where pilgrims are sinners, saints go to hell

10

Their interactions changed after that. Perhaps it shouldn't be so unexpected, with how personal their conversation had ended up being, but she still was caught off guard whenever he stood closer to her than she was used to, or his hand grazed her arm. She knew he wouldn't want to talk about it, though, and bringing it up might have caused it to stop, so she didn't.

He hadn't gone back to using his royal 'we' pronoun around her, either. She wondered what that meant, but she didn't want to ask for the same reason.

She was happy about the change. Mostly because she had been waiting for quite some time for him to grow comfortable enough in her presence to trust her with more personal issues, even if she hadn't been expecting it to be so out of the blue; but she would be lying if she didn't also say that some of his new behaviors had made her stomach do flips before.

She shook her head, blushing. She couldn't be thinking about this right now. She was trying to figure out why only the flowers near the bottom of the bush had gained any coloration at all.

One would think that they all drink from the same water, but apparently not.

She was sitting on a small desk she had moved to the garden from one of the nearby studies, looking over her notes yet again in hopes of finding the problem. Maybe it would just take longer, since they're further away from the ground? Or maybe their roots were in a different position from the rest, and therefore absorbed different waters? Or-

"Hello, my lady".

The King's voice, soft as always, somehow managed to startle her.

He had taken to calling her that, lately. Half of her lit up like a Christmas tree and couldn't help blushing whenever she heard it, while the other half was somewhat awkwardly reminded of the existence of the Queen, still somewhere in her gardens. She hoped the first half would take over her, eventually.

"Oh; hello, my King. Sorry, I didn't notice you come in".

"So I saw" he chuckled. "What has you so entertained?"

"I'm trying to figure out why the flowers at the top of this one bush don't seem to be getting colored like the others".

"Are they not? They look alright to me".

"Well, that's because we can't see them properly from down here. That's why I brought this desk here, actually. To see where I can't otherwise reach". She kept looking over her notes; she wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"What do you mean down here?" he turned his head slightly, looking genuinely confused.

"I mean that we're both a bit vertically challenged" she snorted. "The bush in question is taller than both of us combined".

She saw him glance at it out of the corner of her eye, as if noticing its size for the first time.

"Are you certain?"

She knew size in general (and height in particular) wasn't something really taken into account in these lands, and she couldn't help but find these customs, so different from her own, endearing at times.

"I wouldn't say certain, but considering how not even standing on top of this" she tapped the desk she was sitting on, not looking up "I can properly see the top, I can't be very wrong".

"...perhaps if I stand on the desk I will be able to see it".

"No way; I'm pretty sure I'm taller than you".

The pages of her journal were suddenly flooded with the now familiar white light. When she raised her head, his was only a couple of inches away, looking down at her.

"Not right now, you're not". He sounded almost cheeky, and she was surprised at how obvious a smile could be on a face that lacked a mouth.

She chuckled and grinned right back, taking the opportunity to admire his face up close. She felt so lucky she was able to; since she was sure not a lot of people had been able to get that sight. And what a sight it was.

She brought one of her fingers to his face and slowly traced his eye. The hard carapace that made up his skin felt almost like metal, and looked like it as well. Though she was certain that no actual metal was that perfect shade of white. And his three pairs of wings looked so frail in comparison to it, as sure as she was that they were not. They fluttered on his back, and reflected just about every color she had ever seen.

She was sure she could spend years admiring him and not get tired.

She was still caught up doing so when she heard her exact thoughts expressed out loud in his voice.

"You're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen", in an almost reverent sort of whisper.

She immediately felt her face grow hot, and was left speechless being on the receiving end of such a statement, especially from someone like him.

She was about to reply, although she wasn't sure with what, when his shoulders suddenly tensed and he perked up, looking past her.

"W-what's wrong?" she said, trying not to sound dazed or disappointed.

"There's someone else in the palace. Two... no, three people. Coming in from the main entrance as we speak".

"What!? But that's impossible. No one else can access this realm, right?"

He had moved away from her and was scrutinizing the hallway that led to the garden they were in, alert for any signs of the intruders.

"That vessel must have entered again, then. With two more visitors. Do you have any idea of who they could be?"

Two more people? In the palace? Who would the little ghost...? Oh. Oh gods.

"...yes" she muttered, breathless. She couldn't believe this was happening so soon. She hadn't even told him about them. He didn't know they were alive. How would he react? How would they react? What if he got mad at her for not telling him before?

"Well? Then who do you think it is?"

There was no time. There was no time to explain now, not properly, not how it deserved to be explained. Why had the little ghost brought them here? Why now!? Hadn't she told them to wait!? Did they not trust her? Maybe they thought she was in danger? Why had they brought both of them!?

"Y/n! Are you okay!? Who are they?" he questioned again, more urgently now that steps could be heard echoing through the hallway perpendicular to theirs. He was still in his alert position, visibly readying himself to use Soul offensively if necessary. He was looking back at her, though, concerned.

There was no time.

"I'm sorry, my King. I should have told you before. Please forgive me".

He looked only more worried at this, but as the steps turned the corner that impeded their vision he didn't have time to question her further. He turned around and froze like a statue when his eyes fell on the little ghost, flanked as they were, like she had known they'd be, by the Gendered Child and the Pure Vessel.