king-kira

[king-kira]

Valiant || Chap. 2 - The Accolade

Pairing: Eren/Fem!Reader

Genre/AU: Medieval AU, Royalty AU

Warnings: None

Words: 1,710

Available on: Ao3 & Quotev

Summary -> [Name] [Last], the only princess in a kingdom teetering on the brink of war. It's only a matter of time before danger rears its ugly head, so her father decides to assign her a personal knight, much to her dismay.

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Note: Happy reading! :)

All knights were to adhere to the code of conduct, especially chivalry. During the Accolade, a ceremony in which squires enter knighthood, knights swear to defend the weak and uphold virtues such as compassion, loyalty, generosity, and truthfulness until the day they die. Of course, the oath they swore made them sound like the kindest bunch in the kingdom. They weren't. Most became power-hungry and obsessed with the idea of climbing the ranks. The Knights Legion, or the Legion of Honour, if you will, was filled with lazy drunkards and corrupted souls. You had watched many knights change over the years. They start off young and naive, but the world changes them. Your father didn't care much for that. As long as they were strong and hid their true nature from the public eye, they were as good of knights as any. You just hoped that his ignorance wouldn't come back to bite him.

You stood adjacent to your father on the altar. He unsheathed his sword when several squires and knights entered the room. Usually, the Accolade would take place after a battle, when the squires had proven their strength and loyalty to the kingdom, but desperate times call for desperate measures. You watched in silence as, one by one, each squire kneeled before the king and swore the oath. The king would then dub each squire a knight with the tap of his sword on their shoulders. It was a repetitive ceremony, and you weren't quite sure why your father had insisted you be present. You guessed that it was because one of the knights would become your personal knight.

It came down to the last couple of knights, and for some reason, you were a bit disappointed that you hadn't seen the boy from the courtyard. He was a squire, was he not? He was training with the others yesterday. Just as the thought crossed your mind, the doors opened, revealing the boy you had been thinking about, behind him was a shorter man you recognized as Sir Ackerman. Speak of the devil, and he doth appear, you supposed. After a pregnant pause, the ceremony resumed, and the boy quietly shuffled closer to the altar.

The ceremony came to an end, and the newly dubbed knights filtered out of the room. "Sir Jaeger, stay here a moment," your father called out, returning his sword to its scabbard. You hesitated to leave the room, were you meant to stay? Your father, perceptive as always, turned to you.

"You as well, [Name]," he motioned for you to step down from the altar alongside him. Sir Jaeger nervously approached and kneeled in front of your father.

"Your highness," he addressed your father.

"I believe both Sir Ackerman and the instructor discussed this matter with you?" the king asked, to which Sir Jaeger only nodded. "Right, [Name], Sir Jaeger will be your personal knight. He must protect you and only you, no matter the cost." your father sure had a way of putting things grimly, you could feel your hands become clammy, and you couldn't imagine how nervous the knight kneeling before you was feeling. Unsure of what to say, you nodded, fiddling with a frilly piece of fabric that lined your dress. Your father gave you a look that you could only describe as stern before leaving the room.

Now it was just you and a stranger, a stranger that has to follow you around everywhere you go in case of the rare occurrence that you are attacked within your own home. You couldn't blame him, though; you doubted he wanted to follow you around every day.

"Ther- there's no reason to bow any longer," you stuttered, eyeing him as he kneeled. He hastily stood to his feet as if following a command. You felt your heart pang at the thought. He didn't seem to speak much. Is this how it's going to be? Was he going to remain silent and follow your every command? You supposed that's what a personal knight was meant to do, but it was a bit saddening to think about. You tried not to let your disappointment show, but he seemed like the perceptive type. When he spoke, it confirmed your suspicions.

"What's wrong, princess?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. I- uh, I just got lost in thought," you explained with hesitation. "You need to need to get your gear from the armoury, don't you?" you asked upon further examination of the boy. He was clad in a pair of boots, trousers, and a green tunic. He nodded in response.

"Why don't you go receive your gear while I head to the library?" you suggested as you began to walk. Sir Jaeger followed a few steps behind you.

"I don't believe I'm allowed to leave your side during my shift, princess," he replied. Part of you wished he had forgotten the oath he had sworn minutes ago, it was a foolish wish, but you were a foolish girl wishing for a crumb of freedom.

"I wouldn't tell anyone," you stated simply as if you were bartering for an item or service of some sort.

"Uh, my apologies, but I don't fancy getting scolded my first day on the job," he let out an awkward chuckle.

"Well, you can't go without your armour. I suppose we'll just have to head over to the armoury together."

________

One thing not many people knew about the castle was its many secret passages. They were once used as escape routes if when castle came under siege. The kingdom has been at peace with neighbouring nations for decades until now, so your father had them sealed up when you were little, but not before you found out about the one in your bedroom. You hadn't unsealed it in years because you never needed to, but now that you had a personal knight waiting outside your door, you finally had a reason. You didn't consider yourself very mischievous, but your father brought it upon himself. You doubted the castle would be attacked anytime soon. The neighbouring nation would more than likely attack a fort on the outskirts first. It's with these thoughts in your mind that you decide to push aside your dresser as quietly as possible and peel back the floral wallpaper that covered a hatch. Crouching down, you opened the hatch and entered the small crawlspace. Further down was a more spacious tunnel that led to a staircase.

You kept one hand on the stone brick wall to guide yourself through the darkness. The stench of mould and mildew was pungent, and out of the corner of your eye, you see something scurry across the floor. Yeah, no one had been down here in years, and you had half the mind to turn around and go back to sleep. Alas, you proceeded down the stairs, careful not to trip. Finally, you reached the end of the narrow passage. You pushed a rickety wooden door open and lantern light filtered out the darkness.

The passage led to the underground dungeons. You hadn't been down here often but recognized it by the iron doors that lined the hallway. Your eyes scanned the area. Odd, there weren't any guards present. You guessed it was your lucky day.

__________

Alone, at last, you sat down at your usual spot by the courtyard. You reached for your book and opened it to the page where you had left off on. The usual sound of swords clashing was no longer present. You supposed it was because most of the squires were knighted yesterday.

"You're quite the troublemaker, aren't you?" a voice startled you, causing your body to jolt. You whipped your head around and came face to face, or rather face to helm, with Sir Jaeger. You eyed his armour. It was different from most low-ranking knights, more intricate, and if you had to guess, crafted from a stronger metal. Though, you suppose he wasn't low-ranking since he was assigned to protect you. Thinking about it now, why was he assigned to you? He was a squire only yesterday. You expected someone more experienced. Perhaps, his swordsmanship was just that excellent.

"If you keep this up, you'll get me in trouble," he said, breaking your train of thought. You took a moment to watch as he sat down beside you before speaking up. "You wouldn't get in trouble. I'd just tell my father that it was my fault," you said, shaking your head and turning your attention back to the book on your lap.

"Not sure that's how it works, princess," he murmured.

"How'd you find me anyway?" you decided to change the topic.

"Well, it was getting late, so I decided to check on you only to find that you weren't even there, and there was an open hatch in the wall," he explained. "I went through the passage, and I figured I'd check the courtyard since I've seen you here often," he finished. You gave a curt nod, letting the conversation lapse.

"What're you reading?" the boy inquired after a long pause. He leaned closer to take a peek at your book. You slammed it shut, feeling warmth rise to your cheeks. "Love in Turmoil? Didn't take you for the romantic type," he laughed, and you huffed, giving him a shove.

"Yeah, so what?" you snapped back.

"Nothing wrong with it," the turquoise eyed boy raised his hands in defence.

"Right," you said, rolling your eyes.

"Look, uh- I know you're not too fond of the whole personal knight thing. I'm sorry, but once this whole 'on the brink of war' thing passes, things will go back to normal," he attempted to reassure you, and you began to feel a bit bad. You shouldn't be giving him such a hard time, but there's so much frustration boiling within you that has nowhere to go. You exhale and turn to face him.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I just..." You paused to think of the right words. A wistful sigh slipped past your lips, and you turned your gaze heavenward. You watched as two birds soared across the sky, and that's when it happened. In an instant, the world around you began to crumble.

#eren x reader #eren x you #eren jeager x reader #eren x y/n #eren jäger #eren aot #aot x reader #aot #snk #snk x reader #armin arlert #mikasa ackerman #levi ackerman #eren yaeger x reader #eren yeager #medieval au #royalty au #my writing

[king-kira]

Valiant || Chap. 1 - Knights in Training

Pairing: Eren/Fem!Reader

Genre/AU: Medieval AU, Royalty AU

Warnings: None

Words: 818

Available on: Ao3 & Quotev

Summary -> [Name] [Last], the only princess in a kingdom teetering on the brink of war. It's only a matter of time before danger rears its ugly head, so her father decides to assign her a personal knight, much to her dismay.

|| Next Chapter ->

Note: Hey everyone! I decided to make a medieval AU for fun. This will be a mini-series, so it'll be 6-10 chapters in length. Speaking of length, this first chapter is rather short as it is mostly introductory. Future chapters will be longer. Thanks for reading!

The courtyards were alive with the sounds of swords clashing and metal scraping. It wasn't too often that you watched the knights train, but every once in a while, you'd sit off to the side with a book in hand. A few pages into the book and you'd wind up distracted by the ongoing training sessions. Your father didn't like it when you wandered the castle alone, but you figured you oughta get out every once in a while. So, to his dismay, sometimes you'd sneak off to the courtyard early afternoon when you didn't have any lessons to attend.  You looked up from your book when you heard the instructor begin shouting. He was an awfully loud man, looked intimidating, and you supposed he was. He scared the hell out of you and the knights in training as well.  "Pay attention, Jaeger," the man shouted at a boy not much older than you. "You lose focus during a real battle, and your head will be severed!" the instructor shouted before walking off to scold another pair of students. Your eyes lingered on the boy for a moment too long. You hastily looked back towards your book when he gave you a sidelong glance. You tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear before hesitantly glancing back up. The boy was no longer looking in your direction much to your pounding heart's relief.  You finally noticed just how many new recruits there were, and you began to wonder if there was a reason for the sudden increase.  “M’lady,” a stuttering voice interrupted your train of thought. You turned to watch a trembling maid clumsily bow. You offered a soft smile in hopes of easing her nerves. “The king has requested your presence,” she spoke quietly, her eyes squeezed shut.  “Thank you, you’re dismissed,” you said as you closed the book in your lap and began to smooth out the frills of your skirt. Darn thing, it never ceased to get in the way of even the easiest of tasks. You heard the maids quickened footsteps as they receded down the path. You tucked the leather-covered book under your arm and were about to walk away when you stopped yourself. You looked back towards the open courtyard, your eyes seeking out a certain brown-haired boy. When your eyes landed on him, he was staring right back at you. You gave a small wave before turning and ambling down the path toward the castle.

As you approached the double doors that lead to the throne room, you recognized your father’s footfall on the stairs. You twirled around and came face to face with the older man. “You called for me, father?” you questioned. “This is a matter better spoken about in private,” his voice came out barely above a whisper as he hastily ushered you into the throne room, closing the doors behind him. You followed him to his throne, stopping in front of him and watching as he took his seat. “My dear, the world is a beautiful place,” oh, another one of these talks. Surely visiting the courtyard every once in a while wasn’t such a dangerous thing. You opened your mouth to voice your opinion, but he saw the look in your eyes and promptly cut you off. “A cruel one as well. Our nation is teetering on the brink of war and I’m afraid that there is no avoiding the danger that puts you in,” tension began to cascade down the room's walls as the King continued to speak. “You must be protected at all times, and that is why I’ll be assigning you a personal knight,” he finished and let his words sink in amongst the silence. He watched as you mulled over your thoughts for a short moment. “Father,” you took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching your fists. “You know that I care for my privacy,” you restrained yourself and feigned a calm exterior. “It is for your protection. I don’t do this without reason, and it is within my authority to enforce it. There will be no further arguments on the matter,” he spoke sternly, and you knew there was no arguing with him as much as you wanted to. “You may go, and stay out of the courtyard,” he gestured to the doors. With a huff, you turned and swiftly left. You always detested the idea of a personal knight, of course, you had it coming. As much as you wanted to disagree with your father, you weren’t dumb, and he was right. Something bad was going to happen; a war was going to happen.

#eren x reader #eren x you #eren jeager x reader #eren x y/n #eren jäger #eren aot #aot x reader #aot #snk #snk x reader #armin arlert #mikasa ackerman #levi ackerman #eren yaeger x reader #eren yeager #medieval au #royalty au #my writing

[king-kira]

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