Can I get uhhhh..... Zani and Cantarella (separate) being married to a royal (like fifth in line for the throne) from a distant nation and Rover finding out when she meets the man himself when he comes to vist his wife. Like Ella is just flirtily with everyone but the moment her man is back she’s just... clingly. (That girl is touch starved you cannot convince me otherwise.)
The real shocker is Zani, because she catches Rover ‘flirting’ with the reader and the employee is suddenly very possessive in a classy but intimidating way. Commenting casually that the reader is her man and she’s not sharing so back the fuck-
“Between My Hands and No Other’s”
Tags: Zani x Reader, Cantarella x Reader, Male!Reader, Established Relationship, Secret Marriage Reveal, Protective Partner, Possessive Behavior (Classy But Intense), Touch-Starved Partner (Cantarella), Soft Domestic Moments, Public Display Of Affection (PDA), Subtle Power Dynamics, Fluff With A Side Of Tension, Mild Jealousy.
Warnings: Mild Possessiveness, Public Confrontation (Verbal), Intense Stares/Intimidating Behavior (Zani), Overt Physical Affection (Cantarella), Light Power Imbalance, Implied Authority/Power That Could Turn Dangerous, Minor Social Tension Between Characters.
Ragunna’s Averado Bank was built to intimidate—vaulted ceilings, marble floors, and the kind of silence that made footsteps echo like accusations. You stepped inside, accompanied by your retinue, the faint gleam of your signet ring catching in the light. Being fifth in line to a royal throne wasn’t a title that turned heads everywhere, but here, people noticed.
Zani noticed first.
She stood by the reception desk, immaculate as always—white shirt pressed to perfection, red ribbon tied with military precision, high-waisted black pants hugging her form, and that ever-present cape draping elegantly from her shoulders. Pale skin, dark red eyes, black horns curving upward… She looked every inch the Montelli family’s most formidable employee.
And, of course, your wife.
A fact no one here—not even Rover—knew.
Rover was leaning against one of the marble columns, chatting with a junior banker. She spotted you and brightened immediately, striding over with the easy grin of someone who had no idea what she was walking into.
“Well, well,” she said, eyes twinkling. “Didn’t expect to see royalty gracing the bank today. What’s the occasion? Missing me already?”
It was harmless teasing, the kind Rover threw at everyone. You chuckled, replying in kind, but before you could answer, the faint click of heels cut through the air.
Zani’s approach was slow, deliberate—the kind of pace that said she wasn’t in a rush, but you’d better be ready to listen. The shadow of her cape fell across you before she stopped at your side, her gloved hand coming to rest lightly on your shoulder.
“Your Highness,” she greeted, voice smooth but edged with steel. “I wasn’t informed you’d be visiting today.”
“Surprise,” you said, smiling at her.
Her gaze didn’t linger on you, though. No—those crimson eyes locked onto Rover with the precision of a hawk sighting prey.
“Rover,” she said evenly, “I see you’ve met my husband.”
It was a casual enough sentence… until the weight of the last two words sank in. Rover froze.
“…Your husband?” she repeated slowly, looking between you and Zani as if trying to reconcile the idea with reality.
“Yes,” Zani replied, voice still perfectly polite, perfectly calm. “Mine. And I don’t share.”
The statement was delivered with such smooth finality that the room seemed to drop a degree in temperature. Zani’s hand tightened on your shoulder—not painfully, but enough to remind you that the grip could turn into an unbreakable hold if needed.
Rover blinked, mouth opening to explain that she’d just been joking, but Zani continued before she could.
“I’m sure you meant no harm,” she said, that faint smile not reaching her eyes, “but I would suggest exercising… care… with your words. Especially toward what belongs to me.”
The silence stretched just long enough for Rover to nod stiffly and mutter something about work before retreating.
When she was gone, Zani turned to you, the faintest flicker of softness replacing the intimidation in her eyes.
“You should have told me you were coming,” she murmured. “I would have met you at the gates.”
“Wouldn’t be a surprise then,” you teased.
Her lips curved ever so slightly. “Perhaps. But surprises invite misunderstandings… as you just saw.”
Still, she didn’t remove her hand from your shoulder. In fact, as she led you deeper into the bank, her other hand found yours—an uncharacteristic display of affection in public, but one she clearly wasn’t letting go of any time soon.
The Fisalia estate was a masterpiece of opulence and quiet menace—ornate gates twined with flowering vines, halls scented faintly of exotic blooms, and a lingering taste of salt in the air, as if the ocean itself had claimed the place.
You arrived on a bright afternoon, your carriage rolling to a stop at the front steps. Being fifth in line to a throne wasn’t a position that demanded constant attention, but when visiting another nation’s most infamous family, it came with an entourage and an announcement.
Rover, who’d been helping deliver a package to the estate, happened to be there when you stepped out. She blinked at you, then grinned.
“Well, if it isn’t royalty,” she said, leaning casually against the carriage doorframe. “Didn’t expect to see you in Fisalia territory. What brings you here? Sightseeing? Or maybe you’re here for the company—”
Before she could finish, a soft, melodic voice drifted down from the top of the steps.
“My dear.”
Cantarella Fisalia descended like the tide—graceful, deliberate, her lavender hair flowing with light blue streaks that caught the light like ripples over water. Her parasol twirled lazily in one hand, the sapphire at her throat catching the sun. Those vivid blue eyes locked onto you and seemed to glow with recognition.
Rover actually stepped back at the sudden change in atmosphere. Cantarella didn’t so much walk to you as she did drift, her presence as fluid and irresistible as the sea itself.
When she reached you, she didn’t hesitate. The parasol closed with a soft click and was hooked over her arm; then her hands found yours, fingers lacing together as if she’d been waiting years for this moment.
“You’re early,” she said softly, the faintest note of delight in her voice. “Were you too impatient to wait for me to visit you?”
You smiled. “Guilty.”
She leaned in, her forehead brushing against yours, voice dropping to a private murmur that somehow still carried to Rover’s ears. “Good. I’ve been drowning without you.”
Rover’s eyes widened slightly. “Wait—hold on. You two are…?”
Cantarella turned her head slowly, regarding Rover with polite curiosity—as though only now realizing someone else was present. “Married,” she said simply. “To him. Did you not know?”
Rover’s mouth opened and closed. “I… no. I didn’t.”
Cantarella tilted her head, that ethereal smile curling at the edges. “Then you must forgive me. I am not usually so… forward… in front of strangers. But my husband has been far away, and I…” She trailed off, looking back at you with such raw adoration that it made the air feel warmer. “I miss him too much to pretend otherwise.”
Her hands slid up to cup your face, thumbs brushing along your jaw. “Walk with me,” she urged, already steering you toward the gardens. “I’ve prepared tea. And I’ll not be letting go of you for the rest of the day.”
Rover stood frozen as the two of you disappeared into the estate, Cantarella’s parasol bobbing gently over her shoulder. She had seen Cantarella flirt before—light, airy, with strangers and allies alike. But this? This was something different. The dreamweaver of Fisalia clung to you as though you were her anchor in a world that constantly tried to pull her under.
By the time you reached the garden, Cantarella had looped her arm through yours, her body pressed close. She poured tea with one hand, refusing to release the other.
“You’ll stay the night,” she murmured as she set your cup down. “And the next. And the next, if I have my way. Your kingdom can do without you for a while.”
Her smile was sweet, but her grip on your hand was firm—a gentle chain you had no desire to escape.
