knight!iwaizumi x princess!reader
cw. introductions of two protagonists, some world building + a little bit of showing how they interact, (probably) very inaccurate knowledge about royal family protocol, mixing of eras within the monarchy - don’t kill me i don’t care enough to do extensive research
the room was much too stuffy for her liking.
the stained glass windows lined the throne room, surrounding them in a kaleidoscope of colors. the high ceilings and intricate art painted on its arch almost always made her dizzy to look up at if she did so for too long. she learned long ago, though, that it was considered “unladylike” to let one’s mouth hang open—her mother claimed it led to the implication of ignorance and stupidity.
the royal chambers made her feel oddly small, in a way. the hall that echoed even the faintest of noises, whose doors opened far and wide, creating a straight path to the entrance of the castle. just right outside being the rolling acreage and nearby forest. her home, at times, felt like an enclosure, with nature looking in at her, taunting her.
she sat in her seat by her father, who was laden with purple robes that were usually a deep shade, but with the sun’s catching, resembled a brighter violet. her dress was a similar shade, though a bit lighter, thanks to the family’s modiste. she was finally able to include some input into what she wore—it was her birthday gown, after all.
many said her sixteenth birthday would be magical, full of dinner parties and mounds of gifts from the people of the kingdom. “a day worth celebrating, indeed, for on this day, the princess was born!” many told her.
not that she didn’t appreciate the working class because she did, probably far more so than her father. but rather, she did not care for the day in its entirety, due to her presence here, in this uncomfortably warm room, standing before a group of sweaty boys.
the newest recruits for the knight guard were to be officially sworn in today, and naturally, they chose the hottest day of the year in the middle of summer for the ceremony. if it wasn’t so miserable, it would be comical to watch some of them stand still in this godforsakenly humid throne room.
as she looked almost bored at this prospect, she met the eyes of the one she cannot make eye contact with, or else she’d laugh out of turn. and that was truly “unladylike.”
iwaizumi was different from the other knights of the castle, with not having this strange infatuation with her that some of the others had. he treated her highly—even became friends with her. or at least she hoped they were.
she didn’t have many friends.
she met his eyes before looking away, acknowledging his presence while maintaining protocol. it was an important day, after all. along with this formal accolade, there was to be one exemplary knight chosen to take an oath to the crown as personal guard to the princess. he was handpicked by the king and the general of the knight guard.
iwaizumi looked quite dashing in his uniform—the stoic knight, with his armor in perfect position. despite his unruly hair adding a touch of some boyish charm, it was obvious he took this job much more serious than these other upcoming guards.
when the clock and bell struck noon, the king—her father—rose, with her and her mother following, signaling the few new guards to stand still at attention. she noticed the beads of sweat rolling down their temples. with the thick cloth they wore as undergarments to the armor they adorned, it was no wonder why they were roasting like wild pigs.
many elders in the church gathered for the accolade, with the archbishop himself attending and standing at the head of the group, but she most often ignored their presences. she remained civil for appearances, though she did not want to surround herself with their ungodly diction used to describe women.
the king cleared his throat, silence washing over the crowd of men. he had a way of demanding respect from people with less than a single word, and they listened, monarch or not.
she could only hope she’d one day be like him.
“today, you all have been chosen to serve the royal family as our trusted knights.”
as her father spoke, her mind wandered many places other than where it should be—listening to him. she thought about what would be served at supper, if her tulips buds in the gardens had bloomed yet, if her handmaid had gotten more sleep recently. but she kept up the façade of a perfect princess quite well, even though all she cared about was this prospective personal guard of hers. she wondered if he’d be nice to her—respect is a given, as a princess, but she wished for someone who was intelligent, resourceful, relatively kind.
she didn’t need a nanny, she needed a protector.
“iwaizumi hajime, step forward.”
she kept a well-trained, impassive expression as her eyes followed iwaizumi’s steps to kneel before the king.
“due to your exemplary performance, you have been chosen to serve as the personal guard to the princess. you will accompany her wherever she may go, and, if the moment may come, you will lay down your life to protect her. do you accept this post?” the king’s voice echoed through the hall, his eyes trained on the young knight.
the air was silent, save for the occasional soft pants from the elders due to this blistering heat. she subconsciously held her breath—what if iwaizumi was to refuse the post? what if she’d been reading too far into their conversations together? did he speak to her out of pure obligation? what—
“i do, your majesty,” iwaizumi answered, his voice confident, “i am honored to serve the crown and to protect the princess.”
the king nodded, turning to look to his daughter. “my child, come forth.”
her heels clicked, clicked, clicked against the stone floor as she approached her father’s throne, awaiting further instruction. he grabbed the family’s sword from his sheath, the pure steel of the blade shining in the high noon light.
he handed her the weapon, silently prompting her to be the one to dub iwaizumi as knight. as she stood before iwaizumi, his head was low, his gaze to the ground.
“iwaizumi hajime,” she said, “i dub thee sir iwaizumi, of the royal kingdom.”
“did you hear of my newest purchase of some land by the sea, your highness? i hear the coast is your favorite this time of year.”
linked arm-in-arm in the gardens with her newest suitor, she was beginning to regret accepting his invitation of a turn about the grounds. the garden, full of her favorite flowers, felt sacred to her, for it was her place to hide, to roam about when she felt overwhelmed with the world.
she glanced back at iwaizumi, who walked several paces behind them as their chaperone. his face remained expressionless, betraying none of his thoughts to her.
“my newest estate will have the finest of homes,” the suitor continued on and on, “with one very beautiful princess enhancing its beauty.”
she couldn’t hold in her soft laugh. “how very bold of you to assume such a thing.”
he gave her a questioning look, so she clarified, “how very arrogant of you that you’d assume i’d be swayed by a mere scenic view.” her tone was polite as could be, but her words were blunt. many had viewed the princess as rude with her words, claiming she did not think before speaking.
but trust in the fact that she definitely had been thinking of this since the stroll began.
plus, the men who claimed such things were prior suitors who were rejected by the princess. they claimed she sought the impossible: love.
“love, in a time of building alliances? how utterly outlandish,” they said.
maybe so, but she knew what she wanted.
she looked back again at iwaizumi, her eyes giving him a telling sign to intervene. in a matter of seconds, he approached the two and announced, “your highness, the king has requested your assistance. it sounded rather urgent.”
she hid her smile and looked back at her trusty knight, then to the suitor. “oh, dear,” she said softly, “i am terribly sorry, your grace, but my father requires my presence.”
the man only forced a polite nod and waved a hand, watching her and iwaizumi walk back to the castle’s doors.
he only hummed. “not a fun one, i presume?”
she cut her eyes at him, watching him stifle a grin. iwaizumi had warned her of the duke before he even arrived, having heard stories from the maids, who heard them from those in the market downtown. the princess chose to ignore them, wishing to give him at least one chance.
nonetheless, she couldn’t help her own smile that slowly overtook her face. “not fun at all, this man was thinking he could barter a marriage with a coastline estate.”
“what a fool, to think you can be bought like some animal.”
she sighed, letting her shoulders finally slump once they walk through the doors into the quiet castle. “i fear there is not a royal soul in ilithiya who is not a brash, insolent… barbarian.”
he nodded along, listening to her exasperated sighs and frustrated words. “you will find someone, princess. someone who values you and loves you as yourself.”
“possibly.” they reached her chamber doors. “unless the most perfect man has been right in front of me this entire time, i’m not too sure.”
iwaizumi felt his heart sting just a little. if he’d been born with royal blood… maybe he could have swayed her.
maybe she could’ve even fallen in love with him.
“i understand, princess. but for now, you should rest before supper,” he nodded as he opened her door for her, “i will be right outside.”
after entering her room, she leaned against her door, letting his words sink in. he would “be right outside”—a phrase he always said to her before she retired for the afternoon or evening. his way of reminding her that he was always there to protect her.
granted, it was his duty.
22. princess of the kingdom of ilithiya.
24. knight, personal guard to the princess.
᯽ purple is the color of royalty, due to the rarity of its dye. clothes with this dye were expensive, so only the wealthy (royalty) could afford it.
᯽ accolade: “knighting” / the ceremony of granting knighthood.
᯽ kneeling with a bowed head is most common in religious worship, so the fact that iwaizumi did so while being dubbed a knight by the princess conveys his upmost respect for her.
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