Chapter Text
I saw them first on my younger brother's 14th birthday. New toys built for the young prince’s entertainment, care and protection. Magical metal jesters, modelled after the sun and moon. They were marvellous! Skilled acrobats, tumbling through the grand hall doing flips and tricks as they went; magicians, pulling bouquets from nowhere and making them vanish again; and jokesters, telling tails that could put a smile on anyone's face! All the while with large grins plastered on their faces as though they were enjoying every second!
I was mesmerized, never before having seen such skilled craftsmanship on a construct before, let alone two! They were so life-like! Jealousy gripped my heart.
I had never received a gift so wonderful as this. I was lucky to receive anything on my birthdays when my family remembered them. Being the 4th girl child born to the king, I was easily forgotten. This became even more of a frequent occurrence once my brother was born, the heir to the family and the kingdom, the golden child.
My heart hurt more once I looked down the raised table where my family sat and saw my brother's face. He was disappointed and disinterested. There were two magical, wonderful beings in front of him that were built to be his companions, and he didn't care; he was unhappy.
So quickly had I gone from marvelling to sulking, sinking back slightly in my chair, that the brighter of the two jesters took notice. Bright yellow rays spinning around his head and bells jingling, the sun jester caught my attention with a wave. Suddenly at the centre of his attention, I blushed slightly, giving a small wave back. The jester took that as permission to come closer, bounding up to the high table and giving me a dramatic bow.
"Such a lovely lady shouldn't be frowning at such a joyous celebration!" He said with a cheery smile. The artificer who had put the jesters together had given this one a set of dazzlingly blue eyes, and I found that I was losing myself in them as he grinned down at me, blushing all the more at his compliment.
"Oh dear, oh dear! We can't have that!" The darker moon-themed jester had come up behind his companion and was now grinning down at me as well with his own set of dazzling blue eyes, a deep dark blue. Their attention was making me giddy and shy, my blush creeping down my neck and up to my ears.
Both leaned towards me at the same time, made a gesture and roses, one a blush pink and the other lavender, appeared in their outstretched hands before bursting with colourful sparks. The roses vanished, and two colourful gemstones were left behind. One a dazzling yellow sun and the other a sparkling blue moon. I blinked, then laughed in surprise, clapping.
"Wonderful!" I gasped, carefully taking the gems from them when they held them out to me. Both had rainbows trapped inside when you held them on the right light. They were gorgeous.
"For you, sweet princess." The dark jester said, the light one nodding in agreement.
"May they lift your spirits, princess!" The light jester chirped happily. Looking down at the lovely stones in my hands, I bit my lip, uncertain.
"I-Is it really alright for me to keep these?" I asked softly. The two jesters seemed taken aback, but before they could reassure, a loud, annoyed voice shouted from down the table.
"LEAVE HER ALONE! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY PARTY, NOT HER'S!" My brother was displeased that the attention of everyone in the room was now on me instead of him. Flushing, I looked down at my lap, hands clenched around the gems. I had been so enthralled with the jesters that I hadn't noticed that the attention of everyone had turned to me when they approached. I could feel all eyes on me now, making me want to vanish or melt into a puddle.
The jester's exchanged glances, the light one's smile going tight and forced while the other frowned in annoyance before they both turned to my brother, huge grins back in place. I was seated at the far end of the table, so I think I was the only person to see their expressions change. It was bittersweet to know that they didn't seem to like my brother.
"The little prince seems to be in need of some attention!"
"Come down and play with us, won't you, little prince!" The jesters called back happily, teasing my brother, eventually managing to get him down to the hall floor with them. They juggled around him, played tricks with their magic and teased him with jokes, making it all seem to be in good fun. All the while, they both would periodically catch my eye and shoot me a wink or a smile, keeping a shy smile and a blush on my face most of the night due to their attention, giggling at their jokes and enjoying the evening so much more now.
Sooner than I would have liked, the evening ended, and I found myself alone in my tower room. Sitting on my bed, I gazed at the gems the jesters had given me, letting my eyes lose focus as rainbow and sparkles played over the stones' smooth surfaces. They were so lovely, probably the most lovely things I had ever been given. I'd never owned any gems or the like before, and all my dresses were greys with no decoration or adornments.
Running my fingers lightly over the gems, I wondered if I could find a way to turn them into pendants to wear around my neck so I could keep them close. Maybe I could bully the castle blacksmith into helping me make something.
Setting the gems on my bedside table,
I stood and went to my desk. Using my bedside candle, I lit the little candle I had placed in the small muffin I had stolen from the kitchen this morning.
"Another year gone. Happy birthday to me." I whispered, sitting and watching the little candle flicker in the dark of my room. No one had remembered, and there hadn't been a celebration for me, but this had been the best birthday I'd ever had. Maybe I would get a chance to see the jesters around the castle now that they would be staying here with my brother? I smiled at the thought and blew out the candle.
For the next several days, I only caught glimpses of the jesters as I went about my normal routines. I would see them through the windows playing in the garden as I sat in a room with my sisters, bored to tears, as we practised embroidery. Now and again, I would pass them in a hallway or see them in the dining hall, and they would wink and smile when they saw me, causing me to smile and giggle, but I didn't get a chance to speak with either of them until two weeks after the party.
I was in the gardens, running through the rose bushes after escaping another boring etiquette lesson. The lessons were pointless. I had already memorized all of this information and could perform just like my sisters, but they would keep hounding me to practice so I would be a perfect little wife for a political marriage. So I snuck out of the castle. My punishment would be more studying, like always, and it would be worth every second I got to spend in the summer sun instead of cooped up inside.
Deep in the hedges, in the shade of an oak tree, I spied a flash of yellow and froze. That was- I could feel my cheeks heat up- the sun jester was standing under the tree. Was my brother out here as well? Where was the moon jester? As I scanned the surrounding garden for anyone else, I quickly found that the sun jester was alone and… he looked upset. Nibbling on a fingernail, I slowly approached the jester. He was looking up at the castle walls, arms crossed, foot tapping in annoyance.
"H-hello?" I called softly, making him jump, throwing his arms out dramatically as he turned to me. Grinning, he swept into a deep bow.
"Why, Hello, princess! It's so, so lovely to see you! What brings you out here this time of day? Not skipping classes, are we?" His eyes glittered with mischief as he straightened, grinning down at me with his hands clasped behind his back. I looked away, flustered.
"O-oh no, I am skipping class. You won't tattle on me, will you?" Nervously I started to nibble on a nail again, but soft, warm fingers curled around my hand, pulling my fingers away from my mouth. My eyes flicked back to his face, and I blushed, finding that he was now much closer.
"Of course, I won't tattle! That would put quite a damper on things if I were to go around telling tales, and anyway, you won't sneak out to see me again if I tell on you!" He winked, and I could feel my face heat up even more. Carefully, I pulled my hand from his light hold, opting to clasp my hands together to keep myself from chewing my nails.
"Thank you," I whispered, eyes now on my shoes, too flustered to make eye contact.
"Tell me…" I said softly after a moment, giving myself time for my face to cool a little before looking up at him again. The jester cocked his head, curious as we looked at each other.
"You looked upset. Is everything alright?" The jester flinched, his smile going tight for a moment before his grin was back full force
"Not to worry, princess! Everything is perfectly fine!" Raising my eyebrows, I looked up at him with big inquisitive eyes, waiting for him to try again. Not for a second did I believe his lie. His eyes searched mine, flicking back and forth between them before he deflated, shoulders slumping, smile finally falling.
"Can't fool you, can I?" He murmured with a soft smile and a sigh, booping my nose with a finger and making me giggle.
"Your brother is playing a rather bothersome game, is all." Straightening, the jester crossed his arms and looked up at the castle walls again.
"I may have… insulted him… a little." His eyes were firmly on the walls as he muttered this bit of information. Clearly not proud of this fact, but it made me smile slightly. Good. My brother needed to be taken down a few pegs.
"So he's left me to stand in the garden until evening… as punishment."
"Oh dear," I murmured, glancing at the castle as well. As punishments go, this wasn't so bad… childish but not bad.
"Well… I could stand with you… if you want? Anything is better than etiquette lessons. And I-" I cut myself off, flushing slightly. The jester's eyes widened slightly, leaning towards me with a playful look as he asked
"And you…?" He wasn't going to let my little slip-up slide, his eyes sparkling as he looked at me.
"I-I-I w-well…" I turned my head away, looking at the ground and mumbling softly as my face started to burn, cheeks heating up.
"I-I wanted a chance to talk to you… t-to m-maybe… be friends?"
"Why, of course, we can be friends, princess!" The jester exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement
"Oh! Oh! But I couldn't possibly have you stand all day with me! No, no, no!" I was about to protest. I could stand for hours without any problems if I needed to, but before I could open my mouth, the jester had pulled a blanket from thin air and spread it out on the grass. With a joyful laugh, I clapped my hands at the trick.
"Amazing!"
The jester gave me a bow before gesturing for me to sit.
"Sit, sit, sit! Rest your legs, princess. I have no muscles to become sore, but you certainly do, and we can't have that!" Hesitating, I bit my lip, hands balled slightly in my skirts as I looked at the blanket.
"I-I don't mind standing-."I made to protest, but the jester took one of my hands and gently pulled me over to the blanket, helping me lower onto the cloth as I carefully arranged my skirts. He stood for a moment, looking down at me, before he glanced at the surrounding gardens, checking if anyone was around. With a thump, he flopped down next to me, his limbs going everywhere for a moment before he settled, legs crossed and hands supporting him from behind as he leaned back.
"Much better." Leaning towards me, he added in a conspiratorial whisper
"You won't tell anyone I sat down, now will you." winking when I gave a vehement shake of my head.
"Good." He let himself fall down onto his back, hands resting on his chest as he closed his eyes, relaxing in the summer heat.
"I um…" I started but stopped when his eyes opened, looking up at me expectantly.
"What… what should I call you?" I whispered, glancing down at my hands where they twisted nervously in my lap
"Do you have a name… or…?" A soft smile played on his lips as he gazed up at me, watching me thoughtfully before answering.
"Give me a name." He murmured, and I blinked, startled.
"D-do you not have one?"
"I do. Your brother gave me and my companion both names… but I don't like mine."
"O-oh, b-b-but! You could make a name for yourself i-if you don't like the one you have!" I floundered, eyes firmly on my hands. Why would he want me to give him a name? We had only just met. His hand gently took hold of one of mine, squeezing reassuringly, and I turned to look at him, my eyes meeting his. He'd sat up slightly, leaning on an elbow, his face so close to mine as he held my hand.
"Give me a name." He said again softly, and the blush that had finally cooled off came back with a vengeance. I couldn't speak, lost in his eyes, as he gazed at me with such a hopeful look.
"I-I-"swallowing, I looked away and tried again.
"Y-you were designed with the sun in mind, s-so maybe… Solaris?" I whispered, glancing back at him to gauge his reaction. His blue eyes were sparkling, a broad grin on his face.
"Solaris! I love it!" Squeezing my hand in excitement, he hopped up, pulling me to my feet and giving me a spin before snagging my free hand.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He gushed, the rays around his head spinning as he led me in a little dance, making me laugh.
"Oh, princess! It's the perfect name!" Holding my hands tight, he gazed into my eyes, still grinning hugely.
"I'll need to find the perfect way to thank you!" Quickly I shook my head
"Y-you don't need to thank me-"
"But I do!" Solaris cut me off.
"Giving someone a name is such a special thing! No need to worry! I'll think of something!" I wanted to protest, but Solaris danced me around a little more then, spinning me in small circles, causing me to giggle happily at his silly antics.
Eventually, he calmed down, and we sat back on the blanket, enjoying the shade together. Solaris kept the conversation flowing easily, knowing just what to say when I didn't. I've never been good at socializing but talking with Solaris was easy, as though I didn't need to worry about what I said with him. I could just be myself, though I was still shy and nervous. Very quickly, he discovered what things made me laugh and used them against me frequently, telling little jokes and making faces to make me giggle.
I found myself wishing all the more that Solaris and his companion were gifted to me instead of my brother. I would give almost anything to be able to spend all my time with Solaris, at the very least, but that wasn't a possibility.
"Princess?!" Someone was calling for me closer to the castle. Seems that my time is up. Looking off towards where the voice was calling me, I started to nibble a nail until Solaris gently pulled my hand from my mouth like he had done when I had first found him in the garden.
"You should go," Solaris said, giving my hand a squeeze. My eyes went a little wide, and he chuckled.
"I would love for you to stay, but if you get into too much trouble, I'll feel personally responsible." I nodded slowly, biting my lower lip as I watched his face.
"Are you really going to be alright? There are still several hours left till evening."
"PRINCESS?!" The calls were getting a little more frantic.
"I'll be perfectly fine! I have ways to amuse myself!" Solaris said, patting my shoulder before standing and pulling me to my feet.
"Now go before that poor woman drives herself into a panic looking for you!" He said with a laugh, spinning me slightly and giving me a slight push towards the castle. I took a few hesitant steps before glancing back. Solaris gave me a grin and a wave before shooing me away.
"You'll see me again."