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Fairy King Harlequin feels as though his is on top of the world. Sure, he has suffered great loss. And absolutely there will be more loss to come. But in this moment, King is so happy he can hardly stand it.
Looking back, he should have known things would shortly go very wrong.
Harlequin is eagerly giving Diane a tour of his homeland in the Fairy King’s forest. Babbling on about all the different facts for each creature and inhabitant. King is barley able to focus on what he was saying, too entranced by the beautiful giant before him.
“No matter where you are in the forest, you’ll always be able to see the Great Tree.” Harlequin says as he points over the treeline where a giant tree with beautiful pink flowers is standing. Carving its place between the heavens and the earth.
It’s vastness and beauty remind him of Diane. King often thinks of her while gazing out his window to look at the Great Tree.
“It’s amazing! I can’t believe you get to see this every day!” Diane exclaims, her eyes wide as she takes in the sight. “I actually set up my room with the soul purpose of having an amazing view of the Great Tree. I find it very calming to see every morning.” King can’t help but humble-brag upon seeing her reaction. No need to tell her why he finds it so calming.
“Wow, I’d love to see that view some time.” Diane’s response nearly causes Harlequin to choke. Her words awaking a tickle in the back of his throat. King attempts to push it down as he continues his tour. He can’t have her catching on that he’s in love with her. King is nowhere near ready for that conversation. He has too much to repent for.
“And just over here, this is where all the new fairy children are born amongst the flowers.” Harlequin states, leading Diane into a beautiful grassy clearing brimming with vibrant flower blooms and springy moss. “King, this is is incredible. I’ve never seen anything so pretty!” The brunette exclaims in awe, her face lit with wonder as she turns in circles to take in the sight.
‘Neither have I … ‘ Harelequin thinks distantly to himself, once again getting lost in Diane’s beauty. He forced himself back to the present moment as Diane asks another question. “So you were born here?” Harlequin isn’t sure why he blushes from her words, it takes a few moments before he can muster his tongue to speak.
It really feels as though something is stuck in the back of his throat now.
“Y-yes, I was. Many many centuries ago.” Harlequin responds with far too many head nods than necessary. Causing Diane to giggle which in turn makes the lump in Kings throat grow bigger. Even harder to ignore.
“I can’t imagine you any tinier than you are now haha. You must have been so cute!” The giant says with a squeal as she imagines the thought. Poking Harlequin in the side teasingly, causing him to jump up with a yelp.
The lump in King’s throat feels as though it jumped straight up with him. Throwing the fairy into a small coughing fit. It’s bad enough Diane just learned how ticklish he is, why does he have to apparently forget how to breath on top of that?
‘What in the world?’ King thinks to himself as he attempts to regain his composure. It feels like there is actually something in his throat. But that doesn’t make sense? They haven’t eaten anything all afternoon.
“Are you okay? I didn’t realize you were that ticklish.” Diane asks teasingly, though concern was laden in her voice. “Y-yeah I’m okay.” King stutters, his face red like a berry as he forces a smile.
Unfortunately for him, Diane takes this opportunity to continue tickling him. She rather enjoyed the reaction it drew out of the small fairy. Considering the giant’s size, it only takes two fingers to drive Harlequin into immediate hysterics.
“Ah-ahahah st-stahap eeeek! P-pleahase stahap.” King The brunette was too distracted enjoying the fairy’s boisterous reaction to notice he is starting to have a hard time breathing.
“But you look so cute like this.” Diane complains as she continues her impromptu tickle attack. Poking around the fairy’s torso, searching for weak spots.
The presence in his throat is getting harder to ignore the more she tickles and teases him. Wiggling her large fingers on either side of his ribs and stomach while King snorts and holds back rising coughs.
Diane’s close contact is setting his nerves on fire. King is caught between never wanting it to end and needing it to end because he has to breath.
“C-cahant breahath! Ahaha pl-pleahase!” Harlequin begs after another minute. Unable to take it anymore as his gasps are now laden with coughs and gasps. Diane stops immediately upon hearing this. “Oh - I’m sorry. I guess I went a bit too far.” She apologizes, looking incredibly sad as she sits back down on the grass.
“N-no you’re fine! I just … I just n-need to use the restroom.” Harlequin stammers through the lie over his coughing. Ears burning bright red as he wonders what he could possibly be choking on. And why did it have to strike now? Right when he was starting to get closer with Diane.
Little did he know, that is the exact reason why it stuck him at this moment.
The Fairy King stumbles out of the clearing and quickly flies away before he can hear Diane’s response to his suspicious actions. Moving well out of ear-shot before landing to finish his coughing.
After another minute of unflattering hacking, Harelequin is finally able to cough up the object. But he is shocked by what is laying in his hand. Though slightly damp, there is not doubt of what it was.
A flower petal.
Pure white with a gradient of gold near where it would attach to the bud. ‘No. It can’t be … ‘ The Fairy King thinks to himself in horror. He has heard of this disease before, but never imagined being inflicted with it himself.
After all, fairies don’t get sick. Or more so, they’re not supposed to. Especially not the King.
The disease is called Hanahaki. And it’s not a pleasant business. Harlequin swallows hard at the implications, he knows what causes this sickness - Unrequited love.
King wonders to proceed from here as he buries the petal under a nearby bush. The reaction will only get worse the longer he waits.
The King has three options. Wait until the petals turn into flowers and block his airway, killing him. Instruct a fairy to preform magical surgery to remove the flowers - along with his feelings for Diane. Or confess his love to Diane and hope she loves him back enough to cure him.
Hanahaki is an unforgiving illness that can take from days to weeks to months to kill its victim. These three choices are his only options.
Harlequin intends to survive so option one is off the table. This leaves him with confessing his feelings or secretly getting the surgery done to remove them.
While surgery sounds like the better option given how scared he is of rejection, once the petals are removed, so will his emotions for Diane. And that sounds even worse than death.
In the end, there really is only one option. King has no choice. He has to tell Diane.
Harlequin feels a bit better now that he has made a decision. But the idea of confessing his love is just as unsettling.
After another few minutes of calming himself down, King makes the decision to act normal for now. He should have time to mentally prepare for his confession before the illness has progressed enough to cause concern rather than mere discomfort.
He is the Sin of Sloth after all.
King grants himself another minute to regain his composure before quickly flying back to where he left Diane waiting. He finds her sitting in the center of the clearing, hand lazily drawn into the sky to feel the breeze.
Giants have a particularly strong connection with the earth. Looking at Diane now, that connection is easy to see. She looks as though she emerged from the ground herself, part of the beautiful nature surrounding her. An elegant mountain of curves and light.
Harlequin attempts to swallow as he feels another petal begin to wiggle its way up his airway. Waiting is going to be harder than he thought. Especially if Diane is here in front of him. But dammit the idea of telling her is still too terrifying.
King finally is in a pleasant place with the giant he loves, talking as good friends rather than just comrades in arms. It isn't love, but it's something. And Harlequin can live with ‘something.’
Now he is being forced to either tell her and risk losing everything he’s gained. Or don’t tell her, get the surgery, and lose any chance of gaining anything more. It’s feels an impossible choice but King already knows what he has to do. He is merely stalling.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Seems I forgot how to breath there for a second.” The Fairy King jokes, closing his eyes as he forces a laugh. He won’t be breathing much longer if he doesn’t confess soon. “Oh, it’s alright. I’m just glad you’re better now.” Diane responds with a sweet smile.
King looks away so he doesn’t have to stare at the beauty before him. Beauty that is becoming painful for an entirely different reason than before. Harlequin once again fails at swallowing down the sensation rising in his throat.
“Thanks for that. You should probably head back for now, don’t want you to worry the others by staying out too long. The journey will take a few days.” The fairy says, his heart aching at the idea of willingly sending her away. But it’s the only choice he has. Having Diane here only seems to accelerate the disease.
“Oh - um, okay. I guess you’re right.” The giant responds, the disappointment was palpable in her voice but she grudgingly rises to her feet. “Thanks for showing me around today King! I’d love to see the rest of the forest some time. You can tell me more about when you were just a little flower bud!” Diane adds on with a giggle before turning away to the direction they came.
Harlequin almost begins coughing right then and there at her statement. But forces himself to smile and wave after her. Not trusting himself to speak without sputtering up more white petals.
This is going to be incredibly challenging.
But it’s too late now.
~~~
Three days have passed since the first flower petal emerged and the reaction has only gotten worse. The other fairies were beginning to notice something wasn’t right with their valiant leader.
Harlequin is laying in his room, a quaint place with a wonderful view of the Great Tree like he was telling Diane about. This view usually gives him comfort and fills him with joy, but today King could barley focus on the sight. His bed and floor are covered in white flower petals, some of them grouped together in the beginning of a full flower.
At the end of the first day, Gerheade came to check on him and was horrified by what she found. She was all too familiar with the disease, having been witness to its victims before. “Fairy King, we must preform surgery to remove the flowers at once! I’ll summon the royal guard and make preparations for-“ Harlequin cuts his adviser off before she can continue. “No! The flowers stay, no surgery.” He declares before losing himself into another fit of coughing.
Gerheade wanted to object but out of loyalty, decided to hear him out. “I don’t believe you intend to die. So are you planning to confess your love; who is it?” She presses, desperate for any information on how she can assist him in getting better.
“It’s the same person it’s always been.” Harlequin responds weakly, drifting off into sleep with stray petals perched between his lips. His amber eyes fluttered closed and the purple-eyed fairy knows she won’t get any more information out of him now.
Gerheade was distraught, she didn't know what to do. But she did know who the Fairy King was referring to. It could only be that giant girl he was always babbling about, the one who visited the territory just the other day.
She feels her blood boil at the thought of a gaint causing her King so much pain, but forces the feelings down. If the Fairy King wishes to confess his love to this woman, then Gerheade will do everything in her power to ensure it happens.
With that, the fairy girl flew out of the room in the direction of the border. Mentally mapping how to navigate to Liones.
Gerheade has to find Diane. And soon.
~~~
By the third day, many of the fairies are aware that their Fairy King is sick. Harlequin can hear their anxious arguing on the ground below his residence.
“Why is the King sick? How can this be?” One fairy asks, voice laden with disbelief and fear. “It must be that giant girl! He disappeared into his room as soon as she left!” Another exclaims in anger, a few fairies agree with them. Shouting their resentment towards the giant. “What did she do to our Fairy King?” They continue to yell as Harlequin attempts to block them out.
‘Why can’t they just be quiet? Can’t they tell they’re making this worse?’ King thinks to himself. It is getting hard to breath now. Each inhale is hindered by dozens of tiny petals.
King knows time has come for him to face his fear and get it over with. Whenever she returns, he’ll have Gerheade fetch Diane and ready the fairy surgeons. They will need to be on standby in the event Diane rejects him. Which is a valid possibility.
Where his advisor is at this moment, King is not sure. He tries not to dwell on this thought as he turns over in his bed.
Each flower head he coughs up is a reminder of his sin. White flowers with gold near the center. It’s the flower he gave Diane centuries ago before abandoning her.
It’s rather fitting that these flowers would be trying to kill Harlequin now. A suitable punishment given the pain he caused her. Or so this is what he tells himself while sitting up with a grimace.
It has been over a day since he last saw Gerheade, where could she be? Harlequin needs her helps so he can summon Diane before it’s too late. ‘I’m a stupid little moron! Why did I wait; why didn’t I just get it over with? Augh I’m such a coward, an idiot!’ King thinks to himself in frustration, burying his face in his hands before coughing up another fist-full of white petals.
“I want to - I want to hear her voice one more time.” Harlequin mumbles to himself through labored breaths. He thought he would have had more time before the reaction grew to such a degree. Perhaps love just isn't in the cards for him, and perhaps life isn’t either.
Maybe that’s why he was cursed with this disease to begin with. If the Gods have deemed this to be his fate, then Harlequin will succumb to it willingly. There was never a chance of Diane loving him back anyway. And life without loving her, isn’t life at all. Even if it was, King still wouldn’t want it.
Things are better off this way.
Harlequin feels his eyelids pulling themselves close again and he vaguely senses himself collapsing down into the bed again. King doesn’t try to fight it, dying in his sleep sounds better than choking while awake.
The Sin of Sloth can take his final rest in a tomb of petals.
~~~
“King! Hey King! Are you up there?” The fairy boy’s eyes snap back open, his amber gaze brimming with disbelief and perhaps a spark of hope?
That is Diane’s voice. But how could she possibly be here. It takes over a full day of traveling to get from Liones to the Fairy King’s Forest without flying. She would have had to immediately turned around to come back after returning to be here now. Why would she do that?
Suddenly a shadow blocks the light coming in through the door and Harlequin hears a startled gasp. “Gerheade, what’s wrong with him? He doesn’t look good.” Diane says nervously, King lifts his head up to see Gerheade flying in through the door, Diane’s concerned face behind her.
“Thank goodness you’re still awake. I thought we might have been too late.” His adviser says as she helps King sit up gain. “Your Hanahaki sickness progressed much faster, I’m not certain but I think it’s because of your Disaster ability. In any case, we must hurry.” Gerheade continues, placing her arms under Harlequin’s to assist him in flying out of the hollow tree stump and into the forest below.
Seeing Diane causes King to start coughing immediately, white petals bellowing from his lips. But seeing her also gives him strength.
Perhaps this is fate. But not in the way he thought before. Maybe all they needed the push and this is how the universe decided to push them.
“H-hey Diane. There’s s-something that I have to tell you.” Harlequin starts nervously, unsure if it is nausea or flower petals rising in his throat. Likely both at this point.
“I know you’re sick, we can skip that part. Just tell me how to help you.” Diane interjects, her eyes sparkling with barley suppressed tears.
Gerheade had been very vague when she begged Diane to return to the forest after only just making it back to the Kingdom of Liones. Only saying that the Fairy King needed her help and that only Diane can save him.
That’s all she needed to hear. Diane immediately turned back and started the journey to the Fairy King’s forest with Gerheade anxiously at her side. Clearly wishing Diane was a fairy that could fly rather than a giant who has to walk.
“Th-that’s not what I was g-going to say. W-what I need to t-tell you … is that I want you t-to be my …” His voice trails off, unsure of how to finish. ‘Be my wife? My Queen? My partner for life?’
Harlequin isn’t sure what to say so he decides on the most literal response. “ … Cure. Be my cure.” He says, his face lighting up red as he is once again lost in a fit of coughing. Entire flowers forcing their way up his throat this time.
“Your cure? Wait, are you saying I’M the one causing you all this pain?” Diane asks in dismay, seeing her sad face makes Harlequins heart wrench and he feels more flowers growing in his throat. He won’t be able to speak much longer so he might as well say everything he needs to now.
Summoning his last ounce of confidence, King speaks “I’m the one who caused YOU pain. All because of my cowardice and ignorance. I left you alone, I’m so sorry Diane. But I kept my promise to you, I still lov-“ A sudden coughing fit forces Harlequin to stop speaking. Having Diane here is making the disease manifest faster and faster.
“King? King! I don’t understand; tell me how to help, please!” Diane begs, kneeling to pick up the heaving fairy in her hands. But Harlequin isn’t able to speak anymore.
Unable to stand by a moment longer, Gerheade rushes away to summon their magical surgeon. The Fairy King doesn’t have much time left.
With the flowers landing in her hands now, Diane is finally able to inspect them closer. Something about the white petals is familiar to her. Like the remnants of a dream after she's already awoken.
‘When did King make me a promise? And he said that he left me alone? But there’s only one person who’s ever abandoned me and he-“ Diane’s thought is cut off as all the pieces fit together.
She awoke all those centuries ago alone, with a single white flower letting her know what happened. It was her last gift from-
“-Harlequin. It’s you! It’s really you, you’re Harlequin!” Diane exclaims is shock. The brimming tears finally flooding over as she realizes she is holding the love of her life in her hands, and that she is about to lose him all over again. For good this time.
Diane holds Harlequin close, unsure of what else to do. Silently waiting for the coughing to stop to mark his passing as she weeps. Overwhelm with guilt and agony in measures she has never experienced before.
The coughing stops.
Diane wills her heart to stop with it. A deep wail rising in her throat. But it never emerges.
Because before it can pass her lips, she feels a slight rustling in her hands. Diane looks down to see Harlequin grinning loopily at her. Very much so alive.
“King! I mean, Harlequin! You’re okay!” Diane near-squeals as she hugs him tighter, once again cutting off his air way. “Oops I’m sorry. I just can’t believe it! What happened, how are you better?” Diane asks, pulling King away from her chest but not allowing him to return to the ground. She’s doesn’t plan to let him go ever again.
“You cured me.” Harlequin responds with a beaming smile. Diane expected King’s voice to be hoarse from all the coughing but it sounds smooth and bright, as if he was never sick at all. “I-I cured you? How?” The giant remains bewildered, not comprehending the correlation between her revelation and Harlequin’s recovery.
“Diane, do you know what Hanahaki is?” King asks, to which the giant shakes her head. Clearly Gerheade didn’t fill her in during their journey back, which honestly doesn’t surprise Harlequin that much. Gerheade could be … stubborn to say the least.
“I won’t get too detailed, but it’s an illness that is triggered by … unrequited love.” King begins explaining, sitting up into a more comfortable position in Diane’s hands before continuing. “You already saw the side effects of the sickness - vomiting flowers. It stops when the host is dead or the feelings are returned.” He says with a sheepish grin, silently implying everything Diane needed to hear.
“So if I didn’t remember who you were … you would have died? Why didn’t you tell me sooner!” Diane demands, a flurry of anxious ‘could have been’ thoughts racing through her head.
“I was scared tell you, I don’t know. And not necessarily, I could have ordered a surgery to remove the flowers.” King responds, he continues before Diane can voice the question he knows she’s about to ask. “If I did the surgery, it would permanently remove my feelings for you as well. And that, that is worth than death.” Harlequin finishes, giving a small shrug as if it wasn’t a big deal, but he doesn’t meet Diane’s gaze. Knowing he would flush red in a second.
It takes a moment for the giant to think of a response, still so caught up in the whirlwind of emotions she‘s gone through this afternoon. “You still should have told me sooner. Before the Hanahaki had the chance to make you sick.” She says, her eyes slightly sad as Harlequin turns to meet her gaze.
“I know, I’m so sorry Diane. I was ashamed of what I did. I figured you would never forgive me if you knew. I shouldn’t have assumed and I shouldn’t have kept the truth from you. I’m sorry Diane.” King continues to ramble out apologies until Diane silences him. Pulling him up to her face for a kiss.
One may laugh at the dynamic of a giant kissing a fairy. The size difference is somewhat comical. But there is no denying how perfect it feels in this moment. All anguish forgotten in an instant.
They pull away only when they hear the sounds of fairies approaching. In front is Gerheade, the panicked expression in her good eye quickly morphs into confusion, then relief as she takes in the scene before her. The Fairy King is alive!
“False alarm everyone, let’s return to the Great Tree.” She says quietly, observing that they are intruding on a private moment. Her assistance is no longer needed. Gerheade may not trust the other races, but today she was very grateful to one giant. The least she can do is give them privacy to embrace each other properly.
Harlequin’s gives Gerheade an appreciative smile which she fairly returns before disappearing into the greenery with the surgeon and royal guard.
“Does this mean we get to pick up where we left off?” Diane asks once the fairies were out of sight. “You m-mean before Gerheade arrived or 200 years ago?” King responds hesitantly, his face a brilliant shade of scarlet.
“Neither. I’m talking about the other day.” Diane says with a giggle. Harlequin barley has time to register that she’s referring to when he was giving her a tour before a large finger began wiggling one his stomach.
“W-wahait nohoho! Don’t yohou wahant to do somethihing else?” King asks hopefully, clearly he wasn’t planning to be tickled during his long awaited reunion with Diane.
But the giant isn't leaving him much of a choice as she lays him on the ground. Using one hand to pin the fairy’s arms over his head while using two fingers on her other hand to tickle Harlequin’s stomach.
“Hmmm, nope! I don’t think so. We can just consider this revenge for you waiting until you’re on the brink of death to admit who you are. Even then, I still had to fill in some of the blanks.” Diane responds in mock-annoyance as she continues her assault.
“I sahaid I wahas sohorry!” King whines as he weakly squirms beneath her. Just like earlier, he didn’t mind it as much as he was putting on and Diane knows this.
At least this time a flower wasn’t trying to force its way up his throat. And a flower never will again. Because his love is requited. Diane loves him back. She forgave him. Harlequin smiles and laughs freely beneath the fingers of his love.
The Fairy King is on top of the world again