In the Kingdom of Fairies, there were laws and customs about courtship, especially for the princess of fairies. She couldn't just flit around, kissing whoever she wanted. It would be unbecoming of royalty! Nico was going to be queen someday after all, and therefore she had to be gracious with her love, and share her heart only with the fairy she intended to make her consort.
Unfortunately, Nozomi had never really cared all that much about the rules.
She hummed a happy little tune to herself as she worked, carefully weaving the flower stems together. She had been making flower crowns for the princess for a little over a week now; of course, Nico didn't know it was Nozomi doing all of this. She didn't quite have the courage just yet to tell the fairy princess who her secret admirer was. But for now, this was enough. And besides, it was cute watching Nico pout and whine and complain about her suitor's mysterious gifts, and guessing who it might be. She must have listed half the fairy folk by now, but she still hadn't guessed... Nozomi giggled to herself, as she threaded a sunny camellia in with bright pink carnation.
Eventually, she promised to herself, she'd tell Nico how she felt. But for now, it was simply enough being the princess' trusted companion and friend. Besides, she was overstepping boundaries, wasn't she? Thinking royalty could ever accept her heart. It was just silly!
Nozomi sighed at her thoughts, shaking her head as if to clear her mind. Be gone, bad thoughts. She had to think positive. At the very least, it would strengthen their friendship even more! And at most, well. Nozomi's flushed bright red, right to the tips of her ears. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts, go away!
"Aha! There you are!"
The fairy startled, jolting in place at the sound of the object of her affection's voice. Oh dear. Nozomi bit her lip, staring mournfully down at her half a flower crown, before quickly tearing it in half. If Nico asked, she could say she was simply doing flower fortunes. That should explain away the mess of petals now pooled in her lap. With that, Nozomi turned to smile at her dear friend and precious princess, as the tiny fairy collapsed on the ground next to her with a heavy sigh.
"I've been looking all over for you Nozomi! Have you been here this whole time?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at her friend before glancing down at the pieces of flowers covering Nozomi's skirt. She raised an eyebrow. "And what in the world have you been doing?"
Nozomi smiled easily, though her heart was beating too fast in her chest. "Flower fortunes, of course. I thought I might be able to ease Her Majesty's worries a bit if I could predict when the next rainfall would be."
The princess stared at Nozomi for a second too long, and for a moment, Nozomi wondered if she knew But then Nico nodded, and Nozomi thanked every star in the sky for her powers of divination. "Yeah, Mama has been really busy lately. She hasn't even had time to give me any lessons." Nico let out a sigh as she flopped over on her back in the grass.
Unbeknownst to her, her friend watched her with a soft smile on her face. Nico was so hard-working; that's what Nozomi liked most about her. The rest of the kingdom had the wrong idea about Nico. All they say was a frail little girl, who was much better at looking cute than assuring the continued existence of their people. But their princess was much tougher than they thought. She was stubborn and smart, and set herself to learning everything she possibly could about every aspect of her people's life.
That was how she and Nozomi had come to meet and become friends, and eventually, how Nozomi had fallen for the fire-hearted fairy. Nozomi was so lost in thought, she didn't even realize that Nico was watching her until the princess loudly cleared her throat. While her heart flustered at being caught staring, Nozomi merely smiled and tilted her head to one side. "Something I can do for you, my princess?"
"Ugh, stop that already." Nico wrinkled her nose, before rolling over on her stomach, picking up one of the discarded flowers off the ground. "Hey, Nozomi, are you absolutely positive you can't use your magic to find who my true love is?"
Nozomi's heart stopped, before it began fluttering with hummingbird's wings against her chest. "Nicocchi, I've told you a hundred times. I can't use my magic in matters of love, you know that."
The princess let out a loud gust of air, rather than a sigh. "I know, I know." She suddenly sat up, her gaze intent on Nozomi's eyes as she peered up into the other girl's face. "Can you use your magic to find someone?"
This time, Nozomi's heart really did stop. She blinked swallowed, licked her lips, her head buzzing with a thousand thoughts as she tried to think of some way to stall for time. "Find someone? Isn't that what the royal couriers are for-"
"No! I need to find out who's giving me flower crowns!" Nico crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes never leaving Nozomi's face. Nozomi quietly panicked, though she kept up appearances with another warm smile.
"Ehh, Nicocchi, isn't it more fun keeping it a secret? Besides, what if they don't want to be found?"
"What if I want to return my feelings?"
Okay, now Nozomi's heart was definitely no longer beating. Her eyes widened as she stared at her princess, too shocked for words. All she could manage to squeak out was a simple, tiny, "What?"
"See, I've thought about it, and really, there's only one person who I want it to be." Nico twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, as all at once, she looked away from Nozomi. Nozomi was shocked to find that Nico was faintly blushing as she continued to talk, her words a little rushed as she spoke. "My heart's been telling me for a while now, but I just wouldn't listen. But I always knew."
Gently, Nico took the flower crown she had been wearing off her head, and held it out to Nozomi, her face now a cherry red. "S-So, Nozomi! Will you please accept this token of my heart from me?"
Stunned speechless, Nozomi glanced down at the flower crown Nico was offering her. Now that she looked closely, she could see that it was clumsily made. But a lot of attention had been put into making it; she saw peonies and poppies and roses, all the colors for love and affection being held out to her by the one she loved the most.
Nozomi glanced back up at Nico's too red face with bright eyes, as she gently took the flower crown out of her princess' hands and placed it gingerly on her head. And then without warning, she flung herself at Nico, laughing as the princess squeaked in indignation, hugging the other fairy as she nuzzled their noses together.
Who would have thought that the princess didn't really care all that much about the rules either?
FILL: Team Grandstand, G
In the Kingdom of Fairies, there were laws and customs about courtship, especially for the princess of fairies. She couldn't just flit around, kissing whoever she wanted. It would be unbecoming of royalty! Nico was going to be queen someday after all, and therefore she had to be gracious with her love, and share her heart only with the fairy she intended to make her consort.
Unfortunately, Nozomi had never really cared all that much about the rules.
She hummed a happy little tune to herself as she worked, carefully weaving the flower stems together. She had been making flower crowns for the princess for a little over a week now; of course, Nico didn't know it was Nozomi doing all of this. She didn't quite have the courage just yet to tell the fairy princess who her secret admirer was. But for now, this was enough. And besides, it was cute watching Nico pout and whine and complain about her suitor's mysterious gifts, and guessing who it might be. She must have listed half the fairy folk by now, but she still hadn't guessed... Nozomi giggled to herself, as she threaded a sunny camellia in with bright pink carnation.
Eventually, she promised to herself, she'd tell Nico how she felt. But for now, it was simply enough being the princess' trusted companion and friend. Besides, she was overstepping boundaries, wasn't she? Thinking royalty could ever accept her heart. It was just silly!
Nozomi sighed at her thoughts, shaking her head as if to clear her mind. Be gone, bad thoughts. She had to think positive. At the very least, it would strengthen their friendship even more! And at most, well. Nozomi's flushed bright red, right to the tips of her ears. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts, go away!
"Aha! There you are!"
The fairy startled, jolting in place at the sound of the object of her affection's voice. Oh dear. Nozomi bit her lip, staring mournfully down at her half a flower crown, before quickly tearing it in half. If Nico asked, she could say she was simply doing flower fortunes. That should explain away the mess of petals now pooled in her lap. With that, Nozomi turned to smile at her dear friend and precious princess, as the tiny fairy collapsed on the ground next to her with a heavy sigh.
"I've been looking all over for you Nozomi! Have you been here this whole time?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at her friend before glancing down at the pieces of flowers covering Nozomi's skirt. She raised an eyebrow. "And what in the world have you been doing?"
Nozomi smiled easily, though her heart was beating too fast in her chest. "Flower fortunes, of course. I thought I might be able to ease Her Majesty's worries a bit if I could predict when the next rainfall would be."
The princess stared at Nozomi for a second too long, and for a moment, Nozomi wondered if she knew But then Nico nodded, and Nozomi thanked every star in the sky for her powers of divination. "Yeah, Mama has been really busy lately. She hasn't even had time to give me any lessons." Nico let out a sigh as she flopped over on her back in the grass.
Unbeknownst to her, her friend watched her with a soft smile on her face. Nico was so hard-working; that's what Nozomi liked most about her. The rest of the kingdom had the wrong idea about Nico. All they say was a frail little girl, who was much better at looking cute than assuring the continued existence of their people. But their princess was much tougher than they thought. She was stubborn and smart, and set herself to learning everything she possibly could about every aspect of her people's life.
That was how she and Nozomi had come to meet and become friends, and eventually, how Nozomi had fallen for the fire-hearted fairy. Nozomi was so lost in thought, she didn't even realize that Nico was watching her until the princess loudly cleared her throat. While her heart flustered at being caught staring, Nozomi merely smiled and tilted her head to one side. "Something I can do for you, my princess?"
"Ugh, stop that already." Nico wrinkled her nose, before rolling over on her stomach, picking up one of the discarded flowers off the ground. "Hey, Nozomi, are you absolutely positive you can't use your magic to find who my true love is?"
Nozomi's heart stopped, before it began fluttering with hummingbird's wings against her chest. "Nicocchi, I've told you a hundred times. I can't use my magic in matters of love, you know that."
The princess let out a loud gust of air, rather than a sigh. "I know, I know." She suddenly sat up, her gaze intent on Nozomi's eyes as she peered up into the other girl's face. "Can you use your magic to find someone?"
This time, Nozomi's heart really did stop. She blinked swallowed, licked her lips, her head buzzing with a thousand thoughts as she tried to think of some way to stall for time. "Find someone? Isn't that what the royal couriers are for-"
"No! I need to find out who's giving me flower crowns!" Nico crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes never leaving Nozomi's face. Nozomi quietly panicked, though she kept up appearances with another warm smile.
"Ehh, Nicocchi, isn't it more fun keeping it a secret? Besides, what if they don't want to be found?"
"What if I want to return my feelings?"
Okay, now Nozomi's heart was definitely no longer beating. Her eyes widened as she stared at her princess, too shocked for words. All she could manage to squeak out was a simple, tiny, "What?"
"See, I've thought about it, and really, there's only one person who I want it to be." Nico twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, as all at once, she looked away from Nozomi. Nozomi was shocked to find that Nico was faintly blushing as she continued to talk, her words a little rushed as she spoke. "My heart's been telling me for a while now, but I just wouldn't listen. But I always knew."
Gently, Nico took the flower crown she had been wearing off her head, and held it out to Nozomi, her face now a cherry red. "S-So, Nozomi! Will you please accept this token of my heart from me?"
Stunned speechless, Nozomi glanced down at the flower crown Nico was offering her. Now that she looked closely, she could see that it was clumsily made. But a lot of attention had been put into making it; she saw peonies and poppies and roses, all the colors for love and affection being held out to her by the one she loved the most.
Nozomi glanced back up at Nico's too red face with bright eyes, as she gently took the flower crown out of her princess' hands and placed it gingerly on her head. And then without warning, she flung herself at Nico, laughing as the princess squeaked in indignation, hugging the other fairy as she nuzzled their noses together.
Who would have thought that the princess didn't really care all that much about the rules either?