( 10th century — kingdom of norway )

Alix was 8 when she found out that she was marrying her best friend.

Esther and Alix were walking to the lake near their village with some of the other young wolves. They were side-by-side, hand-in-hand. The others were either wrestling or racing each other to the lake to be the first one in. Alix would've joined them if Esther wasn't with them.

"You know, you can run with them. I will be alright," Esther told her friend quietly, she did not want to be the reason Alix didn't have fun with her friends.

Alix looked over at her from where she was watching two of her friends shove each other into the dirt. "I would rather be walking with you. You are a much better company," Alix smiled. Esther blushed and squeezed her friend's hand.

Suddenly, a weight dropped onto their shoulders, ripping their hands apart as a body squeezed between them. Esther tensed up while Alix scowled at Robert. Robert wasn't really one of Alix's friends, he was two years older than they were and he was rude. He just hung around Bartholomew.

"Isn't this lovely? The future Alpha with the future Alpha female!" Robert shouts mockingly and a couple of others snicker. One of the older girls smacks them and shoots Robert a glare.

"What do you mean 'future Alpha female'?" Alix asked, her nose scrunched in confusion. She knows that she is destined to be the Alpha despite being a girl. Her parents have been teaching her how to act since the day she could understand it.

Robert smirks at them, a twinkle in his eyes as if he knew something they didn't. Clearly, he did. It unsettled both of them. Alix and Esther made brief eye contact before focusing back on him.

"Well, one day the two of you would be betrothed. Intended. Afians," Henry smirks from a couple of feet in front of them as Robert goes to stand next to him. Henry and Robert wiggle their eyebrows at the two of them.

Alix and Esther stare at them blankly for a minute before Esther turns to her best friend. "Al, you speak idiot?" She asked. The redhead merely shrugs at the question.

Henry threw his hands in the air. "Married!" He says indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the two of them. "One day you will be married." The two just continue to stare at him, 'cause, yeah, isn't that what happens when you're older?

Robert face-palms. "To each other," Henry sighed exasperatedly.

"Ew!" The two instantly cry out, taking a small step away from each other.

"I'm not going to marry her!" Alix says, pointing at Esther and staring at the two boys like they were insane.

Esther makes a face and spins around toward her friend, placing her hands on her hips. "Excuse you! What's that supposed to mean?" She demands, glaring at Alix who shrinks under the stare. "You'd be lucky to marry me."

"That's not—you're not—but you're my best friend! You just said 'ew' to marrying me!" Alix says, throwing her hands into the air.

Esther huffs and turns on her heel, walking away.

"Oh, wait, come on, Est," Alix said as she quickly went after her friend, but not without glaring at the two boys who were wheezing. "Esther!" Alix shouted, picking up speed as the blonde began to run.

Alix easily caught up with her friend, tackling her to the ground. They wrestled for a moment before Alix pinned Esther, both of them breathing heavily.

"Okay, one, don't ever do that again," Alix said, "two, you're right, I would be lucky to marry you. You're my best friend and I'd be happy if we had to be like my parents or yours one day. Three, it's Robert and Henry. We don't even know if what they are saying is true!" She huffed at the end.

Esther flipped them over and Alix grunted as her back hit the ground. Esther smirked down at her. "Fine, you're right. And I'm sorry for running away. I'd be lucky to marry you too," she said, sitting down in Alix's lap as the redhead sat up.

"Good. Now, let's go find my mum," Alix said.

( 𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖔 )

"Mum!" Alix called as she walked into their home. Esther was slightly behind her, holding her hand. The blonde hid behind the redhead even more when she noticed that it wasn't just Regina in the house.

"Girls," Regina said, turning her body slightly toward them and away from the Elders standing around their table. She didn't look annoyed, if anything she looked relieved. "Why are you two back so early? I thought you were going to the lake?"

Alix shrugged. "Robert and Henry were saying stuff," she said, glancing at the Elders. The men were eyeing them both with disgust and judgment, probably since they were both covered in dirt. The women were just shaking their heads in amusement.

"Very well," Regina said and then turned toward the Elders. "The meeting is over for today. I need to bathe my girls." She escorted them out of the house as Alix pulled Esther out of the way, glaring at some of the men who kept looking at them with that same look. Regina turned to the two of them, smiling. "What am I gonna do with the two of you, hmm?" She scooped them both up.

Esther giggled as Regina's fingers tickled her side.

"So, what's the real reason you two are back, huh?" Regina asked as she collected some fresh clothes for the both of them.

"Well," Alix reached down to get the soap when her mother walked by it, "Henry and Robert were saying stuff. But it was stuff about me and Esther." Regina tensed slightly, glancing at the two of them. "Like how we're... gonna, uh—"

"Get married," Esther finished, laying her head on Regina's shoulder. Alix nodded in agreement, looking up at her mum.

Regina sighed, "you two were not supposed to find out about that until you were older," she muttered.

"But it's true?" Alix asked, eyes wide.

Regina smiled at her daughter, nodding. Esther picked her head up, pointing at Alix with a stern look on her face. "You better be a good wife," she said.

Alix pointed at her back with narrowed eyes, "you better be a good wife."

Regina rolled her eyes at the two of them, silently glad they were taking it so well. Not that she thought they wouldn't. "You'll both be perfect," Regina murmured, kissing their foreheads, "now let's get you two dirtbags washed up."

AN: yes i used the lion king as a reference. 

wc: 1112