Chapter Text
It was just another regular day, where the prince of Roselia was lazing in the fields alone and away from everyone else. Himmel felt the blades of grass graze against his skin, his body stretched out beneath the heat of the blazing sun. The breeze was just right, and when he closed his eyes— he could hear the birds sing.
Like a safe haven away from the rest of the world, he retreated here every time the voices around him got too loud, and pretended like he was amongst the clouds. Singing alongside the soaring birds.
Far, far away from the gravity that chained him down to the cold, unfeeling soil.
A sudden chill crept over him, and the pitch blackness seemed darker than usual. His eyes fluttered open to find a priest with slicked back light green hair and rectangular glasses standing over him, overshadowing the merciless sun. Himmel smiled. "My dearest brother, do you want to lie down with me?" he said in too extravagant a manner to be taken seriously.
They were in a meadow of grass closer to the cathedral than the castle, nestled between lush trees and shrubbery, vines and draping leaves. With so much green, Himmel wished that he could snap his fingers just to have flowers grow in. There was a specific kind of flower that he saw the one time he snuck out of the palace. They were blue, and bloomed so radiantly like it wanted to kiss every sunstreak in the sky. He never saw it again, and he never got to learn the name of that flower.
Himmel wished that he was the king's mistress' son instead of Heiter at times, because then he'd be able to lie here without anyone looking for him. The clergy sounded more interesting than the lessons he was undergoing too, but at least the sword lessons weren't too bad.
Heiter crouched by his side, sighing as he poked his cheek. "I knew you'd be here, some things just never change. I'm surprised your dance instructor never found you after all these years." He chuckled and quickly cleared his throat, his tone of voice changing to something more strained and professional. "Anyway, your highness, his majesty is calling for you."
Himmel slowly sat up and swiped the sweat on his brow. "Dad is? Why?"
Heiter shrugged. "I don't know. He seems eerily happy though. Makes my skin tingle."
If dad was happy, then it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he had been skipping his dance lessons. His parents never noticed, or maybe they really couldn't care less. Himmel flopped back onto the grass. "I'm dirty and sweaty, I'll go later..."
Heiter dragged his arm. "Nope, you're going now. It's urgent."
He groaned, sluggishly letting Heiter pull him up. "Fine..."
They reached the entrance of the throne room in a hurry, the towering mahogany double doors standing before them, intricate floral patterns weaving in and out of one another like a stunning web of colours. It was beautiful, but he found himself instead gazing beyond the windows that stretched from ceiling to floor to the voluminous clouds outside, which looked like it could've been formed of layers upon layers of soft sheep wool. Clacking open, the soldiers at the door announced their presence.
"Crown Prince Himmel and the First Prince Heiter has arrived, your majesty."
"I'm training to join the clergy, don't announce me as a prince..." Heiter jokingly muttered, soft enough only for Himmel's ears. "It's like they're trying to make mom angry." It was a joke, tinged with the slightest hint of desperation.
Anything he did would make her angry, to be honest. Himmel kept his laugh in, bowing before the royal leaders of their kingdom. "Father, mother, I hear you have news for me."
"Rise," their father said, the lord of the kingdom, in a low resonant voice few could command so powerfully.
The aged king ran his hand through his groomed light blue beard, an austere man to everyone including himself, yet so incredibly hands-off with his own son. And his mother was an extravagant beauty as always, yet her beguiling smile seemed to have faded these recent years in a different way. He wasn't sure why.
Watching them, it wasn't difficult to parse the queen's feelings at Heiter's presence. He wondered if killing Heiter's commoner mother wasn't enough for her to feel secure about her son's position. Despite being older, Heiter had a lesser claim to the throne simply by not having the queen for a mother. Wasn't that enough for her?
She didn't even seem to realise that her own son showed up in such tatters to an official summons.
The king beamed, placing his hands together. "Himmel, we have finally found you a match. The kingdom of Historia offered their darling daughter as a symbol of peace between us. The tension between our two kingdoms have been strong, so this offer came at an incredibly great time."
Himmel's eyes widened, and he barely restrained himself from turning back to see Heiter's reaction. It was all too sudden.
"I... will be married?"
The king nodded. "As soon as your bride arrives."
As soon as she arrives? Himmel kept his reaction inside, realising that he didn't need to meet her to marry her.
His mother laughed, the sweet kind that always reminded him of honey. "She's beautiful, I'm certain you'll be pleased! Of course, I'll be expecting heirs as soon as possible!"
Because if I have heirs, it would push Heiter's line of inheritance even further down.
It's true that there were tensions between their two kingdoms, so this marriage could stop even a war. In that case, accepting it was a no-brainer. For a prince that would one day inherit the throne, there existed no higher honour.
The throne room was a lavish wonder, resplendent lights and golden statues lined with fountains that filled the otherwise utterly silent room with swooshing sounds of flowing water. Through the coloured paned glass, the sun streaks appeared in brilliant hues, painting the room like it came straight out of a fairytale.
He shut his eyes for only a moment and recalled the birds, recalled the whimsical dance of the winds. He opened them once more, where they've all but vanished. In this room, the birds and the wind were nowhere to be seen, nowhere to be heard, to be felt.
He smiled, he smiled as he always did. "Yes, father. Yes, mother. Thank you, I am honoured to have been given this opportunity."
The king leaned back on his ornate throne, satisfied. "The marriage will be announced to our people. It'll be one to remember. You are excused."
All royal weddings will be remembered, but the one thing Himmel will remember more was the smile he saw for the first time from his parents when they told him about it. If they wanted it, then the best thing he could do was appease them.
Just one more thing to remind him that he was chained to this earth.
Himmel and Heiter were led out, and Himmel began passively pacing down the empty sunlit halls. Heiter followed closely behind him, speaking in hushed whispers. "I wasn't expecting that to be the happy news. I guess you'd have to get married sooner or later."
Himmel sighed. "You're lucky, at least you got to choose to run away from this life."
Heiter scoffed. "Not much to choose if the alternative is to be assassinated. Being treated like a political threat every day starts being tiring after a while."
"Can't you just be king instead?"
There was a short silence. Heiter abruptly laughed, squeezing his arms around Himmel's shoulder. "Alright! This calls for a brotherly trip to my room."
Himmel rolled his eyes. "Day drinking?"
"What? You're getting married so you're above it now?"
Himmel brushed Heiter's hand off his shoulder, smirking. "I never said that."
I was supposed to go back to dance class anyway.
—
Heiter slammed his glass down on his desk. "I can't believe my little brother is getting married! My tiny boy is growing up so fast... It felt like it was just yesterday when you were crying because I toppled your rock pile!"
He's already wasted...
Himmel took a sip of the wine, watching it slosh about as he placed his glass down. He sat across from Heiter on the carpeted floor, all the cups and alcohol placed neatly onto the low table dividing them. "... Huh, I don't remember Historia having a princess."
Heiter sneered. "Look who paid attention in class. You had to be drunk to remember that?"
"Oh leave me alone, I was too shocked to think properly."
Heiter chuckled before explaining, gently swaying the glass in his hand. "Princess Frieren of Historia. Apparently they've been hiding her because she was sick and bedridden her entire life. They only announced her existence a couple days ago so it made sense that it didn't reach your ears yet. That said, I didn't think they'd instantly tie her up with you."
A princess that had been hidden away from the rest of the world because they weren't sure if she would live long enough to be of use. And when she did live long enough, they instantly used her. Himmel slumped onto the table, like a pathetic melting mass of flesh. "I wonder what kind of person she is. A sickly, sheltered princess, maybe?"
"You read too many fairytales if you think princesses can be categorised like that," Heiter smirked. "You're lucky if she doesn't end up spoiled."
"... Regardless, if she's been shoved into this marriage too, then maybe we're not so different after all."
Heiter perked up. "How so?"
"I just want to accommodate her, I suppose. At the very least, I want us to be nice to each other. And if she's sick, or just recovered, I'm sure all this stress with the sudden marriage announcement isn't going to help."
Heiter whistled. "What a saint, maybe you should be in the clergy instead of me."
Himmel hummed in contemplation. "Do I have to seduce her? Surely my face is enough..."
"Is it too late to take my compliment back?" Heiter asked, his words slurred as he stumbled back. "To think I was worried about you..."
Himmel stood up and poured him a glass of water, swatting Heiter's hands away from encroaching upon the untouched wine bottles. "Alright, drink this instead. Let's get you to bed for now."
He escorted his brother to his bed, pulling the blanket over him. Heiter grabbed onto his sleeve as he was about to leave, mumbling. "Himmel..."
Himmel chuckled, shaking him off. "That's enough! I'm going to snitch on you drinking if you don't sleep."
Heiter grinned. "I have a vision, the girl you're gonna meet will change your life."
"Marriage to a stranger is about as life-changing as you can get. That doesn't really mean anything now does it?" He didn't really know why he was entertaining the words of a drunk man.
His brother's words were always difficult to take seriously. But somehow, he still looked up to him, the same way he still does now. Both as a person and... physically. Don't younger brothers usually outgrow the older one? He pursed his lips, his mood suddenly soured for absolutely no reason.
"Heh, you'll see. Everything will change," Heiter replied, drifting off to sleep.
... That wouldn't be so bad.
He turned to the rest of the bedroom, where the open window left the curtains billowing in the wind. Himmel could call for the maids to clean up the bottles here, but if he did, word of Heiter drinking might somehow reach the church. He sighed, picking up the glasses himself. The things I do for him.
—
In just weeks, the day of the marriage had arrived without issues, and this was the day Himmel was to meet his bride for the first time.
"The Princess of Historia has arrived, open the cathedral's gates!"
The cathedral was packed, the sweet scent of flowers that decorated every inch assaulting his senses. White flowers to signify the unification of the flowers of Roselia and the white doves of Historia. It had all gone completely silent, as everyone waited in anticipation for the princess shrouded in mystery to walk through the cathedral's entrance, with the king of Historia by her side. Himmel held his breath, stiffly adjusting the corsage on his chest's suit jacket before quickly placing his hand behind his back.
He turned towards Heiter, who was officiating the wedding, only to be greeted by a terrifying smile that warned him not to tear his eyes away from his bride. He quickly whipped his head back to the door.
The gentle violin kicked in, followed closely by the lilting piano dancing with its own sound. Two shadows passed the doors, and it was as if everyone had held their breaths with him. The father-daughter pair was the perfect image of a warm, loving family, however true that may be. Himmel almost felt envious, but all those ugly thoughts went out the window when he saw her.
Strutting down the aisle, a young lady in white met his eyes beneath her veil. A teal that was the precise colour he always imagined emerald seas to look like. She had long white hair that draped down to her hips, that matched the noble white of the Historia royal family's lineage.
She stopped in front of him, and he lifted the veil shrouding her face. Everything about her was new to him, and his eyes were drawn to the earrings on her ears. Rubies in the shape of a single teardrop. This was Frieren, his bride.
Frieren seemed to notice his fixation on her earrings as she discreetly spoke. Her eyes closed, which broke him out of his trance.
"Your highness, don't get distracted."
Her voice sounded disconnected from reality, soft yet distant. He was cruelly reminded that she was forced into this marriage as much as he was. Himmel smiled. "Don't worry, I won't mess anything up."
To exchange sacred marital vows before the eyes of the Goddess before they even exchanged greetings. Himmel could only muster a chuckle.
— That night, Himmel found himself on the verge of panic.
From concern.
His bride was lounging on the railing of their balcony, several floors above the ground. Her legs hung in the air as she gazed upon the garden below. They had already changed out of their wedding clothes by then, but he wasn't expecting to return to their bedroom to see her straddling the edge of death when they hadn't even properly exchanged names yet. Well, they already knew each other's names, but it would be nice to hear it straight from the relevant person's lips.
She casually turned towards him, who was still trying to think of a way to get her to come down. "There's a lot of flowers in this kingdom, I wasn't expecting that," she told him, completely ignoring how he looked as if he had been frozen in time.
He snapped out of it, calming himself down and approaching the railing she sat on. "Welcome to the kingdom of flowers. It's everywhere you look." Except in the one place I like going to.
Himmel rested his arms on the railing and leaned against it, watching the full moon look down upon them. The moon stood out so much, like pale lilies in an endless glade. A pale lily that shone gently for weary travellers beneath its gaze.
The wind blew around them, and he felt her hair tickle him whenever it brushed against his skin. It was a cool night that smelled keenly of flowers.
Frieren followed his gaze to the sky. "Your highness, what will become of the both of us, you wonder?"
He chuckled. "That's an ominous first question to ask your newlywed partner."
"I know what I have to do, but I don't know if it'll align with yours."
"Now that just makes it sound worse."
Frieren blinked, seemingly taken aback. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. No harm will come to you... at least not from me."
What a strange way of speaking. He wished she'd apologise for dangling off the balcony instead, but she seemed so comfortable in her lack of stability that he couldn't say anything about it.
He sighed, caving into his concern. He took off his jacket and draped it around her body, whose frame was unexpectedly delicate. His hand brushed against her skin, and he noticed her shiver ever so slightly. "... I'd rather you head to bed. It's cold outside, and I heard you were sick before."
"... There's no need to worry about my health, that's what my knight is for," she reassured him. "Eisen'll be there for any and all emergencies."
That knight of hers, Himmel recalled. It was a dwarf sporting a light brown beard that almost dragged to the floor. He remembered him clearly purely because it was rare to see dwarven knights. They usually prefer to be warriors than knights, as knights seemed to adhere under a stricter ethos. He was told that this Eisen dwarf was nothing to worry about, but Himmel was worried about him anyway. Because he hadn't seen him at all, despite supposedly existing. He was too good at obfuscating his position. Himmel pushed down the annoying thought that wanted to relate that to the average height of dwarves.
Frieren abruptly smiled, which made him freeze for just a second. Out of apprehension, for sure. What made his heart skip a beat even more was her standing on the railing, pulling him up with her.
He held onto her hands like his life depended on it, and suddenly she didn't look so delicate anymore. She silently stood as his anchor as his shaky limbs desperately flailed about, searching for stability that the stone railings on their balcony barely provided. He clenched his eyes shut, his legs feeling like they'd fall apart at any second.
She was a cold person, he knew it. There was a thunderstorm in his heart, and in the darkness of his sight he was like a young child screaming silently into the void.
"Take a deep breath," he heard her whisper.
Not a single word of encouragement.
He wanted to curse her out for pulling him up like this so nonchalantly, but he opened his eyes and the world seemed to open up far larger than ever. Grass, trees, rivers, and in the distance, villages and towns slightly obscured by mist and bathed in moonlight. Places he'd never been to before, imprisoned in this castle. This must've been what he felt when he snuck out that one time, but he couldn't recall most of that emotion, nor could he recall most of what happened.
His racing heartbeat was all he could hear, but the warmth of her hand and the coolness of the wind was all he paid attention to. She was here with him too, the warm presence by his side. He always looked up at the sky, wishing he could join it in its infinite expanse. But staring down at the world like this, he realised that there was so much more out there. Beneath the infinite sky was an ever expanding world.
"I always liked being up-high. I can't explain why, but it makes me feel at peace," Frieren said.
Himmel closed his eyes again. He felt the wind, the breeze all around his body. If he stepped off, it was as if he would fly. He opened them again, chuckling. "It makes me feel like a bird."
She tilted her head. "You're not a bird, though."
He laughed. "If only I was."
She scoffed. "Ha... I knew someone that said that before too. I really don't get it at all."
She did? He wondered what kind of people she was surrounded by despite presumably having little to no contact with others in her sickbed. "What kind of person were they?"
Frieren's eyes widened, softening only moments later. "... An annoying teacher, that's all."
She held a wistful gaze towards the view before them, and Himmel could say nothing in return.
That was all she said, and Frieren filled the following silence with a question. "Heiter tells me you're skipping your dance lessons. Why?"
"You don't need to bring up my dancing just because I stepped on your foot a few times..." He trailed off, a realisation hitting him over the head as he rethought her words. Wait, Heiter? "You're on first-name basis with him already?"
She nodded. "We talked during reception and he told me to be comfortable. That makes things easier for me too."
He didn't even notice that they talked... It must've been during the time he was pulled aside by Historia's king for greetings. Frieren did disappear at that point.
"Oh," Frieren abruptly said. "Do you want me to call you Himmel too?"
This girl casually threw his formal introduction plans out of the window. "Well, I don't mind, but..."
She cut into his words. "Or would honey be better? We're married now, right?"
He paused, giggling. Maybe she really was a sheltered princess. Her perception of human marriages seemed adorably rigid. "Should I call you that too? Honey?"
She hummed, contemplating how it sounded in her mind. "No, it sounds weird. Just call me by my name and I'll do the same."
He laughed, half-disappointed. It would've been funny if she agreed. "Alright, Frieren. Nice to meet you."
He stepped down from the balcony and held his hand out to her.
She chuckled, taking his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Himmel."
Her teal eyes curved up ever so slightly when she smiled, and his view of her from below was like staring at the moon itself.
—
Frieren woke up, stretching in the thick sheets of the bed. It was crazily soft, the softness she never noticed in beds she slept in before. It was like she could melt into it if she stayed still enough. She pulled up the sleeve of her nightgown, which had been sloppily worn while yawning. The sun had already risen in the very centre of the sky, the midday sun. She woke up late again. It was refreshing not to be woken up by nagging for once, and rarely enough, she wanted to leave the bed.
The ceiling was insanely intricately decorated, and Frieren had no idea why anyone would do that when barely anyone ever looked up in general. It just seemed like a colossal waste of time and money, though it did look nice. She supposed royals enjoyed looking at extravagant things.
She sluggishly turned to her side, and saw that Himmel had already left the bed. Who knows where he went, but this meant this was her chance.
She was exhausted from the night before, and she'd go to sleep again if she could. But she slipped off of the bed, because there was something she needed to do— that Himmel interrupted her from doing the night before.
She slipped the bedroom slippers on and pushed the balcony doors open, quietly scanning for any human in sight. There was no one.
"Eisen," she called out.
Air blew past her, sending her hair fluttering in the wind. A dwarf stood by her side, as if he had always been there.
"Princess, why did you summon me?"
She narrowed her eyes, somewhat annoyed. She caressed the red teardrop earrings she was still wearing, bringing his attention to it. "You know why, Eisen."
He shook his head. "I will not remove your earrings, Frieren. I am in a difficult place as well."
"I know, that's why I want you to join me. If we work together, all of us can get out of here."
Eisen dipped his head down. "... There's no place for either of us, Frieren. Say we both succeed, where would we go? There's no chance they won't hunt us down."
She smiled. "We live hundreds of years, Eisen. Humans will forget."
Eisen scoffed. "That's assuming we successfully evade them for at least fifty, and even that is difficult. They have big plans, I doubt they will give up so quickly. Besides, Stark and Fern remain at Historia."
Frieren tapped her earrings. "I can get us out of trouble without hurting anyone, Eisen. Give me the key. I taught Fern well, she'll bring Stark with her, I know she will. I don't care about the threat, the real reason I went along with the king's agreement was because Roselia—"
"—Has the grimoire for masking your identity," Eisen interjected. He had listened to the conversation she had with Heiter, and finally connected the dots himself.
She nodded.
Eisen gawked at her in disbelief. "If your plan succeeds, Roselia will wage war to Historia for breaking the promise. Make a child with that prince before you leave."
She answered almost instantly, shaking her head. "That's what they want, Eisen. An immortal royal. I don't want to leave a child in this world that will be used forever. My decision is final, there will be no child, and..." She trailed off, as the next words were difficult to say, especially out loud. "It's easier to escape in the midst of a war's chaos."
Eisen fell silent.
She knew how cruel she sounded, how utterly selfish her desire to leave was in the eyes of others. But what happened to her entire race was unjust as well, and no one waged wars for her sake. She gave up on her desire to eradicate the humans that hurt her, she only wanted to leave. Was it so wrong to desire that? She didn't think it was, but she knew Eisen thought differently.
A pacifist plan was what she had thought of initially, where she could simply wait at this palace as the prince's bride until the day Fern and Stark naturally passed away from old age. But a deadline was imposed on her, and they'd kill them if she didn't birth at least a single half-human half-elf child within a couple years. She needed to get pregnant within the first year, and thus she made that her deadline as well.
She needed to escape before the year ended.
"Eisen, please—"
The door clacked open and Eisen disappeared in a flash. Frieren turned towards the door, and in walked the poor prince unknowingly stuck between two political forces. Because her true identity had to be kept a secret from him, it was safe to assume that he had nothing to do with those humans, especially after their conversation the night before. He was innocent, so she vowed to leave him as quickly as possible, to make the betrayal hurt less.
She felt bad that his life would certainly be taken in the war that would ensue, but either way, she was sure the casualty numbers would still be less than the eradication of her entire race.
"Himmel, I thought you left."
Himmel had a tray in his hands, a water pitcher and a plate of cookies on top. He looked around, confused. "It sounded like someone else was here, but..."
"Oh, that was me talking to myself. My apologies. It's a habit from when I was sick in bed. It got lonely at times, so I often spoke to myself."
His eyes widened, and she could feel the pity oozing out of his gaze. Himmel smiled, gently placing the tray on their table in the centre of the room. "Then I'll talk to you from now on. You won't be alone anymore."
She was guilt-tripping him to escape being doubted, but now she was feeling guilty herself. "Don't you have a class to go to?"
He chuckled. "My teacher will understand once I tell them I want to care for my wife the morning after our first night together."
She raised her brows. She didn't need to be cared for, though? "You don't have to, I don't wish to get in your way."
"Hmm? I'm doing this because I wanted to."
"Oh," she said, averting her gaze. "I see."
Something within her felt warm, as if it would envelop her entire body in soft feathers. Was this what it meant to be married to someone? They barely knew each other, but he'd care for her nonetheless?
Frieren hid her hands behind her and balled her hands into fists, steeling her resolve. She needed to find that grimoire. That was all she needed to do.