‘it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, princess. i’ve come a long way to see your beautiful self.’
you smiled meekly as you met the prince of another kingdom, your father set on finding you a husband that’d help you take care of the kingdom and your people in the future.
the prince kissed the back of your hand, staring into your eyes as you unsurely stared back, not wanting to seem ungrateful to your father as he put so much effort into this arrangement yet you couldn’t fully hide how u felt deep inside about this whole situation.
of course, the prince was handsome and strong, confident and with , had a good status and parents, the king and the queen who have led their kingdom strongly until now. he was perfect for you, in your father’s eyes, that is.
‘likewise, prince. shall i show you the royal garden?’ you responded, trying your hardest to be as polite as possible, not wanting to mess up your father’s reputation and disregard the effort he put into this arrangement even though you really wished to be everywhere but here.
you were so tired of all of the princes saying the same things over and over, coating their words with honey and trying to make themselves look like just the perfect husband for you.
sure, they were polite, they were wealthy and strong men you could count on. but after a while, it began to feel like a chore and you were forcing yourself to attend these meetings, knowing they were useless.
the prince has managed to place a subtle kiss on your cheek as you both sat in the garden quietly, your face almost scrunching in discomfort yet you tried your best to play it off and make it seem like you were oh so flustered and shy.
you noticed that during and after the prince has finally left, your guard and the kingdom’s knight was nowhere to be found. you noticed how he seemed like something was heaving on him days prior before the prince even came. you were so blind even though all of the answers were right in front of you.
you asked the maidens if they happened to know where toji was and they’d give you a soft look, all of them knowing how oblivious, oh so oblivious you were to the knight’s feelings towards you.
not that the knight was going around and telling the whole castle about how he felt but oh, it was so painfully obvious how dear u were to him. fighting for you and almost having laid his life down for you many times, protecting you the best he could.
‘he’s in the garden, love. please visit him, he can’t be there all night.’
you nodded, turning around and heading towards the entrance to the garden, sighing once you saw toji, sitting on a bench near a tall tree which began to shed its leaves, the cold season approaching slowly.
‘can i join?’
you asked softly, noticing how the knight didn’t even look your way but nodded, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, it being evident that there was something which was leaving a bitter taste in the man’s mouth.
he didn’t budge an inch once you sat down next to him, the silence unprovoked and somewhat mellow, both of you staring at the moon for a while, unsure how to break it.
‘i care for you, princess.’
you stayed silent, having a tight feeling in your chest but knowing that the knight wanted to say more, giving him the space that he so desperately needed, seeming like there was a lot that he wanted to say.
‘i’ve cared for you ever since the first day i met you and it pains me to see other princes try to win your heart. i know it is foolish and selfish of me to think like this but i cannot help but be jealous of them, of how close they get to you, how they can talk to you, have your attention for how long they please even though i can see they do not appreciate it. being able to hold you and kiss your hand is all i wish for and they seem to take it for granted. i would do anything for you, princess. anything to protect you, to keep you safe and sound, anything. just seeing you with another prince, makes me furious and i cannot bear to watch and pretend it doesn’t affect me. my feelings for you are greater than my pride which is why i cannot ignore them no longer. i know it’s selfish of me to say but i would do anything for you and i’m certain none of those men would care about you the way i do. i’m in love with you.’
you both sat there quietly, your heart beating hard that you could almost feel it in your ears, getting that nervous tremble in your hands, looking to the ground, not knowing what to say, there was so much you wanted to, but seeing the knight so upset, it hurt you so much that it knocked out the ability to speak for you.
the knight stood up, understanding that this conversation wouldn’t continue and all he wanted to say, was already said, leaving the garden and you with your thoughts scattered all over, your lower lip trembling as you played with your fingers nervously, wanting to say something so badly, maybe stop the male and tell him how oblivious and stupid you were.
but not a single sound left you but those quiet sobs, head tilted downward, hearing the man’s footsteps disappear into the night.
-
you woke up few days later, not having spoken to the knight since the night in the garden, your feelings so messy yet clear, not knowing how to approach toji as he seemed to put on the mask of the untouchable strong guard.
though you’d never notice the glances he gave you whenever you weren’t looking, longing for you, wanting to hear your voice badly, craving any sort of closeness or interaction with you.
you were supposed to meet the prince from last time again but the kingdom quickly learned your decision to cut contact between you and him, not giving any explanation to anyone and closing yourself off in your room.
you haven’t gone out all day, not even for your evening walk around the garden, the maidens having given up on trying to convince you to change your mind, accepting your decision.
a firm knock at your door made you turn your head, sat by the window and staring down at the pond which acted as a mirror for the beautiful moon, deep in your thoughts. all of them being about toji of course.
you let out a soft ‘yes?’ in reply to the knocks, turning your head back towards the view, expecting it to be one of the maidens yet again to try and change your mind.
‘i said i-‘
you stopped once you heard those familiar heavy footsteps and the door closing quietly. you would recognize toji no matter what. you stayed quiet.
he sat down next to you, your eyes meeting his for the first time since the night in the garden, your heart racing yet you kept your composure.
‘i came to apologize. i despise the tension i created between you and i and i hate seeing you like this, princess. i let my emotions get the worst out of me and lashed it all out on you. i understand my feelings are one sided and-‘
you couldn’t stand it. it was too much to bear, hearing the male apologize for something that didn’t need to be forgiven.
your lips gently grazed his for a brief second before the distance was broken by both of you, your hand immediately going to the male’s scarred cheek, caressing it as his hands went to your waist, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you so so close, never wanting to let go.
‘don’t talk any longer, knight. i don’t wish to hear any of it.’ you whispered against his lips, foreheads joined as you took his hand and held it close and oh so dearly, looking into his eyes.
he smiled at you sheepishly, it causing the corners of your mouth to curl up as well, glad to see this side of the male again. knowing you were the only one to experience this.
he took you up in his arms, your fragile frame now resting in his lap as he kissed you one more time, maybe to prove to his mind that this was no longer a dream but reality. reality in which he’d happily do anything to make his princess happy.