Chapter Text
If you asked him, Snufkin would say that he lived an average, uneventful life. Every day it was the same routine. He would wake every morning with the rising sun before heading to the fishing ports and sailing out in the dingy little handmade boat he kept hidden in a cave nearby. The local fisherman often stared at him, but they had yet to try to chase him away for using their fishing spots, so he wasn’t too worried about it.
At around noon he would pack up and bring whatever fish he had caught to the little house where his mother and siblings lived. He would simply knock, leave the bucket on the doorstep and leave, preferring to avoid getting swept up into his sibling’s antics. His bucket was always empty and placed by the front door again by the next morning, ready for him to use again.
From there he would wander around the kingdom and play his harmonica for all who would listen, collecting any coins from particularly generous patrons in his hat. The coins he would also drop off at his family’s house at the end of the night, quietly leaving the pile of coins in the mail box. All very mundane stuff, according to Snufkin.
By night, he would sneak into the gardens of the wealthy folk, stealing fruits and vegetables and occasionally tearing up signs and fences as he goes. Many would probably argue that this made his nightlife wild and eventful, but again, to Snufkin it was just the norm.
Snufkin smirked to himself as he thought of his nightly runs. Word around town says the wealthy folk referred to him as “The Golden Eyed Thief”, largely due to the fact that those who saw him only saw a dark shadowy figure with two glowing gold eyes. Not really a creative name, in his opinion, but it amused him nonetheless.
He would take what little food he needed for himself, and if there was some left over, and there always was, he would once again leave it for his family before turning in for the night. He didn’t often sleep in his family’s house, finding it much too crowded and suffocating, what with 36 half-siblings. Besides, he preferred to find a nice patch of grass and fall asleep under the stars, soaking up the moonlight.
Yes, Snufkin thought he lived a very normal life, and while some might find it sad, he couldn’t say he felt the same. He was happy, he couldn’t imagine living any other way.
Which is why he was wholly unprepared for what would happen to him on that one fateful morning.
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It was nearing sunset, Snufkin was sitting comfortably against a fountain in the middle of a courtyard playing his latest tune on the harmonica. He was quite pleased with himself, he had earned a fair amount of coins that day. Surely it would be enough money for his mother Mymble to afford fixing the broken record player in the attic. He smiled at the thought of how excited his siblings would surely be to dance around to music.
He was brought out of his thoughts by someone clearing their throat at him. Looking up, he was surprised to see a fairly well dressed hemulen had approached him. If he didn’t know better, he would say they looked like someone who worked for the royal family, but there was no way someone like that would be talking to him.
“Pardon me” he lowered his harmonica. “Was there something you need?”
“Yes, your presence has been requested at the castle.” The hemulen replied flatly.
Well, that certainly wasn’t what he was expecting. Had they finally realized he was the one stealing from the gardens? No that couldn’t be right, if that was it they would surely just drag him to the castle, not calmly approach him.
“May I ask why?” Even if the man didn’t seem to be an immediate threat, he still didn’t trust him.
“The Princess has requested your presence. It seems your services are required.”
“My services?” Just what in the world did that mean?
“Yes, the Princess has heard word of your musical prowess. Now please, if you would follow me.” The hemulen clearly didn’t intend to give any further clarification, and Snufkin guessed he wouldn’t take no for an answer either. So reluctantly he got up and began following him. His musical prowess huh? He often played his harmonica all throughout the kingdom, so it was no surprise people would be somewhat familiar with him. But he didn’t really fancy the idea of being well known, especially well known enough that the Princess would have heard of him. He could hear the whispers of the other townsfolk as they watched him be led away, making him cringe inwardly.
He was led into the wealthier parts of town, which, although not unfamiliar to Snufkin, he had never truly seen in daylight before. The houses all looked eerily similar, tall two story houses made of perfectly painted white wood. Each had its own little porch with finely detailed columns holding it up. The gardens in front of the houses were neatly trimmed, and the yards were all cut off from the rest of the world by a small white fence. On many of the fences hung signs that read “Keep out” or “Private Property”. The sight of it all made Snufkin scowl.
As they continued on, the castle growing nearer and nearer, Snufkin just felt his nerves rise with each step. He wanted nothing more than to turn on his heels and run away. He could easily outrun the hemulen, but from the sound of it they knew his identity to some extent. He would rather avoid getting in trouble with the law when he could.
Soon enough, they arrived at the castle. It certainly felt intimidating. It’s stone walls well-kept despite its age. Intricate windows were neatly spaced around the whole perimeter, and large stone columns rose high up to the sky. He found himself being led through the large oak doors of the castle, carved with the most intricate designs, and into what was perhaps the largest room Snufkin had ever seen. The inside was just as imposing as the outside. Immediately he was greeted by a grand staircase, the intricate plush carpet cascading from the steps onto the floor beneath him. His footsteps echoed across the room, bouncing off the high vaulted ceilings. He was led through a long hallway filled with many doors, until they got to the largest door that resided at the end of the hallway, with two guards standing at attention. With a nod from the hemulen, the guards threw the doors open, revealing a lavish throne room. The room was largely empty, save for two large golden thrones that sat at the top of a set of several steps. On the wall behind it hung a large canopy held up by golden columns.
“Wait here, the Princess will arrive shortly.” The hemulen instructed.
Unsure what to do with himself, Snufkin settled for standing quietly with his paws folded behind his back.
Before long the great big doors to the right swung open, and a young snork walked in with a flourish. She looked to be around his age, perhaps a year younger if he had to guess. She was dressed to the nines in a pale yellow dress that trailed out behind her. Sitting atop the yellow fringe on her head was an extravagant tiara that glittered in the light. Snufkin vaguely remembered hearing that snorks fur changes color depending on their mood, but hers was a pale white.
She turned to the hemulen. “Thank you, you’re dismissed.”
The hemulen quickly bowed and walked out of the room, leaving Snufkin, the princess, and the two guards he assumed escorted her at all times.
“You must be the wandering musician I’ve heard so much about!” She smiled politely, walking over to sit on one of the two thrones. “My name is Snorkmaiden, oh but I’m sure you knew that already.”
He did not, in fact, know that. He never really made it his business to know anything about the royal family, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. “How can I be of service, Princess?”
“Oh well you see, I recently turned eighteen. Because of this, my advisors are expecting me to find a suitor. But I’ve no time to waste courting some nobleman! So when I heard tale of a brilliant musician in the kingdom, I just had to find you. I’d like to hire you to help me court my potential suitor!” her smile was still polite, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I’m flattered, your highness, but I’m afraid I have no experience in such things. I am just a wandering soul, not quite fit for a job such as this.”
She waved him off easily. “That’s no problem. We can get you all fixed up, don’t worry about a thing!” she said, making Snufkin sigh internally. It seemed no wasn’t an answer in this situation. “And don’t worry, we will pay you handsomely for your efforts.”
He considered this for a moment. Truthfully, he hated money and everything it stood for, and really he had no need for it. However, having a steady flow of income could be of a great help to his mother and eldest sister. Mymble Jr was working hard to earn money for the family, but her wages alone weren’t enough to feed all of his mother’s children. On one hand, with a job like this, he would earn a great deal and would be able to take a great weight off of his sister’s shoulders and help provide for their family.
On the other hand, he couldn’t think of something he would despise more. The thought of having to court some rich snob for the princess, singing his praises and showering him with romantic gestures? That sounded like Snufkin’s own personal hell.
But in the end, he knew it was never really a question of whether he would do it or not at all. He would go to hell and back for his family.
He put on his best polite smile. “All right, I would be honored to aid you, your highness.”
“Wonderful!” Snorkmaiden clapped her paws together. “My servants will help you get prepared! Oh wait, I forgot to ask you, what is your name?”
“Snufkin, your highness.”
“Wonderful, thank you so much for your help, Snufkin!”
Suddenly he found himself being whisked away in a flurry of servants.
Oh dear, what had he gotten himself into?