Eternal Love
The Most Suspicious of Muffins
Solemnly, she said goodbye to her father, who was in tears as he hugged her as tightly as he could one last time. Viola was then escorted into the carriage by the King's guards and taken to the castle. The trip was silent and filled with fear and worry. Eventually, the carriage came to a stop and Viola was taken inside. By this time the sun was beginning to fall lower in the sky, but the ceremony would not be until sunset, leaving time for Viola to be prepared for her wedding and to have a small meal. However, much to the surprise of everyone, the shepherd's daughter softly demanded that she see her husband-to-be before the ceremony. She insisted upon sharing a meal with the Lindworm and the royal family did not have the heart to deny her.
"Give her anything she asks for," King Ulrik told his servants with a remorseful expression on his face.
With that, Viola was escorted to her groom's bedchambers, a servant carrying a tray with a bowl of hearty stew for both of them. Guards were stationed outside the door in hopes of preventing the Lindworm from devouring his bride early. The tray was given to Viola as the doors opened and they were closed swiftly after she stepped inside.
The room was mostly dark, the dim light of a candle illuminated the small table it sat on as well as a singular chair that sat beside the table. The room was eerily silent for what felt like an eternity before a low, rough voice hissed out from the darkness.
"Leave the food there."
Viola swallowed down her fear and did as she was asked but lingered beside the table when she had finished placing the bowls on either end of the table.
"Why are you still here?" the voice asked. "Scurry back off to where you belong, servant girl."
"…I'm not a servant girl. I am your bride."
Movement could be heard in the darkness, the sound of fabric shuffling and then a low thud against the stone flooring. Viola stayed where she stood, her knees trembling under her homespun dress.
"My bride? The ceremony is not until the sunsets…"
There was confusion in the Lindworm's voice and Viola gave a shaky sigh, hoping he did not decide to eat her before they could be wed.
"Yes, well, I'm not a princess or anyone of status. The common folk like to meet their future spouses before they are wed so I have come to share a meal with you."
There was silence at first, which increased the unease that was building within the shepherd's daughter. She swallowed down her fear before speaking again, not giving the monster a chance to respond.
"Would you please come out of the shadows? It is very unsettling to talk to darkness."
"…You want to see me?" the Lindworm asked, confused and rather surprised.
"Yes."
There was a moment of hesitation before the sound of something large dragging across the stone floor could be heard moving toward her. The creature approached the light, settling on the side of the table that lacked a chair. The light illuminated his form and allowed the young woman to see the monster she was to be wed to. The Lindworm's body appeared to be 12ft long, or tall depending on how one measured him. His upper body was that of a human, muscular and strong. His skin, white as snow, bore equally white patches of scales on his shoulders, the back of his forearms, across his collar bone, around his brows and splayed over his cheekbones, connecting on the outer part of his eye sockets as well as over his sharp nose. His eyes were a crisp blue, with snake-like pupils that stared at Viola with curiosity through the thick locks of long white hair that cascaded down his muscular body, stopping at his waist. The creature's upper body was strange enough but could hardly compare in the strangeness of his lower body. From his hips down was the strong, thick, powerful tail of a snake, adorned with the same glimmering white scales that matched the patches on his upper body. His tail shifted, coiling underneath him as he settled. His arms came to rest on the table as he vaguely took notice of the meal that was resting between them. The Lindworm's gaze was more focused on his bride, gauging her reaction to him.
No matter what her husband-to-be looked like, Viola was sure she would not have been prepared for it. She was certain he would be more monstrous looking. In this case, she was surprised by his human features, having not expected him to look human at all. For a while, she simply stared at the Lindworm, not making a sound nor taking her eyes off of him. The serpentine aspects of his form were certainly off putting but when she managed to overlook it, she could almost say the creature was handsome. Viola was snapped out of her trance when the same low, hissing voice spoke up again, startling her.
"…Are you going to faint?"
The shepherd's daughter blinked, focusing on the monster's face which held an expression of impatience and confusion. A thin black, forked tongue slipped out from between his lips, flicking at her. Viola jumped at the sight and tore her eyes away for a moment, looking down at her stew before lifting her gaze back up and meeting his.
"No, I'm fine."
The Lindworm raised an eyebrow at the girl, fresh surprise mingling with his confusion.
"Hmph. Well, that is certainly new," he stated, his tone bitter.
"What do you mean?"
"My first bride screamed and threw things at me when the shock of the wedding ceremony wore off. The second one fainted and screamed when she woke up again. You have not done either of those things."
Viola was at a loss of words, blinking at the beast once more as she pictured what the princesses had done upon being alone with him for the first time. She could certainly understand their fear and horror. She'd felt the same thing prior to being brought to the castle, after all. Trying to remain courageous, Viola took her gaze off of her groom, focusing her attention to her meal. She picked up her spoon and scooped up a bit of stew, blowing on it gently to let it cool some.
"Princesses dream of marrying a handsome prince or a wealthy king not a—"
"Not a monster?" the Lindworm interrupted.
"…They are more inclined to prejudice. If their prince was ugly or their king grotesquely old, it is highly probable that they would be repulsed."
"I doubt they would scream and faint."
The bitterness of her groom's tone made Viola's brows furrow some. She swallowed down the anxiety of their conversation, choosing to take the cooled spoonful of stew into her mouth and eat it, speaking again when her mouth was clear.
"Maybe not but I suppose it can be hard to accept anyone, handsome or not, right away in an arranged marriage. Work has to be done to form a relationship with someone you have never met."
"Is that why you decided to risk your life by coming here?" the Lindworm asked.
Viola sighed, "I suppose so. Peasants usually find love on their own so I wanted to at least meet you before we are wed. There is not enough time to get to know you before the wedding so I'm making do."
No response came from the beast right away. It seemed that now he was the one that could do nothing else but stare at her. This unnerved Viola as she was not sure if her words had angered him or not. She hid it well though.
"You should eat your stew before it gets cold," she told him.
The Lindworm blinked just as she had when coming out of her trance and looked down at his bowl of stew. Without a word, he began to eat slowly and Viola could tell he was thinking about something quite intently by how his brows furrowed every so often. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, the creature lifted his gaze to meet hers and spoke up.
"You would want to get to know me before we are wed?"
"I do want to do that, yes," Viola nodded.
"You would not run away the first chance you got?"
"No. There is no point in that. It would be cruel of me to do so as I would not have given you the chance you deserve. Besides, if I did the King would likely have his guards hunt me down or throw my poor father in the dungeon. Even if I have been brought here against my will, my duty to my King and my kingdom is to marry you so I will not try to escape my fate."
"…You do not seem very pleased," her groom observed.
"Can you honestly say you would be if you were in my position?"
"No." The Lindworm looked away from his bride.
Silence fell between the pair again and Viola continued eating. However, the Lindworm did not, seeming to be thinking once again. Viola could not say what he was thinking about so she waited to see if he would speak his mind or not. She did not exactly expect him to express his thoughts so when he did, she was caught very much off guard, causing her to stop eating.
"…If I were to postpone our wedding, would you willingly stay here and build a relationship with me?" he asked.
"I do not think I have the choice of being here willingly."
"But if you did, if I gave you the option to leave unscathed if you could not find love for me in your heart, would you?"
Viola was silent for a few moments, the monster's words throwing her entirely for a loop. She stared at him once again, assessing his features as best she could. He did not seem to be lying or holding any malice. In fact, the expression on his face seemed almost vulnerable. It made her heart twist in her chest.
"If you intend to make good on this hypothetical promise you offer, then yes, I would stay."
The Lindworm's brows furrowed again and he looked away from her. Whatever it was he was deciding on seemed to be difficult for him.
"I will speak to the King after we are finished with our dinner…"
"Give her anything she asks for," King Ulrik told his servants with a remorseful expression on his face.
With that, Viola was escorted to her groom's bedchambers, a servant carrying a tray with a bowl of hearty stew for both of them. Guards were stationed outside the door in hopes of preventing the Lindworm from devouring his bride early. The tray was given to Viola as the doors opened and they were closed swiftly after she stepped inside.
The room was mostly dark, the dim light of a candle illuminated the small table it sat on as well as a singular chair that sat beside the table. The room was eerily silent for what felt like an eternity before a low, rough voice hissed out from the darkness.
"Leave the food there."
Viola swallowed down her fear and did as she was asked but lingered beside the table when she had finished placing the bowls on either end of the table.
"Why are you still here?" the voice asked. "Scurry back off to where you belong, servant girl."
"…I'm not a servant girl. I am your bride."
Movement could be heard in the darkness, the sound of fabric shuffling and then a low thud against the stone flooring. Viola stayed where she stood, her knees trembling under her homespun dress.
"My bride? The ceremony is not until the sunsets…"
There was confusion in the Lindworm's voice and Viola gave a shaky sigh, hoping he did not decide to eat her before they could be wed.
"Yes, well, I'm not a princess or anyone of status. The common folk like to meet their future spouses before they are wed so I have come to share a meal with you."
There was silence at first, which increased the unease that was building within the shepherd's daughter. She swallowed down her fear before speaking again, not giving the monster a chance to respond.
"Would you please come out of the shadows? It is very unsettling to talk to darkness."
"…You want to see me?" the Lindworm asked, confused and rather surprised.
"Yes."
There was a moment of hesitation before the sound of something large dragging across the stone floor could be heard moving toward her. The creature approached the light, settling on the side of the table that lacked a chair. The light illuminated his form and allowed the young woman to see the monster she was to be wed to. The Lindworm's body appeared to be 12ft long, or tall depending on how one measured him. His upper body was that of a human, muscular and strong. His skin, white as snow, bore equally white patches of scales on his shoulders, the back of his forearms, across his collar bone, around his brows and splayed over his cheekbones, connecting on the outer part of his eye sockets as well as over his sharp nose. His eyes were a crisp blue, with snake-like pupils that stared at Viola with curiosity through the thick locks of long white hair that cascaded down his muscular body, stopping at his waist. The creature's upper body was strange enough but could hardly compare in the strangeness of his lower body. From his hips down was the strong, thick, powerful tail of a snake, adorned with the same glimmering white scales that matched the patches on his upper body. His tail shifted, coiling underneath him as he settled. His arms came to rest on the table as he vaguely took notice of the meal that was resting between them. The Lindworm's gaze was more focused on his bride, gauging her reaction to him.
No matter what her husband-to-be looked like, Viola was sure she would not have been prepared for it. She was certain he would be more monstrous looking. In this case, she was surprised by his human features, having not expected him to look human at all. For a while, she simply stared at the Lindworm, not making a sound nor taking her eyes off of him. The serpentine aspects of his form were certainly off putting but when she managed to overlook it, she could almost say the creature was handsome. Viola was snapped out of her trance when the same low, hissing voice spoke up again, startling her.
"…Are you going to faint?"
The shepherd's daughter blinked, focusing on the monster's face which held an expression of impatience and confusion. A thin black, forked tongue slipped out from between his lips, flicking at her. Viola jumped at the sight and tore her eyes away for a moment, looking down at her stew before lifting her gaze back up and meeting his.
"No, I'm fine."
The Lindworm raised an eyebrow at the girl, fresh surprise mingling with his confusion.
"Hmph. Well, that is certainly new," he stated, his tone bitter.
"What do you mean?"
"My first bride screamed and threw things at me when the shock of the wedding ceremony wore off. The second one fainted and screamed when she woke up again. You have not done either of those things."
Viola was at a loss of words, blinking at the beast once more as she pictured what the princesses had done upon being alone with him for the first time. She could certainly understand their fear and horror. She'd felt the same thing prior to being brought to the castle, after all. Trying to remain courageous, Viola took her gaze off of her groom, focusing her attention to her meal. She picked up her spoon and scooped up a bit of stew, blowing on it gently to let it cool some.
"Princesses dream of marrying a handsome prince or a wealthy king not a—"
"Not a monster?" the Lindworm interrupted.
"…They are more inclined to prejudice. If their prince was ugly or their king grotesquely old, it is highly probable that they would be repulsed."
"I doubt they would scream and faint."
The bitterness of her groom's tone made Viola's brows furrow some. She swallowed down the anxiety of their conversation, choosing to take the cooled spoonful of stew into her mouth and eat it, speaking again when her mouth was clear.
"Maybe not but I suppose it can be hard to accept anyone, handsome or not, right away in an arranged marriage. Work has to be done to form a relationship with someone you have never met."
"Is that why you decided to risk your life by coming here?" the Lindworm asked.
Viola sighed, "I suppose so. Peasants usually find love on their own so I wanted to at least meet you before we are wed. There is not enough time to get to know you before the wedding so I'm making do."
No response came from the beast right away. It seemed that now he was the one that could do nothing else but stare at her. This unnerved Viola as she was not sure if her words had angered him or not. She hid it well though.
"You should eat your stew before it gets cold," she told him.
The Lindworm blinked just as she had when coming out of her trance and looked down at his bowl of stew. Without a word, he began to eat slowly and Viola could tell he was thinking about something quite intently by how his brows furrowed every so often. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, the creature lifted his gaze to meet hers and spoke up.
"You would want to get to know me before we are wed?"
"I do want to do that, yes," Viola nodded.
"You would not run away the first chance you got?"
"No. There is no point in that. It would be cruel of me to do so as I would not have given you the chance you deserve. Besides, if I did the King would likely have his guards hunt me down or throw my poor father in the dungeon. Even if I have been brought here against my will, my duty to my King and my kingdom is to marry you so I will not try to escape my fate."
"…You do not seem very pleased," her groom observed.
"Can you honestly say you would be if you were in my position?"
"No." The Lindworm looked away from his bride.
Silence fell between the pair again and Viola continued eating. However, the Lindworm did not, seeming to be thinking once again. Viola could not say what he was thinking about so she waited to see if he would speak his mind or not. She did not exactly expect him to express his thoughts so when he did, she was caught very much off guard, causing her to stop eating.
"…If I were to postpone our wedding, would you willingly stay here and build a relationship with me?" he asked.
"I do not think I have the choice of being here willingly."
"But if you did, if I gave you the option to leave unscathed if you could not find love for me in your heart, would you?"
Viola was silent for a few moments, the monster's words throwing her entirely for a loop. She stared at him once again, assessing his features as best she could. He did not seem to be lying or holding any malice. In fact, the expression on his face seemed almost vulnerable. It made her heart twist in her chest.
"If you intend to make good on this hypothetical promise you offer, then yes, I would stay."
The Lindworm's brows furrowed again and he looked away from her. Whatever it was he was deciding on seemed to be difficult for him.
"I will speak to the King after we are finished with our dinner…"