The Crown | "The Moth Prince" fanfic

ৡ 3. The cursed crown ৡ

ৡ 3. The cursed crown ৡ

The stick only lasted some seconds of Arcade's weight on it before snapping with a crushing sound. Losing balance, he fell to the floor and hit it with a groan. Fern, sitting at the edge of the lake, barely glanced his way before grabbing another chip and munching on it. "I think I already told you that I have tried to take it off before. It's stuck."

Arcade puffed, trying to feign nonchalance, as if he had not just made an idiot out of himself in front of a fairy prince. He recovered quickly, getting off the floor and sitting cross legged next to Fern. He stared with hatred at the black thorny crown that laid on Fern's green hair, as if willing it out of there, but it was to no use.

"It's not like I'm planning on giving up, y'know," he answered. Fern looked at him, arching a brow. The smile the boy threw their way was enough to strengthen their idea that humans had a very clumsy nature. Well, as long as Arcade kept giving them this whatever-junk-food stuff...

They shrugged. "I guess so. But the crown won't be easily..."

"Wait, wait, don't dismiss it yet! I have another plan. See you tomorrow, Fern!" Arcade screamed, and Fern barely had time to wave him goodbye before he grabbed his things and sprinted out of the forest.

He had to find a screwdriver from the bottom of one of the moving boxes they had not unpacked yet, but metal was way stronger than any twig he could find on the forest's ground, so he could properly try to get the crown off. Arcade would hate for Fern to not take him seriously. He was trying hard to help them, and if destiny had thrown this chance his way, he was going to make sure to not let it down.

After school the next day, while walking through the forest, Arcade was fidgeting with the screwdriver on his hand, practicing how to hold onto it best so it wouldn't slip from his grasp. His bag had yet another book from the library (Māori history, this time) and some cans of his favorite soda for Fern to try. That day had to be the one...

"What do you want?!"

Arcade stopped dead on his tracks at Fern's voice, lifting his head immediately. He didn't even have time to question himself if he had done anything wrong for the prince to speak to him with their voice so full of... bitterness, and repulsion. His eyes met the sight of Fern kneeling in front of the lake, staring at their reflection, their fingers lightly brushing the dark diamond mark on their cheek.

What...?

"I'll give you anything, I swear," Fern continued, but they didn't sound complying. The resentment dripped even from their posture, and Arcade was willing himself to stay as quiet and still as possible. He would turn around and leave, for this felt like invading the fairy's privacy, but he was afraid that moving would interrupt... whatever this was.

Fern leaned towards the lake a little bit, more urgent now. They hadn't noticed Arcade. They were too focused on their own reflection on the water in front of them; on the way their eyes were not ambar-colored anymore, on their hideous hair color and the auburn streak that still remained, as if the curse was laughing at them. Leaving Fern with that little reminder of what they once were, of what they lost.

"It's been almost a year," they continued, clenching their fists. Their own angered face looked back at them, the remains of their wings barely visible behind them. "You can't keep ignoring me like this. Look at what you've done! All I've had to go through and you can't even tell me why!"

Fern didn't know what their point was anymore. They had spoken to the cursed crown several times already in the past few months, and they had no idea if they thought the provoker of the curse could hear them through it, or if they were acting once again as an abandoned child who only had a god-forsaken crown to talk to.

But Fern was tired. And alone. And hideous.

"Why?" they repeated, maybe for the millionth time since the whole nightmare started. Their voice dropped, just a little, when they didn't get an answer. They needed comfort, but had no strength to even pretend their heartbeats were words anymore. "I'll do anything. I'll give you anything! Just, you..."

The rest of the sentence trailed off, and Fern stayed still for so long that Arcade thought they had started crying. But no. Fern was not about to say «please». Not to whatever fucking idiot had cursed them this way. The reflection on the water seemed to be mocking them now, and suddenly they felt very much angry, and they snapped, hitting the water with all the force they could muster.

Arcade startled. He backtracked just a little, but in such a clumsy way that Fern heard it. They startled too.

"What the hell, Arcade?!" Fern exclaimed, standing up immediately as ready to launch themselves and attack him. Arcade must've been wearing a very scared expression, hugging the small screwdriver to his chest, because Fern tried to calm down their own annoyance. Tried to. "How long have you been there?"

"Uh..." What was he supposed to say?! «I saw you speaking to yourself in a way that definitely goes against your own privacy, you should never let me be close to you again». He didn't want to stop helping him. He didn't wanna leave him alone! "I just...! Not long! I brought a screwdriver and some soda... I can just leave now!"

"No!" Arcade paused. Fern sighed, breathing deeply, steadying his voice. "I guess it doesn't matter. Let's just..." They stretched their hand as if asking for something, and Arcade nodded and struggled to get the soda can out of his bag quickly. He handed it over to Fern.

After a few seconds of silence, with Fern staring at the metal can with no idea of what to do, Arcade slowly took it back and opened it for them. The sizzling sound was somewhat relieving. "Here, it's sweet..."

"Mhm," Fern warily smelled the content of the can before giving it a big gulp. His ears perked up as well as his wings, and finally the air around them wasn't as tense anymore. Arcade sighed, taking the screwdriver again.

"Look at this. I still have some plans to go through," he said. Fern glanced at him over the edge of the can, and Arcade smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. We'll find a way to help you out, okay?"

"Okay."

"Sit down now," he asked, looking at the tool in his hands and moving it around. "I've been practicing all day!"