VERSAILLES // Ranboo X Reader

15

Riding was much the same as it had been before - you spent most of the day on horseback, trading jokes back and forth with Arlow and smiling when you would hear Ranboo's quiet laughter in your ear. You were grateful Brigand didn't make you do too much walking - the bruise from the rock you had thrown at Ranboo's knee wasn't too pretty. 

Luckily, Arlow and Brigand had accepted the story that he tripped and fell trying to go to the bathroom. 

Soon enough though, the sun was sinking in the sky again and you were searching for a place to camp for the night, eventually finding a spot that was sheltered somewhat by a rock overhang. The piles of charred wood scattered about the place suggested that many travelers had used it as a campsite before, and the ground was worn down enough that it didn't take long to set up. 

The sun dipped below the horizon fully just as you had finished eating. Full bellied and warm from the flames, you leaned back on your hands, idly watching as Brigand cleaned up after the meal and Arlow plucked at the strings of the pillagers lyre - they had been piddling around while you were riding as well, making up new melodies. Now, they played something slower and softer, that sounded a lot like sleep. 

You fought back a yawn and caught Ranboo's eye. You smiled, and he returned it, raising an eyebrow in question. 

"What?" You asked. 

"You seem tired." Ranboo said. "Do you want to turn in for the night?"

You hummed, tipping your head back to look at the night sky. "Yeah." You said, thinking about the bedroll and the sweet bliss of sleep that was waiting for you. 

Ranboo pulled himself up from the ground and you did as well, bidding Arlow and Brigand goodnight before you made your way over to the tent, ducking inside and flopping down on your bedroll immediately, the cuff jangling as it hit the ground. Ranboo settled down on his own bedroll, curling up into a ball (as he did). 

Ranboo pinched out the lantern, engulfing the interior of the tent in darkness. For a moment, you just laid there, listening as Ranboo got more comfortable on his own bedroll, looking up at the top of the tent. Outside, you could hear the gentle buzz of cicadas.  

"Can I tell you something?"

Even though you could only see a silhouette in the darkness, you rolled over to look in his direction. "Of course." You said. "What is it?"

He paused, and you knew he was probably working it over in his head. You had no idea what it could be - maybe it was something to do with the strange sleepwalking that you had encountered the night prior. Whatever it was, it seemed to weigh heavy on him - he had never taken so long to tell you something before. 

When he finally did speak, his voice was hushed, like he was afraid someone might overhear. "I don't think I stole the egg."

The words hovered in the air around you, and you found your eyes drawn to the top of the tent again. It was a moment before you spoke. "What do you mean?"

The chain clinked as Ranboo shifted on his bedroll. "I can't remember even being in the palace." He said. "The last thing I remember before those twins finding me in the treasury is me walking on the road towards a village. After that..." He trailed off. 

You rolled the new information over in your head - depending on how far away he had been when he blacked out, between the time it would take to get to the palace and into the treasury, he could be missing weeks of memory. "How far away do you think you were?"

Ranboo shrugged. "I don't know for sure." He said. "I was somewhere near the mountains, I think."

From what you knew, the mountains were a good week's travel from the palace. There was no telling how much memory Ranboo had lost then - and there was no telling what exactly he had been doing during that time. 

"You're sure you didn't steal it while you were sleepwalking?" You asked. 

"What would I have done with it?" Ranboo returned. "I don't have a home, or a place where I would stow it away, and its not like I would go to the End and hatch another dragon. Before all this... the most I was doing was roaming around."

You pursed your lips. "Don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way."

"I would never."

"Just because you don't remember doing it, doesn't mean you're innocent." You said. "As much as I agree with you about it not making sense, when you're in that sleepwalking state-"

"I know." Ranboo sighed, sounding forlorn. 

You both fell silent then, and you glanced over at the silhouette of Ranboo curled on his side again. As you had come to know him, you had to agree - he didn't seem like the type of person to plan a large scale robbery of one of the most dangerous artifacts of the day. Still, after seeing the how empty he had been during that sleepwalking state, you couldn't be sure. 

Maybe you should have told Brigand and Arlow after all. 

"Thanks for listening." Ranboo said softly. "It feels nice to have that off my chest."

A familiar ache echoed through your chest at his words - you were reminded again of his gentle nature. "Of course." You said. It was better that you hadn't told Brigand and Arlow - you didn't want them to double down on treating Ranboo as a prisoner. 

He didn't deserve that. 

You could feel the clutches of sleep at the edge of your mind and you gave in to the urge, letting the soft bedroll soothe you to sleep and leaving the tent behind. In the back of your mind though, you knew that this would be on your mind for a while. 

Ranboo seemed to have that effect on you.