dani ;) @glitterslushi - Tumblr Blog

Jun 3

maiden so fair

2hollis x fem!reader

🜲 You unexpectedly fall in love with one of the knights from the castle of Tenflower. It was something you had to keep secret, for it was forbidden for a knight to be with a princess.

tags: tenflower au, knight!hollis, princess!reader, forbidden love, sneaking around, fist kiss, loss of virginity, marathon sex, oral (m + f receiving), fluff angst And smut, reader is inexperienced but not really innocent, happy ending don't worry

warnings: slight blood, brief descriptions/mentions of torture & capital punishment

w/c: 11k

a/n: thank you to @stellalaylas for the idea for this fic! i also made it a little inspired by berserk as well :p this is my longest fic ever now wow. ignore the fact that hollis' hair in his medieval era was brown and i described it as blonde in this fic i just thought it was Fun. also ive said this before but i am not good at medieval speak nor do i know how trials work etc etc so it might be a little unrealistic but i find that fun Idk. as usual no screenshotting/talking about this fic outside of tumblr/my ao3 <3

taglist: @fatalfairie @holilove @sayitagain22 @222foryou222 @tellmeimsafe @ang3l0fd3ath22 @wakeuppfilthy @aisforarii @stellalaylas @catmeowsstuff @voidatelier @2lilaclace @bloodshotbastard @hollisedd @girl2bad @luvvconceal @gnariii @warhorseweekend @sweet2sin @sqddleagain @2drea @natesibsdih @angelrazor6000 @qiyokuliife @222cellmate (if you are this user and still on here lmk if you’ve changed ur @!) @mageterna1111

read/support on ao3 or on here ↓

Being the princess of Tenflower was lonely.

That was the best way to describe it. It’s not like you were alone. You had your family, your servants, daughters of aristocrats you frequently spoke with.

But you were never able to really live due to your overprotective father. You weren’t able to interact with the public or go out of the castle without his permission. You had given up on asking to go places long ago. He always said no.

So you spent most of your days in your room. Luckily, it was spacious and full of everything you’ve ever loved. Everything you ever needed was in the castle.

You stared outside of your room, book in hand. The sky looked pretty this time of night. When you were having trouble sleeping, you always pulled a book out to help.

The wind from outside lightly blew your hair back. You could see the entire city from the castle. You could see the individual windows of the buildings, some with light on and some not.

You saw a couple galloping down the streets in the middle. You were far away, but you could tell they both had big smiles on their faces. Probably drunk from the bar they came out of. You wondered if you would ever be as happy as them.

You sighed and closed your book. You felt sleepy, finally.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

“The knights are sparring in Tenflower Square today.” Your mother spoke, taking a sip of her tea.

“Cool.” You responded, more focused on biting into your eggs. You weren’t really the most interested in the violence of that stuff.

“The family is expected to be in attendance today.” A beat. “That means you, too.”

You dropped your fork. “What?”

“You’re coming.”

“Mama, I’ve told you I don’t like watching fights.”

“There won’t be any actual bloodshed this time. It’s just to demonstrate the skills of the Tenflower army for the city’s enjoyment. They fight to protect you, you know. It’s a reminder of how you’re in good hands.”

You sighed. None of this ever interested you.

Your mother noticed your annoyed expression. “Tell you what. If you go with us to the spar, I’ll talk to your father about letting you go to the bookstore across town. By yourself.”

Your face instantly lit up. “Really?”

Your mother closed her eyes and nodded. “But only if you come with us today, will he consider. The royal family in full is expected.”

You couldn’t pass up an opportunity to leave the castle. You’ve always heard about that bookstore, how it had almost every book you could think of.

“You’re awfully excited. I thought you didn’t like this sort of stuff.” Your servant Cecily said, helping you into your dress. Cecily has been working for your family ever since you were born. You felt closer to her than your own mother, sometimes. She felt like a part of the family at this point.

“I don’t. Mother promised me something, though. So I’m coming.” You smiled, daydreaming about the aisles of books you were hopefully going to look through soon.

“Figured. Want me to do your makeup all heavy, like the girls do?” She walked you over to your vanity to sit down. She was talking about your friends, they were all the epitome of femininity. You, not so much. But you preferred that.

“I guess just this once won’t hurt.”

The sound of your heels, that were honestly too big for you, echoed off of the halls of the castle. Your parents smiled satisfactorily when they saw your outfit while waiting at the end of the hall.

“Oh, my wonderful daughter!” Your father exclaimed, walked up to you and brought you into a hug. “I’m so happy you’re coming. The residents of Tenflower will be overjoyed to see their princess. You look wonderful.”

You hugged your father back. Your mother was beside him smiling as well.

“Are we ready to go?” The driver was beside them. It was almost time for the spar to start.

“Yes, let us go.” She replied. “Come on, (y/n).”

Outside, the horse carriage was waiting. It had been a while since you’ve been in one. In that time, the castle had upgraded the carriage to a better one with more comfortable seating. You got inside with your parents and sat on one side, while they sat on the other. The horse neighed when the driver moved the reins.

You stared out of the carriage window as it left the castle. Everytime you left the castle you felt yourself constantly staring at everything, like you were trying to take everything in.

The spar wouldn’t be all boring. Your friend Charlotte was to be there. She was a fan of all of the violence, and would watch it with a smile on her face.

Your parents were having a conversation. Something about kingdom politics. You tuned it out and zoned out with your eyes on the window. As you got closer to Tenflower Square, you could hear the sound of a huge crowd.

Luckily, you wouldn’t have to go through it. There was a separate route that went straight to the section you’d be sitting in. When you arrived there and walked out of your carriage, you saw Charlotte right next to where you’d be sitting.

“(y/n)!” She grinned, greeting you as you came to sit.

“Hello, Charlotte.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you hated stuff like this. Always called me weird for it.”

“I do. But my parents promised to let me go to the bookstore across town if I went, so.” You smiled smugly.

“Ugh, I knew there was a catch. Sit down though. It’s gonna start soon. I have to point out this one knight to you, he’s so handsome. And he’s the best ranked knight in the whole army.”

“Really?” You replied back, a little disinterested. You planned to space out during it mostly.

“Yes. You’ll notice him, he sticks out like a sore thumb in comparison to the rest of them. Like a prince.”

Your eyebrows raised at her description. “I’ll keep a look out, then.”

Charlotte knew you likely wouldn’t. She was happy you were here, though. The initial smile when she spotted you didn’t leave her face.

She was what you could call your best friend. You have been friends for a long time now, ever since you were a child. She had just always been there. Her hair was brown, usually kept up in a braid. Her eyes were the same color. Her face had freckles across the middle, full lips, and small eyes.

A horn sounded through the square, signaling that it was time for the spar to start. You focused on the middle.

The announcer called out two knights to start. Ain and Hollis were the names.

You glanced over at Charlotte. She was at the edge of her seat with her eyes wide open, not wanting to miss a second of it. The fight started, and both knights lunged at each other.

It was an admittedly impressive sight. The one on the right had calculated movements. He moved fast. But so did the one on the left. It looked like they had practiced together many times before.

The crowd gasped when one of them got on top of the other. The announcer’s voice rang through the square again. Cheers erupted. The one called Hollis had won this round.

It went on for two more. Hollis won one, and Ain won another. Overall, Hollis was the winner. Cheers erupted once more, and both of the knights took off their helmets to properly bow.

“That’s him.” Charlotte leaned over and whispered to you. She didn’t have to tell you, you already knew.

He was… not as rugged looking as the other knights. His face had a feminine like feel to it, with chin length blonde hair. He looked around the area, waving to everyone watching. He was much taller than the other guy, too.

“Isn’t he handsome?” Charlotte giggled.

“Looks like a pompous ass.”

Charlotte hit your arm lightly.

“Hey! Am I wrong? Men who look like that are surely full of themselves.” Admittedly, he was handsome. He caught your eye immediately. As he walked off from the middle, you saw him be congratulated by the rest of the knights, including the one he just fought. He seemed popular within them.

“I would be too if I was that beautiful…” Charlotte said dreamily.

You rolled your eyes lovingly at her. She seemed to think every guy was handsome, always pointing one out to you that you weren’t impressed by. But this one…you could hear her out. Just a bit.

The rest of the spar was boring, as you predicted. You just didn’t see the appeal in watching dudes fight, especially when it’s not a real fight. But at least your attendance would get you something this time.

You clapped whenever everyone else clapped. You spent the majority of it daydreaming about something. You were broken out of your trance when you heard your name called by the announcer, and your mother tapping your shoulder for you to stand up with them.

Everyone was looking at you. It was rare for you to have public appearances. They clapped for you, and you waved around at the crowd. In an elegant way, like your mother taught you.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

When it was over, there was a ball at the castle. You tried to go back to your room and read, but your mother stopped you and told Cecily to go upstairs and get you into a new dress for the ball, which ultimately meant you had to come. You groaned on the way there and Cecily exchanged a sympathetic look with you.

At least Charlotte would likely be in attendance. So you wouldn’t be too bored.

The hall was bustling with people. A certain number of knights from the spar were invited. Including the one Charlotte pointed out to you. He was surrounded by girls pestering him about how good of a knight he is.

You instantly found Charlotte by the table of sweets and drinks. “Hey.” You tapped on her shoulder.

She turned around, mouth full of cake. “Hey!” She smiled. Her cheeks resembled a chipmunk with peanuts stuffed in its mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” You snickered.

She swallowed it. “Sorry. Your chefs make the best cake I’ve ever had. How long have you been standing there?”

“Not very long. I just got here. Your crush is quite the ladies man.” You tilted your head towards the night from before, surrounded by maidens.

Charlotte sighed, now stuffing her face with small sweets. “I hate those girls.”

“You’re jealous?”

“Duh. I could never go up to him and– he’s walking this way.” She interrupted herself.

“What?”

“He’s walking this way!” Charlotte muttered in a harsh whisper. She quickly swallowed her sweets, wiped her mouth off, and made herself presentable.

You looked in his direction. He was coming your way with two other knights. You recognized one of them as his sparring partner. What surprised you the most was that he was coming up to you.

“Excuse me?” His voice went through your ears for the very first time. “Princess.”

“Hello.” You responded.

“I wanted to introduce myself to you, since your presence is such a rare occurrence.” Hollis kneeled, and boldly grabbed your hand. “I’m Hollis. My number one priority is to protect you and your family.” He kissed the back of your hand. It was a common gesture, for knights that wish to pledge loyalty. But you would be lying if you said your heart didn’t skip a beat.

Due to how overprotective your father was, you didn’t really have contact with boys. You’ve read countless romance novels, behind your parents’ back, so you know about the whole world of it all. This was the first thing you’ve experienced anything close to it.

Hollis’ hazel eyes looked up at you after. You felt flustered, and quickly muttered out your next words. “Thank you.”

You could see Charlotte out of the corner of your eye, with hers wide open.

“My pleasure.” He smiled, standing up. He walked away with the rest of his friends.

Charlotte slowly turned to you with your mouth open. “...How did you not scream?!”

“It’s a common gesture.”

“Your face is red, you know.”

“No it isn’t.” You smiled, pouring yourself a drink.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

The knight’s quarters were always rowdy, as most places filled with only men were.

Hollis sat at one of the tables in the dining hall, with Ain and his other friend, Simon.

“You have got a fuck ton of balls.” Ain said, drinking a beer. “Seriously.”

“I couldn’t believe my eyes. You were lucky the king wasn’t there, he would've had your head immediately.” Simon said.

Hollis’ fingers trailed across his lips. “Her hand was so soft. I seriously think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

“Too bad she’s off limits.” Simon said. “Her attendance is so rare because the king keeps her locked up in the castle.”

“Wants to protect her chastity at all costs.” Ain added.

Ain and Simon snickered at that. They noticed Hollis wasn’t laughing.

“What? Don’t tell me you like her.” Ain’s eyebrow raised.

Hollis leaned back in his chair. He shrugged.

“Hollis, you have all the maidens in Tenflower to choose from, that are actually attainable. Snap out of this.” Simon said.

“Yeah, like she’s hot and all but if you actually tried anything and they found out you would genuinely be executed. Not worth it.” Ain grimaced, thinking of the sharp blade of a guillotine.

Hollis took a sip of his beer. “I know.”

“I think you just need to get laid. You’re too focused on fighting to see all of the girls throwing themselves at you.” Simon said.

Hollis downed his beer. “You’re right.”

Hollis laid on his bed in the knight’s quarters. Next to him was a girl. He didn’t quite catch her name, Matilda or something like that. She was completely knocked out, with only her underwear on.

Despite the interaction he had with her, the princess was the only one on his mind. He remembered your kind face, your pretty hair, the softness of your hand.

It was useless. Not even sex could distract him from the feelings that immediately formed.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

You barely slept last night in anticipation of being able to go outside tomorrow by yourself.

Your parents told you more about how it was going to go. The driver would take you to the bookstore by carriage, you’d go inside and get all the books you wanted, and then come back. No stops. That was fine for you.

The ride there was pretty long, so you brought a book to read on the way. You heard the ambience of outside; children playing, bells ringing, people living their lives like normal. As privileged as you were to be the princess of this city, sometimes you wondered how life was being a normal citizen. Being able to live your life freely.

“We’re here. I’ll wait for you by the door, come out when you’re done, alright?” Your driver said to you.

“Okay.” You replied. You walked inside of the bookstore. It was as amazing as you imagined it. Aisles and aisles full of all kinds of books.

You already had a few books in mind that you wanted to get. Thankfully, the books on the shelves were organized in alphabetical order so they would be easy to find. When you leaned down to search through the books, a worker came up to you.

“Let me know if you need anything in particular.” She said. Her eyes went wide when you faced her, and she realized who you were. “Princess! What an honor!”

“Hello.” You smiled shyly. Her loud voice upon seeing you irritated you just a bit. “I have a few books in mind, already. But thank you.”

The worker nodded. She seemed nervous to be in the presence of a royal, especially one with very minimal public appearances. She left you alone while you got your books.

You got fantasy and romance books, mostly. You purchased them with the help of the lady you saw from earlier, then went back outside.

“Done already?” The driver said, reading a newspaper.

“I already knew what I wanted.”

He smiled. “Get on in, then.”

When you arrived back home, you weren’t ready to go to your room just yet. So you took a stroll around the castle.

It was always busy with people doing things. You found it fun to people-watch. Your strolling led you to the area where the knights reside.

More specifically where some of them train one on one. A room filled with swords and other equipment. You peeked inside, and your heart skipped a beat.

Hollis, the knight from yesterday, was inside practicing. He didn’t have his armor on, so you saw his figure. He was slender, but still had some muscle. You watched him fling around the big sword he always carried. His moves were so calculated. His body moved along with it. His hair fell over his face.

When he moved his blonde hair out of his face, he noticed you. You jumped a bit when his eyes met yours, that were peeking around a corner.

“Hey there.” He smiled. His eyes had a kind look in them. “That you, Princess?”

“Yes.” You moved out from your hiding spot, shyly putting your hands behind your back.

“What a pleasure.” He put the sword in his sheath. “What brings you here? Quite rare to see you two days in a row.”

“Just walking around.” You answered him. “How are you so good at that?”

“What, this?" He pointed to his sword. “My father taught me how. Been swinging swords around since I was a child.”

“Was your father a knight too?”

“Yup. Not in this town, though. He moved us here when he left.”

“Cool.” You nodded.

He smirked. “How long have you been spying on me?”

Your face went a little red from prolonged conversation with a male around the same age as you. It was exactly like the romance books you read. “Not long.”

“Well. I don’t mind, either way. I take any chance to show off.” Hollis grabbed his sword out of the sheath and struck the practice dummy on one side of the room.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Now that you’ve noticed Hollis, it was like every time you left your room you caught a glance of him. He was hard to miss.

And he never left your mind. Not after he kissed your hand at the ball and your interaction in the training room.

The next time you interacted with him, you were in the courtyard taking a stroll through the garden. It was a calm afternoon. The gardner was tending to the flowers, making sure all of them were in their best state.

You walked down the stairs to the other section of the garden. On the way down, your foot missed a step.

“Oh sh–” You yelped. Everything happened at once. You thought you were going to land flat on your face, until you felt the arms of someone catching you.

You looked up. It was Hollis.

“Gotta watch where you’re going, Princess.” He smirked.

“Thank you.” You replied breathlessly, laughing nervously. “What are you doing here?”

“Knightly duties.” He shrugged. He was carrying a bag full of something.

“I see.” You were still a bit flustered from how he grabbed you. “Sorry to bother you.”

“You’re not bothering me. I was just passing by.” He leaned on the railing by the steps. You walked closer to him, still wanting to continue the conversation.

Hollis’ eyes focused on you. He could hardly believe how close he was.

“So, what are you doing out here? I didn’t know the king let you out this far.”

“He lets me take a stroll through the garden sometimes. I just like seeing all the flowers.” You motioned to the madonna lilies above you. “It’s very beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is.” He said. You noticed his eyes were still on you, barely even glancing at the flowers.

“Um…” You fiddled with your fingers, blushing under his gaze. You weren’t really the best at conversation.

He chuckled low, reading the situation. “I gotta get back to work. Nice talking with you, Princess.”

You stood in the same spot while he walked away. You let out a large breath you were holding. You swore your heart rate was record fast the entire time.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

The next time you saw him, you were spying on him training again. And like before, he noticed you.

“You should start announcing your presence. Scared me.”

“I want to try.” You said, pointing to his sword.

“This?” He held his sword up.

You nodded, walking close to him.

“Princesses aren’t really supposed to fight, you know.” He handed you the sword.

“It doesn’t matter.” You took a good look at it. It was pretty heavy. You’d be able to use this to defend yourself, but not in the smooth way that Hollis does. You tried an experimental slash through the air and nearly knocked yourself over.

“Woah, be careful. You almost chopped my arm off!” He laughed. He got behind you and fixed your form. “Wield it like this. Doesn’t that feel better?”

“Yes.” He was so close to you. You looked next to you, and his handsome face was right there. You quickly broke eye contact. He let out a chuckle at that.

“Why are you so nervous around me?”

“I’m not nervous.”

“You can’t even look at me. Am I that ugly?”

You audibly laughed at that. “No, no!”

“Something else then?” The bass of his voice vibrated through your ears. You looked beside you again, and his face was closer.

You lowered the sword, and his hands traveled from your arm to your waist. A chill went up your spine. It felt like the romance books you read. The quiet moment right before the female lead is about to kiss the male lead.

You were broken out of your trance when you heard footsteps. Both of you quickly separated from each other. You were right to do so, because the footsteps belonged to your father.

“(Y/n)! What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in your room, doing lessons with Cecily right now?” The king asked. His voice wasn’t full of anger, but rather surprise and confusion seeing his daughter in the knights section of the castle. It wasn’t a common sight.

“That ended a while ago, Father…” You muttered, embarrassed to be slightly scolded in front of Hollis.

“She was just passing by and decided to say hello. Your daughter is quite a curious soul, she was watching me train.” Hollis covered for you. “I was waiting for you.”

Your father has one on one lessons with the knights sometimes, as he is very skilled in swordfighting. “Alright, well it’s good to see that you’re warming up.” Your father turned to you. “My daughter shall be off.”

You sighed, starting to walk out of the training room. What your father says, goes. Hollis watched you leave. When your father’s back was turned, you gave him a quick wave. He smiled at you.

“Your daughter is a very nice young lady.” Hollis said to your father.

“Well, of course she is. She’s my daughter.” The king answered smugly. “She did not interfere with your training?”

“She was just peeking at me while on her stroll.”

“Peeking at you from the inside?” The king said inquisitively.

Hollis' tongue went in his cheek. “She got startled when I noticed her. She came in just to get a close look at the sword. Nothing more.”

The king nodded slowly. “Alright. Just making sure. She’s gotten more rebellious as of late. She just wants to wander everywhere and do everything but her princess duties.” He laughed.

Hollis laughed along with him. Deep down, he felt a little bad. He seemed like such a strict father. That had to be hard to deal with.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Little by little, Hollis became your second best friend after Charlotte. You kinda felt like an asshole being attracted to Hollis when Charlotte had a crush on him too.

You were in the dining hall surrounded by Charlotte and some of your other aristocrat girl friends, and the knights table was across from you. Hollis kept stealing glances at you.

“Hollis keeps looking over here.” Charlotte whispered to you. “I might be imagining things, but I swear he’s looking at you.”

You looked at her. “No. It’s you he’s looking at, surely.”

She pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows in doubt. “Oh come on. You don’t have to do that.”

“Do what? Don’t you like him?”

“I do, but I know I don’t stand a chance with him.” Charlotte looked over again. “See! He’s looking at you!”

Hollis' eyes were indeed on you. When your eyes met, he waved. You waved back. His entire table was bantering about something, so they didn’t notice his interaction with a literal princess.

Charlotte’s mouth was open. “Okay. There’s something you’re not telling me. Come on.” She stood up, motioning for you to go by the door to talk for a second. You stood up as well.

“Where are you guys going?” One of your friends asked. Her name was Isabelle.

“Just going to chat for a second. Be right back.” You said.

When Charlotte was certain nobody was around the two of you, she started talking. “Why didn’t you tell me you've been talking to Hollis?”

“I’m not–”

“(Y/n). I’m not stupid. I’ve heard the rumors.”

“There’s rumors?” Your eyes widened. It would not be good for Hollis if those rumors reached your father.

“Some people spotted you going in the direction of the knights section of the castle whenever it’s Hollis’ day of training. People talk.” Charlotte threw her hands up. “So, what's the truth? Just a coincidence?”

You sighed. “It’s true. We’ve become friends. But I didn’t immediately tell you because that’s your crush! I didn’t want you to feel bad.”

“Nooo, it’s fine! You know me, he’s not even my only crush.”

“You cannot tell anyone, okay? Especially my father.”

“I won’t. Lips are sealed.” Charlotte made a zipping motion with her hand by her mouth. “But, how is he? Is he a pompous ass?” She referenced the first thing you said about him.

“Surprisngly, no. He’s really nice.” You smiled to yourself, thinking about it. “Can I tell you more later? I’m still hungry.”

“I was going to say the exact same thing.” Charlotte giggled. “Yes. Talk later.”

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Words couldn’t describe the adrenaline rush you got from sneaking around the castle just to hang out with Hollis.

Right now, you were on a stroll like usual. But in the direction of where the horses were kept. Where Hollis currently was, with his horse.

When you arrived there, he was tending to it. It was a blonde, white horse. It kind of reminded you of him, they looked similar. He brushed the horse’s mane. His hair fell slightly on his face.

“Hello.” You said, opening the fence. The fence made a loud noise that made him turn around instantly.

“There you are. Come here, I want you to meet Apollo.” He grinned, petting his horse.

You walked up to him, pulling your dress up a bit so it wouldn’t be dirtied by the ground. You extended a hand out to pet his horse. “His mane is so soft.”

“It’s ‘cause I take such good care of him. Do you have a horse?”

Your face fell a bit. “No. It would stay here if I did, not ever to be used. I wish I had one though.”

“Wanna try riding him? He’s a nice horse, real calm. Not gonna throw you off or anything.”

“I’m kind of rusty…”

“It’s okay, just get on. I'll help.”

Hollis helped you onto the horse. He got on right after, putting his hands on your waist. You never noticed how big they were until you looked down and saw them around your body.

“Alright, now just grab on the reins.”

You jumped a bit when the horse started to slowly move. The last time you were on a horse was when you were around thirteen years old. It felt nostalgic.

“See, he’s nice.” Hollis smiled at you.

“He is nice.” You pet the horse as it trotted around. “He’ll be gone with you tomorrow?”

Hollis was going on a short expedition tomorrow with the rest of the Tenflower army.

“That’s right. I won’t get to see you for a few days.” He sighed, putting his head on top of yours. “That’s gonna suck.”

You giggled at his phrasing. “It will. But perhaps it is a good thing, I’ve been behind on my studies because of you.”

“Well, don’t ask me for help. There’s a reason why I’m a knight and not a scholar.”

After a few laps around the area, Hollis helped you off of the horse. “Well. I suppose I should let you get back to studying.”

“Please come back safe.” You looked up at him through your eyelashes.

Hollis blew air out of his nose and smirked. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.” He was right. He wasn’t the top ranked knight for nothing. You had nothing to fear.

Desire panged through you at those words. You grabbed at his shirt. Got a little closer. He didn’t flinch.

He could read your mind. He knew what you wanted to do, and knew you weren’t quite confident enough to do it. So he took the lead.

Your very first kiss had a horse watching.

It was funny to think about. But the kiss with him could've been anywhere, and you would've felt the same way. His lips were so soft. He grabbed your chin so gently.

When you both pulled off of the kiss, he immediately smiled from ear to ear at your flushed face. You were speechless, feeling so many emotions at once.

“Better get going, princess.”

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Lying awake that night, you replayed that moment with Hollis over and over in your mind. You couldn’t believe how perfect it was. You’ve dreamed of a romance like the one you read in books for years. And you got it.

You caressed your lips. You craved another.

You thought about telling Charlotte, but this was something you absolutely had to keep secret. It’s too risky. As much as you trusted her.

It being a romance that only you and him knew about almost made it better. More intimate. Special.

You put your hand on your chest, feeling your heartbeat.

This was it, really. You could never go back from this point. Regular friends don’t kiss each other.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

When Hollis came back, you got the courage to tell him to meet you at one of your secret hideouts in the castle.

Through one of the many rooms inside of the castle was a staircase behind a bookcase that led to a small part of the rooftop.

You sat with him up there. The walls were so high up that nobody could see the two of you.

Naturally, you took the opportunity to kiss again.

You could tell he was experienced. You, on the other hand, weren’t.

He giggled at how you kissed. So eager yet clearly inexperienced. “Easy, there.” He spoke softly, with a hint of a laugh in his words. “So cute.” He muttered under his breath, leaning in to kiss more. His tongue entered your mouth, but it didn’t feel gross at all. You welcomed it.

You melted under his touch. It felt so good, it made you forget you weren’t supposed to be doing this in the first place.

Hollis had you on his lap on the ground. Your light pink dress looked brighter as it fell over his dark pants.

His hands went on your thighs. You pulled off of the kiss when they trailed under your dress. “U-Um…”

He winced. “Sorry. You didn’t like that?”

“It’s not that I didn’t like it, but…”

“No need to explain yourself. It’s okay.” He spoke softly. It comforted you. “Still wanna kiss?”

You nodded. He smirked and leaned in again, locking your lips together.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Hollis didn’t tell his friends about the developments of your guys’ relationship either.

They did notice he was acting differently. But they didn’t really know why. They had their suspicions, though.

Hollis, Ain, and Simon were all hanging out in Ain’s room. Simon and Ain were playing cards, and Hollis was on the bed reading a book.

“That’s rare for you.” Ain said.

“Yeah. I thought you didn’t like books.” Simon said.

“I changed my mind.” Hollis said, flipping the page. “Sometimes that happens.”

Ain and Simon looked at each other. Not much is known about the princess to the general public. But what is known is that you’re a total bookworm.

They both giggled, knowing that they were thinking the same thing.

Hollis furrowed his brows and dropped his book. “What, you guys think me reading is funny?”

“No, no. Continue, sir.” Ain said.

“That’s what I thought.” Hollis went back to it.

“You guys wanna go to the bar tomorrow? I’m itching to talk to women. I’ve been around men too much lately.” Simon groaned.

“I’m down.” Ain said. “What about you, Hollis?”

Hollis turned the page in his book. “I’ll pass this time, I think. I’m not really in a bar mood. I drank too much last time.”

Ain and Simon exchanged a knowing look once again.

“Alright. You can stay here with your books.” Ain joked.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

You kept secretly meeting Hollis. And every single encounter would involve a makeout session.

The spots got more and more risky. Something about the risk of being caught made you excited. But you still had to be careful.

One of your encounters involved you showing Hollis where your room was after quadruple checking that nobody was in the hall to see him all the way up here.

That was how he ended up outside of your door at one in the morning.

You were the most confused you’ve ever been opening that door on that night. A tall, wet, dark figure at this time of night would’ve made you scream immediately. You almost did until you realized who it was.

“Hollis…?” You answered the door in your night gown. His clothes dripped rainwater onto the floor.

“May I come in, princess?” He asked. His voice was hoarse. Like he had been screaming or crying.

You nodded and let him in. “Take this off, you’ll get a cold…” You took his coat, putting it on the spare hanger. “What is the matter? How did you get past the guards?”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“I’m still confused. You’re lucky I was awake, I couldn’t sleep.” You gave a half smile.

Hollis walked up to you. He grabbed your chin, bringing your lips together. Your hands rested on his back.

He immediately deepened the kiss. He was different tonight. You couldn’t tell, and it seemed like he didn’t want to tell you why. That was okay. He could later.

You gasped in the kiss when his hand groped your breast through your gown. “H-Hollis—”

“Hm?” He acted like nothing he was doing was out of the ordinary. You whimpered when his finger rubbed your nipple through the fabric. “No good?”

“That’s not…ah—“

Hollis walked you both to your bed. You sat down, and he made you lie on your back as he kissed your collarbone, still playing with your breasts.

“(Y/n).” He called out your name. He usually just called you princess. “I love you. Very much.”

“I love you too.” You responded, overcome with happiness.

“That’s why I want to do this.” Hollis’ hand trailed up your thigh, agonizingly slow. “I want to make love to you. Is that okay?”

You knew the question was coming, but you still felt so shocked. “Don't people only do this when they are married...”

Hollis sighed, and went back to kissing your collarbone and neck. “When two people love each other, they do this. It feels amazing. The pleasure is out of this world. Do you not want to experience that with me? We do not have to...but I really fucking want to.”

“I want to.” You blurted out. “With you.”

“Are you sure?"

“I’m sure. I want that with you, Hollis. I trust you.” You smiled.

Hollis grinned when he got your consent, overcome with joy. He immediately began to undress you. He unbuttoned your gown from the top.

Your face went red when your breasts were exposed to him. His large hands cupped both of your boobs. “Beautiful.” He muttered under his breath. You yelped when his mouth went on the right one’s nipple.

“Are you sensitive here?” He asked, licking the bud.

“I-I don’t know…”

“Does it feel good, baby?”

Your mind melted at the petname. You nodded.

He continued sucking on your nipples. You felt your lower half pang with arousal.

He looked incredibly hot right now. Your hand patted his blonde hair.

When he was satisfied, he began unbuttoning the rest, until your naked body was fully on display for him. He got in between your legs.

“Don’t stare…” You put your hands on your face. Hollis was looking right in between your legs.

“How can I not…fucking beautiful.” He let out a chuckle. He couldn’t believe this was real life, and he was really in front of you like this. “Princess.” You gasped when his thumb began to trail up and down your pussy. It was so wet already from the boob sucking. “Don’t be scared, okay?”

You wondered just what he was going to do, until he lowered his head in between your thighs and you felt his tongue on your most special place. You moaned loudly immediately.

It was ticklish. You’ve never really touched yourself down there, let alone had someone lick it. You could tell this was another thing he was experienced with.

You tried not to think too hard about the other women he might have done this with.

His tongue trailed up and down your cunt, getting it wetter than it already was. You had to put your hand over your mouth when he wrapped his lips around your clit and started to suck.

His hands held your lower half down on the bed. The sensation was so strong, you almost instinctively tried to run away. But he kept you there, and pleasure wracked throughout your body.

Your eyes rolled back when he began to move his tongue fast on your clit, wiggling it around in circles. You let out all of your noises in your hand. You would be screaming if it wasn’t there, alerting the whole castle.

“Do you like it, princess?” He looked up at you from in between your legs.

“Yes.” You answered breathlessly. “M-More…” You begged.

“You are so wet…Amazing.” He went back down, licking your entire pussy. It felt like he was doing what he usually did when he made out with you, but on your vagina. “You taste wonderful…”

Your eyelids twitched. Your lower half got warmer. You couldn’t tell what was coming. Evidently, Hollis knew as he pulled off when it was. You laid on the bed and regained your breath.

“I can’t hold back.” Hollis stood up and pulled his pants down. What came out was a penis. You never saw one in real life before. You sat and stared at it.

Hollis began to stroke himself. You didn’t really have a reference point, but he seemed…big. You swallowed nervously.

He noticed your worried face. “It will be okay.” He stroked your leg. “It will feel good.”

Hollis spat on his hand and lathered it over his cock. When he angled the tip to your small, virgin entrance; It finally hit you what was about to happen. The tip felt bigger when it was near there.

“Ready?” He asked.

You bit your lip and nodded. You’ve wanted this for so long. It’s only natural. If your parents didn’t find out, it’s not like you’re doing anything wrong. You love Hollis, and he loves you. This is what people in love do.

When Hollis began to push in, you didn’t have time to cover your mouth before you cried out loudly in pain.

“A-Aaah—!” You gripped the sheets behind you.

He pushed in more, and a drop of blood fell onto the sheets below. To go from being completely closed to being opened like this, it would’ve been worrying if there was no blood.

You panted heavily. It hurt. Really bad. You wondered just how this was supposed to be pleasurable. It felt like you were being split in two.

You looked down, and he was still barely half way in.

“Do you want me to stop?” He leaned down, caressing your cheek. His face was full of guilt.

You shook your head, determined to take him all. He pushed in more. He was so deep.

You gasped and shook, grabbing his back when he was fully inside.

“I’m in.” He leaned down to kiss your face. He kissed the tears forming in your eyes. “You feel so amazing. Oh my God.”

You grimaced when he started moving a little faster than you could take at the moment. “Please…go slower.”

“Right. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“Mhm. You’re all the way inside.”

“That I am.” He chuckled. He put his forehead on yours.

He began speeding up bit by bit. He started thrusting at a different angle, and all of the sudden waves of pleasure started to go through you body. “Mm…what is that?”

“What’s what?”

“That place. Ah—!”

Hollis started focusing on rubbing the tip there. “Here? You like it here?”

“Yes. Feels...good.” You moaned. Your nails scratched his back as he started going faster, focusing on that spot.

“Ahh. Shit. I’m gonna cum so quick. You’re so tight and warm.” He rambled.

You squeezed around him every time he hit that spot. Hollis let out sounds of pleasure every time you did that.

An unfamiliar feeling in your tummy began to spread. It was so new to you. Of course, from what you’ve learned in your studies, it was an orgasm. You’ve never had one. But you assume this was what they were talking about. The cock in your pussy was pushing you towards something.

You wrapped your legs around his waist. He sped up even more. The pain of the stretch mixed with the pleasure of what he kept poking at was unbelievable.

“I-I’m…” You could barely speak. It was coming, and coming fast.

Hollis could tell you were close. You looked like you were malfunctioning. And your pussy kept squeezing. “Going to cum?” He licked his hand and brought it to your clit.

You whined at that. The combination of him pounding your pussy and rubbing your clit was too much. Your moans got higher and higher until you finally went over the edge.

Your eyes rolled back and you bit into Hollis’ shoulder and orgasmed for the very first time. Your hips shook violently and you screamed into his shoulder.

It was incredible, the pleasure beyond your comprehension. You swore it lasted several minutes. Hollis kept thrusting inside, seemingly close to cumming too.

He panted under his breath. “Fuck, I'm cumming—” One last thrust and the dam broke. Ropes and ropes of semen painted your walls.

When he was done, he collapsed into your arms. Your virginity was gone. It was a bittersweet feeling. You know you likely shouldn’t have done this, but you loved Hollis too much to care.

You kissed sloppily, his cock still in you. Your mind was clouded with love and lust. It felt so, so good.

The corner of his lips rose up when he felt your body start to move again on him. He was still hard.

You looked right in his eyes. “I want to do it again.”

You had to bite back several loud moans with you now on top of him. You rode him to the best of your ability, grinding your hips.

Below you, he watched in awe. In such a short time you became so hungry for his sex. It was a wonderful sight. The innocent princess was now completely naked on top of him. He was naked now, too.

You let out a guttural moan when he started thrusting up from below. He held you in the air and started pounding.

You panted with each thrust. He wasn’t being gentle like before, but it still felt so good. You wanted more.

“More.” You asked him, leaned over by his ear. “Please, harder.”

“Yeah? You want more, princess?”

You nodded. Your eyes were teary from the pleasure.

“Get on the bed. All fours.”

You got off of his cock and obeyed his instructions. He got behind you, angling his cock at your entrance with his hands on your hips.

You whimpered loudly as he thrusted in all at once. “Ah…you’re so tight, baby. I’m so lucky.”

You arched your back and gripped the sheets. He pounded you hard, making the bed creak just a bit. You blushed at the sound of his balls slapping against your pussy and his hips against your butt.

Your tongue hung out by itself with the sensation of his balls hitting your clit while he fucked you deep.

You were going to cum again. Your breaths got heavier. “I-It’s coming!! Don’t stop!”

“Not stopping. Don’t run from it.” Hollis kept his pace. “Cum on me, princess.”

Your eyes rolled back once more. You creamed on his cock, biting the sheets to not make any more noise. The sex sounded wetter now that you have cum twice.

You winced in overstimulation when he kept going.

“I’m almost there, ‘m sorry.” He gripped your hips and went faster, chasing his orgasm. He thrusted all the way in when he came, not letting a single drop of cum leave.

He collapsed on the bed next to you. You looked over at him.

His hair was sweaty, his face was flushed. You didn’t realize how hot he looked naked. He had abs. It wasn’t a surprise, most knights did. But seeing it in person right next to you, after you’ve just made love with him was different.

“Staring at me?” He opened one eye.

You grabbed his dick. It was half hard now. You wanted it to be fully hard.

“You want it again, baby?” He chuckled. “Wow.”

You gave his cock a few strokes, and then boldly put your mouth on it.

“Oh, shit.”

You sucked on the tip. You saw this in one of the books in the library. Kama Sutra. You never checked it out, but would take sneak peeks of it when no one was looking.

You tried to fit him deeper into your mouth but gagged and pulled off. That scared you. You tried again though, trying not to hit the back of your throat.

Hollis’ hand patted your head. He stroked your hair, it greatly relaxed you.

He was fully hard again. Which meant you could go again.

Something about this activity you couldn’t get enough of. Now that you’ve got it, you wanted more and more until you couldn’t take it anymore.

Hollis fucked you from behind in a spooning position on the bed. It was slower this time, but pleasurable all the same.

He whispered sweet nothings in your ear, rubbing your nipple as he fucked slow.

Despite the slow pace, you already felt like you were going to cum again. He grabbed your cheek and put your mouths together. He held you and kept going until both of you came together. You gasped into his mouth.

After that, you almost immediately fell asleep.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Hollis stayed awake. He watched your chest rise up and down. You looked so peaceful sleeping. So beautiful.

The light shone through the window now. He ran his hand through your hair. He knew he had to leave now. He would’ve loved to stay and wake up with you.

He got up from the bed, and put his clothes back on. They were scattered on the ground by your bed. You got your coat off of the hanger by the door as well.

He took one last look at you on the bed, before leaving.

He tried his absolute hardest not to be spotted. He sighed in relief once he saw the exit to the knight’s quarters being empty. Once he walked through it, he jumped violently at the sudden sound of swords being drawn, and a gruff voice.

“Stop right there!”

Hollis pursed his lips and turned around, with his hands up. It was the guards of the castle.

“Sir Hollis. You know the rules, correct?” The one in the middle held his sword up to Hollis’ neck.

“I do.”

“Then you do know it is severely punishable to sneak into the castle at night, into the princesses’ chambers?”

Busted. Hollis couldn’t help but smile to himself in defeat.

“What, you think this is funny? It’s punishable by death.”

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

When you awoke, the castle was louder than usual. You heard hurried footsteps outside of your door and chatter outside of your window.

You yawned and rubbed the sleep out of your eyes. You looked down. You forgot last night wasn’t a wonderful dream. It was reality.

You didn’t have much time to reminisce before your mother came bursting into your room. You held your covers over yourself, as you were still naked.

“Darling, are you okay?” She cooed, coming to your bed and bringing you into a hug.

“Yes, why?”

“A knight snuck into the castle after hours. Cecily said she saw him in here, touching you. Are you hurt?”

She was talking about Hollis. Your heart dropped. They caught him. You shook your head.

“Let me see, maybe you are and you don’t realize it.” She pulled at the covers. You kept them up. “Sweetie, just let me–”

You had a brief tug of war session with the covers of your bed, until your mother’s strength overpowered yours and she saw all of you.

You had no clothes on. But what she noticed more was the red stain on the sheets. “What’s this?”

“Mother, he did not hurt me.”

Her face changed when she realized the situation. “You…”

“He didn’t. Hollis is innocent.”

“‘Hollis?’ Who is Hollis?”

“The knight. Who came in my chambers last night. I let him in. He meant no harm. I…I love him.”

Her face contorted in confusion. It eventually changed to anger. She raised her hand and slapped you across the face. You sat there in silence, your head still in the direction that she slapped you in.

“(Y/n). I don’t know if you know this, but you’re a princess, not a whore. I let you off the hook a few times. I let you have friends of your own, that weren’t given to you by me. But to go this far…” She shook her head, and got up. “Someone is going to die because of you. Do you understand?”

Your mouth quivered at that. ‘Die.’ They were going to kill him? How did they even know, how did Cecily see him? She’s usually never awake at that hour.

“Mama, no. Do not kill him!” You teared up.

“Better go tell your father that. He’s furious. He believes that you were forced by him. I don’t know if I have the heart to tell him you weren’t.”

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Hollis grunted in pain with each lashing to his chest. He was stripped down to his underwear, restrained to the ceiling.

Your father was relentless. As soon as he found out the situation, he didn’t hold back. His daughter had been defiled. It was something that made him more mad the

“How does that feel? The weight of your sins.” He yelled. “Forcing my daughter like this…I almost want to kill you slowly, instead of letting you off easy with the guillotine. What do you think?”

“I didn’t force her.” Hollis said. His voice was hoarse.

“What was that?”

“I didn’t force her.” Hollis forced himself to be louder.

“Bullshit. My daughter would never have done this. She’s a good girl. You…corrupted her.” He lashed Hollis once more. “I knew I was right to be suspicious of that time in the training room.”

“I didn’t do any of the sort. Your daughter is in love with me, as I am with her.”

“Delusional. Absolutely delusional.”

Hollis laughed, coughing a little at the end. “Why don’t you ask her yourself? How I made love to her for hours.” He was intentionally provoking him. Probably wasn’t a good idea, but he was bored.

The king’s eye twitched. He hit Hollis once more with his whip. Hollis groaned in pain again.

“You’re not going to kill me. You need me. That army is worthless without me in the forefront, and you know it.” Hollis continued to provoke him.

He spat out a laugh. “Everyone is replaceable.”

“That applies to everyone in that army but me. You’ve said that before. Don’t take it back now just ‘cause you’re angry.”

The king walked over to the table, getting out a gag. “You talk too much. This’ll shut you up.”

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Your face was stained with tears. You waited for what felt like hours until your father was done torturing Hollis. Once you heard he was free, you rushed to his office.

“Father!” You cried out once you got in. Your father was sitting in his chair with a grimace on his face.

“My daughter…say it is not true.”

“What?”

“That knight, he swears that you and him are in love and that your interaction last night was not forced. He’s delirious.” Your father scoffed.

“That is…what I came here to tell you. Father, please do not kill him. He meant no harm. It was my fault, I let him in.”

He shook his head with his eyes closed. “He broke a rule. The only punishment is death.”

“No!” You screamed. “Don’t, please. I beg you!” Tears streamed down your face once more.

Your father couldn’t say no to your face. Ever since you were a child, in situations like these you could get what you want if you begged enough.

“You really love this knight so much?” He sighed.

You looked up at him and nodded. “So much that I want to marry him.”

“Marry…” Your father scoffed, letting out a cold laugh. “He is nowhere near fit for your hand in marriage. Not anywhere near. But…” Your father leaned on the wall, thinking to himself. “If he really means that much to you…I will think about it.”

“Oh, father, thank you!” You let out a huge breath in relief.

“He will still be punished, though. He’s not getting off easy, just because you for some odd reason see him fit to be your husband.”

Your father left the room, and slammed the door behind him.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Hollis was in a cell. It was pretty boring. All there was, was an uncomfortable bed and a toilet that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in decades.

He had a lot of time to think about what was going on. It had been a few days since he got caught. He tried not to focus on it too much. Oddly enough, despite the gravity of the situation, he was still happy.

He was happy he got to make love to you. Happy that he was in love, and you loved him back. He could die happy, if it just meant that he was in your heart for years to come.

His daydreaming ceased when he heard footsteps. He thought he would be taken back to the torture room, but saw two familiar figures instead.

“Ain. Simon!” He let out a laugh and got up, going to where they were at the front of the cell.

“You are absolutely fucking insane.” Ain laughed. His face was filled with worry, still.

“How…how did you do this?” Simon asked.

“It’s a long story.” Hollis said. “Does…everybody know?”

“They don’t know the full extent. People were told that a knight snuck into the castle, not that it was you or that you fucked the princess in the process.”

Hollis let out a sigh of relief. That was good. He was feeling a little embarrassed, thinking of the possibility of the entire town hearing about it in full.

“Will you both be at the trial?”

“Of course.” Ain said.

“Listen.” Hollis started. “I’m sorry for not listening to you guys. But I’m in love with her. I couldn't hold back my feelings. She loves me, too. The king won’t accept that, but I'm telling the truth.” He looked back and forth from Simon to Ain.

They both looked at him with sympathetic facial expressions.

“I…think they might kill me. If they do, I just wanted to tell you I'll forever cherish all of that time I spent with you both. You’re both my best friends. For life.” He stuck his hands out from in between the bars as far as he could. Ain and Simon walked up and held them.

An hour later, you came to his cell. He rose up so quickly from his bed when he saw you.

“Princess.”

“Hollis. I’m so sorry you’re in this mess.” You frowned seeing his state. He was physically roughed up. You could tell he was in pain, from whatever your father did to him in the torture room.

“It’s my fault. Do not blame yourself.” Hollis stuck his hands out from between the bars. You grabbed both of his hands.

You felt tears coming again. “I’ve brought good news.”

“And what’s that?”

“I convinced my father to let you live.”

“Oh, thank God.” He sighed happily, hanging his head.

“Your trial will still end in a punishment, though. I told him how I wanted to…marry you.”

“You want to marry me?” He said softly. He was surprised by that.

“Yes. I don’t know how that will change the sentencing but…” You smiled, a tear falling off of your chin. “You won’t die. I won’t lose you.”

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

You sat by your mother for the sentencing. You hadn’t talked to her in a while ever since she slapped you. Her usual comforting presence now felt very cold. Her gaze felt like you were being judged.

Hollis was in the middle of the court room, handcuffed to the chair. The judge listed all of Hollis’ crimes. How he came into a

Your father was pacing in front of him. While there was a judge, your father ultimately decided the outcome.

“You will not die. You can thank the princess for that. However," Your father started, standing right in front of him. Hollis looked up at him. Despite his life kind of being on the line, he didn’t look that worried at all. “If you want to regain my trust and prove your loyalty, I want you to go up to Tenflower hill and slay the dragon there. Alone. And come back with it’s head.”

Murmurs exploded around the room. Your heart and face dropped. You thought he would get off with doing time in the jail, or mandatory service around the castle. Not…this.

Everyone knew it was a death wish. He could've sentenced Hollis to death, and the outcome would likely be the same.

Not even groups of people all together could defeat that dragon. Years ago, a group of knights went there to slay it in the promise of a cash prize. Not a single one of them came back from it.

“Can I bring my horse?” That was Hollis’ only reply. His face didn’t falter.

You stared at him in disbelief. Did he know just how fucked he was? His face still had that confident look on it, identical to the one he had on his face the very first time you laid eyes upon him in Tenflower square.

“You may.”

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

The very last time you saw Hollis, he was with his horse. The same horse he had you ride in one of your many encounters. The same horse that watched you have your first kiss.

You weren’t alone in watching him leave. His friends, Ain and Simon had seen him off. You were watching from above.

The night of when he left, Charlotte came to your room. “(Y/n).”

You turned around on the bed. Your face was stained with tears. Your mouth in a frown.

“Oh, (y/n).” She came to your bed and pulled you into a hug. “What have you gotten yourself into, huh?”

“You know everything?” It has been a while since you’ve had a conversation. People talk, like she said before. She must know the story by now.

She nodded.

“Mother told me I'll never see Hollis ever again.” You sobbed into her shoulder. “Everyone else is saying it too, that–...that he’s a goner.”

Charlotte didn’t say anything. She just rubbed your head. There was nothing she could say and be 100% certain about it.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” You asked, looking up at her.

Charlotte’s mouth hung open. She didn’t have the right words. “There’s a possibility.”

“I’d rather he just died here, if father was going to order that. At least…I’d know.”

You cried into Charlotte’s arms for a bit. She was truly a great friend. You regretted not telling her about this sooner, and that she had to learn from the chatter of the townsfolk.

She slept over that night. It was probably supposed to be awkward that she was sleeping in your bed, and had her arms around you, but it wasn’t. It made you feel a whole lot better.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

two weeks later…

“Dinner’s ready, (y/n). Do you want me to bring it up here?” Cecily knocked on your door.

“Yes.” You shouted from your room.

It’s been two weeks since Hollis left. It felt like forever. To be honest, you didn’t want to give up hope. But everyone around you had. It was hard to keep believing in something when everyone else didn’t.

You didn’t leave your room like before. You stayed holed up in there. Cecily started to bring food up to your room when she realized you weren’t coming down to the dining hall like before.

You didn’t have it in you to be truly mad at her, even though it was her fault Hollis was gone. After all, it was her job to protect you. She had no prior context to the situation.

You were depressed. Charlotte visited you often, coming up to your room to talk to you about her day. You enjoyed listening to it. It took your mind off of things. Her life was pretty eventful. She made you laugh for the first time in forever.

But when she was gone, it went back to before. Thinking about him. You wish you could’ve spent more time with him before this happened. You didn’t regret that night at all, but it was agony now that he wasn’t here. You craved his touch. His touch that you may never feel again.

You let out a shaky sigh. You’ve already cried so much, no more tears came out. You had dark circles on your face from not sleeping as often. The only thing that truly brought you some form of happiness was your books, per usual.

You avoided the romance ones for now.

.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅

A few days later, you finally got the courage to leave your room again. You realized that staying in it for too long was making you feel worse.

You were sitting by the castle entrance, sipping tea, and eavesdropping on nearby people. Your hearing was oddly good for this type of stuff.

Two of the guards were talking about something. Castle duties. One sentence caught your attention.

“Do you see someone walking there?” The guard pointed outside.

“No?”

“Look closer. Looks like he’s carrying a dragon’s head, or something.”

You stood up straight from your seat and almost broke your neck looking outside. The figure was walking extremely slowly. It did indeed look like a figure with a dragon’s head. But they were too far away to really see it.

It’s not until they came into view that more guards started to look. The person was visibly limping, bloody, and also had a horse with them.

…It couldn’t be. You had already given up hope, leaving you no choice but to go back to the life you lived before you ever knew of his existence.

But as he got closer, you saw a glimpse of his blonde hair. You knew there was only one person it could be.

“It’s Sir Hollis!” One of the guards shouted, making the whole hall erupt in noise as everyone realized who it was.

You were speechless. You almost thought it was a dream. But no, as the figure came closer, you realized it really was Hollis. He had done it.

The guards and everyone in the castle waited by the entrance. Moments later, your father came down after being alerted of the situation. His face was doubtful at first, until he got a good look.

“Impossible.” He muttered, glancing at you for a second. He bursted through the front door.

Hollis was closer now. You got a good look at him. He was covered in dry blood, it was hard to tell if it was his or the dragon’s. He was completely exhausted, and so was his horse. When he looked up and saw all of you standing there, especially you, he stopped and collapsed to the ground.

Gasps erupted. You pushed back the crowd of people and ran towards him.

“(Y/n)!” Your father yelled. You ignored him.

“Hollis…” You whispered, kneeling down to where he was on the ground. He lifted his head up to look at you like it hurt. “You’re back.”

Hollis opened his mouth to talk, and coughs came out. When he finally spoke, his voice was so hoarse.

“I’m back.”

He smiled after. The same smile you had missed so dearly all those days, and thought you would never see ever again.

꒰ঌ 🜲 ྀི໒꒱

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