Behind the Mask | Garroth x Reader

| Part Twenty Three | The Wedding |

A bath and some proper sleep were all I needed to prepare for the party. Lady Aphmau, the saint she is, dropped off my dress at my house for me since she was awake before I was. The long dress was the perfect shade of my favorite color and was tailored to fit my figure. Cadenza is far more skilled than any seamstress I have ever met. Countless outfits all made custom to each person in record time. I ran a hand along the embroidered neckline and smiled to myself. I haven't had the reason to dress this nice in years, though when I did it was never something of this caliber.

A knock at the door would pull my attention away from the dress. Quickly I make my way to the door to open it and see Garroth standing before me. His form tensed for a moment after I opened the door completely. "I'll be heading over to join the party shortly." He able shook his head and looked further down the path.

"I'll be quick, do you mind if I step inside?" Without a second thought, I step aside and open the door for him to step inside. Once I had the door closed he would pull out a small whistle from his bag. It looked more like one that Lady Aphmau uses with her dogs. He would unhook the chain on the needcAlace and hold it out towards me. I moved in front of him and turned around so he could put it on. He would clasp the necklace together and the feeling of his cold hands against my neck when he pulled my hair out sent a shiver down my spine.

"Cold." I let out a small laugh and turned to face him. The whistle was small and slim while the chain was far longer than what it needed to be.

"Lady Aphmau will be lending me Phoenix for the night. The whistle should be too high-pitched for most humans to hear, but Phoenix will. Blow it and the both of us will come to your aid." He would raise a hand and lift my chin to look up at him. I didn't resist him, letting his fingers linger under my chin before his hand fell to my shoulder. "I need you to make me a promise."

"Anything."

"Keep your distance from Zane. The way he looked at you this morning... Something isn't right. He has to be planning something. I don't want you to get caught up in any of his plans." I smile up at Garroth and place a hand on his arm. I can tell that Zane's presence is putting him under quite a bit of stress. The last thing he needs is to be worried about me while he can't attend the wedding.

"I already promised not to approach him, besides, I'm sure Kiki will want my help trying to keep Brendan from wishing he had a woman he could marry." His frame would relax a bit as he gently brushed his thumb against the flowing fabric of my dress.

"I don't blame him. Not everyone gets the chance to settle down and enjoy the married life. And not everyone gets to marry the person that you care for."

"I'm sure you'll get to have that one day. Maybe once you find another guard who can meet your standards, you will be to focus more on romance." He would let out a soft chuckle and move his hand to hold my cheek instead.

"Focus more." His voice was soft, but it didn't seem as distressed as it was. I lean into his hand and look into the visor of his helm. Sometimes his cold touch is far more comforting than anything I have found on my own. "Y/N there is something I ne-" a knock at the door would cause Garroth to quickly pull his hand back and turn towards the door.

"Y/N, hurry up, the ceremony will be starting soon," Kiki called from the other side of the door. I reached for the whistle and tucked it into my dress so it was out of sight. One last time I would look up to Garroth with a smile.

"Before I get going, what were you about to say?" He would quickly turn away, making his way towards the door and opening it for me.

"Don't worry about it. It's not that important." I walk past Garroth and watch as he steps outside with me.