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bentaylorrogerhardy · 5 years

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Lily of the Valley - Part 7

Joe Mazzello! x Reader!

Summary: Being a young, single mom that worked full-time was hard. When you weren’t working, you were taking care of your five year old daughter, Lily. You had given up on dating after many failed attempts. That was until after a rough day of dealing with your ex boyfriend, your best friend introduced you to Joe.

Word count: 1931

Warnings: FLUFF. JUST STRAIGHT UP FLUFF.

A/N: I was on my way to work one day and was listening to The Greatest Showman soundtrack, and got an idea, so this is what came out of that! Also, this is kind of a filler chapter before things get wild, but it’s still really cute in my opinion. ENJOY! Leave me some feedback if you liked it! Reblog/comment/like/send me an ask or DM. Anything!

Joe decided it would be a good idea to spend the night at your place, so he could help you with Lily when needed. With his help, you managed to get a few hours of sleep, in between having to wake up whenever Lily did to give her some medicine. It was a long night, but with Joe’s help, you don’t know what you would’ve done without him there.

The next morning, you and Joe were both wide awake at 8AM. You had taken the day off from work, and Lily was staying home from school. You were in the kitchen making some coffee for you and Joe, pouring it into two coffee mugs and handing one to him.

“I literally don’t know how to thank you for last night,” you yawned, taking a sip of the hot coffee, “I don’t know what I would have done by myself.”

“It was no issue,” he smiled, taking a sip of his coffee as well. “That’s what boyfriend’s are for.”

“No, seriously,” you said, looking over at him, “Chad hasn’t done in two or three years what you’ve done in a month. I can’t remember when the last time was that he wanted to see her for more than thirty minutes.”

“She’s a great girl,” he smiled, looking at you, “I’m happy to help.”

“And I’m happy you’re here,” you said, getting up and wrapping your arms around his neck, kissing the top of his head.

“When am I gonna meet this Chad, anyway?” he asked, grabbing a hold of your hands, placing soft kisses to the top of them. You hadn’t really thought about that. Eventually, they were going to have to meet. But, when? How? Would Chad have his shit together long enough to meet Joe? Well, the answer to that was most likely no, but it was bound to happen sooner or later.

“Umm, don’t know,” you laughed nervously, letting go of his hands and picking up the two empty coffee cups, walking over to the sink and setting them in, “he’s got...issues.”

You washed the two mugs and dried them, then put them back in the cupboard. For the time being, you and Joe decided to head into the living room and watch some TV, while you waited for Lily to wake up. The two of you sat on the couch under a large, warm, fuzzy blanket; your head nestled against Joe’s chest as he rested his chin on top, tracing his finger up and down your arm.

“I really like you,” you said quietly, tilting your head up and pressing a kiss to his jaw, “a lot.”

“I really like you,” he said, nuzzling his nose against yours, “a lot.” You smiled and pecked his lips sweetly, toying with the hair on the nape of his neck. His hands moved to your hips and rested there as you laid your head back down on his chest. A few minutes went by as you relished in the moment, here in Joe’s arms, and you were still in shock that he was now, officially, your boyfriend. How lucky could you be?

---

Thirty minutes had passed, and you and Joe were still in your same position on the couch, when you heard the shuffling of two little feet making their way out of your room.

“There she is,” you smiled when Lily appeared, her hair in full bed head mode, as she sleepily rubbed her eyes and walked over to the couch you were on. She climbed up on the couch and crawled into your lap, laying her head on your shoulder, “how’s my girly?”

“Hungry,” she said groggily, reaching for Joe’s hand and holding it.

“That’s better than yesterday!” you said, rubbing her back, “what do you want to eat?”

“Food,” she said, giggling and sitting up to look at you.

“Obviously,” you laughed, “what kind of food, silly?”

“McDonald’s?” she questioned, looking at you with pleading eyes.

“How about I fix you some toast, and if you can keep that down, maybe we can have McDonald’s for lunch, yeah?” you asked, kissing her forehead.

“Okay,” she giggled, climbing down and heading to her room.

“She feels better,” Joe chuckled as you got up and headed to the kitchen to make her toast.

“Much,” you laughed, popping two pieces of bread into the toaster. A few minutes later, the toast popped up, and you added a little bit of butter to them and sliced them both in half, putting them on a plate and setting it on the table. Lily wandered out of her room and into the kitchen, Joe following behind her, and sat down in front of the toast. You and Joe sat back down at the table as she took small nibbles of her toast.

“What are we doing today?” she asked, looking between you and Joe.

“Whatever you wanna do,” Joe answered, “it’s your day.”

“I took the day off from work, and you aren’t going to school today, so you can do whatever you want,” you said. Lily’s face displayed great joy as she took more bites of toast.

“Whatever I want?” she asked, giggling enthusiastically.

“Well, don’t go crazy” you laughed, “but, yes.”

“We can watch movies? And cuddle? And eat cookies?” she asked again.

“Whatever you want to do,” Joe said, glancing over at you and smiling.

“I don’t think we have any cookies, but I can run to the store and get stuff to make them,” you suggested, and Lily squealed with delight.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” she giggled, clapping her hands together.

“I can go get them, baby,” Joe offered, standing up from the table and grabbing his keys.

“You sure?” you asked him, “you’ve already done enough.”

“I insist,” he smiled, pulling you into him and kissing you, causing Lily to squeal even more.

“Okay,” you smiled, “hurry back.”

“Of course,” he chuckled, then walked out of the door to head to the store. Lily finished her toast, and drank a whole bottle of Gatorade, and managed to keep it down for the half hour Joe was gone.

“I’m so happy you feel better, babe,” you said, pushing her hair out of her face. The two of you had now migrated to the living room, waiting on Joe to return.

“Mommy, can I ask you something?” she asked, looking at you.

“Sure,” you said, raising an eyebrow.

“Is Joey your booooyfriend?” she giggled, and you laughed in response.

“Yes, he is,” you smiled.

“Are you gonna marry him?” she gasped, her eyes widening. You laughed again and shook your head.

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, “we’ll have to see.”

“Can we stay in our pajamas all day?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Of course,” you said, “if you want to.”

“Uh huh,” she nodded, “I do.” A few minutes later, Joe arrived back at your place, with all the essentials for baking cookies, along with a few other miscellaneous items.

“What all did you buy?” you asked, sorting through the bags and finding multiple different candy bars, “Joe, we have enough candy.”

“You can never have enough candy,” he chuckled, “right, Lily?”

“Right!” she yelled, walking over to the counter where you were standing, peeking into the bags.

“Okay, let’s get these cookies started,” you said, and started to get various mixing bowls and kitchen utensils out of your cupboard to start measuring everything.

---

Not even ten minutes in, Lily lost interest in the baking process, leaving you and Joe in the kitchen with all the dirty work. You were mixing the chocolate chips into the dough mixture when Joe walked up, stuck a finger in the bowl, and ate a small portion of it.

“Hey!” you laughed, shaking your head at him, “they’re not done.”

“Still taste good,” he shrugged, going back in for another finger-full, but you pulled the bowl away before he could.

“We actually need some of the dough to bake,” you laughed, finishing mixing the dough and started scooping some onto a pan.

“Joey!” Lily called from the other room, shortly making her way into the kitchen, a DVD in hand.

“Yes?” he asked her, looking at her.

“Can we watch this movie?” she asked, holding up the DVD, revealing it to be The Greatest Showman.

“Sure!” he smiled, “I love that movie.”

“We can watch it while we eat our cookies,” you said, finishing up the pan and sticking it in the oven, “shouldn’t take long, only about ten minutes.”

“YAY!” Lily squealed, running back into the living room, waiting impatiently.

---

Ten minutes went by and the cookies were done, so you took them out and put them on a plate to cool while Joe got the movie ready. When the cookies were cooled down, but warm enough to eat, you put a few of them on a plate and brought it into the living room and set it down on the coffee table, taking a seat on the couch next to Joe with Lily sat on the floor in front of you. Joe pressed play on the remote as you nestled back into him, back under the large, warm, fuzzy blanket from earlier.

As the movie went on, the three of you belted out every song, from A Million Dreams to The Other Side to Rewrite the Stars, Lily doing so with a mouth full of cookies majority of the time. The movie got to the scene with the song From Now On, and Lily let out a loud squeal.

“THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG!” She yelled excitedly, turning to you and Joe.

“Really? Mine, too!” Joe laughed, watching as Lily got up and walked over to where the two of you were sitting.

“Dance with me, Joey!” she said, pulling his hand.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” he laughed, shaking his head.

“Pleaaaaase?” she begged, sticking her bottom lip out.

“C’mon, babe,” you said, nudging him and sitting up, “show us your moves.”

“I guess I can,” he said, getting up. Lily pulled him to the middle of the living room and started ‘dancing’, which for her was holding Joe’s hands, swinging them side to side, and jumping up and down.

“Look at those moves!” you joked as you watched the two of them, ‘dance’ around the room.

“Mommy! Dance with Joey!” she said, letting go of Joe’s hands.

“But, you two look so cute dancing together already,” you commented, pulling the blanket off of you and tossing it to the side.

“Come dance, baby,” Joe said, holding his hand out to you. You smiled and took his hand, pulling you up and leading you over to the center of the living room where him and Lily just were. You wrapped your arms around his neck, swaying side to side as the movie continued to play.

“AND WE WILL COME BACK HOME, AND WE WILL COME BACK HOME,” Lily belted out, jumping around you and Joe, a cookie in hand.

“Hooooome agaaaain!” you and Joe sang out in unison, with him dipping you, causing a squeal to emit from your lips.

“Joe, don’t drop me!” you laughed, holding onto him so you didn’t fall.

“I’ve got you,” he chuckled, pulling you back up and kissing you, “always.”

The song faded out, and the movie continued. Lily took her spot back on the floor in front of the couch, while you and Joe took your usual spots, snuggling back under the blanket; him running a finger up and down your back; laying there in perfect contentment with life as you knew it.

Tags: @hargreevesgrace @deakyspuff @okiegirl24 @joalsglasses @toger-raylor @panicatttckiss @cheeseedreams47 @shesakillerquueennn @cruelnatalie @mrsmazzello @rogerina-owns-me @johnricharddeaconn @jiswoogannon @loveofmychips @v-o-o-d-o-o-c-h-i-l-d @littleliv1 @walkingwheels @cryinq-mazzello @ramibaby @queeniesteiins @inthelapofthe39 @caborhapch

#joe mazzello #joe mazzello fanfic #joe mazzello x reader #joe mazzello imagine #bohemian rhapsody #bohemian rhapsody movie #borhap #fanfic #bentaylorrogerhardy

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of-storms-and-saints-blog · 6 years

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Part 01: Tainted Hero Chapter 11: A Proper Grey Warden “How do you feel?” Duncan’s face hovered over her own, his expression neutral. A small hint of relief reflected in his eyes. “Like I’ve been trampled by a Gurn . . . And that nightmare . . .” “What did you see?” “The horde . . . Thousands of nightgangers . . . And . . . And a huge dragon . . . The Archdemon.” Duncan nodded. “Now you understand how we know this is a Blight. I’ve arranged a meeting with King Cailan and General Loghain at mid-morning. I want you and Alistair present.” “Me? I’ve only been a Grey Warden for a few minutes.” “I can’t discuss it now, but there’s an important task you and Alistair are best equipped for.” Duncan turned on his heel and left. Brina glanced back at Jory and Daveth. At some point after she passed out, Alistair and Duncan had wrapped the bodies and draped blue flags with the Grey Warden’s silver griffon sigil over them both. Such a waste, but I understand now. Thank you, Korth, for delivering me from such a fate. Alistair sighed heavily. “Two more dead . . . At my Joining only one of us died, but it was . . . Horrible.” They stood in silence for a time. Brina couldn’t erase the images of their deaths from her mind. Without warning, her stomach growled loudly. Sudden hunger brought cramps to her stomach. “By-the-way, you’re going to be very hungry for a few hours. It was a surprise to me too.” Brina shot him a look of irritation. “Thanks . . .” A broad grin spread across Alistair’s face. “Don’t mention it!” “You could have warned me sooner.” “Where’s the fun in that?” Alistair unbuttoned a pouch on his belt and took out a slice of bread wrapped in cheesecloth. “Here, it’s not much, but it will get you between here and the breakfast fire at the Warden’s Camp.” The hunger prompted Brina to snatch the bread from his hand and devour it in two bites. After she swallowed the last mouthful, her eyes grew in embarrassment and horror. She covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what’s come over me.” Alistair laughed. “I told you! Go get some food. I’ll take care of everything here.” Brina nodded and went down the steps. She turned at the bottom. Alistair had knelt between both bodies with his head in one hand. This . . . This is only the beginning, isn’t it? Brina, what have you gotten yourself into? She followed the scent of food; eggs, sausages, flatbreads, various roasting meats and fish from the Wilds. Vegetables were somewhat scarce with winter so close at hand. As long as the battle was soon, what food remained would last the journey home, however far it might be. So long as they won. Brina found herself back at the infirmary. It had become familiar. Sister Paulette greeted her with a smile. “Good morning, Sister . . . Ah . . . May I have some of that?” Over the central fire were several pans. One had sliced sausages and scrambled eggs. Brina’s mouth watered and her stomach growled again. “Of course!” “My thanks.” Paulette handed Brina a full plate. She then went to a nearby table and sliced a chunk of bread and spread some butter on it. “Here. A shipment from Rainesfere came in just before you arrived. They haven’t sent soldiers, but at least they are helping . . .” Brina struggled with her food. She wanted to eat it in a single gulp, but she forced herself to eat slowly, one bite and a time. “What is your name, Sister?” Paulette’s face turned red. “I’m sorry, I never introduced myself! My name is Sister Paulette.” “Where are you from?” “Edgehall, originally. I lived in Honnleath for a time when I was little. Then my family moved to Denerim. It was there I joined the Chantry. Being the youngest of six with few prospects, it made the most sense. What about you? I know you’re Avvar . . . But that’s it.” Brina swallowed a particularly large bite. Her appetite was getting the better of her. “My hold is the- was . . . The Black Wolf Hold. I am called Brina Ulriksdotten, daughter of Ulrik Brynjolfsen. He was the Master of Hunt. Considered the best in our region even among the other holds. He was such an expert, the Thane depended on him during war times for organization. My Ma was Aela Caldansdotten O Stone Bear Hold.” Brina laughed to herself at the thought of a story she was once told. “You know, my Da was so good at hunting and tracking, he managed to sneak into Stone Bear, steal my Ma, and sneak out without even leaving footprints. What makes it even more impressive was the fact he had announced he would sneak in that night and challenged the Thane into doubling the guard and having them watch for him.” Paulette nearly dropped her cup. “He stole her? I don’t understand. That’s so . . . That’s so-” “Barbaric?” Brina raised her brows. Paulette blushed again. Brina laughed. “‘Ts all right. I know how it sounds. That’s how it’s done.” Brina paused and took a drink of water, noting that Paulette was listening very intently. “She was willing and even helped. The Thane of Stone Bear was so impressed that he pledged a blood oath to our hold . . . If only they had known we needed help . . .” “What do you mean?” “Do you know how Duncan recruited me?” “The Warden-Commander?” “He was visiting the hold when I underwent my ritual to become a shaman . . . The hold was attacked by nightgangers. Darkspawn. It happened so fast, during the night. No warning. No time to react. Too many for my hold to take.” Paulette's hands were over her mouth. “Oh . . . I- I had no idea . . . I'm s- . . . I'm so sorry, Brina.” Brina shook her head. “I will not rest until every last one of those bastards is dead. It may not bring back my hold, and I'm sure there are too many nightgangers for me to take alone, but I'm going to try.” “I . . . I think I would too . . . were I in your place.” Brina finished off her stew and bread. “Thank you again, Paulette. How are Carver and Aveline? The injured soldiers from yesterday?” “Aveline's fine. Senior Enchanter Wynne completely healed her. She'll go back to the main camp today. Carver-” A commotion broke out. A large man with messy jet black hair and blue eyes tried to force his way between the guards at the entrance. His armor bore no sigil. In fact, it appeared his armor was pieced from multiple sets and were ill-fitted for someone as burly as he was. “I need to see my brother! I need to see Carver!” “Ser, you cannot just barge in here! The patients here need rest to heal.” From across the infirmary, Wynne approached calmly. She placed a hand on one guard's shoulder and the other on Carver's brother's arm. The men stopped struggling. “Ma'am, are you in charge here? Please, how is Carver? I only just heard. When the soldiers didn't report back this morning, I thought he was dead! But he is here . . . I must see him. Please.” Wynne turned to the guards. “It's all right. Let him in. I will take him to his brother.” The guards released him. “Thank you. Where is he?” “This way. What is your name, Ser?” “Garrett. Garrett Hawke.” Wynne and Garrett approached a tent, where Brina assumed Carver was being kept. “What? What are you doing here?” That was Carver's voice, I think. “What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?' I thought you were dead and then found out you were here. I came to see if you were okay!” “I'm sure you did. You came to gloat because you came back from your scouting mission unscathed.” “Well . . . I- . . . No. All right, maybe. Did you at least get the bastard that did that?” “Do you really care?” “Yes. I need to know you aren't going to go on a revenge rampage.” “Yes, I got him.” “Good. You won't be able to participate in the main battle tomorrow.” “What? They said I'd be good to go!” “I say you're not.” “That's not fair! You're not Mother. You're not Father either!” “Carver . . .” “No! Say it. Say I'm going to be at the battle!” “I just don't think you're ready.” “I'm going. I don't care what you say.” “You-” Garrett cut himself off before growling. He was silent for a moment. “Fine, but you will be at my side the whole time. Mother can't know. Or Marian . . . Or Bethany for that matter. This is between you and me.” Brina couldn't see them, but Carver's voice dripped with sarcasm. “Yes, Mother.” Garrett sighed loudly. “How do you feel?” “Fine.” “I'll . . . I'll let you rest . . .” Garrett emerged from the tent, rubbing his face. Under his breath, as he passed Brina and Paulette, he muttered, “Fucking little shit. He's damn lucky I love 'im.” Brina glanced at Paulette. “Well . . . That answers that . . . I must be going.” “Oh! All right.” Brina made her way to the Grey Warden Camp to find Alistair. At the entrance, another guard stood watch. At first, he eyed her suspiciously but seemed to recognize her. “Warden Brina?” “Aye.” “A messenger was just sent to find you. Report to Warden Constable Amaya. She has some equipment for you.” “Where is she?” “Follow this row. Third on the right.” Brina followed the row and stopped at the third tent on the right. The flap was tied open. She bent to glance inside. “Well don't just stand there. Come on in.” “Oh!” She entered the tent but was unable to stand upright. The tent was too short for her. As her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit tent, Brina was surprised. Warden Constable Amaya was a dwarf. Her hair was shoulder length and mostly grey. Half of it was pulled back into a ponytail. What was surprising to Brina, was the fact that most female dwarves she had encountered kept a clean-shaven face. Amaya had thick mutton chops on her cheeks and a long braided goatee that was tucked into her belt. This dwarf was obviously a warrior. Her armor was made of thick plate. The few bits of visible leather and cloth were dyed blue, matching the Grey Warden sigil that decorated most of the tent's furnishings. Inside the tent sat a cot and a table covered in maps and messages. A gigantic, very thick two-handed hammer was propped against the bed. A large number of mugs laid about as well. It was then Brina realized the air smelled heavily of liquor. It was almost enough to make Brina feel warm and fuzzy. “So, I see you survived the Joining. Good thing, too. We lost every single recruit in the last three groups.” Amaya never once looked up at Brina; instead she was focused on one particular map in front of her. “Be prepared for nightmares until the sodding Archdemon is dead. Then get used to it. Drinking helps sometimes. Drowns it out.” Amaya looked at her. “Until then, you need better gear. You can keep your staff . . . Or whatever that is, but we have armor that will better protect you from melee and ranged attacks. And, as a Warden, you're expected to bear the sigil.” Amaya gestured at Brina, and they left the tent. Brina was relieved to stretch upright again. She blinked at the bright light. “Normally, I'd tell you that you'll be kept to the back, up high so you can strike at a distance, but the Warden-Commander told me he has a different job for you. So your gear has some modifications.” They walked all the way down the row and stopped in front of a blacksmith. “Hey! Jerome!” The man stopped hammering. “Yes, Warden Constable?” “Is the new recruit's shit done?” “Eh? Oh, yea. It's here. Just got it back from the Tranquil about ten minutes ago.” Blacksmith Jerome went to a chest and pulled out several armor pieces; several layers of chainmail and padded leather, a metal breastplate, bracers and shin guards, a set of rerebraces with griffon-shaped pauldrons, and cuisses. Lastly, she was handed a helmet with griffon wings adorning the sides. “Oh, Sweet Tyrrda's Tits . . . I've never worn anything like this before . . .” Warden Constable Amaya blinked at her. “That's right. I forgot you're a savage. Come, I'll take you to Warden Lorrel. She was one of the last recruits who survived before you. She's also a mage. She can show you how to put on your shit. This way. Thanks, Jerome.” Jerome grunted and resumed hammering. Brina followed Amaya two rows over and back up the direction they had come. They were about seven tents down from the entrance. Both flaps were tied back. “Hey! Lorrel! Help this new Warden.” Amaya turned on her heel and left. Brina stood looking back and forth between the tent and the dwarf. An elf appeared from the darkness. “She's a bit much, 'in't she?” “Ah, aye . . .” “Ya never worn armor before, have ya?” Brina shook her head. “A'ight, com'on. First, take off your outer layers, but keep your small clothes on . . . Trust me. Chaffs less . . . then put this on.” Lorrel tossed one of the chainmail layers at her. Brina noticed it had a soft cloth layer on the inside and had straps that went around her feet and hands to keep the sleeves and legs from riding up. Gaps on the inside of her elbow and knees for improved moving and comfort were also present. Brina noted the flap tied between her legs. And here I thought I'd have to worry about bathroom breaks. “Okay, now this layer.” Lorrel tossed another layer of chainmail. This draped over her like a tunic with straps at the sides. It went down to her knees. Lorrel threw the padded leather. It also hung like a tunic and was about the same length as the chainmail tunic. It was striped blue and white with a black belt around her waist. “I'll help ya with everything else. They're tricky the first couple times.” Lorrel slid the breastplate over Brina's head and tightened the straps. The bracers had leather gloves attached. Brina got them on, and Lorrel tightened the belts. The rerebraces and pauldrons were trickier, but soon they were strapped to her upper arms and shoulders as well. Brina slipped her boots on. The shin guards covered the front of her knees and part of the top of her foot with tiered plate. The cuisses attached to her belt. When it was all on, Lorrel helped her connect them together. “There now! A proper Grey Warden ya are!” “Thank you.” She glanced outside, and a realization hit. Brina's eyes grew wide. “Hakkon's balls, I'm late! I'm sorry, I must go. I need to get to a meeting. Thank you, again!” Brina ducked through the opening of the tent and dashed out of the camp back toward the old temple. On the way out, the guard at the entrance yelled after her. She didn't hear most of it, but managed to catch the words “Alistair” and “war meeting.” She waved behind her.

#fanfiction #dragonage #dragonageorigins #avvar #avvarorigin

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joshpup · 7 years

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Royalty // Hoshi // Pt. 3

Pt. 1 // Pt. 2 // Pt. 3 // Pt. 4 // Pt. 5 // Pt. 6 // Pt. 7 // Pt. 8 // Pt. 9 // Pt. 10

Word Count: 2,502

Genre: royal au, fluff, kinda angsty?

Trigger: understood murder mentioned a bit at the end

Summary: You’re driven from your own kingdom by your wicked step-mother and flee to the one safe place you know…but how safe will it stay

Both Soonyoung and Mingyu reached for their swords concealed under their cloaks. Mingyu’s usually happy face had become stone cold and Soonyoung’s eyes darted all over, looking for the source of the crash. Mingyu relaxed when he located the source of the noise; simply a drunken man who had staggered into a stack of crates. Soonyoung let out a sigh of relief when he saw there was no trouble in the end.

“Mingyu’s right, we should probably head back.” Soonyoung said after a moment of silence. You agreed reluctantly and followed the two boys back towards the castle.

When you finally got back, you were greeted by a very worried looking Seungcheol, and a guy you had never seen stood behind him.

“Where did you go?” He asked, rushing up to you. You glanced over at Soonyoung, as if to say that it wasn’t a good idea to leave without telling the prince.

“Soonyoung and I just went to explore the town, sorry for not telling you…” you apologized. Seungcheols worried expression melted into a small smile.

“You’re still the same way as when you were little. You would just disappear for hours on end because you never told anyone where you were going.” he chuckled. You grinned sheepishly, remembering all the times you got scolded for leaving without telling anyone.

“Um, your highness?” the brunette spoke up from behind Seungcheol, causing him to turn in the boy’s direction. “The meeting will be starting soon.” Seungcheol grunted but turned back to you and Soonyoung.

“I’m going to have to go now, but please, don’t wander off, and if you do, at least take Mingyu with you.” Seungcheol pleaded before leaving you for the second time that day. You turned to look at Soonyoung and Mingyu, not sure what should happen next.

“Well, I think i’ll retire for the night.” Soonyoung declared after a moment of silence. You nodded and Mingyu bowed.

“Good night, your highness.” Mingyu’s strong voice rang out. Soonyoung smiled, and within minutes had disappeared into the elaborate halls of Seungcheol’s palace. You stood silently watching him leave before you turned to face Mingyu.

“So i’m guessing i missed dinner, yes?” you questioned.

“Yes, your highness.” Mingyu answered.

“I thought we agreed to drop the highness part.” you mumbled, “anyways, do you think there is any food left over?”

“I’m sure there is something, lets go check.” he said, leading the way towards the kitchen you assumed. You weren’t sure if you would ever get use to the long, twisting halls that comprised the castle. You followed Mingyu in awe as he quickly passed corners and slipped through halls and down stairs. You were completely lost in a matter of minutes.

“Geez, this palace is huge!” you exclaimed as you finally arrived at the kitchen.

“Was your palace not like this?” Mingyu asked as he opened the door, revealing a dark, abandoned kitchen.

“It’s about half this size and not nearly as many levels and hallways. I don’t understand how you’re not totally lost!” After saying that Mingyu let out a chuckle.

“I got lost many times when I first started working here. It took me a year to learn how to get everywhere. Wonwoo helped me out a lot when I first got here.” he said as he began to poke around the kitchen, looking for some sort of food. You nodded as he spoke, for just a palace guard he spoke quite elegantly compared to most others, then again, Seungcheol trusted and liked Mingyu enough to assign him as your personal body guard so he must be really good at what he does.

Eventually, Mingyu was able to gather an assortment of fruits, and a few cheeses with some bread.

“It’s nothing fancy, but it will do.” Mingyu stated as he set down a glass of water for you. You sat down at the long counter and was about to start eating when you noticed Mingyu hadn’t joined you yet. You set down your fork and looked at him. He stared back at you questioningly.

“You didn’t have dinner either because you were busy trying to find me right? You must be hungry.” you pointed out. Mingyu shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.

“Please join me, i don’t like to eat alone, plus this is quite a lot of food. I could never eat this all on my own.”

Mingyu broke into a huge smile as he sat down across from you, grabbing a slice of bread while you stabbed your fork into the fruit he had cut up.

The two of you talked while you ate your make shift dinner, and continued to talk long after having finished your meal. You told him all about the kingdom you had come from, how everything looked and how no matter what season it was, there would always be snow on the ground. You described your palace and how the style of clothing was so different then how it is here in the mountain kingdom. In exchange, Mingyu told you about his life before he had become a palace guard. How he had come from the poorer area of the kingdom and that was why he learned how to fight so well. He spoke about his friends that he used to hang out with, most who had ended up in the other two kingdoms, Ocean (which Soonyoung was prince of) and Desert. He told you the story of how Wonwoo had stumbled upon him after a fight he had gotten into, trying to protect one of the younger kids who lived in the streets and patched him up and found him a good job as a palace guard. He talked about the moment Seungcheol noticed him fighting and took him under his wing to give him special training to become how he is now as if it was yesterday. The whole time he spoke there was a smile on his lips, but he’s eyes were sad and lacked their usual sparkle. The two of you genuinely enjoyed talking with each other, which would be a good thing since Mingyu would be by your side for who knows how long. Mingyu already felt like the sibling you never had.

You finally retired for the night with a full stomach and a smile and, changed into your nightgown, you slipped into the soft bed, pulling the covers up to your chin with a giggle. It had been a while since you had slept in a bed this comfortable. Within minutes you were fast asleep.

As the kingdom slept, a hooded figure stalked through the streets. He was sure you would come here, you didn’t know any other place to come too. The queen would be so proud of him when he finally killed you, he would finally get a higher up job, all he needed to do was fulfill the one request the queen had given him. He searched through the town, looking for any trace of you, but soon decided to come back in the morning and ask the townsmen if they had seen anyone like you. You were not doubt being careful about your surroundings. What he never expected was that you had gone to Prince Seungcheol and would stay in the palace.

When you walked into the dinning room for breakfast the next morning, you found Seungcheol and Soonyoung already sitting down in their respective chairs, dressed in much finer clothes than they had worn previously.

“Are you two going somewhere?” you questioned as you sat down in your chair, Mingyu silently standing off in one corner of the room.

“The four kingdoms are meeting up today to re-establish the peace treaties we’ve made with each other.” Seungcheol answered after taking a bite of his food.

“That’s the whole reason I came to stay with Seungcheol, my kingdom is the furtherest away from the meeting place, so he offered to let my stay here.” Soonyoung pointed out. You nodded, serving some fruit onto your plate.

“To be honest, i had forgotten about that. I wonder who will be there for my kingdom. It should have been me…” you mumbled, causing the boys faces to drop, reminded of the tragedy that had befallen you.

“We’ll try and find out how your people are doing when we get there, don’t worry too much.” Seungcheol said with a soft smile. You smiled back, happy that you were surrounded by caring people.

Not much talking occurred during that breakfest. Either the guys were to busy worrying about the trip they were soon to make, and the issues that occur when you put four powerful people in one room, or they could sense your agitated mood. Rather than the usual sadness that came along with the thought of your kingdom, it was slowly turning into anger. You were angry at yourself for running away and leaving your kingdom, and you were angry at you step-mother for acting the way she did. Your emotions were all over the place. Some moments you had never been more content and never wanted to leave Seungcheols peaceful kingdom, and other times rage consumed you, and you felt as if you had enough power to storm back into your kingdom and take control without getting a single scratch.

You had been thinking so hard about your kingdom, you didnt notice Seungcheol and Soonyoung stand up from the table. A tap on your shoulder brought you back into the present.

“Seungcheol and I are leaving now.” Soonyoung declared. You stood up and nodded. Soonyoung looked at you as if he had something to say but hesitated. Finally he spoke up.

“Seungcheol told me not to tell you, but there are rumors going around that one of your queen’s men is looking for you around the town.” he said as he fidgeted with one of the light blue sashes on his white uniform. You nodded again, you had expected this to happen, just not this soon.

“Mingyu will be with me, so i’ll be fine!” you finally said. Soonyoung looked at you with his dark eyes, but soon smiled like he usually did.

“Alright! I’ll see you tomorrow (y/n)!” He exclaimed, turning to walk out of the room. Before he had left, he stopped next to Mingyu.

“Take care of her.” he said just low enough that only Mingyu would hear.

“Of course, sir.”

And with that, Soonyoung had vanished. You walked up to Mingyu with a questioning look on your face but he said nothing. After following you through a few halls Mingyu spoke up.

“What do you plan to do by yourself today?” he asked. You shrugged your shoulders.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. But anyways, i’m not by myself, i have you with me.” you said with a smile. Mingyu smiled.

“I suggest we stay within the castle walls, since neither Prince Seungcheol or Prince Soonyoung will be here.”

“Oh I know!” you said excitedly. “Let’s go visit Wonwoo!”

“Okay!” Mingyu said just as excited. “And i can show you around the castle if we get a chance.”

You nodded and smiled, happily walking alongside Mingyu (although his strides were bigger than yours, so it took some extra effort to keep up with him). Wonwoo’s office ended up being on the other side of the palace, so you got to see a decent amount of the palace, although Mingyu assured you there was more than meets the eye. The staff bustled about in various uniforms and carrying various items. Mingyu waved at a few guards as the two of you passed them and they smiled back. You wondered what rumors had gone around the staff as to who you are. The only people who actually knew you were the missing princess where Seungcheol and Soonyoung, and of course Mingyu, and lastly Wonwoo. You’d only known Wonwoo for a short while, but you could tell he wouldn’t be the type to gossip about something like that. The only thing the staff must know is that you are some kind of royalty, considering their prince speaks so freely with you.

After weaving through several corridors and eventually through a very beautiful court yard, you arrived at Wonwoo’s office. It was exactly how you left it. He was sitting hunched over at his desk, books stacked in several piles all around him and the smell of dried herbs filled the room. He looked up from his book, no doubt expecting a patient, but smiled when he saw it was you and Mingyu.

“Oh hello.” he said, taking his circle glasses off and setting them on the book that now lay untouched on the desk. Mingyu grunted and flopped down on one of the chairs situated around the room.

“Please, have a seat.” Wonwoo said, gesturing to a chair across from Mingyu. He walked over to a small stove he had in the corner of the room and started making some hot tea. When you finally received the warm cup, you were amazed at how good it tasted.

“I spend a lot of time working with plants.” wonwoo stated with a shrug of his shoulders as he handed Mingyu a cup. “The best part about this tea is it gives you more energy.” he said as he took a sip of his own.

Out of all the places you had been in this palace, you liked Wonwoo’s room most of all. You liked the smell, and how he always kept a window open to let in the warm air and allowed you to hear the birds and the leaves rustle when the wind blows. You enjoyed his company, and how he didn’t talk all the time, but there was no pressure to talk in the first place. The three of you reclined in your chairs, taking deep breaths and just enjoyed yourself.

Honestly, you had almost drifted asleep when someone burst through the door. Your eyes flashed open and Mingyu jumped so much that some of his tea splashed onto his leg. Wonwoo however, remained completely unaffected, no doubt use to people crashing into his room in a frenzy.

“Mingyu, sir!” the guard said with a salute.

“What is it?” Mingyu demanded, standing up from his chair and setting his cup down, obviously agitated.

“He’s here, in the palace! The one everyone was talking about it in the town! I don’t know how he got in, but one of the maids spotted him and then someone found the missing guards bo–”

“Not here.” Mingyu cut him off, his eyes darting over to you for a split second. The guard seemed to understand and shut his mouth. You weren’t stupid though, you knew what he was about to say.

“Wonwoo, do you know around what time will the Princes will be back?” Mingyu questioned.

“Some time late tonight, possibly early tomorrow morning.” Wonwoo answered, now standing up. Mingyu nodded and thought for a second.

“No matter what happens, we must protect (y/n).”

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