♔ Ring 57 ♔

hi fam it’s emma

i uh FINALLY finished this story

i’ve been working on this for a

while but the wonderful ellie

convinced me to complete it so

this is dedicated to her amazing

goddess self anyway i really hope

you like it, i’ll stop talking now ok bye <3

tw;; kinda strong language and very slight gore

•·················•·················•

      “I'm going on a walk, father.”

       “Daniel, we’ve talked about this, no going on your “walks” anymore, we don’t want you being bombarded by some dirty serfs, God knows what kind of diseases they would give you! You, a prince, going on “walks”. You have an entire palace, child! You’re going to end up like your m-”

“I am going on a walk,” Daniel repeated, a short edge ending his words, presenting them coldly. He continued, “And you can not stop me. I am no longer a child.” Finishing lacing up his boots, he slid off his tapered overcoat, replacing it with a tattered brown cloak. And without an “I’ll be back” or a mere “Goodbye”, he left - leaving his crown sat on a velvet pouffe and the King sat with his head in his hands whispering no-gooded murmurs about his heir.

      Daniel was the Prince of a small city-state in the Frankish Empire and was seen cold-blooded by most of its people. When offered mead and ale, he would refuse. Princes drank wine. When he ed favished peasants, he would deny eye . Princes were better than them. His father had taught him proper royal etiquette. How to sit with his shoulders back and how to speak with a posh and forceful voice. Daniel’s only “soft” memories resided as a child, before his Mother had died of smallpox when he was only eight years old. With the loss of motherly tenderness, the shell that had been left behind was a tight-lipped and apathetic boy.

      Of course, that was only the shell. Under the olive green branches of the forest a golden light drifted through, highlighting and gazing upon the Prince’s delicate curls. A few metres in front of him stood a well made of stone bricks and moss. Walking forward, a velvety cardinal chirped on a branch as he ed. It froze and ruffled its wings before flying off through the flora.

      “As if I disturbed you.” Daniel murmured, chuckling. He turned from the spot the cardinal had been and continued walking, stopping his feet at the base of the well. He dug in his cloak pocket to find a thin silver coin, before flicking it into the abyss and hearing a distinctive clink as it hit the bottom. He perfunctorily waited two beats. The bricks then began to familarily shift down as a trap-like technology spurted out stone stairs that winded further into the darkness of the well. The cloak hood was hastily thrown over his burnt brassy ringlets as he began to walk down the chalky steps. The further down he walked the more blurred his silhouette became. Until, the Prince was gone.

      “Ring?” The squat, hairy man behind the bar mumbled boredly. “I believe 57 if I’m not mistaken, Sir.” Daniel said, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the mahogany surface. The man unlocked one of many dusty cabinets from a long shelf crossing the back of the wall and dipped it in sticky paint before pressing it onto Daniel’s freckled hand.

      “You know what to do, kid.” He said, as he turned back to talking to one of the drunken gladiators.

Daniel ambled forward confidently. The dirt behind him clouded as it was swept by his cloak, leaving a mist in the air several gladiators coughed and swore at. He arrived at a wooden door with iron bolts and handles. A man stared at him with a cramped expression. Perhaps it was his nose, that was almost the length of his face itself, slightly crooked and greasy. No, Daniel thought, he definitely was not appealing. Of course, that could’ve just been under the influence of seeing several muscular and handsome men around him. Nevertheless, he raised his sleeve and showed the crooked man his stamp.

“I’ll let em know. Go on!” He spat. Daniel rolled his eyes. His expression softened as he entered the door leading into the gladiator’s chambers, ing that he could’ve (if he was back home) had the man dead with a single word. A second thought, and Daniel had ed his morals.

The line wasn’t as long as Daniel had sometimes seen it, partly because most gladiators he had once became familiar with were now, well, dead. He had learned not to make friends quickly. Though, taking out the silver sword and shield from his wooden locker, he waited out the line fiddling with his own hands like a child. A woman this time faced him.

“Ring 57, oh, how humorous! That was what Theo, the man before you, was on. The Mage, it is, I believe. Difficult to beat!” She chimed happily. Daniel’s eyes suddenly narrowed, crossing his arms.

“Mage? Seriously? I’ve fought literal beasts and I’m faced now with a Wizard? Pathetic…” He sighed. The small woman just politely smiled.

“Good luck, Gladiator.” She said sweetly, as the stone door in front of them shifted up and opened into the indoor arena.

He stepped in, the door falling down loudly behind the Prince. Torches surrounded him, marking the circle. His foot grinded into the dusty, dry ground. After Ring 50, there were no spectators. In some ways he still missed the yells drowning out of the silence.

      “Where are you, you damn Mage? Let’s make this quick.” He muttered.

“I agree.” A voice said slyly. Suddenly, the torches went out. A frigid dark silence enveloped Daniel as a cold sweat began edging down his forehead.

“I’m not a boy! And I’m not scared of the dark! Show yourself you damn coward!” He shouted. Suddenly, a boiling blue fire sprouted from the ground and made a straight line towards him- stopping straight in front of his boots. He gasped, not knowing how exactly to fight back. The blue radiance from the light lit up his aghast face. Sweat began to pour down his skin from the heat.

Loud solid steps seemed to be approaching him. He gripped his sword so tightly his knuckles turned white and he clenched his teeth tight together. The idea of dying wasn’t threatening, however the idea of losing to a bloody Wizard was. The steps got closer, as he realized they were coming from the fire itself. Where the Mage walked, the fire sizzled out. Soon enough, they stood right in front of Daniel. After two seconds of seeing the figure, his left arm lurched up, swinging the sword defensively. The noise of movement stopped abruptly, as his arm was blatantly stopped.

“Ugh, what? Stop!” He demanded. He was using his Prince voice suddenly.

He saw a hand come into view that he could just make it out in the darkness. A candle-like flame of fire came from the deep palm, as Daniel slowly edged his eyes up towards the face of the Mage.

“Now what fun would it be if I stopped, baby?” The Mage whispered and smiled wryly. “And you’re stealing my look. C’mon now, Princey.” The Mage’s pale fingers released Daniel’s sword and pushed his hood down. He was speechless. He didn’t know what it was tugging at his throat so hard that he felt like he must gag. The fact the Mage knew he was the Prince? The fact his words spoke so smoothly? The fact he wasn’t trying to directly kill Daniel, like all the other dumb-minded slobbering beasts he had fought? Or, which was the least fondly liked option, was his damn face.

He had a pale, sharp look. His cheekbones pointed to his doll-like lips, pink with a tint of blue: as if they had been frozen over. His nose was long and pointed. His eyes, matching his lips, were as blue and tempting as the fire that still swirled from his hand. Mischief filled them, swirled around in them, spoke silent words. The Mage had a hooded cloak-jacket cascading down his shoulders that came to a tailored end at his ankles, with a buckled sash and fitted pants paired with leather boots. He was mystifying.

“Speechless, Gladiator? Want me to skip to the fun part and just kill you? That’s a bit sad, don’t you think?” He continued, cocking his head with a faulty upset expression.

“N-no! I’m not. I’m not speechless! Shut up! Stop! I can kill you if I wanted to!” Daniel yelled, as the Mage backed up a step, holding his hands defensively in the air.

“Sorry, Daniel, I didn’t think the cold-blooded Prince would dare retort! I’m astonished. Pretty boy can fight, can he?” He taunted, creating a ring of fire around them in one hand motion.

“I’m not a- Stop! Stop acting like that! I’m not- I don’t like- It’s not gonna work!” Daniel stammered aggressively. “And I’m not cold-blooded, Asshole! Who are you anyway!?”

The Mage sighed. “First of all - not nice, Princey. Second of all - Philip, technically I suppose. Just call me Phil. Yknow, since we’re friends.” He winked, “Third of all - you’re not what? Into boys? Oh, sweetheart, if you think the whole kingdom doesn’t know you give second looks to all your buff servants, you’re oh so wrong.” He snickered. Daniel scoffed, and crossed his arms like a child. He batted his eyes and looked up, annoyedly. This was taking too long.

      “And furthermore, okay, I’ll give you one free , you probably haven’t always been a halfhearted spoiled brat.” Phil smiled, whipping his wrist as stone from the ground begrudgingly stalked up from the Earth, forming a seat for him. Threads of inky hair stuck to his heated forehead, giving him a carefree and somewhat innocent look. Daniel was growing more and more irritated. Phil’s face alone was antagonizing him.

“You don’t know me. Shut up.” Daniel snapped. His patience was thinning quickly, like a rope being shaved with a knife. He decided his best plan would just be to kill Phil, kill the Mage. All he had was blind wit and charm, anyway. He had had enough. He ran forward; the heat was unbearable. Phil’s eyes widened and his pupils shrank as he realized what was happening, all a second too late. The Prince had thrown his shield aside onto the fire and grabbed the other boy by the neck. Stepping on his shield and into the outside of the ring, Daniel ran forward, eventually pinning Phil against the cold wall. He took his hood off and shook out his damp curls.

“You’re just another inhuman monster for me to kill.” He said through gritted teeth. Phil attempted to talk, to say anything, but all that came out was choked mismatched sounds. With his face turning beginning to tint blue, a painful noise emitted from his parted lips. A rock flew into his seized hand. Phil quickly made a sharp motion, stabbing the stone into Daniel’s side.

“Agh!” He shouted, dropping the Mage and stumbling backwards cradling his side. Blood leaked through his scarred fingers. Phil gasped for air, coughing. “Bastard…” He croaked. He stood for a second, looking at the fallen Gladiator. Daniel had begun crying as blood stained the floor.

Slowly, Phil got down on his knees. He pulled out the stone, putting his own pale fingers onto the wound.

“I’m sorry, Princey. You were just kinda, yknow, killing me.” He muttered, attempting a smile. “Here, let me try and- UGH!” Daniel leaped onto the older boy, gripping the bloody rock.

“You- absolute- FUCKER-” Phil swore, shouting at him. Daniel gripped the goresome rock in one hand and Phil’s throat in the other.

“You’re gonna pay for that one, Phil.”

The last thing the Prince looked down to on the concrete floor were two dead glassy eyes, those doll-like lips, and blood. Blood on his own fingers.

“Ring 57 is completed. Continue to Ring 58?” The woman guarding the entry door sung happily.

“No, I’m tapping out.” Daniel said, exasperated. And with that, he put away his things and made his way out.

He rubbed his eyes and sighed as the stone bricks formed into the well again. “I can not believe that worked.” He groaned. From the inside of his cloak pocket flew a bright red cardinal who fluttered to the ground at his feet. A tornado-like burst of wind erupted from the bird. As the dust cleared, a tall black haired boy stood in front of Daniel.

“Never thought my mannequin spell would be so handy on short notice, but here we are pretty boy.” He threw a wink before turning on his heel and beginning to walk away.

“Woah woah woah, hey! Asshole! We had a deal.” Daniel shouted, crossing his arms.

“Yeah- and I tend to carry out that deal- if you’d follow me and stop calling me an asshole,” Phil chuckled. He began to walk down the sun sunken path, looking around wondrously. His fingers moved around the golden warmth in a childlike manner. It seemed as if he was trying to touch the specks of dust floating gently in the light. “I’ve been down there for so long, you know. Just killing people like a wild animal. I almost forgot how nice sunlight felt.” He smiled softly looking back at the Prince.

“That’s why I like coming out of the castle. I figured if you taught me your magic or whatever I might be able to find a way to escape for good.” He said hopefully, sighing. Phil sat down in the middle of a small clearing. Smiling, he patted his hand on the fluffy grass.

“We can try.” He comforted.

“Okay, alright,” Sun shone onto Daniel’s freckled nose. “The rock-” Phil gestured to a small stone he had dragged between them. “Try to flip it over without touching it.” Daniel gave him an exasperated look, his eyebrows drawing together.

“Seriously?” He looked at the rock, rubbing his hand over his face slightly dramatically. “It’s basically a bloody boulder, Phil!” He whined. The Mage just giggled, gesturing back to it. Daniel sighed.

He stared at the rock intensely, focusing all of his consciousness onto it. Alas, it merely teetered and then stood still. Irritated, he huffed and crossed his arms. His sunlit nose was upturned. Phil smiled; his blue tinted lips curled into a sweet expression.

“Alright, let’s try something else.” Phil got up off of the grass and kneeled down behind the other boy. Softly, he wrapped his pale fingers over Daniel’s tanned wrists and sat his chin delicately on the others shoulder. The Mage felt Daniel’s skin heat up by his touch. Oh, how it amused him, but how it also made his heart swoon and made his brain fuzzy with the sounds of a harp being strung. Of course, he’d never it that.

“Look at the rock, okay? Relax your bloody shoulders, too. Now. It’s just a rock. Plain rock, nothing special. Probably been thrown by young boys in the midst of wanderlust. Been crossed by ladybirds and tiny ants. Just a stone.” He whispered into Daniel’s ear. His grip loosened and his fingers slid down into the boy’s hands. “Maybe it’s been carved into by ancient lovers, probably. Watched so many sunsets fall into the horizon. Perhaps,” He paused. “it’s even watched two boys fall in love.”

The Prince’s breath hitched as his heart hammered against his ribs like a tympanum being beat on mercilessly. He slowly turned his head to see Phil’s eyes. Seeing them, just seeing them, let a unknowingly held breath fall from Daniel’s lips. They were so full of life, but at the same time pooling with uncertainty.

“But, Phil…” He started, barely above a murmur. Phil softly let go of one of his hands and held Daniel’s chin.

“Η αγάπη είναι απλώς αγάπη. Δεν μπορεί να εξηγηθεί ποτέ.” He whispered, leaning into a tender kiss. It was as if the kiss was handed down from Aphrodite herself. If had been reduced to an object, it would have been a perfect red rose dipped in gold sparkling in the sun, the scent of a whole field of them silkily coating the air. It was perfect.

      “THEY’RE THIS WAY, SIR!” A deep voice yelled. The two boys ripped apart.

      “Fuck! No! No! No!” Daniel whispered angrily, his eyes full of fear. Quickly, he ripped off his cloak and shoved it into Phil’s arms.

       “Put it on! Give me yours! HURRY UP!” Phil hurriedly put the brown cloak on and the Prince shoved his arms through the purple fabric sleeves. He grabbed a handful of dirt and rubbed it through Phil’s inky hair, tainting it reddish-brown. He spit in his own hands, slicking his curly hair back and throwing his hood up.

      “Put the bloody hood on and keep your head down! Don’t talk- for the love of Gods don’t talk. Please. I love you. Let me do this. H αξίζετε να ζήσετε μια εκπληκτική ζωή.”

      He kissed the Mage on the lips quickly as three black horses came trotting into the clearing. Two noblemen, and the king himself.

      “Daniel, my son!” He yelled, appalled. “How dare you!? Running around with a filthy MAGE, if anything! Disgraceful. Take him, men.” The King muttered, gesturing to the Mage. Daniel tucked his head down, Phil’s hood falling over his features. The sun was setting and dusk was enveloping the Earth. One tear ran down Phil’s cheek as he was dragged onto the King’s horse, watching Daniel get pushed and pulled and put in ropes. He was thrown onto the back of one of the nobleman's steads. They galloped through the trees, ing under the twinkling stars to the castle’s execution chamber. His tears reflected almost bittersweetly in the moonlight.

      They got to the castle in what felt like mere seconds. Phil kept his head down obediently as he was drug to the nauseating room. Once they got there, the King sat him down straight across from the executor with Daniel in his grasp. He muttered something softly to Phil in almost a sickly comforting tone.

      “This is what you get when you run away with men, Daniel. Think twice next time, son.” The Executor held a sharp knife to Daniel’s throat. He kept his head down. “Go ‘head.” The King said in an indifferent tone.

       “Like Hades’ Hell you will.” Phil breathed, throwing his hand suddenly. The King was thrown back, hitting the stone wall forcefully. The Mage swung his wrist and the Executor’s blade flew into his hand, only to be thrown into the Man’s neck seconds later. Phil shook off the cloak hood, running up to the Prince. His icy eyes watered, but tears never ran down his sharp face. He softly flicked his hand and a familiar ring of blue-hot fire encircled them.

      “They’re all staring,” Daniel chuckled, tears falling down his cheeks and flooding his eyes. Phil scoffed. “We kind of just did two majorly illegal things,” he said. Daniel recalls the situation with lightning speed before screaming can begin.

“Two illegal things? I’m pretty sure impersonation of the crown is just one,” Daniel said, breaking into a wide grin. Phil rolled his eyes and put his cold hands on Daniel’s cheeks, raising an eyebrow and smiling softly.

“Well then why don’t we make it two, in that case?” Daniel can hear appalled yells and confused gasps coming from all the senators as Phil kissed him. The loudest was coming from his father.

      “57’s your lucky number, αγάπη μου. Let’s run away from here.”

•·················•·················•

wHew tHat wAs a DooZy

ok but here are some translations

Η αγάπη είναι απλώς αγάπη. Δεν μπορεί να εξηγηθεί ποτέ. - Love is just love. It can never be explained.

H αξίζετε να ζήσετε μια εκπληκτική ζωή. - You deserve to live an amazing life.

αγάπη μου - my love

•·················•·················•

ok i love you all have a great day/night stay classy bye bye :clapper: