*slides Right In*

*slides right in*

Hello my dear King Trey O w O

Jkjk

Trey may I ask if you want to watch some barbie movies with me? ^^

We can even make our own snacks!!

O w O

Why hello to you too, my darling ❤️

Of course, I’d love to spend some time with you! We can watch whatever movie you please but if you want my opinion, I would suggest to watch the Fairytopia trilogy. The flower aesthetic gives off vibes resembling that of our dorm and let’s not forget about Bibble.

And the snacks are the most important part of our date, if you don’t mind me calling it that. Making some together might not be as bad as Riddle’s tarts, don’t tell him I said that–

Give this amazing woman an Oscar or whatever award that exists for this masterpiece NOW 😤❤️💗

In which Princess (Y/n)'s parents and friends get turned into stone when she refuses to marry the evil yet love-sick sorcerer Malleus.

Now, she and her companions — a pegasus, a stray cat, and her new friend — embark on an adventure to forge a Wand of Light to overpower Malleus' magic before it is too late.

[Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus AU]

Part 1: During a celebration for Princess (Y/n)'s seventeenth birthday, a stranger shows up and introduces himself as Malleus, her future husband. When he is rejected, he turns everyone into stone, and (Y/n) barely manages to escape with the help of a mysterious pegasus.

Today was a particularly hard day to sneak past your protective parents with how every single guard in this castle seemed to be more on edge than usually. The stray cat with thick grey fur, which had stumbled in front of you earlier while you had been out ice-skating on a frozen-over lake, sat snugly in your arms, enjoying the warmth you provided.

The runners of your ice-skates clicked against one another ever so slightly whenever you ducked behind a column to avoid being spotted by any of the guards and maids. So far, so good.

Just as you had thought you had managed to get away without consequences, ascending the grand staircase that would lead to your bedroom if you took a turn to your right, you let out a relieved sigh, and a small smile appeared on your lips. You never had understood why your parents wouldn't let you go outside, and they would never tell you their reasons either — so there was no other choice for you but to sneak out to skate on the lakes that froze over during the everlasting winter in this kingdom.

"Young woman!" It was a shrill voice that belonged to the speaker. "Where have you been?!"

You winced and jumped in your place, squeezing Grim so tightly that he let out wheezes and whines. The angry glares of your mother and father, the queen and king of this castle, made your movements stutter in fear; it was only through slow and ragged steps that you managed to turn around to face their wrath.

"Mother!" you exclaimed with a nervous smile on your face. "I was just on my way to my room—"

Queen Cater looked like she was about to faint with how she had her hand dramatically placed on her forehead, panting so heavily that King Trey turned to her and shot her a worried look. Your father's eyes hardened again when he returned his attention to you once he had made sure his wife was alright. 

"(Y/n), how much more do you want to scare your poor parents like this?" King Trey asked, his usually so soft voice suddenly full of anger that made you lower your gaze to the carpet in shame. A sigh escaped his lips — one that allowed you to feel his disappointment. "There is a reason why we do not let you out by yourself—"

"It is my seventeenth birthday today, for God's sake!" you cut in, your head suddenly snapping upward for your gaze to meet your parents'. The queen and king looked horrified at the anger and exasperation that swirled deeply in your (E/c) eyes burning intensely. "I am no longer a young girl… and I can protect myself!"

"(Y/n)," Queen Cater whispered while clutching her heart, as if wanting to tell you something she couldn't; so, instead, she shook her head and gave up again — like countless times before. "You don't understand."

A groan escaped your lips. "You never tell me anything, anyway! I'm sick of having to stay inside all day long…"

King Trey pursed his lips, just as conflicted as his wife was. They both shot each other a look, quietly communicating with one another to decide their next course of action. Finally, they nodded to each other and turned their attention to their rebellious daughter again. "We are simply trying to protect you!" King Trey exclaimed, pushing his glasses up. You jerked back, surprised that your father had raised his voice at you. "Now, up to your room! You will not leave your room for the rest of the week!"

Your surprise soon turned into anger again. "I hate you!" you bellowed before promptly marching off to your room, your ice-skates and your cat companion tightly clutched to your chest. There were tears burning in your eyes, and you were even more determined to attend the ice-skating festival held for your seventeenth birthday in a few hours. Why should you listen to your parents? You were old enough to protect yourself!

"(Y/n)—" Queen Cater stepped forward and extended her hand to reach out towards you, but her husband held her back. 

"No, Cater," King Trey whispered, disheartened, "it is for the best…"

The pair of rulers soon turned around and silently retreated to wherever they had been before they ambushed you. Your eyes burned with hatred as you watched them depart completely. Only when the hem of your mother's red dress disappeared around the corner did you jump out of your cover and lower Grim to the ground, who eagerly yapped for air after how tightly you had cuddled him.

An apologetic chuckle escaped your lips, and you leant down to pat his head, to which he replied by eagerly leaning into your touch. The stray cat you had picked up was quite large, which is why you had mistaken him for a bear cub at first — but on second look, you had realised that he was just a grey cat.

"Let's go, Grim," you whispered and straightened your back again to venture to the grand exit of the castle. "Let's have some fun tonight."

The walk to the frozen-over lake where the festival was held was very short and of no special importance. Grim lazily trotted beside you, sometimes pawing at your legs to be picked up; eventually, you grew so annoyed at the cat that you really bent down and pulled him up into your arms. He was rather heavy, but it was nothing you couldn't manage.

Once you arrived at the festival, you hid behind a bush and slipped off your boots to put on your trusty old ice-skates. You made sure to have the straps and ties tied correctly before you slid out from behind your cover and made your way to the lake, out in the open now.

Heads turned your way, and people that were formerly skating around the lake in pairs or alone shied away from your presence. Your entrance made people gasp, a circle of people soon forming around you with the band standing in the gazebo not too far away stopping their cheerful playing. All eyes were on you, and you blanched slightly.

Etiquette lessons had taught you to always greet your subjects and be polite, as expected of the only princess of this kingdom. After having set Grim down onto the ice, who then began skidding around clumsily with his paws and claws, you raised your hand and waved at the other people sheepishly.

Much to your luck, a small boy with bright blue hair soon came sliding towards you, not afraid or fearful of you like all the other adults were. He seemed skilful as he came to a stop in front of you and offered his hand to you, shooting you the brightest and most innocent smile you had ever laid eyes upon. "May I have this dance, Princess?" he asked giddily.

You giggled in amusement and eagerly put your hand into his, soon skating off into the middle of the lake with your hands locked. "Of course," you whispered, which made him laugh in happiness. You still felt a little bit awkward about the way everyone stared at you as if you were an alien — well, a princess. So, shooting them a sheepish smile, you flicked your wrist. "Oh, you may resume!"

You had the fun of your life, skating around with the brave boy and seeing other people enjoy this wonderful evening, too. The music in the background made you feel more alive than ever in this boring and grey life of yours. Grim often stumbled across you, still a little bit clumsy on his paws, and you made sure to avoid him unless you wanted to fall on your bum again like you had when first meeting and finding him earlier this day.

Eventually, you parted ways with the young boy to skate a few rounds on your own. Spins and jumps — all of those managed to make people stop in their movements to watch you skate around the area, skilful and elegant on your feet as if you had done this countless times before, which yes, you had. You were so immersed in your skating that you didn't spot how the sky darkened ominously and a green fog lay itself over the lake. The night sky that had previously been without a single spot of cloud was now covered in a thick blanket.

It was soon that a man riding a griffin appeared from between the heavy clouds and descended towards you, the rider's green eyes wholly focused on you. You didn't really notice as he landed on the ice and gracefully climbed off his companion, the end of his large staff clicking against the hard ice. People stared at him and shied away, and the music once again stopped playing.

It was only when you heard ominous clapping that you snapped out of your trance. Your eyes fluttered open, and you found the citizens of your kingdom standing on the sides while in the middle of the lake, a tall young man stood with his head held high. His gloved hands still were clapping, and a large grin adorned his face as he ventured toward you in an elegant fashion.

You froze in fear and immediately picked up Grim when he began pawing at your legs. The young man exuded an intimidating a scary aura, so much that you had to control yourself from running away when he came to a stop in front of you and bowed politely, yet still staying silent as ever.

Concerned by his strange behaviour, you finally managed to croak out, "Who are you?"

The stranger straightened his back again and rose to his full height, forcing you to crane your neck to be able to look him in the eyes. It was only then that you noticed the pair of horns protruding from his black hair, winding intricately. He used your temporary moment of distraction to step even closer and grab your chin with his slender fingers. "You truly are the most beautiful gem I have ever laid eyes upon," he cooed, his voice deep and velvety, as he tilted your face left and right, delighted. "Ah, the wait truly was worth the wait."

You forced your chin out of his hold and narrowed your eyes at him, only clutching your unnerved cat companion closer to you. "Who are you—?" you asked once again, which made him chuckle in amusement.

"Ah, how rude of me." His slitted eyes peered down at you, amused and excited. Putting one hand on his chest, he bowed his head and confidently announced, "Greetings, I am Malleus, your future husband."

Splutters of confusion escaped your lips, leading you to eventually scoff, "I don't think so."

The man with pointy ears didn't seem disheartened by your rejections at all, only finding them amusing, much to your frustration. "Oh? Feisty. I like it." A genuinely happy smile appeared on his lips as he extended a hand to pat your head, treating you like a small child. He exhaled in fondness, and his eyes were full with nostalgia as he looked down at you lovingly. "You've always been a stubborn one, (Y/n), my dear treasure. Despite your brother's dislike of me, you still snuck out to meet me."

"I don't have a brother." You were growing more and more confused by the minute, and it didn't help that Malleus wouldn't explain a thing, instead acting as if you knew what he was talking about. When he tried to take your hand into his, you immediately pulled it out of his grasp again and skated a few metres away from him. Your eyes were burning with fury as you screamed, "And leave me alone!"

Malleus frowned while he stepped closer to you again. "That is no way to talk to your future husband."

"I am not marrying anyone!"

The mysterious man quirked an eyebrow at your defiance. "Oh? What a shame… I have been waiting a long time to come back for you to fulfill your promise, but now that you are about to break it?" he drawled, a little bit frustrated by your continuous rejections now. You shrank back in fear when his eyes darkened in anger. "Do you know what happens when you break promises, Princess? As a punishment, I shall turn everyone you love into stone until you decide to keep the promise you made to me by marrying me."

You shook your head while doing your best to not let him intimidate you too much. "I never made any promise to you—!"

Malleus opened his mouth and was about to reply to your accusations, but was interrupted when a carriage with guards — and surprisingly, your parents — arrived by the road to the lake. The king was the first to storm out of the carriage, a sword in his hand as he hurried towards the mysterious stranger trying to close the distance between you two. The queen followed behind, a worried frown on her face.

King Trey glared at the stranger and pulled you behind his back when Malleus was daring enough to try and get a hold of your hand again to force a costly-looking ring, an emerald embedded into the golden metal, onto your finger. "Malleus, get away from our daughter!" King Trey exclaimed and pointed the tip of his sword at him.

Your eyes were wide in surprise in wonder that your parents truly seemed to know this stranger. Simultaneously, you grew angry that they had never told you about this.

Malleus merely chuckled and pushed the sword out of his face, swatting it away as if it were a pesky little hindrance. Once he stood face to face with your mother and father, he bowed in a mocking way and murmured, "Ah, King Trey and Queen Cater, my future parents-in-law… so we see each other again."

King Trey narrowed his eyes, a rare sight for the people that only ever saw him treat even criminals with nothing but kindness and compassion. "Do not call us that, evil sorcerer."

Malleus exhaled in feigned hurt and put his hand to his forehead. "Oh, you wound me…" he cried out before he pried one eye open to gaze at you again, whom your father tried to hide behind his back as best as possible. You were still clutching onto your cat companion ever so tightly. A vicious grin appeared on Malleus' lips. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand." He extended a hand out to you, his unwavering gaze glued to you. "Keep your promise and marry me, (Y/n)."

"Please," Queen Cater cried out softly. "Please, Malleus! Leave her alone! You already took Riddle from us."

Malleus clicked his tongue and let his hand retreat to his side again, dissatisfied by the answer your mother had given him. He shook his head and let out a drawn-out sigh that had everyone in his near proximity sitting on the edge of their seats. "Ah, I am afraid we have to do this the hard way then…" he said, his voice resonating with feigned sadness even though his face was contorted into a twisted grin. His eyes still fixated on you, he slammed the end of his staff against the ice. "Say goodbye to everyone you love, (Y/n)! And if you do not marry me in three days, they shall stay like this forever."

You gasped when you looked to your left and right to find people turning into stone, frozen in their movements — your father trying to attack the perpetrator and other people trying to run away — like statues of stone. Tears were threatening to run down your cheeks when you turned in every direction to find yourself alone with the mysterious sorcerer. Even your parents weren't spared from becoming stone.

"No— Father, Mother!" you cried out as you skated over to your parents, watching their frozen bodies in horror — and to think that all of this was your fault.

A hand wrapped itself around your upper arm firmly, making you wince at the thought of it leaving a bruise there later. You were whirled around to come face to face with the evil sorcerer that had just cursed your parents and every citizen of your kingdom. A large smile adorned Malleus' face as he pulled you closer to him, drawing a yelp from your throat when you collided with his body. Grim, too, seemed frightened with the way he had his face buried in your chest.

"Now," Malleus cooed as he bent down, his face closing in on yours eagerly. "Come here, my dear."

You tried to pull away, but his hold on you was strong. It looked like his lips were about to collide with yours — but before that could happen, Grim brought his paw forward and slapped him with as much force as he could. Malleus was sent tumbling back, not because Grim was particularly strong but because of the surprise that made his eyes widen in horror.

You used the chance of freedom to skate away, but knew that Malleus would catch you sooner or later with the griffin that bared his teeth at you, ready to pounce should his master give him the command to. Yet, before all hope died down, you looked up to find a winged horse descending from the cloudy sky. The animal's red fur immediately jumped into your eye, and you grew even more surprised when the horse yelled out, "Hold on tight!"

You readied yourself to climb onto his back should he be close enough. And indeed, you somehow managed to jump and grab onto his mane, Grim clinging onto your arm in desperation and fear. A deep breath of relief escaped your throat when you sat on the pegasus properly and finally allowed yourself to turn around to see if the evil sorcerer was following you.

Malleus' griffin looked like he was about to take off into the sky and chase after you. Much to your luck, Malleus stopped him by putting his hand on his companion's wings before the beast could jump up into the sky. "Do not, Sebek," the sorcerer said in a still hopeful tone. "(Y/n) will eventually come back once she realises that she loves me. We are soulmates, after all."

Malleus watched you disappear from his sight with a heavy heart before he swung himself onto his griffin and flew off into the darkness of the night, retreating to plan his next move on how to win your heart.

Meanwhile, the pegasus had carried Grim and you high up into the sky, until you could no longer see the earth beneath you with how thick and white clouds covered the sky like a carpet or floor beneath you. Once you had regained your breath and composure from this sudden encounter with the strange sorcerer, you peered down at the pegasus, grateful yet suspicious. "Where are you taking me? And who are you?"

The pegasus seemed reluctant to answer you at first but soon couldn't bear to stay silent anymore. Although he kept his gaze trained forward sternly, he calmly explained, "I am Riddle, and I am taking you to the Cloud Castle, my home. Cloud Queen Acette should be able to give you shelter."

You bit your lip, about to protest and tell him that he should take you back to the lake — but you soon realised how stupid that request truly was. Instead, you decided to not be fully unreasonable. "I… have to thank you for saving me from Malleus…" 

"It is something that I should have done ages ago and failed to do. But now, I at least think I managed to correct my mistake before he could take you once and for all."

"I am afraid I do not understand," you replied and tilted your head to the side in confusion.

"You will," Riddle whispered with a heavy heart, "in no time."

He didn't say much more afterwards, and the only sound audible was his strong and majestic wings carrying you across the shimmering night sky. You exhaled and thought about his words, but they only caused a throbbing headache to form in the back of your head. Thousands of thoughts began flooding your mind — from regret of sneaking out tonight to questions that piled up in your brain.

"Who even is this Malleus?" you eventually blurted out, too curious to keep it in any longer — especially since Riddle seemed to know him with how he spoke of him.

Riddle clicked his tongue and shook his head in distaste at you even mentioning that name. "Malleus is a powerful prince and wizard from a foreign kingdom," he muttered, as if holding a personal grudge against the sorcerer. "He is feared and cruel…"

You hummed quietly, not wanting to pry any further with how irked the pegasus seemed with just such a simple question. And you didn't get to think about today's events much further when the beautiful sight of a castle up in the clouds came into your vision. A gasp escaped your lips, and even Grim, who had managed to fall asleep during the ride on the pegasus, woke up again to marvel at the sheer beauty of the castle.

Riddle entered the castle and expertly flew through the wide and high corridors. Your eyes grew wide at the interior that seemed even more beautiful than the outside of the large building. The sound of more pegasus wings flapping up and down snapped you out of your trance; looking left and right, you found three boys riding their own pegasi. One boy looked cheerful, the other looked serious, and the last one looked to have fallen asleep on his pegasus.

"Riddle, you're back!" the cheerful boy exclaimed in excitement, especially when his bright red eyes fell on you and your cat companion. "And you have someone with you!"

Riddle smiled at the three boys as they guided and accompanied you through the corridors. "Hello, Cloud Princes Kalim, Leona, and Jack," your pegasus muttered, a little bit tired and on edge with the sudden turn of events. "May you take us to the Cloud Queen?"

Jack nodded politely. "Of course."

It wasn't before long that the four pegasi arrived in what looked to be the throne chamber of the whole castle. The three smaller pegasi retreated to their resting places up at the ceiling of the palace, and the three cloud princes now stood behind you curiously. Your legs trembling, you climbed off of Riddle's back and lowered Grim to the floor, who immediately clung to your leg again.

Soon, the woman you assumed to be the Cloud Queen stepped out from behind a corner and skipped towards you, a bright and energetic grin on her lips — just as colourful as her bright red hair. She immediately ventured over to Riddle and wrapped her arms around the pegasus, who only replied with a few annoyed huffs through his nostrils.

"Riddle!" the Cloud Queen cried out dramatically. "I was afraid you would not return."

The red pegasus sighed and pushed her away to be able to look her in the eyes again. A little bit exasperated, he nodded over to your direction, and it was only then that the Cloud Queen finally noticed your presence. Curious, she approached you, looking you up and down in concern at the way you were trembling and shaking. "I had to save (Y/n) from Malleus, Cloud Queen Acette," your saviour pegasus explained, his tone grave and heavy.

The Cloud Queen pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "Malleus, that bastard, struck again?"

"Yes…" Riddle bowed his head, still a little bit shaken up by your narrow escape. "And I came just in time."

"I see…" the Cloud Queen trailed off before throwing her arms into the air, very exasperated and worried at the news of her most powerful opponent returning from years of laying dormant. "What did Malleus do this time…?"

"It is horrible! My parents and everyone else — he turned them into stone!" you explained, close to breaking down into tears since; now that you had to say it out loud, the feelings you had pushed down came back tenfold. You buried your face in your shaking palms, and Grim cuddled up to your feet to cheer you up a little bit. "And they will forever stay that way if I do not marry him in three days…"

The Cloud Queen sighed and put a hand on your shoulder. "I… am so sorry," she whispered before guiding you deeper into the castle. "Well, come with us."

Malleus! @twstsimp and @i-exist2spite-god were fighting abt you earlier. How would you choose between the two of them?

I–

I wouldn’t want to choose one of them over the other, they’re both very lovely to be around with! To be honest, I was quite amused when I found out about this. The only people who ever fought over me like that are Y/N and Sebek.

You know, I don’t mind being shared 😳👉👈

Hewwo!! :33

Malleus!! May I ask know what was your opinion in acting in the film "Y/N and the Magic of Pegasus"?

Also how did you first react to being given the role of "Wenlock"?

Like we're you hoping to get another role but we're given the role of "Wenlock"?

Hello, child of man!

I have to say, I was excited to act in such a masterpiece of a film. I rarely get invited so I was sort of nervous with the new experience.

When I reacted to be casted as Wenlock, I was happy but slightly offended. I hoped to be Aidan so I could get the chance to skate with Y/N. But unfortunately, beggars can’t be choosers.

Playing as Wenlock helped me —how do humans call it— build my character. I was free to use my magic instead of using those “special effects” the others had offered. Knowing me, it was just another way to impress Y/N.

Ayo, Y/N and Deuce’s interactions with each other tho–

Very cute uwu

In which Princess (Y/n)'s parents and friends get turned into stone when she refuses to marry the evil yet love-sick sorcerer Malleus.

Now, she and her companions — a pegasus, a stray cat, and her new friend — embark on an adventure to forge a Wand of Light to overpower Malleus' magic before it is too late.

[Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus AU]

[Masterlist] Part 4: Having found the first needed component to assemble the Wand of Light, Princess (Y/n) now needs to find the second one. A shady trader by the name of Azul seems to know where to find it.

"Where are we?" you asked your new companion as he led you into a small shack.

The walls of the interior were filled with trinkets and knick-knacks, and when you focused your gaze forward, you found a young man sitting behind the counter, eagerly counting the coins in the many pouches that sat on the shelves under his counter. The man hadn't noticed you yet, too busy enjoying the sound of coins clinking against one another.

Grim had found entertainment in jumping onto the shelves and tables to ogle the various trinkets — some of them pretty and some of them scary. He often touched them with his paw, but always made sure to not bring up enough force to send them tumbling over the edge.

Deuce leant closer to you and whispered, "He will probably know the location of the gem you need." A smile appeared on your face at his words, and you were about to venture forward and approach the trader, but Deuce stopped you by grabbing your forearm and sending you a concerned gaze. "But be careful, he's… not very trustworthy…"

You nodded and were about to ask him more questions, but it was then that the strange trader finally noticed your presence in his abode. The silver-haired man beckoned you two to the counter with a charming and slick smile on his lips. "Welcome to my humble shop! Deuce, is this you? We haven't talked in such a long time!" the man cried out as he pushed his glasses up. "What is it that you need? Or maybe the lovely lady accompanying you needs something?"

Deuce forced a smile onto his lips as he stepped forward. "Hello, Azul." Then, your companion turned to you and silently asked you to state your business to the scummy businessman.

Shooting the trader a small smile, you said, "We are searching for an ice gem that is lit by hope's eternal flame. Would you know where it is?"

"I do." Azul hummed and nodded eagerly, but the twisted grin on his lips unnerved you greatly. You kept your guard up and stayed as close to Deuce as possible, especially when Azul tapped his finger against his chin impatiently. "But I think I forgot… maybe you could give me something in return to spur my memory?"

Deuce sighed and his gaze trailed to the sword on his hip. He was about to unsheathe it and hand it over to Azul in order to get him to talk, but you put your hand onto his before he could unsheathe it fully. "No, Deuce," you muttered when he looked at you in surprise. The smile you sent him made him furrow his eyebrows even more, especially when you stepped up to the counter and lay down something out of your own possession. "Here, I offer you my ice-skates, Azul."

The businessman hummed ambiguously and greedily took the pair of skates into his hands to raise them up into his air, inspecting them meticulously. "Handcrafted… precious metals," he muttered to himself, his eyes darting from one point of interest to another. After a while, he turned to you and nodded. "Yes, I accept."

Deuce, annoyed that the trader was being so scummy again, hissed, "Now speak."

"Alright." After he had safely stowed away his newly acquired pair of ice-skates, he clasped his hands together and began telling, "A treasure-hunter came by not too long ago. He spoke of a rare gem, blue as ice and brilliant as a diamond, located somewhere in a chest that he marked with a red flame."

"Woah—" Your eyes bright in happiness, you turned to the male by your side and shot him a relieved look. "That's it, Deuce!"

He didn't look as convinced as you were, having known Azul for a long while now — well enough that he was greedy enough to take things for himself upon finding out about their existence. So, turning to the businessman, Deuce asked, "Then, how come you haven't found it yourself yet, Azul."

Azul's gaze shifted left and right, as if he was a criminal surrounded by guards. He beckoned you closer, and you hesitantly obeyed. "The treasure-hunter… turned into ashes the next day." His voice was quiet and meek, so much that you couldn't think he wasn't genuine with how afraid he seemed. Then, he hastily pulled out a slip of paper out from under his counter and slid it over to you, dismissively waving it off. "He left this… Take it! I don't want anything to do with it."

"Thank you," you said and gratefully took what seemed to be a map. "Goodbye, Azul."

He murmured a small goodbye under his words, on edge because of something you weren't aware of, as he watched you pick you up your grey cat and leave his shack with Deuce close by. Grim let out a few whines when he had to leave the comfortable warmth of the shop, but you couldn't let him run back and disappear through the closing door.

Deuce and you quickly got onto your steeds again to ride off to wherever the map would take you.

Just as you rode off into the snowstorm that shrouded your silhouettes from anyone's view, a griffin and his rider descended from the cloudy sky: Sebek and Malleus. The sorcerer had an annoyed frown on his face as he gracefully climbed off his loyal companion and ventured to the entrance of the shop. The force he used to throw the door open with almost caused the door to fall out of its hinges.

"Malleus—!" Azul cried out in excitement when he spotted the horned fae in the doorframe. "You came!"

"You sent word, did you not?" Malleus asked nonchalantly as he stepped inside and closed the door with his magic. His staff clicked against the wooden floor with every step he took, and he stopped in his tracks when the shop owner immediately came scrambling over to him. Malleus peered down at Azul, dislike clearly clouding his eyes. "It better be worth my time. I am very busy with other matters right now."

Azul had a giant grin on his lips as he held the pair of ice-skates he had just traded in for information hidden behind his back. Malleus couldn't deny that his interest was piqued. "Of course! I sent word to you when I saw them approach, for I knew that it would interest you." Azul paused ominously to create more tension before he pulled out the pair of ice-skates from behind his back and presented them to his old friend. "See what I have here."

Malleus' eyes grew in surprise, and he immediately extended his other free hand to lift the pair of ice-skates out of the greedy trader's hands. Azul would have protested if it were anyone less intimidating and powerful than Malleus. An excited smile spread on the fae's lips. "Oh? How peculiar…" he whispered under his breath, clearly recognising the footwear. "These are (Y/n)'s, aren't they?"

"A lovely young woman came by, and I knew that she was the one you were looking for."

Malleus quickly lowered the ice-skates again, keen on keeping them by summoning a few bags of coins onto Azul's counter. The businessman looked ecstatic at the new addition to his wealth and nodded in agreement to the trade. Malleus tilted his head to the side, eagerly asking, "What business did she have with you?"

Azul exhaled, long and drawn-out, as he scratched his head in embarrassment. "Ah… I fear I can't remember. Maybe… a few more bags of Madol could spurt my memory?" Malleus merely rolled his eyes at the trader's never-ending greed, but nonetheless decided to entertain his whims due to how helpful he would be in finding his treasure once again. With a flick of his staff, more pouches of money appeared on Azul's desk. "Thank you, oh generous prince!"

Malleus narrowed his eyes. "Now make haste."

"She and her companion asked for a gem of ice, lit by hope's eternal flame."

The fae's eyes grew in size at the sudden revelation. He pursed his lips, immediately knowing what you were up to with that exact component — it could only be one thing. "...you're trying to build a Wand of Light, aren't you, (Y/n)?" he whispered to himself, his heart heavy in fear of losing you forever if you were so determined to defeat him. To get rid of those ugly thoughts, he merely shook his head and gazed down at your ice-skates again. "Then I have to prevent that from happening if I want my happy ending…"

•••

"Deuce, this is it!"

A large smile graced your lips as you stepped out onto the platform, out from the cave you had used last night to rest, and found a large iceberg standing in the distance, tall and mighty. Your eyes moved from the map in your hand to the large iceberg, and you found the drawing and mountain to be identical in shape.

Truly: a gem of ice, lit by hope's eternal flame. The iceberg was illuminated by the sunlight that came from the shimmering sun behind it.

Deuce yawned and crawled out from the cave behind you, along with Grim and Riddle. A smile blossomed on his face when he peered over your shoulder to indeed find the sketch and real thing to be identical. "Luckily, we camped here yesterday after the snow storm got too bad…" he muttered to himself, relieved that fate seemed to be on your side. "A gem of ice… lit by hope's eternal flame, yes."

You turned to your brother to ask, "Riddle, think you can carry us across the canyon?"

"Of course." Riddle nodded and gestured all three of you to get onto his back. Deuce climbed on first, and was now waiting for you to join him. First, you had to grab Grim and raise him up into your arms; then, you climbed on, too, for which Deuce graciously made place by scooting to the back. A little giggle escaped your lips when you felt his arms loop around your midsection, his arms trembling and his pale face a bright red. Before you could tease him about it any further, Riddle exclaimed, "Hold on tight!"

The pegasus began galloping forward and jumping off the cliff, which drew squeals from you when you could feel the cold wind whipping past your head. Deuce's arms tightened around you, afraid you would fall off. Grim, too, had his arms looped around your neck to the point where he almost suffocated you. Luckily, the period of falling was only brief, and Riddle managed to, although he still was shaky, flap his wings with enough strength to carry you upward again.

You patted his mane and cheered, "Good job, Riddle!"

Riddle neighed proudly and continued to carry you towards the large iceberg in the near distance. Deuce kept his arms tightly looped around your waist despite the imminent danger having already passed — not that you would have told him off, anyway. In truth, you enjoyed being this close to him, but you weren't sure if he felt the same with how abrasive and nervous his replies were.

It was soon that Riddle's hooves landed on the snow-covered platform that surrounded the tip of the mountain made out of ice. Deuce made no attempt to climb off first, too nervous by how your back was pressed against his chest so tightly and how his arms still sat frozen around your stomach. You giggled and turned around to shoot him a smile, a light blush dusting your cheeks, too.

That managed to snap Deuce out of his trance, and he clambered off the pegasus with clumsy steps. Splutters of excuses left his lips, and he always avoided your gaze, even once you had climbed off of Riddle, too. Instead, he marched straight to the centre, where the tip of the iceberg protruded.

You followed closely behind but couldn't find an entrance whatsoever. Only upon closer look, you could find a patch where the thick layer of snow seemed less prevalent, like someone had wiped at that exact spot some time ago. You extended your hand to rid that space of the snow, and thus, letters you couldn't read were revealed to you.

Deuce noticed, too, and peered over your shoulder. "Beware," he read out with a few struggles here and there, "take only what you need, but never from greed."

On cue, a staircase appeared in the floor, leading down deeper into the iceberg itself. All of you shot each other surprised glances, all of them focused at the blue-haired young man.

"Woah, that did it!" you exclaimed, your eyes sparkling with genuine admiration that made Deuce chuckle sheepishly, although he had to admit that he liked it whenever you praised him for his intelligence since he never really got compliments for his wits and only for his brawn. You tilted your head to the side and smiled up at him in curiosity. "Where did you learn that?"

Deuce laughed in amusement and was the first one to descend the staircase. "One has a lot of time in the Forbidden Forest," was his mere reply before he disappeared from your view.

Once you snapped out of your trance, Riddle and Grim had followed after him already, and you were the last one to enter the iceberg as well. Taking one deep breath, you carefully descended the staircase to catch up with your party, all of you careful to not slip on the sometimes slippery ice floor. Some passages were especially tricky and dangerous — narrow and thin — or bridges without a railing. Riddle seemed to struggle the most with his size and his four legs, but at least he could fly if he ever fell.

After a long journey through the large ice cave, your nerves were at their end when you finally descended one final staircase to find a cavity full with precious gems that looked like diamonds made out of ice — jackpot.

"Woah, there's tons of them!" Riddle marvelled as he stayed at the entrance, his gaze stern and strict as he watched Deuce, Grim, and you wander into the main area to watch the piles of gems. There were many mountains, but only few gems were hit by a single ray of sunlight — lit by hope's eternal flame. Riddle seemed nervous as he watched you spread out. "But don't touch any, alright? We must only take what we need."

"Understood," Deuce and you chimed simultaneously. 

You had your sights set on one special gem, the one that sat atop a mountain of its kind, illuminated by a ray of sunlight that came from the small holes in the ceiling that let in light from the outside. The gem shimmered brilliantly, calling out for you to take it. You took one deep breath as you extended your hand. "Take only what you need… but never from greed…" you muttered to yourself while only thinking about saving your parents and people — and indeed, when you plucked the stone off, nothing happened. You let out cheers of relief. "Yes, it worked— Deuce—?!"

You turned to your friend, only to find him taking a gem for himself, too. The horrified look you shot him passed once the cave didn't collapse into itself. The questioning frown he shot you made you laugh sheepishly. "What? I didn't take it from greed," he said, not explaining any further.

"Great, then we can—" You were interrupted by the first ice spikes falling from the ceiling and the entire cave beginning to shake and tremble in a frightening way. All your heads snapped to the grey cat that sat on the floor not too far away, three or four gems in his arms. An exasperated cry escaped your lips as you picked Grim up and shot him a reprimanding glare. "Grim! No!"

"Everyone get on!" Riddle yelled out, and you did as he said.

Once everyone safely sat in his back, the pegasus pranced up the staircase and took off when he arrived in the humongous main chamber of the ice cave again. The escape was hindered by large ice spikes and heaps of snow falling down, but Riddle managed to evade the dangerous rain of obstacles as best as he could. You tightly clung onto Deuce and buried your face in his back, same as Grim, who held onto Deuce as tightly as possible, too.

Eventually, you managed to escape the collapsing cave to emerge into the sunlight again, just in time for the staircase you entered the iceberg with to disappear into the floor again. Still trembling, you held onto Deuce and looked back at the cave of death you just managed to escape. What a pity… but at least you had managed to retrieve a gem of ice, lit by hope's eternal flame.

"Phew, that was a close one…" you whispered into Deuce's shirt, his warmth somehow managing to calm you down. Even when Riddle landed on the platform that served as an entrance to the cave you used as camp, you still didn't budge away from Deuce. A little bit awkward, Deuce got off first and put his hands onto your waist to help you off Riddle's back. Grim shrank away, hiding behind one of the pegasus' long legs.

"Hey, (Y/n)," Deuce said when you still clung to him wordlessly, your arms tightly locked around his neck without any signs of loosening up. He sheepishly patted your back. "It's alright… We managed to escape. Everything is alright."

You nodded, sniffling. "Thank you, Deuce," you whispered as you pulled away with slightly teary eyes and trembling lips. Deuce shot you a smile, so genuine and bright that it made your heart skip a beat. Yet, the mood soon took a turn for the worse as you turned to the culprit, a furious scowl on your face. "Grim! I can't believe you almost killed all of us!"

Grim further shrank away from your view. Riddle sighed and nudged his cheek, trying to calm him down and stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks and mattening his fur. Although he wanted nothing more than to scream at the cat and behead him for his stupidity, Riddle still felt pity for him… everyone made mistakes, after all. "At least we got what we needed…" Riddle said to you, and you soon calmed down.

"S-Sorry…" Grim managed to stutter out as he bolted over to you and clung to your leg with a vice grip. There were sobs escaping his lips, and you couldn't really be angry at your companion, either.

"It's alright, Grim…" you muttered and bent down to pat his head, a small smile on your lips.

"Now we just need to forge a ring and then we have a Wand of Light," Riddle exclaimed, excitement written all over his face as he turned to the blacksmith of the group. "Deuce, you can do that, right?"

Deuce nodded, as serious as ever, as he took the gem and staff you handed over to him. Your fingers brushed against his ever so slightly, and the two of you looked away, bashful and embarrassed — to which Riddle and Grim began laughing to themselves. Once Deuce had managed to regain his composure again, he exclaimed, "Yes… of course. It should be done when the sun rises tomorrow."

Without another word, he entered the cave again, where his trusted steed was currently resting. Riddle, Grim, and you remained outside since none of you wanted to disturb Deuce as he worked on the meticulous task of forging the Wand of Light together. Yet, after about an hour of anxious waiting, you could no longer take it: The brief visits you had given him wouldn't cut it anymore.

So, you ventured into the cave, a small smile on your lips when you spotted Deuce hunched over the fire, poking the flames with a stick. You had to admit that the ever so serious and sometimes snarky idiot had grown on you; also, had he always been this handsome? Ragged blue hair and determined blue eyes — truly enchanting.

You didn't even notice that you had been staring at him for a few minutes now. Only when he raised his gaze to meet yours did you snap out of your trance. A sheepish giggle escaped your lips as you approached him until you stood next to him. At first tense, he soon seemed to relax as he returned to work. You watched him with amazed eyes, and eventually simply blurted out, "Deuce, I have a question."

"Yes?" Deuce temporarily stopped with maintaining the fire but continued to stare at the crackling embers. His lips turned into an amused grin as he briefly looked up to gaze you in the eyes. "And if you want to ask if the fire is any hotter now. No, it wasn't hotter than it was fifteen seconds ago."

Laughter escaped your lips when you shook your head, as amused by his joke as he was. "Ah no…" you whispered, trailing off unsurely. Deuce put the stick he used to stoke the fire with aside now that you fully had captured his attention. Once your eyes met again, you couldn't contain your curiosity any longer. "I was wondering why the cave didn't collapse when you took your own gem. Why did you take it?"

A frown appeared on Deuce's face, and for a moment, you thought you had overstepped your boundaries. Luckily, he merely sighed before beginning, "Well… you know, I made a mistake, too. All the way back then." His voice seemed to be wavering and weak — you had never seen him like this before. "I… disappointed my mother. She always was hardworking and did her best for me without anyone else's help, working as a smith. She taught me the trade."

"I see…"

"Well, instead of being a good son, I hung out with the wrong people and caused a lot of trouble," he said, his voice merely above a whisper. "My actions cost her a lot of money… she had to pay a lot of reparation to the people I hurt and things I destroyed — a lot of fees, too, to keep me away from jail."

You put a hand on his shoulder, frowning in pity. "Deuce…"

Yet, he wasn't done yet. His eyes never met yours, too afraid to see you disappointed to find out about his dark past like that. Why was it that he cared so much about what you thought of him? So, to distract himself, he began poking around the fire again. "I… knew she was disappointed in me; I wasted all our money and caused her nothing but trouble." He squeezed his eyes shut, close to tears. "That's why I ran away… because I couldn't bring myself to face her again."

"I'm so sorry…" you whispered and bit your lip, seeing that he clearly was in a lot of pain. So, you knelt down beside him and wrapped your arms around his shoulders to put your head on his shoulder. His muscles tensed up, and his face heated up — but he did nothing to push you away. Your curiosity was spilling over by now. "But then, why did you come with us if you didn't believe in a Wand of Light?"

"Because…" As Deuce spoke, his voice broke. "Everyone deserves a second chance…"

"You, too, Deuce. You deserve a second chance  too," you whispered before you pulled away again and rose to your feet, a small smile on your lips. Deuce didn't respond, but you knew he had heard you. His eyes were distant, and his mind was mush because of you, in a good way — but he appreciated your comforting words nonetheless. To change the awkward topic, you tilted your head to the side when he unsheathed his sword and held it into the crackling flames. "Wait, what are you doing—"

"Using my sword to make a ring."

You felt bad that he had to sacrifice his sword for your endeavour… and you were about to intervene — until Riddle beat you to it. "Wait, I want you to use my crown," he announced as he pranced into the cave, the flames illuminating his face that was inhabited by a fierce and determined expression.

Your eyes grew in size at his proposition: The crown was the last thing that he had of his old life as a human prince — and he wouldn't get it back if this failed. "Are you sure, Riddle?" you asked, torn and conflicted.

"Yes…. I am sure." Riddle nodded and bowed his head, thus gesturing you to remove the costly crown from his head. "These are my people too that we need to save. And, Sister, you've given me hope that maybe, we can succeed in our quest to defeat Malleus. I want to show my gratitude this way."

"Alright." Deuce looked just as sceptical as you did when you were about to hand him the crown. "If you say so."

Your eyes lit up in realisation when Deuce brought forth the staff and gem while you held out the crown — all three components began glowing in unison, giving off a feeling of harmony and peace. A cry of happiness escaped your lips. "Wait, nobody said it had to be a ring for your finger! A crown counts, too!" The others chimed in on your cheering, even Grim, who had recently entered the cave to flee from the cold. "We have all the components we need, hooray!"

Deuce, too, smiled a rare smile. "Now all we need to do is put them together," he said as you eagerly handed him your brother's crown. "And voila, we have your Wand of Light."

Don’t worry @wolken-himmel, I’ll be honored to take @i-exist2spite-god’s place to marry baby boy Deuce. How very gracious of me! @leonakingscholarship, if you don’t mind, I’d like a wedding dress too 😌💅✨

But for real tho, I would let Deuce wife me up any day. Fuck Ace.

Oh so everyone will stay cursed in stone if someone doesn’t marry Malleus? Oh dear, how tragic, I volunteer

no need for the tears, I know it’s very brave of me but I will survive this oh so cruel fate

oh would you look at that? Thanks to Serenity @leonakingscholarship I already have a wedding dress ready, what a coincidence !

But why would you marry Malleus when you can have a dorky and snarky yet strangely adorable and innocent adventurer boyfriend that ran away from home after he disappointed his mother??