A Fae’s Snowy Celebration (Part 2)

A Fae’s Snowy Celebration (Part 2)

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland

Characters: Malleus, (Y/n) (gender neutral), Grim, Lilia & other miscellaneous characters

Pairing: Malleus x (Y/n) (gender neutral)

Word count: +4K

Warnings: None

Author’s note: I’m so sorry for not posting this sooner, everyone!

After finding a travel suitcase for (Y/n) & Grim, Lilia returned to the Ramshackle dorm.

(Y/n) thanked Lilia & started packing everything they could.

“As I’ve said earlier, we’ll be heading over to the Mirror Chamber tomorrow morning. Don’t worry about setting an alarm as I, Silver, Sebek & Malleus, will pick you both up” said Lilia as he explained the plans for tomorrow.

“I can’t thank you & Tsunotarou enough for this. Every time I thought of everyone but Grim & I having fun over the holidays, I just got more depressed” replied (Y/n) in a sad tone.

“Same with me! The Great Grim refused to accept spending the holidays with meager rations & shivering from the cold” yelled Grim.

“You’re welcome, you two” said Lilia before looking at (Y/n). “Before you met Malleus, he never had the chance to enjoy his vacations.”

“Oh? Well I’m glad that he’ll be looking forward to spending this one with me. It’s unfortunate that he had to wait for so long” said (Y/n).

“I agree. His reaction to you two accepting his invitation was something I had hoped for so long” said Lilia. “I hope you can give Malleus a winter vacation that he’ll fondly remember” requested Lilia before teleporting back to his dorm.

The next day…

It was at the crack of dawn that the Diasomnia quartet decided to head over to the Ramshackle dorm to pick (Y/n) & Grim up. Malleus led the way with a huge smile on his face knowing that he won’t spend this holiday break all by himself (again). Upon reaching the Ramshackle dorm, Malleus knocked on the door with a new, profound energy. “Child of Man~! Are you awake yet?”

“HUMAN! DO NOT IGNORE THE YOUNG MASTER” shouted Sebek as he always does.

“Hush now, Sebek. They might be barely awake” said Lilia.

“I wouldn’t blame them for not wanting to get out of bed so early. This chilly weather makes me want to sle-” said Silver before sleeping while standing. Lilia started to try & wake up Silver which took a lot of effort on his part.

“DoOr’S AlReAdY OpEnEd!” yelled (Y/n) in the most ridiculous voice possible.

Lilia tried his absolute best not to laugh while in the presence of Malleus.

As Malleus opened the door, he made his way to the lounge room where he saw his dear (Y/n) yawning.

“Child of Man. I apologize for having you wake up so early, but I simply cannot wait to take you to my homeland” said Malleus before giving (Y/n) a tender kiss on their forehead.

“No worries, Tsunotarou.” said (Y/n) before letting out a yawn & grabbing their suitcase. “Let’s go!”

“Of course. Let us be on our merry way” said Malleus while he, (Y/n) & Grim left the Ramshackle dorm together.

As everyone entered the Mirror Chamber, they were surprised to see a lot of students standing around & chatting before letting the Mirror of Darkness transport them to another place.

“Woah! There’s a lot more people here than I thought” exclaimed Grim as he’s looking around the room & seeing tons of students.

“I was honestly expecting only a handful of students besides us. I’m guessing they’re too excited for the holidays to stay on campus for much longer” said (Y/n) before spotting the other first years. “Ace! Deuce! Epel! Jack!”

The aforementioned first years rushed over & began conversing with (Y/n). Topics ranged from what foods everyone will have from which relatives will be visiting their home. The atmosphere of the room could not be any more jubilant as everyone in the room were having similar conversations. All except Sebek.

“EVERYONE, CLEAR THE WAY! THE NEXT HEAD OF THE VALLEY OF THORNS, ALSO A NOBLE AND GREAT WIZARD, MALLEUS DRACONIA IS HERE” yelled Sebek as he demanded that Malleus & the rest of his group go through the Mirror of Darkness first.

“Sebek, please stop speaking so loudly. You’ll upset everyone in here” warned Silver as some students were already whispering to each other.

“Man, does this asshole ever shut up? He’s so annoying” whispered one student to his friend.

“I’m surprised that his vocal cords haven’t given up on him already. I only ever hear him yell” replied the student’s friend.

“And so it begins already…” muttered (Y/n) as they’re suffering from second-hand embarrassment.

“Sebek. That’s enough already” said Lilia.

Not wanting to fall victim to Malleus’s magic, everyone promptly moved out of his way. He & the rest of his group walked closer to the Mirror of Darkness waiting for it to transport them to the Valley of Thorns.

“Goodbye, everyone! I’ll make sure to get you all a belated Christmas present” said (Y/n) as they waved goodbye to their fellow first years. They quickly rush over so as to not incur Sebek’s wrath.

At the entrance of Malleus’s castle…

“Fnagh! This place is even scarier up close” shrieked Grim.

As rude as Grim’s comment was, (Y/n) couldn’t help but agree with him. Everything about the castle was a cause for trepidation. Many vines clung to the castle walls, the grotesques have seen better days, the colors lacked any vibrancy & the sky was dark.  The only source of light, aside from a few torches, was the moon.

“This place is scary looking. Miles better than the Ramshackle dorm though…” muttered (Y/n). They take a step back to get a good look at the castle’s tallest towers & gulp from sheer nervousness.

“Fear not, my love. The outside of this castle may look intimidating, but rest assured that the inside is absolutely lovely. I can show you if you’d like” replied Mallues as he wraps an arm around (Y/n)’s shoulders. He hoped that (Y/n) wouldn’t leave already. Just when he was going to spend the holidays alone once again, they appeared.

“Ah! They’re here” said Lilia in excitement.

“Who” asked (Y/n). They look ahead & see some maids & butlers approach the group. As they greet Malleus & Lilia & take everyone’s bags, a maid gives (Y/n) an odd look before slowly taking their luggage. (Y/n) wondered if they’ve offended them in some manner.

As everyone’s getting comfortable in their rooms, Malleus paid (Y/n) & Grim a little visit.

“My love, I regret to inform you that I cannot be with you for a short while. I’ll be discussing a few important matters with my grandmother first” said Malleus in a sad tone.

“It’s no big deal, Tsunotarou. I’m sure your grandmother would want to talk to you again after not seeing you for who knows how long. We can wait” said (Y/n) as they pull out a book Malleus once gave them.

Satisfied that (Y/n) is not upset, Malleus nods & heads over to the throne room along with Lilia.

At the throne room…

“My dear grandson” said the queen as she almost finished her conversation with Malleus. “Before we part ways for the time being, I’d like to know a little bit about the human you’ve invited here”

An immense blush formed on Malleus’s face. “They’re such a kind, sweet person.” The increasing pace of his heartbeat caused him to hold his hands on his chest. “They always partake in my nightly strolls around campus & make sure to invite me to any event, big or small. Even if they don’t fully understand the things I talk about, they’re always willing to listen. Likewise, I give them my undivided attention to their stories, especially the ones of their past. To think that they trust me enough to show their vulnerable side warms my heart to no end.” As much as Malleus wanted to continue praising (Y/n), he was too focused thinking about them to continue.

Seeing her grandson act this way caused the queen to chuckle. “I can see clearly that you love them so dearly. If possible, I would like to converse with them during the Christmas party so that I may know them more.”

“Of course, grandmother! I’ll see to it that you get to meet them on that day” said Malleus with nothing but pure excitement in his voice.

Prior to his first encounter with (Y/n), Malleus treated every day of his life with little interest. To him, it was all the same: people avoided him, he excelled in all of his classes & so on and so forth. It was thanks to (Y/n) that all of that changed. When Malleus realized that no other individual made him feel so alive, that’s when he knew he had to court (Y/n). Therefore, getting his grandmother to approve him marrying (Y/n) was his utmost priority. For now, he’d show (Y/n) & Grim a few places on what could potentially be their future home.

While the meeting between Lilia, Malleus & his grandmother was approaching its end…

“Agh! I can’t stand around doing nothing for so long” yelled Grim as he was getting rather antsy.

“I understand that Malleus has been talking to his grandma for a while, but you must understand that he probably hasn’t had the chance to do so after some time. I’d spend some time catching up with her too if I was in his position” said (Y/n)

“Well I’m neither you nor Malleus! I’m gonna explore the castle by myself” yelled Grim as he left their room.

“Grim, wait” yelled (Y/n) with worry before putting their book down.

Both (Y/n) & Grim were running around the halls of Malleus’s castle, thus causing a lot of noise. As (Y/n) tried to catch Grim, they vehemently apologized to any staff member they ran across & asked them for help in catching him. However, every one of them either shied away from them or simply expressed their annoyance toward what was happening.

Grim entered a dark room & (Y/n) couldn’t tell if they were lucky or unlucky. Regardless, they followed him inside.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Grim. Let’s go back to our room before Malleus knows that we’re gone & panics” said (Y/n) with anger before coughing. After they’ve stopped running, they notice the dusty, dark room had numerous bookshelves containing many grimoires.

“Whoa! So many books about magic~! There’s gotta be one that I could use to improve my skills” said Grim as he rushed to the first grimoire he saw.

“Wait! That grimoire could be-” shouted (Y/n) before being interrupted by a loud door slam. “Cursed?”

As soon as Grim touched the grimoire he wanted to read, the door he & (Y/n) went through somehow slammed itself shut. They both noticed this & had begun panicking.

(Y/n) rushes over to the door & tries to open to no avail. “Crap! We’re trapped!”

“Hehehe…” a mysterious voice muttered. “You’ve done it now…”

“Henchman! Did you hear that creepy voice just now” asked Grim.

“Yes. We’re in deep trouble, aren’t we” asked (Y/n).

“Oh how you most certainly are. To think that anyone would be foolish enough to touch one of my precious grimoires” said the disembodied voice with the occasional giggle.

“Fnagh! I’m sorry” yelled Grim.

“You better be! Such action is… UNFORGIVABLE” yelled the disembodied voice near the end.

Both (Y/n) & Grim were in a state of complete panic. After all, they weren’t expecting to encounter a potentially malevolent being.

“I have an idea. How about I make you my servants? I’ve been so attentive to many books that it’s been hard keeping track of all of them. You can read all the grimoires that you want, little furball” said the crazed voice.

“Never! The Great Grim will not be defeated by some weirdo” shouted Grim with pride as he believed that fighting this unknown entity was his only option.

“Oh” said the unknown entity in an inquisitive tone. Several steps can be heard with each one getting previously louder than the last. A lantern appears, revealing a tall, lanky figure wearing a filthy cloak. Their eyes are filled with such insanity that one should not ask what had happened to them & their grin revealed jagged teeth. “And how do you suppose you shall defeat me? I’ve spent countless hours caring for various texts of advanced magic & have practiced & perfected my techniques”

“AH! I TAKE BACK WHAT I’VE SAID! I’M SORRY” yelled Grim as he’s hiding behind (Y/n).

“Oh how hilarious of you! So frightened as to hide behind your master as if that will do you any good” said the creepy entity. It uses its free hand to form a ball of dark magic. “Let us not waste any more time. One. Two.”

“AHHHHH” screamed both (Y/n) & Grim as they embraced each other in their final moments.

.

.

.

Or so they’ve thought.

The dark magic covered the strange entity & it shrunk until it was slightly taller than (Y/n). Afterwards, the dark magic dissipated to reveal a young, dashing fae with simple robes, short hair & glasses. “Boo” said the fae in a rather playful tone before helping (Y/n). “My name is Sucré. I apologize for the fright I gave you two, especially the human. My main duty is to care for all of the texts that lie within this castle, ranging from simple notebooks to grimoires while my side job is being an author.”

“So what’s the deal with scaring us if you’re apologizing for it” demanded Grim.

“It’s quite simple: to teach you a lesson about touching things that don’t belong to you. Some of the grimoires within this castle are actually cursed. Granted, they’ve been locked away in a large safe for ages, but most can’t tell the difference until it’s too late” said Sucré as the door violently swung open to reveal a distressed Malleus. “Ah, Your Highness. How delightful to see you” said Sucré as he bowed gracefully to his future king.

Malleus paid no mind to him as he rushed over to (Y/n). “(Y/n), my love!” asked Malleus as he spun them around, got on one knee & gripped their shoulders. “Are you alright?! I hope you’re not hurt!”

(Y/n) gave Malleus such a sweet smile that he would have fainted had it not been for his current state. “Don’t worry, Tsunotarou. I’m fine” said (Y/n) as they proceed to kiss him on the forehead.

“Oh, thank goodness” said Malleus as he hugged them for a short while. His smile changed to a frown as he proceeded to look at (Y/n) in the eyes. “Did I not tell you to wait for me? I know that humans aren’t known for being patient, but this is inexcusable.”

“Don’t get mad at me” said (Y/n) before glaring at Grim. “Get mad at him. He ran off despite my warning & I tried to prevent him from causing any trouble around here.”

“It’s not my fault that Tsunotarou took forever to return from his meeting with his grandma” yelled Grim.

“Because he had a lot of important stuff to talk about with her! What part of that statement do you not understand” asked (Y/n).

From the corner of his eye, Malleus saw the grimoire Grim opened on the floor. “Sucré. There’s a grimoire on the ground. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed that given your affinity for knowledge.”

“I was aware of it not being on the bookshelf” said Sucré before using telepathy to put the grimoire back. “You see, that gray cat monster ran into this room & grabbed it. The human tried to stop him but failed miserably as he lacked sufficient self-control & common sense. I truly  did not intend to frighten the human, but I was too focused on getting revenge against the cat monster.”

Malleus said nothing as he held out his hand & a large grimoire materialized in his hand. He then gave it to Sucré “Here. A reward for punishing Grim.”

“Fnagh! You shouldn’t reward him for doing things like that.” Grim looked at (Y/n). “Tell him, henchman!”

“Honestly, if I had magic, I’d put you in a stupid outfit that only I can take off” said (Y/n) bluntly.

Before saying anything, Sucré adjusted his glasses. “If you wish, I can make that a reality. In exchange, I’d like to be given cookies that are either store-bought or homemade. Any flavor will do.”

“Deal” said (Y/n) without a second thought.

Grim, being greatly offended by (Y/n)’s “betrayal,” was about to speak up until magic had begun surrounding him. He tried running away, but it was too late.

Sucré & Malleus chuckled at this embarrassing sight while (Y/n) was full-on laughing. They had to lean against Malleus so as to not fall to the floor.

It only took one good look at (Y/n) for Malleus to start blushing. As much as Malleus wanted to look at (Y/n) forever, he had to show them certain places of the castle now so that they don’t get lost again. Plus, he actually wants to prepare for this Christmas celebration now that they’re with him. He thanked Sucré once again & left the room with (Y/n) & Grim.

Malleus was quick to have himself & the Ramshackle duo teleported to the Great Hall. It was a large, rectangular room whose walls & ceiling had various murals of faes & other races in various scenes. The beautiful, warm lights from the chandeliers help highlight some of the finer details of these art pieces as well as making the room feel a bit more lively. A few maids & butlers are eating at various banquet tables with some small talk here & there.  The back center of the room had a banquet table more elaborate than the rest. Malleus told (Y/n) that they’d be dining with him & the rest of the Diasomnia quartet.

While there were various art rooms throughout the castle, Malleus took (Y/n) & Grim to a specific one that had the most art supplies by far. Ranging from various art paints to sculpting materials as well as sewing materials, it was an artist’s dream come true. Malleus is fully aware that he won’t always be by (Y/n)’s side & that it wouldn’t be healthy for them to remain inside their room 24/7. In his mind, this was one of the best ways for his darling to relieve their stress.

After exploring a few miscellaneous rooms, the trio stepped inside a small library with a large fireplace in the back. Malleus, after remembering their encounter with Sucré, had to bring up the fact that none of the books in the room were cursed. (Y/n) expressed their feelings about the room, including how it would be nice to cuddle with him in front of the fireplace. Malleus smiled at the thought of doing so.

Nearing the end of the tour of the castle, Grim said he wanted to go back to his & (Y/n)’s room to take a nap (Author’s note: He lied naturally as he breathed).

Malleus quickly used his magic to fulfill Grim’s request as he wanted to spend even a few moments with his Child of Man. Before teleporting to his prized rose garden, he gently covered (Y/n)’s eyes with his hands. He genuinely couldn’t wait to see their reaction.

Upon seeing the garden for the first time, (Y/n) was left speechless. It was an endless sea of roses with a large gazebo in the middle. The fresh, floral aroma washed away any negative emotions (Y/n) had throughout the day. In (Y/n)’s mind, this was the perfect setting for a romantic dinner with Malleus. They couldn’t help but think about themselves kissing Malleus under the moonlight.

“Darling. Darling~” whispered Malleus into (Y/n)'s ear. Seeing his darling blushing while daydreaming prompted him to smirk. "What exactly were you daydreaming about?"

“U-Um. Absolutely nothing, Tsunotarou” yelled (Y/n) as their blush became more intense.

“Mhm. Sure, darling” said Malleus.

(Y/n) looks up at the sky & remembers that they were told of the sky always being dark. “How do you tell what time it is if it’s always dark? I don’t wanna miss lunch time.”

“We once used a device that’s similar to a sundial except it ran on magic. Nowadays, we have clocks you humans consider “old-fashioned.” I do believe it’s almost noon, so let us head back to the castle.”

“Sweet! I can’t wait to try out some of the dishes your homeland has to offer” said (Y/n) before Malleus brought them back to the castle.

“I promise you that you will enjoy them all” said Malleus with a sweet smile.

An hour later & the Diasomnia quartet & the Ramshackle duo are at the Great Hall awaiting for their full-course meals to arrive…

“So (Y/n). How’s the castle so far? You’re not scared of it, are you” said Lilia in a teasing tone.

As expected, Malleus tensed up & he too awaited for (Y/n)’s response.

“At first I found it to be scary, but it’s more lively than I thought it’d be. I like it” said (Y/n).

Malleus was relieved knowing that (Y/n) liked the castle so far “I was rather afraid you would regret coming here. I’m glad to know that I’m wrong.” In his mind, he told himself “Hopefully I am also right in (Y/n) wanting to live in this castle permanently.”

Before long, the chefs have arrived with everyone’s appetizer. Grim tried to scarf his down, but (Y/n) tapped his head & said not to eat like a pig. The cat monster grumbled as he ate his food in a more dignified manner.

(Y/n), being satisfied with his compliance, began eating their own appetizer. It was the same, simple one Malleus chose, yet theirs came out last. “Weird. This appetizer isn’t as flavorful as I thought it’d be” said (Y/n) in their head. “Tsunotarou seems to be satisfied with his, so maybe I’m just being picky.” Throughout lunch, (Y/n) kept finding an issue in their meals whether it’d be their food lacking sufficient seasoning or being a bit too cold. However, it was still far better than the food they ate back at Night Raven College. They may not spend the rest of the day (or night) completely satisfied, but dared not to complain.

“How was lunch, my treasure” asked Malleus with a sincere smile.

“It was delicious. I enjoyed it all” said (Y/n) with a fake smile.

“My tuna had little to no flavor in it! How is that even possible” asked Grim in an upset tone.

“Now now, Grim. We should be grateful for eating food that’s of higher-quality than that back in Night Raven College” said (Y/n) with their lips slightly twitching from nervousness.

“Is that so? Perhaps I should let the chefs who’ve prepared your tuna know about this” said Lilia.

“There’s no need for that, Lilia.” (Y/n), noticing that Grim fell asleep, decided to carry him there as if he were a baby.

As soon as everyone had left, Lilia marched straight toward the kitchen & stopped just in front of the entrance to listen to the chefs’ conversation.

“Finally we can have some peace & quiet” groaned the head chef.

“To think that our esteemed, crowned prince has brought over that ugly human is unbelievable! That feline beast was somehow even worse” said a baker before everyone in the kitchen started laughing.

“Weren’t they the ones that caused a ruckus earlier today? I bet they were because this glorious castle has never housed such rude guests” stated a fae chef.

“I hope they leave soon & never come back” said another chef before everyone nodded simultaneously.

Everything Lilia heard was more than enough for him to violently open the doors. His presence alone caused the whole kitchen to fall silent.

“Lord Lilia! What a surprise to see you here. How may we be of service” asked the head chef in a nervous tone.

“You can be of service by explaining why you were talking poorly about our dear Prince’s guests just now” said Lilia angrily.

“A little while ago, a butler informed me about the ruckus those two were causing. They were running around the halls while making noise. They should be thrown out of the castle at once” said the head chef as everyone else in the room agreed with him.

“For so long, our prince hasn’t had the chance to enjoy a single vacation with anyone. That human you all think so poorly of is the only reason why he’s in such an excellent mood” yelled Lilia.

The entire kitchen staff was speechless. They were initially confused as to why their prince referred to (Y/n) as his “treasure,” & now his jovial mood made much more sense.

“I expect that intentional screw ups like these will never happen again! Do you all understand” asked Lilia with nothing but fury.

“Yes, Lord Lilia! We will ensure that this mistake does not occur again” said the entire kitchen staff.

Lilia simply huffed as he left the kitchen. He hoped that the rest of everyone’s Christmas vacation didn’t face any more problems.