Title: A Slice of Wedding Cake - Slice 3
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 2,434
Summary: Sun and Judgment are getting married. The "why" and "how" really aren't that important right now. For this is not a story about their romance; this is the story of us observers. Yes, we, the underappreciated observers of this whole spectacle who did 99% of the work, and only received a slice of wedding cake in return. Grisia/Lesus, Ceo/Roland
Notes: Co-written with
kiyutsuna! Odd chapters are hers. Even chapters are mine. Now including illustrations from Kiyu! XD; (I can't even with that previous chapter post. How did it even reach 100 comments? It was like a party, haha! You artists all came out of nowhere. You know that I'm now expecting pics of all of the Twelve Holy Knights in drag, right? XD)
Slice 2: Training Boot Camp Bonding Time Slice 3: The Art of Eavesdropping
Roland
'Dear Duke xxx,
The Church of God of Light cordially invites you to the wedding of our 38th Sun Knight and Judgment Knight -- Grisia Sun and Lesus Judgment.
Please join us on this momentous occasion to celebr-'
"Lesus, pleaaaaaaaaaase!"
I paused, ears perking up at the voices coming through the wall.
"I am not wearing a dress Grisia. It would be an appalling sight."
Ah, so it was this argument again. I wonder what kind of approach Grisia would take this time.
Yesterday, he had tried to annoy Lesus by following him around and asking him to wear the dress every hour or so, which resulted in a very fed up Lesus. Who then threatened to cut off Grisia’s blueberry pie supply if he did not stop his bothersome antics. Pie obviously ranked higher than his plan on Grisia’s list of priorities, for he left Lesus alone after that.
The day before yesterday, he had tried to bribe Lesus with... certain activities that apparently involved "letting you top for a month." I'm not quite certain on what that implies, but obviously it was not appealing enough for Lesus to relent. That particular conversation was quite confusing. I could not figure out what was so bribe-worthy about “topping.” Were they talking about dessert? Maybe Grisia was offering for Lesus to choose the topping on the wedding cake?
Anyway, I will refrain from mentioning the rest of that conversation. Even though it made little sense to me, Storm had said it involved many adult activities that are not suitable for younger audiences. Upon asking for clarification, he had only smirked and offered to “show me if I want.” I am not sure if that is a good idea. It would be a waste of food seeing that I did not need to eat.
I settled back to writing. Due to the sheer amount of invitations I'd written today, it wasn't hard to put my attention elsewhere and let muscle memory take care of the words. Even though eavesdropping was an action unbefitting of a knight, in this particular situation the pros of it outweighed any cons. For the information gained was vital to the survival of our Storm Knight. So to ensure that Storm would not suffer a fate similar to mine, I kept my ears peeled.
"And you think it would look any better on me?!"
…
I wonder if that was what they call an rhetorical question.
It was very easy to judge based on Grisia's body build that a dress would fit him better. After all, clerics wore robes all the time, and those were quite similar to dresses in structure. On the other hand, Lesus had a knight's build through and through, and try as I may I could not imagine him in anything but pants.
After a long pause, a frustrated groan came from Grisia.
"Just because I'm not as muscular as you doesn't mean I should wear a dress! Why does everybody assume that I'm the one to wear the dress?!"
"Because you would make a much more beautiful bride."
Another pause. As I finished writing the invitation in front of me, I vaguely wondered if Lesus would be able to end tonight's argument like this.
While it's true that mind games and ruses were Grisia's strong point, one mustn't underestimate Lesus' capability of manipulation either. After settling into this room and overhearing many conversations floating over from next door, my respect for Lesus had risen to another level entirely. It is impossible not to admire how well he can deal with Grisia. In fact, I honestly think that he may be the only person who can effectively handle Grisia's every quirk. Which is not only beneficial to the rest of us, but Grisia as well. Lesus provides the unwavering stability that he needs to remain grounded. A Grisia left unchecked is a fearsome concept, as we had all learnt from the Demon King case.
It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that they're getting married now. I felt like it wasn't that long ago that we were all still candidates at the holy knight selections, when the three of us first met through helping Grisia beat away bullies. I felt my lips lift into a smile as I began the next invitation. Thinking back, we really hadn't changed all that much from when we were children. Grisia is still exploiting everybody around him, with Lesus by his side supporting his every action. As for myself, being no longer alive counts as quite a large change, doesn't it? But other than that, I don't think I am too different from how I used to be.
However, we had grown up, and matured. Grisia and Lesus now bear the heavy burdens of leading the whole temple. And I am proud to be able to stand by their side as the Hell Knight. Though this is a position I would have never dreamt I'd fill, I now cherish it with my whole being. Even though my identity as a Death Monarch will always haunt me, I am content here, with the knights who have taught me the meaning of family and allowed me to truly live.
I was snapped out of my inner musing when Grisia spoke up again. This time, his voice took a calculating tone. I shuddered, as that tone never bode well for whoever he was targeting.
“Lesus.”
Lesus, may the God of Light bless you. I wholeheartedly pray for your well-being.
“...What is it…”
“If I remember correctly, you still owe me two demands, right?”
I held my breath, put my pen down, and listened with all my focus. Something told me this conversation was vital, and I wouldn't want to miss a word of it.
“Grisia, you can’t be thinking of-”
“I am using my second demand right now.”
“... Are you serious?”
“Yes. Very serious. My second demand is that you’re wearing the dress for our wedding.”
If I hadn't already been holding my breath, I would have surely gasped. To think that Grisia would go so far just to make Lesus wear the wedding dress! It was no secret that Grisia had a complex over his masculinity (or rather, the lack thereof), but I never would have thought it was that extreme.
A long sigh came from the other end of the wall. It sounded like Lesus had resigned himself to his fate. Perhaps he had known all along that this was the inevitable end. After all, when Grisia has his mind set upon something, there is very little anybody could do to sway him. Come to think of it, it was quite a feat for Lesus to have lasted this long against Grisia.
“Fine. I will wear the dress.”
“Yay-”
“But! I have three conditions.”
Only someone like Lesus could talk conditions with Grisia at this point. In my mind, I was silently clapping for him.
“One. I get to pick the dress myself.”
“Fair enough.”
“Two. I am not wearing a garter. So you can forget about that whole notion right now.”
“Awwww. But Lesus! It’s tradition!”
“Grisia, we’ve already thrown tradition out the window by getting married. Surely something this trivial does not matter at this point.”
“... Fine.”
Once again I must commend Lesus on his quick thinking. The image of Lesus in a dress was shocking enough already. I would not want my mental fortitude tested by the sight of Lesus wearing a garter. Shaking my head to get rid of that disturbing thought, I distracted myself by finishing the last invitation in front of me.
“Three… The deal that I get to top you for a month still stands, right?”
“...You!!”
“Surely the respectable Sun Knight would not go back on his word.”
“Argh, fine! Have it your way…”
“It’s a deal then. I’m looking forward to our honeymoon.”
“...!! a;sldkfja;slkdfjas;ld!!!”
By this point, I figured that I’d heard enough. So I quickly gathered up the piles of paper on my desk and made my way to the Storm Knight’s room. When it comes to important pieces of gossip, one must waste no time in sharing it. That was something I had learnt from Storm.
Knock knock.
“Who is it……”
“It’s me, Roland.”
“Oh… come in then…”
As I opened the door, I was greeted by the familiar sight of a room covered by paper. In the midst of all the paper sprawled Ceo Storm, who looked to be on the verge of death, yet was still diligently going through the stacks that covered his desk.
I placed my pile of invitations on the side of the room reserved for finished paperwork. Despite the way it looks, Storm’s room is actually very organized, with specific spots for specific types of paperwork. Unfortunately, only Storm himself knows exactly where to put what. The extent of my knowledge ends at being able to decipher between the locations of finished and unfinished paperwork.
“Storm, I put the finished invitations by the window,” I dutifully informed him.
“Ah, thanks Roland.” Storm looked up and gave me a tired smile. “Could you help me with the stacks on the desk? These budget expenses need to be reviewed by tomorrow.”
I nodded, and sat down in a spare chair across from Storm. As I began working on the expense forms, I could not help but observe my companion with concern. The black bags under his eyes were much heavier than usual, and his skin was border lining an ashen tone. In short, Storm looked more like a Death Knight than myself.
“...Storm. When was the last time you slept?”
“Huh…?” He blinked at me owlishly. “Uh… I can’t really remember…”
I frowned. That did not sound good.
“You need to sleep. Go get some rest and I’ll finish up the paperwork.”
“What?! But there is so much! I can’t stop now!” He protested, gesturing at the overflowing piles of paper on the desk.
It was true that the amount of paperwork due was frighteningly large. But I was determined that Storm should rest. Inspired by the conversation I had just overheard, I decided to try my hand at bargaining.
“I just overheard Sun and Judgment talking about the wedding dress,” I began slowly.
Storm jolted as if someone had just electrocuted him, and looked up at me with wide eyes that brimmed with eagerness.
“What did they say? Have they finally decided? Tell me everything!!!”
“They did come to a decision.” I smiled, “And it was a very interesting discussion too.”
“Don’t leave me hanging, Roland! Who’s gonna wear the dress?!”
Storm’s face was only inches from my own now. I must say having his bloodshot eyes staring at me with such mad intensity was somewhat frightening.
“I’ll tell you, but on one condition,” I mimicked Lesus’ words.
“Anything! Just tell me!”
“You have to go to sleep right after.”
I looked at Storm straight in the eyes to let him know that I was dead serious. And he stared back at me with an expression that looked like a mix between disbelief and amusement. Slowly, he sank back into his chair and chuckled.
“You win, Roland. I promise I’ll sleep.” He smiled at me. “Can you tell me what happened now?”
Satisfied with his answer, I wasted no more time on updating Storm with the news.
“Sun used one of his three demands from Judgment to make him wear the dress. Judgment agreed, but with three condi-”
“JUDGMENT IS WEARING THE DRESS?!”
Storm shouted, surprise and shock coloring his expression. He then immediately covered his own mouth, eyes darting around as if to make sure nobody overheard his outburst. After a few seconds of silence, he began to laugh. At first it was just a giggle; then he was visibly shaking from laughter. I stared at him in concern. Has Storm finally cracked from overwork?
“Thank goodness!” he blurted, apparently done laughing. “I was going to bet on Sun too. Thank the God of Light for all this paperwork taking up my time! Haha!
“You sure saved me Roland. Thank you for the news!”
I smiled weakly, even though I was relieved that Storm was simply celebrating his good luck and hadn’t gone entirely crazy. Still, his grin looked somewhat too croaked for me to put down my worries.
“Oh right! What are those conditions you were talking about?” He asked, apparently just remembering the fact that I didn’t get to finish my sentence.
I repeated Lesus’ words back to Storm. By the third condition, he was in a laughing fit again.
“Ahahaha… Oh dear God of Light, Judgment in a garter! Ahahaha! And way to get back at Sun! Looks like the bride’s role will be reversed for their honeymoon hahaha!”
At this point, I was really concerned. So I got up, plucked the still laughing Storm from his chair, and towed him to his bed. It took some work clearing away enough space for a person to lie down without getting suffocated by paper. But after a few minutes, Storm was neatly tucked in under blankets.
“I’ve upheld my end of the deal. Now it’s time for you to sleep,” I told him sternly.
Storm regarded me with a strange expression, as if he was seeing me for the first time and was sizing me up. After looking me over for a few more seconds, he snuggled himself further under the blankets and closed his eyes.
“Okay, Roland.”
Relieved by his cooperation, I went back to the desk to continue going through the daunting pile of paperwork there. Halfway through the form I was filling out, Storm stirred.
“Roland, you’re the best,” he mumbled, seemingly half asleep already. “Can I marry you?”
I stared at him.
“But I am an undead creature.” Marrying me would be nothing but a burden to you.
“And that’s great… Who else can go without sleep and food to hel me whi papewuu...zzzzz.”
I was stunned. Partly by Storm’s words, and partly by the fact that he had fallen asleep mid-sentence.
However, is it really possible for me to… marry someone? Already the life I am living is a luxury, granted to me by Grisia. Dare I allow myself to ask for even more than what I already undeservingly have?
I sighed. These were questions I would have to ponder over. But for now, there was a desk full of paperwork to get through. So with one last glance at the peacefully sleeping Storm, I picked up my pen and continued writing.
to be continued
Kiyutsuna: With this chapter, the Ceo/Roland ship sets sail~ *dabs tear* To think it all started with a simple "Can I marry you?"... <3
Lucathia: Storm is truly too powerful. He has even gotten Roland to be his ears! *touched* Grisia is truly too powerful as well. XD Lesus in a dress~~
Slice 4: The Latest Fashion