Chapter Text
It’s been a while since the vessel has been chosen to be Hallownest’s savior, about a month or two ago.
The Pure Vessel was being cleansed by their father after training out in the back field with the other knights. They stood in front of their father as he carefully scrubbed the dirt off their shell with a wet rag. The Pale King drew back the rag for a moment to add a little more soap onto the rag, and brought it back to scrub off the remaining stains on the vessel's shell. He placed the rag down and placed a knuckle of his index finger to his chin, pondering. He then lightly dusted dust and dirt off of his vessel’s cloak.
“There,” he spoke, proud of his work so far. “But we should get your cloak in the wash and you into the bath.”
He heard a knock at the door frame. “Your majesty,” a royal retainer spoke, “I apologize for interrupting, but we have a visitor.”
The Pale King let out a huff and glanced back at Pure. “Later,” he said to them before standing and leaving with his retainer. Pure stood there for a bit, wondering if they were supposed to stay where they were or to follow their father. They then just decided to just go ahead and follow.
The Pale King followed his retainer to somewhere close by the entrance to see that they really did have a visitor, the well-known higher being Nightmare King Grimm. Some of the Pale King’s retainers and servants surrounded the hot-pink being, carefully trying to make his way to their own king, since he could see the tips of the Pale King’s crown from afar.
The Pale King’s eyes were half-lit open, and he let out another huff, but a slow one to hint out a sigh. He wasn’t surprised, but he was disappointed. He tried to straighten himself up and took a few steps towards the other king who finally reached to him.
The Nightmare King took a soft bow, “Your majesty,” he spoke. “Nightmare King,” Pale King said back to him.
Grimm hummed a chuckle before standing straight again. “I’ve heard you’ve had a child recently. What lovely news, Wyrm.”
“A vessel, to correct you,” Pale King replied, “I’d prefer you to call it a vessel rather than a child, thank you.”
“Mm, I guess.”
“What is it that you are here for that has to do with my vessel? Are you planning on something?”
Grimm placed his fingertips onto his chest, “Heavens, wyrm, no. I just came here congrat you and to simply meet them, wyrm. No need to be rash.”
“I wasn’t,” the Pale King clarified. Pure managed to find the kings having their conversation and approached behind their father.
Grimm took notice of the vessel just then. “Anyway, your prime.”
“My what?” Pale King asked.
“Your prime,” Grimm repeated, more firmly this time.
His eyes pointed down to the Pale King’s left hip. Pale King looked over to his sides and lifted his left arm to look under just to now notice his vessel was standing right behind him. He flailed his arms, lifted one of his robotic legs to be revealed as his robe slipped off of it, and made a startled noise.
Grimm started to cackle at him as he tried to regain himself while placing his hand on top of his vessel’s head. But he then stopped cackling at the smaller king to hear a murmur coming from his chest. He opened his cloak up a bit and whispered into it.
“What are you doing?” the Pale King asked, regaining his breath.
“Oh, did I mention I had one, too?”
Pale King eyes widened, already getting the idea, but unprepared for the response. He then saw a small creature that looked very similar to its father, but had black horns and had six limbs.
“Oh gods,” he said under his breath. Two of them. There were two of them now. Just fantastic, he thought to himself, sarcastically.
“Isn’t my child such a dear?” The Nightmare King cooed as he felt his child coiled the back of his neck, making it look like his child is an open scarf. “It’s gonna help me with my rituals!”
“I bet,” Pale King muttered with annoyance. Pure glanced up to see Grimm approaching them. “I’m sure yours will come in handy, too,” he said as he approached them and knelt down.
“Hello, little one,” he greeted. His name wasn’t a lie. He was nightmarish up close to Pure, but they stood still.
“Aww, a well-made craft you have, Wyrm,” he continued as he lightly stroked Pure’s head. Pure glared straight forward again, but now locked onto the child hanging on the back of Grimm’s neck.
The child stared back at them. The small being in front of him was shaped like a friend to him. They looked friendly. The child smiled and waved at them with one of his flappy limbs. Surprisingly enough, Pure waved back.
“Don’t touch them!” the Pale King commanded. Grimm drew back, “Oh but why not?”
“Did it look like it asked? Also I just washed them.” The Pale King had another major reason, but he didn’t tell him that just yet.
“Well, I never-!” Grimm exclaimed, but felt his child flop off of him and flew towards the ground in front of Pure.
“And get your child away from them!” Pale King commanded again.
Grimm held his hand in front of the Pale King to block him from approaching the kids. “Wyrm, Wyrm, just let it see them! My child doesn’t bite!”
Pure backed up a little, but realized why the smaller Grimm approached them. They let out their small nub of a hand for him to smell. The child sniffed their hand, then pressed his head against it, asking to be petted. Pure obliged and started to pet and rub their hand in between the child’s horns. He purred as Pure petted him.
The Pale King quickly glared back at Grimm.
“See?” Grimm said, “They’re already getting along!”
“That’s not the-” the Pale King got interrupted by seeing their kids leaving the room and more into the White Palace.
He let out a sigh, “You know what? Fine. You and your vessel can stay for the while. But once it becomes close to the evening, I want you both out of my kingdom. ‘Cause, I don’t want my vessel to grow any feelings or get attached to anything.”
Grimm grinned, until the smaller king’s last statement. “Are you saying that you don’t want your vessel to love or care for anything or anyone?”
“It’ll just ruin their emptiness entirely. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I don’t want to take any risks,”
“Since you’re their caretaker, you just want the vessel to yourself till they’re fully grown and trained and out of your care and kept away? Because that’s all I’m hearing from you-”
“J-Just go watch your child!” the Pale King exclaimed as he shoved the Nightmare King out of the way and proceeded to walk away from him. “You damn devil,” he muttered under his breath.
Grimm watched him stamper away from him as his retainers followed him.
“Odd little worm,” he muttered before heading off to find Pure and his child.