EROS | Sapnap X Reader

14

  Oh, no, no, no, no. A raid.

  A guard who was previously guarding the carriage, clearing civilians away from danger, spotted me standing mindlessly in the middle of the road. He yelled at me, "Princess! Head inside the building now!" Nodding frantically, I ran for the door which contained Niki with a panicked face and wide arms.

  Once I got in her hold, she practically shoved me inside and locked the doors. Back up immediately came, some guarding the doors and some fighting.

  Mind running around, I didn't hear Niki calling my name until she tugged on my arm. Facing her, she inspected my face with a frantic look. She let out a sigh and ducked her head, "Oh my god. You're alright." She must have been worried. "I'm alright, Niki. I'm fine," I reassured her.

-------

  Some time passed and the raid surpassed, with the sun almost touching the mountains. Niki had been hiding me in the pantry and blockaded the door in case some pillager decides to enter the bakery.

  Stepping out the dark pantry with the basket still in my arms, I squinted my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. The view outside accompanied by the dusty windows was a total destruction.

  Rubbles and debris covered the once lovely streets. Trees burnt to the ground. The buildings that was once a beautiful view of the city is now chipped and burned. People often emerged from the burning buildings. They must have seeked refuge within.

  The soldiers that was once stationed near the door made way for another soldier and opened the door. He approached me and bowed, "Princess, I am very much glad that you are safe and unscathed. The Crowned Prince will now escort you to the palace."

  He led me outside and the smell of smoke and dust entered my nose. "The Crowned Prince?," he nodded. "I think you are mistaken. I am pretty much sure that my brother had already left for Ludenreste."

  "Cornelius is not the only Crowned Prince here, you know."

  My eyes left the soldier's figure and to the person who was perched on a horse. Noticing Ignis' crown, this person was none other than the young ruler. "Sapnap," I breathed out. He hopped of the horse and took my hand to kiss it. "Your father is very worried about you Y/N."

  I only nodded and let me ride on his horse since the carriage I rode here unfortunately got blown into smithereens.

  With me behind Sapnap, we rode through the broken city towards the castle.

-------

  "Y/N, I am so glad that you are alive but tell me, where were you?"

  Not even a step inside the castle, the servants had immediately cleaned and ushered me towards my father's office when I arrived.

  "I was at Lady Niki's bakery... but it was safe! She let me hide in the pantry," I reasoned. My father furrowed his brows when I asked, "Father, why exactly are pillagers had decided to raid us after generations and generations living beside each other? I mean we were never really on good terms with them but... why now?"

  He sighed, "I guess it is time for me to reveal this to you. Pillagers refuse to negotiate with us when we unknowingly trespassed their territory and had used war as the answer. We reasoned and tried to give them anything to ease them down but it... only caused more chaos than peace."

  "I know you are smart enough to notice the army that Sapnap has brought. The army is for the upcoming war. The 'political trip' Cornelius went to was for him to ask for help. Alliance for war." He finished. What in the actual hell? War has been happening right under my nose and I didn't even try to pry more by asking why Sapnap had come with an army. I'm usually a curious girl but I guess I was busy playing with the boys.

  "How long has this been going on?," I questioned. "Three months," was Father's vague answer with a serious tone. Three months?!

  "Why didn't you tell me but Cornelius?"

  "If I did then you would be panicky. I don't want you running around the castle with an unusual aura following you. The castle wouldn't be as loud as it used to be." He finished with a chuckle with the fire prince following suit. I couldn't help but agree with the panicking part.

  "I guess you are right," I joined them while scratching the back of my head with a sheepish smile on my face. But I knew the reason me being panicky around the castle isn't the only one.

-------

  After I brought the almost-forgotten pastries to the boys, Sapnap led me to my quarters and invited himself in.

  "Wow, I have never seen your room in the sunlight before. It's pretty," he said as he let his eyes and body wander around the area. He let his hand graze on the bedside table, looked up to the hanging paper crane decoration and fondled with it.

  He wanders to my jewelry cabinet and shamelessly open it. "Oh Sapnap," I mumble to myself and walked towards him... in case he breaks something. When I was a few feet away from him, he called out, "Hey." I hummed.

  "This necklace... it's from Ignis, isn't it?"

  I looked over his shoulder and showed me a familiar pendant. I took it lightly from the fire prince's palm. It has a gold chain, its design being multiple swirls flowing around a much thicker base. Dangling vertically at the center was a gem, its size and shape very familiar to you. Crimson fills the entirety of the gem and a small ounce of thick fiery–red water is stored within.

  Mother had said that it was love, just in a liquid state, and as a child filled with wonder, I believed. But now that I have grown, I just think that the water is stored just to give it a magical feel. But I guess that childish belief is still there since whenever I look at my mother's necklace, I feel her love radiating.

  I chuckled at the resurfacing memories, "Yes. How did you know?" He just shrugged, tipping the crown above his head slightly and returned his gaze to the other accessories laid around, his hands twitching to at least move it out of place. "Just a hunch," he mumbled.