𝓦𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝓘𝙩 𝓑𝙪𝙧𝙣, 𝗔𝗡 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗖

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓽𝔂-𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓻

Blaise Blanc's POV

Blaise stared at his sword that laid on the wooden floorboards of the Jolly Roger. His father was the White Knight and taught him many things. Protect those who can not protect themselves, even if that means making sacrifices. Tristan Lily's death still haunted Blaise—Tristan was calm in the face of death, something Blaise has yet to master.

He sat in the center of his cramped quarters—in the hull of the ship—which only made a small bed by the corner and a writing desk. The lost pages were staying with him, he had laid them out on the floor too. His eyes didn't stray from the page from the Storybook of Legends that was his. The White Knight. Sign here. It almost compelled him.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," he called out. Ladeline peeked her head through the door, her black hair braided nicely over her shoulder. She walked inside, glancing around the room.

"Good Grimm, this room is sad."

"Could use a paint job." Blaise glanced up at her. His gaze flickered. "Now that you're here, I've got a few questions for you." Somehow, it sounded like he was interrogating her like the FBI (Fairytale Bureau of Investigation, mind you). Ladeline joined him on the floor, resting her chin on her knee.

"What's up?"

"We're both Royals, correct? So... what made you want to follow Aladdin's footsteps?" Blaise asked, tapping his fingers against the floor. Stay grounded, he told himself. It's ironic since we saw how much of an asshat Aladdin was to Daphne in the last chapter when she and Ali went on their little date! Good thing Ladeline's way better than Aladdin.

"Awe, thanks, Nadine. Wait—Daphne and Ali went on a date? Tell me more later!" Ladeline said. Blaise blinked blankly at her, but Ladeline went on. "Stealing treasures all day sounds awesome, plus talking to a genie would be so fun. Sure, there's the whole marrying the Sultan's heir thing—"

Blaise rolled his eyes, shuddering. "God, please do not remind me—"

"—but most importantly, I'm secure and happy about my fairytale."

"Hm." Blaise thought it over a few times, but failed to come to a conclusion. Think of loyalty and honour, his father would say. But then his mother's voice echoed in his head. Go do the things that make you happy, even if you have to break the rules. This was a rather awful choice to make.

"What's on your mind?" Ladeline asked.

"Well... Now that I've got my page yet, I'll have to sign the Book to fulfill my destiny. But things have changed and I told you my, you know, secret." Blaise had kept this weighting secret for years, but ever since telling someone the truth, the pressure had been lifted off his shoulders. "I've had time to think, now I'm having doubts. Do I become the next White Knight or...?" Reject my fate?

"Did you become the White Knight to please your father?"

"No! I mean, I don't think so. It's just... My dad missed my mom a lot, but they couldn't be together. Training with him kept him distracted, it was good." For a bit. Blaise enjoyed the duties of being a knight, but there was one drawback that wandered in his mind. "If I sign my destiny, then there's a chance I'm never coming back to EAH."

Ladeline stilled.

Blaise sighed, tilting his head up to the ceiling. He couldn't bring himself to meet Ladeline's eyes. "I'll have to go back to Wonderland, my knightly tasks would require me to never leave. I'd never see any of my friends again." Or you. He didn't bother to mention. Heat crept up his neck at the mere thought of Ladeline and him together.