The night during the first day of the festival is peaceful. There is a lot of talk going on throughout the noble’s district about Silver being out since he hasn’t been in the public eye for eight years. People are too afraid to approach him as there were rumors going around about him being a monster that does whatever the king says. He doesn’t let the gossip about him bother him but he does wish that the nobles would understand that he doesn’t really have any say in his life at the moment. If he didn’t sign the contract with Pearl the king would order him to kill them too and he would have to do it.

Pearl and Silver sit at a table that all the nobles are at as they all craft a lantern. The couples typically craft one together as a way to bless the prosperity of their families, as a way to be blessed by Nuriel. The fact that Silver isn’t helping Pearl make the lantern doesn’t help much either. He just wants to watch them make it since it is their first time doing so. Most nobles at their age have done this at least once before as a kid. He wants them to enjoy themself. It isn’t like the crafting of the lantern is what brings the blessing but the setting off at the same time.

“Duke von Stein! It is like I just saw you the other night.” Celestina walks behind the two as she holds her creation in her hands. “How about we set the lantern off together?”

Silver turns around and emotionlessly looks at her as she holds a paper lantern with the royal family crest carefully crafted on it. “I would rather shove my sword down my throat than do anything with you voluntarily.” As the nobles around them gasp at Silver’s response to the princess he turns around and continues to watch Pearl carefully craft their work.

She bends down and whispers into his ears but loud enough for Pearl to hear. “You’ll regret that. How about you kill that roach right here.”

He sits still and just stares at Pearl blankly. Then he looks back at Celestina. “No.”

That is her. That is the one that makes my brother’s chosen one suffer. Suriel’s voice echoes in Pearl’s head as they look up.

They see Celestina raise her hand at Silver getting ready to slap him. “I wouldn’t do that.” Pearl responds as they give Suriel permission to take control. Pearl’s eyes turn black as night as they get up and catch the Princess’s hand. “Be cursed with the plague that I brought upon the kingdom before your family took the throne.”

Celestina’s eyes fill with rage. “What was that? Do you want to repeat that?”

Pearl turns back around as their eyes change back to violet. “Hope that you have a good day princess.” They bow as they sit back down to work on their lantern.

“Fine. I’ll just set this off myself this year again.” She turns around and walks away from them. Her golden hair flows in the wind that started up and she disappears to the river where the lanterns will be set off.

The nobles around them started talking not about Silver anymore but about Pearl and what happened. Pearl picks up their lantern and looks at it intently.

“Is it done?” Silver smiles and they hand it off to him. It looks as if it is the sunset on a peaceful day. “It’s perfect. Do you want to set it off?”

They walk down through the noble district where the lantern was crafted and down to the nearby river to an isolated portion. “Before we set this off would you mind telling me what happened back at the table?”

Pearl looks into his eyes as they still seem to shine bright. They wonder what they should tell him. Maybe it wouldn’t be bad to explain that they let Suriel take over their body so he could have revenge for his twin brother. “I um, that wasn’t really me. I... well God Suriel… I let him curse the princess.”

A smile starts to appear on his face. “What do you mean by that?”

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“He took control of my body. I don’t really know what happened during that time. I was pushed out. He asked me the day that you came to my room upset to curse her. He said that all I needed was her name but I didn’t know that it was the Princess.” They walk closer to Silver as their eyes start to water. “Please don’t be mad at me. I only wanted to help you but when I came back to, she seemed fine.”

He reaches out and pats their head as the tears from their eyes fall down their face. “It’s okay. If it really was Suriel then she probably has been cursed.” He feels relieved that she will not always be able to do whatever she pleases with him. “Come on, let’s set this off.”

Silver takes out his wand and lights the candle with a small flame. They both grab onto it and gently lift it up releasing it into the sky. It seems to go on forever as the light gets smaller and continues up.

"May Amaliel help bless us in the times of dark." Silver says as he plants a kiss on their head.

"And may Nuriel give us life for the times of darkness and light." They grab his hand as they recite the second part of the prayer that is typically reserved for weddings. However, it seemed right to recite it here with Silver.

“Come, let’s go to my place of residence here in the capital.”

“We aren’t going back to your estate?”

“Why would we? The festival isn’t done yet. Traditionally you stay in the capital the entire week of the celebration.” He grabs Pearl’s hand and walks to a nearby building.

It doesn’t look anywhere near as extravagant as his estate outside of the capital but it still looks incredibly nice and well-kept up. He opens the door and quickly drags them in and pins them against the wall in the main living area. “Let me take you tonight.”

Their face flushes out and they look away slightly. “Why don’t you just order it if you really want to?”

“I’m not a monster Pearl. I might be overwhelmed with the urge to rip that dress off of you but I won’t unless you say that I can. Besides, we are practically married, aren’t we?”

Being married wasn’t quite what they had on their mind when repeating the prayer with him although it is a prayer that is used for marriage. “We aren’t though. We haven’t had a ceremony.”

“I can get priest Gwendolyn here if you are saying that the Goddess of Origen isn’t enough. We might not remember her name but through the spoken history of my family, she created all of the gods. She should always be watching over you.”

“That’s not what I am saying. I want to but I’m not even a noble. The king wouldn’t approve.”

“Fuck the king, Pearl! I don’t give a damn what that demon thinks. That whole family can rot with Suriel as he tortures them for all eternity. They made me into a monster. They made me their obedient little dog. I’ll wipe them all out! Once that contract is broken they will wish that they never sent me to the front lines to wipe out innocent people.”

Pearl reaches out to touch his face as he starts to relax. “They aren’t here right now. They won’t be able to hurt you anymore. I’ll find a way to break that contract for you.”

He is silent, not because he wants to be, but because he is prevented from saying that is what he wants. He wants them to nullify it so he can attack them. He knows that they want some kind of response to what they just told him but he just isn’t allowed to speak. Instead, he kisses their lips and leans down to their ear. “Let me take you. Please, let me do this.”

“Then take me, My Lord.” They wrap their arms around him and start to make out with him.

“Lift up your arms.” He tells them as an order and they obediently do so. “Good.” He gently lifts off the dress that he had made for them. And unfastens their bra letting it just drop to the ground. He grabs onto their bust and starts to play with it as he makes out and slips his tongue into their mouth. Pearl sticks theirs in return.

He pushes down on them making them go down onto the ground as he makes their lips break contact. “My Lord, what are you doing?”

He holds them down as he unbuckles and takes off his pants making them drop down. He pushes them down to the floor and lifts up their legs, shoving himself inside of them. They make a noise of pain since he went in too fast and didn’t properly work them up. “Do you need me to stop?” He asks them as he isn’t sure what he might have been doing wrong. He was very out of it when Celestina forced herself on him.

“No, I’ll be fine.” They reply under their breath having trouble projecting.

He grins and thrusts himself inside of them deeper. "I can't hear you, what was that? Speak up."

"I'm… I'll be fine… My Lord." They struggle to get out as he mercilessly stirs them up. "Silver…"

"Yes? What is it?" He bends down as he keeps thrusting and sucks on their breasts.

"Don't stop. Please, don't stop."

"I don't plan on stopping tonight. Not until you beg for it to happen."