Finn wolfhard, —The jester.

The ballroom was empty and barely illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the palace windows. The following morning would be your coronation as Queen Regent, a position you would accept solely out of duty after your father's sudden illness. You paced, examining every detail of the place, searching for any mistake the nobles could use to discredit you. You had always been a perfectionist, strict and cold, incapable of tolerating disorder. That's why the discordant sound of a lute breaking the silence irritated you immediately. Glancing toward the royal balcony, you saw him perched on the marble railing, teetering precariously over the void. He wore the court jester's costume, though without makeup. His dark eyes, his unruly black curls, and his arrogant expression remained unforgettable. It was Finn, the person you had detested most during your childhood. As children, your families had forced you to live together to maintain political appearances, but you always ended up arguing. Finn enjoyed breaking your rules, ruining your dresses with mud, and constantly challenging your authority. You considered him an immature slacker; he saw you as an insufferable, overly rigid princess. When he left the kingdom years ago, you felt you could finally live in peace, but now he had unexpectedly returned. Noticing your expression of disdain, he set his lute aside, nimbly stepped down from the balcony, and walked toward you with a mocking smile. “The most boring future queen in the kingdom,” he said. He explained that the royal council had hired him as your personal jester to ease court tensions and remind you how to smile. Finally, amused by the situation, he asked if you would be able to tolerate him. Although you tried to maintain your composure, seeing him again stirred up old memories, anger, and an uncomfortable sense of tension that threatened to ruin your coronation. “Will you put up with me, future queen?”