Summary: Jude and Cardan’s first meeting as children. One shot. Rated G
Jude was running as quickly as her short legs could carry her through the strange and terrifying fields and wooded areas of this weird place- Efham? What had that mean green monster called it again? She didn’t care, all she knew was she wanted out and back home, back to her mother and father-
But they were no more. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. She missed them so much but couldn’t quite wrap her head around the fact that they were gone. She felt that if she ran fast and far enough away, she could run right back into her mother’s arms.
She hadn’t stuck around long enough to listen to the pretty lady with shiny hair tell them about this place. As soon as…Maddy? Maden? What was that monster’s name? As soon as he had ushered them off the strange ponies and into the big house, Jude immediately began searching for a way out. She herd something about princes and princesses and how they shouldn’t eat anything offered to them, but after that she had split.
She would go back for Vivi and Taryn once she found a way out. Then they could go back home and…well, they would figure the rest out later...
Meanwhile, a young, dark haired prince was fleeing from a murder scene.
Cardan was running as fast as he could through the grasslands of his home and into the wooded area near Hollow Hall. Dain had murdered a mortal and was going to blame it on him. His father would never listen. Even if they couldn’t lie, Dain had orchestrated it in such a way that he could say Cardan’s arrow had embedded itself into that human. He wouldn’t even be able to say the words “It wasn’t me!” before his father cast some punishment upon him.
A relatively safe coward, though.
He wasn’t sure what he would do, where he would go. His mother had vanished and his father must have hated him, his siblings couldn’t care less whether he lived or died. He wasn’t exactly safe anywhere, even as a prince.
He just needed to get somewhere he could stop and think. Somewhere he could calm down enough to garner the courage needed to face his cruel family. Somewhere-
His thought process was brutally cut off as he collided with someone coming from the opposite direction. There was enough force behind the action that they were both sent sprawling to the ground in heaps of breathless fabric and tense muscles.
He would have told off whoever dare run into a prince of Elfhame, but he was panting and crying, and he had just been framed for a murder he didn’t commit and he really didn’t feel like throwing up that cruel front he used to get attention. He just wanted a break.
Jude lay, stunned, on the ground, trying to catch her breath as she gazed up at the star-dotted sky through tear filled eyes. Of course this would happen. Of course someone would interrupt her great escape. As if the fear of trying to run at all wasn’t bad enough in the first place, now she had to fear being dragged back to that horrible house, kicking and screaming. That monster killed her parents, she dreaded to think what he would do to her if she made him mad.
Sniffling brought her attention to the present. She hadn’t even thought to look at who she’d run into- just immediately assumed it was one of the big scary… things she saw around the house, sent to come take her back. But she was surprised when she sat up and was met with the sight of a boy, not much older then her, sitting there with tears streaming down his cheeks.
Jude’s first instinct was to get up and start running again, this boy scared her. He didn’t look like her, or any of the other kids she’d seen when she went to school. He had dark hair and darker eyes. Pointy ears- just like Vivi’s- and…was that a tail? What was this place?
The boy wiped the tears from his pale cheeks with a fist before regarding her with curiosity.
For some reason, Jude felt the need to stay seated. He was crying too. Maybe the fall had hurt him? Or maybe he was running too.
Cardan had finally turned to his assailant, only to find it was no assassin. It was another child. A mortal child. Cardan felt like he was going to be sick.
He noted, as he wiped his tears away that she was also crying. Had she been hurt when they collided? Her hair was shiny and full, and she looked completely aware of her surroundings. Maybe she had been glamoured and woke up somehow? If that was the case, then she needed to get back to her station before she was found and…
There was that sick feeling again.
Jude opened her mouth, intending to say something, anything, to get her out of this strange creature’s sights and back on the run.
She did not expect the first thing out of her mouth to be, “I won’t eat anything.”
The boy looked a bit stunned at this. He titled his head. Obviously that wasn’t what he expected her to say either.
Or maybe he didn’t speak English? Jude tried again.
“I said,” she started, drawing out the words so he would understand, “I. Won’t. Eat. Anything. You. Give. Me.” For some reason that’s what stuck with her out of the pretty lady’s welcome speech.
Cardan rose an eyebrow, why was she speaking like that? “I heard you the first time.”
Jude started. Oh. So he did understand. He sounded funny though, that same strange way of talking that monster and the pretty lady at the house had. It just made Jude want to cry more. Nothing was normal here.
“Who are you?” Cardan asked when she stayed silent.
Jude sniffed and raised her chin, “Jude Duarte.”
Well he had never heard of the name Duarte before. And she obviously wasn’t faerie. If her looks hadn’t already given that away, then her total willingness to give up full name would have.
She shocked him when she asked, “Who are you?” didn’t she know that already?
Cardan scowled, that now familiar instinct to block everyone out with hate flaring up again, “Cardan Greenbriar. Prince of Elfhame.”
Jude shook her head, completely ignoring his tone, “This place is weird.”
Affronted, Cardan barked the first thing that popped up in his head, “You’re weird.”
“No you are!” she shot back with a glare, “Everyone here is. That monster has green skin and that lady had white hair, and you have a tail and pointy ears like my sister.” She took a breath, “Everyone looks so scary.” She gripped her knees and drew them into her chest. She wanted to block out everything that was scaring her right now.
Cardan could agree with that at least. The folk were either beautiful or ugly. No in between. No ordinary, not like the girl in front of him.
The name sounded strange, sounded mortal. He supposed he must have sounded strange to her. He sighed and said, “Yes, it can be.” He thought of Balekin and his evil grins. Of Dain and his wicked ways. Of his own father and the inability to love him like he loved his siblings. Even of General Madoc, always wearing a blood-drenched cap to important meetings. For the mortal’s sake, he hoped she never had to meet him.
Jude sniffed again, “Why…why were you crying?”
Cardan stiffened. He couldn’t tell her. It was complicated and bloody, and she looked really scared. No need to further petrify her. He shook his head, “Doesn’t matter. What about you?”
Jude had no qualms about dishing out what had happened, “The green monster killed my mom and dad. Then he took me and my sisters here. I was trying to go back.”
Green monster? Cardan assumed she was talking about one of the Goblin-Folk. Maybe a redcap…there was no way…
Before he could ask if it was Madoc that stole her, someone was calling out from the woods.
“Jude! Where did you go?”
Jude sighed, “That’s Vivi.” She stood and sent him one last glare, “Don’t tell anyone you saw me here.”
And then she was off, running towards whoever Vivi was. Cardan balked, who was this harebrained mortal to tell him what to do?
He growled and stood, noting that his tail was twitching nervously. Thinking of Jude’s mortification with the thing, and his own inability to hide his true emotions when it was out, he pouted and tucked it into his breeches.
He wasn’t sure what else to do. Nothing he did would convince his father that he had never and would never hurt a mortal. The only thing he could do was face his punishment with the grace of a prince. Rolling his small shoulders, he turned back to the palace and disappeared into the night.
The next day a revel was held as per usual. Cardan was forced to attend, even though he would much rather be up in his room studying or packing. After he had gotten back to the palace, his father had been unhappy with him. Predictably, he hadn’t listened to a word Cardan had to say and simply told him to prepare his things for packing. He would be moving to Hollow Hall with Balekin to be taught how to behave as a proper prince. Though he would still be attending school with the other Gentry.
Now, here he was, being forced to put on a fake smile as if to say “Don’t worry! Everything is fine within the royal family. You can completely trust our judgment on everything!” his only source of comfort- no matter how minor- were his friends. Nicasia was staying above water to uphold peace between the Undersea and Elfhame land. Valerian had no one better to spend his time with and Locke was always in the mood for fun. Despite his usual meddling, he could get Cardan to lighten up every so often.
Cardan stood at the dais with his family whilst guests were introduced. The young prince had little interest in this until General Madoc stepped forward.
With three young girls in tow.
As though they had been trained overnight, the three bowed alongside Madoc before straightening and going back to staring around in wonder.
Cardan locked eyes with Jude Duarte.
Or at least, he thought it was Jude. Next to her was an exact copy, the two girls were completely identical. Twins, Cardan recalled the term. Extremely rare in faerie, but still possible. Still, seeing it up close was strange. He absently wondered if it was like being two halves of one person, or the same person but doubled.
“General.” Eldred regarded Madoc, “I see you have brought company.”
Madoc nodded, “My daughters. Once hidden away in the mortal realm with their mother. Now where they belong.”
“One of them, at least.” The High King stated, eyeing the one that wasn’t a twin. Vivi, Cardan remembered Jude calling her.
She glared back and Cardan mused that he liked her. Liked Jude as well, if he were being honest- which he had no choice in being.
Madoc nodded solemnly, “My wife was… unfaithful. We thought she had died with my unborn child nine years ago in the estate fire. I recently found out she had in fact staged her death and escaped to the mortal realm with her new lover. Justin. The blacksmith if you recall?”
Eldred nodded, following along with the interesting tale. Cardan’s curiosity was piqued as well.
“They had offspring,” He gestured to the twins, “Taryn and Jude. When I found my wife, I… righted matters.”
“You killed them.” Vivi cut in, her tone like acid. Madoc winced.
“I knew the children could not be without a home, so I have taken them in. I plead they take their rightful place among the Gentry, and be granted the right to an education here in the palace alongside the other children.”
The High King nodded, not willing to reject a request from his general so simple as this. “Of course, they will train right alongside my own son, Cardan. The youngest of his siblings and still in school.” He waved the prince forward and Cardan had to comply.
“Say hello.” Eldred ordered, masking it with a light tone. Cardan inwardly cringed. This was meant to disgrace him, putting him on display in front of the General’s bastard offspring. He locked eyes with who he hopped was Jude (He was probably right, he got an icy glare in return) and nodded his head.
Eldred smiled and removed the hand he had placed on Cardan’s shoulder, “I hope you’ll get along. Now please, enjoy the festivities.”
Madoc nodded and turned from the royal family, ushering the three girls along. Jude sent a glare back at them. She hated it here and no amount of nice words would change that.
Cardan watched them go with a strange feeling setting into his chest, not quite sadness…loneliness, maybe? Perhaps in a different world, they could have all been friends.
As they mixed with the crowd, a single name rang through the young prince’s head to a curious little melody.
Years later, the High King and High Queen lay together under a large tree.
Cardan gently ran his fingers through his wife’s full and shiny hair. Quietly he asked, “Do you know what’s special about this place, love?”
Jude pretended to think about it, placing her fingers to her chin in mock thought, “Hmm…this is where our favorite type of flower grows best?” She giggled as her husband tugged a lock of her hair. After a moment she whispered against his chest, “Of course I remember. It’s where I met my greatest enemy!”
Cardan stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. She was playing dirty now…
Swiftly, Jude kissed the pout away. When she pulled back, she traced the fine point of his ear, saying, “It’s where I first met the love of my life.”
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