The Prince's Lover

by CoquetteCookie

Summary:

There wasn’t a lot about her childhood that Caramel Arrow Cookie remembered.

Most memories of her earlier years were vague fragments that could not be pieced together, though there are a few memories that are clearer and easier for her to recall.

One of the memories she had a clear picture of was when she had met the prince's lover for the first time.

---

Or:

A (mostly) Caramel Arrow-centric fic that also serves as an introduction to the main character of me and my friends' CRK AU.

Notes:

• For miloeveryday_111.

Hello, Borger! Here is the fic I talked about. Have my first work on this website dedicated to you as a thank you for giving me the courage to actually make an account and start posting.

Chapter 1

There wasn’t a lot about her childhood that Caramel Arrow Cookie remembered.

Most memories of her earlier years were vague fragments that could not be pieced together, though there are a few memories that are clearer and easier for her to recall.

One of these memories was the day she was taken in by the King of the Dark Cacao Kingdom himself. Her biological parents, villagers from an unknown part of the region, died protecting her from a pack of Dire Creamwolves, and she, having been only 3 years old, could do nothing but watch as they were literally mauled alive.

She was found by all three members of the Royal Family, who took her to be checked by the healers, ran her a bath, and got her changed into a clean set of clothes. After finding out about what happened with her parents, they immediately decided that she would remain in the Citadel and start warrior training in 2 years, when she would be old enough (by the kingdom's standards) to do so.

The king, Dark Cacao Cookie, was stoic and imposing on the surface, but was clearly more caring than he let on. He visibly worried for her wellbeing, even if he did not express it aloud, and had been the one to suggest letting her remain.

The queen was a stark contrast to her brother: cheerful, outgoing, and taller yet somehow not as imposing. She worried the most about her; taking the time to sew a set of pajamas for her and even dismissing the chefs early so that she could cook something for her.

The prince, Dark Choco Cookie, was somewhere in the middle. He was more expressive and vocal about his worries for her wellbeing than his father (the king) was, though he also wasn't as frantic with concern as his aunt (the queen) had been.

She took a great liking to them, and they felt the same for her.

She grew to respect the king and queen greatly, and she and the prince ended up becoming the siblings that the other never had.

***

The next memory she had a clear picture of was when she had met the prince's lover for the first time.

Not a day went by where the prince didn’t talk of her or mention her in passing, with the queen always smiling as he did so while the king would simply shake his head.

“What do you even see in that girl?” King Dark Cacao had asked him once.

Prince Dark Choco turned to his father and, with no hesitation, said: “She makes me laugh.”

Caramel Arrow broke into a fit of giggles upon seeing the seriousness on his face.

“Will I ever be able to meet her?”

“You will meet her tomorrow, Caramel Arrow.” He said, smiling and ruffling her hair. “She will visit.”

The king sighed, continuing to sip on his tea.

“You are also in support of them, namdongsaeng (younger brother).” The queen stated with a smirk. “Put your pride down for once and admit it.”

“No.”

Then came the next day, and Caramel Arrow was in awe when she saw the prince's lover standing by the Citadel's gates.

Her hair was smooth and creamy blonde, reaching up to the back of her knees, with side bangs that beautifully framed her face, and her eyes were a gorgeous, vibrant color that seemed to sparkle whenever she smiled.

And even without saying or doing anything, she shone brighter than the sun and had an air of confidence that she wanted to emulate as effortlessly as she did.

“My beloved!” She watched as the prince ran over to the golden-haired woman, picking her up and spinning her around. The woman chuckled, cupping his cheek and giving him a peck on the lips.

“Hello to you, my love.” Her voice was low and slightly husky, but had a soothing gentleness to it. “How have you been?”

The prince had never smiled so widely at anyone before. “I'm doing alright, love. You?”

“Doing fine as well!”

The two kissed once more, and King Dark Cacao visibly grimaced.

“Get a room.”

“Nice to see you too, Your Short Temperedness!” The woman's smile shifted into a mischievous smirk, her voice loud and blunt as she made eye contact with the king.

Her attention then shifted to the little girl standing beside him and holding his hand.

“And you are Caramel Arrow Cookie, yes?”

She smiled back, extending her tiny hand out to shake. “Uh-huh! It's nice to meet you, Princess Vanilla Rose!”

The prince's lover, Vanilla Rose Cookie, walked over and kneeled down to her level, holding her tiny hand.

“It's nice to meet you, Caramel Arrow Cookie. How have you been these past two months?”

“I've been doing okay. How about you?”

The older of the two chuckled and gave her a pat on the head. “That's great to know, kid. I'm doing fine as well.”

“Something tells me that these two will be getting along much better than I expect them to.” The prince said, and he had been right.

Most of Vanilla Rose's time was spent either with the prince or with her.

When she was with the prince, the both of them were practically stuck to each other like glue. They kissed, went on walks together, and often woke up later than usual, which would then force the king to barge into the prince’s room to wake them, only to leave them be after seeing them tangled in each other's arms as they slumbered.

“It is only 9 o clock, so it isn't that late. I'll let them sleep in…just this once.” The king said, though the way he was always letting it slide was enough to suggest that he wasn't as unsupportive of their relationship as he claimed to be.

And whenever Vanilla Rose spent time with Caramel Arrow, the two would spend it either singing, drawing, or just talking about whatever was on their minds.

From those talks, she learned that Vanilla Rose hailed from a kingdom called the Vanilla Kingdom.

“Ooh! What's it like there?”

“It's a stark contrast to this kingdom. It's warm, sunny, and filled with lots of trees and flowers, though it does grow cold during winter and autumn.”

“Does it snow over there?”

“No, but I wish it did.”

She also learned that the reason why cookies referred to her as a princess even if she wasn't married to the prince was because she was the eldest child of the Vanilla Kingdom's monarch, who was also a close friend of King Dark Cacao's.

“It is thanks to our parents' friendship that I met Dark Choco. We became friends in an instant and things just…developed from there.”

“That's so cute! I hope you two get married someday!”

Vanilla Rose's smile shifted, and she remained silent for what felt like 200 billion hours before eventually sobbing.

“I hope so too, kid. I hope so too.”

“Are you okay?” Caramel Arrow asked, feeling tears well up in her eyes as well.

The golden princess sobbed even harder. “I'm fine! Really, I am!”

“But you're sad! And now I'm sad too!”

“I'm sorry, honey! Please don't cry because of me!”

The king later found the two crying and spent a long time standing there in confusion before eventually walking off.

Vanilla Rose never told her or the king why she was crying.

***

Caramel Arrow was 5 years old and had just finished her first session of archery training when the prince pulled her aside and told her that he was going to propose to his lover.

“REALLY?!”

Prince Dark Choco chuckled, his face redder than a berry. “Yes. She and I may only be 20-years-old, but the 4 years we've spent together have made me realize that she is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. My father and aunt have approved of this, and I have just sent a letter to her father asking for her and her family to visit. All I need now is their blessing and her acceptance.”

She was jumping up and down, barely able to contain her glee.

They were really cute together, and she was so happy that the prince was happy with her!

“In the meantime...” He continued. “I need you to do something for me. Two things, actually.”

She nodded.

“While I am asking her parents and her brother for their blessings, I need you to stay in my room with her and keep her distracted so that she does not hear a thing.”

“Okay! I can do that!”

The prince smiled. “Thank you, Cara. I am also planning to carve the ring myself and since you've taken an interest in stones and metals, I would also like to know the prettiest ones and where to find them so that I can make a ring that will befit her beauty and radiance.”

Caramel Arrow quickly grabbed the prince's hand, running faster than she's ever had in her life and dragging him to her room so that he could see the notes she took about stones and metals that would have the information he needed.

***

A week later, everything went according to plan.

The ring was carved and he had her family's approval.

Now, the Cacaoian monarchs and Caramel Arrow Cookie were standing at the Watch Tower, watching from afar as the prince held his lover’s hand and said something to her before getting down on one knee.

The cream-haired princess covered her mouth and started sobbing, prompting the prince to look at her in concern and open his mouth to ask her if she was okay, only for him to suddenly be tackled into a hug and bombarded with kisses.

“She said yes.” The king said, stoic as ever.

“Congratulations to them.” The queen said with a smile on her face. “They deserve their happy ending.”

Caramel Arrow squealed, jumping up and down.

“YAY!!!”

“You're really rooting for them.” The king observed, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “Aren’t you?”

She nodded with a big grin on her face. “Uh-huh!”

“...I suppose I will start preparing myself for how…foolish they will look with how sentimental they are on their wedding day. I will also need to start preparing for the possibility of their children being just as strong-willed and hyperactive as their mother.”

“Their wedding will likely be in 2 years, my brother.” The queen said. “They are also not in a rush to have children. You have time.”

Caramel Arrow tilted her head in confusion. “Two years? Why?”

“They got together when they were 16, had their first kiss and said “I love you” to the other when they were 18 and here they are now, at the age of 20. They will likely continue the pattern of their relationships major milestones occurring 2 years apart from each other.”

“Excellent deduction.” Dark Cacao praised.

His sister smiled. “Why, thank you.”

That had been the last Caramel Arrow remembered of the prince's lover.

Not even a month after that, her kingdom was under attack.

The king and queen had immediately rushed to defend it and ordered the prince to take over the kingdom in their absence.

Despite his reluctance, he accepted under the condition that they gave him news of how Vanilla Rose was doing.

Caramel Arrow Cookie and Dark Choco Cookie spent those 24 hours anxiously awaiting for the monarch's return and the news that Vanilla Rose and her family were alive and well.

They did not receive such news.

“The Vanilla Kingdom is in ruins.” Dark Cacao Cookie said, struggling to keep his composure. “Pure Vanilla Cookie sacrificed himself to defeat Dark Enchantress Cookie and succeeded. Both are nowhere to be found.”

“What about Rosie?” Dark Choco Cookie asked with tears in his widened eyes.

“She was kidnapped and likely killed by Dark Enchantress Cookie.” The queen said solemnly.

“No…” Tears rolled down the prince's cheek as he trembled.

She looked at him sympathetically. “I am so sorry, eolin wangja (little prince).”

“NOOOOOOO!!!”

Caramel Arrow Cookie could do nothing but watch as the distraught prince fell to his knees, sobbing and hyperventilating and screaming out his love's name over and over again.

***

25 years later, there she stood in the prince's room, looking at a framed picture of him and his lover.

“I hope you are alright out there, my prince. May your lover rest in peace.”

Notes:

For those who are curious:

1. Cara is 3-5 years old for the majority of this chapter so I didn't worry too much about her characterization in this because she's still a child, so she definitely acted differently back then and I imagine her to have been a cheerful and outgoing child.

2. Yes, the queen is Dark Cacao's older sister (by 5 years). Her name will be revealed later on, but she essentially handles the kingdom's politics while her brother handles the more militaristic matters since those are what they excel most at.

3. Vanilla Rose is the daughter of Pure Vanilla Cookie and has another parent. I dare you to guess who it is. (Hint: it's another Ancient)

Anyways, with that out of the way, feedback and constructive criticism for this is welcome as I am a newcomer in the CRK fandom.

I hope y'all (especially Borger) enjoyed this and are looking forward to the 2nd chapter.

Have a great day/afternoon/night!!!

-Coquette

Chapter 2

Notes:

After more than a week, I am finally done with this chapter!!!

So, contrary to what everyone thought, Princess Vanilla Rose Cookie was alive.

And how did Caramel Arrow Cookie know this, you ask?

Well, it all started a month after her exile and demotion from her position as First Watcher.

She had been walking around, expecting nothing eventful to happen, only to find a group of travellers trying to save themselves from a pack of Cream Wolves.

And among this group of travelers…was the Vanillian princess herself.

They came with a letter addressed to the king, and although she was demoted and exiled, she still helped them get into the Citadel.

What happened next is…a long story, but to keep it short: they fought against the king's advisor, Affogato Cookie, and his disciples, exposed him for his treachery, fought against the monsters from the Licorice Sea, and also fought against Dark Enchantress Cookie’s followers.

Prince Dark Choco was among said goons, though she refused to believe he joined on his own volition.

Another one of her followers, a cookie with red hair and a short stature, cursed the king and turned him into a giant beast.

A giant beast that they were currently fighting against and, due to everyone’s hesitance to fight who was essentially their king, brother (in the queen’s case), and unofficial father figure (in her case), quickly losing to.

The only one in the Citadel who didn’t hesitate was Vanilla Rose, who was flying around in a golden hoop while blasting magic and throwing poisonous flower bombs at the king.

She even went as far as yelling at him and cussing at him, prompting a few warriors to yell at her to watch her language.

They eventually managed to defeat the beast and turn him back to normal.

The Prince realized that being a follower of the Darkness was not what he wanted and went to leave the Citadel, but before he could…

Vanilla Rose ran to him, her eyes brimmed with tears.

“Must you go?” She asked.

“I am sorry, my love.” The prince uttered in remorseful reply. “Perhaps one day we will see each other again.”

And just like that, he took a final, longing glance at his lover and walked off.

Caramel Arrow could do nothing but watch as Vanilla Rose sobbed.

“I love you, my Choco. We'll see each other again…and this time, it will be under positive circumstances.”

If Caramel Arrow's heart wasn't already broken, then it was definitely shattered into a million pieces now.

Neither women were able to dwell on this for too long, though, as there were still monsters to fight.

They proved to be victorious, and once the fight was over, Caramel Arrow Cookie took a moment of silence to process all that's happened while Vanilla Rose's friends gave the letter to Dark Cacao Cookie.

As a thank you for the help, the King said that Vanilla Rose and her friends would stay in the kingdom for a bit, and that was when the princess lost it.

Before anyone could even blink, the princess went over to the king and slapped him square in the face.

The king was caught off-guard, as was everyone else, and the princess took that as an opportunity to yell at the king.

She yelled at him for exiling his son, for saying all those insults to him, and for “having the audacity” to only realize how terrible he was of a father after crossing swords with his son…again.

She would have done worse than that if the queen had not gone over to her and hugged her as she sobbed and wailed.

“I miss him too, Vanilla Rose.” The queen said, stroking the princess’ hair. “I miss him too.”

Caramel Arrow let out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding, kneeling beside them and giving Vanilla Rose pats on the back.

***

Here she was now: walking beside Vanilla Rose as the two made their way to Prince Choco's old quarters.

“I'm sorry, Cara.”

The First Watcher looked up at the princess, who was (thankfully) much calmer than she had been a while ago.

“About what happened earlier.” She clarified.

“Your anger is not unfounded.” Caramel Arrow said, sympathizing with her. “I do not agree with your actions, but I do not scorn you for them.”

She smiled. “Thanks, kid. I'll try to at least make sure you're not there to see me lose my temper like that again next time.”

The younger of the two nodded before stopping by a door and opening it to reveal the prince's room. It was the same as it was when he was exiled, though it was slightly dusty.

Vanilla Rose easily fixed that with a snap of her fingers.

“Thanks again, munchkin.” She then walked over to the entrance of the room, having to crouch a bit so that she could fit in.

And come to think of it…everyone (herself included) is always looking up at her.

So just how tall is she?

“Princess Vanilla Rose Cookie?”

The princess turned to the First Watcher. “Yes?”

“How tall are you, if you do not mind me asking.”

“7 inches. Your queen is taller than me, so please don't faint.”

That certainly explained a lot.

***

During dinner, Caramel Arrow got to know Vanilla Rose’s companions a bit more.

The maknae, Custard Cookie III, was a cheerful and outgoing 5-year-old who had dreams of becoming a noble and well-respected king when he grew up. His speeches and proclamations can be a bit much, but he was just too cute to be annoyed with for long.

“His looks and some of his mannerisms are too similar to yours, Vanilla Rose Cookie.” King Dark Cacao pointed out. “Is he your child?”

Vanilla Rose glared daggers at him, but still answered. “No, but we're first cousins twice removed, so we're still related.”

“She does act a lot like mama did, though!” The 5-year-old added with a grin. “So I really, really like her!”

Vanilla Rose's eyes softened.

“Really?”

“Uh-huh!!!”

Caramel Arrow couldn't help but smile, reminded of how much she had looked up to the princess when she was at that age.

The shortest in the group, Wizard Cookie, was a cookie wearing a pointy hat and navy blue garments. He also seemed to have an affinity for magic, as indicated by the wand in his hand and what she's seen of his power during their battle against the king in his beastly form.

“I've been teaching him these past couple of months.” Vanilla Rose said with a proud smile. “He's a fast learner, and his magic seems to be getting better with each session we have!”

“Well that's an honor coming from you!” Wizard Cookie said, smiling back at her. “I've never seen magic so amazing and extraordinary like yours!”

The princess chuckled, giving his cheek a light squeeze.

In addition to Wizard Cookie and Custard Cookie III, there were two other children in the group: a cookie with nothing but two buttons to his name, and a cookie that wore a pink, oversized hoodie.

The cookie without a single coat of armor or icing was an energetic and adventurous boy named Gingerbrave. He seemed to be a magnet that attracted the most bizarre of events, so the fact that he's still alive and in one piece is a miracle.

“Are you alright, Gingerbrave?” Vanilla Rose asked, gently putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

He had been telling everyone about how he and his friends would spend every other hour running from cake monsters that tried to eat them prior to their meeting with Vanilla Rose's father.

Everyone else was concerned, and Vanilla Rose was the first to stop the boy from saying anything else.

“I'm fine!!!” Gingerbrave said with that grin of his.

She frowned, cupping his cheek. “You do not have to lie, schätzchen.”

Caramel Arrow hummed. That was the same nickname that Vanilla Rose would call her, and it was what motivated her to study the Vanillian language so that she could know what it meant.

It's been a while, and she's never really been able to speak it with anyone, but if she remembered correctly, “Schätzchen” was Vanillian for “sweetheart”.

“I'm not lying!” Gingerbrave replied. “I'm okay because I have Strawberry Cookie, Wizard Cookie, Custard Cookie III, and you! And we can get through anything together!”

Vanilla Rose chuckled, giving him a pat on the head.

“Alright, but if you're truly not okay, then you can always come to me.”

“I know that! That's why I like you so much!”

Vanilla Rose hugged him.

The child in the pink hoodie was a girl named Strawberry Cookie. She was the quietest out of everyone, but made up for it with her friendliness and strength in combat.

“Are you doing alright over there, love?” Vanilla Rose asked for the umpteenth time.

“I'm doing okay.” The girl replied with a small smile. “Thanks, Vanilla Rose!”

Vanilla Rose smiled back. “No need to thank me, hun. You kiddos are under my care, so it's my duty to look after you.”

The only adult in the group (besides Vanilla Rose, that is), was a cookie with fiery hair and an even fiery temper. Her scent was…strong and getting too close to her would have your nostrils burning and your lungs straining for fresh, unscented air.

“It fits with her personality,” Caramel Arrow supposed.

Vanilla Rose groaned, smacking the orange-haired cookie's hand for the umpteenth time.

“If I catch you trying to steal my ring one more time, I can and I WILL tie you up and I WILL ensure that the vines have thorns.”

Her voice was rougher, almost having a growl to it. It was a stark contrast to the gentleness she spoke to the children with.

The younger adult, Chili Pepper Cookie, groaned. “FUCK OFF!!!”

“HALT DIE KLAPPE AND RESPECT YOUR ELDERS, MISTSTÜCK!”

Caramel Arrow could not find it in herself to comment on the irony of the princess telling her kleptomaniac companion to “respect her elders” while also having told her to “shut up” and calling her…an archaic term for a female dog in the same sentence.

“Is this…a normal occurrence?” She questioned instead, turning to Gingerbrave.

“Yeah.” Gingerbrave said. “They definitely have beef, and that's weird ‘cause they're both loud and like cussing. I thought they'd get along.”

“I noticed that.” Caramel Arrow said, agreeing with what the teenager said.

The argument between the princess and the bandit continued, only being resolved when the princess took out her Bakeday records (which she had with her at all times, for some reason), proving that she was older than the other woman by 27 years and thus, held the most seniority in the group.

The younger of the two simply sighed, crossing her arms and pouting silently throughout the whole dinner.

“What an eccentric bunch.” Caramel Arrow caught herself saying.

***

Later that night, the First Watcher found herself in the princess’ room.

The king had assigned her to watch over her out of concern that she'd hurt herself.

He never seemed to care much for his almost-daughter-in-law and only tolerated her for his son's sake, so this was something that surprised her.

Though given that all that's happened, she figured that his actions were out of guilt rather than genuine care and simply did as she was told.

“Really?” The princess asked in disbelief. “Him? Assigning you to watch over me? Out of CONCERN?”

“Yes.” The First Watcher affirmed.

The princess smiled. “At least it's you, and not some cookie that I barely know. Come in and let's catch up!”

That was what led to Caramel Arrow sitting by the bed and braiding Vanilla Rose's hair as the two conversed.

It started with them telling each other about what's happened in the other's lives over the 25 years they were apart, and it was then that she learned that:

During her imprisonment, Vanilla Rose was forced to watch (through a portal) as the prince was exiled and mentally tortured into turning to the darkness.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, unnie.” The nickname had just…slipped out of Caramel Arrow's mouth, but calling her that instead of referring to her as “Princess” felt right.

The princess’ eyes widened in shock, but she eventually smiled.

“It's alright, Cara. Dark Choco was never allowed to visit me and was never told where I was being held, so I never got the chance to properly interact with him, but even then…I was never truly lonely. Dark Enchantress’ followers visited me and most of them made sure that Dark Choco was still somewhat okay in my stead, so I appreciated that and ended up developing a good relationship with, well, most of them.”

“That's good.”

Caramel Arrow also learned that Vanilla Rose was eventually freed by her father (who abdicated from the throne shortly after), her brother, and the companions she was currently traveling with.

“And the rest is history!” Vanilla Rose said with a smile. “Now, enough about me. What have you been up to?”

“Well, I became the First Watcher when I turned 18.”

“Congratulations!!!”

Caramel Arrow chuckled. “Thanks, unnie.”

She then continued, explaining about how she's been faring over the years, her exile, Affogato Cookie and his treachery…

“I've met his parents before.” Vanilla Rose said.

“Both were very rude, very difficult, and honestly? Not the best genetics. His mom was clearly not able to see when she picked her husband, and his dad was the ugliest cookie I have ever laid my eyes on. He looks like the both of them, so it makes sense that he was an ugly bitch and tried to usurp the throne.”

Caramel Arrow laughed way too loudly than she should've.

The two continued to converse until around midnight, which was when Vanilla Rose decided to go to sleep.

Caramel Arrow respected this and went to stand by the corner of the room, remaining as quiet as she possibly could while the princess slept.

She stayed there for a couple of hours before deeming her okay to leave alone for the night.

***

“Thanks for coming over last night.” Vanilla Rose said to her during breakfast the next day.

Caramel Arrow smiled back. “No need, Princess Vanilla Rose.”

The golden princess was clearly still aching for her prince to come back, but she was definitely in a much better mood than she was yesterday.

Not only that, but with her friends by her side, it was clear that she was in good hands and that she'll be fine.

They both will be.

Notes:

And...that's a wrap!!! I hope that this was a good introductory fic and will have you all looking forward to more stuff for this AU.

For any questions you have, please don't be afraid to comment. I read all my comments and will gladly answer said questions.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Milo, Ria, and Coquette's Cookie Cinematic Universe