the prince and the knight • anakin x reader
summary: forbidden love, like forbidden fruit, often tastes the sweetest.
medieval au with prince!anakin.
warning: angst.
•
Love can bring life to a heart
Just as easily as it can
Steal breath from the lungs
•
The throne room was decorated with the regal colors of the kingdom of Finterzia; black, white and blue. Curtains hung from the high ceilings, the room itself illuminated with the help of the lavish chandeliers. It was a pretty sight indeed, but not for eyes which had seen it so many times before.
Prince Anakin stood in front of the three golden thrones. It was rare to see him there without his parents on either side of him, but he was being granted more independence now that he was approaching his mid-20s.
In front of him was a line of knights. Fresh from battle, this group especially had shown incredible teamwork and skills in fighting against the monstrous creatures that regularly troubled the kingdom.
A knight stepped forward and removed his helmet, giving the Prince a nod before receiving a blue medal for bravery and walking to the side, joining the other knights. It felt tedious, awarding each of them their medals one by one, but Anakin knew it was his duty to respect and commend the soldiers. After all, they put their lives on the line for him and for Finterzia.
Finally, the last knight stepped forward, and removed her helmet. Anakin was ready to put the red medal (the highest honor saved for only those who showed true leadership and strength) around her neck, when he felt his heart skip a beat. He wasn't expecting to meet eyes so synonymous with beauty, yet here they were. Here she was.
The knight was similarly shocked at the sudden jolt she felt. The Prince's good looks were no secret to her; she had seen him plenty of times before, but this was different. Up close, it was like taking a sip of cold water after wandering the desert for a year. Like falling from a circle of hellfire into a pile of snow. Like a thousand needles had pierced her heart.
Prince Anakin slowly placed the medal around her neck, his fingers brushing against her skin and making her shiver. With a shaky breath, she quickly gave him a nod before walking away to where the other knights stood.
That night, they each wrote entries in their journals. Their words had never before sounded so poetic or looked so elegantly written, but it was clear to both the Prince and the knight that they had given up their hearts with just one look.
•
A common mistake made by fools
Is assuming that the heart is clever
When choosing who it gives itself to
•
It was easy for the Prince to guess exactly what ulterior motive his parents had with each lavish ball they threw. Be it to show off their wealth to neighboring kingdoms, ensure their subjects that they had control over the looming threat of war or famine, or, Anakin's least favored, to find him a wife.
This ball, unfortunately, was for the third option.
"Oh, Ani, you just have to meet King Julino's daughters," His mother, Delia, sang, taking his arm and pulling him over to where his father, Vern, and King Julino were talking. Next to Julino stood three girls, relatively similar in age and looks.
"Ah, Prince Anakin," Julino boomed with a wide grin, his hand resting on his belly. "I don't believe you and my oldest daughter have yet been acquainted. Meet Princess Koyla."
Koyla stepped forward with a nervous blush, curtsying. Not wanting to be rude, Anakin smiled at her, but he couldn't help but feel annoyed that his parents had yet again attempted to set him up. Before his father could do anything rash like plan an engagement, the attention of the party fell onto the entrance doors. There, the knights were walking in, dressed in their military jackets rather than their typical metal armor.
Anakin couldn't deny that he felt excitement when his eyes fell onto Y/N. She was the only one of the knights with a red badge on her jacket, almost making him feel some second-hand pride.
She saw him, too. While the other knights were ushered to the King's side so he could show them off to the rulers of the nearby kingdoms, Y/N lingered by the drinks table, allowing herself some rum which she diluted with water so as not to become inappropriately inebriated.
It was as though she felt the Prince's presence without even having to turn to face him. Her cheeks heated up when she looked up from her silver goblet to meet his blue eyes, and she couldn't decide whether the cup or his irises shone brighter under the lights. They stared at each other in a pleasant silence for a few moments, and it was as though the noise of the ball had died down. As though the guests had all left, knowing that the Prince and the knight needed some privacy to allow their unusual feelings to blossom.
Then, Anakin said the first four words he ever said to Y/N. "Do you like picnics?"
If anyone else had asked her that, she'd have laughed in their face. The honey tone of his voice, though, and the way with which he held her onto his every word, prevented her from doing anything but take him seriously. "I've never been on one."
Something about her answer made the Prince smile. Perhaps it was the way she was looking up at him with those eyes. Perhaps it was the way her hand tightened around her goblet. Perhaps it was the fact that there was no pressure on him to beat any expectations based on her previous experiences of picnics.
"Well, we can't be having that," He said with a bright gaze. "I'll meet you by the edge of the gardens, tomorrow at midday."
The knight swallowed thickly, before nodding. "Yes, your Majesty."
"Please, call me Anakin," The Prince requested, not wanting her to feel obligated to do as he asked just because of his status.
"I don't think I'm allowed," She replied truthfully, to which he chuckled before lowering his voice.
"You're allowed," He insisted, and the way he said it made the knight think that she could believe him.
•
Hope is as quick to grow
As it is to die
But the memory of it
Scars the mind
•
Y/N wore a dress she borrowed from one of the Queen's handmaids. It was the color of a peach, and it fit her well. She felt confident when she arrived at the garden's edge, even more so when she saw that the Prince had already arrived and was waiting for her, basket in hand. With strings of compliments, he led her down to sit under the shade of a tree by the lake.
"Is it odd being a Prince?" Y/N asked while they snacked on fruit, her eyes hooked to the sunlight bouncing off his golden skin.
"Odd? I suppose so," Anakin responded, looking out to the lake. "Though it's all I've ever known. Is it odd being a knight?" He turned to look at her, a smile growing on his face as he was reminded of just how stunning she was.
There was an apple slice between Y/N's fingers, pressed to her lips as though she was still debating whether or not to eat the forbidden fruit. When the sweet smell hit her nose, she couldn't help but take a bite, looking at Anakin once she had swallowed. His return of the question made her realize just how silly of a question it was, and she felt like kicking herself. "Fighting for this kingdom is all I've ever known, and it's all I'll ever do."
Anakin processed her answer, and he couldn't help but be attracted to her raw, unmoving passion. It made him wonder whether she might have one day spoken of him with such clarity and promise.
"Bring many girls here?" The knight teased, feeling more comfortable with treating the Prince more like an equal and less like her superior.
Anakin chuckled at her question. "You're the first."
She knew he was telling the truth by the way his eyes remained trained on hers. "Well, don't I feel special?"
"You should," He stated while pouring two cups of wine. "Do you know what the most heartbreaking thing about precious gems is? It's that we have no way of conveying to them just how precious they are. With you though," Anakin leaned towards Y/N, handing her one of the cups which she happily took. "I could spend all day telling you how prettily you reflect the light, how unique and enthralling your beauty is-"
"And how I belong in a ring?" She teased, but her words could only be met with his agreement.
At the next picnic, he fell to his knees before Y/N even had the chance to sit down.
"Anakin-"
"I know," He cut her off with furrowed brows. "I know it seems fast, my love, but I don't care for time. Why dance around what we know to be true?"
Her eyes were wide as she stared down at him, watching as he reached into his pocket.
"You were right, Y/N; you belong in a ring," Anakin said, a smile etched onto his lips as he pulled out the most beautiful one she'd ever seen. "And please; let it be mine."
She accepted. How could she have not?
I love and I love and I love. The Prince unloads his emotions in his journal. I love and it's perfect.
I love and I love and I love. The knight unloads her emotions in her journal. I love and it's perfect.
But what is perfect to some seldom looks the same to others.
Hand in hand, the Prince and the knight glided into the throne room. It wasn't decorated that day. The King and Queen were standing, awaiting their son who claimed to have good news for them. Anakin's uncle and the King's advisor, Sacriston, stood silently to the side, his eyes narrowing when they landed on Y/N.
"Mother, Father," Anakin called out, a bright smile on his face. The knight blushed from beside him, her fingers tightly clutching his.
"Ani," Delia said cautiously, eyeing her son's hand which was entwined with the knight's. "What is this?"
Giving Y/N a smile, Anakin answered his mother's question with pride. "Y/N and I are to be married."
It was then that King Vern noticed the ring on Y/N's finger; the very same his own mother wore and passed down to Anakin, telling him to give it to the woman he loved. Vern and Delia shared a look, before Delia began to laugh and Vern rolled his eyes. Sacriston raised an eyebrow, wondering if Y/N had paid a witch to perform a love spell on the Prince.
Anakin's smile faltered at their reaction. He frowned down at Y/N, but he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb comfortingly.
"Son," Vern began, stepping forward. "Is this some sort of joke?"
Y/N's heart cracked at his question.
"Why would this be a joke, Father?" Anakin questioned, his eyebrows furrowing. "Do not mistake my sincere words to be farcical. Y/N and I are in love-"
"Don't," Delia cut him off with a look of malice. "This is absolutely ludicrous, Anakin!"
"You are the Prince and heir to the throne," Vern informed him, his cheeks reddening with rage. "You will marry someone of your status; not one of our bloody knights!"
At some point during his rant, the Prince's hand dropped from the knight's. Neither of them knew who had let go first.
They left the throne room with aching hearts, each of them retiring to their rooms with one last shared look of determination and promise. Anakin to his large and lavish chambers, and Y/N to the cramped dorm she shared with three other knights.
That night, they wrote with a new vigor. No words had to be said between them for them to know exactly what the other was thinking.
We're going to elope.
•
Never stop uttering my name,
You who I'd die for,
And I promise I'll do the same,
My love, my love, my love
•
Picnics in the open became secret glances and fleeting kisses. The Prince and the knight would embrace in the shadows, those few seconds restoring a bit of bliss into their day. They had even found some excitement in the clandestine meetings; some adrenaline in the rule-breaking.
Y/N stole Anakin away during a feast, celebrating the end of the Kreel Dragon's tyranny over Finterzia. For decades, the Kreel plagued the kingdom, killing and attacking and destroying, but it had finally become dormant.
"Y/N, we shouldn't," Anakin whispered as she took him to a dark, empty corridor. Everyone was too busy in the main hall, eating and drinking, to pay any notice to the Prince's absence.
"Don't worry," She assured him with a smile, wrapping her arms around his torso. "They're all distracted."
It didn't take much to convince Anakin to swoop her into a kiss, one which caused their hearts to beat as one. Nothing had ever felt more perfect than when they were together, in each other's arms, showing one another just how much they cared.
Soon after that, they had to return to the feast, and deep kisses had resorted back to stolen glances when nobody was looking.
It didn't all have to be done in private, though.
One day, Anakin decided that Y/N deserved to be taken out. While they worked on a plan to run away together, it was impossible to keep their relationship behind closed doors and in dark wine cellars.
So he took her dancing.
He dressed in plain clothing, and they rode on horseback to a town on the outskirts of the kingdom where nobody would recognize him. The bar wasn't anything special, but it didn't need to be. The Prince just needed Y/N to be there, and it would feel like a lavish ballroom.
They drank the most either of them had ever drank that day.
"Your hair is just so pretty," Y/N complimented him as they sat next to each other in a small booth, her fingers running through his hair. "I wish I could sleep in a bed made of it."
"That would be uncomfortable," Anakin replied with a chuckle, his arm wrapped comfortably around the knight's waist.
"So you don't share the same opinion of my hair?" She asked with faux offence.
"Of course I do," He said defensively, before taking in a comically deep sniff of her hair, making her laugh.
"Who'd have thought the Prince to be such a rascal?" Y/N teased, running her finger around the rim of her half-empty cup.
"It's his fiancée; she's completely changed him," Anakin mused, smiling lazily at her. "She has utterly destroyed him."
While they shared sweet nothings and flirty compliments, one of the punters approached their table with a sly grin. "Care to dance with your lady, sir?" He asked, gesturing over to the middle of the pub where a few people were dancing around to the jovial music.
Anakin was surprised by his question, but when he saw the excitement in Y/N's eyes, he had to say yes. So he swooped her onto her feet, and they both joined the small crowd of dancers. The alcohol allowed them to release their inhibitions, and they twirled and swung and twisted and jumped.
In this moment, they were happy. The laughter left their mouths with ease, and it wasn't being held back like they were both used to. They were being themselves, wholly and unapologetically. Anakin danced like he never had before, his arms wrapping around Y/N's torso like they were magnetized.
A moment of true happiness, made impure by the presence of Sacriston. He stood outside the pub, witnessing his nephew's transgressions before growing sick at the sight and turning away, marching back to Finterzia. Sacriston wasn't one to forget. And he wasn't one to keep secrets.
•
My joy is tainted by cruel fear,
'What if it all goes wrong?'
'What if I were to lose you, my dear?'
'What if, one day, you're gone?'
•
It was the perfect plan. The Prince and his knight, driven by their love, had designed a flawless plan to leave behind Finterzia and begin their new life together. A life of peace, in a place where status wouldn't matter.
Y/N was reluctant at first, to desert her role. She had made a vow to protect the kingdom, but Anakin helped her to see that she had already fulfilled her promise. Finterzia was safe from the beasts that once plagued it, and her service was no longer needed.
Or so they thought.
"Are you sure we have everything?" She asked him in a hushed voice.
They had met in the middle of the courtyard just past midnight, each of them with one rucksack filled with their essentials, along with enough food and water to last them the journey to the neighboring kingdom where they'd restock.
"I believe so, my darling," Anakin answered her, his heart racing with excitement. There was a slight panic in him at the idea of leaving behind his parents and his future throne, but no amount of power was worth living a life without Y/N in it.
Just as she leaned in to give the Prince a reassuring kiss, knowing he was about to give up a whole lot more than she was, a devastatingly loud and familiar noise roared out from the town.
"Was that...?" Anakin trailed off, dread filling him.
"It sounded like it," Y/N answered, her eyes wide. "But it can't be... We slayed it."
Suddenly, a Kreel Dragon flew up into the sky before letting out an ungodly screech. It's fire unleashed over the town, while Anakin clutched onto Y/N's arm.
Before she could react, another knight, Rex, ran out into the courtyard with a panicked look. He was her closest friend and the only one who knew of Anakin and Y/N's secret relationship. "Y/N, we have to fight, now!" Rex rushed back through the castle, while Y/N turned to Anakin.
"I have to go," She whispered. "I can't leave the knights to fend for themselves- not while Finterzia is in danger."
Anakin felt his heart ache with her words, but he knew she was right. "I understand."
"I'm sorry, Prince," Y/N uttered with a pained look, cupping his face in her hands. "We cannot leave tonight as we planned. But, while my present cannot be yours, I pledge to you my future. My future belongs to you, and with you. That, I promise."
Nodding, Anakin kissed her gently. "I love you. I will see you the second you return."
"Wait for me," The knight said, slowly stepping backwards. "Be patient, my sweet Prince. I will return to be yours once again."
Their goodbye was heartbreaking, but Y/N had a newfound determination. With vigor, she donned her metal armor, and joined the rest of the knights who awaited her presence outside the castle.
Anakin watched from his window as they marched out towards the town, where the Kreel was raining devastation. His heart clenched with every step that Y/N took, his eyes on the dent in the left leg of her armor that allowed him to single her out from the group.
The King joined his knights, motivated to end the Kreel and protect his kingdom with the little strength he had left. He would soon be an old man, so while he still had some fight in him, he'd put it to good use.
Y/N led the fight, as usual. With a battle cry, she scaled the stores and huts to gain some height before attacking the dragon. Getting in some good hits, she was pushed by her confidence and willpower. The dragon let out screams and fire, but she evaded the heat well. The fight took all night. It was tiring, and the hardest thing she had ever been through.
Rex was the first to enter the palace in the morning.
Anakin watched as the knights re-entered, most of them injured and limping with extensive damage to their armor.
"The Kreel has been killed!" One of the knights bellowed, causing everyone to cheer out.
The Prince wasn't celebrating yet, though. He rapidly scanned the group, trying to find Y/N. Rex, noticing his panic, walked over to Anakin and placed his hand on the Prince's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Sir," Rex began, a sorrowful look on his face. "Y/N didn't make it."
At first, the words didn't properly sink in. Anakin gave Rex a blank look. What did he mean, she didn't make it? Y/N was the strongest knight Finterzia had; if anyone else survived, she would have, too.
"She put up a good fight," Rex said, hiding his own heartbreak. "We wouldn't have won without her."
The Prince finally realized the weight of Rex's words. And when he processed what he was saying, Anakin was filled with rage. No. It was impossible. If anyone else survived, she would have, too.
He pushed Rex off of him and stormed out of the throne room, through to the foyer of the palace. Anakin walked with purpose and anger, storming through as though on his way to slaughter his worst enemy.
Before he could meet the sunlight, he was stopped by his father. The King could tell that his son had been given the news from the look on his face, causing him to shake his head.
"I apologize, son," The King began with a regretful tone. "I know what Y/N meant to you." He held his hand out to Anakin, who looked down at it.
In the palm of the King's hand sat the ring Anakin had proposed to Y/N with. Even after his parents' disapproval, she kept it. And now it had made its way back to him, like a mocking reminder of the fact that he had lost her.
That night, Anakin screamed to the moon. He cursed it for its immortality. He was angry that the moon shone every night without fail, even without any reason to. It had no partner; nobody who depended on it. Even the sun didn't stick around to see it.
•
A classic tale
Of sun and moon
One warm, one pale
Longing to meet soon
Their hope shines bright
But their hearts begin to break
One in day, one in night,
They know they wait in vain.
•
The throne room was decorated with the regal colors of the kingdom of Finterzia; black, white and blue. Curtains hung from the high ceilings, the room itself illuminated with the help of the lavish chandeliers. It was a pretty sight indeed, but not for eyes which had seen it so many times before.
Prince Anakin stood in front of the three golden thrones. He was dressed in the finest garments, because it was the most important occasion Finterzia had seen since his birth.
The royal wedding.
He looked over to where his bride had entered. Koyla was dressed in a beautiful gown, her arm linked in her father's who walked her down the aisle with a proud smile.
Anakin's father stood to the side, sharing a look with Sacriston who nodded. They knew what the other was thinking when they saw the lack of happiness in Anakin's face. They knew what the other was remembering.
"We did it!" Y/N yelled with glee, standing at the body of the dead Kreel. "For Finterzia!" Her sword was outstretched to the sky, and she was filled with pride.
While the knights began to make their way back, rushing the badly injured ones to the infirmary, she caught her breath, wiping away the blood on her forehead.
It was an odd feeling, the sudden sharp pain that hit her. Looking down at the source, Y/N was shocked to see a bloody sword stabbed through her torso. It was then pulled back out of her, making her whimper. Slowly turning around with wide eyes, she was stunned.
Koyla and King Julino reached the altar, and Prince Anakin took her hand. It killed him to see anyone other than the knight standing opposite him, reading out vows, but he had learnt to numb himself since he lost Y/N. Nothing mattered anymore. He agreed to whatever his parents asked of him, because his only wish was to be with the knight. No other decision held any weight. Not what he wore, what he did, or even who he married. Without Y/N, no one option outweighed the other. Everything was dull.
"Rex?" She whispered, tears spilling over her waterlines.
"I'm sorry," He cried, a pained look on his face. Behind him stood the King, with a cold look on his face. Rex shook his head, wincing. "I had to."
Y/N felt both cold and warm while she tried to process the betrayal, falling to the ground and landing on her back. The King ordered Rex to leave, and he complied.
"Why?" Y/N whispered weakly, her blood pouring out of the wound.
The King clenched his jaw before kneeling down beside her and pulling off her glove. "You know why," He uttered coldly, snatching the ring from her finger. Standing up, he turned his back on the knight and retreated to the palace, leaving her body there mere feet away from the dead Kreel. Leaving her there to die.
"Do you, Princess Koyla Tayano, take Prince Anakin Skywalker as your lawfully wedded husband?"
Y/N's gasps grew desperate and weak, her vision becoming dotted with black.
"I do."
The King smiled, overjoyed by the connection of the two kingdoms. With this marriage, Anakin would prove himself to be a worthy heir to the throne, and Finterzia would remain one of the strongest kingdoms in the land.
"And do you, Prince Anakin Skywalker, take Princess Koyla Tayano as your lawfully wedded wife?"
Her eyes fluttered shut. Rex took one look back at her body, and immediately regretted it. The stillness and air of morbidity confirmed it to him: Y/N was gone.
Anakin showed no emotion, cutting his heart off to any and everything because opening it up would mean he'd have to feel the grief. He'd have to go through the pain of losing the knight. He would have to mourn her, which meant that one day he'd stop. One day, the pain would end. And he didn't want that. If he couldn't have Y/N, he would at least keep the pain of her absence as a reminder of her. His broken heart would act as a private shrine to the knight, and he would have rather died than let himself attempt to heal it.
"I do."
The nights were cold, no matter the season. His bed felt empty, despite the princess that lay beside him. But the Prince relished in the pain. The pain was all he had left of the knight. It stood as a reminder of his love, and every torturous dream and memory was proof that she had existed.
Rex drowned in guilt. He was under orders, but he couldn't stop seeing the look of betrayal on Y/N's face when she saw it was him who had ended her life. But Rex was wrong to look in the mirror and see her murderer.
Because if Rex had kept his eyes on her a little while longer; if his cowardice hadn't prevented him from turning away from her limp body, he would have seen her hand twitch.
•
i was in the mood to write some poetry so i sprinkled some in let me know if it was stupid
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