Pearl and Silver fell asleep on the couch that is placed in the middle of the living area. The night lasted what felt like a long time to Pearl but at the same time, it seemed like it happened in a blink of an eye.

There is a knock on the door that jolts the two awake. Silver grumbles something under his breath about how the world never wants him to sleep in. He throws on the shirt that he had lying on the ground to cover the rest of him and he opens the door.

"Duke Silver von Stein." The man in front of him bows as Silver is completely out of it. "The king requests your attendants."

"What does he want? I am going to be busy today."

"But my lord, no one works the week of the festival?" The man looks behind Silver as he sees Pearl laying on the couch appearing to be completely passes out with nothing but a blanket covering them. "The king wants to see them too if you don't mind."

Silver lets out a sigh. He figures that he really can't say no since it was a request and if he were to say no the king would just show up at his place anyways. "Fine let me get ready and we'll join you in the carriage to the castle.”

“Of course.” The man bows as Silver shuts the door and heads over to Pearl.

Silver makes his way over to them and squats down next to the couch. “Hey, we need to head out.”

Pearl turns over on their side as they open their eyes. “I’ve only slept for four hours can’t I just sleep a little longer? I’m still exhausted.”

“We can go to sleep after we come back. This shouldn’t take too long. At least I hope that it won’t.” He knows that it probably will take a long time. It is the king that he is dealing with. He likes to take his time to discuss things with him as if no one else has anything better to do. Since he wants to see Pearl too this means that it has to be about what happened last night.

They slowly sit up as the blanket covering them up falls off of them revealing their body covered in bruises from the night prior. “Where are we going?”

Silver tenses up as he wants to take them right there again but he knows that he has to restrain himself because the king is waiting for them. He has never enjoyed any of the encounters that he has had with Celestina, but the night with Pearl felt different. It didn’t feel forced in any way at all. They seemed to reciprocate the feelings that he had. “The palace. I do have a few rules. Fallow me as I get you something to put on. The dress from yesterday looks a little messy.”

They head into a room that looks like it hasn’t been used in years. It looks more of a room that someone would have so it could just be used for display. Silver walks over to the closet and opens the door.

Since Pearl and his mother were about the same size the clothes in the closet should fit they just are outdated buy a couple of decades. He hands them a white dress with golden lines that swirl down and sprout into flowers at the end of it. He remembers his mother wearing the dress when he was a kid. She always liked to ware things that represented Amaliel and Nuriel as she was blessed by both of them. His mother would have loved to have met Pearl. He knows that she would have loved them.

“What is that?” Pearl leans over and looks at the dress that has Silver in what seems to be some kind of a trance.

“This was my mother’s favorite dress.” His hands clench on it tightly as he recalls his last moment with his mother.

She was laying in the hospital bed and looked incredibly frail. She reached out to Silver and patted his head as tears ran down his face. “Please be good Silver. Please, watch over the house while your father is out at work for me.” Those were her last words before her hand that was on his head fell limp and she took her last breath. She was blessed by the goddesses of hope and light, yet, she was cursed to have a fate that ended her life early on.

His father just left him in the house in the capital with only his servants to watch him. In a way, Silver feels that his father blames him for his mother's death. He was always so distant to him after that. When he turned 15 Silver inherited his father's title after he passed. Some people say that during the nine years after his wife passed he slowly went insane.

Snapping him back into reality Pearl wraps their arms around him because they feel as if he might need to be comforted. "May Amaliel wash away your sorrows and Nuriel give life to you in your times of darkness." The prayer was said under their breath but they hope that it reached him.

"Thank you, you are the only one that can bring me light where Amaliel hasn't been able to." He hangs the dress back and pulls one out which is a dark blue with gems that are sporadically placed on the end. It is extravagantly laced and the gems shine when the light hits them.

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He hands them the dress and they struggle to figure out how to put it on with all the layers that are on it.

"Sorry, let me help you with that. Lift your arms up." They do so as Silver slips the dress on them effortlessly. He motions for them to turn around so he can fasten the back and tie the ribbon around their waist that goes with the dress. "Come."

"Okay." They say as Silver leads them to a nightstand by the bed that has some sort of box on it.

He picks up the box and hands it to Pearl. "These were my mother's. I want you to have them."

Pearl opens it up and there is a comb embroidered with gems that are in the pattern of roses. Under the comb is a compartment that has a necklace with the same design that is on the comb as a pendant. "I don't deserve any of this."

"You deserve the world." He places a kiss on their head and grabs their hand to walk out. "Now come on, let's go."

The ride to the palace felt as if it was taking forever. It was a long awkward silence the whole way there with the two of them looking through opposite windows. Silver lets out a sigh and grabs Pearl’s hand.

They look at him as he still seems to be staring off into nothing. They scoot closer to him and rest their head on his shoulder. “Everything will be okay.”

He squeezes their hand and just remains silent while looking out the window. What he is worried about is more of how the king will react to knowing that he missed one of the witches. They are the person that he wanted going. Yet, instead of killing them, he made a contract with them that prevented him from hurting them. Since they both had the binding process done to the contract the gods are the only ones allowed to void it. It is still a mystery which god blessed the contract on Pearl’s end. Pearl doesn’t do anything to use it either way. Would the gods favor Silver killing the king if he attacks Pearl on his own? That is something that he doesn’t know and he can only hope that he can protect them if that is the case.

After about thirty minutes of riding the carriage stops in front of the king’s palace. They are escorted inside and told to wait in the throne room for the king to show up to greet them. The room is filled with orange curtains drawn around the place to show respect for Xathanael, since that is the color that represents him.

Pearl looks over at Silver who is kneeling down on the ground waiting for the king. "When do you think he'll be here?"

"I don't know. You need to stay down while we wait." He glances over at them and notices their wavy black hair fall to their side as they keep their head down. They look amazing to him and wants to be the only person that they bow down to. "Pearl."

"Yes?"

"Don't sign any contracts with anyone. Especially not the Depraysie royal family."

Their eyes gloss over as they process the order. "Yes sir."

He didn't really want to make it an order but it will prevent any kind of complications later on. "Don't take an order from me telling you to sign one either."

"Yes sir."

Five minutes pass and the king walks into the room and sits on his throne. "Rise." He barks his order at the two of them and they both lift their heads. He looks over at Pearl and his eyes narrow. "Kill it."

"Sorry, my lord, I am unable to do that." Silver replies to the order while phasing out.

"What do you mean that you are unable to do that? I gave you an order."

"My contract with them prevents me from killing them." Silver states coldly with his eyes glazed over.

“Then I’ll do it myself.” The king reaches for a sword and stops as Silver reaches for his. “Stop. You need to step down.”

A smile goes across his face. “Do you want to see which one of the contracts the gods favor? While I am not allowed to kill you because of ours my contract with Pearl makes it so I have to protect them. I will kill anyone that tries to hurt them.”

The king freezes and just stares straight at Pearl who seems more relaxed than they should in this situation. He puts his sword down and sits down on his throne. “Then void the contract.”

“I can’t void a contract that is blessed by the gods. I am bound to the contract just as much as they are.”

"We both know why you formed this contract. What do you want from me to keep you loyal without a contract binding you?"

"Make Pearl a noble. They were raised by the ale Rouges so I don't see why they can't be one."

The king's eyes narrowed as he stares at Pearl. He wants them gone but instead Silver wants to make them a noble. That would make it harder to just get rid of them. However, if he were to be on Silver’s good side after he is able to break the contract he has to do what he requests. It's not like it is out of the realm of what he can do. Infact, it is something that is entirely in his control. He can strip away titles if he wants to. This person is just a threat to him and his three children. Maybe there is something that he can do to keep them in line too.

Silver being blessed by Zarall means that he will win every battle that he partakes in. He is not someone that he needs to have against him in the future. "You, come over here." He gestures for Pearl to come over and they obediently walk over and bow down to him. "What is your name, young witch?"

"I am Pearl Frost, your highness." They reply to him as they keep their head bowed to the ground.

"As Xathanael as a witness to this day I hereby grant Pearl Frost the title of noble and to allow them to have the ability to purchase land if they so desire." The king grabs his sheathed sword and gently touches their shoulder with it.

"Thank you, your highness, may your light continue to bless this kingdom." They back up and stand back at Silver’s side.

"Now Duke, I heard that you told my wonderful daughter, Celestina, no for the lantern send-off. Why is that?"

"Forgive me King, but I am not obligated to do anything that is considered a sacred event blessed by Nuriel and Amaliel with Princess Celestina."

"What if I were to order to do it? You wouldn't have a choice."

"Unless you want the contract voided then that isn't going to happen."

"Fine, you are dismissed. Be sure to come to the ball tonight in honor of the Goddess of life."

"Of course your highness. We'll be taking our leave now. Come, Pearl."

"Yes sir." They both start to head off.

"Oh, and one more thing." The king stops him in his tracks and he looks behind him. "Try and keep your pet under control. I would hate for them to ruin the mood of the ball."

Aggravated by his request he just bows at the king and heads off with Pearl following behind him.