Realistic or Modern 𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒

[Stardust Galaxy]

 

[Stardust Galaxy]

princess malee

polchi

“Sure, give me a day to set up the séanced you can get all the details straight from my dearly departed father himself— i know how you journalists love verifying your primary sources.”

A small smirk appeared on Malee’s face after Kaido’s words. The young princess always enjoyed seeing people squirm at her comments and, well, it seemed the prince of Darten was just like everyone else. Despite that, she could point out the sarcastic tone in his voice. She loved a challenge, and it seemed Kaido wouldn’t be the one to bend his knee for her without putting up a fight. She definitely would enjoy their interactions. After all, it was she who gave him the reputation he was known for.

Some would see him as a punishment, but Malee saw it as a gift. It was because of her that he became the fearful general of the seas and the reason for this war to be stopped. While most people would see Malee as the spoiled princess; who saw the war through a lens, well sometimes the hardest role was behind the scenes and she was a mastermind in it, but don’t interpret her actions as her wanting to be a savior and someone that couldn’t stand the death of the innocent. It was more because she couldn’t understand the incompetence of her fellow countries. So when she saw a chance to get involved, she took it and was proud of the outcome.

But it seemed the world was recognizing all her efforts as when the announcement of the couples came, she was paired no other than with the Prince of Darten the odds were in her favor as now they would be set to marry, not that Malee was actively looking for a marriage, but if it had to choose someone she was sure Prince Kaido would make their marriage a bit interesting.

“Prince Kaido, you must know that I am a woman with a thick skin so little banters don’t offend me. I find them enthralling, to say the least. Don’t you think it makes things more interesting?”

She said as she took the hand of the prince and made their way to the center of the room.

“Prince Kaido, I hope your invitation to meet your departed father still stands. I am more than eager to meet and get the blessing of my future father-in-law and, of course, to get his side of the story. I am sure you shouldn’t bother the deceased more than necessary. We don’t believe in bad omens in Polchi, but perhaps Darten is another story.”

mood:thrilled

outfit: here

location:ballroom

tags: sox

coded by Stardust Galaxy

 

[sox]

takemitsu kaido

darten

“Prince Kaido, I hope your invitation to meet your departed father still stands. I am more than eager to meet and get the blessing of my future father-in-law and, of course, to get his side of the story. I am sure you shouldn’t bother the deceased more than necessary. We don’t believe in bad omens in Polchi, but perhaps Darten is another story.”

something sinister coiled in the pit of kaido's gut at princess malee's cursory incitement of his father's 'side of the story,' particularly bitter given the common knowledge that it was the darten prince himself who had guaranteed that the foul old roach's vitriol would never again see the light of day. still, it was no matter— what was done could not be undone, after all.

"omens have long abandoned darten,"

kaido replied with no further explanation, the polite smile resting on his lips giving away none of the inner spite coating his lungs as he escorted the princess to the center of the ballroom floor just as the first song began. the rest of the couples took up their own positions around them as they attuned their bodies to the rhythm, but the prince of darten paid no mind to those extraneous people; instead, his gaze settled on his newfound fiance's earth-toned irises and perfectly applied lipstick, a detailed work of art adorning her prim features that he couldn't claim to fully dislike despite his negative appraisal of her attitude thus far.

she was a stunning woman, without a lick of doubt, a knifelike beauty that had undoubtedly led plenty of weaker men astray; of course, he'd have to be blind or tasteless to not find such a striking woman attractive in some sense. as to whether he was capable of actually being attracted to the owner of that visage in reality, however, only time would be able to tell.

"you'll have to excuse my poor dance skills, princess,"

he warned her in advance despite a complete lack of shame in his low voice, breath tickling malee's ear from their close proximity as he positioned his hand on her waist and leaned in to make sure he was heard over the booming instrumental.

"i've been a soldier for the last half decade, so i'm quite... out of practice— not that i was any good at the waltz in the first place."

as they slowly swayed to the classical rhythm that seemed stiflingly neverending to the prince who'd always opted to ditch his lessons in favor of perusing the local bazaars for antique trinkets, kaido wracked his brain to try and remember what topics nobles usually talked about during these awkward ceremonial affairs. he only had to make it through one dance before he could safely excuse himself to the gentleman's room, no matter how disappointing it might be to the general public watching their every move with bated breath, eager for some exciting action.

"have you ever traveled beyond polchi's borders before?"

he asked at long last, coming up short on small talk ideas with the serpentine princess who seemed worlds apart from himself. now that they'd been paired together by the powers above, he could hardly afford to offend her any more than he already had.

"prior to this week, i mean... as much as i'd love to explore salhai while we're here, i doubt we'll be granted such free time."

mood: "just peachy."

outfit: ornate dress attire

location: ballroom

tags: Stardust Galaxy

coded by Stardust Galaxy

 

[Stardust Galaxy]

princess malee

polchi

Even with just a glance, Malee knew perfectly well that she had struck a nerve with the Prince of Darten, despite his efforts to hide it. But when the person who had been the main point of interest for the heiress of Polchi since the war started was standing before her, she could recognize even the smallest shift in the demeanor of the prince. She saw him shiver at her words, even if it wasn’t noticeable to the untrained eye. It made Malee feel like she was the one in control, the one who had the upper hand in this dance of swords that they would now share together. The sensation made her feel greedy, eager for more of these encounters.

Once they were at the center of the ballroom, their bodies as close as was socially acceptable for the setting, Malee took notice of the high cheekbones that adorned his face, giving him a more masculine look than the other heirs. She noticed how his nose was slightly crooked, something not everyone would see at first glance, or the chiseled jawline that the heiress had to resist the urge to trace with her fingers. He was a creature crafted by the gods, meant to be admired.

When Malee felt Kaido’s hot breath against her ear and his hand on her waist, it was as though she had been touched by lightning, shivers rippling through her body. It was an entrancing touch, one the princess could easily grow accustomed to feeling every day.

“Apologies accepted. When one has become the main character in this war, some things can be turned a blind eye to,”

she said, her voice dripping with subtle amusement.

“Polchi is known for its balls and, of course, the etiquette required. I am sure there has to be someone who could polish the dance skills of one of the greatest warriors of our time.”

She leaned closer to his ear, her voice dropping into a mischievous tone.

“Or perhaps I should be the one to accomplish that task?”

“I have traveled to Wyrn, as we are a nation that relies on their technology for our country’s endeavors. I had to fulfill my duties for the agreement between the nations to proceed, so it was more of a diplomatic trip than one for pleasure. But what about you, Prince Kaido? What stories of the sea can you share?”

mood:thrilled

outfit: here

location:ballroom

tags: sox

coded by Stardust Galaxy

 

[sox]

takemitsu kaido

darten

kaido's jaw tensed as the polchi princess examined him like a prime rack of meat, her probing eyes never once straying from his face with the telltale gleam of someone far too pleased with their luck-of-the-draw prize winnings. what could she be formulating behind those steely irises to adorn such a self-satisfied smile on her painted cherry lips? out of all the heirs present tonight, he was by far the least versed in diplomatic etiquette and the delicate matters that came with it— in the cutthroat game of political marriage, was 'one of the greatest warriors of our time' as malee had so kindly put it really such an advantageous card to have in her hand?

still, his expression visibly softened when she inquired about his own travels abroad, stories of which he held no shortage of if she ever cared to listen. travelling had always been his one reprieve from the harrowing tribulations of war, something malee evidently knew little to nothing about the realities of if she was referring to his burdensome role as the 'main character.' what kinds of experiences would the untouchable princess of the nation's top publishing house find more interesting than the countless headlines upon which her throne sat? gruesome tales of bloodshed and slaughter, paired with sorrowful anecdotes of the displaced? or perhaps half-forgotten memories of drunken moonlit nights would suit her tastes better, the personal ramblings of a wayward prince adrift at sea...

"open that can of worms and you might be stuck with me on this dance floor for a few more hours, princess,"

kaido answered breezily, a soft smile that partially reached his eyes tugging at the corners of his lips as his thumb unconsciously fiddled with the zipper on the side of her dress where his palm rested. his obsidian irises never strayed from hers, admittedly not hating the overtly flirtatious manner with which she carefully laced together her words.

"so unless you're serious about becoming my dance instructor, i say we save such stories for later. we have more than enough time to get to know each other."

as the orchestral music came to a dramatic close and concluded the obligatory first dance for the newly formed couples, kaido stepped back and lifted malee's hand to his lips, brushing a polite kiss against her frigid knuckles. icy as this arranged marriage was doomed to be from the start, he could not deny that going through the motions was far easier with a fiance whose striking visuals could rival any winter goddess, so-called chivalric gestures coming naturally to the admiral who had nothing much else to cure his boredom with now other than taking the fleeting whims of romance for a cheeky test drive.

so long as he took care not to fall in love with her in the process, the world-weary prince of darten surely had little to lose...

"shall we retire to our lodgings?"

kaido suggested after a brief glance at the salhai royals, unceremoniously shoving his hands in his pockets once he dropped malee's.

"i'll be happy to answer all of my fiance's questions with just the two of us, away from the cameras."

mood: "time to dip."

outfit: ornate dress attire

location: ballroom

tags: Stardust Galaxy

coded by Stardust Galaxy

 

[Stardust Galaxy]

malee sakda

polchi

She loved to see him squirm against her presence—it made her feel powerful and in control. Who would have thought that the princess of a nation not actively involved in the war could make the prince of Darten tense with just her words? It was a sensation she relished, despite the obvious contradiction in Kaido’s demeanor toward Malee.

“To your surprise, Prince Kaido, I wouldn’t be opposed to spending more hours on the dancefloor if it’s just the two of us, but I’m sure from now on, we’re going to have much more time together than just a ball. After all, aren’t marriages supposed to last a lifetime?”

she teased, a small smirk playing on her lips. While she didn’t say anything directly, Malee noticed the subtle movement of the prince’s thumb grazing the zipper of her dress. Was this the beginning of the intimate moments she anticipated with the Prince of Darten? Or was it simply a coincidence, a result of the situation they were in?

“I’m always serious about my words, Prince Kaido. Some might not see it that way, but I can assure you, I am a woman of my word. Soon, you’ll realize there’s nothing to doubt about me.”

Malee was enjoying their interaction more than she had expected. Unfortunately, their moment was cut short as the music ended, though this only allowed Kaido to kiss her hand when the dance was over. It might have been a romantic gesture to others, but to Malee, it was a sign of surrender. She knew, without a doubt, that Kaido was hers, and no one could challenge that certainty.

“If you put it like that, how could I possibly reject the proposition?”

she replied with a smirk.

“Although, perhaps you should lead the way? I’m not opposed to breaking tradition and doing it myself, but if you’re eager to escape the cameras, you shouldn’t give them more to fuel their narratives. So tonight, it’s up to you to decide what happens.”

mood:thrilled

outfit: here

location:ballroom

tags: sox

coded by Stardust Galaxy

 

[sox]

takemitsu kaido

darten

“i’m always serious about my words, prince kaido. some might not see it that way, but i can assure you, i am a woman of my word. soon, you’ll realize there’s nothing to doubt about me.”

kaido's eyebrow quirked at princess malee's vague promise of unambiguity, but he dared not prod any further into the complex machinations of the polchi heir's mind— something in the back of his head told him he'd regret exploring that uncharted territory without due preparation, mental or otherwise.

"certainly,"

he agreed without much conviction, nodding along as she went on to explain what their next steps ought to look like before the cameras watching their every move. his gaze flitted between the various red dots boring into their decorated bodies, scrutinizing each wayward glance and precarious hand placement. despite years of being placed on a pedestal before his troops as he led them to battle, kaido still couldn't get used to being monitored so distantly, so unfeelingly, an entire jury of countless spectators invisible only to the two of them.

"tonight, it’s up to you to decide what happens.”

as he contemplated various plans to exit the stage without chiding reprimand, the prince of darten stared at the lenses around the ballroom for one more long, thoughtful moment before deciding on his next move. the vultures responsible for crafting a reality show out of their loveless marriages knew exactly what kind of man they'd invited to their spotless gala— surely they wouldn't fault him for a little unexpected bloodshed, no?

"as you wish."

without a word of warning, kaido subtly twisted around the bejeweled ring adorning his index finger and squeezed it in his fist within his pocket, sharp ridges tearing the skin along the callouses of his palm and causing a spurt of blood to gush forth. rather than wincing in pain, however, he reached out to malee with a hollow smile and brushed a stray eyelash from her delicately painted face, leaving a bright crimson trail along the path his thumb swiped across her cheekbone.

a chorus of gasps echoed across the floor as the wait staff blanched at the sight of a fresh, scarlet streak against fair, pristine skin, seemingly reinforcing their preconcieved prejudices against the royals of darten. how could the unruly prince cause such mayhem on his first day in a foreign nation? kaido, however, couldn't help but stare wistfully at his delicate handiwork, the stark contrast of disorder amongst the rigidity painting a strikingly, hauntingly beautiful picture in its own right.

"oh, dear,"

he cooed softly, fake concern coating his words as he belatedly glanced down at his injured palm with icy indifference before fixing the nearest butler with a pointed stare.

"what a mess i've made. perhaps the princess and i should excuse ourselves before the mood sours any further."

no one dared to stand in the darten prince's way as he swiftly scooped malee's hand up in his own blood-soaked one and sauntered out of the ballroom with his newfound wife in tow, pleased with the grim performance he'd put on for their leering audience while deftly avoiding the tedious task of dishing out saccharine niceties to the other royals prancing about the dance floor. the princess probably wouldn't be happy with his choices, but he cared not even the slightest bit for her haughty preferences before doing whatever he pleased. the battle-hardened soldier had spent the last five years carefully weighing the odds, taking every possiblity into consideration before making a single move— when else would he have the thrilling opportunity to act so impulsively?

only once they arrived inside their designated shared bedroom did kaido finally slow to a stop, allowing malee to catch her breath after their speedy escape as he shut the door behind them and carefully began wiping the bloodstains from her slender fingers with his own silky, white sleeve.

"someone will probably come by to treat me— or yell at me, more likely— so you should wash up first,"

he murmured, all traces of the earlier playfulness in his abyssal irises replaced with a heavy fatigue that seemed to transcend their current situation, an ever-present weariness that he no longer had to hide now that they were out of sight of the cameras.

"i don't plan on touching you any more than i already have, so you can rest easy tonight, princess."

mood: 'scared, are you? lovely.'

outfit: ornate dress attire

location: bedroom

tags: Stardust Galaxy

coded by Stardust Galaxy

 

[Stardust Galaxy]

malee sakda

polchi

Ever since she could remember, Malee knew that life was just like a game of chess, always anticipating the next move you had to make and strategizing all the outcomes, but despite that, there was always the slim chance of not seeing everything of missing that little detail that could change the outcome in a blink of an eye something that the Princess of Polchi knew perfectly but still she decided that night to give the upper hand to the Prince of Darten.

Maybe she just wanted to know what he would do, what kind of person he was, and who he would become based on the occasion they were in. Her desire to discover all of his facets was probably the one making her judgment cloudy, or maybe in reality she just wanted to confirm if she would be the one owning the reins from now on as he crumbled from the pressure they had now on their shoulders or if he would put out a fight on this game of power that she desired more than anything.

“As you wish.” Vague words that could mean everything and nothing at the same time and an expectant smile appeared on Malee’s face as she was sure the meaning of those words meant that the Prince of Darten wouldn’t succumb so easily to her. Now it was just a waiting game until he acted, but when your opponent had been an admiral at the front row during the war, there would be more things that she couldn’t anticipate. So saying that she expected to see the bloody hand of the Prince of Darten was an understatement.

When she felt the touch of the prince against her cheek, the only thing that remained was the trail of blood that adorned her skin. There was no way to hide the shiver that went down her spine. His stance and stare changed as he did his wicked actions and in that brief moment, Malee almost felt that she was standing in front of the devil.

For someone who didn’t want to be involved in the media game, Kaido was a natural feeding them to what they wanted. She could already see the headlines, the exaggerated testimonies of the scene that were happening. What would they say about him? How would they picture her? What would the nations say about them? All these thoughts started going around the princess’s mind.

As they made their way out, Malee didn’t pay too much attention to her surroundings. Her focus was completely on their hands, on how the warm blood of the prince felt against her own, how her pale skin was now tinted a crimson red, just like the shade of the dress she was wearing, and at that moment Malee remembered reading once about blood oaths and the meaning behind them that she almost felt the need to stop them and just doing the same act as him right in front of everybody, probably a wedding wasn’t enough for them and what would bind them to eternity was them having each other’s blood in some kind of way.

But those thoughts stopped as soon as they arrived at their bedroom and the click of the closing door, the thrill of what happened, was starting to wear off. But one thing she didn’t expect was how now he was cleaning carefully her hand with the fabric of his sleeve. His stare was now tired, but would he notice the slight tremble in her hand? Was this amusement or fear? The only thing that Malee was sure of it’s that Kaido was a mystery and she wanted to be the one to solve it.

And despite her love to be in charge of things, her next actions were not exactly part of her usual self, as she grabbed slightly shakily the hand of Kaido and brought her close to her mouth as she softly kissed his palm.

“My prince, don’t ever do that again. I’ll make sure to control the media tomorrow. I do have my ways to stop it from making it to the other nations, if that’s what you desire.”

She admitted warily.

Malee wanted to say that it was the adrenaline leaving her body that was making her act that way, or it was her way to surrender to him to admit that she had lost that night or that despite that fatigued stare there were remains of that icy stare that made her for the first time in her life feel actual fear whatever the reason that it was, one thing that she was sure was that Kaido eventually would be her demise.

mood: shivering

outfit: here

location:bedroom

tags: sox

coded by Stardust Galaxy