Maritime Memory (Various Splatoon/Coroika Drafts)

[prince x reader]

I hate how there's little content for Prince. Content of him that I actually LIKE, anyway. A lot of it seems to be either people infantilzing him or people grossly shipping him with his brother, but often times it's both. 😐 Take this chapter as my polite request for people to stop doing that.

...I mean, it's just a Royalty AU with lots of angst and Prince doesn't even physically appear in this chapter, he's only mentioned. But I do plan on continuing this! I just don't know when. 

BTW spaulders are pieces of armor that go on the shoulders. The more you know 🌈

× × ×

N-Pacer's room felt warm and cozy as you sat at the table next to the window. You boredly toyed with your empty tea cup, not bothering to refill it, in spite of her always reassuring that she had plenty to spare. You lost your appetite everytime you caught sight of her in the opposite corner of the room.

It wasn't that you didn't like her. She was your role model, in fact. You just got a bitter taste in your mouth everytime you caught sight of the armor she was tending to. When she spun around with the breastplate in hand, that bitter taste spiked. 

"Stand, please."

You did so, though you had to fight against your stiff legs that didn't want to get up. The two of you worked together to put the heavy steel on your body. The weight was more than physical- You could feel the burden of responsibility weighing you down as well. Your heart pounded in your ears and your breath became shallow. 

The only thing that would comfort you was looking outside the window. A castle tower was visible in the distance. Yellow lace curtains danced in the wind, outside of another window. A single candlelight flickered on the other side. 

Your lips almost tugged into a smile, until you saw a flash of a white coat. You immediately looked away. That comfort washed away and was replaced with shame. 

Almost subconsciously, you said, "I think I'm jealous of you, N-Pacer."

She glanced at you, staring for a few moments until she decided to pretend she hadn't noticed your troubled gaze. "What for?"

"You've got the perfect view of Prince's room from here. I'm still stuck with the other knights in the training camp below..." 

She nodded as she placed the spaulders on your shoulders. "You're moving up the ranks. You'll have your own room closer to his soon." 

Her words were meant to be uplifting, but they felt more empty than anything. Especially as the added armor was only adding more pressure, testing your boundaries. You couldn't roll your shoulders without uncomfortable steel digging into your skin. 

"But... He's moving into Emperor's old one soon, so it won't really matter," You winced.

"...That's true." Her touch became more gentle. "The view from up here is still magnificent, though. I know you'll enjoy it."

You peeked at her for a mere second, yet you couldn't help but compare yourself to her. How powerful and prepared she looked in her own suit of armor, which wasn't any different from yours. It was a special set that only the king's personal knight could wear. 

N-Pacer would soon no longer need hers. You, however, would have to get used to it. You'll have to gain the same type of strength that she has, to deal with the obligation that comes with such armor. For you, that only seemed possible in a fantasy.

Lastly, she lifted the helmet up into her arms. The final piece to seal the deal. Dread piled up within you as she came closer with it. When the helmet was raised over your head, you blurted out the first thing that came to mind.