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Elena was simply brilliant.
With her kindness that she treated everyone with, no matter how different they were, her smile that could instantly brighten anyone’s day, and her fierce loyalty to her kingdom and loved ones, it was no surprise how beloved the former lost princess was to her people.
Elena was a beacon of light to everyone around her, and many Avalorans thought of her as perfect, as someone who faced everything with determination and positivity, and who dealt with her problems as quickly as they came.
Of course, she was perfect. To Mateo at least. But not in the same sense.
Yes, it was also the little things, like the way her eyes lit up when she told a joke, her melodious laugh when she giggled at said joke, the way she fidgeted with her bracelet when she was nervous or excited, or the cute way her eyebrows furrowed when she was thinking deeply. But what meant to him the most was her emotional strength.
Over the years, he had noticed how stress was starting to take a toll on her, and this year was no different. Granted, this year she also had chaotic emotion powers and a traitor cousin on the run with one of her greatest enemies. In addition to that, her coronation was drawing closer with each day and a prophecy of doom was still hanging over her head. Not exactly relaxing. With these new hardships, it made sense that it would be more difficult for Elena to handle.
Regardless, she still put up a mask when in public, and only he and others close to her could notice the cracks.
Sometimes, the pain was too much to handle, and she would spend all day locked in her room, refusing to interact with anyone, not even her little sister. On those days, putting up a facade was too hard for her.
Those days were often the days where he would find her awake in her room at four in the morning, having woken up from a nightmare, most likely about her cousin and parents. Even though she was in her nightgown, and not her enchanted day dress, her misery would be displayed from the rainclouds that lined the ceiling, conjured by her sadness, that sent cold rain cascading down, soaking everything in her room.
That was when he would step in, enveloping her in a comforting hug, and let her cry all her sorrows out.
“I don’t want this magic anymore,” she would sob. “I’m sick of it. I want them back.”
Whether ‘them’ was her parents, or the moments she had with Esteban before his betrayal, or even the times before Shuriki came, he didn’t know. Mateo wasn’t even sure Elena knew, either.
Vulnerable moments like these only made him appreciate her more. He knew that spending nearly half a century in an amulet certainly had a huge impact on her. It’s why she hated being alone, why she hated being separated from her family. And the fact that Esteban, one of those former beloved family members, was the reason for all this suffering? It made his blood boil. He had never hated anyone as much as he hated Esteban at that moment. Anyone who caused her that much pain had made a permanent enemy out of Mateo.
But being angry would only add to Elena’s grief, so all he could do was whisper comforting things to her, waiting until the worst of it died down.
He didn’t mind. He would do anything for Elena. Helping ease some of the turmoil in her was the least he could do.
So when the rainclouds would dissipate, and she would wipe her eyes and thank him with a trembling voice, it only made him realize that he would do it a thousand times over again if it helped her, with no hesitation.
Because years ago, he had made a promise. To be by her side, no matter what. And if that meant sleepless nights under pouring magical rain, then so be it. She trusted him, and only him, to be with her at her lowest points, and that was the highest honor. Even after all that, she would still continue to get up the next day, and still treat people with kindness, and still complete all her duties each day. Despite all she was going through, she never let it get in the way of her loyalty to her kingdom and her loved ones. Her inner strength astounded him.
That’s what made her perfect.