A Pretty Thief (Diakko)

Untitled Part 1

Princess Diana Cavendish doesn't have time for jokes. In fact, she thinks that jokes are a waste of her time. However here she is, sitting on her throne, jesters across all nations playing and dancing in her court with a new heir or prince or knight in the middle, delivering the funniest things that make everyone laugh. Everyone but her. She doesn't have the right to laugh, she doesn't have the freedom to laugh.

Ever since she was young, ever since her parents died in a fatal accident, ever since her Aunt Daryl came to the throne, Diana never laughed. She didn't find any reason to, life wasn't funny, it was cruel. Her face was always stoic, her smile was a rarity, the memories of a happy young girl laughing inside the castle walls became a distant echo. Soon it got to the point where her aunt Daryl sent a secret proclamation.

"The person that makes the princess laugh gets her hand in marriage."

Diana of course, was furious that she wasn't even aware of the proclamation herself before it was announced and that she only found out from her ladies in waiting. After a night's worth of talking, arguments and disagreements both Diana and Daryl came to a compromise. The proclamation will still continue however, Diana will make it even harder for her to laugh. The smiles became less frequent and her expressive nature slowly drifted away after every failed attempt every suitor gave. Diana quickly became the impossible task and soon the number of suitors decreased from 100 per month to one or two every blue moon. Diana was infamous as the princess who never laughs. Thankfully, that was going to change in the near future when a certain travelling act, one called 'Shiny Chariots' with one very special laughing girl, came to her kingdom.

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Atsuko Kagari or Akko for short wasn't much of a funny person but she lived a comedic life. Life kept her on her toes and left her in so many dangerous situations growing up that many say she is visits death door monthly just to laugh at its face. Her birth parents were apparently lost in a forest fire that she escaped from because she was washed downstream when she crawled into the washing basket hours before the fire. When the basket was washed up on the shore, wolves went to circle her but she was saved when a brown bear erupted from the river with trout in its mouth and they all left in fear as the bear's owner and long time friend, travelling entertainer Chariot Du Nord sprang from the water as well.

From there she was part of the travelling unit of 'Shiny Chariots' and survived and laughed about the many death defying scenarios she encountered for example, running from a mountain of snakes because the local healer, now travelling companion wanted to get a egg, sneaking into an high class party just because her friend wanted to meet the infamous bard who played over 365 songs, trying to tame and fail a wild mustang the locals called 'Shooting Star', giving self-confidence to a 'yeti' in the tundras, falling and climbing the ropes in her trapeze act and her tightrope act.

She became renowned as the laughing thief who conquered death, laughing because she is rarely without a smile a thief because she has stolen their hearts with her acts and sometimes if her fellow companion Amanda dares her to, she sneaks into rich places to take minor trinkets that they wouldn't miss. Which would explain why she was sneaking into the palace walls at night to steal a few mushrooms and plants for Sucy, the healer because Amanda dared her to.

"Take a few nothing more," Akko whispered to herself as she lands over the palace walls and into the royal gardens. Her hood was up, fingers gloved as she pulled a half mask over her mouth and the bridge of her nose. They were going to stay in this kingdom for a few years maybe, her mentor, mother and group leader Chariot met an old flame of her, an eccentric inventor called Croix Meridies so she needs to make sure she lives long enough for the wedding that's going to happen eventually. She was certain they would get together, she betted money on it after all and she didn't want to lose to Amanda again. Getting caught stealing, even a mushroom from the crown of all places was liable enough for death.