Trouble in Paradise
A light breeze snuck in through a window into a cottage style house. It flowed through the cozy but large rooms all the way to the master bedroom. A sleeping Persimmon laid in the fluffiest white bed draped in a canopy. It blew through the balcony and began to play with her hair. She giggled at the feeling like a baby, rocking a little with the breeze. The morning sun warmed her face through the window close to her bed. She was giggling in her sleep, tail wagging as she dreamed of dandelion fields.
Unbeknownst to her, Crescent wasn’t laying next to her anymore. She was in the master bathroom with the door locked. The ivory bath tub was filled with lavender scented bubbles, steam drifting into the air. The moon girl basked in the warmth of the water in a morning bath. A mirror was on the wall in front of her, which she stared into. Her eyes weren’t the same teal and green from last night anymore. They were a murky midnight blue, a relief from the masking magic she wore before.
“God, my eyes ache.” Crescent groaned, rubbing her eyes with thankfully not soapy hands, “Hope this’ll be worth it.”
A shadow formed next to the bed, shaping itself into a male servant. He had ghostly pale skin and black hair and eyes. The suit he wore was also black as charcoal. A cup of coffee sat on a sliver tray the servant perfectly balanced with one hand.
“Want your coffee, Ms Crescent?” The servant asked.
“Yes, thank you.” The moon girl nodded, holding her hand out.
The servant placed the coffee in her hand and stood by her while she drank.
“... Are you sure this is going to work?” He muttered quietly.
“Of course it will. I’m never wrong when it comes to my plans.” The rogue argued.
“You’ve just kidnapped the daughter of Female King Sun and Warrior Moon. This is bound to end in disaster.”
“Come on, have a little faith in me. I’ve been wife material for a while now. Seducing her shouldn’t be that hard.”
The servant sighing heavily before responding.
“I’m trying to save you from certain death. If you’re caught with the princess as your hostage, you’re bound to be executed.”
“Unless they can figure out who I am and where I’m holding the princess, they’ll never find me.” Crescent said, dismissing the servant’s concerns, “I’ve covered my tracks perfectly.”
The servant nodded with a disappointed look on his face.
“Very well then. Don’t blame me when they find you.” He warned before disappearing into a shadow.
Crescent stared back into the mirror again, quietly going over her plan in her head. The night she found Persimmon wasn’t a random night. It was rather a scouting mission gone right.
You see, Crescent’s family has been in a tough spot ever since her mom cheated on her then husband for king Willow. Her father left her mom a single mother to her and her two siblings. And since they liked the taste of royalty they got with the king, the family wanted their noble status back. So Crescent came up with a plan: She’d kidnap a princess and be the “hero” by returning her. The king and queen would be so grateful that they’d BEG to have her as noble. She already had her princess, now it was just a waiting game.
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In Flamba, Peony sat in her garden. Wildflowers surrounded her and cuddled her legs. Tall persimmon and peach trees blossomed above her head, dusting her in cherry blossoms. She was mediating there to try and forget about Persimmon. It made her heart ache in a way she couldn’t describe to think about her. It didn't help that everything reminded her of the floral monkey from her paintings to her clothes. She knew she had to let her go, but her heart won’t let her. She’d become the perfect daughter to both her parents, something she’d wanted ever since childhood. That was her biggest dream in life, yet she wasn’t happy. Why couldn’t she let go of that bastardly monkey? All she wanted was to be the perfect daughter, that’s all.
Footsteps came up behind her as she tried to calm down.
“Lady Peony.” A servant spoke behind her.
“Yes, Calamity?” The redhead answered, recognizing the servant as Calamity.
“Your father told me to tell you something.” The servant hesitantly informed her.
“When then, what is it?” The fire princess asked rather impatiently.
The servant hesitated before speaking again.
“Princess Persimmon has been kidnapped from her balcony.” Calamity finally stated.
The breath was ripped away from Peony at that moment. Her body froze deathly stiff, and her eyes started to sting. A quiet and choked sob left her mouth as she processed the news
“When?” The fire princess asked, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
“Last night is what’s assumed. Her father found her missing in the morning. Her room was a mess with paintings, but all of them had one thing in common.” The servant confirmed.
“What was it?” Peony nearly choked.
“... All the paintings have you in each.” The girl muttered, clearly distressed for her princess.
Peony couldn‘t muster a response. Persimmon… oh so sweet Persimmon… she couldn’t imagine how she scared she must be right now. The echo of her cries rang through her mind. Images of her light alone in some monster’s arms flooded her mind, nearly choking out the last of her breath. The redhead’s body shook violently and uncontrollably in a panic attack. Calamity’s voice rung behind her in panic, but she couldn’t hear them over the static all around her. Footsteps ran away from her back to the entrance. All Peony could do was shake as she was abandoned in the garden, below the trees that shared her love’s name.
It felt like an eternity before Calamity returned. Heavy footsteps followed, meaning she brought father. His large shadow loomed over Peony’s body. She didn’t know whether it was his shadow or the way he simply let her rest on his huge hands, but it was comforting in a sense only she could understand. One of his hands came under her. Its callused yet soft feel comforted the fire princess as she was lifted into the air. The static calmed down enough to where she could hear again.
“-en did Peony get like this?!” Satanic Bull king demanded.
“I-I DON’T KNOW! She just started hyperventilating when I told her Persimmon was missing!” Calamity answered messily, tripping over her words.
Bull King doesn’t respond, rather moved his finger up to let Peony lean her head on it. He rubbed her cheek before picking her up.
“Order her favorite tea and cookies to arrive in 35 minutes. I’m taking her to her room.” The massive bull ordered the servant.
She nodded, trotting away to repeat the order. Bull king followed her out with Peony in his hand. She was still violently shaking and crying, clutching the finger that held her head. Her thoughts only consisted of Persimmon. It tormented her to no end that her floral princess may now never come home. But before she could spiral more, everything went black. Her only thought before falling unconsciousness was how much she regretted leaving her light to die.