Chapter Text
Atop a grassy hill overlooking the Kingdom of Rea stood a fortified stone castle. Though the kingdom did not face many threats at the moment, there was once a time when the stone walls of the castle had trembled under attacks and sieges from neighboring kingdoms. Despite its long history, it was still a glamorous castle, polished with stained glass windows allowing light into the expansive building.
The right side of the castle was slightly higher than the left, a single tower rising above the guard turrets that stood on either side. The princess’s tower.
“Ava, get down here! Your new personal guard is here.” Ava rolled her eyes and sighed, not bothering to down from her reading nook that overlooked the castle library.
Her advisor must be having a slow week if he thought putting another guard on her would help. She had been throwing off her guards since she was 12, sneaking off on her own to the village, or forest, or frankly anywhere but the castle. It was suffocating being followed everywhere she went, so she frequently gave her guards the slip just to get some alone time.
Ava Silva was a princess, though she would become queen on her 18th birthday. Her parents had died when she was young in a freak carriage accident that Ava had barely survived, making Ava Silva the sole heir to the crown at the ripe age of 7.
Because she was so young, an intermediary advisor had been appointed to “guide” her until her birthday. She wouldn’t really consider Duretti a guide, though. More like a pain in her ass. She hated not having power right now, not being able to pass all the laws and decisions that she thought fair until her birthday.
Duretti currently had the power to make decisions in the kingdom, though they also required her approval. He definitely hated having the same amount of power as a 17 year old, especially a girl. Ava could see the hatred in his eyes sometimes. After she looked past how annoying punchable his face was, of course.
Her birthday was rapidly approaching in 3 months time. All she had to do was make it to the Summer Solstice and the crown would be hers. Ava spent hours and hours daily thinking of all the things she would do as queen. There were so many outdated rules in place now that needed to be rewritten and so many new rules that needed to be written. Occasionally, she slipped into the village in disguise to put herself in the shoes of her people. In the present, she had been sketching out plans for upgrading the village orphanage.
“Princess, please get down from the overhang.” Fuck, they pulled Jillian into this? Ava groaned inwardly at hearing the firm voice of the castle sorceress. The imposing blonde figure stood below, feet planted and arms crossed. Ava heaved a dramatic sigh and vaulted down easily from her reading nook, landing onto the floor with a thump.
Jillian Salvius was one of the few people that Ava trusted with her life in the castle. She was smart, kind, and ridiculously powerful. She was the one who had healed Ava after the carriage accident. Ava remembered feeling numb, frail in the knights’ arms as they carried her back to the castle. The sinking panic of trying to move her hand and feeling nothing in return was forever burned into her brain. She was eternally indebted to Jillian for whatever magic she had done to heal Ava (and Jillian liked to remind Ava of such).
“Hey, Jillian.” Ava leaned in and gave Jillian’s cheek a quick peck before stepping back with a cheeky smile. Her smile had gotten her out of a lot of trouble, and she was hoping this wouldn’t be the exception.
“Ava, you know Duretti doesn’t want you up there.” Jillian scolded Ava, but the twinkle in her eye said otherwise. Ava knew that she didn’t like Duretti either, the two had been butting heads for as long as Ava could remember.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m almost queen, yet he still tries to treat me like a kid.” Ava puffed her cheeks in exasperation. “So where’s this new guard? Does he really think another guard could keep up with me?”
“I believe I can.” A low voice sounded from behind Jillian, and Ava tilted her head. I get a woman this time? I mean, not that a woman can’t be a guard. Just… they’ve always been men before.
The wooden floorboard of the library creaked as Ava’s new guard stepped forward, and holy shit.
Brown hair with blonde highlights pulled back into a neat bun. A smattering of freckles across her face. Warm, chocolate-colored eyes. This new guard was a smokeshow. The guard also towered over Ava, almost a head taller than her.
“Duretti, you lovely bastard,” Ava muttered under her breath. Duretti had finally done something right. With a guard this attractive, Ava wouldn’t be fighting to get rid of her. Smokeshow guard was free to follow her around, anytime. The guard furrowed her brow, a crinkle forming in her forehead. She wore no armor, just a simple black tunic with a sword tied at her waist.
“Pardon?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m Ava! It’s lovely to meet you. I guess we’ll be spending a lot of time together,” Ava held her hand out, a charming smile flashing across her face.
The guard’s handshake was firm and Ava felt a little weak by the eye contact she held. Maybe that was her game. Distract Ava so much that she couldn’t sneak out to the village.
“Beatrice, Captain of the Order.” Beatrice had a mesmerizing voice and it took Ava a second to process what she had said. When her brain finally caught up Ava paused.
What? She’s a OCS Knight? And the captain? What the fuck is Duretti up to?
Ava shot a look at Jillian, who returned the look with a level gaze. Ava waited for Jillian to express some kind of incredulity. Assigning a Knight of the Order of the Cruciform Sword as Ava’s personal guard was like beating a mosquito with a hammer. They were supposedly the most elite soldiers in the kingdom, not glorified babysitters like her other guards. She looked back and forth between Beatrice and Jillian before she finally cracked.
“Okay, what the fuck? What has he done this time?”
“Ava.” Jillian’s serious voice could usually stop Ava in her tracks, but not this time.
“No, Jillian. A Knight of the Order? This is fucking ridiculous! I want to see him now.” Ava turned on her heel, intent on raining hell down on Duretti.
She was stopped by a firm grasp on her arm, and she slowly turned around to face the Knight, whose composed expression didn’t wither in the slightest under her furious gaze.
“What, he’s got you on that tight of a leash, Captain Beatrice?” Ava growled in frustration, tugging at her arm. She was a little indignant that she couldn’t get Beatrice to even budge though she had used quite a bit of force. The woman was as solid as a rock. Which was to be expected, nobody ever got through the Order’s hellish training by being weak.
“It was me, Ava. I requested that Beatrice be assigned to you.” Jillian shot a pleading look at Ava. Ava froze, her mouth dropping slightly in shock.
“ You, Jillian? How could you!” Ava felt betrayed. Jillian knew how much she valued her freedom, being able to get away from her stifling life and just see the outside world. If Beatrice was half as good as the rumors of the Order suggested, escaping her would be a pipe dream. Ava would never get to go down to the village as a commoner again. She would never get to be truly alone, and get that breathing space that she so desperately craved after having the weight of being the ruler of the kingdom beating down on her shoulders during a long day.
The Order of the Cruciform Sword was a division of the Rea army that served solely the Royal family. It was the highest honor to be skilled enough to be trusted with guarding the rulers of the Kingdom, and not one that was given to many. There were usually around 8 or 10 Knights of the Order at one time, each elite fighters in their own rights.
Ava had never really paid much attention to the Knights, since she had no real use for them. She spent most of her time on improving areas of the village, not the military. The Knights of the Order were only used heavily in times of war, for important missions like assassinations or intelligence operations. She, like most of the kingdom, grew up on stories of the superhuman-like feats that the Knights of the past had accomplished.
And this gorgeous specimen was apparently one of them. Ava tried to calm her racing thoughts, but she knew that her emotions were getting the better of her. Jillian was one of the only people that she really trusted in the whole kingdom, and this was a betrayal. Ava felt anger burning through her, and she knew she had to get away before she blew up at one of the few people she trusted.
Snatching her arm away from Beatrice’s grasp, Ava turned on her heel and stormed off towards her tower.
It was unnerving, how quiet her new tail was. Even with a sword attached to her side, Beatrice made so little noise that Ava didn’t even know she had followed her out of the castle library until she went to slam the door to her room. Beatrice caught the door easily and slipped inside.
Ava whipped around, breathing heavily.
“Get out.” her voice shook with anger.
The Knight didn’t budge, her arms folded behind her as her frame filled the doorway of Ava’s room. There was no indication that she had even heard what Ava had said, since she didn’t move a muscle. As still as she was, it looked like she could be put in a museum. The slight shadows in Ava’s room just served to make her muscles look like they were etched out in stone. She was so distractingly attractive, Ava was finding it hard to be angry. But she had to focus. Jillian had appointed a Knight of the Order to be her guard? Why?
The Knights hadn’t been used in recent years, at least that Ava knew of, since the kingdom was at peace. She would know if anything called for them to be used, since she sat in those boring war room meetings with the old stinky men (okay, just a couple of them were stinky).
Although Ava mostly led with her heart and not her head, she knew there had to be something she was missing. She paced the room, biting her lip. Ava forced herself to think logically about this. Jillian had always had Ava’s best interests at heart. She was like a second mom to her. Maybe Jillian had gotten word about some danger to Ava and decided that this was the best course of action. But what? Rea had been peaceful for almost a decade.
Maybe she could get something out of this new little Knight. Ava ceased her pacing and glanced at Beatrice, who was still standing in the same spot, as still as a statue. The only movement was her head as she followed Ava’s movements around the room. Ava shoved aside the rising feeling of embarrassment at having to speak to someone who had witnessed her tantrum.
“You would know. What did Jillian tell you when she assigned you to be my guard?”
Beatrice tilted her head, hesitating for a moment before she replied,
“I’m not at the liberty to say.” Her voice was infuriatingly neutral to Ava.
Calm, Ava. It’s okay. Don’t be an ass. Don’t be an-
“What the fuck do you mean you’re not at the liberty to say?” Ava took several steps until she was face to face with Beatrice, their faces only a few inches apart.
“I’m the princess of Rea, who do you answer to if not me?”
A tick formed in Beatrice’s jaw and her eyes narrowed. She leaned dangerously close to Ava, who was engulfed by scents of smoke and sandalwood.
“I don’t answer to you, princess. I protect you.”
“From what?” Ava’s voice had dropped to a whisper. She fought to hold Beatrice’s heavy gaze, ignoring the urge to glance down at her lips. The proximity was muddling her mind. If she leaned forward just a bit, their lips would connect. Fuck. Beatrice had really nice lips.
After a tense moment, Beatrice stepped back. Ava tried to ignore the way her body instinctively stepped forward to follow Beatrice, like she was magnetically drawn to her.
Because she wasn’t. This attractive guard was only going to be a hindrance to her, something that she needed to get rid of.
Next day…
Ava awoke with a great yawn, stretching her arms. Her four-poster bed was one of her favorite things in the world. Even after Jillian had healed her from the accident, she still had aches and pains occasionally. The bed helped to lessen those pains, made of some heavenly soft material from somewhere far away from Rea.
The rest of Ava’s room was understated with some ornate details. She had a balcony that overlooked the town below, and she spent most of her time in the library or watching the townsfolk from her balcony. Or sneaking out, until now. Ava’s mood suddenly soured.
“Good morning.” A voice came from somewhere in the corner of the room, and Ava shrieked and threw a pillow in the general direction. It flopped uselessly on the floor.
“WHAT THE FUCK!” Her heartbeat sped wildly until she finally spotted Beatrice, who was leaning in the corner of her room near her dresser. Beatrice’s face was impassive but there was an amused glint in her eye. She probably did that on purpose.
“How did you get in?” Ava asked once her breathing had slowed. Her door was still locked, or so it seemed. She remembered locking it after dinner, snickering to herself about her new plan to simply stay in her room until her new guard got bored.
“I have my ways.” Beatrice replied shortly. She wore a simple black tunic and pants, her swordbelt slung low around her hips. Another simple outfit, a little unusual for someone of her caliber to wear. Usually, higher-ranked officers in the army wore collared shirts with medallions declaring their rank and ornate swords that were more decorative than useful. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun with no loose strands. Her eyes seemed a little lighter today, a golden-yellow color.
Ava had always been comfortable with her sexuality. Rea was not a judgemental kingdom, for the most part. She had known that she liked girls ever since she was young and harbored a secret crush on her mom’s maid. Over the years, she’d had passing flirtations with both boys and girls, but nothing that lasted. It didn’t bother Ava, though. She knew that most people were more attracted to the idea of her, the idea of kissing a princess, than actually getting to know her, so she was fine with casual.
Anyways, Ava could admire attractive individuals, and Beatrice was one fine specimen. She was tall and carried herself with a quiet confidence. The way she spoke too, her low voice measured and authoritative, would be enough to have most people in shambles. Usually, Beatrice would be exactly Ava’s type, but she had things to do that she knew Beatrice wouldn’t allow.
“Is there a reason you broke into my room, or do you usually just watch girls sleep?” Ava inquired, false sweetness dripping into her voice.
Beatrice looked almost flustered for a moment and Ava felt triumphant. Her current game plan was to get under Beatrice’s skin until she resigned from her duties as Ava’s guard. No guard meant that Ava could go about her usual business. Sneaking into town, riding horseback alone, all the good things in life.
Time for maneuver number 1.
“I need to change,” Ava announced, heading towards her dresser. She didn’t have a personal maid since she believed it was frivolous and posh (the money would be better spent on food for the townsfolk, in her opinion).
Beatrice nodded stiffly, stepping aside to give Ava room.
“Alright, I’ll be outside then. Call me back in when you are done.” She turned and left Ava’s room, closing the door behind her.
Bingo.
Ava rustled through her dresser, throwing on a blouse and pants haphazardly. Speed was of the essence in this plan. She crouched under her bed and felt around until she found the item she was looking for: a thick braided rope.
Hooking the rope around one post of her bed, Ava dragged the rest of the rope to the balcony and tossed it off the side.
“Here goes nothing.” she muttered, yanking the rope a few times to check that it was secure.
Her room was the highest point of the castle. Not an ideal place to sneak out of, but she could make it work. She probably had about 5 minutes at best before Beatrice got suspicious. She could climb down and disappear into the woods by that point.
Shimmying down the rope was unpleasant and a bit nerve-racking. The rope pressed into her hands and scraped her pants, but she kept going until she finally reached the base of the tower.
“Phew.” Ava bent over to catch her breath for a moment, before turning around to head for the woods.
Her path was blocked by an unfortunate obstacle.
Ava blinked a few times, convinced she was hallucinating. She knew that she had just left Beatrice up in her tower. There was no possible explanation for how she had gotten down so quickly. And by the looks of it, she showed no signs of exertion. Maybe she had teleported. But that kind of magic was too powerful, something that hadn’t been seen in centuries, at least.
There was magic in Rea, but it was dwindling. Less and less sorcerers and magic users were being produced in each generation. Ava remembered her parents discussing it when she was younger but it wasn’t a topic that was brought up frequently.
Beatrice moving towards Ava made her snap back into the present. She leaned against the wall about a foot away from Ava, crossing her arms.
“Going somewhere?” There was definitely an amused glint in Beatrice’s eye now.
“Oh, Beatrice! Funny seeing you here…” Ava looked left and right for an escape route. Maybe she could distract Beatrice and still make a break for it…
“Don’t bother. I don’t think you could outrun me.” Beatrice smirked and Ava’s traitorous heart flipped. We need to be focusing on the mission, stupid heart, Ava said inwardly.
Beatrice held her hand out towards Ava, who blinked at it. Beatrice tilted her head questioningly as the pause stretched for longer than a few seconds.
“I’ll escort you wherever you’d like to go.” Beatrice said, her hand still outreached. Her palm was open. Ava finally realized she was offering for Ava to take her hand. It was such a small, old-fashioned gesture that Ava snorted. Of course the captain of the Order was well trained in chivalry.
“Thanks. I guess chivalry isn’t dead.” Ava said, batting her eyelashes dramatically at Beatrice. She had done it as a joke, but she felt strangely satisfied when Beatrice averted her gaze, a hint of red creeping up her neck.