A.N: This is a romantic Sephia one-shot that's been in my head ever since I beaten the first game. I hope you guys like it! Also, I'm sorry about the long wait. I've been playing Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy on and off lately, so I'm back.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Cloud or any of its characters. They belong to Akhiro Hino.
X~X~X
Morning crept around the Eastern Kingdom as the entire castle was covered in a thick blanket of snow along with the city, forcing everyone to stay indoors for the holidays despite the children running around and hurling snowballs at each other.
Seda trudged through the snowy town, thinking of what to get for his beloved Sophia before he heard a familiar female voice. The young king was wearing his usual red coat with black riding gloves and his black boots, and he had a scarlet and gold scarf wrapped around his neck despite leaving his gold headband off.
"Seda!" Madeline's voice echoed as Seda looked to find her running up to him. "How are you doing, Your Majesty?"
"I'm fine. And please drop the formalities." Seda said as he looked at the shop, which was closed for the holidays. "How are you?"
"We're fine." Madeline said, noticing Seda's red face due to the cold. "Come in. You must be freezing out here."
As the two made their way to the western house, Seda carefully examined the interior of the house as Madeline took her scarf off.
"I'm home, Robert." She said as she entered the living room, Seda having already making himself at home as he heard the footsteps of her husband enter the room.
"Welcome home, honey. Long day?" Robert asked before taking a look at their guest, who was drinking a hot cup of tea. "Oh Seda! What a pleasant surprise."
Smiling, Seda got up and walked over to the married man, putting his hand on his. "A pleasure to meet you too, Robert."
"What brings you here, Your Majesty?" Robert asked, falling down on one knee in front of the young king.
"I need to get something for my beloved." Seda said, taking his scarf off and setting it in his lap.
"Is it a ring?" Madeline asked, looking at Seda smugly.
"Yes..." Seda said, blushing as red as his coat before he heard his horse kicking the door frantically. "Guess I better get back to the castle."
As he made his way back to Sakura and climbed onto her back, Seda was stopped by Madeline running up to him again, holding a small box already wrapped.
"Here. Give this to her, alright?" Madeline asked before handing the box to him. "Get her alone, alright?"
Nodding, Seda kicked Sakura's flanks and rode off while holding the gift to his beloved.
As he made his way back to the castle, Seda dismounted Sakura and brushed her mane before taking the saddle off.
"Good job, girl." Seda said as Sakura began licking his face before he locked the chestnut mare in her stable after giving her a fresh and peeled carrot.
Quickly putting the gift in his pocket, the young platinum-haired king made his way to his throne room and was surprised that Sophia was already in the room.
"You're here early, Sophia." Seda said, causing Sophia to jump in surprise before he sat down across from her.
Sophia jumped at the sound of his voice before pressing her frozen fingers against her hot mug.
"You scared me." She said, dipping her almost-dissolved candy cane into her cup of tea. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine." Seda said as he took his cup and poured himself a cup of tea that smelled like raspberries. "This smells wonderful."
The two began to drink their tea in silence before Sophia broke the silence by breaking her candy cane into smaller pieces and sucking on them.
"What have you been up to?" Seda asked, looking at Sophia as he put a pinch of sugar in his tea.
"Nothing much. Just getting everything ready." Sophia said before she broke down crying.
"Ready?" Seda asked, confused. "For what?"
Tears dripped from her eyes as Sophia ran up to Seda and embraced him, crying into his shoulder. "I've been forced to marry someone I don't even know. My father has forbidden me to even stay away from you."
Seda felt like the dagger that the assassin held the night before was plunged deep into his heart. His beloved was being forced into marriage by someone she didn't even know?
"I'm scared..." Sophia said, breaking his train of thought.
"Of what, So?" Seda asked, looking at her.
"Of what comes... after the wedding." Sophia said, looking into his eyes. "I might lose my virginity to this guy."
"Don't worry about it." Seda said, kissing her forehead. "I'll be there to stop this madness. I lost you once, and I'm not going to lose you again."
"Thank you." Sophia said, kissing him before she ran out of the castle and into a carriage.
Seda popped a piece of candy cane into his mouth and sucked on it as he went to the balcony, only to find a wall of built-up fresh snow in front of it.
"Just my luck!" Seda cursed under his breath as he drew out his sword and started hacking the wall, only to find himself buried under it as the snow filled the room. "Damn it!"
After effortlessly digging himself out of the large mound of snow, he sat near the fireplace, gently rubbing his now-frostbitten hands in an attempt to warm them up again as he fastened his scarlet scarf around his neck, pulled his gloves on, and rode off.
X~X~X
Sophia heaved an exasperated sigh as she tried on many of the dresses that her mother had bought for her, but almost none of them seemed to fit.
"Sophia, honey. Don't be a sour lemon." Her mother, Queen Julia, said as she straightened her daughter's gown.
"I'm not a sour lemon, mother." Sophia said as she sighed disapprovingly before removing the veil from her head. "I just don't know if I'm ready to go through with this."
"Sweetheart, I know you're scared. I was too when I ended up marrying your father." Julia said as she put the finishing touches on the dress before she stood back. "Trust me, you'll be a beautiful wife to Leonardo."
Sophia sucked in her cheeks as her mother left the room before she threw the veil on her bed in anger and distraught.
"I don't want to go through with this." Sophia said before breaking down. "I just wished that Seda would take me away and..."
"And what?" Seda's voice came from outside the room.
Sophia's head snapped up and looked at the door leading to the balcony, where she saw Seda standing there with a beautiful smile on his lips despite his face being flushed red and the cold water dripping from his hair.
"Seda, what are you doing here?" Sophia asked, looking at Seda angrily before he pulled her closer to him and kissed her lovingly on the lips before he broke the kiss.
"I couldn't help but overhear you and your mother fighting." Seda said as he looked at her room.
"I'm sorry about that." She said before they heard a knock on the door.
"Honey, Leonardo is here." Her father said before Sophia opened the door as Seda hid under her bed.
Leonardo? So that's the guy that's taken my beloved's hand. Seda thought as he remained under the bed before he pushed the sheets back to get a glimpse of what Leonardo looked like.
Leonardo was a tall young man with short blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. He had blue eyes and was wearing a black suit with a matching tie. The young royal clenched his fists as he watched the man bring Sophia's hand up to his lips and kissed it before he left.
"I'll see you soon, my dear." Leonardo said as he left.
After he left the castle, Sophia heaved a pleasured sigh as Seda got up from under her bed.
"I don't like him. Are you sure you're not going to marry that guy?" He asked, looking at Sophia.
"No. I don't love him." Sophia said as she looked at him. "I want to be with you."
Seda's eyes widened at this. She loves him?
"Sophia, are you saying that you love... me?" He asked, looking into Sophia's eyes.
Sophia nodded before she felt his lips gently being pressed against hers in a deep kiss before he broke the kiss.
"Does that answer your question?" Seda asked, looking at her.
Sophia immediately blushed and looked at him.
"Can I get changed out of my dress?" Sophia asked, looking at him.
"Sure." Seda said as he looked away from her as she took her dress off and put her orange one on.
"Let's go, then." She said before they rode off to the castle, where they would spend the rest of their lives together.
X~X~X
Sophia moaned as the afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window and looked at the sleeping form beside her, realizing that they were completely naked except for the fact that she was in her tanktop and panties. Her body was covered in bruises and bites from the previous night as she rose up from the bed and went to the bathroom with a robe wrapped around her.
As she entered the bathroom and drew herself a hot bath, Sophia closed the door and undressed herself, moaning in contentment as her legs made contact with the hot water before she slowly lowered herself and relaxed.
"Ooohhh yes. This is what I needed." She moaned in relaxation as she sunk further into the scalding water until her head was submerged into the steaming liquid around her.
'Seda was so gentle last night...' Sophia thought, blushing furiously as she ran her fingers through her hair to undo the knots before she got out of the lukewarm water and got out of the bathroom after she tied her hair in a ponytail.
After she got dressed, Sophia walked into the kitchen and found the chef making breakfast for the two.
"Morning, Sophia!" One of the maids said as she handed over a tray filled with two hot blueberry muffins on them along with two glasses of orange juice. "Could you give this to the king?"
"Sure thing." Sophia said as she took the tray and headed towards the room.
After she effortlessly pulled the door open, Sophia's eyes widened as she saw that Seda was gone without a trace, his coat and pants were now neatly folded and were on top of the bed but then noticed that his black vest and blue pants were gone.
Setting the tray down on the table, Sophia patiently waited for her beloved to return before she took a bite out of her muffin.
X~X~X
Sweat started rolling down Seda's forehead as he gripped his sword and struck Jeremiah, successfully knocking the sword out of his hands before he fell to the ground.
"That was a great spar, my Lord." Jeremiah said as Seda pulled him up and clasped arms with him.
"You too." Seda said as he heard his stomach groan before hearing Jeremiah chuckle.
"You should get something to eat, my Lord." Jeremiah said as he watched Seda leave.
As he entered his room, Seda was surprised to see Sophia in his room, enjoying her breakfast as she sensed his presence.
"You're up early." Seda said as he sat down across from her and sliced his muffin in halves before he bit into the first half.
"I guess I am." Sophia said before she took a sip of her orange juice.
An awkward silence crept between them as Seda broke the silence.
"Are you still going to be going through with this?" He asked, looking at Sophia's crystal-blue eyes.
"Not right now." Sophia said before she stood up and started to leave. "I'd better get going before my parents find out that I'm gone."
"I see..." Seda said as he also stood up. "I'll see you later, then."
As she left the castle, Seda looked up at the beautiful blue sky. "Time to pay Leonardo a visit."