summary: Bucky Barnes is worse than nicotine, but you need him so bad. Based on Nicotine by Panic! at the Disco.
a/n: again, something that i needed to write down before i went completely mad. <3
wc: less than 500
Cross my heart and hope to die. You promised yourself it would be the last time. As you took in a long drag from the cigarette between your fingers, you scoffed at your own thoughts. The sunset contributed for the perfect scenario as you walked down the empty streets, the only sound echoing from your boots on the sidewalk.
You tasted him on your lips and couldn’t get rid of him. Damn that vicious kiss and all the awful things he did to get you on your knees, begging for more. Bucky Barnes was worse than nicotine. And that was a great comparison, because lately you only smoked if you were with him - or after seeing him. And both vices seemed to be connected, for your demise.
It was great at the beginning, discovering all the new things that Bucky did to you and how you loved that wicked little game you played with him - and with him only. But he was the one to blame, he was great at every single detail. In so many ways, he was perfect. The only thing was… he was emotionally unavailable, to say the least.
Fuck buddies? Yeah, you signed the fuck up for that. You weren’t looking for a relationship anyways and you had a fuck ton of pent up desire for that man. Lucky you, he felt the same way. But as the time passed, you found yourself more and more dependant on him. And you felt so stupid for it.
You wanted him to want you just as much as you did. You needed him to need you, to become obsessed with you too, just so you wouldn’t be alone in this madness. When you swallowed your pride and made the decision not to push things any further - matter of fact, end everything with him - the desire was always louder in your mind.
I’m losing to you, baby, I’m no match. The flames that burned for him had no intent to let you put them out. So, just one call away, Bucky always had success sweeping you off of your feet and dragging you back to his bed - although never allowing you into his heart. You wanted more, so much more, and all that wanting and desiring was consuming you.
You had just left his apartment, a bittersweet taste lingering on your lips. He never ceased to capture you, to make you surrender yourself to him, to let him pleasure you in all the ways you dreamed about. But there you were again, on your way home to an empty bed.
Just one more hit and done, we’re through, ‘cause you could never love me back. Bucky Barnes would be the death of you if you let him. That’s why it was supposed to be the last time - another last time, how pathetic. As you put out the cigarette - should this be the last one - you swore again to kill this vice.
Summary: Pure fluff with your favorite pirate with a heart of gold, Druig.
A/n: I'm rewatching Black Sails and this came through my mind. Never knew I need a pirate!Druig until now... Warning for pure fluff.
Wc: 725
You were just done serving a table when you heard his voice. His sweet, strong accent. Druig’s voice was unmistakable. You jolted your head up and looked for him around the tavern. And there he was, as handsome as the last time you saw him. And how long ago was that? Two weeks? It was always so painful to be apart, and to hope and pray that he’d be back in one piece.
Romancing a pirate wouldn’t be the wisest thing to do, but you never claimed to be a wise person. Ever since you landed on that island and started working at that tavern, the best thing that happened to you was Druig.
As soon as the man saw you, he came towards you in a rush and grabbed you by the waist in a tight embrace. Before you could even say anything, he took your lips in a much needed kiss that expressed how much you have missed each other. A deep, passionate kiss, that just got you out of breath in no moment.
The pain in not knowing if he would come back to you after each departure was crushing your heart, but he lifted that weight every time he walked through the door looking for you. His girl, as he proudly claimed for everyone to hear.
…
When you first met him, it was no different. He had come with his crewmates for a drink after a long time at the sea, and you were the one to serve them. Druig had his eyes on you for hours, and didn’t seem to care about being discreet about it. It was flattering, to say the least, and completely sinful as well - the way his eyes watched carefully your every move. The way he studied your lips and the crook of your neck. Oh, and how he took your hand while you were passing by the table, just to give you a generous tip and ask you when you would be free.
Such a gentleman, you thought, compared to all the other crooks and creeps in the island. And the ones who weren’t up to no good were just puritans, sheeps to the local pastor. But Druig… Even though he was a pirate, there was something different about him. He had a sharp tongue and a sharper mind. As you overheard his conversations with his crew, you found yourself delighted by the way he talked and his ideals of greatness…
…
“Is there a name for a male siren?” You had asked once, in your room, as you laid on his bare chest and caressed his skin.
“Why’s that?” He chuckled, running his calloused fingers through your hair.
“I don’t know for sure, but everytime you open that damn mouth, it’s like I’m fallin’ into a spell or somethin’. I would do anythin’ for ya, ya know?” You confessed coyly, tracing some of his old scars with your fingertips. "And it kinda scares me.”
“It scares you? Whoa. I’d never do anythin' to harm ya, gorgeous.” You felt his lips on your head, leaving a delicate kiss. “You’re mine, lass. Mine to protect an’ to care for.” The way he called you his made you feel warm and fuzzy in all the right places.
…
“Ya back.” You whispered after the kiss, holding him as tight as you could. “An’ you’re alive! Thank goodness!”
You heard him chuckle softly and felt him shift against you, grabbing something out of his pocket. “And I brought ya somethin’, gorgeous. Gimme your hand.”
You happily obliged, offering your right hand to him. With adoration in his eyes, Druig slid a gold ring with a green gemstone on your finger, and it fit perfectly. It was a beautiful piece, you had never owned anything as fancy.
“Just a lil gift… For ya to think of me when I’m gone. Like it?” He smiled adorably, making your eyes water from all the joy you felt.
“It’s more than a lil gift, ya fool! It’s so much more… I love it. I love you.” It was the truth. You loved him, your pirate with a golden heart.
“I love you, gorgeous. Will you be mine? Forever?”
“Say it again an’ I just might say yes.” You joked, but knowing damn well that you were already his, body and soul.
summary: Bucky is usually the one to comfort you, but you can be there for him too.
a/n: a lil bit of angst, a lil bit of comfort. I was aiming for somewhere around the start of TFATWS, btw. A friend had a dream where I comforted him when he was grieving... So this idea came into my mind.
wc: around 600
marzi's masterlist
Ever since Steve left Bucky and Sam, it had been a mess. Overall, Sam seemed to be carrying through it as best as he could, but you were too close to Bucky to be able to say the same thing about him. That depth of grief was not something easy to deal with for anyone, specially someone who had lost his best friend, his anchor, his family… His everything.
But he wasn’t alone, no. He still had Sam, as distant as they could be sometimes, and he still had you. Bucky seemed to cheer up a little bit when you crashed at his place for whatever half-assed reason you came up with. The truth was that you just wanted to see him, and to help him getting his mind off of all the bad things.
It was one of the bad days. When you knocked at the door and Bucky opened it to let you in, he barely looked at you. He seemed tense, clenching his jaw as if holding something back, heavy steps around the apartment. You wondered if you had done something wrong. When he plopped to the couch with a heavy sigh, you were certain he wasn’t okay at all.
“Did something happen, Buck?” You tried being careful with the questioning, as you put down your things and sat on the floor facing him.
“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Back to his old grumpy self, you thought. Even in that position, one facing the other, he still insisted on looking away from you. “Just… not a good day. That’s it.”
You thought about the best way of carrying that conversation. You couldn’t let him shut down and deal with the pain alone, you cared too much about him to just let it go.
“Hey… I know none of your days are easy, Buck. You have a lot on your back. Hell, you have a hundred years on your back.” You tried to smile, maybe coax one out of him, but it didn’t work. “I can imagine that it doesn’t just get better as time passes… But believe me when I say that it won’t be that painful forever… You know, even though we lost so much, and you lost so much, we’re still here. Still standing, and carrying their memory.”
At that moment, you knew you hit a nerve. With a sharp inhale, Bucky got up and found a way to sneak into the kitchen, facing away from you. He didn’t want you to see his blue irises behind a sea of their own. He didn’t want to be weak, not in front of you. After comforting you so many times and taking care of you, he wasn’t comfortable being on the other side of that.
“Buck, it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with being in pain, and missing the people we lost, and damn, you have every right to be angry about it too. But don’t forget, you’re not alone. You don’t even have to say anything, I’m here for you. Or if you do want to say something and curse the hell out of every living thing, I could listen to that for hours. It doesn’t matter. I love you and I’m not going anywhere unless you ask me to, okay?”
After finishing your little speech, you took a deep breath. You were shaking a little bit, probably because of how much you cared about that man and how much you feared losing him too. But your fears were put down as you saw him nodding, slowly, and after that his shoulders shuddering a bit.
“And if you just need someone to hold you, I’m here for that too.” You said at last, hoping Bucky knew that he was safe with you.
Summary: You're stressing out about academic life and your best friend Eddie tries to comfort you 💕
A/n: Totally self-indulgent, no beta, no nothing. Just wrote it in a manic episode during a lecture. Yeah, I know. It can be romantic or platonic btw, up to you dearie.
Warnings: Language. Somewhat dramatic reader?
Wc: 580
Sometimes, you loved academic life. Sometimes, you absolutely despised it. Especially the part where you were expected to give presentations in important events about your research. It’s not that you were insecure about your work - no, you knew it was great - but you hated talking in public. Your social anxiety would always fuck you up when it came to times like these, that’s why you avoided giving lectures as much as you could, for most of your graduation.
Eddie knew exactly how you felt. He was your best friend in the entire world, and the closest you had to some sort of family. When you stormed into his dorm room after banging the door like the world was ending, he tried to be understanding and did what he could to calm you down.
“This is ridiculous!” You complained as you handed him a wrinkled paper - that almost turned into a paper ball in your enraged hands. “How the fuck am I gonna get a major now?”
“What is this about, Pumpkin?” Edward asked as he quickly read over the document in his hands. “... Oh. I see.”
“One of the prerequisites to apply for a major. There! A joke! It has to be a joke.” You threw your hands in the air and paced nervously around the room. “I’m finished… How can I get a major if I can’t give public lectures? I have done like… two?”
Edward closed the door and walked back to his desk, setting the paper aside. “You’re too brilliant for this, darling. I’m sure they could consider your application, even if you haven’t given all the presentations they want.” He was trying to see it logically, as he always did.
But you weren’t so sure you were that good of a researcher. You weren’t sure you were good enough to go over the university rules. “What if…” You lowered your voice, sitting down on his bed. “What if I don’t deserve to get a major? What if my articles are not good enough? What if I miss this opportunity because I can’t stand in front of dozens of people and just speak?”
Eddie frowned and pushed his glasses up his nose, fixing them for a second before taking the empty place beside you on the mattress. “Stop with this nonsense, you’re overthinking again.” He was being kind to you, as he always was. “You have a wonderful mind, even though it sabotages you sometimes. It’s not your fault you can’t talk in public! But if that’s something you gotta do, I’ll help you getting there. I’m not the best at it either, God… But I’ll do my best.”
You looked at your best friend. You admired Eddie so much. He was sweet, caring, and so intelligent. His sense of humor could be a bit too dark at times, but how could you blame him? Living in Gotham does that to a person. Besides that, he had a rough past… He had to do what he could to make it out in one piece. And you looked up at him for that and so much more.
“Eddie, what would I do without you?” You asked right before taking him in your arms for a tight hug. You buried your face in the crook of his neck and thanked the universe for having him in your life.
“You’ll never know, Pumpkin. And neither will I.” Edward said as he hugged you back and placed a kiss on your head.
Characters: royal au Prince!James Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, reader (no y/n)
Warnings (series): manipulation, power abuse, eventual dark!reader
Summary: Pietro Maximoff had showed himself to be a great company, touring you around the Castle grounds during the day, in his free time. But Prince James… James was simply never around.
Could James have been avoiding you? Could your love be so cruel to the point of keeping you away, after so long? You wanted - no, you needed - an answer at once.
Note: Oh, things are finally starting to pick up! Needless to say, the little swan starts to show her daker side... Hope you enjoy it! Again, thanks to my bestie springus for being my awesome beta.
Feedback, likes and shares are always appreciated <3 my inbox is always open as well.
WC: 2.3k
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Narrator p.o.v.
It was the dawn of your third day at the Castle. Surprisingly enough, both of your parents had been busy with their matters, too busy to pay attention to you. As long as you brought no problems upon yourself and your family name, they had nothing to worry about.
Pietro Maximoff had showed himself to be a great company, touring you around the Castle grounds during the day, in his free time. His twin sister, Wanda, was still a quiet one, rarely around or to be seen outside of the meals. Pietro had explained that she had been very close to Princess Rebecca, and after the illness struck her, Wanda tried her best to help - for she had good knowledge in healing, he said.
But Prince James… James was simply never around. Always locked up in his study, either mourning or busy with his duties, you didn’t have a chance to speak a word to him ever since your first night there. It was heartbreaking, to say the least. The moment you had been waiting for, for the past two years, was not aligning itself with your expectations.
Could James have been avoiding you? Could your love be so cruel to the point of keeping you away, after so long? You wanted - no, you needed - an answer at once. That was your reasoning for sneaking up on his chambers that day. It was not easy, he was the Prince, after all. But when the guards inquired him about your presence, he allowed them to bring you in, and demanded to be left alone with you.
As soon as it was just the two of you, you could not hold back for a second more, rushing to your love and embracing him in the warmest hug he had ever received. “Oh, how much I have missed you, James!” You began your professions of love, but quickly you realized the Prince wasn’t showing as much excitement as yourself. “What… what is wrong, my love?”
“It has been a while, indeed, milady.” With a short sigh, he finally spoke to you. The formality in his words made your heart falter a little. “A lot has changed since I last saw you, as you can see.”
“Does it matter, James? I am here now, with you.” You grazed his face with the side of your hand, a smile finally showing up on your own. “And we can finally fulfill our promises!”
“What are you saying, girl?” The Prince took your hand away from him. As if you were some sort of stranger, not the love of his life. “There are no promises between you and me.”
You tugged at his arm, shock creeping up your eyes in the shape of tears. What sort of cruel joke was he pulling on you? “What do you mean, James? I have waited for you. Do not act as if nothing… as if I am nothing to you.” The strange way he was acting was more than enough to make you lose your composure, and you struggled to keep it together. “I never forgot what we shared back home…”
“Oh, little swan…” He started, as if he talked to a child. “What we had was nothing serious. It was a secret, and it should remain that way. I was just… We were just having fun, you see?” James smiled a bit, just in the way you adored. That boyish smile that would get you into your knees in no time, if only he wanted so. “Besides, I have a fiancee now, milady. No more fooling around, I have a duty to fulfill.”
To say your world shattered in front of you would be an understatement. You couldn’t find it in yourself the words that could translate how you felt. You felt confused, abandoned, lost and so much more.
You loved James, that was the only thing you knew for sure, for most of your life. You had been waiting for him, and for the day the two of you would be together, no more secrets. You would be his princess, and when he became King, you would be his Queen. How come all of your plans escaped your grasp all of a sudden?
You had noticed the strange nature of his behavior for the past days, but you always assumed the best about your love, never the worst.
“Now, stop with this nonsense.” James brought you out of your thoughts. His expression softened a bit, taking a step closer to you and holding you by the shoulders tenderly. “What we had was good, while it lasted, yes? But I am not a boy anymore, I simply cannot run around stealing kisses behind stables. You understand that, don’t you, little swan?”
The term of endearment was the final blow to your heart. Out of instinct, you looked up at him and nodded slowly in agreement. You would do anything for him. Anything he asked you to.
“Good, good. Now that we have that out of our way, it should be easier for you and Wanda to get to know each other. She is a good girl, my sister loved her.” His hands dropped from your shoulders and he walked towards a table in the corner, to pour himself some water from a jug. “And I know you can grow fond of her as well. You see, if you would like to stay in the Castle after your family goes back South, you would be welcome to do so.”
The Prince was so calm and talked about it all with such ease, while you still struggled to collect your thoughts. You just nodded, remaining silent, thoughts clouded by frustration.
“And you are growing to become a fine woman, yourself. Perhaps… we could find you a suitor while you are here. How does that sound?” He took a sip of his water and turned around to face you again, that damned smile back on his face, as if he was proposing some sort of compensation for breaking your heart.
“Of… of course, Ja- your highness.” You corrected yourself, voice barely above a whisper as you pretended to digest it all. “Is there anything else?”
“I will not stop treating you like a friend, as long as you understand that is all there is between us.” His voice was slightly more stern now, in a tone that made you shiver in an odd way.
You swallowed hard, nodding once more. “Of course. We are friends, indeed.”
“Good!” His smile widened, as if he had no clue that you would never stop loving him.
…
The hours following the visit to the Prince went by monotonously. Your heart would not decide how you felt about the predicament you had been put through, set to misbehave like an wild animal. As much as you knew how good of a man James was, and how he was probably just doing whatever was the best for the kingdom, the feeling of betrayal bloomed like a knot in your throat.
As bad as you felt, you could not bring yourself to shed a tear. Something inside you just knew the matter was not settled yet. It was not over, it simply could not be. You knew you had to fix what was wrong and follow the most important advice your mother had ever given you: Fight for what is yours by right.
James was yours by right. He was the love of your life and you deserved each other more than anyone else would ever deserve him. And you did not want anyone else, either. No other man would be good for you, no one else would be as great as James himself.
With a knock on your door, you were snapped out of your thoughts. Your heart raced a little, in the groundless hopes that it could be James, who knows?
As you rushed to open the door, disappointment sank on your stomach when you met Pietro Maximoff standing outside. You were uncomfortable with setting yourself up for dismay like that.
“A little bird told me you had spent the day locked in here, milady, is that true?” Pietro asked in such a natural tone that you failed decipher what could be the intentions behind his question - or the visit, for that matter.
But before you could give him an answer, the silver-haired man was already talking again. “The sun is about to set. And I have something to show you, a new place. Are you interested?”
You considered declining the invitation, just to mourn your broken heart a little longer. But you knew that his company was most likely to improve your mood, and perhaps a good talk was just enough to lift your spirits. And, of course, you would love to get to know a new place in the Castle grounds - for your curiosity failed to leave you alone.
“Yes, I am interested. How did you know?” You smiled faintly, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind you.
“The little bird also told me you were in need of a friend. Is that not right?” His explanation made even less sense. It was so curious the way he just seemed to know what you needed, when you needed.
Over the last three days, Pietro had showed some sort of gift for lifting spirits, be it around you or in other social scenarios. It had became clear to you that he was popular and cherished in the court, and your parents approved him as your occasional companion.
…
Pietro led you to a place that could only be described as a secret garden. From what he had said about it, it could only be seen from the Castle by the Prince’s balcony, in his chambers. That felt so special. You wondered how he had discovered that secret, but you chose to leave it to your own imagination.
Like the young lord had noted, the Sun was starting to set. Shades of orange and pink bled to the few clouds in the sky, painting an otherworldly scenery. The light also bathed the plants, small trees and bushes around the private garden.
It was beautiful, like a piece of an enchanted forest had been transported into the palace. Pietro showed you his favorite part of the garden: a small water fountain surrounded by briar roses.
“I have brought you to the most beautiful place in this dead castle, how come you still carry a frown?” He did not mean to sound annoyed by it, when he was truly curious about what went through your mind.
With a delicate sigh, you looked at the young man with a heavy heart. “May I be honest with you, my friend?” You sat by the fountain, dipping your fingers into the cold water and drawing circles on the surface.
You were taunting his curiosity, at that point. “I have never been anything but honest with you, milady. Go on.”
You sighed again, preparing the words that should come out. “Why did you not tell me about your sister and the Prince?” Your sad eyes told everything you left out of the question.
Pietro seemed to understand it all by the tone of your voice alone. He sat down on the grass, one leg bent as he found a comfortable position to look up at you. “I figured you would find out soon enough. You are a clever girl, I have seen it since you sat foot on this land.”
The compliment did not go unnoticed, but it was not the focus of your worries. “And do you know why it hurts me to know now?” You took your hand out of the water, leading it to graze the petals of the nearest rose as it captured your attention.
“I might have guessed, but it is not my place to judge you.” He said simply, as if it did not really matter whatever you meant to confess.
But you continued, anyway. “I have been in love with the Prince since I was a little girl. He promised we would be together one day, you see. This morning, he told me that such day would never come.” The bitterness in your voice started to creep up, just as your fingers trailed to the thorns. “For a clever girl, I certainly have never felt more like a fool.”
Pietro fiddled with the grass beside him. He wanted to tell you that such things happened all the time, it was how the world worked. Broken promises, broken hearts. Compromises, duty, honor.
“If it is worth anything, my sister is not the happiest about it either. She does not love him, but she has to do it. For our family.”
“What do you mean?” You turned your head to face him, attentive, as the cogs of your mind started to work again.
He smacked his lips before continuing. “I was supposed to marry the Princess, remember? But she passed away before that could happen. And since our families had a dea, we still have to fulfill our part of it. That is why Wanda has to marry Prince James.”
For some obvious reason, it was a relief that it was not the case of a marriage out of love.
“So, there is hope.” You voiced your thoughts, determination rising in your voice and warming up your chest.
“Hope? For what, milady?” Pietro seemed lost, for a moment.
You bit your lip, trying to conceal a smile that refused to die. There it was, that excitement that drove you since the moment you stepped into the carriage and left your home. “There is hope in my heart that this marriage will never happen, my friend.”
---
{let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist for The Prince and the Swan}
Characters: royal au Prince!James Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, reader (no y/n)
Warnings (series): manipulation, power abuse, eventual dark!reader
Summary: There is one thing in this world you should never forget: Fight for what you deserve, fight for what is yours by right. Do whatever it takes, my dear, because they’ll never make it easy for you.
My mother’s words were always in my mind as I grew up. She raised me to be the perfect lady, a delicate girl that would make our family proud. But she also taught me how to bring men to my feet without raising suspicion. And I’ve always been such a good learner.
Note: New series just dropped! This has been in my drafts for months and months. I wanted to write a dark!reader for so long and I'm finally making this wish come true. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
Feedback, likes and shares are always appreciated <3 my inbox is always open as well.
WC: less than 1k
Marzi's Masterlist || TPATS Masterlist
There is one thing in this world you should never forget: Fight for what you deserve, fight for what is yours by right. Do whatever it takes, my dear, because they’ll never make it easy for you.
My mother’s words were always in my mind as I grew up. I guess the Duchess only wanted to make sure I’d have some good fortune in my future. She raised me to be the perfect lady, the kind, docile, tame, delicate girl that would make our family proud. But she also taught me how to bring men to my feet without raising suspicion. And I’ve always been such a good learner.
…
“That’s not fair, you cheated!” The young prince chuckled, a hand over his stomach as he caught his breath after the sprint. His features were the most unique I had ever seen, with a strong stance and piercing blue eyes filled with determination. His dark, brown hair was usually neatly trimmed and combed through, complimenting his youthful look. He was barely twenty-two, as I remembered.
“No, I didn’t.” I simply responded, shrugging and pointing my nose up with a hint of attitude. “No one said anything about shortcuts, so I took one and won. In all fairness, James!”
The Prince, James Barnes, was only a few years older than me. We had been friends since very young, maybe even from birth, for our parents had fought side by side years ago. Every Fall, the King and his family would visit our home - The Swan Nest - and stay for a couple of weeks. It was my favorite part of the year, because I loved the company and the joy that came with the presence of the Royal family.
“I see.” He squinted, blue irises almost disappearing behind his lashes. “So, you want your prize now, I assume.” As he stepped closer in my direction, I straightened my posture and did my best of an attempt to conceal the anxious pounding in my chest.
We had just reached the stables, hiding behind them from the men that should be watching us. It had been my idea to run off to escape them in the first place, of course, all part of the plan. I wanted to be alone with James, that was what I craved the most during those weeks in the Fall.
“Of course, your highness. I deserve it. Don’t you keep your word?” The teasing was unmeasured, but I knew James wouldn’t be mad at me, we were more than good friends. The best kind of friends.
“Oh, little swan.” He chuckled once again, curling his lips in a handsome smirk. “You know I do.” It took him less than two seconds to effortlessly press me against the stone wall. He wasn’t worried I’d try to get away from his grip - and he was right, I would never. With a hand on my waist and the other on my chin, Prince James lifted my face up and pressed a kiss to my lips. “As long as you keep our secret.”
“Forever, my prince.” I promised, begging for another kiss. The way I looked at him expressed a special kind of devotion, adoration beyond reasoning. Not only he would be our king someday, but he already held the most prestigious place in my heart. Oh, if only we didn’t have to keep our love a secret.
…
The truth was that it started many years ago as a playful, innocent thing that our parents once said over supper - “they look so good together, can you imagine our children getting married one day?” - and it grew on me. As the time passed, I figured it only made sense; the King liked and trusted my father, the Duke, and I was an only child - surely my father would like royal heirs to our name.
James seemed to like the idea as well, sometimes calling me “his promised”, along with other terms of endearment that melted my heart. When I finally took him by surprise and stole a kiss, it all fell into place. But the Prince made me promise to keep it a secret - I wasn’t officially betrothed to him, so our romance would have to wait before it could bloom. So I waited patiently.
That patience was wearing off as I waited years and years for the Fall when Prince James would finally ask for permission from the Duke to take my hand. For the day I’d finally be his, and the whole kingdom would finally know it. It’s all I ever wanted, the most important thing in this world to me, was to be his.
The next year, the royal family didn’t come - Princess Rebecca, James’ younger sibling, had been sick. I longed for my dear James, I even wrote him a letter, but I had promised him not to ever let anyone find out about our secret and I wouldn’t risk losing his trust, so that letter never found it’s course. I tried suggesting that we could visit the castle instead, but my words were dismissed without a second thought - the Maximoff were already there to support the King, and my father didn’t exactly took a liking for them.
Less than a year after that, the news came in a chilly August morning - the Princess had passed away. Never had I seen such commotion in the Swan Nest, all arrangements were done so we could leave within a week to pay our condolences. It would be my first time visiting the castle, the first time leaving the Nest, and the first time I’d see my love, Prince James, in two years.
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If I followed my mother’s words and did whatever it took, I’d never have to leave his side again.
