#ansem x even
For Day Two of Ansem’s Apprentice Week!
Theme: Friends/Family
Shipping: King Ansem x Evën
I hope you enjoy!
In Radiant Garden, a scientist worked for the king of that land. This scientist was known as Evën. He was a strict man whose mind was always on work. Evën worked for Ansem the king, he was a kind man who would rather run off and eat ice cream than work. The two men were complete opposites, but they had been friends for most of their lives.
It has been thirty years since they met. Evën was fourteen when his father, the royal scientist at the time brought him to live in the castle to be his assistant, Ansem was a twelve year old prince. Young Evën seemed to be born old, he had frown and smile lines visible on his face and was very serious. He never wanted to be around children or teens his age, only to work on his father’s research. But that never stopped the young Prince Ansem. The prince would always knock on the lab’s door and ask for Evën to play, in response the teen would say.
“No.”
And closed the door.
Ansem didn’t accept that. He went to complain to his royal guard Braig, who was sixteen. In response Braig barged into the fourteen year old’s lab, grabbed him from the back of his coat, and dragged him out to socialize with the twelve year old prince. Evën would get so angry, but when seeing Ansem’s big smile and bright orange eyes, he wasn’t so angry anymore. Evën would sigh in defeat as the boy grabbed his arm and led him to wherever he wanted. This cycle would continue for a few months before the teen eventually gave up, because there was no use in hiding or saying no, someone always found him and took him to the prince. Evën learned how to always be at Ansem’s beck and call.
Evën found it quite odd that Ansem would even want to spend time with him, but then again… the prince was an odd fellow to say the least. Prince Ansem would always want to eat seasalt icecream, drag Evën into town to watch him swim in the fountain in which the teen would always drag him out of, make pillow forts in the castle library when the teen wanted to read books, and cry at the end of every romantic movie he was forced to watch.
But… he was also the boy who recited poetry to the ill in hospitals, gave up all his royal clothing to the poor and proclaimed himself a common man, he opened his castle to house orphans to live and work, and after watching Evën study and work he became interested in science and became the teen’s close study partner. They were close friends.
Eventually that prince turned into a king, a man who did not wish to go by the title as ‘King’ but as ‘Ansem the Wise’, inspired by wise men who conjured magic in fairy tales. Ansem’s heart grew bigger and so did his curiosity in his research. Years passed and they became a family, by adding two more guards, Aeleus and Dilan, and soon a young boy named Ienzo. Evën had a soft spot for that boy, one could say that was his son and the scientist would neither confirm or deny it. Ansem the Wise felt the same, but would outright say that Ienzo was his child (Evën’s too).
Currently, Evën was doing some research before there was a knock on his door. He ignored it as Ansem walked in, “Evën. Come with Ienzo and I for ice cream.”
The royal scientist didn’t look up from his work, “I have more important things to do.” He then waved his hand in the air to shoo the king away, “Run along and have fun.”
“Oh Evën, come along. It’ll be fun. You need to get out of this dusty old lab.”
“No thank you Ansem. Go have fun without me.”
The king was silent for a moment, “Alright Even.”
He then closed the door and left the scientist alone to work in peace.
… For about a few seconds.
Dilan and Aeleus burst into his lab, startling Evën, making him drop his clipboard.
The blond turned around in a confused anger, “What in the world are you two doing!?”
The two guards simply grabbed him by the side of his arms and dragged Evën out of his lab.
“Unhand me! How dare you!” The older man protested, trying to wiggle his arms away, “I am the royal scientist! I will not stand for this! Dilan! Aeleus!”
The guards dragged the shouting man outside of the castle gates where Ansem and little Ienzo waited patiently.
“See Ienzo?” Ansem said smiling softly to the boy, “I told you he would come. Do you have the gift?”
The little boy nodded in response as the two large men let go of the skinny scientist. Evën stumbled a bit before dusting himself off angrily, with his emerald green eyes and raised a finger at his friend, “I did not want to join! Honestly! I thought you’d outgrown this by now!”
“Nope.” Ansem said smiling mischievously.
That made Evën’s blood boil. He then turned his back to the king to storm off back to his lab, but Aeleus and Dilan clanked their weapons together to make a barricade, preventing the scientist from leaving. Evën gasped appalled at the disrespectful behavior towards a superior. He was going to say something before being distracted, feeling Ienzo’s small warm hand holding his cold one. The boy then simply tugged Evën’s arm instigating to follow him. The scientist looked at the castle where he wanted to be, then the two guards that were guarding it, then at his side to see the smiling king holding Ienzo’s other hand, and then looked back down at the small boy who was just staring back silently up at him. Even then sighed in defeat and slouched his shoulders.
“Let’s go then.”
Ienzo then smiled and nodded, as they started to walk down the stairs. Dilan and Aeleus then looked at each other and smiled. According to plan.
Ansem, Evën, and Ienzo walked in silence as they reached the town center, where the fountain was. Ienzo led the two men there and took his hands away.
The king sat down on the fountain ledge and patted the stone next to him, “Sit next to me Evën.”
The older man sighed and sat down next to his friend as Ienzo looked over the ledge to watch the water. The area was empty, it was only the three of them and it was quiet, only the sound of water ripples from the fountain and chirping birds were heard. It was quite relaxing for Evën.
“Evën.” Ansem said, breaking the moment of silence, “We have been friends for thirty years.”
“Has it been that long?” The older man asked, “It feels like I met that pesky prince yesterday. You never left me alone, you never changed.”
Ansem chuckled and for some reason Evën’s cheeks felt hot.
“Well…” The scientist retorted, “I guess you matured just a little bit over the last thirty years… But not much mind you, only very little. Microscopic.”
Ansem chuckled again which made Evën give a rare smile in return. The older man chuckled softly.
“I like spending time with you, always have.” The king said, placing his warm hand on Evën’s cold cheek. Evën’s eyes widened and the smile went away.
“I like seeing your smile.”
“What are you doing?” The scientist asked removing the king’s hand from his face. His cheeks turned red once again, “What’s gotten into you?”
In response the king laughed, “You never changed either.” He then glanced down at the ground, “Thirty years I’ve known you Evën. We laughed together, got mad at each other, and grieved. Our hearts have been connected and now our connection spread to more people, making us a family.”
“A heart’s connection… Strong yet mysterious.” Evën said, grabbing his chin and pondered, “A truly fascinating phenomenon it is.”
Ansem then stood up. Ienzo looked up from the water and hurried off of the ledge and walked towards his adoptive father, giving him a small fabric bag from his pocket. Evën watched confused as Ienzo then ran off.
“Ienzo!? Where in the world you think you’re going!?” Evën shouted.
“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.” Ansem said going down on one knee.
“What are you–?”
“Evën. Thirty years have passed since I met you. Thirty years of memories I never want to forget. When I first saw you I thought, ‘I will make him my friend. We will go on adventures together and make the worlds a better place.’ My thoughts that day haven’t changed, but now I also want to make sure I can be with you forever.” Ansem then took out a silver ring with three small sapphire stones embedded into it, “Evën. Would you do me the honor of being my husband?”
Evën’s face flushed, “Don’t be ridiculous Ansem! You need a wife!”
“I have you.”
“That’s not what I meant! You need a wife for an heir!”
“We have Ienzo. He’s our son.”
“A-Ansem!”
“Tell me a reason why you don’t want to marry.”
Evën’s face turned into a sad expression, “I… I do wish to…” He looked away, “I am not good enough for you… my king. There are many better suitors for you. You wished for adventure, yet we never went on one. You wished to make the worlds a better place, we are not even close to that goal. I am not what is best for you.”
Ansem’s hand held Evën’s, making the older man look back at him. They made direct eye contact. The younger man’s face was gentle yet sad.
“I wish you could see yourself like how I see you. You stay up all night to work so you can make sure to spend all day with Ienzo. You make sure I’m eating well when you don’t eat yourself. We help the world together by helping other people. Evën… Everyday with you is an adventure. Every moment we spend time together makes me immensely happy. There is no one else I would rather be with. Just you… only you.”
Evën smiled softly and pressed his forehead against his friend. He felt so warm and his heart seemed to float in his chest. He remembered the time they first met, never in his life he thought this would ever happen.
“I love you… Ansem.” He murmured softly.
Ansem touched his face, “Is that a ‘yes’?”
“You dult… Of course it means yes.”
“FINALLY!” Someone shouted.
Evën’s eyes widened and turned his head around to see Braig standing at the top of a fountain.
“HE SAID ‘YES’!” Braig said pulling a string from a confetti popper, releasing streamers.
“What in the–!?” Evën shouted as Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo came from behind the fountain and released the streamers from their fireworks also.
Ansem laughed, “I may have let them in on my plan.” He then slipped the engagement ring on Vexen’s left ring finger.
Evën’s face was flushed red as Braig hopped down from the fountain and put him in a headlock, “Bout time you two get hitched! I thought you were gonna be an old maid forever!”
“Unhand me!” The scientist shouted annoyed.
Ansem chuckled shooing Braig away from his fiance and leaned towards him, “I can’t wait for this new adventure.” He then kissed Evën, before they both fell into the fountain, making the three guards laugh.
Evën sat up in the water, “I changed my mind!”
“Too late.” Ansem stated, laughing and hugged him.
Ienzo smiled and climbed into the fountain to hug the two older men.
“Ienzo no!” Evën stated, but the little boy didn’t listen to him. He then sighed in defeat wrapping his arms around the two. He couldn’t be too mad at them.
They are his family after all.
