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#royalty writing?
inky-duchess · 7 months
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Fantasy Guide to Royal Children - Heirs and Spares
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The lives of Princesses and Princes are of interest to most fantasy writers, it's where many of our heroes, side characters and antagonists hail from. But what is there life like? Is it always ballgrowns and servants? Or something more?
A Strict Order of Precedence
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The first thing to know about royal children and siblings is that there's a very strict precedence of importance. Is it fair? No. But this is a system, it doesn't have to be fair. The heir comes first without argument. They are the most important child, they are always greeted first, they are the one to stand next to the monarch or their parents at occasions, they literally go first - and this doesn't change with age, if the heir is the youngest, they still have precedence over their siblings. After the heir, order of predence goes by age and the order effects the life of the children. For example, the older sister will marry begore any of her sisters. This order of deference will be so engrained in your character's life that they will believe it the norm and rarely question it, it probably won't spark any in-fighting.
Accommodation & Staff
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Royal children are usually raised one of two ways. Either they are raised at court, in the same Palace as their parents or they are raised away from court under the care of trusted servants. Being raised away from their parents isn't a sign of remoteness or dislike or terrible parenting, it was a way of break a child into the constraints of royal life while giving them freedom of scrunity or danger. Usually these children are raised in the countryside for their health, as cities are usually cesspits for disease. Their parents would come to visit them or allow them to visit them at court. Children raised at court are raised with a higher level of scrunity and attention. They will be in the public eye.
Royal children will always be surrounded by staff. There will be nurses to wash and dress them, nannies to discipline and direct them, guards to protect them and usually, a guardian known as a governess to run their household and care for their needs. Staff are not allowed to hit royal children and must obey their commands. Some royal children were very close to their staff:
Kat Ashley and Elizabeth I
Baroness Lehzen and Queen Victoria
Klementy Grigorievich Nagorny and the Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich
Lala Bill and Prince John
However, some royal children faced neglect from their staff. George VI was abused by his nanny, who would pinch him during important occasions, openly favour his elder brother over him and deny him food, which many have been a cause of his speech impediment. After the Russian Revolution, another of the Tsarevich's nannies proved less loyal than the other. Andrei Yeremeyevich Derevenko abandoned his charge, but not before ordering the boy around and insulting him.
Day to Day Life
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Royal children would be educated withing their home by tutors. They would usually take lessons all together (the heir may take other lessons). A royal child would recieve an education in languages, arithmetic, geography, etiquette, dancing, music, sports such as riding and literature. Sometimes they would even share lessons with the children of trusted nobles or their cousins. Only the heir will be taught statecraft and how to reign. There is no rhyme nor reason a spare would learn how to rule.
Some royal children are taught the value of their position. Many royal children will be raised strictly to adhere to their social standing and their place in it. Some children may be raised in isolation, kept from mingling and raised to think of themselves as higher than those around them. Some royal families preferred to raise their children as "normal" as possible. The last Romanov children slept in camp beds, with no pillows and we're expected to tidy their own rooms and help the servants. They didn't even use their proper titles, they were called by their names and given a tight monthly allowance to spend. Alexandra of Denmark and her sisters used to make their own clothes. Some royal children could even be encouraged to play with the children of servants and staff as well as nobility (Kolya Derevenko and Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich, Winifred Thomas and Prince John). Companionship was a great honour for noble and common child alike as sometimes, they would be invited to live or be educated alongside by the royal children.
Royal children will not undertake royal duties until they are of age. Younger children be be present for large scale events such as jubilees but would not be expected to partake in any duties themselves. When they are of age, they will usually be granted an annual allowance, be invited to social events, invited to be patrons of charities and participate in royal duties.
Heir Vs Spare
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Heirs have more responsibility, all the prestige, more power but they have less freedom, less room to explore their own lives and be expected to always be the epitome of perfect. Heirs will be given responsibilities in government, sitting in on state meetings or undertaking state duties.
Spares have little in the way of real power but have the ability to live less regimental lives and gave more agency in their personal lives. Spares may act as ambassadors to other nations or undertake state visits on behalf of the monarchy or even take positions in the army. Spares are encouraged to find positions to support themselves outside the family, either in a marriage or undertaking some service to the country. Spares who stay in the country, tend to act as unofficial advisers to their sibling when they become monarch.
All Grown Up
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When royal children grow up, there are usually certain expectations and limitations.
Heirs will be married quickly, the lineage must be secure. Heirs will usually marry either as part of a political alliance or marry somebody suitable - from a good family, the right background, and able to fit into a certain mould (i.e malleable, amiable and loyal). They will be expected to focus on the country, it's needs and support the monarch at all times. Their social circles will be scruntised, their every move will be noted and remarked upon. Heirs will never gave to worry about funding their lifestyle, the Crown is their job and it supports them.
Spares can marry or remain single if they choose, (but if the monarch instructs them go marry they must). Spares can travel, they can be idle, they can even persue amusements not permitted for the heir. Spares can win glory on the battlefield and mix with all sorts of people. That isn't to say spares are useless, spares often occupy very important spaces in society and government. Spares will usually take these positions not for just status but also for the pay. This is why spares are granted royal titles such as dukedoms (they can make money off the lands, be able to build a dynasty for themselves and their heirs and gain status).
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master-xochimilli · 6 months
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Watching as the pretty little prince falls apart and his eyes glaze over with just a simple caress of my fingers between the wet drippy folds of his royal pussy
Such a good boy~ Biting onto his crown as to not alert the guards... to try to hide his sweet moans and whines as I fuck his tight cunt~
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how deep is your devotion? ; satoru gojo
synopsis; you’re his knight, and he’s your prince. if only it were that simple.
word count; 6.6k
contents; satoru gojo/reader, gn!reader, royalty au (..but no effort put into making it historically accurate in any way oops), knight!reader x prince!toru!!, childhood friends, mutual pining, fluffy overall, some hurt/comfort too, vague allusions to abuse (reader is punished by one of the castle maids as a child but it’s only really hinted at), knight!reader is horrendously devoted but prince!gojo is arguably worse, he would burn the world down if u asked nicely <3
a/n; big big BIG thank u to @softgirlgonehaywire for having the biggest brain in the world and infecting me w this concept <33 if u pay attention while reading u can tell the exact moment i started slowly spiraling into insanity
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you are five years old when you meet the prince.
five years old, a mere child, and too young to be blinded by such brilliance. too young to be where you are; curled up in a dark alley, back against a grimy brick wall, covered in bruises. like a beaten dog — scrawny and afraid. waiting for a strike that never comes.
the boy in front of you is also five years old, but you don’t know that. something in him looks older, somehow, something in the way he carries himself. like he doesn’t have anything to be afraid of. like he’s never even felt fear. he parts his lips and speaks like he has the right to, like he’s comfortable in his own skin, a radiance so blinding you could mistake him for the sun. too much for you to bear.
”does it hurt?”
the words fall on deaf ears. but you flinch, your body reacts, a tremble down your tiny spine. you hear the sound but not the words. too mesmerized, too paralyzed, unable to look away from the blue of his eyes, painted with rich watercolour hues. seeping into the world around you like ink on paper, cobalt and aquamarine and something else, something you’ve never seen before —
a blue so jarring it makes you shiver.
the boy has an innocent face. almost girlish, plump cheeks and long lashes, clean clothes and smooth skin. a little too pretty to be out here, you think, in this part of town — too pure to be anywhere near someone like you. he’s above you, that much you can tell. a pretty, innocent face, untouched by dirt or ache; the face of royalty. an entirely different species.
there’s something keen in his eyes, a contrast to his childlike features. a sharp gaze, something that sees through you, something that won’t look away. something mildly frightening. enough to have you cowering in fear, hugging your knees closer to your chest.
but then he smiles. and it’s sincere. sweet, vibrant, all honey and milk and a world you cannot reach.
a smile so captivating you take his outstretched hand, and let him drag you away to god-knows-where.
(that's how it begins. the dynamic that’ll follow you into your adult lives; satoru takes the lead, and you follow. no matter where he’s going.)
satoru gojo, as you soon come to learn, is the prince of the nation you reside in. the only child of the royal family, born with talent and prestige, fame and fortune, set to become king. a different species, indeed.
but he brings you home with him, to a castle so grand you feel as if your very presence is an insult to the architects who designed it, and convinces his parents to let you stay. it’s surprising, but you don’t protest; following him like a puppy at his trail. and he’s stubborn, insistent, demanding that he get to keep said puppy. 
the king and queen don’t care one way or another. they glance at you with apathy, and tell satoru to do what he wants — but convincing the scary and displeased castle maids takes some work. 
satoru doesn’t waver, though. he holds your hand in his, and demands that you be treated with respect.
and he wins. he always wins.
that’s how you become the prince’s playmate. raised alongside him, allowed to stay close, eat from the same food. he won’t settle for anything less. defending your honour, always, before you even know what honour means. before you care.
time passes slowly. joyously. every day is a new adventure, as you attempt to get used to the miracle that is your new life — sweet and silky, apricot blossoms and fresh peaches, duvet pillows and a bubbly laughter you didn’t know you still had. he coaxes it out of you, with every secret midnight outing, every bout of mischief he drags you both into. 
satoru has nice hands, uncalloused palms, fingers that grasp yours and don’t let go. he takes you outside, to see the stars, to catch fireflies in the dark of night on top of the hill that oversees the castle. to take a dip in the river just below it, gleaming a silver hue under the blue shade of the moon. you worry about getting in trouble, but he reassures you — the prince can do what he wants.
that might be true, but you are no prince. not even close. satoru may safeguard you, but all you’ll ever be in the eyes of the world is a stray he got to keep.
and one time, only one time, you do face the repercussions of your midnight outings. you, and you alone. a bad influence — seething words, buzzing in your ears. an angry castle maid, and a stinging pain in your cheek. blurry tears. 
but that’s an incident no one in the castle dares to speak of.
(you’ll never forget that look in his eyes.)
satoru is an odd boy. he keeps you close, always, clinging to you like he needs you to breathe. you don’t understand why, but you’ve learned not to question him. the castle guards all know you as the prince’s best friend, and some part of you knows that’s all you’ll ever amount to. but you don’t mind.
because you love him. at five years old, six years old, seven and beyond, you love him. satoru gojo, the kindest boy in the stratosphere. 
a boy who keeps finding you, no matter where you are, who tugs you along as naturally as the rise of the sun. who raids kitchen cabinets with you and always makes you laugh, little giggles and chuckles that have him beaming proudly. a boy who cleans your wounds with a serious expression, and tells you that he’ll protect you forever. 
(you tell yourself the same. that you’ll protect him forever and ever, until you run out of air to breathe. a boy so sweet you’d die for him.)
a pledge is made. you make it before you know what a pledge is. pledging to protect him, to become his sword, because even as a child you understand that his life will be difficult. you see it in the dullness that sometimes comes over his eyes, the apathy of his so-called parents, the hours he spends locked up with nothing but a pile of dusty books to keep him company. 
so you decide to become his knight. his, and his alone. 
it’s challenging. but you push through; training with another aspiring knight, miles better than you, black hair tousled by the breeze as he knocks you off your feet for the thirtieth consecutive time. wincing as the girl who sometimes watches your sparring patches you up, soft hands cleaning your wounds so tenderly that you almost choke up.
and eventually, as the apricot blossoms of the castle orchard wilt and bloom over and over in a flurry of pure white, your dream comes true. 
there’s something playful in satoru’s eyes, when he places his blade on the curve of your shoulder. something sweet and fond, and just a little bit ironic — as if you’re still seven years old, and playing house. 
you want to tell him that it isn’t a joke. that you’re serious, about this, that you’d tear your stomach open to keep him safe. but you know he’d just laugh. so you let the words clog up your throat, honey-sweet devotion sticking to the walls of your esophagus. breathing in through your nose, as he speaks. as the words you’ve waited to hear flow from his glossy lips.
when all is said and done, satoru smiles. he calls you his little knight, and you can tell that he’s teasing you. indulging you, as if he’s in on some joke that you aren’t. but you’ll take what you can get.
you call him my prince, expecting him to laugh it off, but his smile begins to fall. and a pang of ache rushes through your soul, instantaneous, guilty, although you don’t understand why.
so you keep calling him satoru. even though it’s more than a little unprofessional, and you become painfully accustomed to receiving a few judgemental looks here and there. a knight and a prince shouldn’t be so very close, they think, and you don’t disagree. but there’s nothing they can do about it, anyhow.
the prince and his knight can do what they want.
not much changes. you’re his knight, but he treats you the same as before. he’s playful, a little goofy, and you indulge him. as always. attached at the hip, bickering and bantering, bouncing off each other effortlessly. and satoru never bothers to hide your history, the soft spot he has for you; it’s in every fleeting glance, soft tilt of his head, teasing call of ah, there’s my favorite knight. 
(you’re no stranger to jealous looks. sometimes a pout on the lips of a pretty girl, a crease between the brows of one of your fellow knights. and sometimes a glare, from his fiancée — a woman he was engaged to before he was old enough to speak.
but you don’t mind. you’ve never cared what anyone but satoru thinks of you.)
satoru never loses his smile, that effortless air of confidence. the charm that makes people want to follow him, a charisma you know well. one you fell victim to at five years of age. he’s still just a prince, far from being a king, but he receives the same respect.
and that keen, sharp glimmer in his eyes never quite goes away; the hardened shell around his heart unbroken. you see it in fleeting glances, during meetings, ones he allows you to attend despite your status. when he speaks to a room of people with more power than you can imagine, his voice unwavering. back straight. elegant, serious, the presence of royalty — enough to receive respect without even trying. 
but he still shoots you a smile, easygoing, when your eyes meet. one only you can see.
as for you, the step into knighthood is a clumsy one. but you take your duties seriously, and adjust properly. a deep devotion runs through your veins, from your beating heart down to the tips of your fingers, where a sword lies clutched. you keep it close, always, ready to serve. to obey. to protect. 
all of it for one person.
all you do is for him. duels in his honour, beasts slain for his peace of mind, and he’s always there to welcome you back. wiping the blood from your cheek, tenderly, smearing his untainted skin with red; all while he looks at you softly, a coo or word of praise waltzing on the tip of his tongue. 
that’s only for when you remain unscathed, though, when the blood on your cheek isn’t your own. when you get hurt, it’s different — something begins to brew inside his eyes, and you can’t tell what it is. but he insists on bandaging you himself, paying no mind to your meek protests.
sometimes, you’re more reckless than usual. your injuries worse. sometimes he looks upset, angry with you, and doesn’t speak. you don’t, either.
a strange look comes over his eyes, every now and then. when you get down on one knee, to kiss his hand, the metal of the ring on his finger — and if you look up, you’ll see it. simmering inside those blue depths, something just as fond as it is sad. troubled, you think.
(something tells you he’d kneel, too, if only you’d let him.)
the bond between you remains intact. even as you begin to shoulder more responsibilities, more duties, even though you don’t have as much freedom as you used to. even though you seem to get less time to spend with each other every single day. but you stay together, even so; just like when you were children, running around and causing trouble, more than you could get away with now. 
despite everything, satoru has grown up into a fine man. and you couldn't be prouder.
“do you think i look good in black? be honest.”
you throw him a glance. curious, somewhat perplexed, eyeing him up and down.
satoru is wearing a white blouse, puffy sleeves and a low neckline, showing off the skin of his bare chest. no black colours to be seen. you think back to that banquet he attended last month, forced into an expensively tailored black coat. a corset around his waist. and then you hum.
“sure you do.”
”suguru said it makes me look like a try-hard,” he scoffs, crossing his arms. tilting his head in your direction. ”do you think he’s jealous?”
”definitely.”
a moment passes. 
satoru narrow his eyes, and gives you a dubious look. clicking his tongue. ”… something tells me you aren’t taking this seriously.”
”i am,” you assure him, a lazy smile at your lips. meeting his gaze, that displeased little pout. still smoothing a brush down the mane of your horse, the smell of hay soothing your muddled senses. ”just tired. you look good in anything. you know that.”
he hums. silent, the sound of a spring breeze filling in the gaps.
it’s late. outside the stables, the world is engulfed by a dark sky, almost too murky to see anything. hazy stars glimmer in the distance, and a sense of fatigue gnaws at your bones. it’s been a long day, and yet you’re here — doing even more work. just a little more.
and satoru’s right there with you. even though he’s just sitting there, on the floor, not lifting a finger to help. not that he has to. insistent on spending some quality time with you, keeping you company. just talking and munching on the food he snuck in, bread and cheese and an expensive bottle of wine, that he leaves completely untouched. he tries to leave some of everything else for you, though. keyword being tries.
a sense of peace simmers in the air. palpable, almost enough to taste, as midnight air streams in from the opened doors, chilly and pleasant on your skin. ruffling the thin fabric of your clothing.
and it’s nice, you think, just to have satoru there — talking about this and that, complaining about all the annoying people he had to meet yesterday, yawning every now and then. nostalgic. like this, it almost feels like you're still kids. back when you spent every single hour of the day by each other’s side.
it’s been a long time since you got the chance to speak like this. satoru’s been busy, and so have you. more so than usual.
”are they running you ragged?” he suddenly asks, and you don’t realize you’ve spent the last minute staring into space. resuming your brushing, with steady hands, but turning your head to meet his gaze.
”need me to…” he makes a slicing motion with his hand, right over his throat. a glint of mischief in his eyes. ”handle it?”
and you scoff. amused, but answering him seriously; unsure if his question is all-together humorous, if it doesn’t carry a hint of something genuine too. ”of course not.”
there’s a weariness in the way you blink. the way you pet the animal in front of you, having finished getting the dirt and blood clots out of her mane. she lays down in her stall, and you smile. turning around to rest your back against the wooden border between you, a respite for your aching bones.
it gets just a little bit tiring, sometimes. fighting, patrolling, helping townsfolk. protecting the castle, making sure everything is in order. killing whatever needs to be killed. cleaning the stained silver of your sword.
but…
”it’s my duty,” you answer, seriously, and it comes out sounding like a vow. because it is. 
you avoid his gaze, but you can feel it, as you pick up the wine bottle by your feet and pop the cork. soft moonlight flits in from the windows, illuminating the green glass. a chartreuse glow that reminds you of fireflies, shimmering in your grasp, and for some reason it soothes your heart.
satoru only hums, far from approving. popping a piece of cheese into his mouth. 
after a brief pause, he continues. ”you don’t have to be so serious all the time, you know.” his voice comes out a little raspy. it’s got a certain tilt to it, one that means he wants you to take him seriously. ”not around me.”
you take a sip of the wine. expensive, blood red. it’s too sweet for your taste, heavy on your tongue.
”… i’m less serious with you than i am with others.”
satoru sits up a little straighter.
”yeah?” he grins, a kind of satisfaction blooming in his eyes. cerulean and sweet. almost smug, you think, like the cat that got the cream. ”that’s good. you really should loosen up, though.”
a glance. fleeting, just to see him — but he isn’t looking at you. he’s looking outside, through the opened window, at the sway of the apricot trees. white petals flitting in, landing by his feet. in his hair.
when his eyes meet yours, they’re smoothed over by that something you can never put your finger on. a blend between longing and fondness. crinkled at the edges.
”you’ve got a pretty smile,” he exhales. ”be a shame not to show it off.”
when you look at him, really look at him, you see it. that fatigue. it slips out when he talks to you, a sincere way of speaking that never quite allows him to hide his emotions. you hear the hint of a yawn, can practically feel the weight on his shoulders. the weight of an entire nation. a weight he was always bound to carry.
(you could never bring yourself to be even remotely alright with it.)
“have you been doing okay?” you ask, and satoru blinks. there’s a soft look in your eyes, as they trail over the contours of his face, his lashes catching the light of the stars. an innocent, pretty face. but he looks tired. frail. like he hasn’t been sleeping properly.
something rotten bubbles up inside your throat.
”they’re running you ragged, too,” you say, hand settling on your hip. where your sword usually is. unconsciously, on instinct — or maybe just to make him laugh. ”need me to step in?”
satoru chuckles. husky, mellow. dripping with soft amusement.
”settle down, little knight.”
a moment passes. silent. his eyes flutter shut, for a second, and a breath slips from his lips. almost a sigh. in the distance, you hear the quiet coo of an owl. 
”of course,” he eventually answers, opening his eyes. and you think he looks a little resigned. but smiling. self-deprecating, you think, although he’d like you to assume otherwise. ”all of it is just preparation, anyhow.” 
a flimsy smile, as he looks into your knowing eyes. ”it’s what i was born for, wasn’t it?”
you purse your lips.
“… i don’t think so.”
another chuckle. a little delighted, this time. 
“yeah,” he cranes his neck, emitting a low groan. “me neither.” something sweet blossoms in his eyes, sweet like the crunch of the apple he bites into, juice dribbling down his chin. ”but it is what it is.”
a beat. you part your lips, trying to find the right words. ”tell me if there's anything i can do,” you settle on. the same words you always choose. ”anything at all.”
satoru smiles. “right.” his voice carries a teasing tilt; almost a purr. ”there’s nothing you wouldn't do for me, hm?” 
“— there isn’t.” you smile. “nothing at all.”
he blinks. a little dazed, for a second, and you watch as his ears redden. slight, enough for you to notice, but gone before you can bring it up. a contemplation smooths over his features. and a pleasant breeze flits in, ruffling his hair, apricot petals kissing up his skin. he looks at the apple in his hands.
then he sighs. placing his palms on his knees, and rising to his feet. his arms twitch, muscular beneath the flimsy blouse, and you gulp. although you aren’t sure why.
“alright, then.” his eyes flicker in the dim light, sharp and decisive. he crosses over to you with long strides. “there is something you can do.”
when he’s close enough, satoru reaches out his hand; opening his palm. a silent beckoning. you look at him, not saying a word. his expression is unreadable. 
then you intertwine your fingers with his. unquestioningly, even in the midst of your confusion.
(it reminds you of that day. when he pulled you up to your feet, held your hand in his and refused to let go. leading you to the promise of something better.)
no matter where he goes, you follow.
and satoru grins. it’s sweet, just like back then, a smile so vibrant you wish you could tuck it into your sleeve and keep it there forever. he curls his fingers around yours, gentle, fondness bubbling up inside his eyes. for a second, you think you see the sun.
“come with me.”
at first, you truly aren’t sure where he’s going to take you. hand in hand, you begin to walk, feeling the midnight breeze nip at your skin. beyond the castle walls, away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby town. satoru holds your hand and smiles, tousled tufts of white hair swaying with the wind, leading you to a place you know well. a place where the air tastes like freedom.
it’s the river you used to play by as children.
gleaming a solemn silver under the evanescent moon, framed by bushes of lilacs, blooming indigo and violet and pure white. butterflies flutter about, almost glittering, blue wings settling down on the leaves. the scent of nectar hangs heavy in the air. on top of the hill just above you, you think you can spot tiny little glowing dots; green and yellow, buzzing around. dancing merrily, now that there aren’t any troublemaker children left to trap them.
satoru lets go of your hand, to roll up his sleeves. the hems of his pants. then he’s taking a step forward, dangerously close to the edge of the river, and you can tell what he’s thinking.
“ah — wait —“ you stumble forward, to grab hold of his arm. a worried crease forms between your brows. “that's dangerous, satoru. you could slip and fall.”
he turns to face you, a teasing mirth in his eyes. smirking lightly. “oh? is that so?” he hums, a slight tilt of his head. then he’s stepping closer, so close you feel his warm breath on your skin, but you will yourself not to step back. “wanna know what i think?”
he leans forward, just a little further, warm air brushing against the shell of your ear. flushing beneath it. his voice comes out low, a sleepy lilt, dangerously raspy. hand ghosting over your waist.
”i think you’re too scared to get in.”
you blink.
”… really?” you deadpan, stepping back a tad. satoru looks pleased with himself. awfully amused.
“really,” he purrs. “you were always like that. could barely dip your toes in without shivering.” he reaches out to pinch your cheek, a coo on the tip of his tongue. ”scaredy-cat.”
you raise your brow. unimpressed.
satoru steps back. inching closer to the river, until a quiet splash tells you that he’s standing in the water. lapping up his bare legs, not enough to even reach his knees — it felt a lot scarier when you were smaller. he’s still holding your hand, very loosely, fingertips ghosting your own. 
“c’mon,” he coaxes. soft, encouraging, a playful glimmer in his eyes. teeth catching the light of the moon. “or is it too much for my brave knight to handle?”
satoru laughs, when you furrow your brows, attempting to hide the flush of your cheeks. a warmth spreads through your chest at the term of endearment, and you bite your lip. melting a little. 
his knight. his favourite knight.
“.. fine,” you tangle your fingers in his own. sighing deeply, taking a tentative step forward. “just be careful, okay? i don't want to deal with your whining if you hit your head.”
“ah, but you’d kiss it better, no? if i asked?” he flashes you a honeyed grin, eyes rich with amusement. you hope the darkness of the night is enough to hide the red of your ears.
a grumble buzzes in your throat, locked behind your pursed lips. something in your jaw goes tight.
the man in front of you softens. parting his glossy lips. he says your name; slowly, thoughtfully, as if savouring every syllable. dragging them out, speaking with a lilt that tells you he’s being sincere.
“— loosen up. it’s just you and me.”
so you do.
and it’s odd. how easy it is to get lost in him, the watercolour of his eyes, the brightness of his grin. how pliantly you let him whisk you away. before you know it, you’re playing in the water — because satoru splashed you, laughing at the shock on your face and the shiver of your spine, and you had no choice but to retaliate. 
the sound of his laughter fills the air, sweet and bubbly. deep and giddy. strands of hair stick to his wet skin, droplets running down his neck, but his grin never falters. bright and toothy, boyish. he looks younger than you ever remember him being. like there’s no weight on his shoulders, none at all, only soaked fabric weighing him down. a flimsy, see-through blouse.
you think it’s ridiculous. two grown adults, splashing each other like children. but his melodic giggles are contagious, and before you know it, you’re laughing too — and satoru looks at you like you hung all the stars in the sky. through dewy eyelashes, with cerulean eyes that melt into the pale blue of the moon and the silver of the river. filled with wonder.
a particularly ruthless splash knocks him off balance, and he has the instinct to reach for your arm; stumbling, slipping, dragging you down with him. you land on his chest, cheek against his neck, his pulse against your skin. erratic, joyous. fluttering happily.
his chest is heaving. lifting you up and down, a little, rhythmic and comforting. 
a sudden yelp slips past your lips, as you get snapped back into reality, into the realization that you basically just pushed your own prince into a river and used his unfairly soft chest as a cushion. a mumbled string of apologies escapes you, as you attempt to get up, scrambling to find footing.
but satoru wraps his arms around you. tucking you under his chin, keeping you flush against his chest. nice and still. 
and then he sighs. a blissful little breath, fatigue seeping out of him. into the air. 
“stay like this, for a bit,” he rasps. ”it’s okay.”
his heartbeat resounds in your ear. warm and rapid, like claps of thunder, coaxing you into closing your eyes. satoru has always felt so very safe. the water of the river is cold, seeping through the fabric of your clothing and sticking to your skin, but…
(he’s warm.)
silence. and then, a whisper; frail, slipping past his lips, gently slicing the silence in half. softer than you've ever heard him speak.
“i missed this.”
nuzzling into his neck, you breathe him in. he smells like sandalwood and dried roses, buzzing with warmth, heavy arms around your waist. solid. when did he get so big? you used to be taller. 
then again — that was a long time ago, wasn’t it?
“… me too.”
“missed you,” he continues, his jaw on top of your head. it’s a sincere confession; childlike in its innocence. “missed hearing you laugh like that. feels like it’s been so long.” 
you stay silent. unsure of what to say. satoru continues, and you let his husky voice carry you away, the tremor of his chest running through your entire body. soothing like a lullaby. 
”we haven't had much time together, lately. i’ve been worried,” he admits, and something about it strikes you as rather sheepish. a little ashamed. ”it bothers me that i can't be there to watch over you. make sure you're treated with respect, you know.”
a sleepy chuckle. muffled into his shoulder, almost a scoff — slightly exasperated. little droplets cling to his skin, sticking to your lips.
”relax, your majesty,” you tease. ”i promise the other knights aren’t bullying me.” 
satoru pouts. you can hear it, when he speaks. ”i’m serious,” he huffs, squeezing you lightly. ”and it’s not them i’m worried about. suguru’s there.”
another scoff threatens to escape your throat. you want to tell him the only knight that should be suspected of bullying you is suguru himself, but before you can even think to part your lips satoru’s beaten you to it.
”they all treat you so carelessly.” there’s something cold to his voice, an irritation tugging at his teeth. oddly seething. ”like you exist to serve them. like you’re disposable.” 
a moment passes, heavy with a silence so thick you don’t dare break it. when he speaks again, it’s an order. a demand. 
”i want you to tell me if they go too far.”
silence. again. you can do nothing but gnaw at the flesh of your bottom lip. 
(he isn’t wrong. but that’s simply what it means to be a knight — half-human, half-weapon. an unattainable ideal, stuffed inside a suit of armor.
when a weapon breaks under the force of a slash, the only choice is to throw it away. that much you know.)
”it’s fine. i’m not that fragile,” you weakly protest, but it’s not enough. satoru huffs.
”you’re a human being,” he reminds you. strangely stern, for once. chastising. ”you deserve to be treated with respect. knight or not. fragile or not.”
a deep inhale. he breathes in, and the rise of his chest carries you with it. his voice buzzes with something, a slumbering kind of fury. one you haven’t heard in years. 
“if anyone gives you trouble — if anyone hurts you… if anyone makes you feel unsafe,” he almost spits the words, like they’re venomous, sacrilegious. ”tell me. i’ll destroy them.”
silence. and then, a chuckle.
that’s all you can manage; that one meek little breath. resisting the urge to cower, at the love that clings to every word he speaks. angered affection. a promise, dangerously genuine, like a growing wildfire.
”i can take care of myself, satoru,” you remind him. hoping it’ll soothe him. ”you know that.”
but his grip around you only tightens. gentle, even still. as if you’re made of glass, a firefly cupped in his palms. he lets the silence linger, for a moment.
and then; 
“i’d do it, you know.”
a questioning hum. “do what?” you ask, though some part of you already knows. 
satoru’s reply is instantaneous. an arrow hitting its target, cold and concise, decisive. frighteningly honest. almost a growl, flattened, a hint of teeth behind his soft lips. ”destroy them. anyone.”
”i’d tear this nation apart if you asked me to.”
(ah. that look in his eyes — one you remember well. strung together with blurred memories, the sting of a palm on your cheek, a castle maid you never saw again.)
you search for the words. biting back a gulp, hesitant. “… i wouldn’t.”
“i know.” satoru yawns, breathing you in, voice shifting back into the softness you’re so used to. your shoulders relax. “but i would. if that’s what you wanted.”
and it’s a little scary, the depths of his devotion. but you’re almost certain you’d do the same for him. maybe you're both a little sick in the head, a little too eager to serve your hearts on a silver platter.
“it bothers me, you know.” satoru breaks you out of your thoughts. gentle, a soft lull of his tongue. ”when you get hurt. when you fight for me.”
“i know,” you murmur. you’ve seen it in his eyes, a worry he’s not as good at hiding as he thinks. ”i want to, though.”
“and i want you to be safe.” a chuckle bubbles up in his throat, just a little bit rueful. “you never listen, do you? so stubborn, i swear. always worrying me.”
you bite down on your lip. he sounds… a little sad.
“… sorry.”
a moment’s pause. then he shakes his head; cradling you close. “it’s fine. i’m here. always,” his palm runs down the small of your back. ”in case anything happens.”
he inhales. ”and when i become king —” a beat. he swallows thickly. ”you’ll never have to worry again. no one will be able to touch you.”
”satoru,” you crack a small smile. amused. raising a single eyebrow. ”i’m not worried. i can protect myself.”
”i know. but i’m saying you don’t have to.”
and then he’s pulling back. just a little bit, just enough to see you. cheek smushed against his chest, comfortable and soft, more unguarded than he’s seen you these past few months. it’s enough to get his heart racing.
enough to have him reaching out, fingertips ghosting over your hand, tangling your fingers together. bringing it to his glossy lips. a chaste kiss, brimming with unspoken murmurs of love.
”— i’ll protect you forever,” he vows. ”remember?”
there’s devotion in his eyes. heavy, a vow he’ll never quite be able to voice in full. something that makes the blue of his eyes glow even brighter, cerulean, aquamarine, a blue so jarring it makes your heart beat faster than it should.
you blink. starstruck, caught in a daze, lost within that sea of blue. distracted by his warm breath on your cold skin, the soft whisper voiced against your knuckle. something shy blossoms in your chest, enough to have you averting your gaze. 
“... you really don’t care about the dynamic here, do you?” is all you can reply. a meek scoff, a weak attempt at hiding how flustered you are. “i’m the knight. i’m your protector.”
“oh, i know.” a smile sticks to his lips, playful, the back of his hand caressing your cheek. a coo on his tongue. “my little hero. what would i ever do without you?”
a roll of your eyes. satoru chuckles. in the distance, you hear crickets chirping, a breeze rustling the lilac bushes all around you. he’s still cradling your cheek, smoothing over your wet skin, brushing a drop of water away with his thumb. clinging to your bottom eyelash.
“i don't get it, though.”
you blink. when you meet his eyes, satoru looks a little perplexed. muttering under his breath, absently rubbing circles over your cheekbone. you resist the urge to close your eyes again, biting back a blissful sigh.
”a prince shouldn’t care for his knight…” he repeats, like he’s heard the string of words a million times before. ”the idea of that. i don’t understand it. never have.”
the smile that blossoms on his lips is soft, indescribably so, as if he’s looking at the most precious thing in his life. rich and warm, like wine in your veins, nectar on your tongue, a chest pressed against your own. dripping with fondness.
satoru tilts his head, as if in confusion — but he’s smiling. “what’s so strange about wanting to protect the one dearest to my heart?” 
his hand slips from your skin, a warmth leaving your cheek. only to search for your hand, again, cradling it in his larger palm. placing it right over his chest, against the soaked material of his blouse. ”feel that?”
you do. a rhythmic rise and fall, a soft flutter from the depths of his ribcage. as if it’s itching to break out, out of the cage that binds it, the hardened shell around it. a heart too big for his body.
”it’s you,” satoru whispers. ”all for you.”
a moment passes.
silently, you lean forward; tucking yourself into his neck. into that comforting warmth, wet skin beginning to dry, the steady thrum of his heart right by your ear. you listen. not saying a word, afraid of what might leave the confines of your strangled throat. it feels as if your heart has begun to crawl upwards, sweet honey blocking your airways, and all you can do it feel it pulse. 
all while satoru gazes at you, fondly. placing a big palm on the back of your head.
fireflies dance in the distance. butterflies flutter about. strings of lilacs bloom under the glow of the moon. and satoru’s heartbeat never changes, never falls out of tune, a sound you would recognize even if the sky were to shatter, if the world were to end. the sound that saved you, the boy who dragged you out of hell. into his light. 
satoru gojo is everything. he’s the beat of your heart, the silver of your sword, the reason you believe in goodness. he’s your prince, your favorite person, and you’ll protect him until your very last breath. until the world runs out of oxygen.
a boy so sweet you’d die for him.
(a boy so sweet he wouldn’t want you to.)
a shiver runs down his spine — sudden, a shudder of his bones, and a quiet little sniffle. you feel it, hear it, and don’t attempt to bite back the fond smile that slips into the curve of your lips.
”c’mon,” you beckon, almost a coo, placing your palms on his chest to hoist yourself up. ”let’s go home.”
but satoru shakes his head. and then he traps you again, strong arms around your waist, pressing you against him. you could escape — you’re almost certain you’re stronger — but you don’t quite have the heart to. ”it’s fine,” he huffs. almost a whine. ”stay.”
”you’ll get sick.”
”i never get sick.”
a deep exhale. tumbling from your lips, just a little bit humorous. mostly exasperated. ”that can change,” you mumble, fingertips dancing along his exposed skin. absentmindedly.
a smile. one you can’t see, but you hear it clear as day. he sounds content, like he’s got everything he needs right in front of him. ”some things never change,” he informs you. pleased. ”just look at us.”
and he’s right. so you don’t say anything else. 
but your heartbeat quickens, only for a beat or two, and you’re almost certain he feels it. if he does, he opts not to tease you for once, and you’re grateful. and so the silence lingers. as if time has begun to freeze, into an eternal dusk, a string of silent seconds. broken only by low melodic chirping from the faraway fields, his soft breaths in your ear. 
until satoru suddenly chuckles.
“hey,” he hums, shifting a little, the river swaying around you. pulling back to meet your gaze, eyes crinkled and voice raspy. “wanna know a secret?”
you raise your head. a dubious look on your face, one that has him breathing out an amused puff of air, like you’re getting ready to hear a bad joke. “... what is it?”
before the words have fully left your throat, he’s resting his forehead against yours — breath fanning over your lips. a pleasant shiver trails down your spine, at the close proximity, goosebumps spreading across your chilled skin. only exacerbated by the whisper that follows, so quiet you almost don’t know if you heard him correctly. childlike in its sincerity. a sunlaced smile woven in between the vowels.
“i think i was born to meet you.”
(a sentiment so sweet you barely even feel the warmth of his lips meeting yours.)
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unboundprompts · 3 months
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Hi!!! Can you do princess x knight prompts please?
-> other princess x knight prompts
Princess x Knight Prompts
-> feel free to edit and adjust pronouns as you see fit.
"You're always working so hard," the princess told the knight, lower lip sticking out playfully. He offered her a brief glance, but still stood at attention. "I'm working to protect you," he answered, voice low so he wouldn't get into any trouble for talking when he wasn't meant to be. She grabbed ahold of his hand, his armor clanging at the motion. "Come and protect me from upstairs."
"I don't want you to go," the princess pleaded. "If you don't return..." The knight was quick to interrupt her. He couldn't bear to think about what would become of her if he did not come back. "I will always return to you, my love."
"Let's run away." The princess's breath hitched. "Let's run away from this dreaded place and make a life for ourselves that is entirely our own. No kings, no duties, no forbidden kisses, no sneaking around after dark. Just us."
There was a tap at the princess's window. Soft, yet still hard with intent. She pulled herself from the bed and gently opened the window, unlatching the little lock that kept it closed. Her knight was perched below the windowsill, having used the strong vines to scale the palace wall. "Hello, Princess."
If you like what I do and want to support me, please consider buying me a coffee! I also offer editing services and other writing advice on my Ko-fi! Become a member to receive exclusive content, early access, and prioritized writing prompt requests.
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brigid-faye · 1 month
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Art by Readiert for my fic Let Me Believe (Ever After)
Listen. In a Cinderella AU - I know Remus is the obvious down and out Cinderella. But. Which one of them has canonically awful family? Which one of them would have a dramatic outfit reveal?? Exactly. We stan Cinderfoot and Prince Moony.
Thank you for coming to my TedTalk
Edit: minor grammar
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agoraphxnics · 3 months
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He’s a selfish dragon. He knows he should let you go, free you from the tower your father so cruelly placed you in. That would be the humane thing to do. Alas, he is no human. He was—and is—monstrous beast of legend, yet here he remains just as much a prisoner as you after being outsmarted by your father. He should hate you for even having that wretched man’s blood, but your golden heart beckons to him. He is a dragon, after all, and he would be remiss to ignore treasure when he sees it.
He’s hoarding you away, an avaricious move that goes beyond his duty to fight off your suitors until one bests him. He won’t let them take you; it doesn’t matter how hard they try.
You became his the moment you were both charged with this tower.
And dragons will do anything to keep their things.
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ebonyheartnet · 1 month
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Prompt: Dorathea has her position as queen be threatened because misogyny sucks, blah, blah, blah. Someone brought up the whole, “lack of an heir,” thing and claimed women just up and reincarnate/move on randomly, because they’re, “easily overcome with emotion.” The best way to keep there from being a riot without just giving it back to her brother? Just name an heir.
Now if only Dora had remembered to actually tell Danny.
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Text: I try all the Prince’s food first. So many seek to influence his choices through magic, not a week goes by without bread that tastes like bloodlust, or a sip of wine that tastes like forgetting.
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inky-duchess · 5 months
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Fantasy Guide to Royal Guards
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Royals have multiple layers of servants but there is no set of servants most important that their protection. Royalty are never without some kind of protection and palaces are usually guarded to the teeth. So how do we write royal security. This is for @jamie-ties-writing
Recruitment
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Royal guards aren't just any person plucked from the street and put into a uniform. They are usually recruited from within the royal army, from within particular regiments across the army (a mixture of calvary, naval, artillery, infantry). The Royal Guard is usually made of of multiple regiments, not just a single one. These regiments would share and rotate duties. The British Royal family are currently guarded by the Coldstream Regiment, Welsh Guards, Grenadier Guards among others. Royal guards will be selected for their skill, sometimes their birth (they may be chosen if they rank higher socially) and of course, loyalty to the Crown. Royal guards were intended to be a show of force, strength, Majesty so they were usually impressive specimens meant to instill some power to their monarch.
Duties
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A royal guard's first order of business is the protection of the family. They may have sentry duty around the palace, guarding doors or patrolling palace grounds or corridors. A Royal Guard may be assigned to one member only but most likely they will rotate through the family as needed. Of course, a royal can request a guard to always be assigned to them if they want. They may escort their charge of the day to their engagements. If assigned a certain royal to protect, they would tail them throughout the day. A royal guard may even perform ceremonial duties such as the changing of the guard or riding in coronations or state funerals. A royal guard is expected to remain vigilant but never speak of what they see, they are meant to keep an ear out for threats but never repeat whatever is said, they are expected at all times to uphold a professional countenance and respect protocol. They will be expected to give their lives if needed, and be loyal to the last.
Rank
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Royal guards are a military division and rank is a part of their lives. Their supreme commander would he the monarch first but there would be an appointed commander. Depending on how you want to write Royal Guards, each regiment would have it's own captain and leaders. Of course, not all regiments may adhere to the same ranks but this would be a basic outline for you to follow.
Colonel: Colonels actually have no duties, they are more an honourary figurehead. Many members of the royal family would have a regiment to be colonel of. This usually requires nothing more than a ceremonial role, the wearing of the uniform while inspecting the troops for example.
Captain: The Commander of the regiment. They would undertake managerial duties, issuing commands from the monarch, assigning duties, approving the induction of new guards into the Household Division. The Captain would decide who would guard which member of the royal family.
Lieutenant: The Second in command. They will assume command if the Captain is not available. They would take on a large portion of duties and aid the Captain.
Sergeant: The sergeant would be next in command.
Guardsman: The lowest rank. They will have the least experience but usually the most duties. They would be the ones patrolling and standing sentry.
Uniform
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Of course, no royal guard is complete without their uniform. Royal guards would have to stand out, especially in ceremonial duties. This uniform would be distinctive, not only because it is a great honour for anybody to be named to the guard but also as mentioned above, to add a layer of might to those they protect.
Notable Royal Guard Units
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Dahomey Mino (the inspiration of Black Panther's Dora Milaje)
The Praetorian Guard
The Imperial Guard of Napoleon
The Imperial German Bodyguard
Varangian Guard
Swiss Guards
The Kheshig
The Janissary
The Imperial Guards of Tsarist Russia
The Cossack Guard
Guardia Real
Coldstream Guards
Irish Guards
Welsh Guards
Grenadier Guards
Medjay of Ancient Egypt
Al-Ḥars al-Malakī as-Suʿūdī
Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince
Thahan Raksa Phra Ong
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togenabi · 8 months
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the language of flowers
gojo satoru x reader (royalty au)
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♡—All your life, you have been training for the role of Empress... But nothing could have prepared you to be Satoru's wife.
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word count♡— 4.7k (I came back swinging y'all)
genre♡— fluff, royalty au
aged up characters♡— 18+
content notes♡— arranged marriage, romance, crown prince (maybe ooc) gojo, flowers, no use of y/n, afab!reader, ur a princess we're all princesses, minor chara oc's, mentions of my other au's, reader's father is a jerk, reader is tough but falls hard, not fully proofread
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author's note♡— this took a while! september was ridiculously busy for me but I did my best with this to compensate! this is also very self indulgent, but I hope you enjoy it! xoxo, belle
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As a child, you found out of your engagement to the Crown Prince by accident.
On a chilly winter's evening, you had been chasing the Royal Secretary's cat around the palace. Your father, the King, would frown upon you playing games at this hour. You should be writing essays, learning dance or banquet etiquette.
But all that can wait, you think. You've just spotted the end of a fluffy tail dart around the next corner.
When you catch up to it, the orange tabby is curiously peering into a room—whose grand double doors are slightly ajar. Eyes widening, you quicken your steps but make sure to minimize any sound. The last thing you needed was to be spotted skirting your duties right in front of the King's study.
You let out a huff of relief once you've gently picked up the cat, your arms hugging it to your chest.
Just as you're about to sneak away, however, you hear your name.
From the gap in the door, streams of golden light pour out; contrasting with the darkness of the hallway. The silhouettes of your father and his Secretary leave shadowed patterns on the floor.
You listen, as these silhouettes plan your future without you.
“Ha!” The King bellows. “My daughter. Empress. I never thought I'd see the day.”
Your heart stutters. What?
“When will you inform her, Your Majesty?”
The shadow on the painted tiles waves a hand dismissively as your father does.
“I'll leave that to you, Montgomery. Tell her that she should be honored.”
Heavy footsteps sound as he paces. “It was concerning to have a daughter as a firstborn. I knew she couldn't be made to rule what I've built, but I'll finally have a steady pawn in The Empire once she's sent away.”
Pain shoots into you. Your eyes begin to sting. You had always known your brother was the favorite despite all the hard work you've put in, but to be spoken of as a pawn... Could it be that you have not worked hard enough?
You suddenly remember where you are. Remember how slacking off brought you here. Heartbroken, you hug the cat tighter.
The words your father speak as you walk away deepens the dagger in your chest.
“Do not settle for anything less than perfect for her coursework. She's to be Empress, after all.”
On that chilly winter's evening, your heart froze over like the snow-covered branches looming outside.
...
Several years later.
The carriage goes over a bump in the road, but you do not show discomfort or act without grace. Your expression is controlled and your posture is correct as you balance yourself.
Across from you, Secretary Mont holds a newspaper up, the front page faces you as he reads. Large bold letters take up the entire upper half of the paper:
‘CITIZENS QUESTION IF EMPRESS-TO-BE IS WORTHY OF THE CROWN PRINCE’
You scoff. It makes Mont meet your gaze over the paper before flipping it; he frowns disapprovingly at the front-most article.
“Do not mind them, Your Highness.” He folds the paper and sets it aside—as if it would help prove his point. “The people are not used to your presence yet, but they will be. They will see how you are the perfect choice for Empress.”
The Princess is power hungry, someone who was interviewed had said. You wanted the Empire for yourself, apparently.
Jealous. Vain. Possessive. Dramatic.
Shifting your gaze to the window, you contemplate what you had done to garner such a negative image. Could you have done anything differently?
Your father's face appears in your mind's eye. That same ever-present scowl on his face as he says you should do better. You should be grateful. You should be nothing less than what you've been preparing all these years for. Everything must be perfect.
The Imperial Palace comes into view. It stands high and grand, shining under the bright midday sun. The cloudless blue sky above it makes the scene picturesque.
After the wedding in four months, it is to be your new home.
The Imperial Princess, your betrothed's younger sister, greets you when you arrive. You curtsy to each other, and she surprises you by reaching out to take your hands in hers. She gives them a firm yet friendly squeeze.
“I'm pleased to welcome you, my sister-to-be.” She beams, and you return the look with your own small, composed smile.
“I am honored to be here. Thank you for taking the time to receive me personally.” You gently lower your hands, letting her go.
She leads you inside, passing lines of palace staff as you enter.
“Congratulations on your own engagement, by the way.” You say honestly. After assessing her for a moment, you carefully remark, “I hear you and Prince Toge are quite happy.”
“We are.” She nods, smile glowing even more at the mention of her beloved. “Please allow me to say that I hope you and my brother find your own happiness, despite the ‘political arrangement’ of it all.”
“I thank you for your well-wishes.”
“Would you like an escort to your chambers?” The Princess offers once you reach a grand curving staircase.
“If you have other duties, I will not keep you.” You give her a bow, the ends of your dress brushing the polished marble flooring.
“Very well.” She nods. “A servant will inform you when dinner is ready.”
Gathering your skirt, you make your way up the steps to the east wing, where the guest chambers are.
Your eyes find the path to the west wing, where the royal families' rooms can be found. Soon enough, you would be heading there instead of east. Hopefully, the Prince will be amicable to live with.
The chambers reserved for you are exactly how you remember them. It's spotless and feels homey despite you only visiting a few times a year.
This is the only place you can be truly alone. Your father, try as he might, has no power here.
You step towards the balcony, opening the glass doors that lead outside. The wind caresses your skin like a soft kiss to your cheek, and you take a deep breath to savor it.
Four months.
That's all you have left. Four months of freedom here.
Another breeze passes. It carries with it a tiny dandelion wisp. Catching it almost feels like holding onto air, and yet it is there between your fingers. Small and weighing nothing, but there nonetheless.
For such a small thing, it strengthens your resolve.
You're not here for freedom. You're here to be Empress. And that's all that matters. You will not let anything get under your skin and interfere with your responsibilities.
...
So you said, only to find yourself in a very unexpected situation.
Dinner was uneventful, your only gripe was that your betrothed was not present. You had hoped to show everyone that you got along well... Even if you've only really spoken a handful of times.
However, once you returned to your chambers, you spot the balcony door open once more. Beyond it, looking out at the view of the city, was the Crown Prince himself.
You try not to let your unpreparedness get to you. Bowing respectfully, you greet him. “Good evening, Your Highness. May I ask what brings you here?”
The Prince turns to you, crossing one ankle over the other as he casually leans on the balcony.
“There you are.” Satoru says, his head tilting as he observes you.
You eye him warily, trying to decipher his intentions. If he wanted to see you, he could have simply shown up to dinner. “What are you doing?”
He steps forward. You step back. “Is it a crime to want time alone with my—”
Sighing, you should have expected him to want more time with the future—
“—wife?”
The word knocks the wind out of you.
Of all the names you have been called, ‘wife’ is a new addition to the list.
You are your parents' daughter, your country's princess, and are to be the Empire's most powerful woman.
And yet, to one person... to Satoru, you are to be his wife.
It's almost strange to think about. Your earliest memory of your betrothed is back when he was small and scrawny. It was difficult to take him seriously back then.
Now, something has changed in him. Or it could also be that he's always been like this, and this is a side to him he doesn't show to others that often.
Satoru watches you process the word, seeming to have something to say, but decides against it. You half expected him to tease you for being flabbergasted, but he patiently waits for you to speak first.
“Why are you here at this hour?”
He grins, eyes bringing shame to those distant stars hanging in the sky behind him.
“I didn't want our first meeting in ages to have so many spectators." Satoru explains. “If I had shown up earlier, the scribes would have taken note of how many times I blinked or how fast I chewed."
His jesting does not put you at ease at all. “I have a feeling you have something to say that should not be recorded or overheard.”
“That's true. However,” Satoru says pointedly, “The hour is far too late for all that I wish to say, so I will simply bid you goodnight with this...”
Out of nowhere, he pulls out a red flower with curling petals.
You keep your eyes on his as you reach for the flower's stem. Satoru watches you back, smiling softly. He's backing away before you can thank him, but he doesn't look like he minds. He seems to be happy you didn't reject it.
“Goodnight, my dear.” He bows, and makes his exit.
...Through the balcony. Again.
You step out and try to find where he disappeared to, but he's gone.
The moonlight out here allows you to get a better look at the flower. How curious. Usually, people in the Empire give roses, don't they?
The red carnation twirls between your fingers, and you think of how much more grand and tangible it is compared to the dandelion wisp that found you before dinner.
...
Carnations mean many different things, according to this book on the language of flowers you picked up. It all depends on the color.
Pink carnations symbolize fondness and remembrance. Some also consider it to mean not being able to forget someone.
White carnations mean purity, good luck, and new beginnings. It's a common way of wishing someone safe travels.
Yellow carnations have varying meanings. Sometimes, they are used for apologies. But most often they are given to express disdain, symbolizing a hopeless state of mind. You stare at the illustration next to the passage. The yellow watercolor is so bright and vibrant, it makes you wonder what it did to deserve such sad connotations.
Setting the book down for a moment, you rest your eyes by scanning the library. Countless shelves with even more countless books. A golden candlestick here. A priceless painting there. A stack of yesterday's newspaper lying a few tables away.
Something unpleasant settles in your chest. You ignore it and resume reading.
Naturally, as is the case for most red flowers, the red carnation means love. True, passionate love and affection.
You shut the book softly, tracing the embossed petals on the cover while thinking of the red carnation sitting on your bedside table.
Things could have gone worse, you suppose. At least Satoru didn't give you a striped carnation, which has no other meaning than rejection.
Secretary Mont enters the library before you could dwell more on that thought. He's arrived with several palace staff for additional wedding plans.
“Your Highness,” Only Mont greets you, but they all bow in unison.
You nod, and gesture to the table. “Be seated. Let's begin with the urgent concerns first.”
Apparently, the most urgent problem was that Satoru had not approved any of the table dressing color schemes. When you review the options, you think you can assume why. There can only be so many shades of white and cream and pearl.
“What shall we do, Your Highness?” One of the butlers ask.
“Give me a few samples, I'll talk to the Crown Prince myself.”
You almost regret saying that, because once you did, several staff began tripping over themselves, requesting you bring up other preparations with Satoru.
Secretary Mont asks if he should schedule an appointment with your betrothed, but you decline. Something tells you that he will show up again tonight.
And so, here you were after dinner in your chambers. A box of wedding planning materials rests next to you on the bed. You left the balcony doors open this time, and he shows up just as you predicted.
“Aw, were you expecting me?” He's smiling at you as he approaches, but it falters once he sees the box.
He lets out a loud breath before settling on your bed too, the box sits between you. “Alright, let's do this.”
“Start with these.” You hand him some fabric swatches, he looks at them in disdain.
“Pearl, then.” He says, barely even looking through all the options.
“Don't decide hastily.” You can't help but reprimand. “It's not just the color you have to consider, but the material as well.”
Satoru blinks, but presses his fingers to feel the texture of the fabric at your suggestion. “Is pearl not good then?”
“It's pretty, but it's too shiny.” You explain. “The sheen doesn't make it soft or comfortable to use.”
“Ah.” He breathes out, understanding what you mean.
You tell yourself your heart doesn't beat louder when he picks the one you had your eye on. Satoru holds the sample fabric up, the label attached reads ‘Snow’.
A clean, classic sort of white. Soft to the touch, almost fluffy. You don't have to tell him that you agree, he can already guess from the way you glance at him.
He doesn't need to know that your eyes strayed to his hair. Soft. Fluffy.
Clearing your throat, you change the subject by bringing out some tableware samples. “Shall we discuss these, next?”
An hour and thirty kinds of invitation cards later, a short break is due. You're writing down your decisions when Satoru calls your name.
You've moved to your desk by now, since your bed has become some sort of wedding moodboard. Something clinking together reaches your ears, and you turn to find that Satoru had tea brought up. He pours you a cup and carefully hands it to you.
“Thank you.” You respond gratefully, taking a sip before turning back to the lists in front of you.
“Aren't you tired?” Satoru asks, reading your writing over your shoulder.
“This is actually quite easy for me.” You admit. “Wedding planning is unexpectedly... Pleasant.”
Satoru laughs softly. “You're probably the only one in this palace who thinks it's pleasant to work with me.”
After a moment, he continues. “I suppose... That's a good thing, if we're to be wed.”
His words make you pause writing. You suddenly feel shy, warmth spreading on your cheeks. The kind you're sure isn't from the flame crackling in the fireplace.
How silly that you're becoming bashful after being engaged to him since you were children. The thundering of your heart can wait.
“I agree.” You respond, not turning to face him. You will not allow him to see you uncomposed like you did the previous night. “I wasn't sure what to expect from our marriage, but I would appreciate it if we were companionable.”
The rest of the evening proceeds smoothly, though you do notice Satoru becoming more silent as the night goes on.
The next day, you spot Satoru speaking to foreign delegates. Something is different in the way he carries himself in front of them. His posture is that of a proper Emperor, not a cheeky prince that sneaks into your room at night.
... It's probably best that no one finds out about that, lest a scandal breaks before you even get married.
When the delegates leave, you're about to approach and greet Satoru when he, unmistakably meets your eyes, then walks in the opposite direction.
You're left there, confused and perhaps even a little hurt. But you stone your expression and carry on as if nothing has happened. Your lessons taught you to be graceful, even in times you feel anything but.
By late afternoon, it's painfully obvious that Satoru is ignoring you. When he rushes through his lunch and gets up right when you take your seat, you try your best to look unaffected.
Hopefully, you're the only one who's noticed so far. If word reaches Secretary Mont, word will reach your father... That troubles you more than you can put to words.
Satoru doesn't show up for your scheduled wedding planning session with the rest of the staff. You're careful not to say that you'll speak with your betrothed, and thankfully no one mentions it even if it shows they wish you did. You're not even sure if he'll show up at your balcony tonight.
When the hour turns ten, the time he's usually here, he isn't. You sigh and can't help feeling a little disappointed.
Perhaps you said something wrong last night. Maybe you should apologize for something. Or he could just be busy, you tell yourself. You can't expect the Crown Prince to always have time to sneak away to you, can't you?
Something taps against the glass of the balcony doors. It breaks your train of thought, and causes your heart to leap just a bit.
But when you go to check, no one's there. You open the doors to find a single red carnation, just like the one he gave the first night.
You're only barely successful at hiding your relief. You reach for it and glance around once more, just to make sure if he left any other trace of him. There are none, but after you lock the doors and turn in for the night, two carnations in a glass vase calm you in a way you hadn't let yourself feel in a long time.
...
A maid knocks at your door a tad earlier than you're used to. When you ask about what's going on, she says she has to prepare you for the Crown Prince's departure.
“He's leaving?” You ask as you rise from bed, already headed for the bathroom to clean up.
“Yes, Your Highness.” She sifts through your wardrobe for your clothes. “He is to go on a business trip to settle trade agreements.”
“How long will he be gone for?”
“I cannot say for certain, Your Highness.”
Pausing in thought, you look to the balcony doors.
A rush of determination fills you as you ask the maid, “Could you prepare something for me?”
The head butler said that he could be gone for two or three weeks. Weeks before you see that face of his, which has a surprisingly forlorn expression on it.
“Thank you for seeing me off.” Satoru acknowledges you with a smile, but his eyes reveal how tired and troubled he truly is.
You say nothing at first, silently taking steps closer to him. You could practically feel the air freeze over as everyone watching holds their breath. This is the closest the two of you have appeared in public.
You reveal a white carnation held in the hand you hid behind you. The stem is cut short, just enough so that it fits into the pocket on his coat.
“I will take care of things here while you're gone.” You assure him, taking a step back to admire how the white flower suits him.
Satoru seems to be at a loss for words, but his eyes regain their usual spark when he addresses you again. “It seems I have nothing to worry about, then.”
You feel stares at your back as the carriage departs, but pay them no mind. You intend to keep your word and perform your duties while the prince is gone.
On your way to the library, you overhear the Imperial Princess and Sir Nanami speaking to each other.
They're in the next hallway, and you were just about to turn to it when you hear your name spoken. You press your back to the wall and listen.
“I'm glad Her Highness seems to have liked my brother.” The princess says. “And of course, I know Satoru would have been over the moon because of that flower.”
Sir Nanami hums. “His concerns were nothing to be worried about after all.”
The princess laughs. “Oh, what was it again that he said? That she friendzoned him?”
“It was that she companion-zoned him.”
You huff quietly. So that's why Satoru had been ignoring you yesterday.
“I look forward to their blooming relationship. I'm sure Her Highness will come around.” Is the last you hear of their conversation as they continue on their way, their footsteps fading further into the hall.
Come around? To what?
A grandfather clock chimes to signal the change of the hour, and you realize you've dilly-dallied for long enough. The rest of your way to the library has no people whispering about you and your betrothed or the flower you sent him off with.
But you would be lying if you said you'd forgotten about what the princess said.
...
Ever since Satoru left, he's been writing you letters. He said his sister gave him the idea.
You've given up on replying on every letter he sends. It seems as though he writes to you daily, and you simply can't keep up. He insists on writing no matter how busy he gets.
His fifth letter is so short that it should be called a note:
‘The flowers here are lovely. I had a bookmark made for you.’
That same bookmark, a dried pink carnation, sits between the pages of the novel you're currently reading. It makes you consider pressing the red carnations Satoru had given you so that they're not just left to wilt.
You write back once a week. But what you lack in quantity of letters you make up with the number of pages you write, and you tell Satoru as such. There are many things you want to report, so you don't hold back on anything.
Well, perhaps you don't quite tell him that you can't fall asleep until you spot the moon through the balcony glass. Or that you think of him whenever you're not distracted enough.
In Satoru's fifteenth letter, he brings the unfortunate news that his return will be delayed. He will have been gone for four weeks before he comes home, and the journey back will take three days at the latest.
Unable to express your disappointment outright, you instead imply that he should make haste for the wedding preparations. That he shouldn't miss the food tasting or the floral arrangements.
‘I trust my wife to make all the right decisions. Even if you don't, I'll consider them right anyway.’
There he goes again, calling you wife when you haven't married yet. It also dawns on you that Satoru has only ever called you by name, or addressed you as his wife. He's probably the only person who hasn't referred to you as Empress-to-be.
You're quickly learning that with Satoru, you're finding yourself again. It's rare for you to feel more than just a princess or Empress in training, but he makes it effortless with just a few words.
...
You begin counting down the days when Satoru writes that trade negotiations have finally concluded. He should be home in four days, and you can hardly wait to see his face again.
But of course, Satoru finds a way to bewilder you by arriving home early. In the middle of the night, no less. And naturally, through the balcony.
Wiping the sleep from your eyes, you try to decipher if his visage is a dream or a trick or the light. But when he laughs, and tells you he missed you dearly, you need no further proof.
Satoru clasps your hands with his, running his thumbs over your fingers and knuckles. Your eyes travel down to his boots, which are filthy with dirt and grass. His hair is ruffled and windswept.
“Did you,” The word settles on your tongue when you pause. “...Rush here on horseback?” You ask incredulously.
Satoru laughs again, and wraps his arms around you. “Are you complaining?”
You blink, and tentatively wrap your arms around his middle. “No. I'm glad you're home.”
Satoru is so warm compared to the night air that surrounds you. You almost complain when he pulls back, but the serious look in his eye makes you keep your mouth shut.
He clears his throat and rubs your shoulders before taking your hands again. You're completely shocked when he sinks to one knee.
“I know that we're already engaged.” Satoru begins. “I know that we've been preparing for this for years, but I just wanted to ask you properly. Because you deserve it.”
He pulls out a ring, a diamond shines at its center.
“Marry me, and I shall spend every moment of my life proving my love for you.”
“Yes. I will.” You respond, and he slips the ring onto your finger. How does he keep getting more and more lovely?
You place your hands on the sides of his face, pulling him up to you. You kiss him, and the air ignites like a spark brought to life.
It's tender, and careful, and carries all the things you wish to say to him. How you missed him. How you love the flowers he gives you. How excited you are to have him by your side for forever.
When you break apart, he seems surprised to find you reflecting his happiness back at him. He's about to speak, but not before he can resist the urge to kisses you again.
You smile into the kiss, but place a hand on his chest, pushing him to ask, “You were about to say?”
“...I've always known I would treat you right when we got engaged. That was always a given.” Satoru cradles your face gently, making you feel like the most precious in the world to him. “You were chosen because you're smart, and you worked harder than anyone else.”
“...But I saw you one day, when we were kids.” He speaks carefully. “You were trying your best to impress your father, but not at all happy...”
“From then on, I decided to make it my mission to make you smile.” To prove his point, he places his thumbs at the corners of your mouth to drag them up playfully. You laugh and swat his hands away.
“A real smile, just like that! None of those diplomatic half-smiles you always throw out to please people. That won't work on me.”
“Before you are the Empress, you are my wife. And I will love and treasure you as such.”
...
He says those same words at the wedding. You jest that he has no originality, but it brings you to tears just the same.
The wedding happens in the palace gardens, surrounded by countless beautiful flowers that dance and sway under the sun when the wind blows. Everything is, in every sense of the word, perfect.
For this moment, you are not the Empress. Not yet. The world can wait a day, you decide. Everything else can wait while you bask in the glowing warmth this man offers you.
As you leave the ceremony behind with your arms linked together, Satoru leans into your ear so you can hear him over the cheering crowd. “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing,” Petals shower you both on your way, and you can't help but smile. “Just that we're perfect together.”
Satoru laughs in agreement. “Damn right we are.”
Several staff are positioned at the exit of the gardens, ready to escort you both to the carriages that will take you through the Empire to greet your subjects... But something makes you pause at the end of the aisle.
You pluck a red carnation from one of the floral displays before turning to your husband. You tuck the flower into the chest pocket of his suit, snug in front of his pocket square.
When you glance up to see his reaction, he's already beaming at you, looking indescribably happy.
“I love you too.” He says, taking your hand and pressing the softest of kisses on top of your wedding ring.
When you sent him away back then, you remember thinking how the white carnation matched well with him. Looking at him now, however, the red flower over his heart seems to overflow with all the love and all the words that need not be spoken. You like this one much better.
He leans down to pluck another identical flower, and gently tucks it behind your ear.
Satisfied, he holds your hand tight, leading you to the rest of your lives with the assurance that he will never let go.
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gatorlovebot · 9 months
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imagine being simon’s personally appointed handmaiden. a very uncommon practice for a king, but he was also unwed, uncommon for a king of his status and age.
a very gruff man with a hard exterior but over the years you two had developed a great rapport with one another. mostly waiting to be behind closed doors to really let loose when it came to both of your respective personalities. in front of the other staff and royalty you were quiet and obedient, but when it was just you and simon you could rib the masked king for days, feeling a thrill in your stomach whenever you got him to huff out a laugh. he could dish it right back though, pulling mind numbing puns from out of nowhere that you pretend aren’t funny. it makes him laugh even harder when you roll your eyes, your only acknowledgement of his “jokes”.
you two were very close, spending most of your waking moments with him. you didn’t expect to like it as much as you do when you were originally appointed to be the king’s sole handmaiden. the king was quite intimidating, the task itself seemed so daunting and you had just assumed that he would be using you for more nefarious duties. while a life of servitude may not have been what you pictured for yourself, a life of servitude for simon was definitely not what you had pictured either.
he was big and imposing and impossible to wake up in the morning. over time you had resorted to flicking water in his face when he was getting really close to sleeping through some of his important appointments that morning.
he liked his baths scalding hot. you would turn your back to him as he shrugged off his robe and submerged himself in the steamy water, pretending to futz with his towels. you always felt something in your heart settle when you heard his deep and satisfied sigh as he finally allowed his muscle to relax under the hot water.
he always wanted you to pick out his clothes. didn’t matter the ocassion either, he said you never lead him astray with your choices. you always felt a sense of smug, satisfation when he finally lumbered out of bed and pulled on the clothes that you had already laid out for him without a word.
the other servants talk, of course. whispers and rumors bouncing off the castle walls about all the time you spent with the king. you tried not to let it get to you, simon promising to get rid of anyone who spoke a cross word about you. he was a man of his word, having banished a knight the month prior who had made an awful joke about the little peasant girl keeping the king’s bed warm at night.
your relationship with simon had well surpassed just your duties, he was kind and although you would never say it to anyone because he’s the fucking king, you consider him a friend. but you can’t help but realize how many moments you two have had recently. moments that cross the bounds of your relationship.
you sat in your little stool behind the tub simon currently was sprawled out in. having just finished washing out all the soap from his blonde hair you sat back, relaxing your aching body for a moment before you would have to get him out and send him off to bed.
“long day, ah?” he commented.
all you could do was hum in affirmation, eyes closed enjoying the quiet of the king’s large bathroom.
“here,” he murmured, not wanting to disrupt the quiet tranquility you two had created, “pop your feet in.”
you cracked an eye open to see him start sitting up in the tub, turning back to you. “what?”
once he saw he had your attention he settled himself back down, shoulders against the basin of the tub. “slip your shoes off and just,” he motioned to his shoulders, voice dipping low. you could picture his eyes slipping shut again.
you hesitated for a moment, realizing the gravity of what he was asking of you. but he was also your king and even though you two had an unconventional relationship, you dare not go against his wishes.
you slip your shoes off and bunch your skirt up in your hands, pulling it over your knees as to not get it wet. you did as you were instructed and pulled a leg over each of his shoulders, shuddering at the hot water alleviating the tenderness in your feet.
“feel good?” simon pondered.
“yes, very much so,” you can’t help but smile, “thank you, simon”
he laughs to himself, just a little breath huffed through his nose, “anytime.”
you slipped your eyes back shut and allowed yourself a moment to sit and breathe and relax. the feeling of movement snaps you out of your reverie, simon reaching up a hand to loosely hold around your ankle. you see his head shift, his stubbly cheek resting against your calf. you had asked him if he wanted to shave before his bath, but he declined, cranky from his long day and just wanting to get into his bath.
you’re shocked at the touch, not as if you and simon hadn’t shared casual touches before but this seemed. emotional. intimate.
you dare not upset your king, but you know something like this can’t go on for much longer. “should probably get you to bed soon, your highness.” you know he hates it when you use his title when it's just the two of you, but you feel the need to have a degree of separation between the two of you, if not you fear you might do something stupid like reach down and get your fingers through his hair.
simon sighs against your skin and you burn at the way you can feel his lips moving, “just a little bit longer, please?”
you can never deny your king, but you never want to deny simon.
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minty364 · 7 months
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DPXDC Prompt #71
The bats have a protocol for everything including what happens when you meet your soulmate, unfortunately when your eyes meet for the first time you both cycle through the most important moments in your life and the bats obviously don’t want their secret identities revealed so they essentially kidnap them and are taken to the cave. This is a problem for Danny, he was just trying to get away after his parents vivisected him and dehumanized him to the point where he had a muzzle. Great his soulmate is a bat and he’s been kidnapped and he’s already traumatized his soulmate.
it can be any of them but I imagine Damian seeing red and getting furious at all of this. He’s getting all of his siblings together and they’re going on a murder spree, Jason approves. Danny just goes along to the cave seeing as they know his secrets as well, might as well get a hot meal and bed out of this.
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scealaiscoite · 4 days
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head of state x captain of their personal guard prompts ˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🕊️ ꒱
¹⁾ “must you always make my job so very difficult, your highness?”¹ “someone with your prowess must be challenged, captain. how else will i see to it that i made the right choice in selecting you for the job?”²
²⁾ “*name*, i’m begging you. if you won’t listen to me as your guard, then listen to me as someone who loves you - please let me get you to safety before it’s too late.”
³⁾ “what were you playing at, looking at me like that from across the court?!”
“since when do you feel permitted to give your opinion on matters of the crown?!”¹ “since i fell in love with the person wearing it.”²
⁴⁾ “when i told you to forget our titles during our sparring lessons, i didn’t think you’d actually follow through.”
⁵⁾ “i’m beginning to think you’ve only taken to spending so much time in the throne room to show off for me.”
⁶⁾ “i’ve dreamt of making you my consort more than i’d like to admit.”
⁷⁾ “so not only have you been ‘entertaining’ marriage prospects, but you didn’t even deem fit to tell me about it yourself? am i not even worth that to you?”
⁸⁾ “if the lords/ladies-in-waiting spy you leaving my quarters in the morning again, i fear we’ll be fielding more question than we can answer.”
⁹⁾ “you know how direly i hate these balls, my love.”¹ “yes, i do. but i also know how very much you love me, so i’m hoping one will cancel the other out.”²
¹⁰⁾ “you do remember that i’m supposed to be the one protecting you, yes?”
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ownlittleuniverse · 28 days
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snippet #3 - the hero’s getting prepared for a ball
warning: touchy villain (not nsfw), suggestive
The hero felt overwhelmed by the number of hands on their body.
Their head was being pulled back and forth, over and over. Their hair was being tightly braided and brushed into a perfect slick bun. The hero opened their mouth as their lips were being painted blood red by the maids, as well as their nails. Small pearls, black and white delicate flowers with sharp thorns were sewn in their hair like the maids were creating an expensive bouquet.
“You're messing up your lipstick,” one of them said, yanking the hero’s chin and preparing their small brush once again, “Open up.”
The maid swiped over the hero’s lips until the spot was no longer visible. The hero hadn’t realized they were biting the skin.
The hero tried not to flinch when a maid started tightening their corset to an unbelievable degree. It felt like their ribs were being pressed against their organs, like walls were closing in from all ends. Another sharp tug at the corset made the hero gasp. They heard an annoyed sigh. They looked towards the sound and realized they clenched their hands in the maid’s who were painting their nails, messing up the paint job. The maid looked at them with clear malice they were not trying hard to suppress. The made wiped the smudged polish off to start over.
“I’m sorry,” the hero whispered.
They felt like they were messing everything up.
One maid tightened on a black lace choker with small pearls around their neck, pulling it so tight it felt like someone was wrapping their hand around the delicate skin as another maid slipped matching fingerless lace long gloves onto their arms.
After what felt like an eternity of chaos, the maids finally stepped back. The hero took in their appearance.
Their gown flowed to the floor with black and white lace hugging their curves in the right places, small but bold flower patterns all over the dress matching their accessories and hair. The plunging neckline went all the way down to the center of their chest, its edges covered in pearls, thorns and petals.
The maids all smiled at the hero’s regal appearance, but the hero couldn’t bring themselves to do the same.
They didn’t look like themselves anymore.
The hero flinched at the sound of the door opening.
They sucked in a breath as the villain entered. They were in a matching perfectly tailored black suit, their hands covered in black gloves, their gaze cutting through the room like a blade. They looked elegant and menacing all in one.
The hero gulped, keeping their head down as the villain made their way over, their steps echoing across the tension-filled silent room. The hero tried to suppress their growing nerves that started eating away at their body, needing their fingers together, picking at their exposed hangnails.
The maids frantically backed away from the hero. No. No. No. The hero tried to telepathically tell them to come back, not leave them so exposed in front of the tall dark god. The villain’s stare made the hero feel like they were stripping them down to nothing but their skin.
The hero's breath hitched as they felt the villain come right behind their body, their breath tickling their ear. The hero wanted to ignore them so badly, but that would be completely impossible. The villain was not to be ignored.
The hero finally lifted their head and flinched when they made direct eye contact with the villain’s glare in the mirror. The villain kept their hands in their pocket but it felt like their hands were caressing the hero’s waist, making them shiver and their heart beat erratically just from that look they were giving them. Like they could eat them for dinner.
Their voice commanded the room like the creature of power they were.
“Leave us.”
The hero rolled their lips and watched with beading eyes all the maids quickly scurrying out, keeping their heads down.
No. No. Please. Please stay. Don’t leave them alone.
As soon as the door shut the hero’s shoulders tightened with even more fear. The villain's hands came up to the hero’s waist, softly caressing the bodice of their corset. The hero flinched violently.
“You look exquisite,” the villain cooed in the hero’s ear, making them shiver, “But darling, why are you so upset?”
“I-I’m not..” the hero whispered in a tone that wasn’t even convincing to them.
The villain's hands tightened, causing a whimper to escape the hero’s mouth. They hated themselves for it.
“Now, I know my little hero,” they murmured, smiling against the hero’s neck, “I know when they’re not happy, and-“ they ran their hands higher and higher, “I know what their lies sound like.”
The hero made eye contact with them once again in the mirror, the villain's eyes pouring into theirs willing them to open up. After a few beats of silence, the villain dug their fingers ever so slightly. The hero’s heartbeat spiked at the villain’s warning.
“I just…” the hero blurted out, “Everything feels so… uncomfortable—But everyone put so much effort into how I look, and I do look good… but-I.. I feel so ungrateful saying that…I’m sorry,” they murmured looking back down at their feet.
They felt a tear trickle down their cheek. They felt like such a spoiled brat not being appreciative of the time and effort it took to make them look like a beautiful art piece. They are grateful, they just… didn’t feel happy.
The villain didn’t say anything for a moment. The hero made them angry. The villain was definitely going to-
But all they felt was the pressure on their scalp beginning to release.
They looked up at the mirror and saw the villain slowly taking all the intricate accessories out of their hair, making their head feel ten times lighter than before. The villain took out most of the flowers, and let the hero’s hair cascade down their back. It felt so good, so releasing, not having that weight. The hero couldn't have imagined wearing that hair all night, it ripping at their scalp.
“I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable, my love,” the villain whispered as they began to take the tight braids out, “You look breathtaking with and without all of this.”
The hero hated how they blushed at the villain’s words, how they knew exactly what to say to make the hero feel all warm when the fear still clawed inside like a bouquet of knife-sharp icicles.
The villain delicately brushed the hero’s running tears away with their gloved finger. The hero couldn’t help but sigh in relief as the villain took a brush from the vanity and began to brush the hero’s hair out. The villain kissed the shell of their ear, making their hero whimper.
“You're a masterpiece, through and through.”
The villain smiled at their hero turning the color of their lipstick.
The villain began to massage their scalp with one hand and brush their hair out with another, making the hero sigh contently, their eyes closing from the pleasure. They let themselves sink into the feeling. It felt… so amazing. They wished it didn’t, they really did.
The villain slowly walked around the hero’s body, never letting go of their hair or scalp once. They watched in contentment as their hero’s eyes fluttered behind their eyelids in pleasure, not being able to resist submitting to the feelings the villain was giving them. They loved having that control over their hero. Their little plaything.
The villain took a small cloth from the vanity and began to wipe some of the hero’s makeup off. The hero’s eyes shot open in confusion, but the villain's one hand trailing down and massaging the knots in their neck made their eyes slowly close again. Their hero sighed in contentment.
The villain was completely obsessed with how their touch could turn their hero into a submissive thing at their feet. How they knew if they trailed their hand and tugged on their little choker that their hero would let out a moan they couldn’t suppress.
They knew them better than they knew themselves.
“I'll have to kill all the people who look past your neck,” the villain laughed. They wouldn’t hesitate to torture anyone for weeks on end who dared to look at their hero in a way that only they could. At the perfect skin that trailed down to their chest that the villain couldn't wait to taste.
The hero’s eyes slowly opened back up as they sighed, looking at the villain. But the hero’s worried face didn’t fade.
“What is it, darling?” the villain cooed.
“I-…”
The villain watched as their hero looked down in embarrassment, a faint rosy blush covering their cheeks.
”Can you undo my corset, just a bit..” they whispered, “It’s a bit too tight.”
The villain smiled. They loved the idea of undoing their hero’s corset.
“Of course I can.”
If they didn’t have a ball to attend, the villain would rip the whole thing off.
The villain tugged at the hero’s choker which, as they perfectly predicted, made their hero moan deliciously. That neck of theirs was so sensitive, they could barely hold themselves back from wrapping their hand around the skin and leaving their mark. They couldn’t wait to memorize every single sensitive place to touch to make their hero’s body writhe. The villain stepped back behind the hero and slowly undid their corset.
The hero didn’t know what to feel about the villain anymore.
They felt safe in their presence, protected and sheltered, but they also knew the villain’s power was something they abused. If they wanted to make the hero kneel for them, completely submit to them, they would. If they decided the hero was being ungrateful, then they were. If the villain wanted to hurt the hero, they could rip them in two with little to no effort. It scared them. But the villain has only been delicate, sweet, and soft with the hero and only the hero. Somehow, that scared them even more.
The hero gasped and their eyes closed at a sudden feeling, they curled their fists into the gown’s skirt. The villain's hand was gripping the hero’s waist as they pulled and pulled at the threads.
The hero’s heartbeat picked up. This felt different than the maids doing the same. The maids loosening and tightening their threads felt like life was being squeezed out of them, like they were a bug being squished between a shoe and the concrete. But when the villain did it… it felt like being wrapped in an all-consuming embrace. It felt like a word starting with L that the villain definitely cannot feel.
The villain’s hand pressed into their back causing the hero to involuntarily arch. Their fingers curled as they tried so hard to suppress their sounds, but the hero couldn’t help but let out another breathless small moan, their eyes clenching. They felt like they lost complete control of their body. It should make them feel scared, horrible, but they just wanted more.
The villain smiled at their reflection in the mirror. If only their hero knew what they looked like right now, their mouth open, their eyes closed. The sounds escaped them over and over. It was intoxicating.
The villain began to tighten the corset again, but this time leaving the hero enough room to somewhat breathe. As the hero’s breathing came back to a steady pace, the villain couldn’t help themselves.
They wanted to hear it all again, to give them an overwhelming sense of pleasure their little hero couldn’t help but submit to. And they wanted to feel it this time, even if they knew the consequences.
The villain ripped their black gloves off and tossed them aside. They wrapped both their arms around their hero, pressing them into their chest, curling them tight. The hero’s eyes shot open as their fingers flexed around their waist.
“Wha.. What are you doing?” the hero squeaked, their voice laced with confusion, panic.. and pleasure.
The villain simply pressed them more into their body. One of their hands came up to pull their choker aside, as their mouth latched onto the sensitive part of their hero’s neck.
The hero gasped. They squirmed in their grasp, at the villain’s lips, at their mouth that started to suck and mark all over.
”Wait!” the hero gasped, the sensations spreading through them, making them writhe. “Everyone will see!”
“That’s the plan, love.” the villain smirked, before going again. They couldn’t wait for all the onlookers to stare in shock. No one will dare touch what’s theirs.
The villain let one of their hands trail back up to the hero’s hair, swiftly tugging them to the side, rubbing their scalp again in a way they knew their hero loved. The hero immediately whimpered as the villain gave themselves more access to their neck.
The hero could feel the villain leaving nasty marks, ones every person at the ball would spot from a mile away. They shouldn’t have let that happen, but it was too late. They didn’t have enough strength to push the villain off, to rip their hand out of their hair, and they didn’t want to. It felt too good… everything was too much and they couldn't help but sink.
They couldn’t fight it anymore. The hero finally let themselves drown in the sea of pleasure.
They closed their eyes and wrapped their arms around the villain, letting their breathless sounds get louder and louder as the villain's mouth trailed from their neck to their collarbone, all the way down to the exposed skin near their chest.
The villain could feel their hero growing more and more into a pile at their feet, which just made them suck their skin even harder. Their hero almost screamed out when they bit into a sensitive part of their collarbone, then soothed the sting away with small delicate kisses.
The hero felt like the villain's hands were burning into them, but not in a way they hated, no, in a way they craved. They wanted it more and more, like a drug. They never felt anything better.
The villain picked up their hero, turned them around and pressed them into the vanity in a frenzy, both of them now breathing heavily and feeling like they just wanted more and more. They both felt so addicted.
The villain began to kiss the sensitive parts of the hero’s chest. The hero looked down at them in shock.
The villain was rendering their hero into a panting, moaning mess.
The villain sucked as their hand massaged their hero’s neck where all their marks now covered their skin. The hero threw their head back and practically screamed.
The villain looked up with pride at their hero’s eyes fluttering adorably, their mouth agape, their hair now a mess, their neck covered in a new red necklace. They loved how much they looked like theirs, and how everyone would soon see.
The villain continued their descent as the hero threaded their hand into the villain’s locks, not knowing if they wanted to keep them there or push them away. Everything felt so sensitive, heightened and feverish.
Their eyes locked for a second, and it made everything feel so much more intense. The hero cried out as the villain bit down gently, before sucking and kissing the pain away. They couldn’t think straight, it was like the villain had cast a spell on them.
The hero needed more, so much more.
The villain, feeling their hero growing impatient by their whines, tugged them close and finally pressed their lips to theirs.
They had thought of this moment for so long, what their hero would taste like, feel like. And they felt like the best thing in the whole world.
The villain coaxed their mouth open and it was like no kiss the hero had ever felt.
Would they even call that a kiss? They didn’t know. Kisses were comforting, sweet in the hero’s head, and this was far from that. It felt intoxicating in a way that humans were not supposed to feel. It felt so wrong, but so breathtaking in a way where they couldn’t stop themselves, they couldn’t. The hero moaned into their mouth as the villain made a mess of them over and over.
The hero frantically reached for the villain’s pants subconsciously, making the villain smile into their lips between their kisses.
They grabbed their hero’s hands, caressing their wrists trying to soothe their little love’s franticness, “Not now, darling.”
The hero only whined at them.
“Oh, you're a needy little thing, aren’t you?” they chuckled, looking at their hero’s disheveled out of breath state. The villain smiled. They turned them into a mess.
“As much as I would love to give your impatient body what it wants,” the villain smirked, making the hero heat up, “We have a ball to get to.”
The villain propped themselves back up, leaving the hero to lean back on the vanity still trying to catch their breath.
They… they didn’t-.. what..
“What was that?” they whispered. Their brain felt like it was still in pieces.
The villain simply tilted their head as they retrieved their gloves once more from the floor.
“I’m not usually… I don't-“, the hero said, their eyes becoming frantic. The villain needed to calm them down, they had a feeling this would happen.
The villain slowly approached their hero, their now gloved hands tucking a strand behind their ear.
“You shock yourself when you realize who you are when you let go.”
The hero looked up at them with the most adorable doe eyes filled with shock and confusion. The villain leaned in close, reveling in the way their hero’s breath hitched and their pupils went wide.
“You should do it more often,” they smirked. Their hero blushed immediately.
The villain couldn’t stop themselves from pressing a soft kiss to their lips.
The villain backed up and extended their hand, an open invitation. The hero looked at it cautiously but took the offer. Their skin felt warm and tingly against the leather.
But not like it tingled against the villain’s skin.
The hero felt more relaxed, the overwhelming anxiety from before seemed to have dissipated.
The villain tugged them along as the hero glanced in the mirror's direction.
They stopped in their tracks.
They looked… completely ruined.
Their hair had strands peaking out, their lipstick smudged, their cheeks so red you couldn’t even see the blush anymore. They looked so dirty, and they knew that everyone at the ball would think the same. They couldn’t leave like this. They couldn’t.
“I can’t wait for everyone to see you,” the villain murmured behind them.
“Like this?” the hero gulped. They spotted their lipstick smudged on the villain’s lips as well. It made their heart flutter in a way they hated.
“Exactly.”
The villain tugged them again, but the hero tried to stop them. The villain slowly turned to glare at them. It made the hero want to gulp down their words, but they didn’t this time.
“I can’t go down in front of people looking like—“
”Like what?” the villain said, their hand coming up to tug the hero’s hair. The hero’s anxiety came creeping back, the villain’s warning clear as day as their grip tightened against their hand and head.
“Like your mine?”
The hero’s heart started to pick up. The villains eyes pieced through them as their hands tightened once more making them whimper out of fear.
“That’s exactly what you should look like.”
The hero wanted to rip their naive little heart out.
They knew they should have listened to that voice in the back of their head. The one telling them that the villain never cared for them. The villain didn’t kiss them senselessly to make each other feel good. No. They only did it to make their appearances look.. well like this.
But the villain couldn’t be more satisfied with the taste of their hero’s lipstick on their mouth.
They spent years being utterly obsessed with someone those pesky royals wouldn’t let them have.
But the villain knew from the second they laid eyes on them that they already wanted to kiss them all over until they writhed. They already wanted to adorn their perfectly smooth skin with their marks, showing the world who they belonged to. They already wanted to devour them until the only thing left was a good little hero for them to play with.
They waited for the perfect time, in a small alleyway that day they decided they were going to keep the king and queen’s daughter all to themselves. The royal family was not happy, of course, but with their precious princess in the villains’ grasp, they were foolish to not obey the villain's demands.
Their hero was still terrified of the villain, kept their head down in their presence like one look would send them to hell. But their little pet was growing more and more perfect by the day, and soon they will be absolutely theirs.
The power coursing through the villain’s hands was something they didn’t use often on their hero, but when they did, it was completely worth it. It made the hero more compliant so to say.
The King and Queen will see tonight, at this very ball, looking up at the staircase in a matter of minutes exactly what the villain has turned their princess into.
The villain released the hero’s hair and pressed a soft kiss to the hero’s knuckles, before tugging them along.
Their hero shivered but still followed their villain.
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hush-writes-preg · 8 months
Text
Spooky Season Day #6: An Unholy Tome
Your father had always warned you of the danger of reading, but you'd never taken him seriously until this very day.
You're the young monarch of a small kingdom deep within the mountains. You'd been married to a king over a decade your senior as a way to solidify political alliances, and while your relationship was cordial, it'd never been particularly warm. The king seemed to hold little interest in members of your gender, but he still came to your bed like clockwork with the clinical intent to sire an heir. You endured it, because what other choice did you have? He had staff to cater to all of your whims and was never unkind, so you could have done much worse.
But still, you couldn't help but feel... neglected. You had needs, even if you didn't fully understand them, and no one with which to explore or satisfy them.
At least, not until you found the book.
Tucked in among your wedding gifts had been a slim volume wrapped in gilded leather, filled with strange things. You couldn't read the text, but the illustrations-- oh, those illustrations. Fantastic creatures of every size and shape were drawn in exquisite detail, not a single aspect missing the artist's trained eye.
It felt scandalous to gape at the familiar yet still alien shapes of their genitalia, but no matter how many times you slammed the book shut in mortification and hid it away, you always dug the tome back out. You always returned to a select handful of the pages, wondering why they made you feel so warm. If only you had someone to ask-- but as the king's foreign consort, you didn't have anyone you could trust with such an intimate query.
Then the dreams began.
And you quickly came to realize what that strange heat meant.
The monsters invaded your dreams like the fabled barbarians of the plains, swift and brutal. They chased you like a wolf hunting a rabbit, harrying your nude form through endless torch-lit corridors and toying with you until you could run no more. But instead of tearing out your throat, they flipped you onto your hands and knees. The horrible realization of what they intended crashed over you and choked off your cries of terror, leaving you frozen and trembling.
One of them mounted you like a beast on the hard stone floor. Thick shafts, tentacles, and appendages you couldn't even name flowed over your body with possessive intent, enveloping and fondling you in ways you'd never been touched before. Terror began to fuse with other things you couldn't name, similar to what you'd felt when gazing at that filthy book: heat, hunger, and a baffling emptiness between your thighs. Even while claws scraped over your skin, you wanted... you wanted...
"Accept us," a discordant voice rose from nowhere, countless voices layered over one another and ringing in your ears. Something nudged purposefully against your hole, teasing you with a taste of what your tormenter offered without truly entering you. Something hot and wet stroked its way down your neck until it curled around a nipple, plucking at the hardening nub until you whimpered. "Your body pleases us. Welcome us in, and we will overwhelm you with the kind of pleasure you'll never receive from your own kind."
You choked on a sob, your hips jerking instinctively back to meet the promised intrusion even as you shook your head. This wasn't right. You're married, and you had undeniable responsibilities to your husband and kingdom. Not to mention the fact that this thing at your back wasn't even human--
The shaft kissing your hole pulsed and began to vibrate, the sensation making your eyes roll back in your head.
"This is only a dream, little human," the voice taunted, its appendages winding even more closely around you. "There's no harm in indulging in a simple fantasy, is there?"  There was a hint of menace behind the voices, sure, but it only seemed to stoke the flames in your belly even higher as your willpower began to melt away. "All you have to do is let us in."
Your hole clenched around nothing, eager to suck in anything that would fill it. You'd never felt like this before, and you didn't know how to handle the sensations crashing over you. How could such horrifying monsters make your body burn so hot?
What am I accepting?
Do I even care?
With a moan, you hesitantly spread your thighs in silent permission to the creature.
"Accept. Us."
"Yes," you whimpered, dropping your face to the floor in shameful submission. "Enter me. Ease this ache inside of me before I go mad, please!"
The beast's savage roar of victory nearly made you empty your bladder, but the sudden thrust of something impossibly hard and thick into your aching body immediately drove the fear away. The hulking creature wasted no time in fucking your soft, pampered body into the flagstone floor with all of the abandon of a wild animal. All you could do was hang on and take it. And when it finally finished inside of you, the sudden surge of wet heat painting your insides sent you tumbling over the edge of your very first orgasm.
Oh gods. Oh gods. This dream... sex couldn't possibly feel so good, could it? Pleasure that wiped your mind and left you feeling like you'd transcended to another plane of existence?
Sweaty, dazed, and leaking fluids from your freshly-fucked hole, all you could do was watch as the next creature moved to take its place at your back. Something cooler and more flexible slid into your sloppy hole this time, knobby protrusions along the length catching on the rim before popping inside. And how many more beasts waited along the edges of your vision for their turn?
Oh.
As the bumped shaft started to find its own rough rhythm, you deliriously found yourself hoping that this dream would never end.
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It's been over seven months since your first experience with the dreams, and as promised, they fill your nights with untold pleasure. But there's been an unexpected complication.
You've fallen pregnant.
Your husband's kingdom is ecstatic with the news of the coming heir, his family embracing you with more kindness and attention than they ever have before. Your spouse is pleased, though he stopped bedding you the moment your condition became known.
Not that you mind. His disinterested late-night fumbling bores you; you'd much rather drift off to sleep and find satisfaction in the coils and claws of your imaginary lovers.
But as your pregnancy progresses, you can't help but wonder what has spawned in your womb. It seems foolish to imagine that the father could possibly be anyone but your husband, right? In reality, you've only ever entertained the king's attentions. The monsters aren't real. They haven't actually filled you with their seed, no matter how often they've left you sore and bloated from the sheer volume they've poured into you during your fantasies. You can't have been bred by figments of your imagination.
Yet still you find yourself plagued by apprehension. Your belly grows with unexpected speed, filling out into a taut sphere that hangs heavily from your frame. Your mother-in-law is sure this means you carry more than one child and begins taking every opportunity she can to rub your abdomen. This embarrasses you, but you don't feel like you can tell her no.
The midwife isn't as sure; she cautions your in-laws that you could just be carrying large for your first pregnancy. You can tell that she is puzzled by how quickly you've grown, since she's been attending you since your wedding in hopes of helping you conceive. At least you get along well, and she seems to be genuinely on your side. The last thing you need is someone suspecting you of trying to cuckold the king.
Because as much as logic dictates that such thoughts are foolishness, you still struggle against disquiet.
Maybe it is borne of guilt for being unfaithful to your husband, at least in your mind.
Maybe it has to do with the obvious pleasure that the dream-creatures take in fucking your gravid royal form.
Or maybe it is because of the way your belly sometimes moves, writhing and shifting like a bag full of eels. The baby's just active, right? It's not like you could possibly be carrying the offspring of some unnatural monster in your womb.
Of course not.
(A Spooky Season story.)
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iminkandpaper · 2 months
Text
I have a thing for Villains in case you couldn't tell.
°•○
"I want her," Villain says, his eyes fixed on Princess, who glances at her father.
The king blanches, his eyes flicking between the two. "You can't-"
"I definitely can," Villain cut him off. "In return for your kingdom back, I want the princess."
She tilted her head to inspect him. Villain, despite his murderous tendencies, was... well, he was rather handsome, if she was being honest. His eyes bored into her father across the table, betraying his mask of indifference. He lounged in his seat while everyone else seemed on the edge of theirs.
Princess wasn't even supposed to be here. She had come only at Villains' request.
"Father," she started, "perhaps Villain and I can talk this through. Alone."
"Absolutely not," he spat. "You will not taint her with your darkness." The King looked to Villain again, jabbing a finger in his direction. "You will not have her."
Villain, with the slightest nod of his head, forced the king into silence. His burning stare moved to the Princess and he addressed her imperiously. "Come. We will discuss."
Not a soul stopped them. Not when he offered his arm. Not when she took it. Not when he led her through to the gardens.
They made their way to the entrance of the spiralling maze before Villain stopped. "You know my request already."
"You want me."
"I want you."
She extracted her arm from his to fiddle with the ring around her throat. "The last time I saw you, you went by Alias."
His jaw clenched. "My name is Villain."
She did not fight him on that. It wouldn't work. Princess stroked the petal of a lily thoughtfully. "You lied to me. You lied to everyone."
Villain remained silent at her back, and she made no move to speak. The silence lingered around them like a thick, suffocating fog. Her willingness to stagnate the conversation thawed at his resolve. Villain would have taken her in his arms and kissed her until she remembered she loved him had she not turned to face him.
"I have conditions," she said finally. He gestured for her to continue. "I will call you Alias. You will cease this ridiculous reign of terror that you have inflicted upon the land. You can keep Kingdom, that land it rightfully yours - but it will be restored to beauty. No more barren land or shaved forests. I want flowers. I want sunshine."
He was silent while she contemplated what else she wanted. He would give it to her. She was worth her weight in gold and more.
"And..." she hesitated.
"Name it and it is yours."
"I want a puppy."
"What?"
"A puppy. Father never let me have one. He said it would only distract me."
His eyes widened in alarm. "I-"
"You said anything," she countered fiercely. When he nodded in agreement, she turned away from him, satisfied.
His lips twisted. "You will have your puppy. And a wedding."
She whirled around, eyes alight.
"You will be my Queen," he said simply. "That is my only request."
"Deal."
They were a breath apart. His fingers reached out to stroke down her cheek, and Princess leaned into the touch.
"I have missed you," Villain murmured, pulling her close to him.
"What, all that power didn't satisfy you?" She taunted. Still, she was in his arms, not pulling away. His hand tangled in her hair, jerking her head backwards. Princess scowled at him. "Don't be mean."
Instead of claiming her mouth like he wished, he settled for a kiss to her temple, cupping the nape of her neck to hold her close.
"I've only ever wanted you," he said. "Everything else was simply an accessory."
She did not respond, cradled in his arms like something precious.
Like something he needed.
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