Five Hundred Miles...
AUTHORS NOTE: THIS IS MY FIRST WRITING SO IM VERY SORRY IF TS IS PURE CHEEKS. BUT I RLLY TRIED AND GAMBLED WITH THE PLOT SO…ALSO, IN THIS SENSE I FELT LIKE ZORO FIT THE KNIGHT, THOUGH YOU CAN REPLACE HIM WITH WHOEVER SEEMS FITTING.
NOTES: SHE/HER PRONOUNS, ANGST (SORRY), MENTIONS OF BLOOD AND WEAPONS, QUESTIONED DYNAMICS, STAR CROSSED LOVERS.
SUMMARY: THE KNIGHT WAS SO ADORNED WITH THE PRINCESS, EVEN KNOWING THEY COULD NEVER BE TOGETHER. SHE WAS A ROYAL, HE WAS JUST A NOBLE. BUT OH, THE THOUGHT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL...SO ALLURING...IF ONLY DEATH WASN’T THEIR ONLY ESCAPE TO BE TOGETHER.
W/C: 1.7K
“ Lord I’m One...” ~ The princess was adored in every reign of the kingdom. For her kind nature and gentle hands, there was not a soul who could ever utter a harsh thing about the princess. And if they ever did, they never lived to become exposed again. As the princess and her knight, Zoro, walked the usual path down the garden, they encountered her infuriated sister and a maid, whose head was bowed to her knees. Her sister yelled and cursed the maid for dropping the cup of tea the maid had brought. Worse was the cup was a piece of fine China, and the sister’s favorite. [Name] walked over to stop her sisters yelling.
“Dear sister, what is the issue here? Why must you yell at Celine as if she cursed you personally?”
“She dropped my tea! That was my favorite cup!”
“It was but an accident. We can replace it—” Though before [Name] could finish, her sister stormed off with a scowl. Zoro caught up behind [Name], watching as she helped the maid pick the glass shards off the ground.
“My lady, you mustn’t pick up glass without gloves—” He was cut short as [Name] held a hand up to stop him.
“I am fine. It is not like glass can do much to me anyway.”
The maid, also known as Celine, bowed gratefully, uttering on and on about “what she would do without you, your highness.”
“Lord I’m Two...” ~ Zoro sighed softly, his stance faltering only slightly as [Name] bumped into him playfully.
“Why are you always so serious! Loosen up a bit, please.” She sighed softly, staring at him with nothing but affection in her eyes.
“[Name]. We have been over this, just call me [Name].”
“…Right. [Name]. I am not to be a friend, my purpose is to be your guard.” His voice boomed softly through the quiet, bright room. Though his eyes were soft, carrying the weight of a million words he wanted to say, thought would not come out. Not here. It was not the right time. Nor the right place.
“Really? Well, you are more of a friend than a guard. I see no harm towards me, so why must you be so strict and guarded?” Her words were like a flower, blooming through his chest. Or the sun rises upon the hills to bring a new day to the world. It was a funny feeling within him. It made his stomach tie knots and his head spin. Oh, what a lovely princess [Name] is.
“Lord I’m Three...” ~ “Zoro. I request you back off from [Name]. Effective immediately.” The king’s voice boomed within the throne room, where Zoro was summoned to have a ‘private’ conversation with the king. The queen sat beside him on her throne, designed especially for her.
“We are engaging her. To Lord Louis of the Arcania Kingdom. She will be suited and simply perfect for him. We will send her off by next month. Perfect timing for her to get prepared.” The queen spoke with that tone of authority.
Zoro stared down at his feet from his kneeling position. Head low, hand crossed over his chest, which tightened subtly. His grip was iron. It felt like he was stabbing his palm with his own nails. The princess? Married off? He could not accept it, but he had to. He was but a commoner, while she was royalty. This was destined. This had to happen. But oh, how it hurt more than words would describe.
“She will be with Lord Louis, Zoro.” The king spoke up, clearing his throat. “Do not step in the way. We have seen how close you have been getting with her. Stop this immediately. I will not have you interfering with royal business, do you understand?”
“…Yes, your highness.” He spoke, voice strained and held with emotions.
“Good. And when you return, tell her the plan. She has but a month to prepare. Get her prepared to be an obedient and respected wife.”
And with that, Zoro was dismissed.
“Lord I’m Four…” ~ The walk back to [Name]’s room was dreadful. Zoro’s thoughts ran through his head faster than he wanted to admit. Why must this happen now? But of course, he should not question this decision. It was common in royal families for their eldest to be wedded off to a fitting suitor and bare heirs’ worth taking over a supported kingdom. He just felt awful, knowing it was his princess being wedded off, not someone else’s. The one who grew up close with him. The one who celebrated the milestone with him being promoted to guard rather than just city knight. The one who he spent all his time with and wished he could spend more with.
“…Mm...? Zoro…? Why must you wake me so late...?” [Name] yawned as she sat up. The sun was just beginning to rise as Zoro stepped in, ready to inform her of her father’s plans.
“Your father and mother have a plan for you. They…wish to marry you off, my liege. To Lord Louis of the Arcania Kingdom.” His breath and words were fast, like it was a physical blow to his chest to spout these words out to her.
“...What?” [Name sat up faster than she could blink. He could not be serious. She heard him wrong? “Please, I hear you wrongly, correct?”
When Zoro’s head shook solemnly, her whole body froze and tensed up. “N-No…No not now I-...”
“They wanted me to tell you. You have a month to prepare.” Zoro’s voice lowered, becoming that usual, soft, and comforting voice he would use when she was down.
[Name] stepped out of bed slowly, making her way towards Zoro. She saw how he tensed at her approach, how his jaw muscles tightened a fraction more as she stood in front of them. Their breaths mingled together as he could no longer bear the closeness of the two bodies. He grabbed her waist with a touch only a man truly in love could make, and crashed their lips together in a beautiful, full of longing kiss. Their eyes closed as they drowned in each other before reality crashed down harder than ever.
“I can’t lose you,” He spoke softly, forehead pressed against [Name]’s. “But I can’t keep you either…”
“. Hm.?” He hummed gently at his name, before looking down at her hands, seeing the dagger she managed to grab. Understanding, he looked at her deep in the eyes.
“…Please, princess, there has to be another way…Don’t…Don’t make me do this…” His voice carried a hint of pleading as she looked down on the dagger and his sword in his hilt.
“Kill me…Please.” She spoke softly, looking back up at him with determination. “. We…could be together…I-I refuse! I refuse to marry another man who is not you!”
His entire world shattered, before gluing itself together. He nodded solemnly, taking his sword out the hilt. He held it high, raising it above their heads. [Name] closed her eyes in surrender, but when she heard the familiar sound of a sword coming down and plunging into skin, she did not feel a thing. She opened her eyes, only to see Zoro, impaled through the abdomen with his own sword.
“…NO! NO—I SAID KILL ME DAMMIT! NO-” Her words were cut off as He fell forward to his knees, inhaling a sharp breath.
“…[Name]…Sorry…I can’t…bring myself to hurt you…” He looked back up at her, before his eyes widened.
She had taken the dagger and plunged it deep into her abdomen, forcing it into her deeper with every twist. She fell forward on top of him, and he caught her, holding her in his arms.
“…You idiot…” He muttered weakly, eyes fluttering, though he forced them to stay open to see her.
“…Your…idiot…” She responded softly, body going limp and cold within his arms. He knew she was gone. He knew once his eyes closed, they would forever be together, bound by death.
He succumbed to heavy weights, dragging him into the ground, as he closed his eyes and released his final breath.
“Lord I’m Five Hundred Miles…” ~ The funeral was short, though heavy across the kingdom. Everyone who could attend came. Not many words were spoken, only the loud cries of grieving villagers as the lover’s body were buried in the same casket, held and bound by death itself.
The two were found that same morning by Celine, the same maid who went through it all with the entire family. Her heart had shattered at the sight, and she could do all but stand. Her grief was passed on, for when the king arrived, to the queen. Their hearts were shattered, never to be prepared.
Their eldest daughter was dead beside the only man she felt she could freely love.
The kingdom could never recover from the loss of both, the princess who truly made each subject of hers feel welcome with open arms, and the knight who fought for the kingdom with every ounce of energy and life his body could give.
A statue grew in the middle of the village barely a week after the heartbreaking news sent out. Engraved into it wrote, “Together in life, united in death, their hearts entwined in a bond that would last forever.” Each villager, small and old, paid respect for the statue. Where it would be from flowers picked freshly from fields, to candles, to small gifts, handmade or bought. The two of them created the village, making it blossom from the loss they gave.
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