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In a faraway land, forgotten by most people, reigned a family that was seemingly loved by all. In order to become a worthy leader, the heir had to undergo a trial set by the gods to determine whether the heir was fit to obtain the family's divine powers on their 20th birthday. The first born, Finnigan Von Dassleburg, was soon to ascend to the throne, but he was a special case. On the day of his birth, a messenger from the gods delivered their prophecy. Before Finnigan could attempt the trial, he should find himself a partner to marry and aid him in his journey. To help Finnigan find them, the messenger bestowed upon the destined spouse a magical silver necklace that would react to the heir's presence.
In the following years, Finnigan grew into a dashing young man who was beloved by his subjects for his kindness and generosity. He was especially loved by the women, who traveled from all over the kingdom to court the prince, but none of them were in possession of the magical necklace. Several months before his 20th birthday, his parents grew so anxious that they sent Finnigan out into the outskirts of Dassleburg to find his bride.
On the day of his departure, Finnigan was delighted to experience life outside the city walls and he set out at the break of dawn, alone.
However, that decision got him ambushed and he was soon surrounded by several bandits. He tried fighting them off, but there were simply too many of them. Finnigan was about to give up until a shadow swiftly knocked the bandits unconscious from behind.
"Are you okay?" the stranger inquired as he helped Finnigan up.
"I am now. Thank you for your help there. I'm Finnigan," the prince introduced himself.
The stranger shook his hand and answered, "Alistair." He scrutinized the prince.
"You aren't really dressed for a long journey. What's your destination? I'll accompany you there," offered Alistair.
"Oh, that is very ki-"
"10 gold."
"Pardon?"
"For my services. I am a man of high demand. If you don't want to pay you can just keep traveling alone."
Without much more hesitation, Finnigan agreed to the deal and they made their way to the nearest town. There, the prince began asking around for the necklace, but to no avail. The sun was already setting when he knocked on the last door and now he had to find a place to rest. Alistair suggested his extended services as guide for an additional fee and Finnigan gladly accepted. Money was no issue for the prince.
The guide led him to a rather worn-down building and before Finnigan could reconsider his dwellings, the front door was opened by a frail, old lady. She happily invited the two inside and showed them their beds. At dinner, it became evident that the old lady was very fond of talking. Finnigan had almost tuned her out when she suddenly said something that he found interesting. She talked about her first love, the ones that came after, and how her confessions of love were always received with discomfort. The part that intrigued the sheltered prince was the fact that she fell in love with women. He had never heard of such a thing before and he wondered if the old lady was the only one who felt such attraction, but he held his tongue. Maybe it was the somber expression on her face, but Finnigan felt that he shouldn't pry.
After that day, Alistair and Finnigan traveled through the darkest woods and the steepest valleys, and their bond grew stronger with every obstacle they had overcome. Finally, they came to a small town surrounded by trees. The travel partners walked along the street market when Finnigan accidentally bumped into someone.
"Sorry, I didn't see..." he lost his train of thought as he noticed that the necklace of the woman he had bumped into was glowing.
"Excuse me, might I inquire where you got your necklace from? I am quite fond of its glow."
The woman looked down at her necklace and her eyes widened at the sight. The prince inferred that the glowing was an unnatural occurrence.
"It's never done this before. It's just a regular necklace," the woman assured with a confused expression.
At last, Finnigan had found the bride he had set out to find, but for some reason he couldn't explain, the thought of marrying her made him nauseous. He looked back at Alistair and he seemed unusually uneasy as well. Before he could think it through, Finnigan wished the woman a good day and sought a quiet place in the surrounding forest.
The sun rays that broke through the cover of leaves painted Alistair in a flattering light that made the prince's heart skip a beat. At that exact moment, Finnigan realized why the thought of marriage with the destined bride made him uncomfortable. But this realization put him in a tough spot. In any case, Finnigan felt it would be dishonest of him to keep his feelings a secret any longer.
"I need to tell you something," the two announced at the same time, creating an awkward silence.
However, soon Finnigan spoke again, "I never told you why I was looking for that necklace, did I? Well, this might sound unbelievable but there's a prophecy that declares I must marry the one with the magical necklace bestowed upon them by the gods." Alistair's face showed a sadness that only lasted for a moment, making the prince wonder if he had simply imagined it. "But I fear I may have already developed feelings for another. I don't want to marry the woman we met because the one I have fallen for is you."
A tortuous silence hung over the two travel companions as Finnigan anxiously awaited Alistair's answer for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally, Alistair moved to reply, but to Finnigan's surprise, the response was not delivered through words. Rather, his feelings were answered through an awkward kiss. Still, no matter how awkward the kiss might have been, it left Finnigan speechless all the same. His body suddenly tensed up and he was filled with a kind of pleasant discomfort.
It was clear that it would be impossible for the prince to marry someone else and so he made his journey back to the castle alongside his beloved. On the way, Finnigan encountered many more people that weren't as fortunate as him and he was engulfed by guilt for being unable to help them. The reception wasn't as welcoming as he had hoped either. His parents refused to believe that their son loved another man. In an attempt to prove their relationship valid, Finnigan asked Alistair to aid him in the divine trial that was soon approaching. Though hesitant at first, he eventually gave in and they made their way to the trial grounds together, but only after Alistair gave him his spare dagger. The prince was unsure of the reasoning behind the gift, so he asked Alistair about it. He, however, avoided eye contact and changed the subject.
Before them stood a large winding staircase, descending so far down that one could not see the bottom. Once the companions had reached the end of the staircase, they lacked a source of light. With a stick, flintstone, and a small container of oil that they found on the ground, as well as a piece of cloth from Alistair, the two made a torch that would help them see as they pushed onwards. On their way they had to fight off snakes and bats, avoid traps, and find the right way to the final room. As they advanced further, their torch lost its initial strength and the air grew stagnant. Just as Finnigan feared that the torch might extinguish completely, the couple reached the end of the hallway. The imposing door in front of them was decorated with difficult writing which read: "Only those of worthy blood shall enter this stage of the trial." This made Alistair worry, but Finnigan simply took a deep breath and pushed the heavy door. The room was nearly empty with nothing but a mirror inside. Despite the lack of light in the room, Finnigan could see himself perfectly well in the mirror's reflection.
As soon as the prince approached the cold reflection, a disembodied voice, seemingly speaking from nowhere and everywhere at the same time, addressed the heir, "So you still came even after the suffering you've witnessed along the way? Don't you realize that they're unhappy because of the kingdom your parents built? You're the successor to their kingdom. You have their blood running through your veins and you didn't think that the old lady's attraction was normal either, did you? Tell me, what makes you think you deserve the throne?"
There was nothing Finnigan could counter with. The voice was right. He was severely lacking in many qualities a king should possess. "Maybe I am really not fit to lead a nation". Similar thoughts about his inadequacies started flooding his mind and the prince crumbled under the weight. Then his hand brushed against a cold, sharp blade. It was the dagger that his lover had given him. Finnigan remembered Alistair and was filled with determination once again.
He stood up confidently, gathered his thoughts, and told the voice, "I am aware that I am shaped by my environment and it wasn't the best, but this journey and the people I've met along the way have already changed me for the better, so who's to say that it will stop there? I am confident that I can improve the lives of my subjects, but I will need the help of the divine powers."
"Nicely said," the voice responded before a ladder descended from the ceiling, "You may now leave the trial grounds with your partner."
Footsteps echoed through the room and before Finnigan could turn around, he was squeezed into a tight embrace.
"You did it! You actually passed the trial!" Alistair exclaimed with overflowing excitement.
"Of course I did. Did you really doubt my capabilities? I'm hurt," Finnigan teased in response.
Alistair let go and lightly bumped Finnigan's shoulder, "Don't get too cocky now. You still have to deliver on your promises."
"Oh, you heard all that?" Alistair nodded.
After a brief silence, Finnigan recalled an earlier inquiry, "Your dagger pretty much saved me back there. Now what is the deal with the dagger, you never answered that."
Alistair shifted his stance and he looked anywhere but Finnigan's face when he revealed, "Uh yeah, that. The dagger is a family heirloom. Throughout the family, as is tradition, you give the dagger to your, well, spouse and it then protects the bearer from harm. You know, with the power of...love" Towards the end of his explanation, Alistair's voice decreased in volume. His face was lifted by Finnigan.
"May I?" Finnigan asked, merely centimeters from Alistair's face.
"Anytime."
And with that, they kissed with the same determination as the first time. They were interrupted by the voice telling them to stop lingering already.
The pair returned to the castle and got married soon after. It was such a joyous occasion that even the messenger of the gods descended to participate in the festivities. To the couple's surprise, it was revealed after the ceremony that Finnigan's parents had taken the silver necklace and had given it to a promising household anonymously. Apparently, the magical accessory originally belonged to Alistair, but the royal couple couldn't bear the thought of their son marrying a man. This revelation by the messenger of the gods themselves caused such an uproar that the afterparty had to be cut short. As punishment for trying to interfere with fate, the monarchs were removed from their position and were forced to live a commoner's life without divine powers and supporting peers. When Finnigan ascended to the throne, the people were much happier and everyone could live in peace. He reigned for many years with his beloved husband.