Chapter Text
Loose.
His legs, his arms, his tongue felt loose. Something was amiss, and it was likely attributed to the joys of the fae. More importantly, his mind raced with continued thoughts of the same charismatic man.
Loose.
His legs began to walk by themselves, his arms relaxed and folded into each other, his lips formed into a gentle smile. This was the last time he would ever accept a drink from his followers. As he moved forward he saw his dearest actor grow closer and closer, the cape draped elegantly over his shoulders cascaded to the floor, painting the man in velvet.
Loose.
He pushed closer and closer, confident in ways he never knew he could be. His hand reaches out against his will, placing itself on the other’s shoulder. The actor turned, his cape swishing to follow. Blue lips smirk, arms crossing over his chest. A deep, sultry voice greets him, “Why, hello there King Viridescent.”
“Hello, Ad-lib. What a fine night to reunite, no?”
“Indeed, though I cannot help but wonder, what brings someone like you to someone like me? It is not often you see royalty seeking out actors.” His smirk grew; charming, alluring, taunting. “Perhaps you were swayed by my recent show? I do have another performance coming up if you are truly so interested.”
“Ad-lib?”
“Yes, oh sweet King of the Fae~?”
“If you would allow it, I would like to marry you.”
The king of the fey arose, head pounding from something he could not name. What an odd dream he had; he had confidence, got engaged to his darling, and then got to dance with him! He had the pleasure of partaking in a tango of passion and prowess, and it tasted like sweetened milk and honey. Rolling over he felt giddy at the lingering memory of his dream, feet kicking as his head buried deep into his pillow.
The two of them, tangled in one another's embrace as they waltzed to traditional music. Their hands were laced together, foreheads pressed, and the entire scene was so romantic that all he could think of was the prospect of a future together. The way his jam pumped felt so real, so did the burning heat in his face. The actor pulled him closer, looking directly into his eyes–into his soul–and he revelled in the bliss of it all.
“You are simply dashing tonight, Ad-lib.” His heart continued to pound against the confines of his chest, allowing his hands to snake down Ad-Lib’s waist to his hips.
“Your honesty amuses me. Foremost a sudden proposal and second a passionate dance… Seems you far surpassed my narrow expectations of you–a king who remains stoic above all odds.” He spins the king around, slowly wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “Yet, I am struggling to process why a king like you is stooping so low as to pursue an actor like me.”
“Must I need a reason to be wed to you?”
“No, but I do find it odd you lead with a promise of devotion since this clearly is not for any form of treaty or arranged marriage, neither of which involve entertainers and instead other royals. Speaking of which, are you even allowed to marry by your own volition?”
“Well,” he starts, wanting to explain how the whole arranged marriage concept is long outdated. However, he is quickly interrupted.
“Also, how improper~ Skipping the entire courting phase? You hardly know me and yet straight to eternity! You, silly little fae, are lucky to have chosen me; most other men would flee at something so blunt.”
“Well, would you like to be courted?”
“How could I truly love someone I do not yet know?” Then he muttered something akin to being patient and going through the proper procedure, it seemed Ad-Lib at his core leaned more to traditional romantic practices.
His mind raced with ways he could appeal to the man, ways he could win reciprocation and love. The dream itself had been so vivid, so raw and intense, even the flesh of the actor’s hands felt real against his warm skin.
But, all daydreams must come to an end. Rolling off of silky covers, he hobbled over to his dresser to get clothing for today. When grabbing undergarments from the top drawer he noticed a glistening envelope placed perfectly in the center of the surface.
After quickly throwing on pants, fastening his corset, and fixing his flowery shawl, his hands turned to the letter, gently prying the ornate folds open to peer at the content inside.
‘Dear King Viridescent,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read our letter. Foremost, I would like to sincerely apologize to you. Your faerie assistants and I may have gone overboard on a prank last night and stirred something into your drink. That something was a love potion, designed to amplify the affections of the consumer. Additionally, it is rumored to bolster confidence, which was our primary intention. It was meant to be funny, watching you bumble around with high officials giving them the occasional extra compliment. We did not plan to confront you about our actions as the prank should have been harmless… But, it is rumored that you have since gotten engaged, as we have received a letter from an actor asking about ‘his fiance's whereabouts’. In most cases, this would be none of our business, but now? Now we are at fault. It seems under the influence of the potion–perhaps too much had been stirred in that it made you fall in love–you began the courting process. If need be, call for us and we will find an excuse to separate you two, and if you are now serious about your proposal of love, then you have someone waiting downstairs.
Best of luck dearest king, and may your adventures be joyous and prosperous our king,
Sincerely, the faeries.’
His expression sunk, fear welled up in his chest as everything quickly fell apart, shattering his serenity. According to the letter, last night flirting with Ad-lib was not a dream… And said dream quickly became a nightmare; he had promised to court and wed the love of his life, the problem being he did not know how.