Disclaimer: Wakfu and all characters associated belong to Ankama Games / Ankama Animation. GrimGrave does not earn money by writing fiction.

My Knight in Blue

Festivity was in the air; with Tristepin and Evangelyne finally married, the whole Sadida kingdom – and friends the Brotherhood of the Tofu had encountered during their adventures – celebrated their union. Even as evening arrived no-one seemed to calm down and continued on with the celebration.

Yugo, however, had withdrawn from the field where the wedding had been held, and settled on an outcrop near the palace. It gifted him with a wonderful view over the verdant kingdom and also gave him space to clear his mind from the torrent of thoughts that raced inside; each of them, in one way or another, concerned his friend, Amalia.

Amalia. Yugo's cheeks reddened a little and his heart, like it always did whenever the female Sadida as involved, skipped a beat.

Since the moment they had first met, the young Eliatrope had found the verdant-haired girl pretty, and nothing more. Over time they became close friends and, while their friendship only grew stronger, so did the budding feelings grow within him.

He liked Amalia. He liked her a lot.

…He loved her. But it wasn't as simple as that. It wasn't because they belonged to different races; Tristepin and Evangelyne, an Iop and a Cra respectively, had recently proved that race didn't matter, and Kabrok and his wife were an Osamoda and Ecaflip so being an Eliatrope and Amalia a Sadida didn't matter.

What prevented Yugo was the difference between them in terms of matureness. Amalia, despite being only one year older than him, had already grown into a woman and, more recently, a queen, while Yugo aged very slowly.

The Sadida people would probably laugh at her if they saw him by her side, hero or not. After all, he was still a child; a mature one, and a hero at that, certainly, but barely a teenager. Amalia on the other hand…

The Eliatrope king sighed. Amalia was beautiful, the paragon of princesses/queens, but wasn't all about formalities and had a wild, childish side to her as well. She cared for her friends, family, and people, and while selfish at times it was significantly less frequent now. Perhaps the adventures had taught her something?

He chuckled at that, but the gentle sound of footsteps caught his attention and he turned around –

His heart fluttered inside his chest, like it always did when a certain princess was around.

"There you are, Yugo," the Sadida queen said with a smile. "I was wondering where you went."

He beamed – how could he not? "Amalia… Oh, I… Uhm… I needed to relax a little."

"Oh, I know," the Sadida youth replied. "I'm happy for our friends, but it's been hours already! Honestly, the way my father keeps it going, I wonder if he did the same when he and my mother got married."

They shared a laugh as Amalia sat down next to her friend. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did!" said Yugo.

Amalia giggled. "Me neither." She looked out over the kingdom, falling silent. They both sat there, listening to the music that was still playing.

The young Eliatrope king glanced at her, and his heart skipped a happy little beat. Amalia really was beautiful.

…And sitting really, really close. It shouldn't have surprised the boy that she had the scent of flowers.

"I need to thank you, Yugo," Amalia said, breaking the silence. She turned to look at him and her smile warmed him more than ever.

"For what?" he replied, genuinely curious.

She giggled. "Do you remember what you said back at Count Harebourg's castle? "I've always wanted –""

""-to save a princess,"" Yugo finished. His face grew warm, warmer still, and he looked away. "Yes… I remember that…"

"And you did save me." Her expression – Yugo had no words for it. She wrapped her slender arms around him and hugged him, pulled him closer. "My cute little hero!"

Amalia's embrace was warm despite the slightly chilly evening breeze. His heart pounding rapidly inside his little chest, Yugo hugged the mocha-skinned beauty back with a soft laugh. "My princess…"

"Hey, I'm a queen you know!" the young Sadida playfully scolded him. She pulled away from him, soft hands still gripping his shoulders. "But seriously, Yugo… Thank you. For everything."

The Eliatrope swallowed hard. "I-It's nothing… I would do anything for you, Amalia."

"You don't understand, Yugo! I am so grateful for everything you and everyone else have done." She tenderly rubbed the boy's arms as she avoided his gaze for a brief moment. "You are one of my closest friends…"

"Amalia…"

"But no words can ever express my gratitude for what you've done… or for staying by my side all this time." She looked at him, and him at her, and everything around them seemed to slow down until it just ceased. Yugo, inexperienced as he was, knew well enough from having witnessed Tristepin's and Evangelyne's interactions that he wanted so show Amalia his feelings. But could he? She was a royal, after all but, then again, so was he. They cared about each other, which was no secret, but…

…But, what, exactly? Her breath was sweet-scented and cascaded over Yugo's lower face like a gentle breeze when he closed his eyes and felt something warm and wet press against his lips.

It was over as quickly as it had happened, yet this moment – this feeling – would forever be seared into Yugo's memory. When he opened his eyes and saw Amalia smiling back at him, cheeks reddened with blush, he thought his heart would leap out of his chest. Neither knew who had moved first then, but their lips met again, as chaste and pure as the first.

Their gazes met. The young Eliatrope's heart fluttered, as did the Sadida's, and the boy managed to utter few but honest words, "If I may… I would like to stay by your side for a while longer… if you'll have me."

The verdant-haired girl giggled and scooted a bit closer, her hand in his. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Festivity was in the air; with Tristepin and Evangelyne finally married, the whole Sadida kingdom – and friends the Brotherhood of the Tofu had encountered during their adventures – celebrated their union. But even as the party went on, a new couple spent the evening watching the twilight sky silently…but their loving glances spoke volumes.

Fin