’ left unsaid.
“The castle has to be here…” Pure Vanilla announced.
Hollyberry returned his staff, and the orchid’s eye fluttered open. Pure Vanilla took in his regained ability to witness his surroundings carefully. His gaze drifted to the cliff again, and he realized the rocks were the same shades of obsidian as the city atop it overlooking the sea.
“There. Atop the cliff. We’re close.”
Hollyberry squinted.
“How can you see that? And HOW do we get up there?”
“It’ll be more apparent when we’re closer.” White Lily chimed in. She gripped her staff tighter, “I do hope the Cacao Kingdom is kind enough to allow us to stay.”
“If they’re not, I’m giving them a piece of my mind. We came a long way to find the Cacao Kingdom-“
“Now Holly, they didn’t respond to our letters.” Pure Vanilla pointed out, causing Hollyberry to cross her arms, “but that might now be intentional. They’re very closed off.”
“Literally.” Hollyberry remarked. Pure Vanilla knew she was referring to the massive wall lining the coast as well.
The trio continued onward along the shore.
The kingdom’s history was unknown and very isolated from the rest of Earthbread. The group knew of its existence, but they were not open to trading with the Vanilla or the Hollyberry Kingdoms, causing a natural rift that shrouded the kingdom in mystery.
Pure Vanilla looked warily at the high and imposing walls of the citadel. It wasn’t decorative, but for protection. He could gather that much.
But protection from what?
A scream pierced the air, snapping Pure Vanilla out of his thoughts.
Hollyberry went forward with her shield ready, and White Lily took Pure Vanilla’s hand tightly. White Lily’s face was solidified with a newfound determination.
They charged to the sound of the screaming, closer to the cliffs, as fast as their legs could carry them. Despite the fact they had been traveling for what seemed like an endless amount of days, the prospect of someone in trouble gave them all the strength they needed.
“Please! Ancestors! HELP US!” A man cried out.
The three slowed to a tide pool just before the black rocks lining the towering kingdom wall.
A woman was lifting a crying baby into the hands of a man standing elevated above on the rocks. A second child, a toddler, was wielding a tiny bow in front of their mother.
There were monsters. Their black bodies seemed to be thick blobs lurching towards the family trying to scramble up the rocks to safety.
The toddler smacked one of the monsters.
The man took the baby, and the woman quickly lifted the toddler in his direction as well. The toddler protested, but they grabbed onto the rocks, and the burly father used his other arm to lift both children away from the mother.
“GO!” She ordered. She readied a large bow, and began to pull back an arrow. One of the monsters got hold of her leg. She yelped and stumbled, her back slamming against the black rocks as the creature tried to drag her back into the water from whence it came.
Hollyberry dropped her enormous backpack to charge into battle and White Lily began to cast a large green Lily of Magic to sprout from the ground.
“Foul BEASTS!” Hollyberry snarled, smacking the creature away from the woman. The woman clutched her leg.
Pure Vanilla began to cast his own magic, giving Hollyberry and White Lily strength. He sensed the woman was wounded, the creature gripped her with an otherworldly strength, so he pulsated soothing magic through her.
One of the creatures howled. Blue glowing eyes trained on Pure Vanilla. He flinched and hit it across the face with his staff. Black mucous traces stuck to his brown cloak.
White Lilly was doing a good job blasting them back into the sea, but more kept lurching from the water towards them.
Holly protected them all, kept barraging the swarm at bay with her heart shaped shield the best she could. Their goopy bodies splattering across the sand and the rocks.
“Vanilla, behind you!” Hollyberry shouted.
Pure Vanilla turned, and one of the creatures got way too close for his comfort. His body tensed. The creature tried to pounce, but an arrow struck in between its melting eyes.
His head whipped around, and the woman they were trying to save was firing arrows faster than Pure Vanilla could count.
The woman kept precisely hitting her targets, but more creatures kept coming.
“MY LORD! MY LORD, PLEASE! HELP US!” She screamed. Tears ran down her cheeks.
The goops of the creatures were reforming, Vanilla realized. They kept getting struck down and coming back.
Dozens and dozens of them were forming a swarm on the beach.
The creatures began to grip onto their cloaks, claw up their legs, and pull them towards the sea.
They couldn’t keep going. It was only 4 of them. The woman was running out of arrows.
“My friends, get back, shield your eyes!”
Pure Vanilla raised his staff.
Holly grabbed White Lily, freeing her from the creatures, then tackled the archer.
Pure Vanilla closed his eyes.
He could protect White Lily. He could protect Hollyberry. He WILL protect the family struggling for survival.
“I WILL NOT FALTER!” He yelled, calling the light.
A blinding light illuminated the darkness of the beach and sea. The creatures all let out deafening squeals. They scurried back into the water, a cowardly retreat.
His legs felt weak, he steadied himself with his staff. The immense power he used for attacks like that winded him, but he was getting better at recovering quickly.
Pure Vanilla huffed out a breath, then turned to see Hollyberry crushing White Lily and the visibly uncomfortable archer into a hug.
He breathed out a laugh. They were victorious once again.
They needed to get out of here-
The ground began to rumble.
Pure Vanilla gasped.
Out of the water rose a large… amalgamation of horror triple his size. All the creatures seemed to be fusing together, multiple heads sprouting from everywhere. They loudly shrieked, and it lurched forwards to the sand in front of where Pure Vanilla was standing.
“VANILLA! Get out of there!” Hollyberry yelled. She charged at the creature, but it sprouted a limb that outstretched way too far and struck her body to the side. She FLEW into towering wall. With an immense slam, she fell to the rocks below.
“Holly!” White Lily screamed.
“Get to safety, White Lily!” Pure Vanilla yelled as well, “Take the family and alert the kingdom!”
The archer’s eyes widened, seeing something past Vanilla, and she fought against White Lily’s grip.
“How did she- No!! Save her!”
“Please, stay back!” White Lily urged.
Pure Vanilla turned, and the little toddler from earlier stood head on to the monster.
With her tiny bow, the girl shot an arrow and it hit directly in the center of the monster’s body.
It shrieked again, louder out of pain, and began to scream as it scurried to consume the little girl. The girl pulled another arrow, and was ready to shoot with fearlessness.
Pure Vanilla ran to her. She yelped as he pulled her close, hugging her tightly. He didn’t think, he didn’t consider this could be the moment he crumbled, he just held the girl and shielded her from the beast behind him.
A violent slash boomed through the air.
Pure Vanilla froze. Nothing happened to him.
The girl was still trembling in his arms. But they were alive.
“Dark Cacao…?” She asked, peeking out over his shoulder.
Pure Vanilla slowly turned to face beast once again.
An enormous sword stabbed into the flesh of the creature’s dominant head while its other heads wailed. An armored figure with black hair pressed the blade deeper, and the creature screamed louder than Pure Vanilla had ever heard before. A gust of sand flew through the wind, stinging his eyes.
The blade was pulled out, and jam was oozing out of the creature. But the figure shouted a chilling war cry as they stabbed the weapon into the creature a second time.
They slashed the monster.
Again.
Again.
And AGAIN.
The figure violently struck the thing, furiously, until the creature wasn’t moving. In a grotesque heap, it slowly collapsed back into the water. The figure jumped off of the corpse landing on one knee on the shore, just before the never ending sea.
The warrior raggedly panted. With each breath, the sword they were clutching sunk deeper into water and the wet sand.
Pure Vanilla sensed restlessness. Pain all over the body. Fatigue from lack of sleep. Freezing at the hands and feet. The massive sword was the only thing keeping the armored person from falling to the ground and going out cold.
The girl, stared in awe at the person kneeling in the water.
Pure Vanilla slowly let the girl go, telling her to run. She sprinted to her sobbing mother’s opened arms.
White Lily stared with furrowed pale brows at the newcomer, pointing her staff.
With shaken legs, Pure Vanilla walked to the person. His ankles were repeatedly splashed with the freezing water, as if pins and needles were being stabbed into him.
He couldn’t see a face behind the black cascading hair curtaining it.
Pure Vanilla willed healing light into his fingers, and he glowed.
He was going to place his hands over the other persons. There were many painful, split open callouses he sensed on the warriors palms and fingers gripping the blade.
Pure Vanilla was going to heal them. Thank them.
The last thing he saw was bared teeth before they let out another warrior cry. The armored person swept their leg, the air was forced out of Pure Vanilla’s body. His back slammed onto the ground, and the freezing water splashed under him.
The blade against his neck was somehow colder than everything around them.
Purple eyes pierced Pure Vanilla’s very being.
His heart hammered at the enraged man before him. His dark complexion, his dark hair down to his shoulders, the dark sky and sea. Pure Vanilla’s staff had to slowly adjust to take in the hardened lines, square jaw, broad yet sharp nose, the rise and fall of broad shoulders due to ragged breaths, the twitch of his brows. A thick white streak came loose and trickled down his face.
His eyes combed over Pure Vanilla as well. A brief calm, possibly hesitation, crossed his face.
“You…” the young man began with a sharp inhale.
“Release him!” White Lily yelled the best she could, despite how soft spoke she was in nature. She was holding out her staff.
“Let Pure Vanilla GO!”
It was none other than Hollyberry, pink hair buns slightly unraveling but strong as ever. She slammed the shield into the stranger, and he fell back into the water with a slash and a thud
“Hollyberry!” Pure Vanilla and White Lily breathed out in disbelief.
She effortlessly lifted Pure Vanilla up out of the water, like a cat by the scruff of its neck. His teeth slightly chattered.
“Oh come on, you two. Did you ACTUALLY think one chocolate wall was going to put ME out of commission? This is just getting interesting!”
A grin crossed her face. She tightened the strap of her shield.
Pure Vanilla opened his arms and blocked Hollyberry from attacking again with his wingspan.
“HOLLYBERRY, STOP!”
The stranger stood up, well composed despite the injuries Pure Vanilla sensed aching him.
Hollyberry put one arm on her hip.
“Nothing to say, lad?” She laughed, tilting her head.
With a stone cold expression, the man held up a fist.
“HOLD YOUR FIRE!” He barked at the top of his lungs.
The three heroes turned. The top of the wall was lined with archers, bows drawn back and aiming arrows directly at them. In the center had to be the king, taller and more imposing in stature, with a sharper crown.
Pure Vanilla felt a chill down his spine.
Pure Vanilla was suddenly restrained all at once. He struggled, but more soldiers with armor stormed the beach.
His staff was ripped out of his hands.
It was disorienting whenever it was forcibly taken from him. His vision vanished all at once, like was he was forced to closed his eyes and couldn’t open them again. Even if he opened them wide, he saw nothing.
He stumbled as he was dragged by soldiers, their armor clanging as they marched in the beach.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” said Hollyberry, “OR MY SHIELD! Get your hands-“
“I-It’s alright, Hollyberry.” Pure Vanilla said, “trust when I say, violence isn’t the answer!Just comply.”
He heard Holly grumble, something about how she is capable of making a clear path through the soldiers, but White Lily called loudly.
“Who do you think you are, outsiders?” A voice, the voice of the king, boomed from the top of the wall “Whispering to the beasts so they can do your bidding?!”
Pure Vanilla swallowed.
“We did no such thing! Please, we do not wish to fight you or your people. If anything, we would like to help. Let us explain-“
“Treason!” The king cut off.
Pure Vanilla could hear footsteps, likely the man who slayed the beast, getting further away from him.
He next heard White Lily.
“WAIT! You are the prince, are you not?!”
No reply. The waves crashed against the rocks loudly.
“A-a prince such as yourself, you must have honor!” White Lily continued, “You’re here to answer the cries of one of your soldiers and her family! That is honor in a form many do not have!”
Pure Vanilla didn’t hear a response, just the sounds of the crashing waves. He heard the metallic rub of armor, but no words. The wind picked up, howling in their ears.
The freezing air was almost numbing against his face at this point.
“My best friend, came into this world without sight. That staff is his eyes. It is linked to his sense of vision in a magical bind,” She continued. Pure Vanilla didn’t understand the relevance of that information or the reason for her urgency until she said, “Please. If you BREAK that orchid… he will not be able to see again. Perhaps not EVER.”
Pure Vanilla paled. A million thoughts raced in his head. How he would return home, protect his friends, find another of the rare flower to replace the staff he made all those years ago-
“Is that not how he enticed the beasts? With that very staff?” The deeper and angrier voice of the king billowed from the top of the wall, shouting over the picking up wind.
Pure Vanilla shook his head.
“I tried to stun them! Make them retreat. It did not work, but we were overwhelmed and I had to do something. I swear, I meant no harm. WE mean no harm.”
He heard a low hum nearby, but further in the distance, the king.
“Dark Cacao!” The king snarled.
Pure Vanilla’s heart clenched, but he felt something press into his free hands.
His eyes fluttered, and his vision restored. He could see right in front of him, prince Dark Cacao looking back at him with his intense purple eyes. His hair was flowing wildly in the harsh wind.
He gave a haughty look to the eye orchid. It blinked slowly, and Pure Vanilla rubbed his thumb over the handle of the staff to ease himself.
Dark Cacao, the prince, took a knee and bowed in the direction of the wall, where his father stared down in scrutiny.
“Forgive me, my king. But they speak the truth-“
“THAT’S ENOUGH!”
The prince stiffened, bowing further.
“He will call the monsters again!”
“Not if you allow me escort the prisoners! Once in his holding cell, I will confiscate the staff myself.”
The king crossed his arms.
“Dark Cacao…” he snarked, “what is the meaning of this?”
The prince rose to his feet and looked up to the king.
“I feel breaking the staff is too cruel without proper judgement, your grace.”
Pure Vanilla took notice of the king’s cold expression towards his own son, a look more similar to disgust than frustration.
“Pray for your sake that the outsiders are not deceiving us.”
Dark Cacao’s hand clenched at his side.
“WE MARCH!” The king ordered.
The last they could see of the king from below was the flick of his long cloak.
Dark Cacao exhaled a shaken breath.
Pure Vanilla stared in awe.
“Thank you-“
“One move.” Dark Cacao snarled.
He turned back to Pure Vanilla, jabbing a calloused finger into his chest.
“One WORD uttered to try to call the beasts” he said quietly so no one else heard him, “and I will not hesitate to behead before your ancestors hear you scream. Do you understand me?”
Pure Vanilla gulped, but nodded.
“Use your staff to watch your step. The rocks are sharp.”
———————————
The three were escorted into the citadel, past an imposing gate along the top of the cliffside walls. The Licorice Sea from down below looked as though it could swallow you whole. From so high up, you could see Choco Cone Spruce trees along the distant mountains.
Purple dark chocolate tiles lined the entire citadel floor. Torches were lit with purple flames. Beds of Star Jelly flowers encircled a statue of the very king they met with his sword prepared to battle.
They saw warriors training. Sparring with each other and striking dummies of hay with swords. Shooting targets with archery. There were even scribbling on clay tablets to educate on the use of choco cannons.
A door opened, and the remaining guards lined on either side of the door, bowing at Dark Cacao.
A servant brought a purple torch, and Dark Cacao accepted without a word.
The dungeon was made simply of stone, and Dark Cacao silently put each of them into their own cells.
Last was Pure Vanilla, put in a cell across from the two keeping White Lily and Hollyberry.
“Thank you.” Pure Vanilla attempted again, because he could not imagine what being dragged up the mountain and down the stairs to the dungeon would’ve entailed without his orchid.
Dark Cacao, stoic as can be, held out his hands to receive the staff.
Pure Vanilla surrendered it.
“Please. Take care of it.”
“I make no such promises.” Dark Cacao said cooly.
It was dark again, and Pure Vanilla accepted it.
Dark Cacao’s hand pressed onto his shoulder, and Pure Vanilla didn’t resist. His body lowered and he felt a firm, but workable bedding underneath him. With that the door was closed and locked.
Hollyberry and Pure Lily remained silent until the dungeon door closed, leaving them alone.
“That BRUTE.” Hollyberry began, likely pacing in her cell, “that absolute BARBARIAN-“
“My friend, it’s not that simple.” Pure Vanilla replied, “what we saw on the shore today is a testament to why this kingdom is keeping its guard up. The king has his reasons, I’m sure.”
“He was cruel.” White Lily said, “but I’m not surprised. I don’t think they have anything close to the same kinds of magic we have in the Vanilla Kingdom. They might be afraid of that.”
The howling of the wind from above served as a ghostly melody.
Pure Vanilla’s thoughts drifted to the sound of his war cry, slaying the beast with desperation. The hardened look in his eyes.
The fear of his own father was the worst of it.
————————————
Pure Vanilla jolted awake from the sound of the lock of his cell jingling and the door swinging open.
“On your feet. The king demands your presence at once.” He heard a soldier say.
Anxiety crept into Pure Vanilla immediately.
He rubbed his eyes, suppressing a yawn, and the soldier tossed something into the air.
“The prince ordered this returned.” The guard said in disgust.
His staff. He knew the sound of it clattering on the ground.
Pure Vanilla hesitantly knelt to the floor, his fingers feeling for it. It was excruciating, the fact that the guard was surely watching him struggle.
At last he found it, and the orchid blinked to reflect Pure Vanilla’s fatigue. He took in the exact same surroundings as before, with the guard looking slightly amused at the cell door.
He gave Hollyberry and White Lily an assuring nod as he was pulled out of his cell. The other two were led right behind him.
He trudged up the steps first, praying he wasn’t going headfirst into conflict. That they didn’t need to fight. That the king would listen and understand their want for an alliance.
They trudged through the paths made by previous steps in the fallen snow once they left the dungeon door. Little kids darted back and forth in courtyard of the king’s statue, throwing snowballs at each other.
It was quiet in this part of the citadel, aside from the giggling of the children. Almost as if haunted.
As Pure Vanilla neared closer with the two guards in front and two more behind him, the children fell silent. They scurried behind the king’s statue, peering with their tiny faces.
One of the boys whispered into the other’s ear.
Pure Vanilla grimaced at the heavy scrutiny of the childrens’ gazes.
They came across two large doors, and slowly the doors seemed to swing open by themselves.
The massive throne room was grander than expected, and Pure Vanilla felt a wash of warmth over his body from the adequate heating of the room compared to the outside.
A painting depicting two dragons, one black and one white, circling the sky in ink draped over an entire wall. The ceiling had massive norigae charms suspending downward, curtains of purple cascading down to the floor on either side of the throne.
Several massive sets of steps, purple torches lining them led to the throne and served as the light source in the dark room.
Black wood carved into intricate designs made the throne, and atop was the king.
Silky black and deep brown layers of fabric for an intricate hanbok clothed him and a solid black cloak with thick white fur draped over his shoulders.
The king’s sword was lying across his lap, handle in the grip of one of his hands.
Next to his throne, the Prince was standing. His longer hair was half pulled into a short ponytail and half cascading down to his shoulders as opposed to his father’s tight bun. His hanbok was a purple tinted grey and tied tightly with a royal purple cord around his waist.
His posture was straightened, proper, at attention.
Before, all he had was his crown and his armor. Now it felt like they were staring at a prince.
The archer from the beach was kneeling on the floor. She bowed at the bottom of the steps, her forehead touching the ground.
“You are relieved of your post.” The king billowed.
Whispers from his court, all dressed in black, purple, and white hanboks, filled the throne room.
The woman flinched.
“My king-“
“Silence.”
She bowed again.
“Your disobedience is dishonorable at worst. And careless at best. I never want to see your face inside this citadel again.”
Dark Cacao looked to his father, stunned.
But he did not protest.
“I just wanted to protect my CHILDREN-“
“That is not the concerns of a watcher on duty. You are banished at once.”
The woman rose, and at Pure Vanilla, Hollyberry, and White Lily’s faces, she teared up even more. She abruptly wiped her face with her sleeves and two guards gripped each of her arms.
Despite her crying and thrashing, she was dragged out of the throne room doors.
Pure Vanilla cleared his throat, but before he could say anything, the king spoke first.
“I wish to speak with the prisoners alone.”
“Your Majesty-“ the soldier holding Pure Vanilla began.
“Everyone. Out.” The king said to the room.
The soldier unlocked the tight cuffs as he was told.
The various guards, members of court, and scribes in the room bowed, then all left through the same heavy doors in an orderly fashion.
The room echoed as they slammed closed behind them.
The king shifted in his throne, but didn’t say a word. His eyes were as black as coal, and were full of scrutiny, demanding an explanation.
A period of silence followed. The wind of the snowstorm continued to howl, whistling against the shudders.
The crackle of the purple torches were the only sense of life in the room, for not even the King’s breath could be heard. Dark Cacao clutched his holstered sword’s handle.
“Your Majesty, we meant no harm whatsoever.” Pure Vanilla began, “My name is Pure Vanilla Cookie, king of the Vanilla Kingdom. This is Queen Hollyberry, and this is White Lily.”
Nothing.
“We came seeking an alliance with your kingdom for the good of Earthbread, you know.” Hollyberry added rather audaciously.
The king drummed his fingers on the arm of the throne.
“Do you know how many have waltzed in this room to siphon my power. Claiming it’s for the ‘good of Earthbread’?”
“This is nothing like that.” White Lily said calmly. “An alliance of our influence can keep the realm safe from anything that comes our way-“
“Forgive me if I am not naive enough to weep at your noble words.”
White Lily flinched.
He pulled something from his lap.
A large grey stone. He harshly gripped it with bare fingers. He grated the stone across his sword, piercing the air with the deafening screech of metal. It was unnerving, sending a chill down Pure Vanilla’s spine. Dark Cacao remained expressionless.
The king repeated the motion.
“What basis do you have to prove your intentions?” He asked, not looking at him. “And where,” he continued, grating the stone against the blade with almost each word, “was the worth of your allianceship-“
The king tilted the sword in the light of the flames near his throne.
“-when the Licorice Sea was brewing more creatures to slaughter my warriors? If Dark Cacao, of all people, hadn’t stepped in and heard desperate cries… I think you know what would have happened to them.”
Pure Vanilla grimaced at the slight inflection of mockery.
“I’ve never encountered a creature like what I saw today before.“ he admitted.
“Of course not. Vanillians know nothing of survival.”
The king slid his sword against the forearm area of the sleeve of his hanbok, slow and with intent.
“I can’t help but wonder what kind of kings and queens you are, to abandon your kingdoms”
White Lily shot back, “Perhaps the kind unafraid to fight for it.”
The king paused.
With a slight movement of his jaw, Pure Vanilla knew Dark Cacao was slowly gritting his teeth.
“Why did you punish the archer?” Pure Vanilla found himself pressing.
Dark Cacao’s gaze shifted to Pure Vanilla. Perhaps in warning.
“She abandoned her post,” the king replied, “did not report her sightings, and tried to fight the creatures in combat by herself. That is selfish. And not behavior of a Cacaoian Watcher. She’s lucky she’s still alive.”
“How is that so? Was she not protecting her family? Is that not the ways of a warrior-“
The king rose up from his chair, slamming the sword’s tip into the floor.
The throne room vibrated.
“I did not ask for your insight!” He spat.
He outstretched his sword to point at Pure Vanilla.
“And how DARE YOU and your comrades waltz into my domain and expect me to lend you sanctuary, my army and my sword!”
Pure Vanilla quietly swallowed. He took a breath. The king was furious and Pure Vanilla desperately didn’t want to escalate things. Hollyberry clenched her fists at her side, and White Lily’s eyes widened.
“Dark Cacao.” The king said.
The prince slowly turned to him.
“For someone so eager to speak out of turn against me, you’ve fallen silent. What do you think of this?”
Dark Cacao looked to the three, and immediately the king barked, “Speak.”
“I don’t see the harm in negotiating, my king. If we open trade, we can make more weapons, more materials to expand and fortify our defenses. They are not hostile.”
Dark Cacao locked eyes with Pure Vanilla once again.
“In fact, they are far from threatening in the slightest. Even if they really wanted to.”
Hollyberry’s brow twitched. Meanwhile, the king tilted his head in consideration.
“What harm is there to hear their demands?” Dark Cacao continued, tone shifting to the same mocking one of his father, and Pure Vanilla realized he was doing this with purpose, “if we don’t like them, they can go back to where they belong. Outside of the wall. I hardly think their performance of light tricks can save them from the hunger of cream wolves.”
It worked.
The king remained stoic, but there was a slight glimmer of enthusiasm in his eyes.
“GUARDS!” He called abruptly.
Several of them burst through the doors immediately.
“Thanks to the guidance of our wise prince-“
The king placed a hand on Dark Cacao’s shoulder, gripping tighter than necessary.
“-we are going to treat these outsiders as our guests. I leave all arrangements to him and his capable hands until I return. I’ve wasted enough time already.”
The prince’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t protest. He did, however continue to stare a hole into the ground rather than look his father in the eyes. The king descended from the stairs of the throne. His steps echoed in the room, and the guards opened the doors with a bow for the king to exit. As he crossed paths with Pure Vanilla, Hollyberry, and White Lily, he lowered his sword and allowed the tip of the blade to grate against the tile for an uneasy screeching sound.
And with that, he exited the throne room.
One guard scurried front and center to the stairs leading to the throne.
“W-What are your orders, my prince?”
Dark Cacao straightened himself, then spoke clearly.
“Have servants prepare chambers for each of our guests with drawn baths. And we need measurements.”
“Yes, my prince!”
“Measurements?” asked White Lily.
Dark Cacao snapped his fingers.
Pure Vanilla felt a tug. His handcuffs were unlocked by the guard.
His cloak was taken off his shoulders, and a handmaiden with a long cord began to check his height.
“Your things will be returned.” Dark Cacao said, and Pure Vanilla jolted that Dark Cacao was somehow standing next to him, “I believe first we should get you all with attire fit for the blizzard and fully rested before we attempt any diplomatic conversation.”
“Thank you, for convincing the king, allowing us to stay-“
“You could have done without the insults.” Hollyberry grumbled.
Dark Cacao glared at her, but didn’t answer.
————————-
Pure Vanilla, with red cheeks and stammering words, insisted he could bathe HIMSELF to the servants waiting by the tub of hot water.
It took a lot of convincing, but Pure Vanilla eventually did get to wash the grime and sweat of travel off alone. He wasn’t fond of the provided soap, too bitter in its fragrance, but he brought his own toiletries. When he was finished, he dried himself with a plush black towel.
In an unassuming box with what must have been the Cacaoian seal, there were intricate robes, layers that Pure Vanilla didn’t know how to put on.
He swallowed. If he put it on WRONG, who knows how much lower the Royal family’s opinion of him will drop…
Pure Vanilla covered himself with the parts he understood, the undergarments, and a bathrobe, then gently slid open the door.
“Need help?” A voice piped up immediately.
He poked his head out.
A woman in a solid black hanbok smiled back at him. Her brown hair was short in a curly bob.
“Yes. The dress I’ve been provided is lovely but-“
“I understand. Let’s have a look, shall we?”
He ushered her inside the bathroom to the box with the robe.
Efficiently, she layered the pieces in his body.
“You smell… sweet.” She observed.
“Ah, yes. I had my own soap.”
“We don’t get alot of sweet cookies around here. It’s strange, I don’t think I’ve ever met a Vanillian before.”
Pure Vanilla nodded. She held up two sashes and compared them.
“I’ve never met a Cacaoian before the prince today.”
The maiden pursed her lips. She decided on one of the sashes, then began to wrap it around his waist.
“Ah yes. Outside the wall. I heard the story. Consider yourself blessed it was the prince and not the king who saw you first. It is well known the king’s protection stops at the wall.”
“What do you mean by that?”
She tied a knot, calmly explaining, “not much else to tell. The king does not aid or defend outsiders, he sees it as an expense to his own. And any Cacaoian outside the wall is an outsider. It’s how we keep ourselves safe.”
With a satisfied expression, she turned him towards the mirror.
His robes were white, lined with lavender floral details.
“Dinner will be ready shortly, I’ll have an escort for you.
Pure Vanilla nodded, and the woman bowed before leaving the room.
To say he felt uneasy would be an understatement.
———————————————
The expansive brown wooden table was layed out with four places of food. Dumplings, soups, and colorful assortments of vegetables, very modestly layed out.
Pure Vanilla jumped at a servant pushing in his chair as he sat down.
Hollyberry wore a purple dress, her hair pinned up into an intricate bun with cacao flowers.
White Lily’s hanbok was similarly styled with rich browns, making her complexion even paler along with her braided hair laced with creme colored ribbons.
“That will be all.” Dark Cacao announced. He took the seat next to Pure Vanilla, balancing the seating arrangement.
The servants bowed, swiftly exited, and the room was left with only the howling of the winds outside.
“Where is the king, this evening?” White Lily asked politely, eyeing the empty larger chair at the head of the table.
Dark Cacao didn’t make eye contact. He took a pause before replying, “His majesty was due to leave this evening for a hunting expedition. He sends his regards.”
They ate in silence, and Pure Vanilla was struggling to think of a question or sentence to break the ice. His staff leaning on his chair would make glances at the prince, but he remained unreadable.
His white eyelashes casted shadows on his cheeks, darkening his already sunken eyes and the bags underneath. Other than that, there was not much expression from Dark Cacao. He seemed to simply be focused on the meal.
The food was… bitter. The most bitter tasting that any of them had ever had. He could tell by the looks on Hollyberry and White Lily’s faces. Even the tea.
Pure Vanilla didn’t mind the cuisine. It was different for his pallette, but it was a welcoming sort of different. Almost cleansing.
“Any chance I could get a goblet of grape juice?” Hollyberry suddenly asked.
Dark Cacao’s hand holding his chopsticks froze.
“It would go… nicely with the meal, I’d say.”
Dark Cacao swallowed his bite, then spoke.
“We don’t have that here.”
Hollyberry shrugged, then abruptly pulled out a basket from seemingly nowhere. Inside was a bottle of berry juice from the Hollyberry Castle and heart shaped tarts she had been saving.
“Consider this a gift from the Hollyberry family! Perhaps more to come if we settle on future imports!” She said proudly with a toothy grin.
Dark Cacao’s eyes widened a fraction.
“Is this… an attempt at humor?” He asked blatantly.
Hollyberry’s smile faltered.
“P-pardon?”
“Are you joking-“
“No, prince Cacao. This is a GIFT.”
The prince was uncomfortable. He turned his head away and beckoned one of the servants taking away dishes over.
He muttered something to the maiden, and she paled at his words. She looked at the basket, perhaps in horror, then nodded to the prince.
She quickly took the basket from Hollyberry,
“Where- where is she-?”
Dark Cacao didn’t say anything. The maiden froze.
Hollyberry’s face morphed from confusion to anger. She sputtered, outraged, before she yelled, “Don’t tell me she is DISCARDING that!”
Dark Cacao looked to her, haughtily, but took another sip of his tea.
“She is, isn’t she? You sir, are RUDE.”
Dark Cacao shook his head, and the woman understood. She left the basket next to Hollyberry again instead before she left.
“I’m rude?” He asked genuinely, “Juice aside, you think we would accept such… juvenile confectionaries?”
The worst part was Dark Cacao seemed truly confused. No malice, just stunned.
White Lily bit her lip, eyes pleading to Pure Vanilla.
He attempted to cut in, “That’s not-“
“Juvenile-! You could have delivered them to the king, at least. He would have recognized the intention and appreciated the gift!” Hollyberry grumbled.
Dark Cacao paled slightly at the proposition. He shot back, “I know my father better than you, Queen Hollyberry, he would have been outraged and banished all three of you if he saw such a thing.”
“Why YOU- you BRAT!”
White Lily put a hand on Hollyberry’s shoulder to keep her from rising out of her chair.
“That’s uncalled for, your grace! You didn’t even taste them and you’re insulting her family-”
“I don’t need to taste them to know she’s insulting mine.” Dark Cacao snapped. He glanced at Pure Vanilla.
His anger disappeared, likely from Pure Vanilla’s stunned expression. He took a deep breath to collect himself then pinched his nosebridge with a deep sigh.
“My lady, surely you must know… Cacaoians… we don’t indulge in such things?”
“Oh? Why is that?” Hollyberry asked, slight tone of not believing his words.
He stuttered incredulously.
“Because.. because in the Cacao kingdom, it is for literal children! To come of age is to abandon all sweet confections in favor of food that is bitter to the tongue. It keeps us honorable and builds character!”
He looked to White Lily and Pure Vanilla.
“Did NONE of you question till now why the meal tastes the way it does?!”
Silence fell over the table.
That is, until Hollyberry snorted.
“And here I thought you just hated us! Are you telling me you are eating the same things as we are?”
Dark Cacao’s face actually tinted with RED. Pure Vanilla couldn’t believe it.
“It’s a sign of respect. We make all flavors as bitter as possible when welcoming guests. It’s recognizing the honor among the table.”
Hollyberry cackled. She popped open the bottle’s cork and poured it into a goblet she had inside the basket.
“My friend. Forgive my hasty judgement. I think we have a lot to learn about each other, yes?”
“Clearly.” Dark Cacao muttered.
————————————
Their discussion devolved into sharing about their homelands.
Pure Vanilla blushed as White Lily passionately told the story of how he founded the Vanilla Kingdom, searching for the end of suffering. Their specialty with Magic, healing, peace, and maintaining harmony seemed to intrigue Dark Cacao, but he remained quiet.
“We grew up together. At first he was a Shepard, of all things. After enduring the trials, the settlement grew… it’s as if we never were a kingdom from the start.”
Hollyberry with pride explained that in her kingdom, they threw exquisite parties. They weren’t afraid to dance, sing, or indulge.
She showed scrolls of their songs, legends, and stories.
“And THIS is my greatest battle. After the defeat of the Tortan, I was coronated as Queen and we became prosperous!”
Well into the night, after their histories had been shared, Dark Cacao still remained quiet about his own.
They didn’t press, but Pure Vanilla remained curious.
—————————
On his bed, Pure Vanilla took the opportunity to read from the small collection of hand bound books. They had interesting approaches to medicine without magic that he wished to learn from, and Dark Cacao didn’t stop him when he asked to borrow them and read in his quarters.
He lost track of time, and boredom settled in. He closed what he was reading and placed the stack on his bedside table.
In the silence, the howling echoing the walls made the hair on his neck stand on end.
He surveyed the room, taking in the simple and dark decor. The quarters weren’t as grand as say, the Hollyberrian guestrooms, but Pure Vanilla was never one to demand such luxuries. He noticed his new cream wolf cloak was still on the dresser. And his normal clothes were washed and neatly folded on the dresser.
When did they get returned? Perhaps when he was reading?
Pure Vanilla strode over to the clothing. His fingers delicately plucked the clothes, and he found a distinct scent clung to them. He closed his eyes and inhaled a mix of sweet and bitter of vanilla and cacao beans. A mix of familiarity and new in one aroma.
A door or shutter slamming outside his chambers vibrated the room. It snapped Pure Vanilla more awake than before, and a blush blossomed over his cheeks at the realization of what he was doing.
———————————
Sleep did not come to him.
The bed was comfortable, no matter what position he tried to rest, but none of them lulled him to sleep. It was less of an issue of comfort and more of his mind, curious about the kingdom he resided in.
And the prince.
An eternity passed before he willed himself to grab his staff again. He wrapped the cloak around his shoulders, slipped on fur lined shoes, and gently opened his door.
There were no guards like during the day in the halls, perhaps in the dead of night they were atop the wall?
Pure Vanilla extended his staff around corners to see, ensuring he wasn’t going to be caught and questioned. It would be too awkward of a conversation to endure, to reveal that like a child he couldn’t go to bed.
He found a door leading to the outside, partially from memory. Due to the wind and build up of snow, Pure Vanilla grunted and pressed his body weight into it to make it open.
The cold wind stung, harsher than before, but he wasn’t quitting. He gripped his staff harshly, using his entire back to close the door as quickly as possible.
He huffed out a breath.
The ghostly courtyard filled him with a sense of melancholy, the moonlight twinkling the snow like crystals.
Among the howling of wind and occasional wolves, he heard a… crashing, and with that he felt a rush of wind. It was constant, like a rhythm.
He wandered aimlessly following the sound. Snow crunched under his feet as he made is way to the outer areas of the citadel. The maze of paths took him through different sections, and he slowed to find a truly condemned clearing. The snow was thicker, up to Pure Vanilla’s calves.
Just before doubt settled in, he realized from the other side of the area that there were footprints. Holes where someone stepped through the thick snow that led to a ladder against the wall.
His eyes followed up, and sure enough where was a gap. You COULD walk among the high wall.
Pure Vanilla, prepared for an obstacle like this, used a strap to secure his staff across his back. The orchid blinked, eye stinging from the cold, but Pure Vanilla could still see over his own shoulder well enough to make the climb.
The snow was cold enough to be slightly hardened. He gingerly stepped and strained to pull his leg out of each indentation he made. It was a slow go until he stood at the ladder.
His fingers trembled, his hot breath puffed through the air, and his face felt numb. There was a rhythm to the crashing he heard, and it got louder as he slowly ascended as to not slip and fall back to where he started.
Pure Vanilla reached the top and did end up slipping trying to stand. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest, a thick cacao barrier was keeping his from on whatever drop was in the other side. Instead he fell to his knees and his hands clung to the stone.
Pure Vanilla took a breath to calm himself.
He pulled himself up, off of the snow, to see over the barrier.
It had to have been the most beautiful view he had ever seen.
The air was clear. In the moonlight, faint snowflakes rained over everything in sight. Down below, the black beach was submerged in water from the high tides. The water twinkled across the surface to almost looked like glass.
And the tides were STRONG. Black water crashed into the rocks, roaring like Pure Vanilla had never heard before as the water slammed into the wall in massive waves. Below-freezing water misted the air above, Pure Vanilla gasped as he felt it caress his face.
With each wave, the air became thick and the view became invisible till it slowly emerged back into clarity. When the water began to draw back, Pure Vanilla could barely discern where the beach, the water, and the night ended and began. It was infinite in his eyes.
He smiled in awe.
The water crashed into the wall, and again came the freezing air with the water from the sea.
His eyes fluttered, reacting to the moisture in them. The waves kept crashing, and it eventually began to feel more like a periodic rain than mist.
Pure Vanilla was entranced.
But he got pulled out of it as soon as he felt himself getting yanked by the arm.
The eye orchid of his staff swerved to see beside him.
Under a hood, it was Dark Cacao.
The prince harshly pulled him by the arm, and Pure Vanilla slipped, nearly on the floor again.
“Are you MAD?!” he hissed frantically. His hair was slightly mussed, falling into his face.
“It’s alright, I… What are you doing awake?”
Dark Cacao reached to touch his face. Pure Vanilla felt his face flush, but Dark Cacao only lifted a lock of blonde hair, frozen stuff.
“You’re drenched in the middle of winter! If you didn’t fall off the wall, you were going to freeze to death!”
“Fall off the wall? I didn’t think-“
Waves crashed on the wall again, this time slamming over the stone ledge and pouring in behind Pure Vanilla, the water soaked his shoes, his cloak, and the side of his body facing outwards.
Dark Cacao shielded his eyes with a curse and Pure Vanilla curled into himself to cope with the shock of the temperature.
“W-What is happening?”
“High tide.” Dark Cacao grumbled, “It’s a full moon.”
“I-I didn’t think the waves were going to keep climbing even higher!”
Dark Cacao gritted his teeth, looking to the side in thought.
The water was pulling back into the sea. His eyes widened in fear.
Dark Cacao gripped Pure Vanilla’s freezing hand.
“This way, we have to hurry.”
He didn’t wait for Pure Vanilla to speak before dragging him along.
“Where are we-“
“Trust me!” Dark Cacao shouted, “Now, or we’ll be swept off the wall!”
Pure Vanilla blinked in shock, then nodded.
They headed down the path of the citadel wall, trying not to slip as the waves continued to spill over and wet the ground and slush beneath their feet.
The water flooded over the wall. Pure Vanilla’s teeth chattered, but he focused on the reassuring hold of Dark Cacao’s hand.
Several minutes of struggling led a ladder to a tower at the wall’s corner.
The waves were only getting stronger.
“Can you climb?” He asked firmly.
With shaken hands, Pure Vanilla nodded and did so. It was immensely taller than the previous one.
“Brace yourself!”
With another rush of water, the ladder rattled.
Pure Vanilla felt his leg slip on one of the icy rungs. Dark Cacao gripped his pant leg before his whole body lost balance.
Pure Vanilla gulped, and Dark Cacao slowly let him go.
He pressed forward, and Dark Cacao climbed after him.
The suddenly stopped at some sort of ceiling.
“Push. It’s a door.” Dark Cacao said from below.
Pure Vanilla felt, and sure enough, there was a latch.
Pure Vanilla climbed up to a solid stone floor, crawling and clawing at the floor to push himself up. He nearly collapsed on his stomach in the process, not so gracefully. He quickly tried to offer Dark Cacao a hand.
It wasn’t needed.
Dark Cacao was already on his feet, closing the hatch, and Pure Vanilla took in their surroundings.
It was a circular stone floor with a raised stone edge and a roof held up by four pillars. It was spacious enough for about 5 people with a lit firepit in the center.
Pure Vanilla looked below. At this point, the water was rushing over the outer citadel walls violently with each wave.
Dark Cacao truly did save his life. They were residing in a watchtower far above the water now.
Pure Vanilla panted. He untied his staff and dropped his soaked cloak with a shiver.
“Here.” He heard.
Into his trembling hands, Dark Cacao slipped a hot cup with a chocolate fragrance.
“Th-thank you.” Pure Vanilla managed.
Dark Cacao hummed. He gently wrapped a blanket around Pure Vanilla’s shoulders with a nod.
Pure Vanilla held back a gasp, but Dark Cacao didn’t waste a second to linger. In an instant he was wringing out the water of his own hair.
They both settled on a bench near the fire, the crackling as music to their ears and sipping the bittersweet beverages.
The silence was comfortable. Pure Vanilla trembled as drank his beverage. He relished in the warmth down his throat and radiating in his body with every sip.
Dark Cacao stared into the dancing purple flames. With the proximity, Pure Vanilla could once again sense the toll on his being, an intense expression on his hardened features and the gentle tapping of his finger on his cup.
“You were already up here?” Pure Vanilla asked, gesturing to the hot cups in their hands.
Dark Cacao nodded again.
“Please… keep this between us.” Dark Cacao said quietly.
“Of course… may I ask why?”
“This watchtower is not supposed to be in use. I came here to…”
He trailed off.
“Quiet your mind?” Pure Vanilla finished.
Dark Cacao side eyed Pure Vanilla.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you, I apologize for letting my curiosity get the better of me. I… found myself unable to rest. I often find solace when the rest of the world is asleep.”
He had a habit of getting up at night since he was a child and making use of the quiet. He would study the stars, practice magic, or simply enjoy the sounds of crickets in the fields.
“It’s alright… I understand the sentiment.” Dark Cacao said, still not looking him in the eye, “this place… it’s like a sanctuary…”
He shifted in embarrassment, “I find peace in it. It seems all but forgotten as the walls and citadel slowly expands.”
Pure Vanilla shifted with hesitation, realizing their knees were too close. To the point they could touch way too easily.
“We are still constructing the Vanilla castle as well. We realized through magic combined with engineering we actually can make towers of the castle that float independently of the main structure”
Dark Cacao turned to Pure Vanilla in disbelief.
“Float. As in, in the air. By themselves.”
“Don’t believe me?”
His face gave away the answer.
“I believe in what I see.” He said instead.
Pure Vanilla barked out a laugh, then took another sip of his drink.
“My ‘sanctuary’ is a conservatory close to the top of the castle. In the moonlight, stained glass lights up the entire room. I’m a little selfish with this place so this must remain a well kept secret as well. I trust you’ll keep it, yes?”
A scoff came from him, the closest to amusement Pure Vanilla had seen from him yet.
“My lips are sealed, your grace.”
Pure Vanilla grinned.
“Who knows, maybe I’ll show you when you visit the Vanilla kingdom.”
Dark Cacao’s lips formed a fine line response, a solemn mood change that formed a pit in his stomach.
Perhaps that was too much.
“I mean-“
“I think I’d like that.” He replied softly.
They met eyes. Dark Cacao’s focus and sincerity shined, and Pure Vanilla’s heart skipped a beat.
Silence fell on both of them again. Pure Vanilla looked out to the mountain scape and the rustling trees that were barely perceptible to his orchid’s eye.
“If you don’t mind me asking, is your father going to be alright… with the cold?” Pure Vanilla asked before he could stop himself.
Dark Cacao looked out to the mountains as well. He heaved out a sigh, words did not come immediately.
He picked up a pike and stabbed the firewood.
“My family and I have moved across these mountains since I came to be.”
Pure Vanilla tilted his head.
Cacao brushed some loose strands of hair out of his face with a sigh.
“Our tribes kept perishing, a cycle of death and rebirth that spanned across all my years. If not from battling each other, then from battling them-“ he pointed to the ceiling with the pike, “when they crash down from the sky.”
Pure Vanilla’s orchid looked up.
The same creatures from the tapestry in the throne room. A high painted mural of one black and one white dragon inside the roof, circling the among painted wispy storm clouds.
The painting flickered from the light of the fire, making them seem alive.
“That is what he is hunting tonight. It’s all he ever does.”
There was venom in his words, resentment.
Pure Vanilla gripped his staff.
“Where did they come from?” He asked solemnly.
“I’m unsure. The dragons were split from a singular entity thousands of years ago.” Dark Cacao said bitterly, “They yearn to be together, whole. But they are cursed to battle till the end of time. No matter what gets in their way.”
“That’s why your kingdom was so hard to find…” Pure Vanilla realized out loud, “While our kingdoms are flourishing with time-“
“It is going to be the 3rd year since my father decided we could fortify a tribe for ourselves.”
“Don’t be ashamed of that, your kingdom will grow-“
“Pure Vanilla, he’s not trying to make a kingdom.”
Dark Cacao gritted his teeth, pondered his words before providing them.
“The king is using his authority recruiting soldiers for a hunting fortress. That’s all this citadel is for to him. He’s beyond yearning for revenge for the devastation they have caused. He wants the title: slayer of the dragons of north and south. All of our resources are drained to his obsession and he doesn’t allow anyone to live within our land who can’t aid in his goal.”
“And you?” Pure Vanilla asked.
Dark Cacao’s brows furrowed. He gritted his teeth, agitation settling in.
“What about me?” He muttered.
“Something tells me that is not your goal.”
Dark Cacao shuddered out a breath. He dropped the pike, and the clanging sound echoed in the room.
“I just yearn for peace. That our families are fed, and they can sleep peacefully through the night without fear of it being their last. That they never suffer what I have. To know I can protect my people, no matter if they are useful.”
His words hung in the air, underlined with pain but clear conviction.
Pure Vanilla smiled. He layed his staff on the ground. With his newfound loss of vision, he gingerly reached out. His knuckles bumped into Cacao, and upon feeling Vanilla realized he had a hand.
He cradled Dark Cacao’s hand in both of his own.
“As a healer, I can tell a lot about someone by their injuries. I can sense pain and someone’s state of being underneath their appearance. From the second I met you, I knew you were a warrior whose purpose is to protect. And your will is unlike any I’ve ever seen. You are fortified, disciplined, and strong in the mind, but underneath-“
Delicately, his thumbs spread Cacao’s hand from the tense state of curling in to gingerly opening. They grazed his palms, making a map of his skin.
Callouses. Blisters. Split open wounds along his palms.
He heard Cacao shudder.
“-you’re neglecting your own needs. You protect all but yourself. And I must warn you from experience: You must nourish and protect yourself to do the same for your kingdom. If you promise you will do this, then I swear I will be right behind you to aid in any way I can.”
“…Why?” Dark Cacao asked quietly.
Light magic surged through his fingers. He shined the light into Dark Cacao’s hand. Like water coursing through a river, he flowed the energy throughout the rest of his body.
He gave him strength to stand, mended flesh that was split and cut, eased aching or bruised muscles and tissues, and even enveloped his skin in warmth for good measure.
Everything short easing his mind, which Pure Vanilla could not do.
There air was still. Dark Cacao sighed deeply, and Pure Vanilla couldn’t gauge if he upset the other.
“Because I know we could win any battle that came our way.”
Pure Vanilla’s hand was guided upwards. The faintest press of warm, chapped lips on his knuckles, and then hot breath whispered against his hand.
“I promise.”