guys... i'm going on hiatus bc college started TODAY so i have a lot of things to do :( thanks everyone for reading my stuff 🫶🏻 when i get a break i'll comeback :D
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guys... i'm going on hiatus bc college started TODAY so i have a lot of things to do :( thanks everyone for reading my stuff 🫶🏻 when i get a break i'll comeback :D
old pinned post 🫶🏻
guys like i'm sorry carlos' girlies T ^ T i'm so stressed rn and i don't feel emotionally stable to write (i'm almost done) i'll try to publish things again when i feel better :]
leon says: DONT FORGET YOUR DAILY CLICKS!
one click can make a difference!! 🇵🇸
Clinging to the bottle
⭐ summary: a night out with your friends leads you to find a possible date.
⭐ cw: use of alcohol and its effects (be safe guys, don't drink that much!!!) leon re2r x female reader, this is fluff... again and rc events didn't happen :] reader is legal enough for drink!
⭐ wc: 1564 + 332 (extra)
College stress is some of the worst you have in your young adulthood. Having teachers on top of you pushing you with absurdly useless assignments, studying for ridiculously long exams, dealing with insufferable people in your classes... It was all a horrible migraine for you.
So, thanks to the fact that the week of classes was over, you decided to go out with your friends to a bar near the city campus to relax for a while, maybe gossip, or look at cute boys, anything to distract you from the academic stress.
The night went on without much inconvenience, some of your friends got free drinks for everyone by flirting with some guys, which was appreciated.
You were having fun, not really aware of how much you had drunk.
Dancing, singing, giggling with your friends, everything was going great, until at a certain point in the night, you were completely wrapped up in someone. Some of your friends, you assumed, they know you're a loving drunk, so you thought it didn't matter that much.
Until a big hand positioned on your back.
Leon was tired after a hard week. His first month as a police officer with the Raccoon City Police Department has been more grueling than he was warned at the academy. But it's worth it to be able to wear his uniform with pride. Feels like he's doing something great.
So, when he got to his apartment, he hesitated a lot about whether to go out for a drink or stay home. A drink once in a while isn't so bad, right? He could use his police privileges to look imposing on the spot! But... He preferred not to attract much attention, his night out is going to be a night free from his job.
When he took off his uniform, he put on his casual clothes. Nothing flashy, he thought looking in the mirror. Tonight he's going to be another civilian enjoying a weekend night.
Once he arrived at the bar, he noticed how noisy it was at this time of night, apparently many people enjoyed spending their nights like this. He approached the bar and sat on one of the free stools, ordering a beer from the bartender who politely asked him what he wanted.
While he waited for his drink, he looked around. There was everything from college girls, to adults in formal suits drinking to relax, executives, lawyers, firefighters, builders. Many people.
When his beer arrived he thanked the bartender and took a sip, letting the liquid fill his system after releasing a sigh. Despite being alone, he didn't care much, he enjoyed the solitude of it.
Throughout the night, Leon drank no more than two beers. He took it slowly and enjoyed it, but he didn't want to spend his weekend hungover, so for his well-being, he decided not to drink much.
So, after paying for his drinks and leaving a generous tip for the bartender, he got up from his stool ready to leave. The only problem was that to go out, he had to go through that improvised dance floor that was occupied by several people.
He tried not to hit too many people as he passed, managing to get out of the crowd of people, until he felt soft arms wrap around him...
Since when were your friends so big? You felt like you were hugging someone strong, with big hands that could steady your wobbling body with ease.
You looked up with lazy eyes and found someone who wasn't from your circle of friends, but God, you probably found the cutest boy you could lay your eyes on. Blonde hair, blue eyes, pompous lips, little moles on his neck, were you dreaming? Because this man is like an angel on earth.
"Huh? W-why are you holding m-me..." You mumbled, feeling your cheeks color at the closeness, completely forgetting how you were the one who kept the hold so close. The guy chuckled and still didn't let go. "Me? You were the one who hugged me first."
"N-nuh-uh. I don't hug strangers.." Your mind was too foggy to remember what brought you so close to this handsome boy in the first place, and the alcohol in your system made you say the things your mind was thinking, "I don't hug strangers no matter how cute they are.."
Now it was the pretty guy's turn to blush, using his unoccupied hand to nervously scratch his neck. Cute. "Well, I'm flattered. But I think you're a little drunk, am I right?"
His voice was like a sweet melody that you could listen to all day, his smile was brighter than the lights at the bar and you felt your heart skip a beat. What is wrong with you? You just met him! "I'm not... I'm not druuunk. I just wanted to dance. But I got sleepy, then I wanted to sit, but I got dizzy."
He chuckled again at your not drunk explanation, steading you in his arm. "Okay little miss not drunk. I can give you something for the dizziness, but first, what's your name?"
You murmured your name as your head rested on his arm, which made him feel good. Leon isn't so lucky with girls and it certainly made him feel good that you threw yourself into his arms. Plus, you look very pretty.
"Pretty name for a pretty lady, I'm Leon. Leon Kennedy. Do you need a ride home?" Leon. What a nice guy, you liked him, even though your mind was not in the right place. You simply nodded. "Mhm, please."
"Alright, did you come with your friends? to let them know that you are safe and in good hands. I am a cop and it is my duty to help people." You felt even more safe with his reassuring words, so you turned around clumsily to look for your friends and point them with your finger when you found them. "Okay, come on, huh."
But you were clingier than expected, so you opened your arms to him to carry you in his arms, to which he only laughed and did not hesitate to comply, delicately passing hi arm under your legs and the other one behind your back. You clung to him and snuggled into his chest, listening in the distance to the conversation he had with your friends while you closed your eyes.
The next morning you woke up in your room, bundled up and with a terrible headache. What had happened? The sun streamed through your window, giving a reflection on your face. You let out a lazy groan at how radiant the sunlight was, adjusting your newly awakened eyes to the world.
When you finally regained consciousness, you noticed some things on your nightstand. Your phone, your keys, a glass of water, pills and a little note.
You frowned and took the note that said: "I hope you sleep well, yesterday you were very drunk. It was nice meeting you, though. I left you my number in case you want to go out one day, take care. :)
– Leon Kennedy"
Oh. Oh. You grabbed your phone and checked the group chat with your friends and. Oh. My. God.
The group was full of photos of you hugging the cute boy from yesterday, looking at him like a puppy begging for affection.
All the messages from your friends encouraged you to go out with him and call him, commenting on how sweet and attentive he was to you since you hugged him and decided not to let him go.
Shame ran through your veins and your cheeks were completely red at what had happened, but in an act of courage, you took the note again that had his phone number on the back.
Hesitating a little... You wrote him a message.
You: hi! i'm the girl from yesterday and i'm sorry if i made you uncomfortable by hugging you and all of that :(
You: but i appreciate everything you've done for me and i would love to go out when you have time!
Your hands were shaking as you sent the messages and your cheeks were so red they could be mistaken for strawberries. You returned to the group with your friends and looked at the photos. You looked so stunned by him and he looked so sweet...
You realized that he brought you to your apartment, and left making sure you were okay. Which made your heart skip a beat. You bring the pills and the glass of water that was next to them, swallowing in one go so you could feel better as soon as possible.
When you felt your phone vibrate, you almost dropped it, looking at the notifications who it was. It was him.
Leon: Hey don't worry about it! You didn't make me feel uncomfortable or something, and it's no problem for me. Let's meet in the afternoon! I know a good place near where I work.
You smiled at his message and did not hesitate to respond.
You: yeah of course! send me the address and i'll be there :]
Who knew that a drunk night would bring you a nice date.
EXTRA: You were walking quickly on the sidewalk, avoiding the people who slowed down your journey while you carried a basket of cookies tied with a blue ribbon in your hand. Your destination seemed so close but the people walking at a snail's pace made it seem so far away!
Once you managed to pass the tedious and slow crowd, you managed to reach that building with the letters RPD all over the place.
With hurried steps, you entered the reception, rocking on your heels when the receptionist asked your reason for visiting. "Oh, I... I was coming to leave this to an officer."
"Name?" The woman asked, tapping keys on her keyboard, "Oh. Leon Kennedy. Isn't he on patrol?" You asked, feeling your cheeks flush at the thought of him.
"He's about to start one in about 40 minutes, he hasn't come out yet." You smiled, so your boyfriend would have a little time before he went on his patrol duties.
Once the receptionist gave you the pass to go, you went straight to his office, knocking on the door. "Come in." He said from inside and you peeked your head around the door frame.
When he saw you, a radiant smile came over him, "Hey, cutie. What are you doing here?" Leon stood up from his seat, heading to see you. You walked in and ran into his arms, leaving the basket of cookies on his desk. "I came to leave this with you before you go on patrol."
"Thank you, baby. I really appreciate it. I'll eat them while I'm stuck in traffic." He chuckled and you smiled, bringing your lips to his.
If someone had told you that the guy you hugged while you were drunk would end up being your boyfriend, you probably would have believed that to be impossible, but here you are, bringing him cookies to his work, giving him kisses, and waiting for him when his shift is over.
a/n: HELLOOO I'M SORRY I WASN'T ACTIVE T T i was at the worst of my career and it was hard to keep up :( but i'm very happy to be back even for a little while!!!! hope y'all enjoy this, i think i'm a little stiff in my writing but i'll make sure to get better ☝🏻 feel free to give me some corrections or advice! likes, comments and reblogs are very appreciated 🩷🩷🩷 bye-bye!
nana oh my god this is so cute i’m getting a cavity ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡
the college part is so true </3 i want out
“You looked up with lazy eyes and found someone who wasn't from your circle of friends, but God, you probably found the cutest boy you could lay your eyes on. Blonde hair, blue eyes, pompous lips, little moles on his neck, were you dreaming? Because this man is like an angel on earth.”
the reader is so real for that i would be awestruck if i turned around and found him right there…speechless and everything AHH
the little mannerism he had of nervously scratching his neck SO CUTE i imagined it perfectly in my mind
he’s so sweet for leaving the pills next to the reader AND UGH THE NOTE I WOULD GET SO GIDDY I WANT A HANDWRITTEN NOTE FROM HIM!! (˃̣̣̥ᴖ˂̣̣̥)
also loved the little detail where reader texts using lowercase wherever leon capitalizes his letters
YAY THEY GOT TOGETHER AT THE END SQUEALING
HIIII LOTTIE (^O^) i'm so glad you like it :] 🩷🩷🩷🩷 and yeah it was kinda self inducted the college part i swear is killing me!!!!! (i've never drank alcohol in my whole life....)
AND I KNOW I WOULD BE (๑♡⌓♡๑) TOO IF I SAW HIM... imagine reader's confusion because she was intoxicated LOL
i know he would be such a sweetheart so ☝🏻 surely he was going to get something to make her feel better :] AND HE DEF TYPES WITH CAPITAL LETTERS then he would start to type in lower cases 🤏🏻
i wanted to add the part where they were together because if that had happened to me i would probably be in love with the boy who took care of me like that LOL so 🩷 long live love u3u THANKS FOR READING 🫂🫂🫂🫂
Why choose between riding a cowboy, a stallion, or an Italian when you can have all three? In which you find competition for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in the American West.
mdni holy shit. f / m, shameless smut just like pure filth. p in v, wild west au, TONS of christian imagery via metaphor??, mild praise + size kink, leon's a tease as usual
word count: 1.69k <3 // read on ao3
a/n: re6 leon turns my brain into illiterate mush and this is the proof. i wrote this 1 word an hour. i couldn't cope. ignore the half assed banner, half assed writing, half assed everything. listen to nessa barrett's song from the title. god bless you all.
God makes no mistakes: you’re on your knees in the back of an Arizona saloon, but you’re not exactly praying thanks. God is a vision in dirty blond as far as you’re concerned. How’d you end up here?
Enter Leon Kennedy: outlaw on the run.
He hadn’t gotten the memo when angels started coming down to Earth and wanted to give you the warm welcome you deserve.
“Seriously?” You laugh; swirl your watered-down whiskey.
“I’ve always wanted to try that one out,” Leon grins. Cocky and magnetic, he takes your hand in his own calloused one and guides you to the dance floor. “But you haven’t seen my real trick yet.”
“And what’s that?”
“This.”
VIVI... I FELL ON MY KNEES THERE'S NO WAYUHSKGNGKDJSSKN!!!#+$($(@@912(!*_)$9{€[©}€%[-2#($!__!(+_+$ istg if this man was real and he wasn't mine i've already kms!!!!! (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ
He hadn’t gotten the memo when angels started coming down to Earth and wanted to give you the warm welcome you deserve.
I'M GIGGLING AND TWIRLING MY HAIR!!!!! such a flirt i hate him (nope i don't hate him)
“Wouldn’t be very gentlemanly to let a lady do all the work.” He kisses the spot between your legs, looks up at you with eyes of oasis blue. “You know I take the lead.”
I'M OVULATING DON'T DO THIS TO ME I'LL KMS
Leon clicks his tongue in sympathy. It’s hard to get mad at a thing like you no matter how tough you sell yourself. Smart mouth and pretty eyes, bubblegum sweet underneath, something he’s gotta help. Leon’s always been a sucker for the damsel in distress type.
leon... one chance please!!!! save me cowboy leon... save me...
And God, you burn brighter than the sun.
VIVI, YOU CLOSED WITH A GOLD BRACE!!! INCREDIBLE AAAAAAH T T thanks for the food!!!! another amazing work from you ♥️
You’ve bewitched me, I wish to never be parted from you
Summary: A war lasting three years became heavy on the front lines. Many people died and lost their homes from the actions of one kingdom. But to end the war, both kingdoms agreed to seal an alliance through an arranged marriage. Caught in a loveless marriage with the crown prince, a whirlwind of emotions blasts through foreign land as you try to make your life in the enemy kingdom bearable.
Warnings: slow-burn. Leon is a piece of dick in the beginning. angst. smut. cunnilingus. mentions of pregnancy. arranged marriage. reader is a princess and Leon is the crown prince. enemies to lovers (i think?). inaccurate historical information. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
Word Count: 12,900
A/N: final chapter😖 I hope everyone likes the ending, pls don’t hate me if you haven’t reached the ending🙏🏼
[pt.1][pt.2]
“As our hands are held, if only you could stay beside me forever” — Snow Flower, Mika Nakashima
Leon slept deeply, holding you close to him, his body instinctively seeking warmth and comfort. It was the most peaceful sleep he had in a long time.
As dawn approached, the sun peeking through the windows, Leon’s eyes slowly opened. He looked down at you, your head resting on his chest, your arm draped across him. He took a moment to just be, enjoying the feeling of your body against his, the soft sound of your breathing. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel lonely.
The sound of birds chirping could be heard from outside, the sunbeams shining through the windows, illuminating your skin. You had yet to wake up, feeling a bit exhausted from last night. Maybe you should sleep in today and leave today’s work for tomorrow.
So much happened, he went from hating you to having sex with you and admitting things to you that made your heart swell in a way you never thought it would.
His mind was racing with thoughts about what had happened between you two. He couldn’t believe the change that had occurred in his feelings for you. He had gone from hating you to loving you, from being cold and distant to opening up and being vulnerable.
As he watched the steady rise and fall of your breathing, he reached out and gently pushed a strand of hair out of your face. You shifted slightly on his chest, your cheek pressed against him when you felt him push your hair away from your face. Your lips were slightly parted as you breathed calmly.
The door opened of your shared chambers and a servant came in along with your maids but then they halted at the sight of you two. Their eyes, once again, wide with shock. They’ve never seen Leon be so affectionate, all they saw was Leon be mean and rude to you.
Leon's head snapped up to glare at the servants and your maids as they entered the room, their faces a picture of shock and surprise at the sight of him holding you.
They all quickly, and almost comically, hurried out the room. They’d have a gossip day about this later on for sure. Even though you were married, no one would’ve thought that you’d be together like this. He watched as they quickly scurried out of the room, no doubt already spreading rumors and gossip about what they had seen. It annoyed him, the fact that everyone was so surprised that he could show affection towards you. He let out a huff of annoyance before looking back down at you, his expression softening. He gently caressed your cheek, his touch light and tender.
He wasn’t a soft person, not publicly. Everyone saw him as the prince who was ambitious and wouldn’t be afraid to use whatever means to ensure he remained the heir of the throne. But with you, he seemed like a different person. He went from a cold and distant husband to affectionate and caring with you.
Leon's mind went back to the past, to the pain and loss he had experienced. He had blamed you and your kingdom for the death of his mother, blaming you for the pain he felt. But now, as he held you in his arms, he realized that he had been wrong. He had hated you to protect himself, to shield his heart from the hurt that he had gone through. But somehow, someway, you had broken through his walls and now, he was left with the realization that he had fallen in love with you.
The covers were over your naked bodies but the warmth coming from his body was more than enough to keep you warm even if the sun shined through the window. Leon continued to hold you close, relishing in the feeling of your body against his. But as the realization of his responsibilities for the day crept into his mind, he knew he couldn’t just stay in bed with you all day. He slowly extricated himself from your embrace, careful not to wake you. He sat up on the edge of the bed, taking a moment to just look at you, peaceful and tranquil in sleep.
As much as he wanted to stay, he knew he had to go. Duty called. A servant came through the door quietly to help Leon get dressed for the day, all while the servant kept his eyes on Leon and not on your still sleeping form.
“Your Highness,” the servant said in a quiet voice as to not wake me up, “The king wants to see you in his study,” he said with his head dipped down in respect. Leon’s father wanted to meet with him? That’s odd, they just had a meeting yesterday with your father. But, like always, he had to obey the king’s orders just like everyone else.
Leon nodded silently to the servant. He knew he had no choice but to heed his father's summons, no matter how much he didn't want to leave your side. He rose from the bed, the covers falling away and revealing his naked figure. Leon was unashamed, not even bothering to cover himself as he stood and let the servant help him get dressed.
He shot one last glance at you, still sleeping peacefully, before he left the room. The servant helped Leon get dressed before they both left the room, walking towards the king’s study room.
“Your Royal Highness, the crown prince is here,” said the servant as he held the door open for Leon. The king sat on his desk with papers roaming around.
“Ah, yes, yes, come,” the king said as he waved his hand for Leon to step in.
Leon stepped into the room, his heart heavy with a sense of dread. He had no idea what his father wanted to discuss, but something in his gut told him it wasn't good news. He approached the king's desk, his eyes locked with his father's, who looked up at him with a mixture of concern and authority.
"You summoned me, Father?" Leon inquired, his voice steady and controlled despite the unease he felt inside.
“Yes, I did, son,” he said as he looked up from the stack of papers to look at Leon, “Please, sit down,” he then glanced at a servant on the right, “bring some tea.”
The servant nodded and left the room to get what the king asked while the king looked over at Leon once more, “How are you this morning?” He asked, even though it seemed like just small talk. The king was an okay type of father. He was always busy with work to spend time with his family, hence why Leon was so close to his late mother. But now the king seemed to make an effort.
Leon nodded and made his way towards the chair across from the king's desk. He sat down, his back straight, his demeanor serious, but inside, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.
"I'm well," Leon answered, his voice steady, "And yourself, Father?"
The king hummed and nodded as he tidied around his desk, but not too much as the papers remained on his desk, “I’m well, thank you,” he replied. He leaned his elbows forward against the table, “The reason I called you here was because I need you to do something,” he finally revealed.
The king took the contract your father gave him and waved it around, “You see, after giving it much thought last night, I decided to do something. I did not appreciate the Coast Kingdom telling me about their daughter potentially being infertile.”
Leon's shoulders tensed at his father's words. He knew what was coming, he could feel it in the pit of his stomach.
"What is it you want me to do, Father?" he asked, his voice carefully controlled, betraying none of the anger he felt growing inside him.
The king put the contract back down on his desk as he continued, “I’ll send some men down there under the pretense of aid. There’s currently some pirates stealing from the coastal towns and the king has asked me for help. I want you to go down there not just to help but also to investigate this matter more.”
He leaned closer to whisper but only loud enough for Leon to hear, “I need you to find out if what he said was true. I can’t have a daughter in law who can’t give heirs,” he said quietly.
“I want you to report back to me after you’re done dealing with the pirates. It might take weeks or months, however long it takes, just get to the bottom of this,” the king said before he looked back down at his papers on his desk, the servant coming back with the tea.
“You’re dismissed,” he said to Leon as he picked up a tea cup and started to drink. Leon's jaw tightened even further as the king whispered his instructions. The thought of having to go down to the Coast Kingdom and investigate your fertility, all to appease his father's desire for heirs, made him feel nauseous.
"Yes, Father," Leon replied through gritted teeth, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He stood up, giving his father a nod. He turned and headed out of the study, his mind racing. How was he going to tell you about all this?
“By the way,” the king said right before Leon could leave the study, “you are to leave by the end of the week.”
“And it would be best if you kept this information to yourself,” the king added, “let your wife know that you’ll just be going for the sake of the pirate problem.”
Leon stopped in his tracks, his hand on the door handle. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself before turning back to face his father.
"Understood, Father," he said through gritted teeth.
He was tempted to protest, to argue that he should be honest with you about what he was really going down to do, but Leon knew it would be pointless. His father's words were orders, not suggestions. As Leon continued on with his day, you woke up a bit later than you usually would but it was a rest you deserved after last night.
You were sitting in the library, reading, when your maid suddenly came and approached you, “My lady, you have a visitor,” she said softly as she bowed her head. You turned your attention to her and furrowed your brows. You had a visitor? That was weird. You didn’t call for anyone today. You nodded at her and put your book back on the table and stood up, “Alright, let’s go then,” you muttered and followed your maid to the guest waiting room.
As you entered the guest waiting room, you saw a woman sitting on the couch. You’ve never seen her before, you curtsied to her and sat down on the couch across from her, “How may I help you?” you asked politely. The woman had a hint of judgment in her eyes and there was something about her that made you uneasy about her presence.
The woman, who sat ramrod straight on the couch, lifted her gaze to meet your eyes. Her eyes flicked over you, taking in your appearance with a judgmental gaze. She didn't speak for a moment, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably long. When she finally spoke, her voice was cold and calculating.
"My name is Lady Beatrice," she said, her tone laced with a hint of disdain, "And I've come to give you... some advice."
You furrowed your brow and stared at her confused, “Advice?” you repeated quietly. What could she possibly advise you with? You already had a court of ladies in waiting that helped you.
“Whatever do you mean, Lady Beatrice,” you continued politely, sitting straight and poised on the couch. Lady Beatrice's eyes narrowed as she looked at you, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Oh, it's nothing major, my dear," she said, her tone a little too sweet and saccharine, "I simply wanted to... offer some guidance to a young, inexperienced princess like yourself."
She leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs. Her eyes scanned your appearance again, her gaze critical and unashamed. Inexperienced? You were raised your whole life to be the future queen! Who does this woman think she is?
“With all due respect, Lady Beatrice,” you started, still in a polite tone, “I don’t need guidance. I have enough here in the palace.”
Part of you couldn’t help but feel like this is more than just guidance. Lady Beatrice chuckled softly, a smirk playing on her lips. Your denial didn't seem to faze her in the slightest.
"Nonsense," she said, waving her hand and brushing off your words, "I'm sure the palace teaches you the basics, but there are always... things left unsaid."
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her gaze unwavering, "You're going to be queen one day, princess," she said, her tone dripping with condescension, "but you don't even know your place yet."
“Pardon me?” you said under your breath at her words. Who was this woman to tell you that you don’t know your place? You inhaled softly and stared at her with a more serious expression, “Lady Beatrice may I remind you that if you insult me I will have the guards escort you.”
Lady Beatrice's smirk widened into a sly grin as you warned her. She leaned back in her seat again, her eyes gleaming with mockery.
"Oh, how intimidating," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "The princess of the Coast Kingdom, threatening to have me escorted out by the guards. How terrifying."
She let out a laugh, a cold, heartless sound that sent a chill down your spine.
"You don't scare me, princess," she said, her tone almost patronizing. "And neither does your threat."
“What is it that you want, Lady Beatrice?” you asked politely with a serious face. You’d rather have her go straight to the point instead of getting under your skin. Lady Beatrice paused, her expression turning serious as she stared at you, sizing you up. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of cunning in them.
"What I want," she said slowly, her voice dropping to a low murmur, "Is simple."
She leaned forward, her gaze unwavering.
"I want you away from Leon."
“Excuse me?” you abruptly said as you narrowed your eyes at her. Your tone firm and slightly angry. Who was she to call him without his title? And why did she want you away from your husband.
“That is an absurd request, Lady Beatrice,” you said firmly, “His Highness,” you purposefully corrected her, “is my husband. I can’t stay away from him.”
Lady Beatrice's smirk widened into a cruel sneer as you corrected her, her eyes narrowing at your words.
"Oh, princess," she said, her tone dripping with mockery, "Don't be so naive. You really believe that he loves you? That your precious Leon cares about you?"
She leaned closer, her eyes glittering with malice. "You're nothing but a pretty face he's been forced to marry for the sake of politics. He tolerates you, but that's all."
You furrowed your brow and parted your lips. No, she’s wrong. Leon made love to you last night. And the day before that you kissed and held hands. He’s turned a new leaf, right? But a part of you couldn’t help but lean into her words. It was a bit strange how he suddenly started to treat you nicely with no explanation. And maybe you were naive to believe he changed for the better.
“You’re wrong,” you muttered weakly, a turmoil of thoughts and emotions swinging in your head. Lady Beatrice smirked at the uncertainty on your face, sensing your turmoil. She leaned back in her seat, her gaze locked on you.
"Am I, princess?" she asked, her tone sweet yet malicious, "Take a closer look at your dear husband. Really look at him, and tell me I'm wrong."
She paused, watching your reaction, “He's not as kind and caring as you think. He's cold, calculated, and manipulative. He uses people to get what he wants. And you, princess? You're just another tool for him to use."
She was getting to me but you didn’t know, all you could think about were her words. It was true that Leon was ambitious but he was also calculated and strategic when it came to getting the things that he wants. And you knew that he wanted to be the heir of the throne. Was he using you, pretending to appease the king and everyone else around? Was he just playing with your feelings? You didn’t know. What’s to say that he’ll go back to treating you coldly once he gets the crown.
“You don’t know him,” you replied, trying to keep faith in Leon even though her words were like poison. Lady Beatrice chuckled coldly, her smirk growing wider.
"Oh, princess," she said, her tone patronizing, "I know him better than you could ever imagine. We grew up together, spent years in each other's company. I know his true nature, and how cunning he can be."
She leaned forward, her gaze intense, "And I'll let you in on a little secret, princess. He doesn't love you. He's never loved anyone in his life, except himself. You're just a tool to him, a pawn to be used in his grand game for the throne."
You were silent for a while, slowly letting her words settle in your mind. You needed some air to clear your head. You abruptly stood up from the couch as your gaze fell down on her.
“I don’t know who you think you are to come in here and say those mundane lies about my husband,” you said firmly, “I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
You left no room for debate, you clearly wanted her out and away. Lady Beatrice's smirk faded at your firmness, replaced with a cold expression. She slowly stood up, her eyes narrowed at you.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth, "I'll leave. But mark my words, princess," she spat out the word princess like it was an insult, "You'll regret putting your trust in Leon. He'll crush you like a toy once he gets what he wants."
She turned and walked towards the door, throwing one last smirk over her shoulder before disappearing from the room. Your heart was hammering inside your chest once she left and you sat back down on the couch, puffing out some air as you thought about her words. All of this just made you more confused about Leon.
You sighed and got up after you gathered my thoughts. Then, you walked out of the room and continued with your duties; practice your dance in the ballroom, go to the library to learn from your teacher, deal with minor problems in the kitchens, and more miscellaneous tasks. But as you did your duties, her words lingered in your mind and you couldn’t help but hear her words every time you saw Leon in the halls by coincidence. Each time you saw him, Lady Beatrice's words echoed in your head; he doesn't love you. He's never loved anyone. The seed of doubt she had planted deep in your mind began to sprout, and no matter how hard you tried to push it away, it refused to leave.
It didn't help that his expression was cold and aloof each time you saw him. He didn't even bother to smile or greet you. What if she was right and you were just naive?
-
It was evening and Leon was training in the training grounds with his good friend Andrews. As they sparred, Andrews couldn’t help but spark a conversation, “So, Your Highness, I heard you’ll be joining us down at the docks in the Coast Kingdom.”
Andrews wasn’t aware that Leon also had another assignment aside from helping with the pirate issue. Leon effortlessly parried Andrews' attack, his blade meeting Andrews' sword with a clash of steel. He smiled faintly at his friend's words, his eyes never leaving the other man's stance.
"It's been too long since I've been in the heat of battle," Leon said, circling around Andrews, his feet moving nimbly, "I missed the adrenaline, the rush, the *thrill*."
He lunged, his sword aiming for Andrews' side, "Besides, I have another assignment while down there... a very important mission given by my father."
Andrews raised his brow but he knew that Leon wouldn’t say anything since it was probably secret, “How are things with the princess?” He suddenly asked as he dodged one of Leon’s attacks.
“I heard from some of the servants that you two woke up together in bed,” he said as he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at Leon.
“I see my advice worked,” he said with a smug tone, “They don’t call me Cupid Andrews for nothing.”
Leon rolled his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips, "Careful, Andrews. Your ego's about to explode."
He ducked, narrowly avoiding a swing from Andrews' sword, "And you might want to keep your voice down. You never know who's listening."
He feinted to the left, before making a quick jab to the right, "But to answer your question, things with the princess are... fine."
Andrews knew things were more than just fine, Leon looked like a man in love. Totally smitten. Like a teenage boy.
“Hm,” Andrews said with a grin, “Yes, I’ve heard things were fine last night,” he wiggled his brows again. Not letting Leon know that some people heard the lovemaking that happened last night between you two.
“So, I take it you two are now on good terms?” He asked a bit more seriously. Leon scowled as Andrews winked and wiggled his eyebrows, knowing exactly what he was implying, "Keep it up, and I'll knock you on your ass this time."
But his expression softened slightly at Andrew's next question. He considered it for a moment, lowering his sword for a second.
"We... we've come to an understanding," he replied, his tone not fully believing his own words, "Our relationship is... better than before. She's not as annoying as she once was."
Andrews raised a brow and looked at Leon intrigued, “Ah, so the prince has followed my advice. I assume you don’t hate her now?” He asked. It was true. Leon didn’t hate you, the words he whispered to you, the confession of being each other’s, of your bodies becoming one under the passion you both enjoyed.
“So,” Andrews said as he stopped sparring and leaned against his sword as he stared at Leon, “How is she?”
Leon paused, his expression unreadable as he considered how to answer Andrews' question. He too lowered his sword, leaning against it as he thought. He sighed, his eyes flicking to the side before settling back on Andrews, "She... she's not what I expected."
He ran his free hand through his hair, "She's not like the other ladies at the palace. She's... fierce, stubborn, witty."
He paused again, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "And she's not afraid to speak her mind. I... I sort of like that about her."
“Sort of?” Andrews repeated with a small smirk on his face. Then he hummed, taking Leon’s words and analyzing his behavior.
“What else do you like about her?” He asked Leon. Andrews, being the wise man and loyal friend he is, knew that Leon’s emotions ran deeper than what he led on. He knew Leon had trouble opening up to new people but to hear that he was able to even be intimate with you, the wife he used to hate from his political marriage, was like being woken up with cold water. Leon was silent for a moment, his gaze focused on the ground as he mulled over Andrews' question. He fidgeted with his sword, his fingers tracing the handle as he tried to find a suitable answer.
"She's... kind," he finally said, his voice quiet, almost as if he was talking to himself, "She cares about the people, the kingdom. She's smart, smarter than I gave her credit for."
He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "She's beautiful. Her smile, her eyes, her laugh..."
“What about her laugh?” Andrews asked, his expression softening as he stared at his friend, watching Leon’s nervous behavior. Leon chuckled faintly, his eyes still fixed on the ground as he spoke, "Her laugh... it's contagious. It's like a melody."
He glanced up at Andrews for a moment, a small smile on his lips, "Whenever she laughs, it brightens up the whole room. No matter how bad my day's been, just hearing her laugh makes it better."
He paused, running a hand through his hair again, "And it's like... like I can't help but smile too, whenever her laughter fills the room."
Andrews couldn’t help but smile softly at Leon, he really was in love with you while not knowing it.
“You like her,” Andrews said quietly, not a question but rather a statement. Leon was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the ground as he wrestled with his thoughts. Andrews' words hung heavy in the air, and Leon knew there was no point in denying it. He took a deep breath, his expression resigned, "I... yes. I like her."
He looked up at Andrews, his expression conflicted, as if he was struggling to come to terms with his own feelings, "But... it's complicated. She's my wife, yes, but it was never supposed to be about feelings. We were only married to end the war."
Andrews sighed and stood up straight, sheathing his sword back on his waist as he stood in front of Leon.
“Your Highness,” he said a bit seriously, “just because it’s a political marriage doesn’t mean you can’t make it into a loving one. You are joined together now by forces beyond your control.”
Andrews looked down at Leon’s sword before he took it from his hands and examined it as he spoke, “You two ended the war, but there shouldn’t be an end to your feelings. If you like her, if you grow to love her, you know she’ll be yours because one day she’ll be your queen just as you’ll be her king,” he said as he gave Leon his sword back. Leon took his sword back, his grip on the handle firm. Andrews' words echoed in his mind, and he knew there was truth in them. He stared at the blade of his sword, his expression contemplative, "You make it sound so easy, Andrews," he said quietly, "But it's not. We come from different worlds. Her life as a princess is so different from mine. She's gentle and kind, while I'm cold and aloof."
He lifted his gaze to meet Andrews', "How could I ever hope to be the husband she deserves?"
He sighed and felt his face soften at Leon’s words, “There’s no point in hoping if you’re not trying,” he whispered to Leon.
“Get to know her better,” he encouraged, “take her out on a stroll, drink tea with her, make love to her, hold her close to you. Treat her as if she was the only woman in the world.”
“You two may have duties to produce an heir, but you know deep down that she’s much more than what her duties make her out to be,” he muttered. Leon was quiet for a moment, mulling over Andrews' words. He knew there was truth in them. He knew he couldn't continue to pretend that his feelings for you were non-existent.
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair again, "You make it sound so simple," he repeated quietly, "But what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if all she sees me as is a duty, an obligation to sire an heir?"
Andrews chuckled softly and put his hand on Leon’s shoulder, “Mate,” he suddenly started to speak informally, “if she didn’t feel the same way, she wouldn’t have tried to win you over since the first day of your marriage.”
He let go of Leon’s shoulder and took a step back, “You gotta trust her. You told her some terrible things in the past and yet here she is, staying loyal to you.”
Leon's expression softened as Andrews reminded him of your loyalty. He knew you hadn't done anything to betray him, and your continued efforts to try to win him over, even when you had no reason to, showed that you were trying. He let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly, "I suppose you're right," he mumbled, "But I just... I don't know how to proceed."
He ran his fingers through his hair again, "I'm not good at this, Andrews. I've never had to... woo a woman before. Not like this."
Andrews chuckled quietly and shook his head, “My lord, you’re already married. All there is to do is be there for her in every part of your life.”
“You don’t have to be good, you just have to be yourself,” he continued in a soft tone, “that’s what women like. Women…they like a guy who doesn’t pretend to be someone they’re not. Women are smart and very observant, don’t underestimate them.”
Andrews simply wanted to help his friend, title or not. But he may or may not be speaking from experience. Leon let out a soft scoff, "Be myself," he repeated, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "As if that's something to be proud of."
He leaned against his sword, a frown on his face, "I've never given any woman a reason to fall for me, Andrews. I'm cold, callous, aloof – everything a princess like her shouldn't want."
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair again, "I fear I am too damaged to be anyone's knight in shining armor now."
Andrews could see the frown on Leon’s face and he couldn’t help but feel bad for him, Leon’s character was a complicated one but even Andrew understood him better than he understood himself.
“You may be damaged now but what are you doing to be the person she needs in the future?” He suddenly asked after a few seconds of silence.
“You can’t keep telling yourself you aren’t good enough for her if you haven’t tried,” he muttered seriously, “You must try with all you are. You can’t expect her to fall in love with you if you don’t put in the effort.”
Andrews' words hit Leon like daggers. He knew he had a point. He couldn't keep wallowing in self-pity and expect you to fall mindlessly in love with him if he didn't try to give you a reason to. He looked down at the ground, his expression contemplative, "You're right," he mumbled, "I have to try. I can't expect her to want to be with me if I don't give her a reason to."
He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting Andrews' again, "But where do I even start?"
“You’re already married, that’s a start,” Andrews muttered as he looked at Leon with a pensive expression.
“Start going up there. How you are in bed isn’t just enough. You need to be consistent and dependably good. You can’t just kiss her one day and ignore her the next, you need to show her how much you love her everyday,” he said, “even if it scares you. No one talks about how terrifying it is to serve your heart on a plate for the other to take.“
“Be the man she not only deserves but also needs. Protect her. Love her. Cherish her. Guide her. Just be there,” he continued, “time will do its thing and when the time comes, you’ll find yourself rewarded.”
Leon listened intently to Andrews' advice, his expression contemplative as he absorbed every word. He knew Andrews was right. He couldn't just expect you to fall in love with him if he only showed you affection when it suited him. He nodded slowly, a look of determination in his eyes, "I understand," he said quietly, "I have to be there for her, always. I have to prove that I'm worthy of her love."
He took a deep breath, the reality of the situation sinking in, "It won't be easy, but I'll do it. For her."
Andrews smiled at Leon’s determination, he brought his hand to his back and patted it, “There’s the crown prince I know,” he smirked playfully. Leon chuckled faintly at Andrews' playful remark, "Watch it," he muttered, a small smile on his lips, "I am still your prince."
“The crown prince I know wouldn’t give up, do it for her,” he muttered before he let go of him and started to walk away. He watched as Andrews walked away, his words echoing in his mind. "Right," he said quietly to himself, "For her."
“Don’t forget, we leave by the end of the week, who knows how long we’ll be away from this place,” he called out to him before he entered the knight’s quarters. Leon remained standing there for a few moments, his thoughts turning to the upcoming trip. How long would he be away from you? He wouldn't allow himself to admit it, but he already missed your presence.
-
Since it was nighttime, you were in your shared quarters contemplating Lady Beatrice’s words. What if Leon didn’t feel the same way you did? He did ignore you earlier today when you passed by him in the hall but what if he was busy thinking too much? Maybe you were judging him and not giving him enough credit. You sighed and laid down on your bed, staring up at the ceiling as the same turmoil remained in your thoughts. A war between opposites ideas: is he using you or does he love you?
As Leon stood there, contemplating Andrews' words, he couldn't help but wonder what you were doing at that moment. Were you also thinking of him, just as he was thinking of you, wondering if his feelings were mutual? He knew he had to do something, say something, before he left for the trip. With a newfound determination, he turned and started walking towards your shared quarters.
Maybe Lady Beatrice was right and Leon didn’t feel the same way you felt about him, maybe he didn’t change and is only pretending so the king can be satisfied with him. You sat up and blew out the candle from your side of the bed before you laid back down and pulled the covers over your body as you closed your eyes. Leon stepped into the bedroom quietly, his heart pounding in his chest. He could see your sleeping form in the dim moonlight, and a sense of protectiveness washed over him.
He walked over to the bed and sat down gently on the edge of the mattress, his eyes fixed on your face. He took a few moments to just watch you, the steady rise and fall of your chest as you slept, the soft expression on your peaceful face. He reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from your face, his fingers barely touching your skin, as if he was scared to wake you.
Leon let out a soft sight, feeling a pang of sadness in his chest. Here he was, ready to confess his feelings and make amends, and yet you were asleep, blissfully unaware of his turmoil. He watched you for a few more moments, his heart heavy. He wanted to shake you awake, to tell you how he felt, but he didn't want to disturb your sleep either. With another sigh, he leaned down and placed a light kiss on your forehead, whispering so quietly that it was almost inaudible, "Sweet dreams, my love."
-
The next day it was as if the roles were reversed, instead of him ignoring you, it was you ignoring him. Lady Beatrice got to you and you started to believe her words. So for the sake of your heart, you ignored him throughout the day. As Leon noticed you deliberately avoiding him throughout the day, he felt a growing sense of dismay in his chest. He didn't understand what he had done wrong, and your avoidance was making him even more confused and frustrated. He tried to approach you several times, but you always found an excuse to slip away from him, and he didn't want to force himself upon you.
Even if you kept avoiding him, you may or may not have done something for him. One day, you overheard the knights talk about their journey to your kingdom and how they needed to help fight off some pirates with the help of Leon. You felt guilty for ignoring him so you went to your shared room and started to sneak through his things.
When he returned to their shared quarters that evening, he found you sneaking through his things. He walked into the room quietly, seeing you going through his belongings, he cleared his throat to announce his presence. Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest when he cleared his throat, you quickly turned around to look at him with wide eyes.
“My lord,” you whispered and curtsied to him. Leon's expression was unreadable as he looked at you, his eyes narrowing slightly. He could see the guilt on your face and the way you avoided looking at him. It was clear that you'd been avoiding him all day. He took a few steps closer to you, his gaze flicking down to the bags behind you. He knew you'd been going through his things, and he had a pretty good idea what you were doing.
"And what, pray tell, are you doing going through my belongings?" he asked, his voice cold. You heard his cold voice and it only added to your belief that he didn’t love you back. Which broke your heart a bit but you hid it deep beneath your feelings.
“I was just making sure you got everything for your trip,” you muttered and glanced up at him. It wasn’t a complete lie, you did want to make sure he was all set and ready for his trip to your kingdom. Leon's expression softened slightly at your words. He knew that you were doing this because you cared about him, even if you had been avoiding him. He could see the concern in your eyes, even if you were trying to hide it.
But the fact that you had been avoiding him still gnawed at him. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the bed, his gaze fixed on you.
"Is that all?" he asked gruffly, "You've been avoiding me all day, and now you're suddenly concerned about my packing?"
You bit the inside of your lip, it wasn’t his fault that you were avoiding him. You were naive and manipulated by Lady Beatrice.
“They said you were going to be away for a long time,” you whispered, noticing his annoyance and gruff tone. His journey could last weeks, maybe even months. Then, a servant came through the door, “We are ready for departure, my lord.”
Leon's expression remained gruff as he heard the servant's words. His gaze wandered over you, studying your face intently. It was clear that he was still hurt and confused by your behavior. But duty called, and he couldn't put it off any longer. He was hurt by your avoidance and you were hurt by the lies of a woman who claimed to know Leon better than you do. He knew it was time to start their journey, but he couldn't shake the feeling of irritation towards you. He glanced down at his bags and then back up at you, "I see," he said slowly, "You only care because I'll be gone for a while."
You were speechless, your mouth agape as you furrowed your brow and looked at him, “No, that’s not—“
But you quickly stopped yourself, remembering the words of the woman. He doesn’t love you. You’re only a pawn in his game for the throne. Instead you opted for something else, you glanced down at the floor as you spoke, “Have a safe trip.”
Leon heard the change in your tone as you avoided directly responding to him. It only served to deepen his confusion and hurt. He nodded, his jaw clenched, "I will," he said shortly, his voice cold. He picked up his bags and started moving towards the door, but he stopped and looked back at you, his eyes locking with yours. He wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. He wanted to tell you that he loved you, that he didn't understand why you were acting this way. But instead, he just said nothing. As the servants came to carry his bags out the door and outside, you went over to the window to watch him get inside the carriage.
Your heart ached, you still loved him very much and you felt guilty for avoiding him. But what if Lady Beatrice was right? What if you were a fool?
Leon climbed into the carriage, his eyes fixed on the ground, his thoughts filled with confusion and hurt. He could feel your gaze on him as he got into the carriage, and it made his heart pang. As the carriage started moving, he looked up and saw you watching him from the window. He held your gaze for a few moments, his expression conflicted and his heart heavy. He then looked away and sat back in his seat, the carriage rolling down the cobbled street, taking him away from you.
-
After a few day’s travel, Leon and the other knights had arrived at the Coast Kingdom’s docks where the ships were. Leon had two missions. One: help fight against the pirates. Two: get to the bottom of the alleged claims of my infertility as per requested by his father. A servant showed him to his bedchamber, where he slept near the docks in a less expensive room. Leon unpacked his things, neatly folding his clothes and laying them out on the bed. As he reached the bottom of the bag, he found something that caught his eye—a hair ribbon. It was one of your hair ribbons meant to be tied to his sword.
He picked it up and held it in his hands, recognizing the fabric. It was yours. He ran his fingers over the ribbon, a pang of sadness hitting him. He wondered why you had put it in his bag. Was it a gesture of love, or just a token to remember you by? He couldn’t be sure, but the sight of it only made him miss you more.
Back at the castle you remained alone and melancholy, missing him terribly as you sat by the window and hoped everyday for his return. That was until you thought about sending him letters. And so, every day you’d write him a letter and have it delivered to him. But you noticed after the third day since his departure that he hasn’t replied.
Unbeknownst to you that the letters would get lost in the mail due to the storm near the seas of the docks where Leon was. They were currently on a ship fighting pirates in the middle of a rainstorm. Rain poured down harshly, soaking everything in its wake and blurring everyone’s vision every few seconds as the ship swayed. Leon, soaked to the bone, was fighting off pirates on the ship. The storm had made the seas choppy, and the ship heaved and groaned under the strain.
"Keep your guard up!" he shouted above the howling wind and rain, his sword cutting through the air. But his mind was elsewhere. He found himself thinking of you, wondering if you were alright back home. He silently longed for a letter from you, a sign that you missed him just as much as he missed you. Days turned into weeks as he fought the pirates and figured out the fertility issues. Turns out it really was just based on a woman’s health and since I was a relatively healthy woman, a doctor told Leon that everything should be fine should I bear his child.
When a few weeks started to pass, you started to feel more tired than ever. You’d wake up later than usual and feel yourself longing for him. You felt bad for treating him coldly and avoiding him. Guess distance does make the heart grow fonder.
“My lord,” a knight said as Leon and the knights were in the cabin where they were staying. It was nighttime and the storm was long gone. Everyone was tired after a long day of fighting the pirates away in success, “when can we go home? I miss my bed.”
“Don’t you miss your family?” Another one spoke as he looked at the knight with a raised brow while the other shrugged his shoulders, “Hey, when you have kids, you take every chance you get to take a break.”
"Ha! True that," chimed in another knight, "My little ones run me ragged all day long, especially the younger ones".
Another knight spoke up, "And the women too, huh? They keep nagging day and night."
Leon had been mostly silent, listening to the knights talk amongst themselves, lost in thought about you. The conversation steered towards returning home, and a pang of longing hit him. He missed you too, more than he cared to admit. Andrews was part of the knight squad that got sent to help with the pirate issue, so in his nature, he saw Leon all silent. He moved over to sit next to Leon. He then looked down at Leon’s sword, noticing a ribbon tied to it which resulted in Andrews letting out a soft chuckle, “She gave that to you?” Andrews asked as he pointed to the ribbon.
The ribbon, wet from the storm, was tied tightly to his sword to ensure it wouldn’t fall off during battle. Leon glanced down at the ribbon tied to his sword, his thoughts immediately turning to you. He ran his fingers over the fabric, feeling its dampness from the storm.
"Yeah, she did," he responded, his voice soft, "She snuck it into my bags before I left."
He paused for a moment, his gaze fixated on the ribbon. Seeing it reminded him of you and made him yearn for your touch. Andrews chuckled, “Sneaky princess, that one,” he muttered softly, only lightly teasing Leon.
“I knew she had a bit of rebellion in her,” he said, “I didn’t always buy the whole proper princess, I guess you really rubbed off on her,” he chuckled again. But upon seeing Leon’s fixation on the ribbon, he knew what he was feeling, “You miss her, don’t you,” Andrews muttered quietly so only Leon could hear. Leon's gaze remained fixed on the ribbon, his fingers gently touching the fabric. Andrew's subtle tease made him smile faintly.
"Yeah, I do," he admitted quietly, his voice just above a whisper, "More than I care to admit."
He looked up at Andrews, his expression a mix of longing and guilt. "I didn't appreciate her as much as I should have before I left," he continued, his voice growing somber, "I just hope she doesn't think I don't care."
“Why do you say that?” He asked, Andrews didn’t know how we left things before Leon left. "Before I left," Leon began, his voice low and heavy, "We weren't on the best terms. There was a misunderstanding and I think I hurt her, even if she didn't show it."
He looked down at the ribbon again, tracing his fingers over the damp fabric. His brow furrowed in thought, and he sighed quietly.
"She was avoiding me before I left, and I don't know why. It's been eating at me this whole time," he admitted, his tone tinged with sadness and frustration. Andrews sighed and looked at the ribbon as Leon’s finger started to trace over it, “You really think she’d be heartless enough to think you don’t care about her after a small argument?”
“She gave you that ribbon, she clearly loves you,” Andrews said. He was a bit frustrated that everything between you and Leon seemed to be troublesome when love was supposed to be comforting.
“When a lady gives her ribbon to a man, it’s a declaration of love,” he muttered to Leon, “she knew you were going to be far away and she gave you her favor.”
Andrews chuckled quietly, “Gods, you really are bad at wooing a woman,” he teased Leon. Leon's cheeks burned at Andrews' words. He knew his friend was right, that the ribbon was a symbol of love and affection. But he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and insecurity that gnawed at him.
"I know," he admitted, his voice tinged with embarrassment, "I just... I'm not good at expressing my feelings. And now that I'm so far away, I feel helpless. I can't fix things, I can't show her that I care."
He let out a weary sigh, his shoulders slumping heavily. Andrews’ eyes widened just a bit at Leon’s helplessness, “Woah—woah—woah,” he said as he watched Leon’s shoulders slump.
“You think it’s over?” He muttered to Leon, “You think that just by being away from her ruins your chances of making her feel loved and happy? Are you insane?!”
He took Leon by shoulders and shook him as if to put some sense into him, “When we go back home, you are going to take that woman out on an outing—I don’t care if you take a stroll with her in the gardens or drink tea—you will make time for her. Clear your schedule and give her your undivided attention. And then, you’re going to make sweet love to her that night, don’t matter if you’re tired after the first round—don’t stop until she’s satisfied,” He said firmly, almost authoritatively. Leon's eyes widened at Andrews' impassioned speech, his surprise quickly turning into a mix of embarrassment and determination. His cheeks flushed and his mind raced at the thought of taking you out, spending time with you, making love to you. But there was one thing he couldn't shake off.
"But what if she's still avoiding me?" he asked, his voice tinged with vulnerability, "What if she doesn't want to see me?"
He internally groaned at Leon’s insecurity and shook him firmly one more time, “Your Highness, with all due respect, it doesn’t matter.”
“You really think she will still avoid you after weeks of not seeing you? Poor princess is probably sleeping alone in your bed for Christ’s sake!” He shook him again, “And if she doesn’t want to see you then too bad for her because that won’t fly with you.”
“Dress nicely, wear her favorite fragrance on you, bring her flowers—prove to her you are worthy of being seen by her,” he said before he let go of Leon. Leon nodded silently, absorbing the words of his friend. He knew Andrews was right, of course he was. He just needed a push in the right direction.
"You're right," he muttered, determination slowly filling his voice, "When I get back, I'll do just that. I'll court her like she deserves, and show her how much I care. I won't let anything get in the way."
He looked up at Andrews with a small smile, his shoulders pulled back again, his usual confidence returning. Andrews nodded and patted Leon’s shoulder before he leaned back against his chair, resting his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes.
“And fuck her real good,” Andrews muttered with a sly grin, “Or how I like to call it,” he said as he opened his eyes and turned to face Leon, “Love her until she can’t walk, Andrews style.”
Leon's blush deepened at Andrews' advice, but a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He let out a quiet chuckle.
"I think I can handle that," he responded, a hint of cocky confidence back in his tone. He looked back down at the ribbon tied to his sword, running his fingers over the silken fabric one more time.
"Thanks, Andrews," he murmured, "For the kick in the ass I needed."
Andrews softened and shrugged nonchalantly, “No problem,” he muttered and looked at Leon as he ran his fingers over the ribbon. There were a few seconds of silence that took over the two, “I could’ve definitely said more about the Andrews style though,” he said cheekily. He was only trying to cheer Leon up. They were good friends, Andrews being older and wiser by a few years but it didn’t matter as they got along pretty well. Leon rolled his eyes at Andrews' comment, his smile growing wider, "Oh, gods forbid you talk about your "style" for too long."
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. The easy banter with his friend was a welcome distraction from his constant worry about you, his wife, back home.
"Just focus on your own love life," he teased back, "Or lack thereof, I should say."
Andrews scoffed in feigned offense, “Excuse me, Your Highness, but I’ve got plenty of love to give.”
“Have you seen the cuties in this kingdom?” He muttered, forgetting for a hot minute about Leon’s married life, “I saw a babe down the street when I was out patrolling the docks. She was so into me,” he spoke with a smug tone.
“Her eyes said everything, she looked at me as if I was the only man ever,” he continued. Leon shook his head with humor, "You're incorrigible, Andrews," he said, his tone fond. "Always chasing after the next fair maiden."
He chuckled again but couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. He couldn't remember the last time a woman looked at him with such interest, except for you of course.
"You should settle," he advised, "Find a nice girl, someone who can keep up with your... energetic spirit."
Andrew sighed and shrugged his shoulders, “Who wants an old man like me, eh?”
He smiled, though it was a bitter one, “No girl wants to settle with a man like me,” he continued, “and being a knight makes me too busy.”
Andrews was a bit old but society deemed him too old for settling and forming a family. He may be joking on the outside but deep down, Andrews also wanted to get married and have kids. Leon's expression softened, seeing the bittersweet look on Andrews' face.
"Hey, don't talk like that," he chided gently, "You're not too old for love. And being a knight might keep you busy sometimes, but that's not a bad thing."
He paused for a moment, an idea forming in his mind.
"In fact," he said slowly, "I might know someone who could use a knight in shining armor."
Andrews raised a brow and looked at Leon, “Are you trying to take my title as Cupid Andrews?” He quipped. But he was intrigued by Leon’s suggestion. He knew someone that might be for him? Who knew the future king could play matchmaker.
“You do?” He muttered, “and who is this someone?”
Leon chuckled at Andrews' joke, but his expression quickly turned more serious. He knew this person would be a good match for his friend.
"There's a lady-in-waiting in the palace," he began, "A young woman named Victoria."
He held up a hand to stop Andrews from interrupting, "Hear me out. She's sweet, she's smart, and she has a sharp wit. She might just be the perfect match for you."
“A lady-in-waiting named Victoria? Doesn’t she work for the princess?” He asked Leon with a bit of skepticism. But Andrews couldn’t help but feel intrigued. Victoria was one of your ladies-in-waiting. Leon’s seen her a few times whenever she’d come help you get ready in the morning.
“I don’t think I’ve seen her in the castle before,” he muttered as he tried to think hard. Andrews barely even steps foot inside the castle so he barely knows the staff that works inside. Andrews sighed before he nodded, “Alright then, I’d like to meet her.”
Leon nodded, satisfied that Andrews was at least receptive to the idea.
"Good," he replied with a small smile. "I'll arrange for you two to meet when we return."
He looked out the window, the dark sky signaling it was late and he should get some rest.
"For now, we should both get some sleep," he said, standing up from his chair, "We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."
Leon chuckled softly at Andrews' teasing use of “Your Highness.”
"You'd do well to remember that title in the future," he replied with a smirk, "Now go get some rest."
He watched as Andrews walked away, then made his way to his own bed for the night. As he settled down, his thoughts once again turned to you. He yearned to see you, to hold you in his arms and tell you how much he loved you. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.
-
The next morning everyone was set to go back home. Leon rode the carriage as they trekked through the Coast Kingdom, nearing the West Kingdom that was their rightful home. You sat by the window until you saw a familiar carriage near the palace. Your eyes widened slightly and you ran out of your shared chambers in your night dress that reached your ankles. You didn’t care about putting on your slippers, you only wanted to see Leon.
So, you ran down the halls and stairs barefooted until you made it to the entrance of the palace where you impatiently waited for Leon’s carriage. Leon had been dozing off in the carriage, still tired from the journey, when a sudden commotion outside jolted him awake. He looked out the window just in time to see you running up to the entrance of the palace. He quickly told the driver to stop the carriage, and as soon as the door was opened, Leon jumped out and rushed over to you.
You ran as fast as you could, not caring if it’s unladylike to basically be out in your nightwear without shoes. When Leon was close enough, you basically jumped and threw your body at him. Leon caught you in his arms effortlessly, crushing your body against him. He wrapped his arms around you tightly, holding you close, almost possessively. Your arms wrapped tightly around his neck as you stuffed your face on the crook of his neck, your body pressed tightly against his, “I’m sorry,” you whispered against his skin and you cried on his skin, “I’m sorry, please forgive me,” you practically begged. He could feel your tears against his skin, and your whispered plea for forgiveness broke his heart.
"Shhh..." he whispered in your ear, his voice gentle and soothing, "There's nothing to apologize for, my love."
He pulled back slightly, just far enough to look down at you, his hands coming up to cup your face and wipe away your tears with his thumbs.
“I wrote to you,” you said in between sobs as your hands gently wrapped around his wrists, “Everyday I sent you a letter but you never sent one back.”
“I thought you hated me, that you were mad at me and that you were ignoring me,” you continued crying and speaking, your breathing hard as you tried to breathe but you were crying so much.
“I didn’t mean to avoid you. I was scared. I thought that you didn’t love me and that you were just using me and–and I’m so incredibly sorry for doubting you. I should’ve trusted you over Lady Beatrice’s words, I should’ve been better, I didn’t mean to make you angry,” you sobbed uncontrollably and gasped heavily, “I should’ve been better and told you how I felt. I hid my feelings from you and I’m so sorry, I don't want you to be away from me again.”
Leon's heart ached as he watched you sobbing and trying to catch your breath, your words tumbling out between your tears.
"No, no, my love," he whispered, his thumbs still gently wiping away your tears, "Never think I could hate you, or not love you. You are the very beat of my heart."
He pulled you closer, wrapping his arms tightly around you once again, holding you close against his chest.
"Don't apologize," he murmured, his voice tender, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I was worried, yes, but never mad at you."
You rested your hands flat on his chest as you pushed him back just a little to look up at him, “I think I love you,” you whispered. Your heart beating fast, your tears rolling down your face, your emotions were all over the place but you knew you loved Leon.
That’s what it was all along. Love. You love Leon. Always have.
“I love you,” you repeated once again in a whisper, your voice was quiet as you cried, “I have loved you since the first day of this marriage. I loved you even when you hated me,” the words spilled out of you as you cried, the raw emotion laced in your voice was genuine, “I wish to never be away from you. I want to be by your side more than just king and queen, more than husband and wife. I wish to be truly yours, to touch your soul.”
Leon listened, his expression growing more and more tender as you spoke. Your heartfelt words touched his soul, and he felt his own emotions swelling in his chest.
"My sweet love," he said softly, his hands coming up to gently cup your face again, "You have always been mine. From the moment our hands were tied together by fate, you became the other half of my soul."
His thumbs brushed over your wet cheeks, wiping away your tears, "And tonight, I pledge to you that I will never leave your side again. We are one now, truly and completely."
You cried once more but out of relief and joy, your hands pulled him back to you and you stuffed your face in his chest. His clothes got wet from your tears but it didn’t matter right now. Right now what mattered was that after months of confusing emotions, you finally found out the truth. That you loved him and he loved you. You felt silly for ever doubting him.
Leon held you tightly in his arms again, letting you cry against his chest as he stroked your hair soothingly. All that mattered was you, the woman he loves, with him again. He buried his face in your hair, inhaling your scent. The past few months had been hell for him, thinking you hated him, that you didn't trust him. But now, with your confession, all his doubts faded away.
"Oh, my love, my sweet love," he whispered against your hair, "I love you, I love you so much."
You cried some more as you stood outside the entrance of the castle in each other’s embrace. After a while, you had calmed down and heard a servant walk over you two.
“You Highnesses,” the servant said addressing both of you, “Your bags have been carried to your chambers,” she said as she dipped her head towards Leon before she turned to you, “My lady, let’s get you inside. Your feet might get injured,” you looked down at your feet and chuckled quietly, still coming down from crying. You sniffled and nodded, wiping your face with your hands, “Yes,” you muttered. The servant then began to walk back inside.
Leon looked down at your bare feet, feeling a protective instinct, he picked you up in his arms, holding you against his chest as if you weighed nothing, and began to follow the servant inside. Your eyes widened a bit and you quickly wrapped your arms around his shoulders as he picked you up princess style, but it made your heart skip a beat. He gently pressed a kiss to your temple, his eyes filled with a mix of love and possessiveness.
"I should've never let you run out here barefooted," he murmured in your ear. Your cheeks flushed a bit red, “I was excited to see you,” you mumbled a real excuse. You truly did want to see him, hence why you were in your nightgown.
As he started to walk inside the castle, the servant stopped right outside your room and opened the door for Leon to bring you inside. Then, the servant closed the door and left, giving you some privacy. Leon carried you into the room and set you down on the bed, his hands sliding down to your hips to keep you steadied against him. He looked down at you, his eyes roaming over your form, taking in the sight of you in your nightgown, your hair loose and messy, your cheeks flushed. He crouched down in front of you, his hands still holding your hips, his thumbs tracing small circles on your skin through the thin fabric.
"Do you have any idea what you do to me," he said, his voice low and gravelly.
“No,” you whispered, “I don’t.”
You looked ethereal, like a vision from a dream as you laid on the bed with your nightgown slowly riding up from his thumbs tracing small circles, your hair was messy and your eyes were red from crying. Leon chuckled at your clueless response, his eyes darkening as his gaze roamed over your form, taking in every small detail, every small movement.
"You are an innocent incarnate," he said, his voice low and husky, his thumbs still tracing small circles on your skin, going slightly further up your hips, pushing the nightgown further up.
"And you have no idea of the effect you have on me," he continued, "The things you make me want to do to you."
The nightgown slid up your thighs, exposing your bare legs to him. His words were like magic because you felt myself wanting him like that one night you shared. To feel him inside again and show you he loves you. You wanted him to ravish you, to feast on you, to make love to you. Like how Andrews said, to make love to you until you can’t walk. It didn’t matter if Leon got tired, you’d go all night until it was engraved in your head that Leon loved you.
You were naked under your nightgown so you felt flustered. You parted your legs just enough for him as he was crouched between them. When Leon noticed you parting your legs for him, his eyes darkened even further, his fingers slowly tracing the inside of your thighs, caressing your soft skin.
"Naughty little princess," he murmured, his voice low and rough, "Did you forget to wear something underneath that nightgown?"
He moved closer between your legs, his breath fanning against your already wet cunt, his hands moving up further, pushing the nightgown up to your waist.
“No,” you answered in a whisper, “I always go to bed like this.”
Your nightgown scrunched around your waist, revealing your bare lower half to him. His hands remained on your thighs as his face was between your legs. Leon swallowed at your confession, feeling a sense of possessiveness wash over him, knowing nobody else had ever seen you like this except for him. He leaned in closer, his hands tightening their grip on your thighs.
"Then you really are a naughty princess," he murmured, "Wearing something so revealing, just for me to see."
His head dipped down, his lips brushing along the inside of your thigh, his tongue darting out to taste your delicious exposed folds. You closed your eyes tightly shut and let out a shuddered gasp, your hands gripped the bedsheets as his tongue darted out to lick your slit.
“Leon,” you whispered quietly in a breathy tone, feeling good with his tongue. Leon inhaled deeply, drinking in the sweet, addictive taste of you on his tongue. He could feel your body tense beneath his touch, your gasp like music to his ears.
"You are the sweetest thing I've ever tasted," he murmured against your inner thigh, his words husky and low, "I could devour you."
His hands moved up, his fingers digging into the flesh of your thighs as he pushed your legs further apart, giving himself more access to your core. Gasps and breathless moans escaped your lips as he kept tasting you. He devoured you like a starved man and you were his full course meal. Your grip on the bed sheets was tight, your knuckles were turning white and you felt yourself become breathless.
Your eyes were closed tightly shut as you rolled my head back against the pillows of your big canopy bed.Leon couldn't get enough of you. Feeling your sweet taste on his tongue, hearing your soft noises, your gasps and moans all made him want to lose all his control.
He wanted you, all of you. He wanted to mark you, to possess you, to make you his completely.
His lips and tongue continue to work their magic, exploring every inch of your core, tasting and devouring you with a hunger that only grew stronger with every passing second. His tongue flicked at your clit before it entered you and started to taste you from the inside, making his cock throb in his trousers.
One of your hands suddenly moved to grip the top of his head, his hair tangled in between your fingers as you pulled him closer to you. Leon let out a guttural moan against your core as you pulled his head closer, his tongue delving deeper, tasting you, devouring you with a fervor.
Your moans were starting to become short and breathless and a familiar coil in your abdomen started to grow tight as you neared your orgasm. He could feel your body tense and he knew you were close. He continued his assault on your core, his lips and tongue working in perfect unison, pushing you over to taste your sweet cum on his lips.
But when you opened your eyes and saw Leon in between your legs, it was like an explosion, your thighs closed tightly around his face as you writhed against him. The band snapped and you came on his face. He licked his lips, savoring the taste of you, his tongue still darting out to lap up every drop.
You were left panting and your grip on his hair loosened as you closed your eyes and tried to catch your breath.
"You taste so good," he murmured, lifting his head to look up at you, his chin glistening with your juices. He moved up, his body resting between your legs, his chest hovering over yours. He leaned down, his lips gently trailing along your jaw, up to your ear.
“Want more,” you whispered as you felt his lips on you, “I want to try and conceive again.”
It wasn’t out of duty, not anymore. It was a request from the bottom of your heart. You wanted him and you wanted him to know that shamelessly. Leon let out a low growl, the sound filled with desire and possessiveness, as he heard your whispered words.
"You want me," he said, his lips moving back down to your neck, gently nipping at your skin, "You want me to give you children, to make you a mother."
His hands rested on either side of your hips, his fingers digging into your skin, "Are you sure you can handle it, my love? Can you handle me, night after night after night?"
You nodded and tilted your head to the side to give him more space for his lips, “Yes,” you confidently replied in a breathless whisper, “Let me be the mother of your children as well as the queen of your kingdom.”
Your hands wrapped around his head, gently tugging at his blonde hair, “I’ll take that and more. Every night and every day until we’ve made our family.”
You pulled him back and made eye contact with him, your eyes full of not just lust but also love. Real love, “I beg nothing more but to be happy with you,” you whispered tenderly as your hands cupped his face. Leon paused, his eyes locking with yours, his heart swelling with an overwhelming sense of love and desire for you at your words.
"You are my love, my wife, my queen," he said, his hands coming up to cup your face, "And by the gods, I will make you the mother of my children, and I will make you the happiest woman who's ever walked this earth."
He leaned down, his lips meeting yours in a deep, passionate kiss, his arms wrapping around your body and hauling you up against his chest, as if to pull you even closer. For the rest of the night it was full of lovemaking. Maybe he did follow Andrews’ advice as he didn’t stop until both of you were tired. He took his time, making sure you were loved and taken care of despite him filling you up with his seed multiple times.
By the time morning came up, you were once again wrapped in each other’s arms naked under the covers. You clung close to him like a koala, not wanting to let him go as you slept in the morning.
-
Preparations were being made months ahead of the coronation, in which Leon asked you to help him with. There were days where he cleared his schedule just to be with you. He devoted himself to you; listening to you talk when you’d walk along the garden, he took you out to picnics with your favorite foods, he would even be as sneaky as pulling you to a room and makeout with you in the middle of the day. That man was attached and so madly in love with you that he refused to not be by you.
“Good news, Your Highness,” a doctor said as he turned to look at Leon who had been waiting on the foot of the bed. Recently, you’ve been experiencing sickness and nausea so, Leon being the protective husband he is, called in for a doctor to check on you.
“She is not sick but rather…” he said as he looked at both you and Leon, “it would seem that she is with child.”
Leon’s eyes widened and he was rigid still for a moment before he looked at you and hugged you tightly, not caring that the doctor saw him be so affectionate to you, “Thank you,” he whispered in your ear. You hugged him back just as tightly, feeling so happy that you were finally going to start a family with him.
On the day of the coronation, you and Leon knelt before the king who held the crown for Leon, “It is within my power to bestow to you, my son, the responsibility and duties of your rightful kingdom. I declare you king,” he said as he put the crown on Leon’s head, the crown fitting him and matching his extravagant outfit fitting for a king.
“And to you,” he said as he turned to you with a crown on his hands, a smaller one but it was the queen’s crown, “I am honored to bestow to you the powers of a dutiful queen, whom is to stand next to the king and aid him endlessly,” he then laid the crown on your head, the piece of jewelry proving to be heavy but you carried it with pride.
You and Leon stood up, staring at your now loyal subjects. He turned to glance at you, his hand finding yours and intertwining his fingers as he held your hand in a tight but tender grip.
That evening was the celebratory dinner, where everyone was invited, including Andrews accompanied by Victoria. He followed Leon’s advice and settled down, proving that even despite finding love at a later age, one could still find someone they were meant to be with.
It was the era of peace as marked down in the history books, what began as a rivalry between a married couple turned into a loving marriage where you and Leon were inseparable. He never once stopped loving you, even after having your first child, he wanted more and more. He just couldn’t get enough of you. Leon also changed some rules, he demanded that you join important meetings as you were now queen, reminding the lords and counts that you were more than just a wife. You were his equal.
The people of the West Kingdom called it the New Era of Peace. In which your legacy wouldn’t be forgotten for the sacrifices made for not just the war but also to the love of your life.
The End.
YIPPEEEEE!!!!!!!!
i cried :'( SUCH A GOOD SERIES THANKS FOR THIS AMAZING WORK!!!!! got to be one of my favorite things i read here T ^ T
You’ve bewitched me PT. 2
Summary: A war lasting three years became heavy on the front lines. Many people died and lost their homes from the actions of one kingdom. But to end the war, both kingdoms agreed to seal an alliance through an arranged marriage. Caught in a loveless marriage with the crown prince, a whirlwind of emotions blasts through foreign land as you try to make your life in the enemy kingdom bearable.
Warnings: slow-burn. Leon is a piece of dick in the beginning. angst. eventual smut. SMUT. creampie. mentions of pregnancy. arranged marriage. reader is a princess and Leon is the crown prince. enemies to lovers (i think?). inaccurate historical information. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION. also, reader has brown eyes (for story purposes, everything else doesn’t really matter lol.)
Word Count: 13,027
A/N: IM SO GLAD PEOPLE LIKE THIS🥹🥹 I love historical romance, I eat it up every time so I didn’t want to mess this up. Thank you all so much for your support!!! MWUAH MWUAH MWUAH
[pt.1][pt.3]
“He’s got so much in his heart, but he doesn’t know what to do” — John Wayne, Cigarettes After Sex
As training came to an end, Andrews bid Leon goodbye as he went with the other soldiers to the knight’s quarters. You were standing in front of a portrait, a woman, Leon’s mother.
Leon, tired and sweaty from training, was on his way back to his chambers when he noticed you standing in front of his mother's portrait.
He paused for a moment, his heart clenching. He hadn't expected to run into you here, but there you were, standing in front of the portrait of the woman he loved and lost. He took a deep breath, steeling himself before he approached you, standing beside you in front of the portrait.
You were too focused on the painting of his deceased mother, you’ve heard the servants say he lost his mother in the war. The same war against your kingdom.
But then, out of the corner of your eye, you noticed someone next to you. It was Leon. Your eyes widened slightly and then you turned to look at him but then you remembered the argument in the library and you turned to look back at the painting. You didn’t want to be a burden so I held your tongue.
Leon shifted awkwardly next to you, feeling the tension between the two of you. But Andrews' words echoed in his head, reminding him that he needed to start seeing you for who you are, not just the enemy princess.
He took a deep breath and spoke, his voice low and gruff, "Do you..." he started, his throat feeling dry.
You quickly turned your head to look at him as he started to speak, giving him your attention.
“Do I…” you repeated quietly, trying to understand what he was trying to say. There was something different about him right now, maybe it was because he just finished his training but something told you he was acting differently. Less hostile towards you.
Leon took another deep breath before continuing, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts and memories.
He remembered the pain and anger he felt when his mother died, the way it fueled his desire for revenge against your kingdom.
But he also remembered Andrews' words, reminding him that you weren't responsible for any of it. That it wasn't your fault.
So he pushed down his anger and spoke again, his voice a bit gentler, "Do you... know who that is?" he nodded towards the portrait of his mother.
His soft voice took you by surprise, it was a nice change for once instead of him snapping at you and saying mean things to you.
You looked back at the portrait and then back at him, nodding your head, “Yes,” you replied softly, “This is the former queen, your mother.”
Leon felt a pang in his chest as you confirmed that you knew who his mother was. It was a memory that still stung and hurt, but hearing you speak about her with respect and not hostility made him feel… different.
He glanced at you, his gaze flickering over your expression before he shifted his focus back to the portrait.
"She was… a good woman," he said quietly, his voice laced with a hint of tenderness that was rarely present when he spoke to you.
You knew what your kingdom did and it made you feel so guilty. The war took the lives of many including his mother.
“I’m so sorry,” you whispered and turned your head to look up at him. You were slowly starting to understand why he hated you. It was hatred by association. He got sent a bride from the kingdom that murdered his mom, he had every right to be angry. But you didn’t kill anyone with your own hands either.
You turned to look back at her portrait, not knowing what else to say. This whole situation was different than before. Leon's heart ached as you apologized, and he could tell that the guilt you felt was genuine.
He looked down at you, his mind torn between the anger and resentment he had held for so long and the understanding that none of this was your fault.
But old habits die hard.
"You don’t need to apologize," he said sharply, the harshness of his voice betraying the complex mix of emotions he was feeling, "You didn't do anything."
You looked back up at him, staring into his eyes and for once you saw him aside from his cold and harsh self. You saw a son grieving the loss of their mother and that made you feel really bad.
Your eyes drifted around his face, staring intently at every feature. The roundness of his eyes, the color of his irises, his lips that looked soft. But then you caught yourself staring and looked back at the portrait of his late mother. Leon’s eyes widened slightly as he noticed your gaze drifting across his face, taking in every feature. He could see the sympathy and guilt in your eyes and it made him feel… weirdly vulnerable.
“She’s beautiful,” you muttered under your breath. She truly was a gorgeous woman.
He cleared his throat, trying to shake off the feeling as you looked back at his mother’s portrait.
"Yes, she was,” he replied quietly, his voice low and hoarse, "A lot of people always said I have her eyes.”
A small chuckle escaped your lips as a small smile reached your lips. You stared at the painting intently, “I can see it,” you replied quietly.
Then you looked over at him, “You do have similar eyes,” you muttered under your breath in agreement. The moment was vulnerable, a contrast to what usually happens when you’re around each other.
Leon felt a small pang in his chest as you chuckled and agreed with him. It was a strange moment, a rare one where the hostility between the two of you was replaced by something else. Something more… gentle.
He couldn’t help but notice how calm you seemed, no longer tense and guarded like you usually were when he was around. He found himself taking a step closer to you, his body almost imperceptibly drawn towards you.
He cleared his throat, again, and looked back at his mother’s portrait, trying to force himself to keep his distance.
Andrews seemed to be right, for the first time ever since you came here, it only took him to put his anger aside to finally see you for you. It was a good thing for your relationship.
You nibbled on my bottom lip, shifting awkwardly before you spoke up in a nervous tone, even though you tried to hide it under a calm blanket, “I didn’t get any of my parent's eyes,” you mumbled with an awkward chuckle.
“My dad has blue eyes and my mom has green eyes but I came out with brown eyes,” you said as you glanced at him before looking back at the portrait.
Leon couldn’t help but notice the nervous yet earnest edge to your voice as you spoke.
He looked down at you, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Your comment about your eyes made him feel… oddly endeared. It was a mundane detail that was entirely meaningless in the grand scheme of things, yet it made him see you in a different light.
“Well,” he said, his tone softer than usual, “brown suits you.”
You felt your cheeks warm up a bit, did he just compliment you for the first time? You couldn’t hide the smile creeping up on your face, and then you looked at him, “Thanks…” you replied softly.
Leon’s heart skipped a beat as he heard your soft reply and the hint of a smile on your lips. He felt his own mouth twitch upwards at the corners in response, his heart beating a little faster than usual.
“I’d probably look weird with blue eyes,” you mumbled, trying to be nonchalant but secretly your heart was beating really fast, “Guess my eyes didn’t get the memo with my parents.”
He chuckled at your joke, the sound escaping him almost unintentionally. You chuckled nervously at your own joke, but as you stared at his mother’s portrait, you couldn’t help but say something in a soft mutter, “Blue suits you.”
He caught your comment about his eyes, and he felt his cheeks start to heat up, “Thanks,” he finally said, his voice almost a whisper. He glanced down at you again, feeling a strange fluttering in his stomach.
You felt his gaze on you and you turned to look up at him. For the first time, there was no hostility and hatred. It felt nice.
You opened my mouth to say something but you didn’t know what to say. Sure, you were married but it wasn’t like you did anything couples did. You felt a bit awkward but you also felt giddy?
“Are you…” you started quietly in a whisper, your heart beating fast as you looked up at him.
Leon’s gaze lingered on you as you looked up at him, his heart racing in his chest. He waited patiently as you spoke, his breath catching in his throat as he heard the question.
“Am I…?” he repeated, his voice low and soft, barely above a whisper. He was acutely aware of how close the two of you were standing, the air between you almost crackling with something he couldn’t quite identify.
“Are you…” you repeated nervously as you stared into his blue eyes, you then swallowed dryly and proceeded, “Are you going to bed?”
You were so nervous for some reason, your heart hammering inside your chest as you waited for his answer. You didn’t even know why you asked that. He just came out of his training and it was nighttime. He was covered in sweat and was probably tired.
You nibbled on your bottom lip just slightly, doing it almost subconsciously, a nervous habit.
He met your gaze head-on, and he couldn’t help but notice the way you nibbled on your bottom lip. He had to resist the sudden and strange urge to reach out and touch your face.
“I am,” he replied, his voice low and gruff. He wasn’t expecting the conversation to go in this direction and it was slightly throwing him off guard.
You nodded slowly, of course he was. His servants were probably waiting for him so he could take a bath and change into his night clothes.
“I, uh,” you stumbled upon your words as you shifted your weight between your legs, “I don’t know why I asked,” you muttered truthfully.
Leon couldn’t help the small, amused smile that tugged at the corner of his lips as you stumbled over your words. It was strangely endearing.
“Was training good?” You suddenly asked, not wanting the moment to end with him.
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, his eyes never leaving yours, “Training was fine,” he replied quietly. He wasn’t sure why you asked that either, but somehow it didn’t matter. He found himself wanting the moment to last, just as you did.
“I should…” he started, motioning vaguely down the hallway towards his chambers.
You looked behind to see where he was pointing at, your shared chambers. You quickly looked back up at him and nodded, “Right, yeah, I shouldn’t take more of your time,” you muttered nervously.
“Your servants are probably wondering what’s taking so long,” you chuckled nervously and chewed on your bottom lip again out of nervousness.
You looked down at your feet, seeing your heels from under your dress before you looked back up at him, “I should probably go too,” you muttered but you made no effort to move.
He nodded in response, his eyes fixed on you. He noticed how you couldn’t seem to stop fidgeting, how you chewed on your bottom lip nervously. He didn’t want you to leave, but he didn’t know how to express it without sounding strange.
“Yeah…” he agreed, nodding slowly. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering down to your lips.
“I…” you muttered softly as you saw his eyes flick down to your lips and felt your breath hitch for a moment. Your eyes subsequently doing the same to his lips.
You quickly looked back up at him, “Goodnight then,” you whispered before you moved to the side and started to walk down the hall, opposite of him.
Your heels echoed through the air, you glanced behind your shoulder to look at him, your breath hitching once more and you subconsciously quickened your pace. Why were you feeling so nervous all of a sudden?
You didn’t go to your shared quarters, not yet at least, you actually walked towards the library and closed the door. The entire interaction seemed out of the ordinary.
You paced around the bookshelves as you thought to yourself what led to the sudden change in him. Why did he suddenly start to treat you different. It was nice but you couldn’t help but question it a bit.
Leon went through his nightly routine in a daze. His mind was racing with thoughts of you and the strange, new feeling in his chest.
The servants washed him, dried him, and dressed him in his night clothes, but he barely registered their presence. He was too preoccupied with thinking about the conversation he had just had with you. Finishing, the servants bowed respectfully and left silently, leaving Leon alone in his chambers. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his mind still occupied with thoughts of you.
Maybe Andrews was right, all he needed to do was put his anger aside and treat you differently. Andrews really was too smart for his own good. Sure, it wasn’t easy and it’s a bit confusing to suddenly act different to the person from the enemy kingdom, but you were his wife now. And Andrews seemed to have noticed how unfair and terrible he had treated you before.
Your maids also bathed you and helped you change into your night dress. The dress being white and reaching the floor, the silky material dragging as padded to your shared quarters.
Leon looked up as you entered the room, his heart skipping a beat again. He observed the way the silky fabric of your night dress hugged your figure and it made his stomach flip once more.
He quickly looked away, trying to control the unwanted reaction he was having to your presence. He hadn't slept in the same bed as you ever since you arrived here and he was having a hard time understanding why that suddenly bothered him.
"You're here," he stated quietly, his voice low and gruff.
“My lord,” you quickly curtsied and nodded, “Yeah,” you muttered breathlessly, feeling your voice get stuck in your throat, “I’m here.”
Usually, he slept on the couch near the fireplace and a part of you still remembered all his mean words.
But this was unexpected and new. You slowly walked over to the couch, thinking he wanted to sleep on the bed instead. A strange feeling washed over him as he saw you approach the couch, assuming he wanted to sleep on the bed.
"No," he said suddenly, stopping you in your tracks.
His voice was soft, but there was a hint of command in it. He patted the bed next to him, signaling for you to come closer.
You looked over at him and saw him patting the side next to him on the bed. Your heart was beating fast, he wants to sleep on the same bed? You stared at him in shock for a few seconds before you nodded and made your way towards the bed.
You’ve only been married for three months but this would be the first night you’ve ever shared the same bed, somehow, it felt like the first day of your marriage.
You sat down on the edge of the bed, fixing your hair and dress nervously before you laid down on your back next to him. You both stared at the ceiling with your shoulders close to each other.
For a few moments, the two of you were silent, both staring at the ceiling. Leon couldn't help but steal small glances at you, his eyes flickering over your features.
Your hands were down at your sides. Since you were laying next to each other, your hands were so close to his. You could practically feel his body heat radiate from him. You moved your pinky, your finger gently grazing his hand. Leon felt the gentle graze of your pinky against his hand and it sent a small shiver down his spine. He couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to hold your hand, to feel the soft warmth of your skin against his own.
He glanced over at you again, his eyes flickering over your features. Your body was so close to his own, and he could feel the heat radiating between you.
Suddenly, he reached out and took your hand in his own. His grip was gentle but firm, his fingers intertwining with your own.
A quiet gasp escaped your lips when you felt him take your hand and intertwine his fingers with your own. Blood rushed to your cheeks and you u looked down at your joined hands.
His hand was bigger than yours and felt rougher with callouses, presumably from his sword training. Your hand was smaller and dainty, soft and smooth as it signified your royal status as princess.
You turned your head to the side to look at him. Your eyes roaming his features, taking him in and committing him to memory. Then, you held his hand back just as firm, giving it a little squeeze.
Leon felt a strange warmth spread through his chest as you squeezed his hand in return. He couldn't help but feel a strange sense of rightness about this moment, holding your hand as you laid next to each other in the bed. His thumb began to brush over your knuckles, the callouses on his skin creating a pleasant friction against your softness.
He turned to look at you, his eyes meeting yours as you took in his features. His breathing became slightly uneven.
A small but closed-lipped smile appeared on your face when you felt his thumb brush over your knuckles. You could feel your heart pounding in your chest, your breathing also becoming uneven.
You eyes stared deeply into his eyes before they accidentally dropped down to his lips. You forced your eyes back to look at his blue eyes, feeling absolutely nervous.
Leon noticed the way your eyes lingered on his lips for a moment before quickly darting back up to his eyes. He felt a strange flutter in his chest as he realized you were as nervous as he was. He squeezed your hand gently as he leaned slightly closer to you, his eyes never leaving yours.
You didn’t move away as he leaned slightly closer to you, you swallowed dryly and parted your lips slightly as you maintained eye contact with him.
You unknowingly squeezed his hand out of nervousness, holding it firmly in yours as you felt yourself grow to be a ball of nerves. Which led you to do your nervous habit, nibble on your bottom lip and wondered how his lips would feel on yours.
The atmosphere was tense but not in the way it used to be. There was no hatred and no malice, instead there was something else that you didn’t quite know.
He felt his own heart racing in his chest as he imagined how your lips would feel against his own. The tense atmosphere wasn't like it used to be, there was something else there. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced before.
Without thinking, he brought his hand up to gently grip your chin, tilting your face slightly closer to his. You quickly stopped nibbling on your bottom lip as you felt his gentle grip on your chin, his fingers held you gently as he tilted your face up and closer to his.
You parted your lips once again, your faces slowly losing distance until you could feel his warm breath on your face. You looked down at his lips before you looked up at his blue eyes.
And then you closed my eyes, waiting for him to kiss you as your other hand rested on his chest very faintly, as if not to hurt him.
Taking a deep breath, he closed the distance between you and pressed his lips against yours in a soft, hesitant kiss. Youwere both hesitant, scared of rejection when you were both married. It was almost funny. But then again, it was an arranged marriage to end the war.
His lips felt soft against yours and you found myself melting next to him. Your grip on his hand tightened a bit but then it relaxed as you mustered the courage to kiss him back.
The kiss was soft and tender, almost too gentle as if to say ‘I don’t want to hurt you’ or ‘I don’t want to scare you.’
Leon couldn't believe how good it felt to finally kiss you, to feel your soft lips against his own. He could feel your grip on his hand tighten for a moment before relaxing as you mustered the courage to kiss him back.
He couldn't ignore the way his heart fluttered in his chest as the kiss continued. He couldn't deny the fact that he wanted more, but part of him was afraid to take the next step.
He pulled away from the kiss, resting his forehead against yours, his breath ragged as he tried to slow down his racing heart.
You opened your eyes and stared at him as he leaned his forehead against yours. Your breathing was hard as you tried to catch your breath.
Your cheeks were flushed but you were…happy. Genuinely happy and you couldn’t help my smile. You let out a nervous laugh and moved to hide your face on his chest.
Leon felt a pang of guilt as he thought about the way he had treated you earlier that day. He had been harsh and cold, using sharp words that he knew would hurt you. But then he remembered his conversation with Andrews, how the man had convinced him to try and make things better. And now, here you were, lying together in bed, with Leon's forehead rested against your own.
As you let out a nervous laugh and hid your face on his chest, he couldn't help but feel a strange flutter in his heart. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer to him. For three months you didn’t do anything a married couple should do, he slept on the couch while you slept on the bed. Since your first day, he ignored you and made sure to never speak to you or touch you. And the few times he did talk to you, he’d be mean to you and you’d only argue.
But here he was, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close. You wrapped your arms around his waist, not wanting to let go anytime soon.
Leon could feel guilt tugging at his heart as he held you close in his arms. He knew he had been unkind and distant towards you for far too long. He had pushed you away, treating you like an enemy instead of a wife.
He rested his chin on the top of your head, his arms wrapped tightly around you as if to hold you close forever. He couldn’t deny the fact that he was grateful to Andrews for making him see reason.
He understood now that this arrangement had affected you just as much as it had affected him. He knew that he had been blinded by anger and grief.
For the rest of the night, you slept in each other’s embrace. You may not have taken it further but you were content with the slow pace of change. In your opinion, you wanted to know him for who he is instead of just jumping straight to the action.
In hindsight, you could see yourself actually being happy with this marriage. All he needed was a wake up call and a clarity check from his friend.
When morning rolled up, his servants and your maids entered the room to wake you both up but they halted as they saw you two sleeping together on the bed. Their eyes bulging out as they stood speechless.
His eyes opened as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the bed. He didn’t move, not wanting to disturb you, but he felt a pang of irritation at the interruption. He slowly untangled himself from your arms and sat up in bed, his eyes scanning the servants as they stood frozen in place.
You remained lying on the bed, oblivious to everything as sleep asleep. The servants and maids bowed at Leon, “Good morning, my lord,” they all said in a hushed tone as to not wake you up.
Which was great because you didn’t even stir in your sleep. The servants and the maids tried to continue with their routine as normal. Your maids going to the bathroom to set up your morning bath as his servants started to help him get ready behind the room divider for privacy.
The servants didn’t dare say anything to Leon about the way they found you and Leon sleeping. At the sound of water running, you groggily woke up, realizing it was morning. You sat up and rubbed your eyes before they landed on Leon behind the dressing screen. Your heart beat a little faster but you were soon taken out of your thoughts as a maid helped you to the bathroom for your bath.
Once you were taken to the bathroom by your maids, Leon’s thoughts lingered on the fact that he’d woken up next to you that morning. Nothing else happened except for the kiss, which was your first kiss, but you still enjoyed sleeping in his arms for some reason.
After your bath, your maids helped you get dressed. This time, you were wearing a light blue dress with jewels. It was perfect for summer as the straps hung down your arms. The length reached the floor, just like any other gown.
But as your maids helped with your hair, you couldn’t help but steal glances at Leon from the reflection of your mirror.
Leon was deep in thought as his servants helped him get dressed, his mind filled with thoughts about the previous night. He couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for how long he had been treating you badly, but at the same time, he was grateful for the change that had begun.
His eyes darted to the mirror that was placed in front of him as he caught sight of you in the reflection. He couldn't help but stare at you for a moment, admiring your beauty.
“My lord,” one of his servants said as he pulled him out of his thoughts, “today you have a meeting with the kings. It’s about the war that ended,” he whispered so you wouldn’t hear.
After the war ended between your kingdom and his kingdom, nothing was over by just having you two marry for an alliance. There were other things to discuss such as reparations and how to avoid future conflicts.
Your maids finished helping you get ready and you stood up from your vanity stool, “Come, my lady,” the head maid said, “breakfast will be served shortly,” then she started to guide you out of the room, not before you spared Leon one last glance, giving him a small smile before you disappeared into the hall.
He was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard the maid urging you to leave the room. He saw you give him one last smile before disappearing into the hallway.
He couldn’t help but return the smile, though he knew he had a lot on his plate for the day. He made a mental note to make time to talk to you later in the evening.
As you made it to the dining hall, you sat on the table where you were served warm breakfast. As you were about to take a bite, you noticed a few stares and saw your maids staring at you with curiosity.
“Yes?” You asked them as you took a small bite out of your breakfast. One of the maids stepped up, “My lady,” she spoke nervously, “did you and the lord…” she trailed but you knew what she meant. Your face turned red and you almost choked on your food. You quickly shook your head no, “No, no, no, it wasn’t like that. We just kissed and hugged.”
But at the revelation, their shoulders slumped in disappointment. You furrowed your brows confused but then spoke up softly, “But maybe in the future,” you muttered to which they heard and seemed to be happy? You were still getting used to this kingdom.
Back with Leon, his servant was telling him of his schedule: meeting with the kings, oversee taxation history of the town, sword training, and evaluate the final preparations for the upcoming festival.
Leon listened intently as his servant listed off his schedule for the day. It was going to be a busy one, he knew that much.
The mention of the upcoming festival tugged at his heartstrings, as he remembered how he used to attend with his mother. But now she was gone, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
He pushed the thought aside as his servant continued to brief him on the other tasks he would need to attend to, including meeting with the other lords.
The servant guided him towards one of the many rooms of the castle, but this one was where the meeting was taking place. Upon Leon’s arrival, the older men stood up and bowed at Leon.
“Good morning, my lord,” they said before they sat down. There was the king, Leon’s father, sitting next to my father, the king of the kingdom they fought against in war. It seemed as if it were just the three of them.
“Ah, there’s my son,” the king said as Leon entered. Then he looked at my father, “Told you he’s been faring well.”
He nodded in acknowledgment as they resumed their seats. Leon’s eyes darted to his father and your father sitting next to each other, and he was surprised to find them being civil towards each other. He made his way to the empty seat at the table and sat down, his eyes flickering between his father and yours.
It was kind of surprising to see them civil, given that your father was the reason the whole war started in the first place. The whole reason why Leon’s mother died.
Your father stood up and formally addressed Leon and the king, “I’d like to start us off with the topic reparations,” he said before his snapped his fingers, signaling for his servant to bring something in.
A servant came in with a box, putting it in front of Leon and the king, “This is for the construction damages,” your father began, watching as the servant opened the box to reveal gold coins and bars.
Leon's expression remained neutral as your father addressed him and the king, but a wave of anger and resentment washed over him as he mentioned reparations.
His eyes darted to the box that was placed in front of him and his father as the servant opened it, revealing gold coins and bars. Leon couldn't help but feel a pang of anger at the thought that the war was the reason behind his mother's death.
He clenched his jaw but said nothing, his gaze flickering towards his father to gauge his reaction.
“Go on,” the king said as he looked at the contents of the box before he looked back at your father, a suspicious glint in his eyes.
Your father cleared his throat and proceeded, “No amount of wealth will bring people back from the dead. We’ve both lost incredible amounts of people,” he stated, “innocent lives were taken during the war and I stem accountability for starting it.”
Leon's expression remained stoic as he listened to your father's words. He could sense his father's skepticism as the king looked at the contents of the box before shifting his gaze back to your father.
“Hence why I propose we seal the alliance. We know that by marrying my daughter to Crown Prince Leon,” he gestured to Leon, “it was the start of the process of the peaceful era. Well, here gentlemen,” he said as he took out a rolled parchment before handing it to the king. It was a contract.
“That has my legal stamp, declaring my unwavering loyalty to our alliance and friendship. I will provide support and aid whenever you request just as how I expect you to do the same,” he stated as he bowed his head in respect.
As your father went on to propose sealing the alliance, Leon's mind raced with thoughts. He had mixed feelings about it all. On one hand, he knew that the marriage was a part of the process to bring peace and stability.
But on the other hand, he still harbored feelings of anger and resentment towards your father for starting the war and causing his mother's death.
The king hummed before he gave Leon the contract to let him have a read, obviously trusting Leon to also make a decision since he was the heir to the throne.
“What’s the catch?” The king suddenly asked your father. Your father shook his head and clasped his hand behind his back, “The catch, is not really a catch,” he said.
“It’s too simple Sylus,” the king said as he stood up and stared at your father, “Yes we agreed to have our children marry but it takes more than that to end a war.”
Leon took the contract and began to read through it, his eyes flitting across the page as he absorbed the contents of the agreement.
Sylus, your father, sighed, “Ever the observant, Your Highness,” he said before he stared at the king.
“The catch is,” he started nervously, “well, you see, in my family, the women usually have fertility issues,” he said as he gave Leon a brief glance before he focused back on the king, “I do not know if my daughter can even be with child and I do not want her to face the consequences for something she can’t control.”
Leon's eyebrows furrowed as he listened to your father explain about the fertility issues within your family. His heart suddenly felt heavy as he realized the implications of those words.
The thought of you not being able to bear children was a difficult one, but Leon knew he couldn’t change the situation. He was an heir who needed to create future heirs for the throne.
He looked up at his father, who seemed a bit surprised by your father's confession, and Leon couldn't help but feel the pressure weighing down on him.
“Are you certain, Sylus?” The king asked your father in a firm tone, “there needs to be an heir once my son becomes king and if your daughter can’t give him one then why did you send your daughter for marriage?”
“Your Highness, with all due respect, it’s not *all* the women,” he said nervously, “in my kingdom, fertility is blessed based on good health and my daughter has always been a strong one. She’s never once had chicken pox!” He chuckled nervously.
“But that doesn’t mean it’s not guaranteed,” the king argued back, he sighed and looked at Leon, “Have you tried?”
Leon felt the weight of the king's gaze upon him, and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably as the topic shifted to his private affairs with you.
"We... have not," Leon replied, his voice firm but his eyes avoiding his father's. He knew what he was really hinting at. Leon didn't want to admit it, but the idea of producing heirs hadn’t crossed his mind. He was a man with an obligation and he knew he would eventually have to perform his duties. But that was before he started to be nice to you, now he understood what his duties were aside from politics.
The king stared at Leon blankly, “Son…” he muttered, “It’s been *three* months since you’ve met her, how have you not—“
“Hey don’t rush them,” your father quickly interjected, “She’s young, she’s at the ripe age of childbirth…right?” He asked his servant who nodded at your father. He then looked back at the king with a shaky smile.
It was true that you were young, it gave the advantage of trying as many times as possible to conceive as it was your duties as future king and queen. Leon clenched his jaw, feeling frustrated by the conversation.
"We will try," Leon said, his voice firmer this time. He didn't want to be pressured into something. He could take care of things on his own. But deep down inside, he felt a hint of guilt. He felt bad that you were being used for his political ambitions.
His father gave Leon a firm nod, “You better,” then he looked over at your father. As a woman, it seemed as your only role was to have children, along with minor duties around the castle such as tending to the kitchen and garden.
“And you won’t have to worry about my daughter,” your father kept trying to lessen the king’s anger, “she’s good with children. Did I tell you about that time when she volunteered at a children’s church?” He chuckled nervously.
The king sighed, “Sylus, if your daughter can’t produce an heir then what use do I have for her?” Your father visibly wilted at his words, “She’s got many talents. She speaks five languages, she paints, she sings, she plays piano, she reads maps and knows geography. Believe me, she can be very useful when she wants.”
Leon's heart panged with sympathy as he listened to your father defend you, listing off your many talents and skills. He knew that you were not just a tool for producing heirs, but a person in your own right with your own abilities. And he felt guilty for realizing it after three months.
His father, however, seemed less impressed. He simply grunted in response to your father's words, not convinced by his defense. Your father sighed, “Give her a chance. She’s young, she’s at the right age for bearing kids,” he basically pleaded, “all she needs is time. You’ll have an heir before you know it.”
“Very well,” the king said before he took the contract, “I will sign it but until she is with child,” he then looked at Leon, “You better get to it.”
Leon clenched his jaw as his father gave his ultimatum. It was clear that the king saw your value only in your ability to bear children. Leon knew that he had a duty to produce heirs, but he struggled with the idea of treating you like nothing more than a vessel for bearing his children.
He nodded at his father, signaling his understanding of the king's condition, "I will," Leon said firmly, but his tone betrayed his internal conflict.
“Very well,” the king said before he stood up, taking the contract with him, “you’re all dismissed,” the king said before he started to walk out of the room. Once he was out, your father let out a sigh as he slumped on the chair.
“What am I going to do…” he muttered to himself as he rubbed his forehead, clearly this was affecting him as well. A father who only wanted to protect his daughter.
As Leon watched his father leave, he felt a sense of dread wash over him. He knew that he had to start fulfilling his duty as soon as possible.
He turned to your father and saw the tired, worried look on his face. He knew that the pressure was weighing heavy on him too.
"Don't worry," Leon said, his voice firm, "I'll do my duty. I'll make sure you don't regret giving your daughter to me."
Your father looked up at Leon, “I don’t,” he answered, “I don’t regret giving her to you, my lord.”
“My poor little girl,” he whispered to himself before he focused back on Leon, “She’s a great girl. She’s smart, she’s kind…” it was evident that your father was going through a whirlwind of stress and emotions.
Your father then stood up, giving Leon a deep bow in respect before he also walked out of the room to go back to his kingdom.
As your father left the room, Leon was left alone with his thoughts. He couldn't help but feel the weight of the king's words and expectations weighing down on him. He took a deep breath and pushed himself to stand up from his seat. He had a duty to fulfill and a promise to keep.
You were wandering the halls, yet again, oblivious to their meeting. You knew Leon was busy as the lord of the house, so you weren’t aware if they might be discussing.
“My lord,” the servant came over to Leon, “your next duty on the agenda is to foresee the taxes. The treasury just wants to hear your opinion, he says,” the servant said.
Leon had a promise and duty to fulfill, just as you did. The rest of his morning was full of tasks he had to do. It wasn’t until evening that his schedule was finally free. Leon spent the entire day attending to his responsibilities, from overseeing taxes to attending to other matters related to the house. Despite the busy schedule, his mind kept returning to the agreement and the king's condition.
As the sun began to set and the sky turned a hue of orange and purple, Leon finally had a moment of peace. He took a deep breath and looked out the window. The house suddenly felt so quiet and empty. Leon realized that he hadn't seen you all day. A pang of guilt gnawed at his heart.
You were in your shared quarters, talking to your maids. Your voices echoing around the walls of the room as the sound of clothes rustling was heard since the door was slightly ajar opened.
Right, today you had your new dresses delivered to you, “This one is gorgeous!” One of your maids said as she picked up a red ball gown.
“No, this is the one that beats all dresses in the kingdom,” another maid said she held a white gown. They were both beautiful and you could only laughed.
Leon stood outside the ajar open door, listening to the conversation between you and your maids. He heard your light laughter and the chatter about the dresses. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he heard your laughter. He didn't realize how much he had missed you until now.
He cleared his throat and knocked softly on the door, signaling his presence. Your maids quickly stood up straight up and tidied the room, the few boxes of dresses on the floor but upon seeing him, you smiled.
“My lord,” your maids greeted and curtsied as you stared at Leon before you remembered you had to do the same too. You were too caught up staring at him!
Leon was handsome, no doubt about that, but you still felt a bit embarrassed for forgetting to greet him formally. A hint of amusement flickered across his face as he took a step into the room, looking around at the boxes of dresses on the floor.
"No need for formalities," he assured your maids, his eyes shifting to you, "I merely came to check on my future Queen."
Your maids hurriedly tidied the place, they worked fast, right before they went over to the door, “We will leave you two alone.”
You nodded at them and watched as they left and closed the door, leaving you alone with Leon in your room. Your smile widened a bit, “Your future Queen?” You muttered softly as you stood in front of him.
“How was your meeting?” You asked as you stared up at him, “I heard my father visited. I wished I could’ve said hi but I was busy in the library,” since you weren’t in the meeting, you didn’t know what they talked about.
Leon chuckled softly, "Yes, my future Queen," he reiterated, his eyes never leaving yours as he looked down at you.
A hint of tension hung in the air as he remembered the real reason he was checking on you, but Leon quickly pushed those thoughts aside and focused his attention on you. He gently reached down and brushed a strand of hair from your face, "The meeting went fine," he said casually, not wanting to reveal the true topic of conversation.
You smiled softly at him, letting him brush your hair away from your face, his touch soft, “Not too stressful I hope,” you teased lightly.
“I hope my father didn’t give you and the king a hard time,” you said to him, “I know he can get a bit…well, he’s just very notably himself.”
Leon's gaze softened as he listened to your words, his mind briefly flitting back to the meeting and the king's ultimatum.
"Your father didn't give us a hard time," he replied with a slight smirk, "He can be... expressive, but that's what makes him unique. I can handle him."
He took a small step closer to you, his eyes searching your face, "But enough about the meeting. I wanted to spend some time with you."
A warm smile reached your lips, he wanted to spend time with you? You could feel your heart beat fast in the best way possible.
“You do?” You whispered teasingly as you couldn’t hide your smile, “Did the crown prince miss me already?” You chuckled softly.
You took a small step closer, hesitating for a moment before you rested your hands on his shoulders, “You better say you did,” you muttered in a fake threatening tone. Leon chuckled at your teasing, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He couldn't deny that he did miss you, but he would never admit it outright. He raised an eyebrow at your hands on his shoulders, but he made no move to remove them. Instead, he reached up and placed his hands on your hips, pulling you closer to him until there was barely any space between you.
"Is that so?" he teased back, "Are you threatening me, my future Queen?"
"Perhaps I do miss you," he said, his voice lowering, "Just a little."
You chuckled and stared at him with fondness in your eyes, for a moment, memories of the meeting were gone from his mind. Right now, it was just you two.
“I missed you too,” you muttered, “just a little,” you repeated his words with a grin. But you did miss him. The whole day you couldn’t stop thinking about him. Leon's heart skipped a beat at your admission that you missed him.
“So, what else happened in the meeting?” You asked quietly, not knowing what else to say, “Did the king say anything about…heirs?”
He looked down at you and his eyes darkened slightly, but he quickly schooled his expression and kept his voice casual.
"Heirs?" he repeated with feigned nonchalance, "Yes, the king mentioned heirs. He expects us to produce them... sooner rather than later."
Your face started to grow red. You understood that as a married couple, your duty was to produce an heir since you’ll be the new rulers of the kingdom. But at the same time, didn’t it seem like things were progressing too fast in your relationship? But maybe he was just being pressured by the king so you thought that deep down he probably only wants to fulfill his duty.
“Soon?” I repeated quietly, “very well,” I whispered and nodded, “When do you want to start?”
His hands on your hips tightened slightly in response to your question, his voice low and huskier than before, "Tonight," he answered, his eyes meeting yours, "I want to start tonight."
You nodded again as you looked up at him, “Alright, we’ll start tonight,” you whispered softly, “I’ll let my maids know so I can prepare.”
Part of you was a bit scared, you were pure and you didn’t know how it would feel to be intimate with someone. But you knew Leon wouldn’t hurt me voluntarily. So you trusted him, which surprised you.
“I should go prepare,” you whispered to him as you let go of his shoulders. He let go of your hips when you did, and he watched you closely, his heart racing in his chest.
"I'll see you in our quarters," he said softly, his tone both authoritative and tender, "Be ready for me when I get there."
You nodded and gave him a small smile, “I will,” you replied softly before you left the room. There was much to do and you wanted to look your best for him for tonight. You walked along the castle halls until you found your maids, letting them know about tonight and what needs to be done.
Leon watched you leave the room, his mind swirling with thoughts of what was to come. Guilt and desire warred within him, but he pushed them aside and focused on the task at hand.
As the hours ticked by slowly, Leon found himself pacing the corridors, waiting anxiously for the moment when he could finally return to his quarters and see you. The king's order echoed in his mind, a constant reminder of what was expected from him.
As the sun began to set and the hall grew dark, he finally made his way back towards your shared quarters.
The rest of the day was very busy for you. Your maids put all sorts of herbs and creams on your body to ensure your skin was soft as milk. They also did the same to your hair so it would shine and be as soft as silk. You stood in front of the mirror, watching as your maids dressed you in the appropriate dress for tonight. Candles were lit for the ambiance that made the room all more intimate. You were wearing a white night dress robe with lace around the edges, the material being thin and almost see through. You were wearing nothing under your dress as you knew what tonight meant. Your hair was down, all in its natural glory. Under the moonlight you looked like a goddess.
He stepped closer to the door, his hand reaching out to knock on the door before he hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door and stepped inside. Leon's breath hitched the moment he saw you. You looked like a vision, soft as silk and as beautiful as the night sky. Heat pooled in his gut as he fully saw the see-through dress you were wearing.
You heard the knock and turned around to find Leon. You were a bit nervous, did you look good? Desirable? You curtsied to him and smiled softly, “My lord.”
“You’re here,” you muttered softly. Leon's eyes roamed over you from head to toe, taking in your figure and the thin night dress. He swallowed hard, his pulse racing and his body responding to your mere presence.
He could see the hint of nervousness in your eyes, but there was also a mixture of desire and anticipation. He stepped closer to you, his hands aching to touch you, but he held back for the moment.
"I am," he replied in a soft, gruff voice, "And you look..." he trailed off, lost for words for a moment as he drank in your beauty. Your smile widened when he was at a loss for words, did you really look that good? You twirled around for him, your dress spinning with me. The candle lit room caused the warm flames to dance along on your skin, the shine from the creams encapsulating the richness and softness of your skin.
“Good?” You asked softly, not sure if you actually looked beautiful.
"Good doesn't even begin to cover it," he murmured huskily, his eyes locked on your figure, "You look divine."
He took a step closer to you, his hands twitching at his sides as he ached to touch you.
Your heart skipped a beat, he thought you looked divine. That was the best compliment he’s ever given you. You smiled before you turned around and walked over to your bed, getting on it and laying in the middle of the mattress as you looked over at him, waiting for him to come closer and start touching you. Your hair pooled around the pillows as your dress rode up to your ankles, revealing your supple skin.
The room was covered in candles, a sweet aroma that added to the sensuality of the moment. Leon watched you lie down on the bed, his heart thudding in his chest at the sight of you on the soft mattress, looking like a goddess waiting to be worshipped.
His eyes drank in the sight of your bare skin, his gaze roaming up from your ankles, up to your dress, and then to your face. He swallowed hard, his control starting to slip as he slowly approached the bed. Each step was deliberate, his eyes darkened with a mixture of heat and need. As he reached the edge of the bed, he placed one knee on the mattress, towering above you.
Leon could see the mixture of nervousness and desire in your eyes, and he understood the trust you had in him. He took a moment to collect himself, his own emotions and desire threatening to overtake him.
His eyes roaming your body, taking in the sight of you laid out on the bed like a tempting offering. He swallowed hard, the need to touch you and claim you was almost overwhelming.
Slowly, he reached out and gently placed a hand on your shoulder, his fingers tracing a path down to your exposed skin, "You're beautiful," he whispered coarsely.
“Thank you, my lord,” you whispered softly and almost breathlessly. He’s never touched you like this. You’ve only ever held hands and kissed and that was yesterday. You hesitantly brought a hand over to him, your fingers ghostly hovering over his clothed chest as your eyes wandered on his chest. His shirt made it so that his muscles were a bit noticeable.
Your eyes then looked back up at his before they flicked down to his lips. You looked back at his blue eyes, noticing the dilated pupils almost obscuring the blue around it. Leon's breathing grew heavier as he felt your hand hovering over his chest, your touch like a ghost against his skin. He watched as your eyes darted down to his lips, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips in response.
“You can touch me,” he said gruffly, his voice low and hoarse, “I won't break.”
He reached down and gently grasped your wrist, guiding your hand onto his chest so you could feel the warmth and firmness of his muscles. He watched your expression closely, his own eyes darkened with need.
Your breath hitched for many reasons; his hand on your wrist, your palm against his warm chest, his reassurance—it all made you a bit breathless.
You pressed your hand on his chest, feeling the muscles through his shirt. Your eyes drifted down to his hand on your wrist, he made your wrist look so small with his big hand. It made your heart flutter.
You looked back up at him, your lips slightly parted as you touched him. Even if it was just his chest. Leon's heart raced as he felt your hand on his chest, pressing and feeling the muscles below his shirt. It was the softest touch, but it sent jolts of pleasure down his spine.
He tightened his grip on your wrist, the feeling of your slender, soft skin under his rough, calloused hand made his blood boil. He had to fight the urge to just tear the dress off of you and take you right there and then. Instead, he watched as you took in the feel of him, your touch lingering, and he clenched his jaw in an attempt to maintain control.
You brought my other hand to his cheek, your hand trailing down his neck before you also let it rest on his chest. Right as he held your wrist gently.
You looked up at him again, your doe eyes looking at him so innocently, “My lord…” you whispered quietly before your eyes fell back in his lips. Your nightdress sleeves slipped down your shoulders, exposing your collarbone as well as the top of your breasts but not entirely.
Your touch was both innocent and sensual, igniting a fire in Leon's core that he was struggling to control. He swallowed hard as he watched your sleeves slip down, revealing more of your creamy, supple skin, and his eyes darkened with growing desire.
"I'm no lord here, not to you," he responded gruffly, his voice hoarse with need, "Say my name."
Your stomach flipped when you heard his words and his tone. He sounded so needy and just for you. But what made you more flustered was that he wanted you to say his name.
No title at all. For the three months that you’ve been married, you’ve always called him by his title out of respect as he was initially rude to you. But now that things have changed, maybe you should start calling him by his first name.
“Leon,” you whispered softly, the name rolling off your tongue with ease. As if it felt right to say his name.
The sound of you whispering his name sent a shiver down Leon’s spine. It was a soft, shy whisper but to him, it sounded like music to his ears. He brought his other hand up to cup your cheek, his thumb gently brushing over your soft skin, "Again," he murmured, his voice thick with need, "Say it again."
You leaned into his hand as you looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, “Leon,” you repeated his name again.
Leon couldn’t stop the low groan that escaped him when you said his name again, his grip on your wrist unconsciously tightening at the sound. You spread your legs a bit so he could settle between your legs, causing your dress to slip up your knees to expose your calves. His grip on your wrist was firm but gentle and you moved your free hand to your night dress.
Your fingers undid the knot of your robe before you put your hand back on his chest, your dress opening to reveal your naked body to him. Your breasts looked soft and shiny from the candle lights. The skin looking so supple and creamy, almost like milk. His eyes darkened with hunger as he looked at your now exposed body, his breath hitching in his throat. You looked so soft, so creamy, so perfect, and the heat that pooled in his groin was almost unbearable. He let go of your wrist and brought his hand down to the opening of your robe, pushing it further down to reveal more of you to him. Laid out like a meal just for him to devour. Leon's breathing grew more ragged as he took in the sight of your bare body, his eyes slowly roaming over every inch of you as if he was trying to memorize each curve and detail.
He ached to touch you, to feel your soft, warm skin beneath his hands, but he held himself back, just taking in the sight for a moment.
“Gods, you are exquisite," he murmured hoarsely, his eyes darkened with desire and lust. He couldn't look away even if he tried, you looked like a vision in the candlelight.
You looked up at him. Your hesitant hands slowly rested back on his chest, your fingers resting along the strings that hung loose from his shirt. Leon's heart thundered in his chest as your hands moved back to his chest, your fingers gently playing with the strings of his shirt. The feeling of your touch sent sparks of heat through his body, and he had to remind himself to stay calm.
He reached up a hand and gently took a hold of yours, bringing it up to his lips and gently kissing each finger.
You watched attentively with parted lips as he brought your hand to his lips and kissed each finger, your breathing quickened and you felt myself grow hot. Such a sincere and innocent gesture made you want him more.
There was glint of something in my eyes, something you’ve never felt until now. Was it respect? Kindness? Affection? You didn’t know but you did know that you were starting to feel something heavier than want. Something that could only ever be read in books.
Leon's eyes met yours as you cup his face with your other hand, your gentle touch sending a jolt of electricity through his body. The look in your eyes was new to him, but it stirred something within him. Something more profound than mere want.
He continued to kiss your fingers, his lips ghosting over your knuckles, your palm, the inside of your wrist. He gently placed your palm against his cheek and leaned into your touch, closing his eyes for a moment as he basked in the feel of your skin against him.
"You're so gentle," he murmured softly, his voice hoarse with an unnamed emotion.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” you whispered back to his words. Leon's heart ached at your words, hearing the sincerity and affection in your voice. The way you held his face in your hands, so gently and softly, made something inside him stir.
He opened his eyes, looking back at you with an unreadable expression, his gaze intense and almost vulnerable.
"You won't hurt me," he assured you, his voice low, "And even if you do... I don't care," he reached up and gently placed his hand over one of yours, "I don't care as long as I'm with you like this."
Your heart swelled at his words, what you were eeling frightened you a bit. You didn’t know anything about what you were feeling right now.
You gently pulled his face down towards yours, your eyes glancing at his lips before you looked back at his eyes. Leon's breath hitched as you pulled his face down towards yours, and when he felt your soft, warm lips on his, something inside of him snapped. He gently but firmly brought his hands around your waist, pulling you close to him as he deepened the kiss.
He had intended to take things slow, but the feeling of your lips on his, the heat of your body against him, it was too much to resist.
He moved one hand up to cup the back of your neck, angling your head to kiss you more deeply, his tongue gently seeking entrance into your mouth. You gasped and opened your mouth, feeling his tongue dance with yours. Your hands fell from his face to his chest, resting there for a moment as you relished in the feeling of his lips and tongue. Savoring him, you didn’t care if he tasted like his dinner, you were tasting him and you felt him close. That was all that mattered to you.
You kissed him back, pushing your tongue inside his mouth. He was the oasis and you were a thirsty wanderer, you needed him and you didn’t realize how much until this moment.
He couldn't get enough of you. You were like a drug, intoxicating and addictive, and he wanted more. He groaned against your lips as you kissed him back, his hand moving further up your neck and tangling into your hair as he pulled you even closer to him, his body growing needy and greedy for you. Your hands gripped his shirt tightly, fisting the material as you held on to him. You didn’t want to let go. Your body was responding to him in a way you’ve never felt before.
Your hands were quick to lift his shirt up, breaking the kiss momentarily as you undressed him with gentleness. Leon's eyes darkened with desire as you lifted his shirt, exposing his toned, muscled chest to your gaze. He watched your eyes as they roamed over his scars, his breath catching in his throat as your fingers gently traced over them.
He could see the way you looked at him, with a mixture of awe and admiration, and it only made him want you more. He leaned down, his lips hovering above yours as he spoke in a deep, husky voice, "Touch me, touch me as if I am your only."
Your eyes drifted back up to look at his, his words stirring something deep in your gut, “You are,” you whispered back in a breathless voice. Your hands roamed around his torso, feeling each contour and dip from his muscles and scars.
Leon's heart quickened at your words, his body responding to your touch, your tenderness, your love. Every caress of your hands, every gentle touch, made him feel alive. He didn't know what to make of the feelings that were bubbling up inside him. He had married you out of obligation, but now, with your hands on him, it felt like so much more.
He took one of your hands in his and brought it up to his lips, gently kissing your knuckles before pressing it against his chest, over his heart, "Feel that?" he whispered.
Your hand was pressed against his chest, over his heart and you could feel how fast it was beating, a reflection of your own heart as well. You looked back up at him and nodded.
“I do,” you whispered back, his heart was beating fast, almost uncontrollably. It caused my breath to hitch and your words to cut short.
"It means you have mine," he said gruffly, his voice thick with emotion. "My heart. My soul. Everything that I am, it's yours."
He brought his hand up to cup your cheek, his thumb gently caressing your skin, "Only yours," he breathed, his eyes never leaving yours.
Your heart beat faster and you could feel yourself turn to mush. Your heart ached and your stomach flipped inside you at his words. He was yours, everything about him.
“Leon,” you whispered, staring at his eyes to try and look for signs of deceit but you could only find honesty. Leon could see the look in your eyes, the mix of surprise, disbelief, and awe, and it only served to make his own heart beat faster. He wasn't sure what had come over him, but the words had slipped out on their own. He looked at you for a moment, his eyes roaming over your face as if trying to commit every detail to memory.
"Say it back," he breathed, his voice hoarse and almost desperate, "Say you're mine," he needed to hear it, to know that he wasn't alone in his feelings.
“I’m yours,” you whispered as you looked at him, “My entire being,” uou continued, suddenly feeling the words spill out of you with no control.
“Let me have you for myself and myself only,” you whispered in an almost pleading tone, “let me be the only woman in your life.”
Your eyes were basically begging him to have you as his sole woman. You didn’t want him to have concubines, you wanted to be his only lady. Leon's heart clenched at your words, his breath catching in his throat. The desperation, the plea in your voice, it hit him hard. He knew he had been with other women before, it was expected from him, but the thought of having anyone else but you after tonight felt wrong, felt foreign.
"You are," he breathed, his voice thick with emotion as his hand moved from your cheek to the back of your head, "You are the only woman in my life. From this day forth, and every day after."
Your heart swelled and you could feel your eyes glaze over with nothing but love. That’s right. What you were feeling was love and it was overwhelming.
You crashed your lips against his, gripping his arms as you pulled his body down against yours until you were pressed together like mush. You kissed him deeply and passionately, pouring all your emotions into the kiss.
Leon groaned deeply as you pulled him down on top of you, feeling the heat of your body against his, the softness of your lips on his, it was all too much. He moved his hands down to your hips, gripping them tightly as he ground against you, his body responding to yours with a primal need. You gasped against his lips as you felt him ground against you, feeling his bulge through his trouser press against your bare core making me feel some type of way.
He kissed you back with equal fervor, his tongue delving into your mouth, tasting you and claiming you as his own. He wanted to feel all of you, to be inside you, to make you his. The thought of claiming you, of making you his completely, of filling you with his seed and making you carry his child, sent a shiver down his spine.
He ground against you again, his hips moving on their own, seeking friction and relief from the ache that was building up inside him.
"You want that," he breathed, his voice low and rough, "You want me to take you, make you mine?"
“I’m already yours,” you whispered breathlessly, feeling him ground against you again, your heat and wetness obviously showing how much you wanted him to take you.
You moved against him, grinding your hips against his bulge as you also felt a tight feeling that sought relief. It was an ache that was unfamiliar to you. The sound of your words and the feel of you moving against him made Leon's body ache for you. He growled as you ground your hips against him, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he returned your movements, pushing against you and causing a wave of pleasure to wash over him.
"You're so beautiful," he breathed, his eyes roaming over your naked body as he continued to move against you, "I never want to stop touching you."
You let out a quiet moan, feeling pleasure coursing through my veins like electricity, “Don’t stop,” you whispered. You closed your eyes and savored the feeling even if he was still wearing his trousers.
Leon let out a guttural moan, his breathing growing ragged as he continued to move against you, his body aching to be inside you, to be one with you. Your words were like a command and he knew he had to obey, he didn't want to stop, he didn't want to hold back. He never had, but now, the consequences would be different.
But he didn't care.
"I don't want to stop," he groaned, his hands moving to the waistband of his trousers, "I don't know if I can even if I tried."
Your eyes trailed down to his hand on the waistband of his trousers, watching as he started to fully undress himself and show you his bare form. He was like a drug you grew addicted to, you also don’t think you could stop even if you tried. Now, all you wanted was to be with him. To be his lady forever as you ruled over the kingdom as King and Queen.
“Me neither,” you whispered as you looked back up into his blue eyes. Leon was barely holding on to the last bit of control he had. Your words, your breathless voice, it was driving him to a frenzy.
He lowered himself down, his body resting against yours, his hardened length pressed against your wet core, the tip barely grazing your entrance. He groaned deeply at the feeling, his hips instinctively moving against you. You whimpered as he started to push his hard cock inside you, filling you when he hasn’t even started.
"You don't know what you do to me," he breathed, his face buried in your shoulder, "What you make me feel."
You let out a shaky breath as your arms wrapped around his shoulders, your nails gently clawing at his back. Leon groaned as he entered you, the tightness and warmth of your body was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was ecstasy and heaven all in one. He lifted his face from your shoulder and looked down at you, his eyes full of love and desire.
"You feel so good," he breathed, his voice hoarse, "So tight, so perfect."
He began to move slowly, his hips rocking against yours, his hands caressing your body, his lips leaving a trail of kisses on your neck and chest.
As he started to move inside you, slowly thrusting into you, you rolled your head back against the pillows and closed your eyes as you relished in the waves of pleasure crashing over you. His hips rocked slowly but you could feel so well, you had finally become one.
You could only moan softly in his ear, savoring him and holding him close to you. Leon continued to move inside you, his pace steady and slow, wanting to make this moment last as long as possible. He could feel his heart slamming against his chest, his breathing coming out in ragged gasps. He needed more, he needed all of you.
He lifted himself up, resting on his forearms, and looked down at you, "Look at me," he breathed, "I want to see your face."
You opened your eyes and looked up at him as he moved deep inside you, your lips parted and your cheeks flushed as you moaned and gasped breathlessly. As he lifted himself up, your hands fell down from his back and laid on either side of your head.
The tempo was slow but sensual, wanting to make this moment last longer. The sounds we made echoed through the room. You arched your back as he started to move faster, slowly starting to feel his hips slam against your, the sound of skin clapping echoing in your mind. Leon continued his pace as he watched you unravel beneath him. The sounds of your moans and gasps, the way your body trembled and clenched around him, it was all too much.
Your moans became short and breathy, an indication of how much he was taking you to the edge as well. You rolled your eyes back and gasped quietly, you couldn’t hold much longer. The faster and harder he went, the harder it was to hold back. He could feel himself on the edge of release, his body taut and his muscles coiled, ready to explode.
You looked up at him, making sure he was seeing your face as you were so close to coming. Your body started to tremble slowly at each thrust. You panted heavily as your hands gripped the bedsheets under you and before you knew it, you looked at him, eyes full of bliss and pleasure as you let go and felt yourself spasm and clench around him, finally coming on him.
As he watched you come undone, he felt himself falling over the edge as well. His hips moved frantically, his body taking over as he chased his own release.
You let out whimpers as he started to move frantically, thrusting against you like an animal in heat and desperate for release. He let out a guttural moan as he found his own pleasure, his body tensing and shuddering as he found release inside you.
He snapped his hips against you before he spilled his seed deep inside you, coating your walls white with his cum. You were left panting and sweaty, your body suddenly feeling tired from the intimate activities so you closed your eyes and tried to catch your breath. Leon breathed heavily as he collapsed on top of you, his body damp with sweat and his heart racing. He was exhausted, physically and emotionally.
He buried his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent, letting your familiar fragrance fill his senses. He knew what he had just done, the thought of seeing you grow round and heavy with his child filled him with a sense of joy and possessiveness.
Your breathing has settled down and you slowly started to succumb to sleep, feeling your body grow exhausted and limp. As he remained on top of you, your head moved to the side, seemingly asleep as your body was so tired.
Never once would you have thought that you’d share a night like this. Previously, he was cold, harsh, and rude to you. You almost believed he’d never even hold your hand. And yet something in him changed and here you are.
He knew he had been harsh and cold with you in the beginning, but he had to be. It was to maintain a certain image, a facade. But as time passed, he realized that he was falling for you.
He gently pulled himself off of you, careful not to wake you, and then laid down beside you. He pulled the covers over the both of you and wrapped his arms around you, holding you close as he, too, allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
YIPPEE!!!!!!! thank u andrew... :') I HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS OMGFSKFNEJ!!!!!!
i'm a little worried. about the fertility thing DON'T MADE ME SAD!!!! and i don't like Leon's dad >:[
THE PRINCESS IS SO CUTE 🤲🏻 i really love this sm is like my bedtime story
You’ve bewitched me
Summary: A war lasting three years became heavy on the front lines. Many people died and lost their homes from the actions of one kingdom. But to end the war, both kingdoms agreed to seal an alliance through an arranged marriage. Caught in a loveless marriage with the crown prince, a whirlwind of emotions blasts through foreign land as you try to make your life in the enemy kingdom bearable.
Warnings: slow-burn. Leon is a piece of dick in the beginning. angst. eventual smut. arranged marriage. reader is a princess and Leon is the crown prince. enemies to lovers (i think?). inaccurate historical information. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION
Word Count: 11,222
A/N: sorry for not posting in a while, life’s been a bit tough but I’m back better than ever. I want to make this a mini serious (like probably three chapters) but I’ll see how this goes.
[pt.2][pt.3]
“I just can’t say goodnight” — Cosmic, Red Velvet
The Three-Year War was the start of a new era. An era in which two rival kingdoms finally join together in an allegiance. But the memory of how the war began was one that all too many remembered deeply.
It started with a small fight between the two kings over a land of territory that was unowned to either kingdom. Your father, the king of the Kingdom of the Coast, had found a mine in which gold was discovered. Immense amounts of gold hidden beneath the layers of rock called for his attention, which also called the attention of another king.
The Kingdom of the West noticed some strange activity in between the borders of both kingdoms, and the king sent a small army to figure out what was going on. Much to his surprise, the soldiers found citizens of the kingdom of the coast roaming close to the border that separated the two kingdoms and were immediately drawn to the defensive. The two kingdoms hated each other, although not a surprising fact. Both sides argued about who gets to own the mine, debates and meetings sparked between both kings, both claiming the mine was their right.
You didn’t know the full story, as princess of your kingdom, your duty didn’t lie with politics and war. Your duties were much different. When the king left the castle to join in on the war, you sat by the window hopelessly waiting for his return, and he did return, he came back with news of marriage.
And so here you are, on a carriage ride to the Kingdom of the West, foreign lands filled the view of the carriage window but that wasn’t what you focused on. Your thoughts circled back to when your father came back and broke the news of your sudden engagement.
“You are to not argue with the king!” your father said as he slammed his fists against his desk in frustration, “You will get married to the Crown Prince of the West Kingdom whether you like it or not. It is not your duty to argue, it is your duty to obey.”
Even though you knew you had no say in the marriage, you still sought freedom in choosing who to be wedded to. Mother has told you stories about how she had the chance to choose her husband among many suitors, and for years you believed you’d go through the same thing. Only for your hopes to be crushed in the midst of a war.
Upon arriving at the castle of the West Kingdom, you felt a bit unnerved. You were an enemy on foreign land, you had the disadvantage, one that you believed would make you suffer.
“Your Royal Highness, we’ve arrived,” said the servant driving the carriage. As you stepped out of the carriage, you saw a line of servants and maids lined up on the sides of the entrance, along with the royal family.
“Ah, you’re here,” said the king of the West Kingdom as he bowed at you, “Welcome, I hope the journey was not too tiring.”
You knew he only spoke out of respect but there was an underlying emotion that made you believe he didn’t mean it, “Your Majesty,” you said as you curtsied the king, right before you turned your attention to the young man next to him, his son.
His son stood tall, eyes boring into yours with judgment and even resentment. But he didn’t say anything, only bowing along with his father. His icy blue eyes held hatred, one that he had no shame in hiding. His blonde hair was neatly slicked back as his attire screamed rich and royal.
“This is my son, Crown Prince Leon,” the king said before he snapped his fingers and a maid came up to help you with your bags, “Come right in, my servants will show you to your chambers and then we’ll attend dinner.”
The king turned around to leave, wasting no second in going back inside the palace, all while his son glared at you before he followed right behind his father. For a welcome, it definitely went better than you had thought.
Your chambers were exquisite and quite extravagant, very different from home. Curtains hung from the ceiling over the bed, the very big bed. The windows were big enough to see just outside the gardens and training grounds. The room itself was like any other royal room, excessive decorations adorned the walls but it wasn’t something you weren’t used to.
“Your Royal Highness, we are your ladies-in-waiting, it is our honor to make your acquaintance,” a woman said as she bowed her head at you, followed by two other women behind her. You simply nodded and returned the bow, “Pleasured to make your acquaintance,” you replied softly.
“Let us help you prepare for dinner, the king does not like waiting,” she said right before the three of them started to work diligently on helping you into new clothes.
-
Dinner with the king and his son was a bit awkward. The table was silent, a contrast to how your family ate during dinner. Maybe it was because it was just Leon and the king, but even then it was too quiet.
“So, princess,” the king started as he sipped from his wine cup, “how are you liking the palace?”
“It’s beautiful, Your Majesty,” you replied.
The king chuckled, almost as if he knew his castle was beautiful, “Yes, yes, quite the vision for a foreigner,” he said.
“An enemy,” Leon suddenly spoke up for the first time today, “She’s not a foreigner, she’s the enemy,” his tone was bitter and cold. His hands gripping his silverware tight enough to turn his knuckles white. The king stiffened slightly before he downed his wine and set the cup back down, all while staring into the abyss.
“Son,” the king said in a quiet mutter but loud enough for you to hear, “the war is over. She’s going to be your wife, show some respect.”
But Leon didn’t like that. He slammed his silverware down against the table, servants turning their heads to look at Leon as he glared at you, “She’s anything but my wife. She’s a murderer and an enemy. I will not show my respect,” he said right before he stood up and stormed out of the dining hall. The king sighed after the doors slammed closed and you could only stare down at your plate.
“I apologize for my son–he,” the king said as he tried to come up with an excuse for his son’s behavior, only to not be able to say anything else for the remainder of dinner. It was clear that feelings of hatred still lingered from the war even though the war allegedly ended.
“Have a goodnight, princess,” he muttered before he stood up and also left the dining hall, leaving you alone with your half eaten plate.
This was your life from now on. A loveless marriage in a castle where you’re hated by everyone.
-
Months passed after your first day in the palace and not one had it been an easy one for you. Leon avoided you altogether and wouldn’t dare be in the same room as you, he wanted you to know his hatred for you and your kingdom. It became pointless trying to talk to him when you saw him in the halls as he’d turn around and walk in the direction he came from. Or if he was feeling bold, he’d walk right past you without acknowledging you. He loathed you.
Leon’s schedule was busy, as the heir of the throne and son of the current king, he had to manage some of the duties that came with that role. However, he wasn’t always busy, he only locked himself in his study and stuffed himself in tomorrow’s work to avoid you. His hatred ran deep and rooted in a dark place at the bottom of his heart. But he did have an outlet; sword training.
Many days and many nights he’d spend his time outside in the training grounds to let out all his pent up anger. And this only made you feel more alone.
When it was the day of the wedding, both families met together in a church. It was supposed to be a good day for you, weddings were supposed to be a blessing, but this one seemed like a curse. Both kings were delighted as this meant that they were now allies. It was a bit weird seeing your father and Leon’s father get along like childhood friends but there was nothing you could do. Both kingdoms were now united and the war has officially been declared to be over.
Leon, however, didn’t kiss you on the altar. He only gave you a nod, but hey, it was something different from the usual glares.
So now, here you were, in your shared chambers sitting on your vanity stool as you brushed your hair. It was nighttime and Leon had yet to come to bed. He’s always done this. Even though you were now husband and wife, he did everything he could to establish a barrier with you. He’d sleep on the couch near the fireplace as you slept alone on the bed, he’d purposefully wake up earlier as to not greet you in the morning, and he’d come back late at night to not see you awake.
He was a cruel and cold man who wanted nothing with you. You were just about to make your way to the bed when the door suddenly opened. Leon didn’t even spare a glance at you as he made his way to the couch, sitting down and ruffling his hair as he sighed heavily. You stared at him from the reflection of your vanity mirror, watching as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the backrest of the couch. He looked exhausted and if you were in any other circumstances, you’d ask what was wrong. But unfortunately, you knew it would be useless.
The man hated you and there was nothing you could do to change his mind.
“I heard you were making plans to change the garden,” he suddenly said, his eyes still closed as he spoke to you in his distant tone. You turned around on your stool to face him, “Yes, I wanted to replace a few flowers,” you replied softly.
Leon let out a dry scoff before he opened his eyes and looked at you, “And you didn’t consult me about it?” he asked coldly. He stood up to his full height and walked over to you, standing at a distance as he also loathed the idea of touching you.
“You think you can go behind my back and change the place however you want?” he asked lowly as he glared down at you, “I am the Crown Prince, I don’t care if the gardens lie under your duties, you consult me first. Do you understand?”
“Yes but–”
“Do not defy me,” he muttered as he took a step closer to you, “You think you can waltz in here and change everything without ever checking with me?” he then scoffed humorlessly and smirked in a mocking manner, “That’s what your people ever seem to do. You take and you take until you’re full, and forget about everyone else, don’t you?”
“Well, let me tell you something, princess,” he said your title out of spite, “You’re nothing but my wife here. You may be the future queen but you still have to obey me first. Whatever I say goes, and if I want the damn garden to stay that way then it will stay that way,” he muttered with an edge of threat in his tone.
He continued to glare at you, eyes boring into yours with so much resentment. And all you could was nod at him, “Yes, Your Highness,” you replied weakly in a whisper. Leon stared at you for a few seconds longer before he scoffed and walked back to the couch, not wanting to be bothered by you anymore.
-
The next day was busy for you, as future queen of the kingdom, there were a few things you needed to learn about the West Kingdom.
“Again,” the teacher said in a neutral tone as you sat in the library with books stacked on the table, “It’s not too hard to understand.”
You sighed frustratingly, you’ve been reading the same chapter for thirty minutes and you couldn't understand, “Easy for you to say, you’ve been living here your whole life. I’ve been here for three months and I still don’t understand how this kingdom works.”
“Princess, if I may be so bold,” he said as he looked at you, “you’re a smart lady, you understood everything thus far, what’s preventing you from understanding this minor detail?”
You knew what the teacher was insinuating, he thinks you’re distracted. And you know how he feels about distractions, with another sigh you spoke in a much quieter tone, “I just… I just have a lot on my mind, that’s all.
“Do you now?” he asked quietly as he seemed to be observing and analyzing your behavior.
“Yes, I do,” you replied a bit more firmly, even though you didn’t mean to come off as defensive, you couldn’t help but feel that way. It was as if Leon had conditioned you to stay that way during your stay.
Everyone in the palace, the servants and the maids, were well aware of Leon’s mistreatment towards you. He wasn’t one to shy away from letting everyone of his hatred for you. Some pitied you but they wouldn’t dare go against Leon as he was the crown prince.
“It’s the crown prince, isn’t he?” The teacher said bluntly and almost unimpressed. You, however, felt a bit surprised. Were you that obvious?
“How do you know?” You muttered softly as you narrowed your eyes at him.
“Who doesn’t know? All you two ever do is argue, well it’s mostly him, but you get my point.
Shame is what you felt upon his answer. Was that how everyone saw the relationship between you and Leon? You were supposed to be husband and wife, a beacon of peace between two kingdoms and yet, you were more apart than the Atlantic sea.
“I just—I don’t know,” you muttered, “it’s like everything I do angers him. I tried to be kind to him and show respect but all he does is shut me down and pretend I don’t even exist.”
“He hasn’t even said a single kind word to me,” you continued as the teacher remained silent, “I know he didn’t ask for this, but I also didn’t. I just wish he could understand *me*.”
There was a silence that overtook between you and the teacher, as if he was contemplating what to say, “The crown prince has been through a lot,” he said after a few moments of silence, “all he needs is time and he’ll come around, eventually.”
“Eventually,” you repeated under your breath. It may have only been three months but you’d hoped that he would at least be a bit kinder to you. Much to your dismay, you knew that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
After your studies, you roamed around the castle, trying to familiarize yourself with the structure. It was a bid castle, bigger than your own castle back home. Oh how you missed home.
You missed your bed, your friends, your family, the food they’d serve—you missed everything. Here, you were alone with a husband who hates you.
As you were about to make turn around the corner of the hall, someone’s hand suddenly covered your mouth as you felt them move you to pin you against the wall. It was a knight.
Your eyes widened but the knight held you firmly in place with one hand on your mouth and the other on your waist. Your heart was beating fast and your chest heaved up and down. Your maids walked on without you.
“Shh, princess,” the knight murmured in a sultry tone, “we don’t want to cause a scene, now do we?” You quickly shook your head ‘no’ terrified that he would do something to you.
The knight smirked and held you firmly in place against the wall, loving how scared of him you looked.
“Such a pretty thing…” His hand on your waist started to wander, his fingers brushing over your corset.
“I’ve wanted you for a while now….”
He moved closer to speak into your ear, his hand on your mouth moving to your hair to hold a fistful of it, while the other hand continued to wander.
“Let me go,” you whispered and closed your eyes tightly shut as you felt him hold your hair in a fist, ruining your hairstyle while his other hand roamed your corset.
Your hands gripped the wall, you were beyond terrified. How dare he lay his hands on a married woman—a married princess.
The knight didn’t listen to your pleas, continuing to keep you pinned against the wall, his hands now grabbing your hips.
“Shhh,” he murmured, his lips now against your neck, “I want you all to myself.”
The knight started to undo some of the laces at the back of your corset. Your eyes widened slightly as you your hands quickly traveled to hold your corset up against your breasts to ensure that it wouldn’t fall.
“What are you doing—stop,” you ordered the knight.
The knight continued to undo the laces, the smirk on his face only growing as you tried to hold your corset up.
“Shh, don’t be like that, princess,” He murmured, his lips still against your neck as his hand moved to your wrists, “Let me do this…”
He started to loosen your corset, his hand then moving to squeeze your hip. He was too busy to notice Leon and the king, who were walking down the other side of the hall.
The laces of your corset were fully undone, the strings hanging down your back as you held the material up your chest, “My husband is the heir to the throne, he’ll have you decapitated if he sees you,” you threatened.
But you didn’t know if Leon would even do that for you. Leon hated you, he despised you to the point where he ignored your existence on a daily basis.
The knight simply smirked against your neck, his hands starting to wander and exploring your body.
“I doubt the crown prince would care,” he replied huskily, his hand cupping your breast through the fabric, “He doesn’t love you.”
As the king and Leon continued down the hall, Leon suddenly froze, a look of anger immediately appearing on his face. His anger grew as he saw you in the knight’s embrace. His father had no reaction, but Leon was pissed.
He walked down the hall quickly to you and the knight, staring at you with a hard glare. Leon’s jaw clenched as his eyes flicked to all the loose laces of your corset.
“What is the meaning of this?!” The king angrily exclaimed as he and Leon walked over to the knight.
You looked over at the King and Leon from behind the knight and felt even more worse. You felt embarrassed and ashamed of being seen like this. So you directed your attention to the floor as you tried not to cry.
The knight froze when he heard the king and Leon’s footsteps and voices, his hands freezing and the smirk on his face falling.
He quickly removed his hands from you, stepping away and quickly bowing in the king’s presence.
“Your majesty,” he said in a hurry, sweat forming on his forehead.
Leon stood behind his father, his eyes locked on you, taking in your appearance. His mind was a mixture of anger and disgust, seeing you with your laces undone and your corset askew.
When the knight took his hands off of you and took a step back, you fell down to the floor and held your corset up as to not expose yourself further.
You still avoided all their gazes, it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t want any of this to happen to you.
“What were you thinking?!” The king started to reprimand the knight, “How dare you disrespect the lady of the house like that?!”
Leon’s eyes were locked on your face. He was angry. No. Enraged. Furious. Watching the knight touch you, the man’s hands on your body, groping you, made his blood boil.
He hated you. He hated you so much. But no one could touch you like that. You’re his wife. His property.
The king continued to yell at the knight, while Leon walked over to you and knelt down in front of you.
“Once we go back home, I’ll make sure you to punish you,” the king said the knight in a harsh tone, “Let’s go.”
He then looked down at you and Leon before he started to walk away with his knight trailing behind him. The moment it was just Leon and you in the hall, you could practically feel the anger rolling off of him. He clenched his fists at his sides, his jaw clenched and teeth gritted.
He couldn’t believe it. The sight of the knight’s hands on you, his lips on your neck, his hands cupping your breast… it made him see red.
He hated you. He despised you. But you were his. His wife. No one else was supposed to touch you like that.
Your maids were frantically looking for you and then they found you on the floor with Leon kneeling in front of you.
“My Lady,” one of them said as they ran over to both of you. They slowly helped you up, covering you body as they held you corset up, “Oh my,” another said under her breath.
My maids looked at Leon and bowed at him, “Excuse us, Your Highness,” one said before they started to drag you to your shared chambers. Leon stood up and watched as your maids hurried over to you, their eyes widening at your appearance.
For a moment, he considered whether or not to have the knight killed for what he did. He hated you. But you were his, and he wanted to make sure you knew that. He wouldn’t ever let another man touch you like that. But he also wouldn’t ever let anyone disrespect him like that.
The maids took you to your shared quarters where they helped you out of your dress and into your nightdress, getting you ready for sleep since it was already quite dark outside. Once you were dressed for the night, your maids left your quarters.
It was late at night. Leon went to his study to finish up some paperwork, before finally heading to yours and his shared quarters.
He was still enraged over what happened. The thought of the knight touching you, his hands on your body… it had Leon seeing red.
But why? Why did it anger him so much? It was because you were his wife and no one else was allowed to touch you. Not because he loved you, or even cared for you. Because you were his property.
When he was done with his paperwork, Leon entered the quarters, and immediately spotted you at the vanity desk. He still couldn’t get the sight of your appearance from what happened. Seeing you with your laces undone and your corset askew, the knight’s hands all over your body… it angered him for some unknown reason.
He slammed the door behind him, the sound echoing in the room as he stalked over to you. Your eyes widened and you visibly flinched when he suddenly slammed the door behind him.
“What happened,” he asked coldly, his voice low and harsh as he continued to approach you.
“What?” You muttered under your breath in mild shock.
But then you realized what he wanted, he wanted you to explain the whole thing. You swallowed dryly as you looked up at him, “I was walking with my maids until someone pulled me back and…” you muttered. Even talking about it made you uncomfortable.
Leon’s anger towards you made me uncomfortable, especially because you didn’t understand why he was so angry. His kingdom won the war yet he still saw you as his enemy, “But I tried to fight him off and I told him to stop. I even said you’d decapitate him but he didn’t listen.”
Leon’s anger only grew as he heard you recall what happened, that knight’s hands all over you while you tried to fight him off. The thought of it only made him even more enraged. How dare he touch you like that, and in the halls like that.
“Stupid woman,” he said scathingly, his deep voice full of disdain for you, “Of course he didn’t listen, he clearly didn’t care about what I’d do to him.”
You furrowed my brows and parted your lips as he called you that, Stupid woman.
It repeated in your mind several times, which caused your eyes to water. Did he think you enjoyed being harassed like that? You looked down at the floor, what else would you expect from Leon if it wasn’t going to be harsh words.
Leon’s eyes darkened at the sight of your watery eyes. He didn’t care if he offended or hurt you, as he saw you as nothing more than an obstacle.
“Clearly he thought you were some whore,” he continued, his words harsh and cold, “What else would he think? It’s not the first time something like this has happened, after all.”
He looked at you, a scornful look in his eyes. He hated you, but the thought of another man’s hands on you, it ignited a fire within him.
You looked back up at him in shock, did he just call you a whore? You were a princess, born and raised to be graceful and elegant and he reduces you to a whore? You felt disrespected.
“It is the first time a man has laid their hands on me,” you quickly argued back as you stood up, a tear rolling down your cheek, you’ve had enough of him, “You won’t even touch me. We haven’t even tried for an heir like your father wanted!”
Leon clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing as you spoke. You had a point, a very valid point. But he wouldn’t admit that.
“Don’t expect me to actually want to touch you,” he sneered, his voice dripping with disgust, “You’re just the price I had to pay to stop the war. I’ll have heirs, but they won’t be yours. I’ll never allow my children to share your blood.”
He took a step closer to you, his eyes cold and hard. A scoff escaped your lips, “You’re calling me a whore when you just admitted you’d have heirs with other women?” You said in disbelief.
“You are a selfish bastard, your heart is brittle and rotten,” you whispered harshly to him as another tear rolled down.
Leon’s eyes darkened at your words. Selfish bastard. He knew that’s what you thought of him, but hearing you actually admit it angered him. But not as much as the thought of having heirs with you.
“You’re the one who’s delusional,” he spat, “You’re not worthy enough to have my heirs or the title of queen. That’s the only reason I’ll be lying with other women.”
He took another step closer, his jaw clenching. He loathed you. Hated you.
Him admitting that hurt you beyond belief. It was like something in you and you gave up. Hearing him not just say that he’ll lay with other women but that you were useless as well hurt.
You looked at him with pain in your eyes, your jaw clenched as you tried to hold back your tears, “Fine,” you whispered in a resigned tone.
“Go ahead. Sleep around with other women,” you muttered, “Just don’t complain when your name gets brought up in a brothel for being their number one customer.”
You gave up. He hated you beyond repair and nothing you could do could change that. So you simply just decided to stop. The mere thought of him being with other women hurt more than you thought it would. All my life you’ve been taught and raised to be the fitting queen by his side. What purpose did you have now?
Leon was caught off guard by your resigned tone and the look in your eyes. He wasn’t expecting you to give up like this. He expected more of a fight from you.
“I will,” he said firmly, his eyes still cold and hard, “In fact, I’ll start tonight.”
His words stung. He wanted heirs, but not from his “arranged” wife, you. He could only imagine the children you could raise together, but he could never allow himself to even think about it.
Your heart broke even more. Tonight? Your mouth gaped open but you quickly closed it and remained silent as your eyes watered. You couldn’t do anything.
“Alright,” you whispered, “Go on. I won’t stop you,” you turned around and went over to your bed.
You sat down on the edge, taking off your shoes. Then you blew out your candle and laid down on the bed, bringing the covers up to your chin and closed your eyes. You did not want to cry but why does it feel like you are?
Leon could simply only watch you. He expected you to get angry and lash out at him, but instead, you simply accepted it.
The sight of you on the bed, pulling the covers up to your chin with tears in your eyes, stirred something in him. But he forced it down. He hated you. He’d always hate you.
“I won’t be coming back here tonight,” he said coldly, his voice harsh and emotionless, as he turned and headed for the door.
Leon could hear your soft whimpers as he headed towards the door, but he ignored them. He didn’t care if you were crying or not. He didn’t care how hurt you were because of him. All he cared about was himself.
Even though he felt something stir in him when he saw you on the bed, crying and upset, he forced it down. He continued to ignore it as he opened the door and left. He wouldn’t come back tonight. He was going to find a woman he actually liked. One that wasn’t you.
Leon walked away from the quarters. He headed out of the palace and out into the town.
Tonight, he was going to visit the taverns to find a woman to spend the night with. The thought of you was still in the back of his mind, but he pushed it down, determined to have a distraction from the thoughts of you crying in bed alone.
He could have a woman or two in a tavern, and that would distract him. Perhaps when he returned, you’d be asleep and he wouldn’t have to think about you at all.
The nearest tavern was full of women lingering around in skimpy gowns, obviously known as the hookers that attracted attention to the business.
But amidst all the women, could he really just forget about you? The hurt in you eyes, your bottom lip slightly trembling whenever you’d cry, or the way your eyes would look like a wounded puppy? Could he really find a distraction from that gnawing feeling at his chest with a woman who’d forget him next thing in the morning?
He was the crown prince, everyone wanted a piece of him, but no one dared. The women looked at him, but didn’t approach him. In their eyes, he too high up in the ranks. Leon could feel the eyes of the women in the tavern on him as he entered.
But he couldn’t have you, even though you were his wife. That was the problem. He could be with any woman, but he would never allow himself to allow you to get close to him because he hated you.
But as he continued to look around, Leon began to falter. He began to grow frustrated. Because every woman he looked at, he found himself comparing to you.
The women were no match for you, and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew it was true. You were beautiful and gracious, and the women in the tavern could never compare.
He grew frustrated by this realization. He was the crown prince. He could have any woman he wanted, yet no one here seemed worthy of him. He let out a frustrated sigh, his eyes still scanning the crowd of drunken soldiers and whores. None of them compared to you, and he hated knowing that.
Leon had spent hours in the tavern, but he found no one who could compare to you. It was infuriating. No matter who he looked at, you were the one he kept thinking about.
As the night continued to drag on, Leon began to think it was time to return to the castle. It was getting late, and the longer he was away, the more he would think about you. With a grumble, he left the tavern and headed back towards the castle.
Leon entered the castle, still feeling frustrated and annoyed. He had wasted hours at the tavern, only to come back to the castle empty-handed.
The halls were quiet as he made his way down, heading to the quarters he shared with you. He knew you were asleep this late, and the thought of you being fast asleep in bed annoyed him, but not as much as the thought of seeing you crying.
When he pushed open the door to your shared quarters, his eyes landed on you. You were asleep, your hair fanned out over the pillow, looking beautiful even in your sleep. He mentally cursed himself for thinking you were attractive.
Leon shut the door behind him, watching you sleep for a few moments. He couldn't deny how beautiful you looked, even in your sleep. Your hair was spread out on the pillow, and the way the moonlight hit your face, it was beautiful.
But Leon quickly squashed that thought. He hated you, he despised you. He could never find anything about you beautiful or attractive, no matter what.
He walked over to the bed, looking down at you as you slept soundly, unbothered by his arrival. Leon couldn't help but watch you as you shifted in your sleep, rolling onto your back. You looked beautiful, even with tear stains on your cheeks, presumably from crying after he left for the tavern.
He should've been thinking about the women he met at the tavern. He should've been comparing them to you, wanting to hurt you by going on about how much more beautiful they were. But Leon found himself unable to do that. He couldn't compare you to the tavern whores. In his eyes, none of them came close to your beauty.
He hated you, but not even he could deny that you were the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. Leon let out a quiet sigh, looking to the couch by the fireplace. He would be on the couch, and nothing more. He would never sleep in the bed with you.
When morning rolled up, your maids came into the room to help get ready for the day. All while you didn’t spare Leon a glance. His words deeply hurt you and you had given up on him.
He was free to do what he wanted, not like you had a say in the first place, his servants came into the room to help get dressed for the day as well.
“Your Highness,” one of your maids said as she started to do your hair as you sat on your vanity stool, “The gardener is here to help you renovate the garden.”
“Ah,” you replied to her, “I forgot to cancel the renovation plans. I’ll meet him downstairs,” The maid nodded and continued with your hair. When she was done helping you, you made your way out of the room and towards the lobby of the castle.
Once you reached downstairs with your maids behind you, you spoke French to the gardener since he was French, “Bonjour, je suis désolé mais j’ai peur de devoir annuler les plans pour le jardin.”
Leon’s servants, once he was dressed, started to follow him downstairs as he also had business to do. Or maybe training. Who knew what his schedule was.
The French gardener looked at you in surprise as you spoke to him in perfect French. He didn't expect you to speak the language, but it was a pleasant surprise nevertheless. Your maids were also quite surprised to hear you were fluent in another language, you must’ve learned foreign languages back home.
"Ah, Bonjour," he replied with a smile, "Ce n’est pas grave, Votre Altesse, je pourrais toujours vous donner mes conseils pour l’avenir si vous le souhaitez.”
Leon's servants followed him as he made his way downstairs, his ears perked and listening to the conversation between you and the gardener. He wasn’t aware you could speak another language so fluently.
You nodded, figuring that some advice wouldn’t hurt anyone. You started to walk towards the gardens with your maids behind you as the gardener walked next to you.
Once you reached outside, you spoke to the gardener, in French, about how you wanted to change some of the flowers and replace them with better ones.
“My Lord,” one of his servants said to Leon, “the grounds are ready for you to practice sword fighting, Your instructor is waiting.”
He grunted in response to his servant, "Very well. I shall head there now," He was about to turn and walk away when he suddenly changed his mind.
"Actually," he said to the servant, "I shall go outside first," The servant's brow furrowed in confusion, but Leon ignored him. He began walking outside instead, heading towards the garden area, seemingly wanting to follow you.
As Leon walked towards the garden area, his servants followed behind him. Some were confused and others surprised at the sudden change of plans.
“Je veux me débarrasser des tournesols, ils bloquent les roses de l'autre côté du buisson,” you said to the gardener, unaware of Leon approaching the garden area, “Pouvez-vous remplacer les tournesols par des pivoines?”
The French gardener nodded at your suggestion, "Bien sûr. Nous pouvons certainement remplacer les tournesols par des pivoines. Elles seront de bien meilleures plantes en cette période de l'année."
The gardener began to think, "Peut-être devrions-nous aussi semer des jacinthes pour ajouter un peu de variété."
As the gardener spoke, Leon continued to walk towards the garden area. His eyes narrowed as he heard the sound of you and the gardener speaking in French. He was feeling suspicious.
“My Lord,” one of Leon’s servants followed behind him, “Shall we introduce you to the gardener? He came all this way from France.”
Leon grunted in response to his servant, his gaze still focused on you and the gardener. The way you smiled at the gardener made his blood boil.
As you both continued to speak in French, his servants looked at each other, some looking confused while others looked amused. They knew of his hatred for you, and they could tell that he was irritated by you speaking to the gardener.
Finally, Leon came to a stop a few feet behind you, his arms crossed over his chest. He remained silent, listening to the conversation between you and the gardener.
You hadn’t noticed Leon behind you but your maids, however, did notice and they glanced at the servants with a nervous expression, one that said ‘what is he doing here?’. It seemed that Leon’s irritation and anger was evident.
“Your Highness,” your maids said as they curtsied. The greeting making you a bit stiff as you turned and noticed Leon. You looked up at him, confused and a bit surprised. But the pain in your heart was still present. You followed after your maids, also curtsying Leon.
Leon's expression darkened as you both turned around to face him. His eyes were hard as they met yours, the irritation and anger written all over his face.
His servants stood quietly behind him, their eyes flickering between Leon and you, unsure of what to do. They could feel the tension in the air, and they could sense their master's anger.
"What are you doing?" Leon asked, his voice low and cold. He glanced at the gardener before looking back at you, his gaze unwavering.
You knew Leon was angry, everyone could tell, even the French gardener. It was as if anger just radiated off of him, “I was just seeking advice,” you said as you looked up at Leon.
“This is Augustus,” you said to Leon, “He’s a good friend of my brother who’s well-versed in gardening. I called for him to help,” you explained in a gentle voice. You would’ve sent him back to France but Leon didn’t really give you time to cancel plans so suddenly.
Leon's eyes narrowed as you explained why you called the gardener. His jaw clenched tightly, and his servants could see his hands balling into fists at his sides.
"Why did you not consult me before calling for this gardener?" he asked, his voice laced with irritation. His eyes flicked to the gardener, Augustus, before returning to you, “I thought I told you to consult me before you went off and made choices of your own.”
"What other plans do you have for the garden?" he continued, his gaze never leaving yours.
You glanced at my maids, seeing their nervous expression before you looked back at Leon. You could already feel the argument coming tonight.
“I wanted to get rid of the sunflowers as well as the weeds and replace them with peonies and hyacinths,” you replied.
“Some of your gardeners have been having trouble taming the weeds so I thought I could help find the root of the problem,” you mumbled softly.
As you spoke, Leon's jaw clenched even tighter. He couldn't believe you hadn't asked for his permission before making plans to change the garden.
"And you thought it was appropriate to invite a friend of your brother's to help without consulting me?" he snapped, his tone cold and biting. His eyes narrowed again as you continued, "What makes you think the problem can be solved so easily? You think you know better than my gardeners?"
Your eyes widened slightly as he snapped at you. You furrowed your brow and opened your mouth to defend yourself but ultimately decided against it. No matter what you say, he’ll just get more mad.
So, in resignation, you sighed and shook your head before you lowered your head, “No, Your Highness,” you said.
Leon's eyes narrowed further as you lowered your head, your submission fueling his anger. He loathed the fact that you so easily backed down, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction at your compliance.
"Exactly," he sneered, "You know nothing about gardening. Leave it to the professionals. And next time you plan something, consult me first."
Leon glanced at the gardener, who had been listening in awkwardly. He felt a pang of annoyance at the man's presence.
“My lord,” one of Leon’s servants stood next to him, “we should go back. The instructor is waiting,” he kindly reminded Leon of his sword practice. Leon's eyes flicked over to his servant, a flicker of annoyance passing through them. He wasn't finished speaking to you, but the reminder about his practice session couldn't be ignored.
He gave his servant a terse nod before turning back to you, his expression hardening once more, "This conversation isn't over," he said, his voice low and cold. He shot one final glare at the gardener before turning and walking away, his servants following behind him. He knew the argument was going to continue later.
You knew the conversation was far from over, hell, you even thought he’d make you pay for it. And that was something you dreaded. Once he was gone, you turned to look at your maids.
“Escort the young boy to his carriage,” you said before you looked at the gardener, “Je m'excuse pour ce que vous avez vu, ce fut un plaisir de vous avoir ici.”
The gardener nodded at you, a sympathetic expression on his face. He had seen plenty of couple's disagreements before, but this one seemed particularly intense.
"Ce n'tait pas de votre faute," he said, his voice soft, "Je suis tout de même heureux de vous avoir rencontrée."
You felt bad that about the whole thing. You glanced at your maids and nodded at them, signaling them to take the young gardener away while you remained on the garden.
As Leon practiced on the training ground, his mind was still on the incident in the garden. Your insistence on changing the garden, your lack of asking him for permission, and the way you had spoken to the gardener all boiled his blood.
He couldn't believe that you had invited the gardener without telling him first. Who did you think you were? And the way you had looked so timid, lowering your head in submission like that. It made his blood boil even more.
He swung his sword harder, channeling his anger into his training.
Later. Later, he would deal with you.
For the rest of the day, you spent your time in the library reading and learning about Leon’s kingdom. There was so little that you could do now that Leon was angry at you yet again.
As you sat on a table near a window, you could see Leon practicing on the tracking grounds with other soldiers. The sun was beaming down on them, the sounds of their swords clanking being heard even from the second floor where you were.
You sighed, why did he have to be so rude to you? His kingdom won the war. Shouldn’t that make him happy? But you didn’t want to think about it. You redirected your gaze down towards your book and continued reading.
Some of the soldiers were sitting down, taking a break from their training as they watched Leon train with another soldier.
“Don’t he look more…tense?” One soldier said to the other. The other narrowed his eyes and tried to study Leon before he shook his head, “Huh…I don’t see it.”
“My lord—“ said the soldier Leon was training with, “We must take a break, you’ll hurt yourself.”
Leon ignored the soldier's pleas, his eyes focused on the sword in his hand.
"I don't need a break," he snapped, his voice harsh. No matter how hard he trained, he couldn't shake his annoyance with you. He lunged forward with his sword, aiming a blow at the soldier, who quickly blocked it. The clash of steel on steel echoed through the training grounds.
“Wait,” said the other soldier, “No, yeah, he’s tense,” the two soldiers sitting down nodded as they observed Leon going all out on his training.
The soldier started to block Leon’s blows but did not aim any at Leon. It was dangerous training with someone with so much anger. And that was until the soldier’s sword flew out of his hands and fell on the floor, a victory for Leon.
The two soldiers on the bench clapped and cheered for Leon, “Good work, my lord,” one said. The soldiers of his castle were good friends with Leon. Sometimes they’d go out for drinks after winning a battle.
Leon panted heavily as he stood over the soldier whose sword had been knocked out of his hand. His eyes were still hard and anger burned in them. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm before glancing at the two soldiers who had been watching. He grunted in acknowledgment of their praise but didn’t smile. He dropped his own sword on the ground with a clatter and started walking towards the side of the training grounds. He needed a break.
One of the soldiers tossed Leon a water pouch as the other spoke to the soldier on the floor, “For a rookie, you did pretty good. Not amazing. But good,” he said with a smug smirk.
“Oh shut it, Andrews,” the rookie soldier said as Andrews simply laughed, his laugh echoing out on the training grounds. Andrews was a much older and experienced soldier, the guy next to him, Kyle, was also experienced. But they were both loyal.
Leon stopped for a moment, lifting the water pouch to his lips and taking a long drink. The water cooled his body, but it didn’t do anything to cool his anger.
His eyes flickered up to the castle, seeing your figure sitting at the window. He gritted his teeth, his gaze turning cold. You were the reason he was so angry in the first place.
He handed the water pouch back to the soldiers before turning and walking towards the castle, striding with purpose.
It was time to confront you.
Leon walked angrily through the halls of the castle, his boots thudding loudly against the marble floor. The servants who walked past him quickly scurried out of his way, intimidated by his intense glare. He didn't bother making eye contact with them as he walked.
He made his way towards the library, his mind set on confronting you. You couldn’t just go around making decisions on your own. He was the king, and he would show you your place. Without knocking, he pushed open the door to the library.
You looked up at the sound of the doors being slammed opened and saw Leon. You quickly put your pencil down and stood up, “My lord,” you said in a surprised tone as your eyes widened slightly.
You started fixing your dress as it reached the floor. The dress was a simple yellow dress that was tight from your waist and chest. It wasn’t a corset but the dress did hug your breasts nicely. The sleeves reached your elbows and the fabric was made of silk. Then you walked to stand in front of him with the table behind you. Your hands clasped together in front of you as you looked up at him.
Even in heels, he stood taller than you. But now wasn’t the time to think about that. He hated you and his words from last night still lingered in your mind. Of how he’d rather sleep with other women and have heirs with them than with you.
Leon stalked towards you, his eyes fixed on you with a mixture of anger and annoyance. He looked at your dress, taking in your form, his gaze lingering a beat too long on your chest before he met your eyes again. He could feel himself getting more annoyed just from looking at you. He wanted to yell at you, to reprimand you, to make you understand your place as his wife.
“We need to talk,” he said, his voice tense and low.
You nodded slowly, “Alright,” you muttered, “what do you want to talk about?”
Leon clenched his fists at his sides, trying to control his anger, "You had no right to invite that gardener to the castle without my permission. Who do you think you are, making decisions like that without consulting me?"
“I didn’t mean to offend you like that,” you tried to defend yourself, your tone quiet and timid, “I thought I could make my own choices since the gardens fall under my duties as lady of the house.”
He took a step closer, his voice low and menacing, "You need to learn your place, princess. You're my wife, nothing more. You don't make decisions here, I do."
You looked up at him as he stepped closer. His reminder once again being cruel. You were nothing else than just a pawn to him. Something to help get closer to the crown so he’d be king.
He paused for a moment, his eyes scanning over your form again, before he continued, "And another thing...”
“What other thing, my lord,” you muttered and furrowed your brows confused. But, something in you took control and you were getting angry as well, “Did you find a whore last night?” You suddenly asked.
Leon stiffened, his eyes narrowing at your words. He hadn't expected you to bring up the topic of his nighttime activities.
"Yes, I did," he lied, his voice hard, "Why do you ask?"
There was a bitter undertone to his words. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he hadn't been able to go through with his plans to find a woman at the tavern. Every woman he saw paled in comparison to you, and the thought of bedding someone else left a sour taste in his mouth.
“Because whatever you do also affects me,” you muttered and looked up at him with a firm expression.
“Your actions have consequences and I do not want you to squander my reputation. I am a noble lady, not the wife of a man who won’t stop sharing himself to the whores of the night,” you said through gritted teeth. You hated his words. You hated *him.*
Leon's expression darkened at your words, his jaw clenching at being reprimanded by you.
"You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do," he snapped, "I'll do as I please, and who I please. And it is none of your concern."
He took another step closer, his height towering over you, "You're my wife, that's all. You don't have the right to make decisions, and you certainly don't have the right to shame me for pursuing other...pleasures."
“Don’t you realize what might happen if your father knows that you’ve been having sex with random women and that you bring home an illegitimate son into your family?” You said as you looked up at him with furrowed brows, how could he be so selfish?
“I will not shame you and I am not telling you what to do. Just do things with the consequences in mind,” you muttered as your gaze slowly fell down.
Leon rolled his eyes at your words, his irritation only growing.
"I'm not stupid," he snapped, "I know what the consequences could be to my actions, but I also know that I am a grown man who can make his own decisions. And what would you know about consequences? You've never had to make a hard decision in your life."
He took another step closer, his chest almost touching yours as he leaned in, his voice low, "I'd watch your tone if I were you. Remember your place."
You watched as he took a step closer, his chest so close to yours but you didn’t focus on that. You held my ground, looking up at him.
“Why?” You muttered, “What are you going to do if I don’t watch my tone? I’m only trying to look out after you. After us.”
He may hate you, and he may have a reason why. But you didn’t want his actions to drag you down as well.
"I appreciate your concern," he said, his voice sarcastic, "But I don't need you to look out for me. I can handle myself."
He took a step closer, so close that you could feel his breath on your skin, "And if you don't start watching your tone, you might find yourself with a sore arse."
You furrowed your brow and stared in disbelief and fear. Was he seriously going to put his hands on you?
“A sore arse? Do you hear yourself?” You mumbled. He was getting too close. For a moment you were confused because he’d never touch you and yet here he was. Telling you he was going to spank you.
“You dare lay your hands on me?” You muttered, “What would the people think if they found out that you…that you…”
You inhaled and looked at him, “Your people will be displeased if they hear that you lay your hands on your wife,” you muttered.
Leon's expression darkened as you challenged him, his jaw clenching. He didn't like being threatened by you, not one bit.
"And who do you think the people would believe?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous, "Me, the future king, or you, the useless princess who serves no purpose other than to warm my bed at night."
You narrowed your eyes at him, to hear that words come from his mouth was hurting. Especially since he’s been treating you as if you were nothing.
“I won’t bother you,” you whispered, it seemed that no matter what you say he’d still find something to be angry at you about. It was pointless talking to him.
Leon's expression softened slightly as he saw the pain in your eyes, but he quickly steeled himself, refusing to show any signs of compassion.
"Good," he said coldly, "Because you're already a nuisance as it is."
He took a step back, putting some distance between you and him, his arms crossing over his chest.
"Just stay out of my way," he said, his voice still cold, "And try not to make my life even more difficult than it already is."
You nodded and curtsied before you took my books from the table and left the library. You didn’t want him to see you cry, not after last night and not after this morning. It seemed as if he only ever made you cry.
You walked the halls of the castle with your books in your arms, your heels echoing in the air as you maneuvered to your shared quarters. Tears blurred your vision.
Once you entered our room, you closed the door behind you and put your books on your vanity desk before you plopped down on your bed. The bed that only you slept in. You stuffed your face in one of the pillows and just let it all out.
Curse this kingdom. Curse the war. Curse your father for giving you to Leon, a heartless man. You hated everything.
Leon watched you as you walked away, a pang of guilt in his chest at the sight of your tears as the library door closed behind you. He knew that he was being harsh with you, but he had to be. He couldn't let himself get close to you, no matter how much the part of him that wanted to comfort you grew.
He clenched his jaw and pushed down the guilt, reminding himself of the pain that you represented. The pain of the war, the pain of their families' deaths.
He turned and walked away, heading back towards the training fields.
As he entered the training grounds, Andrews noticed Leon’s conflicted expression, “Now that’s a face I haven’t seen since the war,” he pointed out as he blocked one of Leon’s attacks with his sword.
Leon grunted as Andrews blocked his attack, his expression hardening once again as he lunged forward with a flurry of attacks.
"Shut up," he said through gritted teeth, "I'm just a bit distracted, that's all."
He slashed at Andrews with his sword, the blade narrowly missing the other man's shoulder. Leon's moves were a bit more sloppy than usual, his mind still occupied with thoughts of you. Andrews, being one of Leon’s most loyal friends, knew something else was wrong with Leon. But he wasn’t going to spell it out for him.
“If you say so,” he muttered before he blocked another one of Leon’s attacks, followed by a strike against Leon’s side. Andrews was very good at fighting, being older and the captain of the castle’s defense allowed him to be the best.
Leon hissed as Andrews' sword hit his side, the impact knocking the air out of him. He stumbled back, his hand going to his side as he regained his breath, annoyance replacing the guilt he had been feeling.
"You bastard," he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Andrews. He lunged forward once again, this time going on the offensive as he swung his sword towards Andrews' chest.
Andrews raised a brow and moved to the side before he swiped his leg under Leon’s feet, watching as he fell down on the floor.
Then, Andrews knelt down and offered him a hand to stand up, “You fight with too much emotion. What’s going on?” He spoke firmly. He pulled Leon up on his feet, walking back towards the side bench and tossed Leon a water pouch.
Leon grumbled as he caught the water pouch and taking a deep draught from it. He sat down on the bench next to Andrews, his hands resting on his knees as he looked at the ground.
"It's... complicated," he said finally, his voice low.
He paused, not wanting to admit what he was feeling, but he knew Andrews wouldn't give up that easily. He was a stubborn bastard.
After taking a swig from his own water pouch, Andrews rested his forearms on his knees, leaning forward as he glanced at Leon.
“Complicated?” he muttered as he straightened up and took another swig. He then put his pouch down on the bench and looked back at Leon.
“It’s only complicated if you give it too much thought,” Andrews said.
Leon let out a scoff, rolling his eyes.
"Easy for you to say," he muttered, "You're not the one who married someone you're supposed to hate."
He clenched his jaw, his hands gripping his knees tightly. The memory of your tear-streaked face came back to him, and he felt that damn pang of guilt again.
"You don't know what it's like," he said, his voice low and bitter.
Andrews hummed and nodded slowly, “Supposed to,” he repeated in a mutter before he turned his head to look at the other soldiers sparring.
“I don’t know what it’s like to be married to someone I hate,” Andrews spoke after a few seconds of silence, “but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t understand what it’s like to see it.”
“The lady…” he spoke slowly, “I’ve only ever met her once back when she first moved in,” Andrews chuckled at the memory, “Poor lady was lost roaming around the castle she ended up here and nearly got her head caught off.”
Leon couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the memory as well. He himself hadn’t been there when you had wandered into the training grounds, but he had heard all about it from the knights.
“Yeah, she’s not exactly the most observant,” he muttered, his voice laced with a hint of affection, though he quickly bit down on his tongue to stop himself. He looked up at Andrews, his expression turning slightly bitter again.
"What are you getting at?" he asked, his voice guarded.
Andrews sighed and looked at Leon, “What I’m trying to say is,” he muttered softly, “the princess came from far away, ripped from her home and she obviously doesn’t know things about this place.”
“You can’t expect her to know everything. She’s…alone,” he muttered and looked back at the knights sparring, “Put yourself in her shoes. You’re being wedded to someone from the enemy kingdom and you’re being sent to foreign terrain where you know absolutely nothing about. And turns out your partner hates you and you don’t even know why, see what I’m trying to say?”
“She didn’t start the war but she helped you finish it. That’s a sacrifice not many are willing to make,” Andrews said before he took a swig of his water pouch.
Leon's jaw clenched as he listened to Andrews.
He knew what he was saying was true, but it was easier said than done. His resentment towards you ran deep, and even though he knew you weren't responsible for the war, he couldn't help but feel resentment towards you by association.
"I know," he mumbled, his voice low, "But it's not that simple. It's not just about the war. It's about everything."
He paused, his grip on his knees tightening, "It's about our families. The people we lost. It's all...complicated."
“And no one says it’ll ever be easy,” Andrews continued, “but you haven’t given her a chance to adapt. She doesn’t have anyone. She’s alone in a place where she’s hated, it’s a surprise she’s made it this long without begging her father to go back home.”
Andrews sighed and looked at Leon, “No one is telling you to forgive and forget. The war was scarring and many lives were lost. But to blame it all on the lady who doesn’t know a thing about swords seems very wrong to me.”
He then put his hand on Leon’s shoulder in a friendly manner, “At the end of the day, she isn’t your enemy. She never will be and she can’t. She’s here.”
Leon let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He knew, deep down, that Andrews was right. You hadn't started the war, and you had no control over the actions of the king. But the feelings of anger and resentment towards you were still there, rooted deep within him. He couldn't just turn them off, no matter how much he wanted to.
He looked over at Andrews, his expression conflicted, "What do you want me to do?" he asked, his voice low.
Andrews hummed, it wasn’t easy to just get rid of your anger overnight. It wasn’t possible but it also didn’t mean that you’d never get rid of it.
“Do what’s right. Start by seeing her for who she is and not just a person from her kingdom. She’s her own person just like how you are more than just the crown prince,” Andrews said, he was always a good friend. Wise and always knew what to say to Leon.
“It won’t be easy,” Andrews said before he stood up and stretched, “it takes time but it’ll be worth it.”
Leon clenched his jaw, his eyes staring down at the ground as Andrews spoke. He knew his friend was right, but it was easier said than done.
"I'll try," he mumbled finally, his voice strained.
He stood up, his shoulders feeling heavy with the weight of his thoughts. He knew he needed to push down those negative feelings and start seeing you for who you were.
As Andrews stretched, Leon looked at him, "Thanks, Andrews," he muttered, "For always being a pain in my ass."
Andrews chuckled and gently bumped Leon’s shoulder, “The price to pay when you’re friends with me, eh?”
For the rest of the evening, training went well. The sun had started to set, and you were walking around the halls of the castle by yourself, admiring the paintings on the walls.
It wouldn’t be easy, like Andrews said, but it was better to start seeing you in your own light instead of just generalizing you. You didn’t know a thing about swords and fighting, much less about war.
THANKS FOR THE FOOD 🤲🏻🤲🏻🤲🏻🤲🏻 AMAZING COMEBACK
I'M SO INVESTED!!!! leon annoyed me when he said he was going to the tavern to look for women UGH!!!! ):< poor princess
every time leon makes the princess cry a kitty cries too
Andrews sighed and looked at Leon, “No one is telling you to forgive and forget. The war was scarring and many lives were lost. But to blame it all on the lady who doesn’t know a thing about swords seems very wrong to me.”
THANK U ANDREW WE ALL SAY IN UNISON
waiting for the next part 🤲🏻🩷🤲🏻🤲🏻🤲🏻🤲🏻🩷🤲🏻
maybe the carlos fic today.... (YIPPIE)
Welcome
I would be truly grateful if you could help me with a donation in order to save my children and my family from the dangers of war and death in Gaza and escape to a safe place
Please Share Or Replog Or Donate For My Family 🙏
https://gofund.me/0511f253
hello! I'm not able to donate but if anyone sees this please donate if you can or reblog so others can
AHH YOU LIKE FNAF OMG SO COOL do you watch gameplay of it or do you actually play the games yourself?? :0 ngl i’ve never beaten the games, playing them myself scares me
i have this bonnie pillow hehe
YES I LOVE FNAF it was my favorite franchise since i was like 7 years old LOL i played the first 5 games (i never completed fnaf 4 because i was TERRIFIED by the style of the animatronics, i even dreamed that foxy was in my closet) my fav one is fnaf 2!!!!
then i kinda forgot about it but i watched markiplier play :]
THE PILLOW IS SOOOOO CUTE 🤲🏻🤲🏻🤲🏻🤲🏻 i have a foxy plushie that i CAN'T FIND!!!!
Part 2
NOO LEON BEHIND YOU!!!!!
The shade of blue that I want 🫂
Me, You, & Coffee- That's all I need!
—
1.2k words
claire redfield x fem!reader
tropes: f/f , hurt / comfort , wlw , claire probably has depression or atleast anxiety , angst , fluff , fall fic , love , happy ending , suggested smut
note: hehe my first fic!!! so scary.... rb/likes are appriciated!!! huge thanks to @/vaaaaaiolet for proof reading this!
tags: @rigorwhoring @vaaaaaiolet @angelstargel
CLAIIIIIREEEEEEE AAAAAAAA (≧▽≦)/
i loved the way you personified claire :'( she is so kind and nice to others that she often thinks more about others than herself 😞 and yet she is so independent and strong AAAA you captured her very well 🫶🏻🫶🏻 🫶🏻
i really need a date with claire rn 🩷🩷🩷🩷 and i love this 🤲🏻🤲🏻🤲🏻 pls keep writing, this was very sweet 🥹
TIARAS AND TEACUPS
→ just some fluffy drabbles and headcanons on leon being a girl dad
NOTE: listen i don’t even want kids in the future but for this man?? if he was real and mine then trust i would change my mind real quick ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶
this is pretty short, less than 1k words hehe
i.
Leon would never hear the end of it from his coworkers if they saw him like this. There was a plastic tiara with fake pink jewels resting atop his hair. He was sitting criss cross applesauce, for he was a little too big to sit on the tiny chairs his daughter had placed her plushies on.
this is ADORABLE 🥺 i love girl dad leon... sniff :'( love him sm he would be the best dad and would be proud of it!!!
the part that i find the cutest are his bedtime stories :C he would tell his adventures for his daughter AND SHE WOULD THINK HE IS A HERO (yes, he is!!!) I'M SOBBING T T
very pretty and heartwarming 🤲🏻 'thank u lottie!' we all say in unison
meow meow and squeak squeak
ME AND WHOOOOOO T ^ T
LOTUS FLOWER
re2r! single dad leon x neighbor reader
word count: 1.6k
summary: leon’s baby mama dips as soon as the baby is born, leaving leon the sole parent of their baby girl. little does he know, babies are very difficult and cry a lot his neighbor is curious as to why the baby is always crying
tags/warnings: sfw (for now), fluff, pining, neighbor being nosy. not proofread as always!
a/n: my brain is not functioning properly! i cannot spit out anything but fluff right now and building up to smut is so difficult! my brain honestly isn’t letting me write fluff either to be honest! it’s been a busy summer too :( i also started some of my other WIPS too, i’ve slowly been writing other fics too. i’m proud to announce this will have a part two as well. thanks to the anon that inspired me, love you babydoll!
songs? none this time! but i was inspired by lotus flower by radiohead!
happy reading my loves!
。゚•┈୨♡୧┈•゚。
READING THIS LIKE THIS!!!! his struggles being a single dad are so :( he's just a baby! taking care of his baby :[ love him sm 🤲🏻🤲🏻🤲🏻
i look forward to that pt.2 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷 i really like this 🥹