Chapter 1
Despite being the only princess available the royal high court didn’t want to give Katherine the throne.
She was different in ways not yet diagnosed, and she behaved appallingly on the actual throne itself, she would swirm and fidget, and refuse to talk at some points,
this aggravated everyone trying to teach her the monarchy ways.
She was condemned to her room every time she’d freak out after touching the velvet chair or her dress was too itchy when she was young.
Having the worlds best doctors and psychiatrics at her disposal being royal and all lead her to be diagnosed with autism-how kind of them to make an exception and diagnose a girl- when she was about 11
Through she has a medical reason to get out of those treacherous stuffy balls, it was advised to not tell anyone about this medical ‘episode’ as it was heavily stigmatised.
She only had the courage to tell Shelby one late night after an empires get-together.
The witch took her hand and ran off from the tavern to the forest, her long black hair ran loose in the wind, strictly breaking royal protocol- making her giggle, she never had this much freedom when with her other close friends
In fact Shelby the great witch of the evermore was the only one she felt close to, sure she was technically in the girls group of the empress’s but she didn’t feel belonging to them. Like an outsider they just put up with.
They hopped through the final bush to this supposed secret place, the lush moss creeping onto the few log benches scattered around the opening in the forest, the variety of lanterns on said benches, it made the princess feel calm like she never had,
She was only here because the tavern was getting too loud, not to mention the buzz of the torches in the tavern, the overlaps of frivolous chat, how her dress made her feel like she was getting cpr, it was all too much.
Like a skilled masker she would shutdown (to avoid embarrassment regardless that they were her friends and would help her) when over whelmed instead of the self destructive violent shameful ways that wound her up in the dungeon, left hand chained to the wall after she started banging her head, she still got nightmares about that.
Shutting down was the next best option after a meltdown, she would very quickly and quietly stim under tables, pushing her long nails deep into her thighs, her throat would close up and speaking, pleading, begging for help was a lost cause,
stage 3 for her was the worst, she’d go red in the face, begin hyperventilating, possibly shaking, and a completely blank face. There’s only ever been on time it got that far before someone with an ounce of compassion stepped in.
“Kat-pocolypse don’t happen very often” Shelby wasn’t formally told about this condition of hers but more or less picked up that something was wrong
She expression was concerned with her eyebrows furrowed “Kat- kat, hey are you doing ok?” She said already freaking out Katherine turned to her, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes, She looked like she was going to bawl her eyes out any moment.
The princess shook her head before being dragged out. Shelby was determined to save her future partner from whatever was causing this distress, she didn’t want to make a big scene or crest a distraction only to slip out unnoticed.
This fairy like fort in the forest was very quiet and peaceful with someone who was important to her and that was all that mattered
She sat down on the soft fluffy moss leaning an oak log, trying to breath as best she could while Shubble drew shapes in the grass with a stick like a bored child.
The royal lent back her head further, her hair practically flowed of the other side.
Katherine drew a long breath in and out indicating that she was calm enough to talk about whatever happened back there.
It was perplexing to Shelby. Someone she loved had just shut off from the world with no way of getting back.
“Are you- well how are yo-“ shub starts, nervous to offend kat “I’m sorry I really didn’t mean to get overwhelmed, it’s just that I’m not..” k rambles to find an excuse anything to describe why she just powered down in the tavern.
“You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to, if you do I’ll listen, I’ll help you if you want, I think I know what it maybe” Shelby politely cuts her off
“I’m not supposed to tell anyone, people treat me like I’m a toddler after they find out, I thought I was only supposed to be cursed with one thing?!” She says sarcastically making shubble giggle
“I’m the most autistic princess you’ll ever meet and I really really struggle when it comes to noises and touching icky things like garlic” “wow I just realised that I’ve never said that out loud before”
“Thank you for telling me, is there anything I can do to help you?”
“Uhhh I cant think of any except to not tie me up in the dungeons I guess” Katherine laughed it off, Shelby did in fact not laugh it off
“Did that actually happen to you when you’d meltdown?!?” Really concerned “Hey you know what, you could help me get out of things when it gets too much, I kind um stop speaking” Katherine dodged the question and Shelby noticed
Both their coms binged, it was separate messages. Pixl messaged Katherine asking if she was okay very considerately, he offered to drop by her palace with some soup if she wasn’t feeling well Sausage messaged Shelby again asking if Katherine was okay with about 8 different emojis and 13 question marks.
“It’s pix and sausage, he’s asking if you’re okay what do you want to tell him”
The princess panicked and went quiet again leaving the witch to answer both messages for her, both on the lines of “Heyy thank you so much for checking on me, I’m okay I just felt a bit weird but it’s all good now!”
And obviously sausages was close enough to “ hey sausage she’s doing okay she just felt a little weird so we got some air😏”
“SHIT NO ☺️***”
He responded like lightening
“of course you both ran off into the woods ALONE 😏😏😏”
She just left him on read and closed the com.
“What did sausage want?” Kat asked after Shelby sighed.
“nothing he thought we were doing something dirty” Katherine tilted her head in confusion
“Katherine you really are sheltered you know that?” She let a smirk escape her mouth
Katherine had calmed down momentarily, after Shelby went silent the overwhelming sense of sensory overload came creeping back,
if you could be swallowed by emotions Katherine was drowning, black flusters crawled at the back of her mind,
once she stared in space and was rocking back and forth Shelby said “cmon lets go, we’re going back to my house”
Bridal style she picked Katherine up, a remarkable feat considering how naturally weak and short Shelby was.
Pulling out a compass to check for far they were from the evermoore. “we’re on the other side of the map, ok okay, my broom wasn’t enchanted to hold two people so i need to carry you, is it okay if i do that?”
After the standard Katherine nodding seal of approval they were off.
“Hey tortoise we’re hooomeeeee” singsongly
“How come you never respond to me, im feeling very disrespected” Shelby shouted down the stairs rolling her eyes
“It’s a tortoise shub, id be worried if it did”Katherine thought but hesitated to speak both feelings like it was too mean and the feeling of her lips being glued together
“Do you want to have a bath or a nap or something?” She asked optimistically
After she didnt respond Shelby said, “how about getting changed first?”
After setting Katherine on the bed and she looked completely exhausted and still rocking back and forth a little,
The witch pulled out a random hoodie and pyjama bottoms, she threw them on the bed
“Do you want my help getting changed? I know you must be exhausted and its getting pretty late” Katherine didn't respond but smiled softly, eternally grateful for someone as amazing as Shelby,
“Okay ill be outside in the corridor, call me if you need me”
At nervous system equilibrium once again she pulled the scratchy dress off and the hoodie on, then the pj’s
Shelby appeared from behind the door after a few minutes,
“You can sleep here tonight, im gonna go set up the couch bed” still smiling warmly at the princess Katherine still quiet shook her head
“Can..you.. stay please?” Breaking the sentence down into sayable chunks.
“Of course i will Kat! Whatever you’d like”
Turning off the lights after shooting the switch with her wand
Katherine grabbed Shelby’s hand and dragged it across hr waist,
Shelby was scratching Kat’s head till she fell asleep.
S grinning softly once she realised k was deep in accordingly appropriate princess slumber.
Then it hit her, she was in bed WITH HER CRUSH stroking her hair till she fell asleep THIS WAS INSANITY.
This wasn’t something she wanted to tell people.
If it got out that she slept with the princess the consequences would be immeasurable.
but for now this was nice