Crimson Rebirth ( GL)

I stood frozen, staring at Xyra on the ground, her pristine platinum hair now tangled around her shoulders, her dress crumpled in a way that no royal gown should ever be. The silence was deafening.

The princess of the Eldarion lineage, Xyra Eldarion, the most feared and admired character in all of Crimson Destiny was sprawled on the ground because of me.

Oh no.

My mind raced. I needed to do something. I couldn't just let her sit there on the grass in front of everyone! Maybe if I helped her up, she wouldn't completely hate me? Maybe she'd see that it was just an accident, and we could laugh about it later?

Yes! That was it. I had to act fast.

"Uh, let me help you!" I blurted, rushing forward, hands outstretched.

But in my panic, I didn't really think about how slippery the grass was beneath my feet. I lunged forward awkwardly, trying to grab Xyra's arm, but my foot slid out from under me. I could feel myself tipping over, my stomach lurching as I lost my balance.

Time seemed to slow as I realized, in horror, where I was about to land.

Right on top of the princess.

There was no stopping it. With an embarrassing thud, I crashed into her, sending us both sprawling back into the dirt. My body slammed into hers, and I could feel her tense up beneath me. 

"Get off!" she shrieked, her voice muffled by the layers of fabric tangled between us.

I scrambled, trying to push myself up, but my arm slipped again, and I collapsed back down onto her, my face nearly smacking into hers. Oh god, this was a disaster. 

"I...I'm trying!" I gasped, flailing around, my limbs not cooperating. My arms were tangled in her dress, her hair was stuck under my elbow, and every movement I made only seemed to make it worse.

Xyra's icy blue eyes were wide with fury, and her cheeks had turned a shade of red that I had never seen on her in the game. She looked *murderous*. Her lips, usually curved in a smug or menacing smile, were now pressed into a thin, angry line.

"Get. Off. Me!" she spat, each word dripping with venom.

With one final, desperate push, I managed to roll off her, landing face-first into the grass. I lay there for a moment, my face buried in the ground, trying to process the sheer level of catastrophe I had just created. Everything hurt my pride most of all.

I could hear Xyra rustling beside me, sitting up and brushing the dirt off her dress, though her efforts seemed in vain. Her perfect, royal appearance had been utterly ruined, and I was to blame.

As I pushed myself to my knees, I dared to glance over at her. Her eyes were blazing, and there was a dangerous, almost frightening calm in her expression now.

She stood, brushing the last of the grass from her gown, her movements stiff and mechanical, as though she were trying to maintain what little dignity she had left.

"You…" she began, her voice low and trembling with barely controlled anger. She pointed at me, her finger quivering. "You will regret this."

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "I'm—I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—"

She cut me off, her voice rising. "I will never forget this humiliation. Ever." Her eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer to me, her small frame somehow exuding more menace than I thought possible.

"From this moment on, I hate you. Do you understand? I *hate* you."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart sank. I had always imagined meeting Xyra, dreamed of it, really, and in none of those dreams had it ever gone like this. I wanted to be her ally, her friend, her… something. But now? Now she loathed me.

I opened my mouth to say something,anything to try to fix this,but before I could, she turned on her heel, her long hair whipping dramatically behind her as she stormed off toward the castle. The small crowd that had gathered quickly parted, giving her a wide berth. 

I was left there on my knees, staring after her, my mind still reeling. How had this gone so wrong so fast? 

The sound of footsteps approached from behind, and I looked up to see my parents standing there, their faces a mix of concern and awkward sympathy.

My mother's mouth opened, as if she wanted to say something to comfort me, but no words came out. My father just shook his head slightly, as if to say, What did you expect?

My brother Galen snorted. "Well, that went well."

I shot him a glare. This was not the time for his sarcasm.

"Well, let's get you home," my mother finally said, sighing as she reached out to pull me to my feet. "This… this was quite the evening."

I nodded numbly, still trying to process what had just happened. I could feel eyes on me from all around nobles, servants, other children and my face burned with embarrassment.

This wasn't just bad. This was a social disaster of the highest order. I had just made a lifelong enemy of the most important person at the banquet. 

As we made our way to the carriage, my legs felt heavy, like they were made of lead. The cheerful, buzzing excitement I had felt earlier in the evening was completely gone, replaced by a sinking dread in the pit of my stomach. 

We climbed into the carriage, and the moment the door closed behind us, the tension shifted. The silence was thick, but not unbearable. It was more of an unspoken agreement between my family that something needed to be said, but none of us knew where to start.

My father cleared his throat, glancing at me from across the carriage. "Well, that could have gone better."

Understatement of the century.

"I didn't mean to!" I blurted, the frustration and embarrassment finally bubbling over. "It just… happened! I didn't want to make her mad!"

"You landed on top of the princess, Ren," Galen said, trying and failing to stifle a laugh. "I mean, that's one way to make an impression."

"Not funny, Galen," I muttered, crossing my arms and sinking deeper into my seat.

"I mean, it's a little funny," he grinned.

My mother shot him a look that shut him up instantly. She turned to me, her expression softening. "It was an accident, Ren. She'll understand… eventually."

I wasn't so sure about that. Xyra Eldarion didn't seem like the forgiving type. In the game, she was known for her sharp memory and her even sharper grudges. And now I had somehow managed to land myself right at the top of her I-hate-this-person list.

The carriage rattled along the cobblestone streets, the sound of the wheels clattering filling the silence between us.

My mind raced, replaying the events over and over again, each time feeling worse than the last. How was I supposed to face her again? How could I possibly fix this?

My mother placed a gentle hand on my arm, offering a small, reassuring smile. "It'll be okay, Ren. Just give it time."

I wasn't convinced. 

I stared out the window as the castle faded into the distance, feeling like the weight of the world had just crashed down on me. All I could think about was how I had ruined everything in the span of a few short minutes.

The princess hated me.