The King and the Peasant - A Pico x Nene Medieval AU

Part XVII

"The time the ceremony starts will be the time they notice you guys missing. Right at the wedding. Just to make my dad mad," Cassandra finished.

"Pretty clever idea, but what about when he realizes we're gone? He'll do something about it for sure," replied Darnell.

"I'll just have to launch my other plan. I've been wanting to overthrow the old man and take over this place for a LONG time. I'm the one who named it, anyway. You guys'll just have to leave that part to me. You'll be home safe by the time it happens," Cassandra explained.

Steve and Darnell were far too frightened to ask how the really powerful young woman overthrowing the really powerful old man would go, so they just nodded and waited for further direction.

It was 10:00. The night before the wedding. Princess Cassandra, Steve, and Darnell entered Pico's room at 10:30, when Flacit was asleep. Cassandra, entering first. He was restless, laying awake on his guest bed. He turned to the sound of the noise. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of his old enemy.

"Cassandra," he greeted formally, sitting up.

"Carrot top," the princess greeted informally. Steve and Darnell entered, wide grins on their faces. He raised an eyebrow.

"What's going on?" he questioned.

"Well, sire, thanks to the grace of her majesty, you are not getting married!" Steve replied. Pico became even more confused.

"You convinced that old bastard to change his mind...?" he asked. Cassandra scoffed in amusement.

"Gods, no. That old man is as stubborn as a mule. That's why I have a plan to rebel against him!" Cassandra corrected.

"Then you can go back to the castle and marry N— oof!" Darnell began to say, but Steve elbowed him in his left rib. Pico got off of his bed as quietly as he could and approached the three.

"How is this gonna go?" he asked.

"I already undid all the spells my father cast. There are no contracts, your village girl is currently sleeping in one of the guest rooms, free from the dungeon, so no lock spells. All of you can also leave this castle without anything bad happening. I undid that too," Cassandra said.

"Great, isn't she?" Darnell asked.

"I mean for someone who's gotten on my nerves for years, she's not bad," Pico replied.

"Watch it, ginger. Not bad doesn't even come close to how kind I am for undoing all those curses. Well, only cause I want you guys the heck up out of here so I can launch my kingdom domination plan, but still...!" the princess snapped back. "Tomorrow, you guys should be gone by the wedding."

For the first time in literal days, Pico was smiling. Grinning. Wide, too. He was happy. Excited even. To see Nene. To apologize for not getting them out of there quicker. To play chess with her. To be with her. To hug her. Maybe even... to kiss her.

***

6:00 AM. The time every guard and castle faculty was preparing for the wedding. Pico was nowhere to be seen. It was assumed he was getting dressed, or reciting vows. But no, he and his guards were preparing for departure. Most of the plan had already been finished. Steve and Darnell entered Nene's guest room and woke her up.

"Miss? Miss, wake up!" Steve spoke in a hushed, eager voice. Nene stirred in her sleep, awoke and her eyes met the guards.

"You two? Does that mean..."

"The princess's plan worked!" Darnell finished. Nene sat all the way up.

"Are we leaving now?" she asked. Steve nodded.

"This is the one and only time. Her highness will be on the lookout and seeing us out," he said. Nene hopped out of her bed and followed the guards out of the room.

***

9:00 AM. The ceremony was here. Over 100 guests. A fully decorated room. A gigantic cake. Everything. Everything... except for a groom. The pastor looked at his watch.

"It's 10 after," he said in a hushed voice to the king.

"I know that," snapped the annoyed old man. "Where could that boy be?" he looked around, and then at Cassandra. She shrugged. Even though it looked like she would be the saddest bride ever, she was currently the happiest woman in a wedding dress. She was so close to achievement. She had never been this close. It had been thirty minutes. "W-we will have a short intermission," Flacit announced. The room was filled with confused whispering. Since when did weddings have 'intermissions?'

While Flacit was screaming his head off to a bunch of people about the groom's absence, Cassandra had snuck off to the back of the castle, to the deck. Where Pico was there. Where Nene was about to be. That would be a wedding ceremony in itself. An awaiting man. An approaching woman. She was never good with "mushy" stuff, but a part of her, just like Steve and Darnell did want to see how this played out.

Nene slowly approached the boat that was about to set sail. She got closer, and looked Pico in the eyes.

"You kept your promise," she spoke, walking closer to him. He grabbed her hand and held it tight.

"And you waited for me," he replied. He pulled her into a tight, emotional hug. "Thank you. And... sorry." Nene followed suite, wrapping her arms around him as well. She buried her face in his shoulder.

"It's okay..." she whispered in response, holding him tighter. Eventually, they broke away from each other. "I guess we should get going... that chess game awaits us... heh."

"Yeah," Pico muttered, placing his thumb and index finger on her chin. She parted her soft lips and slowly closed her eyes as he pulled her face closer ever so slightly... and... they kissed. What started off as sweet and soft turned out to be passionate and needing. Pico scooped her up in his arms and kissed her harder. If anyone was his bride that day, it was her.

"You owe me eight bucks, Whitty," Darnell whispered to the third guard Pico brought with him. Whitty huffed in response. Cassandra couldn't help it. Before she knew it, the corners of her lips were turning up, and she was smiling. She felt like a matchmaker. This didn't last, of course, for she noticed it at once.

"Ew, positive feelings!" she thought, morphing her smile into her signature scowl. Pico and Nene broke away from the kiss, looking each other in the eyes with every bit of affection that they had. Steve set off the boat they arrived on with a smile.

"Thanks for the help, bullhorns!" called Pico, waving at Cassandra as the boat set sail.

"Don't expect any ever again, gingerbread man!" Cassandra shouted back. She turned on her heel and headed towards the castle, taking her other plan for what Flacit would do when the wedding was officially ruined into action. "Ugh, time get get out of this tight, torture device of a wedding dress," she mumbled.

***

"Y'know, Nene, you're the only person I've ever played chess with that only won against me once. And still enjoys every bit of it at that," Pico remarked, arm draped around her shoulder as they looked at the view of the morning sky over the shining sea. Nene giggled.

"Who wouldn't? You're definitely the most handsome opponent I've ever had," she replied.

"And how many is that?" Pico asked.

"Well, none of I don't include you," Nene answered. Pico chuckled, kissed her on the cheek, and buried his nose into her hair. Steve and Darnell were right about things changing all those hours ago.