TACENDA // Technoblade X Reader

1

The ballroom was your favorite room in the whole palace. It was the culmination of all of the wealth in the palace - it was made to be shown off. Sweeping archways held up balcony where the orchestra would sit, designed to that the music would be able to be heard anywhere in the room. Floor to ceiling windows overlooked the gardens - another one of your favorite places. The wooden floor was polished to a shine, and you could almost see your reflection as you waltzed along, twirling on your own across the floor. 

You would often spend your free time in the room, imaging the music that you danced to and just enjoying the open space. You were never disturbed here - this room was only used for special occasions, and lay empty most of the year. That's what made it so nice; it was peaceful, one of the only places in the palace that you could truly get away. 

You spun to a stop in the middle of the floor, and looked up to the great vaulted ceiling. Another feature of the room that you enjoyed; it was painted with various scenes of your father's life and the founding of the kingdom. Your eyes moved to the first scene - your father as a young boy, born in a village like any other - overrun with undead creatures and barely scraping along. 

You paced the circle, moving to the next scene of the painting. Your father as a young boy, pulling the precious metals from the earth and crafting a sword sharper than any known to man. The next painting showed him cutting down legions of monsters with ease, protecting his village and allowing it to grow and prosper. 

The painting showed him building the first portal to the Nether and discovering the race of Pigmen there - learning their customs and trading with them. It showed him discovering another portal, and finding his way to the End, only to kill the dragon and take the egg as his prize. It showed him coming back to the Overworld and establishing the first and strongest kingdom in history, extending his powerful protection to villages all across the land.

Your father's story was one for the storybooks.

Of course - the story didn't quite end there. After he'd established himself as the king, he'd taken a wife - a simple woman from his village that he had grown up with - your mother. Your brother had been born first, and then you. Your mother had died shortly after your birth, so you hadn't known her, but your father had raised you well, providing you with only the best education and upbringing.

Your father had made a good life for you, and you were grateful. 

Your concentration was broken when you felt the air shiver and distort around you. Out of nothing, two familiar figures popped into existence - Deirdre and Tarquin. Twin Endermen, and the second prize your father had taken when he had killed the dragon. He'd taken them as children and raised them as his own, and now they were his most trusted and loyal servants. 

Their skin was so purple it was almost black, and their eyes were a bright lavender that pierced through the soul and made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Sharp jawlines and high cheekbones were accentuated by black curls that ended at the jaw. Everything about the twins was long and thin, like whoever had created this world had stretched them out. They looked like humans, but only barely, too tall and not enough curvature for the shape to really match. Their androgyny was ethereally beautiful though - the kind that was almost terrifying.

They didn't quite look like you, but you considered them family anyway.

"Hello Deirdre. Hello Tarquin." You greeted, dropping your gaze from the painted ceiling to meet their eyes. 

"Your Highness." Tarquin dropped into a playful bow, Deirdre following suit. 

"We thought we'd find you in here." Deirdre said as the twins straightened back up. "Your father sent us to come fetch you."

"Is it that time already?" You asked. "I must have lost track..."

Today was a very important day - well, a mildly important day. One month ago, your brother had taken a battalion of men and set off for the northern border of the kingdom, where a troupe of pillagers had been ransacking the towns there. He was returning today after having dealt with the offenders and sent them on their way. In his letter, he had said that he would be bringing home gifts, and you were excited to see what wonders the pillagers would have had on them.

"Everyone is gathered in the throne room already." Tarquin said.

At the same time, both twins extended an arm to you. You linked your elbows with theirs, knowing what was coming next - the twins eyes began to glow, and the air shivered around you, distorting and twisting. You closed your eyes - teleportation was not for everyone, especially right before dinner.

The air coughed, and for a split second, you were suspended in the air, only touching the twins, but then you felt your feet hit the ground again and you opened your eyes to see that last of the purple wisps fade away. The throne room took shape around you, and you let your arms drop.

Your father was perched in his throne in front of you. Your father had once been a strong man - the man that had killed the Ender Dragon and took his rightful place as king - but the years had not been kind to him, and the stress of ruling a kingdom as large as his didn't help. He now had the look of a weary old man about him - slumped shoulders and a patchy beard - but there were echoes of the man that once was in his square jaw and the stubborn glint in his eye. 

You stooped into a bow. "I apologize for being late, I must have lost track of time."

"No matter." You father said, gesturing for you to take your seat beside him. "Your brother has yet to arrive; you haven't missed anything."

You slid into the seat to his left - the one to his right being your brother's usual seat and the twins took their places standing on either side of your father's throne like bookends. 

It seemed you hadn't arrived a moment too soon, for as you sat down, the trumpets blared, and the doors began to open, revealing your brother smiling proudly as he strode into the room.