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Hair As Gold As Straw (Chapter 7 - Only a Taste)

[Prologue] // [Chapter 6 of 9] // [Chapter 7 of 9 - you are here!] // [Chapter 8 of 9] – (FFN) (AO3)

Part of the @ninjago-fairy-tale-au!

Summary:

Once upon a time, Princess Vania of Shintaro lived in an ivory castle in an ivory city. Her father, King Vangelis, kept her safe in her tower, where no one could hurt her and she could not hurt herself... until the day when she ran away. A Colania Snow White retelling.

Chapter summary:

Something isn't quite as it seems in Shintaro. No one will be resting easily tonight...

Not unlike the previous few nights, Cole's dreams were haunted by the image of Vania. Again and again his mind repeated the scene from the night before, etching it ever deeper into his memory. In his dreams, it was as clear as the moment it happened; the princess' kiss, her love and affection, and the underlying faith it revealed. Not once would he have stirred that night if he were left undisturbed, his dreams more comfort than anything else in recent memory.

However, such was not to be.

In the early hours of the morning, Cole awoke, his entire being on edge. He sat up, his sleep-dulled eyes surveying his room, yet finding nothing. All his senses cried for him to notice what was out of place, but he simply could not find it, until the moon's pale light reflected off a silver blade.

Slowly, the knight got out of bed and retrieved the knife. It was undecorated, not gilded nor inset with gems, nor etched, but its handle was made of mother of pearl and its hilt was gold, like the armor of the Shintaran guards. The blade guard was similarly gold, and the blade was silver, long and curved, sharpened to a wicked edge.

Cole turned it over in his hands. This blade falling was what had awoken him; he was convinced of that fact. Thus was the question; who had entered his room?

For a long time, he pondered that fact. He did not find an answer, but eventually fell asleep again, his dreams shifting to the image of Princess Vania, who held the knife in her hands. Repeatedly she turned it over, offering it to him. If he took it, she would vanish; if he did not, she would leave. Every time, he reached out, but never reached her.

When the sun's light eventually shone upon him, he woke easily. He mourned the loss of his dreams, but resolved not to let them trouble him. A look into his mirror was all he needed to clear his mind. In the image it presented, the princess slept peacefully with her dragon beside her, her hair splayed out onto her pillow as if its golden sections were reaching for the sun. The knight smiled, knowing he would see her later that day, and decided not to worry. Perhaps the king would know what had occurred that night.

-----

Not much later, Cole came into the grand dining room in the palace, refreshed and clean for the first time since he entered the mountain. Inside the room, the Upply waited for him, situated in their seats around the head of the table. Cole was given the place of honor, to the right of the head, with the place to the left kept for the princess. He took his place without much fanfare, greeting his companions. Shortly thereafter, the king entered, and they all stood to greet him.

"Good morning, my most honored guests!" the king said. "Please, sit. You are the ones to be honored today."

The four of them sat, at which point the king did also.

"Your highness, may I be so bold as to ask where the princess is?" Cole asked.

"There is no need for such humility, Sir Cole," the king immediately responded, his voice soothing and smooth as honey. "She will be here shortly. After such a harrowing experience below, I am sure she needed her rest."

"Of course," Cole affirmed. "By all means, she should have it."

"It is just as well for us," the king said. "I mean to ask you something, Sir Cole, if you would allow me, before she arrives."

"You need only call me Cole, Your Majesty."

"Very well, Cole." The king smiled, charming. "You recall our conversation from before you descended, yes?"

"I do," Cole replied. "Your offer was most gracious."

"I am glad you think so. Perhaps you would be willing to discuss it with me again; an adventurer like yourself should be rewarded handsomely for such a noble deed."

Cole shook his head. "Your highness–"

Just as he was about to speak, the doors to the dining room were opened, and all heads turned. Through the doors strode Princess Vania, resplendent in her morning gown, blue and silver cascading from her form in waves. The king beamed.

"Ah, Vania! Good morning, my priceless daughter." He stood and embraced her.

"Good morning, Father." She kissed his cheek and sat in her place at the table. When her eyes finally met Cole's, she smiled. Her eyes twinkled with unspoken happiness. "Good morning, Sir Cole."

"Good morning, your highness," he said, unable to say any more.

She smiled, and through it seemed to shine with joy. She looked to the Upply. "Good morning to you as well, sirs."

The Upply smiled back at her, each greeting her in their own way.

The king put his hands together. "Now that you have joined us, let us have our morning meal." He beckoned servants forward, and they laid down a plate for each person, laden with all sorts of lovely foods– crepes, fruit with cream, fine sausage, perfectly cooked eggs, and more. Each of them began to eat in their own measure.

As they ate, Cole could not help but look up at Vania, who likewise glanced at him. Every time their eyes met, he had to smile, and likewise hers never fell. However, the connection was broken by the king, who eventually turned to Cole.

"I have been a poor host, Cole. I meant to ask how your stay has been. I trust my staff has been hospitable to you?"

"Yes, of course," Cole said. "They have treated me well."

"I do hope you have rested well, then. Tonight will be an evening to remember." The king's eye twinkled knowingly.

Cole gathered his courage. "I did, your highness, if it were not for the fact that I was wakened abruptly last night. I do not know by whose hand, but I found a dagger on the floor of my room."

Vania gasped quietly, the picture of concern, but when the king looked at her in displeasure, she immediately schooled her features. The king, to his credit, seemed concerned.

"That is a serious matter," he said. "Pray tell, what did the dagger look like?"

"It was a silver dagger with a curved blade. It had a golden hilt and blade guard, with a mother of pearl grip. I have it with me, if you would like to see it."

"I would."

Cole took it from its sheath on his belt and offered it to the king. The king examined it carefully. "This is the knife of a Shintaran guard, but it is missing its identification. I do not know how this could possibly have been in your room."

"I do not either, but it was. It fell to the floor and woke me up."

The king placed it on the table, pointing it toward the foot of the table. "This is a serious accusation. I will have my guardsmen searched most carefully to find the perpetrator. Trespassing is not welcomed in my kingdom."

"I do not think it was simply trespassing, your majesty." Cole gestured to it. "It was something more sinister in nature."

"Why do you suspect so?" the king asked, scrutinizing him.

Cole raised his chin ever so slightly. "One does not enter a sleeping person's room with a knife in one's hand if harm is not meant to be dealt."

"Nonsense. It must have fallen from a sheath," the king dismissed.

"I believe you," Vania said, interrupting their conversation. "It would be too coincidental to be anything but an attempt on your life." Every fiber of her being exuded intelligence, as if she was being challenged to be wrong.

"It is not possible," the king dismissed again. "Your reasoning, while sturdy, cannot possibly be the explanation." He looked at Vania with a scrutinizing power, as if to measure her defiance.

She raised her chin. "It cannot be disregarded, either. I will not have my savior's complaint go unchecked."

"I have already pledged to have the guardsmen searched, daughter. When the suspect is found, a full investigation will begin."

"What will you do if he is not?" Cole asked.

"I will search the barracks next," the king replied. "Your concerns will be met, Sir Cole, as will my daughter's." He looked severely displeased. "As for you, my daughter, you would be wise to watch your tongue. A woman's place is not in talk of combat."

"Of course," she said, conceding. She returned to her meal, defiance only visible in the way she stabbed at her food with her fork. Cole watched her for a moment.

"Thank you for hearing me, your highness."

"Of course. It is the least I can do for the man who rescued my daughter." Again the image of grace, the king finished his meal and stood. "If you will excuse me, I must continue the preparations for this evening. You may roam the palace and the gardens to your heart's content. Please, enjoy your day." With that, he left.

When the door shut, Vania looked up from her plate.

"Remember my warning," she whispered to Cole. He nodded, and she rose from her seat. A servant came to take away her plate. "I look forward to seeing you all tonight at the feast," she said.

"You as well, Princess," Cole responded. With that, she left.

-----

Vania smiled as she walked through the halls of the palace, Chompy running at her feet. She hummed a quiet melody as she walked. It was late afternoon, and she had just spent the day outside in the gardens with Chompy. Now that it was later, she had to go prepare for the feast that evening. However, that was hardly the only reason why she was smiling.

Despite all her misgivings, so far her father had proven all her concerns wrong. It was concerning, as was his behavior that morning. However, she resolved to keep her positivity, no matter what her father did. In such a way of thinking, it did nothing to dampen her high spirits. In fact, it only served to sweeten the joy she felt when she thought about what had come to pass the night before.

Simply thinking about those events again made the princess smile. She had taken Cole away to her secret hiding place, which no one knew about, and warned him about her father in no uncertain terms. That man, in all his sweetness, had promised to protect her, even if it cost his life. He had pledged to protect her– that could not be anything but love, surely.

In her mind's eye, she could envision his face before her in crystal clarity. It was creased with care, eyes sparkling with sincerity in the shadows of the alcove. Her hands still felt like they did when he held them, his rough ones enveloping hers with more gentleness than she could have imagined. He had looked at her as if she was more than just a treasure to him– no, she was a woman in his eyes, and one he cared for.

Was there really anything to wonder about? She had kissed him, sweet and warm in the darkness. He had not responded in kind, but she knew with clarity that she had only caught him off-guard. Next time, he would not be so still.

Eventually, she reached the door to her rooms and entered, ignoring the guards stationed outside. Once the door latched, she smiled widely and went to her armoire, pulling out her favorite dress as she pushed away her previous thoughts. The dress was gold and black silk, with white detailing and a full skirt that swirled out when she spun in it. She turned to Chompy and held it up.

"It's finally time to wear this dress. What do you think?"

The dragon chirped happily.

"That's what I thought!" She laughed and went to her wash room, dressing quickly with her petticoats and stays and dress. In the front under her dress, she tied her stays. Then she closed the dress, the laces criss-crossed all the way down her bodice and fastened at the bottom with white silk ties. When she was finished, she twirled around and went to show Chompy.

"What do you think?" she asked, enjoying the creature's reaction. "Tonight will be wonderful, Chompy. I'm sorry you can't come with."

A servant knocked at the door. "Your Highness?"

"Come in!" she called, cheerfully turning to see the servant enter. In her hands was a basket of apples.

"Your father sent you a treat, Princess, for before you go." She placed it on the vanity. "Shall we do your hair?"

"Yes, we shall!" Vania said. "What do you think would go best with the dress?"

"One can never go wrong with curls," the servant said. Vania sat at the vanity and she began going about doing her hair. A short time later, the princess' hair was curled to perfection, contrasting with her lovely dress. With a choice of jewelry, her preparations were complete.

Vania got up and spun around, letting her skirt flare out. She looked in the mirror and beamed. "It looks perfect!"

"You look beautiful, Princess. Are you dressing up for our guests?" the servant asked, smiling with a knowing twinkle in her eye.

"Perhaps I am," Vania admitted, flushing pink.

"Which guest would that be, then?"

"Sir Cole. Is that foolish?"

"Certainly not." The servant seemed to be amused. "Have a lovely time tonight."

"Thank you!" Vania called as the other woman slipped out the door. She spun one last time and sighed happily. "At least this is one good thing about being home."

Chompy chirped happily and went to grab an apple. He brought it to Vania, who had sat on the edge of her bed, and she patted him.

"Do you think I should whet my appetite?" she asked, to which Chompy nodded. "Okay, then, I'll try Father's gift, but only a taste." She looked at the apple, perfect in every way, and took a bite. It was delicious, perfectly sweet. Despite her earlier words, she took another bite, only to be cut off from trying more due to a deep yawn that seized her. When it passed, she laughed to herself. "Try some of this, Chompy."

The dragon took a bite and ate it happily. Vania yawned again.

"There's a little bit of time yet before I have to go." She looked toward the door. "Perhaps I will lay down for a few minutes…"

Vania laid down on her bed, not caring whether the covers were laid across her. Mere moments later, she was fast asleep, with her dragon joining her in the realm of unconsciousness.