The Royal Family | Chapter Three
The Royal Family | Chapter Three
Summary: When two royal family’s decide to conjoin their countries, they arrange a marriage between their eldest children. Once the two royals meet, it takes a lot of convincing before they are ready to begin their reign together...
Warning: sexual tension, flirting, mentions of injury
Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader
Type: The Royal Family Series
MASTERLIST
The light streaks through the boughs in both brilliant and shadowy beams. In the summertime they were white gold, illuminating the greens into virescent riots; yet the gift of those warm days has passed for the season. On the wintry days, the togs cast those same beams of light into sepia tones, and the woodland becomes the most beautiful of photographs. The trunks of fallen trees bare icicles longer than my hand, no two of them the same- more enchanting than any work of man.
Every twig and blade of grass grows winter "leaves" of ice crystals, frost thicker than the fleece in gloves. And never is the woodland silent, though it is quieter than any village street for sure. There are the birds above, calling, pecking for grubs. There is the movement of mammals, mostly small, sometimes not. There is the water that flows quietly until it meets the sharp rocky scree slopes and forms the raging waterfalls. The winter season was upon them.
The young princess was standing near her bedroom window, gazing at the beautiful landscape. Her eyes followed the small snowflakes littering the morning sky. The princess's eyes softened upon watching the snowfall in the early morning breeze. It was calming, almost relaxing.
"Your Highness," Elsie called behind her. The princess had turned her head to look over the small stretch of her shoulder, staring directly at the young servant standing in her presence. The young servant was holding a neatly wrapped present in her hands. She had been told to deliver it to the princess’s bedchambers.
“Yes?” Princess Y/N spoke.
"This came for you," Elsie claimed. The young servant had carefully placed the present on a nearby table. She took a step back. She bowed her head in respect.
The princess had furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She was quick to walk towards the nearby table. She dropped her gaze to stare down at the neatly wrapped present. She could see a small note attached to the side of the package. She squinted her eyes to read the fine print of her own name.
“Who sent this?" Princess Y/N wondered.
"P-Prince Thomas," the servant said, stumbling over her words. "Says he nearly searched all of England trying to find it. It's quite rare to find...this time of year," the servant further explained.
"Well, you send my regards to Prince Thomas. Would you do that for me?" the princess of the east questioned. The servant nodded her head before taking a step back, curtsying for the princess. The servant turned around and walked towards the door, preparing to leave.
The princess of the east had turned her attention back towards the large present in front of her. She had taken the top off the present.. She set it to the side. Then she leaned forward to look into the nearly hollow box. Her eyes widened in realization.
Carefully, the princess slipped her hands into the contents of the box. She took hold of the gift. She pulled the small gift out of the box. She stared at the beautiful creation in utter disbelief. In her hands was a crown made of mostly white roses, which were her favorite flower (changed that). She could feel a small smile growing at the corners of her lips.
The princess looked at the crown of white roses, marveling over the natural beauty. She quickly turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. She lifted her hands, placing the small crown on her head. She had only wondered if he had crafted this himself.
Without hesitation, the princess of the east had turned to walk back toward the present on the table. She grabbed the small note attached to the present. She brought the note closer to her face, flipping the note over to read the back of it. It read:
the smallest things can warm the heart
The princess's soft pink lips curved into a smile. She had strode towards her vanity, sticking the small note into the wedge between the white polished wood and the shiny mirror. She smiled to herself again. What a thoughtful gift...
The northern prince was currently laying on the back, staring up at the ceiling of his quarters. His younger brother (Sam) was sitting in a nearby chair, reading over a letter that his mother had sent to him that morning. His other brother (Harry) was standing near the fireplace, looking into the mirror that hung above the mantlepiece.
"Your mother is asking about you, Thomas," King Dominic said. The elderly man was sitting at his writing desk, reading over the last letter from his beloved wife. He turned his head and looked at the letter again, reading over her fine message. "She is asking about this girl of yours,” King Dominic claimed.
"She is not my girt...not yet," Thomas mumbled quietly to himself.
"Tell me, brother," Harry said. He found himself spinning around on the heels of his feet to face his brother. He folded his arms across his chest. "When are you going to start calling on her? It's been nearly six months since we arrived. She is of age now. It's not deemed inappropriate or forbidden. When will you start courting her?" Harry wondered.
Hesitantly, Thomas turned his head and looked at his younger brother. He breathed a deep sigh and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "I am calling on her," Thomas said in a low voice.
"What?" King Dominic said. He had completely disregarded the letter in his hands now. His eyes widened in surprise. The other princes were slightly taken back. The two of them leaned forward in anticipation, wondering how their brother could pull off such a thing.
"What? How are you calling on her?" Prince Harry asked. He took one single step forward in his place. His arms were still folded across his chest. He seemed to only narrow his eyes at his brother like he was trying to challenge his words.
"I sent her flowers and...a note," Thomas said quietly. He had shifted into a sitting position on the couch. His legs swung over the side of the couch and placed his forearms on his knees, leaning forward in his place. He looked down at his hands, twiddling with his fingers nervously.
"You sent her flowers?" Prince Sam repeated. He was trying to ponder and process his older brother’s words, playing them over in his mind to find any flaws. “And a note?” Prince Sam also added.
"Y-Yes, I sent her white roses. There are her favorite flower. She told me months ago that her mother used to braid them into her hair. They remind the princess of her mother. I-I thought she might like to have some. So I sent them," the prince said, shrugging his shoulders in defeat .
"Where on earth did you find wild roses in the month of December?" Prince Harry wondered. His lips tugged into a devilish grin. He was just teasing his older brother. He could see the evident blush on his brother’s face.
"It was an appealing thought. I am sure she greatly appreciated your kind gift," King Dominic claimed. He nodding his head in acceptance. "Though, I am afraid that is not considered calling on someone,” King Dominic concluded.
"It's not?" Prince Thomas wondered.
"No," King Dominic said. He shook his head at him. He was quick to stand to his feet so that he could approach his oldest son. He had lifted his hand to place it on his son’s shoulder. "Courting is not simply about sending flowers to your significant other," King Dominic explained.
"Then...then what is it?" Prince Thomas questioned. He had turned his head to look at his father for an explanation. He watched his dear father sink into the seat right beside him on the couch. He was trying to collect his thoughts on the matter.
“Courting...courting is about intentionally bridling a foundation for marriage. It is a period of agreement entered between two people in love for them to be able to know each other between. It is a period of clarification that both participants are read and suited for a life-long companionship,” King Dominic further explained.
The young prince had taken those words to heart. He nodded his head understandingly. He was heavily relying on his father for assistance and guidance. He wanted to do things the right way.
"It's clarity. You shouldn't make a permeant decision for your temporary emotion. It a time for both of you to hopefully realize that you two we made for each other," King Dominic added.
The prince had turned his head to look down at his hands. He forced himself to swallow the heavy lump lingering at the back of his throat. He was slowly nodding his head in confirmation. The king had not taken his hand away from his son’s shoulder, keeping a firm grip on it. He did not hesitate to look down at his dear son with the softest and kindest smile on his face. He spoke his name softly.
"It is your destiny to marry her,” King Dominic concluded. The young prince had turned his head to look down at his hands again. His shoulders had slumped down at his sides. He shook his head. He had denied his father's words.
"I am not so sure she agrees to that," Prince Thomas mumbled to himself. He had this unsettling feeling down in the pit of his stomach. He gnawed on the inside of his cheek. He was thinking to himself.
“It may take some time," King Dominic agreed with him. He had nodded his head understandingly. He had dipped his head down to get a better view of his son. He could see the evident look of conflict in his son’s eyes.
"But father," Prince Thomas begun. "I have never called on a woman before. I haven't even had my first kiss yet. I cannot woo her or make any romantic gestures. I-I don't know how to act around her. How can you expect me to start courting when I have no experience at all?" Prince Thomas explained.
"You do not need experience to love someone," King Dominic said with a simple shake of the head.
The northern prince had turned his head to look at his father, tilting his head to the side in bewilderment. He repeated those words in his head. He couldn’t seem to say anything in response. Instead, Prince Thomas had leaned forward and listened intently to his father's wise words. He was most eager to hear more.
"When you kiss her, take your time. There is no place you'd rather be. You should kiss, but not like you're waiting for something else to happen like your hands going beneath her skirt or tangled in her corset strings. Nothing like that," the northern king said, waving his hand in the air.
The other brothers had been quick to direct their attention to the conversation. The two of them were looking at their father with the same spark of curiosity. The princes’ eyes were practically sparkling, listening intently to their father's love written poetry. They were making mental notes in their head.
"You ought to kiss her with a curious childish delight. You should laugh into her mouth, inhale her sighs, and swallow her moans. You should kiss her with her face in your hands or your hands in her hair. You need to put her closer by the waist, embrace her, hold her,” King Dominic continued.
At the given moment, Prince Thomas was too caught up in his father’s beautiful description. He had dropped his chin into the cup of his hand. He was staring directly at his father with this look of childish curiosity on his face. He had audibly sighed at his fine words.
"Take your time with her, boy. Treat her like the princess she is. You need to love her, ravish her. You should kiss her like the first and last piece of chocolate you're ever going to taste. You should savor her and savor the moment shared between the two of you,” King Dominic claimed.
Slowly, the King of the North had shifted his hand from his son’s shoulder to his backside. He patted his back once or twice. He found himself leaning forward in his place to make some final remarks.
“Kiss her..until she forgets how to count. Kiss her silent. Kiss her passionately. Kiss her lovingly. Come away, ask her a question —any question in the world— and I can guarantee you...she will say your name in answer,” King Dominic believed.
The young prince's lips curved into a soft smile. He was quick to turn his head away from his father. He had tried to hide the evident blush flooding his cheeks at the moment. He silently laughed to himself.
“You do not need experience to love someone. You should already know —in your heart— that she is the one for you. You do not need consultation. You do not need a previous failed experience. You should already know that she is the one. You should already know that you love her,” King Dominic concluded.
With great hesitation, Prince Thomas had dropped his gaze to stare down at his hands lingering in the contents of his lap. He nodded his head in confirmation. He had forced himself to swallow the nervous lump at the back of his throat. He was fiddling with his fingers in a nervous manner.
"Now the question is..." King Dominic said. He had shifted closer to his oldest son. He had turned his head to look down at his son’s face with a small hint of curiosity in his eyes. He spoke: "Do you love her?"
The young prince lifted his head and looked at his dear father sitting beside him. He didn’t even that there were fresh tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He had blinked once to force the tears down his cheeks. He pondered his thoughts for a brief moment. He nodded his head in answer to his father's question.
"Yes," Thomas breathed. "I love her."
It was an odd time of the year. The white snow would graciously fall down from the heavens, but the snow didn’t like to stay on the earth for very long. The snow would easily melt away once the sun had risen over the line of the horizon. The temperature was still low, but it wasn’t low enough to keep the snow from staying a little longer. It had rained the night prior.
The sweet surrendering scent of the morning dew filled the forest with a scent that did not belong on earth. The leaves from the tall trees by scattered on the forest floor; each of them turning brittle brown; there was a sound that crunched underfoot, pushing their papery dry remains deep into the soft soil. The dark shadows of the voluminous trees and the surrounding bushes had become the backbone of the forest, standing as passive protectors of a peaceful place.
The rain fell down the blades of grass into the already wet soil, the droplets pausing on the surface before being sucked into the dark particles. The soil was so damp that the worms had surfaced to breathe and the crows fluttered over the grass with their inky wings, each of them eating at the sudden buffet. The earth was the richest tone having bathed in the rain.
The young princess was seated side-saddle on her black horse. She had taken the time to admire the beauty of the forest around her. She was relishing in the sweet scent of the damp forest ground. She had planned to go on a ride with the princes. The two princes were sitting on their own horses, standing at a short distance. They exchanged a small look.
"You must forgive us," Prince Sam began. The princess snapped out of her daze before directing her attention to the two princes in front of her. She raised her eyebrows at them, mentally questioning them to enlighten her.
"Our brother," Prince Harry explained. "He is usually not this late. We could have been off on the trail by now if it hadn't been for his unusual tardiness," Harry said, shaking his head.
"Tis fine," Princess Y/N claimed. "I am a patient person."
The princess looked away from the two princes, humming softly to herself in contentment. She closed her eyes and breathed a small sigh. She was basking in the beauty of the forest. There, she convinced herself that she could wait a few extra minutes for him to arrive for their ride through the forest.
In a few minutes, the older prince trotted down the long dirt pathway on his white steed. He slowly approached the small group on his horse, pulling the reigns until the horse carne to a halt. The prince did not hesitate to apologize for being late.
"I am sorry," Prince Thomas said. "My father wished to speak with me upon the matters of my inheritance. He would not let me leave the study until all the details were sorted out. I am here now."
Slowly, Prince Thomas had turned his head to look directly at Princess Y/N. When he looked at her, it was as if every ounce of breath was taken from his lungs. He could feel the whole world coming to a slow stop. His bright brown eyes were sparkling at the mere sight of her, gazing at her with a hint of interest in his eyes.
The two princes had turned their heads to exchange a well-knowing look. They were easily able to see that the two lovebirds were lost in each other's gaze. They had planned something in their heads.
"Dearest brother," Prince Harry said. He gently tugged on the reigns of his horse. "I'll race you to the end of the small pond for thirty pounds," Prince Harry tempted his twin.
“You're on,” Prince Sam yelled.
Together, the two boys clicked their heels against the side of the horse. The two horses darted off down the pathway, racing each other to see who would reach the pond first The two boys had found themselves forcing their horses to run faster, whipping the reigns. They clicked their tongues to encourage the horses to race to the very end.
Once out of sight, the prince and princess were left alone to themselves. They were unattended and unsupervised. Slowly, Prince Thomas dismounted his horse by throwing his leg off the side of the mighty steed. He jumped down off his horse, holding onto the saddle for support. He walked towards the princess's horse, staring deeply into her eyes.
The prince had shifted to approach the side of the horse. He did not hesitate to lift his hand, stroking the horse's mane in a calming way. He turned his head and looked up at the young princess staring down at him. He offered his other hand to her.
Slowly, the princess had lowered her hands onto the prince’s shoulders for support. The prince placed his hands on her waist before hoisting her off the saddle of the horse. He pulled her closer into his embrace, holding her firmly for a brief second. They stared into each other’s eyes, feeling lost in the world of emotion.
The young prince lowered the princess onto her own two feet, setting her down on the ground. They held onto each other for a moment, staring into each other’s captivating eyes. The two of them were quite hesitant to pull away from each other. They stood in an awkward silence for a brief moment.
“I never had the chance to thank you for the flowers by the way,” Princess Y/N cleared her throat. She had sheepishly lowered her gaze to stare down at her hands, hoping to find the blush on her cheeks.
“You're welcome,” Prince Thomas replied. His lips had curved into the most genuine smile in the world. He was just able to see the small blush on her cheeks. It made his heart soar.
“Wherever did you find them?” Princess Y/N wondered. She had lifted her head to look up at him with this spark of curiosity in her eyes. She had subconsciously shuffled on the heels of her feet, standing at attention.
“I have my ways,” Thomas chuckled softly to himself. He didn't want to spoil it for her, so he choose to be as vague as possible. He could see his two brothers growing smaller and smaller in the distance. He turned his head to look back down at the princess of the east standing in front of him. “Shall we take a walk?” Thomas suggested.
The two royals had chosen to take a different pathway for their walk. It wasn’t even a real path at all. The forest did not seem to have any path. In the forest the sky vanishes almost completely, only a few fragments of blue remain- like scattered pieces of an impossible jigsaw puzzle. The air is rich with the fragrance of leaves and loam. Even so many hours after the rains have passed, the soil remains quite damp.
The only movement is the occasional bird, startling in a trees or a squirrel dashing up a nearby trunk. The sound of running water in the brook has the same hypnotic quality as music. The huckleberries are mostly red tart but with just the right amount of sweetness.
The two lovebirds had turned their and looked at each other as if they could already read each other's minds. In an instant, the two royals had started running through the vast forest. They could feel the smiles growing on their faces as the adrenaline pumped through their veins.
The air had that smell of woodland before a rain, perhaps above the canopy, there are clouds fit to burst. It was dark for that time of day, no perhaps soon the filtered light will be accompanied by water droplets. The woodland floor was a million hues of brown, the crisp leaves from the tree had fallen some time ago. Some acorns littered the ground, having tumbled down from the tall pine trees.
The trees were veiled in the lightest of mists, their trunks sombre brown with sable cracks that gnarl the bark. The vines and roots twisted beneath the canopy of leaves on the damp floor of the forest. The trees grew thicker at the trunks. The couple raced deeper and dee er into the dark forest.
The prince had taken off his riding cap as they raced keeping into the forest. The princess was holding onto the skirt of her dress, making sure she didn't trip or fall as she ran. She turned her head and looked behind her, laughing at the prince chasing her.
The princess didn't seem to notice the small incline nearing closer to her feet. A small hill —nothing too steep— was growing closer as they farther they raced. In a split second, the princess's foot caught underneath an uprooted vine. The princess tripped over the vine, falling down the small incline instantly. She gasped to herself. She had hoped that the prince would catch her, but it was far too late now.
The prince's eyes widened in realization. The prince extended his hand, hoping to grab onto her before she fell on her back. Their fingers brushed together, but it was not enough to pull her to safety. The princess landed in a heap of leaves, hitting the solid dam forest round hard. She could feel the wind getting knocked out of her. She lay there for a brief moment.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Prince Thomas wondered. He was quick to drop down to her side. He had lifted his hand to hover over her body, checking for any exterior signs of injury. But he wouldn’t touch her without permission.
The princess had lifted her hand towards the front of her face, roughly brushing her hair out of the way. She didn’t seem to tear her dress (thankfully), but the silky material was absolutely drenched in wet mud. She could feel this sharp white pain in her ankle. She whimpered softly to herself for the pain was growing stronger with each passing second.
"M-My ankle. I must have twisted it," Princess Y/N groaned. She had gripped onto the skirt of her dress, maybe hoping that it would relieve her pain. The prince turned his head and looked in the direction of her feet. He directed his gaze back to her, choosing his next words very carefully.
"Mind if l have a look at it?" Prince Thomas questioned.
The princess turned her head to stare directly at him in disbelief. She had half expected to find this smug look on his face, but she was greeted by this look of innocence instead. He wasn’t joking or teasing her. He was being serious. He was staring down at her with the utmost look of worry and concern in his bright brown eyes.
It was not proper to have some boy looking underneath a woman's skirt, especially if she was unmarried. If a woman lifted her dress to show her ankle, it was considered very provocative. It was even worse since it was a flirtatious practice to gain attention or arouse interest. It would be deemed as indecent. It was a scandalize thought.
She wouldn’t dare...
He spoke her name softly. The princess of the east had blinked a few times, returning to reality. She turned her head and looked at her prince charming, contemplating whether or not to allow him to see her ankle. She forced herself to swallow the heavy lump in her throat before slowly nodding her head in agreement.
With some hesitation, Prince Thomas had shifted downwards to move past her legs. He maintained eye contact at all times; something only a gentleman would do. He turned his head and looked down at her large skirt. He reached down and grabbed a small handful of her dress skirt in his hands, lifting her dress to reveal her swollen ankle.
The hemline of the dress was pushed upwards, though it traveled no farther than her knee. He was gazing at the princess, mentally asking for her permission to continue. She found herself shifting in her place uncomfortably, thinking of how wrong it felt.
"I won't look at anything else," Prince Thomas reassured her. He had lowered his hand to grasp onto her ankle. He lifted her ankle to slip her shoe off her foot. He set her shoe to the side. Then he had lowered her foot to place it in his lap. Her white stockings were muddy and dirty, seeing as though she was running through a forest.
The prince's fingers wrapped around her ankle, drawing a gasp from her lips. He was quick to lift his head to her, staring directly at her with worry and concern in his eyes. He moved her ankle around to make sure nothing was broken. He grasped onto her foot with both his hands, feeling around for any broken bones.
"It...is a bit swollen," Prince Thomas acknowledged. "Does it hurt?"
"O-Only sometimes. I-It depends on where you are touching it," Princess Y/N explained, shifting slightly in her place. The prince nodded his head understandingly. He dropped his gaze to look down and examine her ankle once again. He tried to get a better view of her foot.
Her knees were bent in an upright position. The prince had to reframe himself from sneaking a peek at her bloomers which were almost on full display for him. He took a deep breathe, holding it for few moments. He could feel the rush of heat rising to his cheeks. He forced himself to look away, mentally acknowledging that the temptation was too great.
"Please, tell me when it hurts," Thomas said. He turned his head and looked at the princess. He moved his hands around her small ankle, feeling for any source of pain. "Here?" Thomas spoke softly.
The princess kept silent.
"Or here?" Thomas suggested. His hands had moved to another small point in her ankle. He tilted his head to the side for he noticed that she was not speaking up. Little did he know, she was still at a loss for words. He moved his hand again. "Here?" Thomas wondered.
"Oh," Princess Y/N said, moaning in pain. She flinched as soon as his hand pressed against the swollen mound. She had lowered her hand to grasp onto her skirt, shifting the material away from her ankle. Her eyes were squinted together, focusing on the pain in her ankle.
"There it is," Prince Thomas whispered. His lips had tugged into a small smile across his face. He could see the bright blush creeping onto her fragile face. "Do you think you can walk back to the palace?" Prince Thomas questioned.
She couldn't seem to form any words. She timidly shook her head in denial. She could only wonder what he would do if she couldn’t walk back to the place. He found himself smiling at her timid reaction. He did not hesitate to take her other shoe off her foot. He handed her the pair of shoes to hold for the moment.
Then Thomas had shifted to her side and laced his arm underneath her bent legs. He placed this other arm behind her back to support her. He lifted her into his arms like she weighed no more than a small child. He had started walking back towards the pathway. He was carrying her bridal style through the vast forest.
The princess was gazing at him like he was some knight in shining armor that he just saved her from a ferocious dragon. She had placed her hand on his broad chest to steady herself. Her dress was effortlessly flowing in the wind. Her little toes peeked out from her dress from the angle her was holding her.
Once the two royals had made it back to the path, the other brothers of the prince were waiting for them. The two of them were standing beside their horses. They were quick to step forward in their place. They stopped themselves once they saw the situation unfolding in front of them. Their eyes widened in realization.
"What the hell happened?" Harry questioned. He had shifted to stand beside his older brother. He took into account how the princess’s dress was muddy and tattered. He could also see that her hair was frizzed and frayed. He had just briefly seen her toes peeking out from her dress. He could only imagine what happened deep in those woods.
“The princess took a small tumble off an incline. She sprained her ankle. She needs to have a doctor look over it," Thomas explained to them. The two princes were scrambling to gather the horses. They needed to get back to the palace immediately.
"We can help you mount your horse, princess," Sam said, offering his assistance. The older prince had turned his head and looked at his younger brother in confusion. He furrowed his eyebrows at him.
"What? Are you joking? Do you really think she can ride her horse all the way back to the palace alone?" Thomas said, challenging his brothers. He could see his two brothers shaking their heads in response. "Of course not! She shall ride with me,” Thomas insisted with a nod of the head.
"Oh, t-that's not necessary," the princess said, pipping up. "I-I can ride my horse just fine. It’s only for a few miles,” the princess claimed.
"Nonsense," the prince said, stalking towards his white horse. He did not hesitate to hoist the young princess onto the saddle of his horse, securing her in place. He swung his leg over the horse behind her, mounting his horse properly.
The princess was seated in front of him, lacing her arms around his neck for security while her legs dangled off the same side of the horse. One thing was for sure, sitting side-saddle with someone accompanying you was no easy task. The prince laced his arms around the princess's waist, grabbing hold of the reigns. He clicked his tongue a few times to urge the horse down the pathway with his brothers trailing behind him.
Once the small group had returned to the palace, a flood of servants had hurried to them. The servants had been fretting over them. They asked a number of questions. The young prince dismounted his horse in an instant. He had shifted to take one single step forward in his place, but one footman had been quick to stop him.
“Would you like me to carry her highness into the palace?” the footman wondered. He hadn’t meant to be rude or noisy in the slightest bit. He was only trying to be useful and helpful. He was also trying to be a gentleman.
“No. It’s fine,” Thomas claimed. He had lifted his hands to her sides, grabbing onto her waist in a secure manner. She carefully slid off the horse and stood on her own two feet unsteadily. She had practically collapsed into his grasp upon feeling the tense pain in her ankle. But he was sure to catch her this time.
The young prince had swooped down to lift the princess into his arms, carrying her into the palace with the servants trailing behind them. The King of the North must have overheard all the commotion because he came hurrying towards his dearest daughter. He stopped to stand in front of them, reaching out to brush a few strands of hair out of her face.
"My lord," the King of the East exclaimed. He brought his hand to cup his mouth. His heart was practically clenching at her disheveled state. "What on earth happened to you, my girl?" the King of the East wondered.
"Really," Y/N sighed. She had turned her head to look at the various servants standing around them, believing that they were making a big deal out of absolutely nothing. "I'm fine. I just fell down and twisted my ankle. I-If it hadn't been for the prince, I wouldn't have ever been able to make it back to the palace. He saved me, father," Y/N claimed.
"Oh pish posh! No need to be so dramatic, my dear. If it hadn't been for your sense of clumsiness, you would have never been in this mess. Don’t go start making stories of your own,” the King of the East scolded her.
"Yes, father." Y/N agreed.
She hung her head down low. She was hoping to hide the tint of pink flooding her cheeks. She could feel a strong sense of embarrassment creeping over her. She choose to drop the matter. She didn’t want to argue with her father about it.
"If you wouldn't mind, I would like to carry her up to her room now" Thomas said. He had been quick to step forward to offer his assistance. He could feel her shifting in his grasp. “She might need a doctor to look at her ankle,” Thomas concluded.
"She resides in the northern quarters of the palace,” the King of the East stated. He had pointed his finger towards the grand staircase behind him. He shook his head at her one last time. The young prince had dipped his head down in acknowledgment. He started to walk towards the flight of stairs while carrying the princess in his arms.
They walked down the hallways of the palace until they came across the princess's chambers. The prince opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He walked towards her bed and laid her down carefully. He grabbed her shoes and set them to the side. He pull the large comforter over her body.
"I hope..." Thomas began. "You recover soon. That way we can walk in the gardens again...just like we used to," Thomas said. His voice had come out in a soft whisper.
"I am looking forward to it," Y/N said. She had slipped down into the comfort of her own bed, snuggling into the warm blankets. She held the comforter near her chin to hide the blush on her face.
"And..." Prince Thomas’ voice trailed off. He found himself rocking back and forth on the heels of his feet. His hands were laced behind his back. "In given time, I am going to need to ask you a question of importance," Prince Thomas said.
"Will this question have anything to do with our future together?" Princess Y/N wondered. She popped her pink lips into her mouth to hide the smile on her face. She could feel that her cheeks were burning this vibrant shade of pink. She was acting like a giddy schoolgirl.
"It might," Prince Thomas further teased. They smiled at each other and chuckled to themselves softly as to not be heard by the servants outside the bed chambers. Their laughter dialed down as they stared into each others eyes. They could both feel this unknown sensation growing stronger in the depths of their chests.
The young prince had carefully grabbed onto her hand holding onto the comforter. He pulled her hand towards his lips, pressing a small kiss to her knuckles. He had lingered just a moment longer than normal. He had lowered her hand back down onto the bed. He bowed in respect.
Slowly, Prince Thomas had started walking towards the door of her chambers. He grabbed onto the solid gold door handle. He had winked at her teasingly. He was sure to close to the solid wood door behind him.
In that moment, the young princess had nestled deeper into her large bed. She didn’t hold back the squeal of delight that slipped past her pink lips. She pulled the covers over her head and grabbed a pillow, forcing the pillow to her face. She screamed to herself in absolute delight though her screams were muffled by the pillow. In that moment, Princess Y/N knew that she was utterly and hopelessly in love with the prince of the north.
A few weeks later, the young princess was able to stand and walk without feeling any more pain in her ankle. There was a servant that opened the grand doors of her chambers. She popped her head through the door to encourage her fellow servant to hurry and finish up. The other servant was placing silver pins in the princess's hair, pulling it back nicely.
"Your Highness," the one servant said. She had turned her head to look over the small stretch of her shoulder in fear that one of her advisors would come for her hide. “The prince is calling on you. You must hurry," the one servant persisted.
"I know. I'm coming. I won't be a moment longer," Princess Y/N said. She had lifted her head to look through the mirror of her white vanity, staring directly at the one servant standing by the grand door. She smiled at her kindly.
The servant bowed her head before disappearing into the hallway of the palace. The young princess did not hesitate to grab her most expensive bottle of perfume which conveniently smelled of wild roses. She picked up the silver dropped, squeezing it slightly to allow the pink drops to escape the dropper.
The rich liquid spread across the princess's silky skin, which would intoxicate her wrists and neck. The princess was staring directly at herself in the mirror, admiring her look for the night. She had gingerly lifted her hand to touch the diamond neckless around her neck, smiling at its beauty. She spun around in her chair, holding on the back with her hand.
"Do fetch my best gloves. I want to look presentable for the prince,” Princess Y/N instructed. The servant dipped her head slightly before turning around and walking towards one of the chests. She lifted the lid of the chest and pulled out the expensive pair of silk gloves.
The princess gently took hold of the gloves before slipping them onto her hands, rolling them up her forearms. She pushed her chair back and stood to her feet, smoothing out her dress. She looked up and fixed her hair once more, making sure she looked perfect.
"Can you believe it? He's finally calling on me," Princess Y/N said with a broad smile on her face. "It's been nearly six months. I'm surprised he has finally found the courage of asking me. At this rate, I was thinking it would be another two years before he called on me,” Princess Y/N teased.
The servant's lips tugged into a soft smile. "You look beautiful, your highness."
The princess turned around and tipped her head down, acknowledging her servant. She thanked the kind woman for all of her assistance. Finally, the princess turned her body and walked towards the door, opening it before stepping into the hallway of the palace.
Slowly, the young princess made her way around the palace. Her head moved from the left to the right, looking down each hallway in search of the prince. She twiddled with her hands nervously, anxiously awaiting to see the prince. The princess walked through the hallways until she found the prince standing near a fireplace in the northern corridor.
The prince was resting his forearm against the mantle of the fireplace, staring into the burning flames. He was thinking to himself. He was rehearsing the words in his mind for the thousandth time. The princess straightened her back in posture and clasped her hands together, holding them tightly. She cleared her throat, drawing away the young man's attention.
“Oh,” Thomas said. “I-I didn’t see you there.”
“Nor I,” Y/N said, chuckling nervously to herself. “I was informed that you called for me. Do you have something to ask of me?” Y/N questioned.
“Well,” Thomas began. He had pulled his hand away from the mantlepiece of the fireplace. He had taken one single step forward in his place. He was forcing himself to maintain eye contact with her. “Yes, I have something to ask of you,” Thomas said.
The prince had found himself staring into the young woman’s eyes and feeling absolutely mesmerized by her beauty. She had a kind of understated beauty. And perhaps it was because she was so disarmingly unaware of her prettiness. Her large liquid blue eyes were basking in the form of intelligence and serenity that it was impossible to look away from her captivating gaze. She had the kindest pair of baby blue eyes that were trimmed by long gorgeous lashes. Her cheekbones weren't especially high. And her nose was a little small to be considered perfect. Nevertheless, there was an undeniable symmetry to her sparking features.
All of her features were placed together on her delicate angelic face. However, her awestruck beauty was running down to the very core of her heart. She was unwittingly kind and generous to the other students around her, never failing to smile at them. And she was a very likable person. Her laugh and smile were so captivating and contagious; it was impossible to not smile back. To be in her company was to feel that you had been warmed in summer rays regardless of the season. She was perfect.
For some odd reason, Thomas couldn't keep his eyes off her figure in the distance. His gaze was practically transfixed on her little figure, feeling a sense of slight control slip away from his own being. He was looking at her with a blank stare on his face, basking in the appearance of her beauty. He was entranced with her kind and sweet personality, knowing that there was a sense of gentleness in her heart. He seemed to admire all of her features. Though his attraction for her did not stop there, it ran all the way down to his core.
“Well...I-I was partially wondering if you...if you would like to...” Thomas’ voice trailed off again. He took another step forward in his place. He forced himself to swallow the nervous lump lingering at the back of his throat. He almost couldn’t bare to look her in the eyes.
“Thomas?” Y/N spoke softly to him.
The young prince had taken his final step forward in his stance. With his head hung low, the prince had gingerly reached forward to take hold the princess’s delicate hands. He held them close to his chest before he gathered enough courage to look the princess in the eyes. As soon as they locked gazes, his thoughts had flown out the door. He found himself at a loss for words.
“I-I-I” Thomas stuttered. He wasn’t able to form any coherent words. “Can you...no. That sounds wrong. W-Would you...would you,” Thomas continued, correcting himself along the way. “Would you...allow me...to start...” Thomas stumbled over his words.
The prince groaned to himself. He threw his hands into the air. He spun around on the heels of his feet, striding back towards the fireplace. He was running his hands through his hair in frustration. The princess did not hesitate to comfort him during this hard time. She had taken to approach his side. She placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.
“I-I can't say it,” Thomas said. He had turned his head to look over the small stretch of his shoulder slightly. He could barely see her out of the corner of his eye. He wouldn’t dare meet her gaze in fear that she might see the blush on his face.
“Thomas,” Y/N said. “You can tell me anything.”
Finally, Thomas had turned his head and looked her in the eyes. His eyes darted between her lips and eyes, contemplating whether or not to ask her the question. He had opened his mouth to speak, feeling the words falling out of his mouth.
“I would like to start courting you,” Thomas said firmly. His voice was clear and slow. He didn’t have to repeat himself. He was sure that she had heard him. In a split second, the princess’s lips curved into a pleased smile. She had laced her hands with his, holding them close to her. She gazed up at him with smiling eyes.
“I thought you would never ask,” Y/N said with the shake of her head. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She lifted her hand to wipe away her happy tears. He had been slightly taken back by her comment. He had shifted to straighten his back in posture, turning his body towards her. He was staring directly at her with the hint of disbelief in his eyes.
“R-Really? Are you going to agree to this? Are you really committing to me? Or is this all just some dream?” Thomas wondered. He was hoping to contain himself for the time being. He didn’t want to give himself false hope.
“No, Thomas. This is no dream. This...” she said. She lowered her gaze to stare down at their hands, holding his hand tightly. She looked back up at him with shimmering eyes. “This is real,” she claimed.
“I-I didn’t think you would say yes to me,” Thomas confessed. His voice was shaky and unstable. His heart was fluttering in his chest, beating a million times per minute. He couldn’t contain himself any longer.
And then he did the simplest thing in the word. He leaned forward and kissed her. And the entire world cracked open. The kiss was very quick for it ended less than a second later. It was not a solid kiss. It was not forceful, heavy, or passionate. It was a gentle kiss. Their lips only brushed together, pecking each other’s lips. When the prince pulled away less than a second later, the two of them gazed at each other with wide eyes.
The prince could feel the strong sense of guilt and regret coursing through his veins. He was staring down at her with unsure eyes. His mouth had dropped open in disbelief. He had hoped that the kiss wouldn’t ruin their relationship with one another. The princess looked up at him in utter shock and surprise. He was scrambling to collect his words.
“I-I’m so very sorry. I didn’t mean- I just thought...I-I-I couldn’t help myself. I truly am sorry—” the prince was cut off when the princess stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips against the prince’s lips.
The young prince's eyes widened in realization. Instinctively, the prince wrapped his arms around the princess's waist, holding her closely in his embrace. His eyes fluttered closed to savor the moment. Their lips danced together as if the music was playing for them. Their lips locked together in perfect harmony, convincing themselves that they really were made for each other.
Her plump soft lips were compelling against his slimmer warmer lips, molding in the perfect manner. She had wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him down closer to her. He drifted into a dreamy state of mind, responding to the kiss by allowing himself to loose control over himself. He was pressing his lips against her small mouth, kissing her back with the same amount of passion. Their lips were moving and bonding together in synchronized harmony.
The feeling of epiphany and elation was percolating through their veins, surging throughout their entire systems. The sudden sensation of warm and comfort was coursing through their bodies at the same moment. The euphoric bliss was blossoming within their bodies, warming the coldest part of the soul. The sparks were bursting thorough the veins in their bodies, creating a warm sensation in the pit of their stomachs. It was a small and warm kiss.
The kiss obliterated every thought. For the first time, Thomas and Y/N's minds were locked into the present moment. The worries and concerns of life were evaporating within an instant. The worries, troubles, and problems were disappearing out of their line of sight, melting away from the entire picture. Their usual mode of working things out in a timely order was completely suspended for the moment; neither of them wanted the kiss to end. Nothing seemed to matter at the given moment. The two of them only seemed to be focusing on each other at the time.
The feeling was so strange. It was stretching throughout their whole bodies. The foreign feeling was so overwhelming. And yet, it made them feel complete. The unknown feeling has no bound, nor length, nor depth. It is just absolute. The happy feeling was able to make it feel like their hearts were dancing around their chest. And a hole (that they were not aware of) had been filled to the very brim. Although they were quite young (and most people would consider them to be foolish and naive), the two of them were more than certain about their feelings towards one another.
The emotions of passions, love, and affection were coursing through the millions of veins in their bodies. The foreign emotions had managed to cause a warm sensation to rise in the pit of their stomachs. The little flutter of a feather was tickling every part of their bodies, causing their abdomens to crunch at the unbearable feeling of giddiness. With each touch, the sparks were flying in the different directions of their bodies. The feeling of love had never felt more comforting. The two of them were more than convinced that they were destined to be together. And that kiss was the beginning of a promise of much more to come.
When they pulled apart, they rested their heads together. They panted heavily, hoping to regain their breath. They gazed into each other's eyes, staring directly into one another’s hearts. They could feel their hot breaths mingling together in the tight space between them. The prince's nose brushed against the princess's little nose, nudging it gently. He reached up and cupped her face with one hand.
"You...have no idea how long I have wanted to do that," Thomas claimed, breathing steadily. He didn’t mean to brush his nose against the tip of hers, nudging it gently. He lifted his hand to cup her face with one hand. "How long! have waited to kiss your lips. How I have longed to hold you in my embrace. How long I have wanted you," Thomas continued.
“Well, you have me. All of me,” Y/N whispered. She was gazing into the prince's dashing brown eyes. She was almost able to get lost in them. She could see his lips lift into a soft smile. She forced herself onto the tips of her toes, so she could press her lips against his once more.
"This...commitment we have made to each other...it calls for something that I need from you," Thomas further explained. He had pulled away from her embrace for a brief moment.
"What do you need of me?" Y/N wondered. She had furrowed her eyebrows in slight confusion, swaying slight in his embrace. She could see him lean forward to brush his cheek against hers, whispering into her ear seductively.
"A lock of your hair," Thomas whispered to her. He almost didn't want to pull away from her. He could smell the rich scent of perfume on her neck. He found himself savoring the moment once again.
Slowly, Thomas had pulled away from her embrace. He knelt down to his knees. Their gazes never left each others. Her hands fell to his shoulders as he kneeled in front of her. He moved his hand towards his boot, pulling out a small knife. He slowly stood to his feet again.
The prince had brought his hand towards the side of her face, plucking a small strand of hair near her slender neck. He was fiddling with her hair in his hands, feeling the smoothness of her silky hair. He turned his head and leaned forward until his lips brushed against her ear. His hot breath sent a cold shiver down her spine.
“May I?” Thomas asked for permission.
The princess nodded her head in response. She had lifted her hand to grab onto his forearm. She drew her lower lip between her teeth. Slowly, the prince pulled away from her ear. He had carried the small knife towards her head. He grabbed a small strand of hair underneath her ear, gathering it in his hands. He brought the knife towards it, effortlessly cutting through the hair. When he finished cutting off a strand of her hair, he placed his knife back into his boot. He pulled a handkerchief out of his coat jacket.
The prince placed the strand of hair into the handkerchief before holding the cloth over itself. He had decided to tuck the handkerchief into his coat pocket, securing it close to his chest. He patted his chest one time.
"I shall keep it here," Thomas said softly. "Close to my heart."
She had lowered her gaze to stare down at her feet, hoping to hide the pink blush creeping onto her face. He had lifted his hand to place his fingers underneath her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. He was staring deeply into her captivating eyes. He savored the moment as instructed by his own father.
"I shall call on you tomorrow," Thomas further explained. He could see the princess’s pink lips growing into a small smile across her face. He smiled back at her. He was quick to lean down in his place, pecking her lips once more.
"I am looking forward to it," Y/N breathed. She really didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to see him again. She could only wish to meet him in her dreams.
The two royals had found themselves leaning forward in hopes of sharing one last kiss together. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from the hallways. It was one of the prince's brothers, calling to see if he wanted to visit the stables. The young couple turned their heads to look in the general direction of the voice.
"I-I have to go," Thomas declared. He had turned his head to look back down at the princess standing in front of him. He hesitantly pulled his hands out of her grasp. He had only taken one step.
"Wait," Y/N exclaimed. She did not hesitate to reach forward to grab the prince’s hand. She watched him turn his head and look at her in slight confusion. She opened her mouth to speak. "Meet me tonight after everyone has gone to sleep," Y/N offered.
"What are we going to do?" Thomas questioned. He had furrowed his eyebrows at her statement. He had known that it was entirely improper to meet with a young woman after dark, especially if they were unmarried. But it had been proven in the last few weeks that they didn’t care what was improper anymore after her fall. She looked at him with loving and adoring eyes.
"That's all up to you,” Y/N teased. She was staring at him with loving and adoring eyes. He had immediately raised his eyebrows in surprise. He found himself nodding his head in confirmation. He could hear the voice call out again. He pulled away from her with great hesitation. He had turned to race down the hallways of the palace, leaving the love of his life alone.
The princess breathed steadily. She found herself lifting her hand towards the frontside of her face, feeling her fingertips brush against her soft lips. She shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't help but suppress the smile growing on her face. They were living in secrecy. Something that brought a rush of dangerous adrenaline into their beings. It wasn't a rebellious or forbidden love. It was a secret love; one that nobody knew about just yet.
At midnight, the prince turned his head and looked at the time. He stood to his feet. He was sure to grab a small candle to lead him through the dark hallways of the palace. He had quietly closed the door behind him. He had started walking through the dark hallways of the palace, hoping to avoid any guards standing by the doorways. He finally made it to her royal bedchambers.
With hesitation, Thomas had raised his fist to the solid wood door. He knocked on the door of the room as quietly as possible. He took a single step backwards, waiting for a brief moment. He could hear the doorknob slowly jingling. He saw the solid gold door handle twist and turn in attempts to open the door.
When the door had finally opened, Thomas had straightened his back in posture. He could see the young princess poke her head out of the door. She had turned her head to look up at him with a small smile on her face. She was quick to step out of her room, closing the door behind her.
At the sight of her, the prince was forced himself to look away from her. He wanted to be respectful of her privacy. He could clearly see that she was only wearing her white nightgown. He was trying not to think about whether or not she was wearing her corset underneath her nightgown, but his best bet was that she wasn't.
"I-I’m sorry. My servants wouldn't leave until I got in my nightwear. I had to change," Y/N spoke in a soft whisper. She had pulled on the ribbons of her robe. She carried the soft material over her white nightgown to hide her modesty, tying the ribbons together.
"No," the prince blurted out. "No, it's fine. You look fine."
The princess had lifted her hand to the side of her face to tuck a small strand of her hair behind her ear. Her long dark brown hair was stretching the bottom of her shoulder blades, dripping over her shoulders in a mesmerizing manner. Her hair was flowing down. It was not pulled back, curled, or pinned. It was free, flowing effortlessly over her shoulders. Her long hair reached down to her lower back. It was brushed until it looked silky. There were no knots or tangles.
She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, thinking it may not have been the best idea to invite the prince to meet with her. Her eyes drifted upwards to drink in his manly appearance. She could see that he was no longer wearing his formal jacket or uniform. His white button-up shift was loosely buttoned, showing off some of his broad chest.
The two of them were breathing steadily to themselves. They were taking the time to admire each other in the silence of the night. Their faces were glowing due to the small candle in the his hand. Slowly, Thomas had reached down to grab onto her hand. He had started leading her down the hallways of the palace, following the light of the candle.
“Where shall we go?” Thomas whispered in a soft tone of voice. She could feel the broad smile growing at the corners of her lips. She thought about his words for a brief moment. They had stopped in their steps. The two of them turned their heads and looked at the grand front door standing in front of them.
“To the stars.”
More Posts from Webslinger-holland and Others
Play Pretend Part 2 will be very smutty. That’s all I’m gonna say.
PLEASE tell me that Dustin, Max, Lucas, and Mike get to meet the baby! Also I need to see Wayne holding the baby.
Stoppppp! This would be so cute!!!!!!!
what i love about this scene is not only does it show how smart kaz brekker is, but i love that when ben barnes told freddy carter to act afraid, he’s was like, yeah, no kaz mother fucking brekker, who is the fucking scariest thing walking the streets of the barrel would not be afraid of some 300 year old powerful grisha. and i fucking love that for him.
The Sergeant's Senator | Chapter 1
Summary: It is revealed that there is a plot to assassinate a republic senator. With some negotiations, Clone Force 99 is assigned as the security detail and must protect the senator at all costs.
Warning: threat to one's life and talks of assassination
Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader Senator
Type: Short Series
Word Count: 1.1k
Series Masterlist
Note: Technically, this is a reader insert series. However, with that said, I did give the senator (reader) a last name. It worked better when writing; I didn't have to keep putting Senator L/n. Might change it later if people aren't fans of it.
The planet of Coruscant was one of the most important planets in the galaxy. Not only was the Jedi Temple located there, but so was the Galactic Senate. The senate included thousands of representatives through the galaxy in the form of senators. They met to create laws, meditate disputes, and discuss ways to end the war.
A meeting was being held in one of the meeting rooms at the senate, It had been called by Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan to discuss a recent incident that nearly claimed the life of Coruscan't own senator. The senator called Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi who brought Commander Cody to accompany him.
After formalities, Senator Bail Organa explained the delicate situation to both General Kenobi and Commander Cody. The incident happened only two nights prior and resulted in both of the young senator's guards being killed from unknown snipers. She was being targeted.
The young senator sat amongst the company of three, keeping to herself. Her hands lay in her lap though she couldn't help twiddling her fingers nervously. The sense of worry was laced across her face.
"I see," General Kenobi said after hearing the whole ordeal. He stroked his beard in thought. "This is a delicate situation," Kenobi added.
"Coruscant is the capital of the republic. Her role is vital for the success of the senate. Without her, the senate may fail and Coruscant will fall. If that happens, the Separatists will be able to gain the upper hand in this war," Bail Organa explained.
"How would you suggest we help?" General Kenobi inquired curiously.
"What she needs is a new security detail to keep her safe until someone catches the assailant," Senator Organa claimed. The much younger senator closed her eyes because she wanted nothing more than to disappear away from this conversation.
"Hmm," General Kenobi hummed. "I'll have to consult with the council. I'm not sure how many Jedi are available. Most of them are on missions off world."
"Would a clone force be more suitable for this situation? We clones are much more expendable than the Jedi," Commander Cody offered this solution.
The senator thought for a moment. "That could work. Who do you have in mind?"
"I would recommend Clone Force 99, sir."
Upon hearing this, Senator Rayna's ears perked up slightly. She would feel much more comfortable being around a group of clones than one lone Jedi. Though, General Kenobi's face fell upon hearing the name of the clone group. He quickly turned to his commander.
"Uh, Commander." He began. "Can I speak with you privately?"
Now General Kenobi and Commander Cody turned away from the two senators to speak in hushed tones. There was a brief moment of silence between them.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean having a clone force escort is one thing, but Clone Force 99 is entirely different," Kenobi explained.
"They have a 100% success rate," Commander Cody defended.
"I understand. But they are a little on...the extreme side," General Kenobi added.
"If I might intervene," Senator Rayna spoke up for the first time. The two of them directed their attention to her as she stood from her place at the table. "If you think Clone Force 99 is a suitable fit to be my security detail, then I think we should skip all these formalities."
"Uh senator," General Kenobi stepped forward. "I'm not sure this is a very wise decision. Clone Force 99 is slightly unhinged at times," Kenobi explained to her.
"How so?" Senator Rayna wondered.
"Ah well..." Kenobi's voice trailed off.
"They call themselves the Bad Batch," Commander Cody stated blatantly. "They are a group of elite clone troopers with enhanced genetic mutations. They aren't like the regular clones you're used to."
"They don't go by the book either," General Kenobi added.
"But you said they have a 100% success rate," Senator Rayna concluded.
"They do," Commander Cody gave a nod of confirmation.
"Would you say that they are the best clone troopers you have out there?" She wondered.
"I will say this: While they might be a little unhinged at times and they may not follow orders like the rest of us, they are damn good soldiers and they get the job done."
"Thank you, Commander. That is all I need to hear," Senator Rayna finalized. "I look forward to meeting them."
Later in the day, a single file had arrived at the office for the senator which had been sent by the commander himself. Upon further review, the senator saw how page had a brief summary of every member on the small squad. It included their number, rank, skills, and their strengths. It also showed the number of successful missions they accomplished together.
The squad was comprised of a sharpshooter, a muscle man, a technological genius, a cybernetic hybrid (former reg), and a tactical tracker. They certainly were a bunch of misfits, but their track record alone spoke for them.
The senator stared down at the final page, which was designated for the squads sergeant. She found herself being more drawn to his page from the rest of them. He had been genetically altered to attain expert tracking skills and heightened senses.
Without much thought, the senator proceeded to send a comm to the commander once again. She waited a moment before her comm chimed a response. And she responded to him by asking him if he had anything else on this sergeant.
The Marauder was currently navigating through space. The Bad Batch had just completed a mission on one of the planets within the Outer Rim. Now they were heading back to their home world of Kamino.
In the other room, Hunter just finished receiving a message from Commander Cody. He switched off the communication channel before making his way into the cockpit of the ship to join his fellow brothers.
At the moment, Tech was putting in the coordinates for Kamino with Echo at his side in the co-pilot seat. Crosshair was polishing his sniper rifle and Wrecker was lounging with his feet up. The leader of the group made his way towards the control panel.
"Change of plan. We've got new orders," Hunter announced. This made Tech look up at him questionably. "Set course for Coruscant."
"What's on Coruscant?" Echo wondered. He knew the importance of the location, but he was more so curious about why they were needed there.
"We've been assigned to be a security detail for Coruscant's senator," Hunter relayed the information he was given.
"Doesn't she have guards for that?" Crosshair said with a roll of the eyes.
"That's just it," Hunter shrugged. "They're dead."
"There must be an imminent threat on her life, especially if the guards who are assigned to protect her are dead." Tech came to the conclusion.
"All I know is that she needs protection. And Commander Cody recommended us," Hunter told them.
"Great," Crosshair scoffed. He leaned back in his seat. "We get to play babysitter for who knows how long."
"It's just until she can find another detail or until the assailant is caught," Echo explained. He recalled one of his early missions. "You know, one of my first missions was to protect the Rishi Station Moon Base. Now that was a boring couple of rotations."
"Yeah, at least we don't have that kind of mission. Coruscant is much more exciting than some dumb old moon base," Wrecker explained.
But Crosshair wasn't super convinced. He crossed his arms over his chest in slight defeat, already knowing that they wouldn't be seeing as much action as they were used to.
"Preparing jump to hyperspace," Tech announced which drew them all out of their own thoughts. With the pull of the lever, the Marauder was shot into the glowing blue tunnel of hyperspace.
CHAPTER TWO HERE
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@totally-not-your-babe @jedipoodoo @gyllord @roam-rs @totallyunidentified @redheadgirl @mrcaptainrex @whore-of-many-hot-men @graciexmarvel @qweenrogerina
NEXT PART DROPS ON FEB. 21ST SO IF YOU WANNA BE ADDED TO THE TAGLIST, LET ME KNOW!
The Sergeant's Senator | Chapter 2
Summary: Upon arrival at Coruscant, the planet's senator gets to finally meet the infamous Clone Force 99 who are assigned to protect her.
Warning: threat to one's life, talks of assassination, beginning of anxiety attack, slight argument
Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader Senator
Type: Short Series
Word Count: 6.4k
Series Masterlist
The planet of Coruscant was one of the most active planets in the entire galaxy. The surface was riddled with various cities; skyscrapers that tried to reach the sky. The underground system, which often times wasn't the best location to be, was also incredibly active during all hours of the day. And in the skies, modes of transportation were always going from one place to another.
The Marauder entered the planet's atmosphere, having just come out of hyperspace. The descend took a little longer than usual given the air traffic. However, eventually, the Marauder was able to make its way to the capital city. They made sure to land on the correct landing platform.
As the ramp descended, the group of five climbed out of their ship. Not far away, Commander Cody stood at attention and was ready to greet the clone force upon arrival to Coruscant. He gave a single nod to them in acknowledgment.
"Commander," Hunter greeted.
"It's been a while, boys." Commander Cody commented. He looked at each of them carefully as if expecting to see some kind of change, but there really wasn't anything much different about their looks or behavior.
"Not long enough evidently," Crosshair grunted from the back of the group. He went to cross his arms over the stretch of his chest. He was most certainly the least happy one to be assigned this mission.
"You didn't give much details on the line," Hunter explained. "What are we working against here?"
Slowly, Commander Cody began to walk back towards the compound. The rest of them went to follow. Though Cody and Hunter were heading the group.
Now the commander made sure to survey his surroundings before bringing up the sensitive topic. "The senator has faced three assassination attempts within the last month alone. The last one claimed the lives of her guards," Cody told them.
"And that's where we come in?" Echo questioned.
"Our main priority is to keep the senator safe at all costs. Hopefully, if we play our cards right, we can catch whoever was sent by letting them come to us," Commander Cody expressed.
"So lay low, keep our eyes open, and protect the senator?" Hunter replied.
"At all costs," Cody added.
"Shouldn't be too hard," Wrecker said with a shrug of the shoulders.
"Don't be too sure," Cody warned. They approached the entrance of the building. The doors slid open for them to enter the lift.
The small group went to enter the lift, finding a spot before the doors closed in front of them. After clicking the button for their final destination, the lift began to move.
"The assailant...whoever it is...they are nothing like I've seen before. It's not like a bounty hunter; they're much too sloppy for a job like this. No...we are dealing with a professional here," Commander Cody almost sounded conflicted.
In the background, Hunter and Crosshair seemed to glance at each other through the corner of their eyes. They both knew the kinds of missions the commander had been on and the things he had seem. It didn't bring them much relief knowing that even the commander was worried about his mission.
The doors slowly opened to reveal a grand entry room. The marble flooring was shining against the soft glow of the golden lights. There were intricate golden patterns that looked like crown molding near the ceiling. And the handles on the door were made of pure gold.
"She should be just inside," Commander Cody insisted. He went to open the door doors, which allowed the rest of the group to enter the senator's office.
The most appealing part of the grand office was the massive window overlooking the busy city. There was plenty of comfortable seating, ranging from single seats to full couches. And a single desk was situated in the center of the room. Though the senator was nowhere to be found.
The Clone Force were a little cautious to step into such an impressive looking space. They felt a little out of place with their custom black plastoid armor and unique looking helmets. Not to mention the fact that they were all defective clones with varying appearances.
It could have just been the color of the lighting or the modern look of furniture in the room. However, everything looked so pristine and rather expensive. They honestly didn't think this office belonged to a senator, rather it belonged to a princess.
Each of them had gone their own ways throughout the room. While Tech instantly gravitated towards the small collection of books on a nearby shelf, Echo found himself standing in front of the window looking out at the city.
Without much thought, Wrecker went to touch a little glass figurine on the senator's desk. Though before his hand could make contact, Hunter's instincts kicked in and swatted his hand once as a warning.
"Don't touch anything," Hunter mumbled under his breath.
"I'm sure the senator is just running a little late from her last meeting," Commander Cody explained. "She shouldn't be too long."
Upon hearing this, Clone Force 99 made their way to stand in front of the desk. They wanted to make a good first impression on the senator whenever she arrived. As they waited, their eyes viewed the skyline in front of them.
All of the sudden, there was a slight shift in the atmosphere of the room. Naturally, as if it was a response, Hunter turned his head ever so slightly to his left. His ears perked up upon hearing an unfamiliar soft heartbeat coming from the room next door. He glanced at the door on his left through the corner of his eye.
As the heartbeat drew closer and louder, Hunter was able to make out the muffled conversation that followed from the other room. Despite the fact that Commander Cody was speaking with the rest of his brothers, Hunter seemed to ignore them and could only focus on the heartbeat. It was the softest thing he had ever heard.
"Do me a favor? Behave yourselves, boys." Commander Cody commanded them.
"No promises," Crosshair replied snakily.
Finally, Hunter went to turn his head to look directly at the door beside them. It was if he predicted the arrival because the doors began to open only a second later. The sound of the door opening caused the other members of the company to turn towards it.
The Senator of Coruscant came waltzing into the room with her assistant at her side. She wore this white flowy dress that cascaded over her feet and dragged on the floor behind her. The upper half of the dress was more sheer and showed the soft supple skin underneath it. Her hair was tidied back into a braid, which was heavily decorated in small white pearls.
For the first time ever, Hunter heard his own heart skip a beat upon laying eyes on her. His eyes trailed down the length of her form, taking it all in for his own pleasure. He was most certainly thankful to be wearing his helmet.
Though the senator didn't even acknowledge the clones upon her entrance, but this was probably because she was busy hearing what the rest of her schedule looked like for the day from her droid assistant. The clones seemed to watch her movements carefully as she circled around the room to the backside of her desk. Their eyes raked down her body shamelessly, losing themselves in thought for a brief second.
Just as she passed by them, a subtle hint of her scent had followed right behind her. Her scent naturally flowed through the filters of Hunter's helmet and invaded his senses. He closed his eyes to relish the scent of fresh lavender, which was not something you would expect from a senator who lived in a heavy populated city.
"Your final appointment is at three in the afternoon," the droid beeped. He held up the data pad for her, but she waved it off.
"That's fine," Senator Rayna agreed. She stood behind her desk and went to organize a few papers.
Upon hearing her voice, Hunter's ears perked up once more. He wasn't sure why he was so enamored with her. Whether is was the softness of her voice, her mesmerizing appearance, the intoxicating scent of her perfume, or the gentle heartbeat that followed her.
"Right," Senator Rayna sighed loudly. She placed the last stack of papers to the side before finally directing her attention to the clone force. "You must be my new escort," Senator Rayna figured.
"Senator," Commander Cody interjected from the sidelines. Her eyes scanned over each clone carefully. "I'd like to introduce you to the group of clones that's been assigned to you. This is Clone Force 99."
Each of the clones proceeded to remove their helmets. They stuffed their helmets into the underside of their arm. Now, the senator was able to get a good look at them. She realized how differently they looked from your regular ordinary clones. And she was intrigued by this.
"Well, you know who I am so there is no need for introductions there." The Senator rounded the side of her desk to stand in front of the clones. "State your name for me so I know what to call you," Senator Rayna ordered.
"Uh, my name?" Wrecker asked slowly, given that she was looking directly at him.
"You all have one, don't you? All clones are given numbers; although I gathered that most clones prefer to go by names. So what is yours?"
"I'm CT-9902. They call me Wrecker," the clone's deep voice boomed. He smirked down at her. She offered her hand for him to shake, which he did so very carefully because he was afraid to hurt her.
After this, the senator took a single step to the right. She was going to make her way down the line of clones. And she wanted to hear each of their names.
"My designated clone number is CT-9903," Tech replied as a matter-of-factly. He adjusted his glasses. "Otherwise, as known to my brothers, as Tech," he added at the end.
The Senator offered her hand to him as well, which meant he needed to move his data pad to the other hand in order to shake it. He gave her a single nod of approval before she moved down the line again.
The clone trooper didn't say anything. He maintained a defensive stance with his arms crossed across his chest. He also wore a nasty scowl on his face. He truly did not want to be there because he had no interest in politics.
"What is your name soldier?" She questioned him. She tried to figure out what was going behind those eyes if it was anger or distain.
Though Crosshair was far from intimidated by her antics. He felt a slight nudge in his side. He finally spoke. "CT-9904."
"And do you have a name?" She wondered.
"Crosshair," he said reluctantly.
Likewise, the senator chose to say nothing. She gave a single nod understandingly before extending her hand out to him. The only problem was that he didn't take it. So she awkwardly slipped her hand back down to her side and moved on.
"I am CT-1409. I'm Echo," he replied quickly.
"Oh," Senator Rayna perked up. "Not a 99, huh?"
"No ma'am," Echo responded.
"He was originally part of the 501st and served with them for many years. He's the newest addition to this squad," Commander Cody said from the sidelines.
"Pleasure to meet you," Senator Rayna smiled up at him.
The senator went to shake his hand, only to find a scomp link located where his right hand should have been. He had even raised his arm as if wanting to shake her hand as well; he was still getting used to not having a hand.
"Oh," Senator Rayna said defeated. She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She cringed at her own actions, wishing she had caught that before she made a fool of herself. "My deepest apologies," she went on.
"Not to worry," Echo reassured her. He saluted her instead with his scomp link.
Now, reaching the end of the lineup, the senator was standing face to face with the leader of the group. She looked up at him with curious eyes. But before he could introduce himself to her, she spoke up first.
"And you must be the sergeant," Senator Rayna concluded. She also took the time to study him carefully.
"CT-9901," Hunter's deep voice sounded from the back of his throat.
The senator raised her eyebrows at him as if mentally requesting for his given name. He realized that he should have also mentioned his name, but he honestly was still lost in his thoughts.
"Hunter," he corrected himself.
"Hunter," Senator Rayna repeated with a small smile on her lips. Her heart started beating just a little faster than normal, which did not go unnoticed. He quirked his eyebrow at her. "I've heard a lot about you."
Upon hearing this, Hunter felt his breath catch in the back of his throat which caused his chest to heave out a little. He straightened his back in posture. He could only wonder what kinds of things she knew about him and his squad.
"Uh senator," the droid spoke up. He glanced between the two of them, expecting them to turn to address him. But they kept their gazes on one another. "I hate to interrupt, but you're going to be late," the droid reminded her.
In response, the senator squeezed her eyes shut. She cursed under her breath. "Blast! How could I forget?"
Without hesitation, Senator Rayna went to collect the stack of papers on her desk. She quickly rifled through them to make sure none of them were missing. She proceeded to spin around on the heels of her feet, walking away from the clones to scurry around the room.
The clones didn't tear their eyes away from her retreating figure, subconsciously peering around one another to keep their gaze on her backside. The commander needed to clear his throat to gather their attention once more. They quickly redirected their focus in front of them.
The droid went to hand her a cloak to put on. She slipped it over her shoulders. She began tying it around her neck. "Where are you heading next, commander?"
"Kiros," Commander Cody stepped forward. "There are talks of surrender. We'll see how it goes. I won't bore you with the details."
"Perhaps we can discuss them at a later time," Senator Rayna agreed. "When I am not running late."
"Senator," Cody saluted her. He excused himself from her presence.
The senator grabbed the last of her things, hastily hanging the pile of papers to her droid. She took the data pad out of the droids hand to check her schedule. She was running very late. Nevertheless, the senator tossed the data pad over to Tech.
"Might be a good idea to make yourself a copy of my schedule to have on hand," Senator Rayna explained to him. He quickly typed in a code which would transfer the information to his own data pad.
"Already on it," Tech confirmed.
"Might I remind you that this is the fifth time you have been late to a meeting this month?" The droid interrupted once more. It slowly moved around the room given it's lack of flexibility.
"I have been a bit preoccupied with other things," the senator waved off. Finally, Senator Rayna stopped what she was doing to address the small squad of clones. "Now, about this meeting..." her voice trailed off.
For a brief second, the Senator of Coruscant wondered how she could explain what she does as a career or what they could expect from this type of job. She felt a wave of anxiety begin to wash over her, being rudely reminded of the threats she faced every day now.
At that moment, Hunter noticed a change in her demeanor. He could hear her heart beating faster and her breathing quickened in pace. She began finding with her fingers nervously to contain her nerves, which did not go unnoticed by the others.
"I am a member of the Loyalist Committee which is headed by The Sepreme Chancellor. The other members are senators or representatives like me. This is an informal meeting; it takes place just upstairs in one of the conference rooms," she informed them.
The senator was talking so rapidly that the others could barely keep up with her. It almost sounded and looked like she was on the verge of having an anxiety attack. And Hunter noticed this immediately.
"Senator," Hunter interjected. She kept talking though.
"In the past, I haven't needed my guards to be present in the room. Things have changed since then. Now...I would feel better -- safer, if at least two of you accompanied me in the meeting. Like I said, it's more of an info--," but she was stopped.
"Senator Rayna," Hunter spoke over her to stop her ranting. His voice wasn't loud, more firm than anything.
Slowly, Hunter took a single step forward to stand an arm's length away from her. He looked down at her with soft eyes, which she found oddly comforting. He heard her heartbeat going back to a normal pace. He sent her a small reassuring smile.
"We are going to protect you," Hunter told her. "Don't worry. You're in good hands."
The ride in the lift felt like it was lasting ages. There was a slight sense of tension in the air given that there were six people basically crammed into the space. In their defense, no lift ride is ever comfortable for an average person.
Facing the door, Senator Rayna stood in the middle with Hunter and Echo standing on either side of her. The other three clones were standing behind them with their backs nearly touching the wall of the lift. The illuminated number continued to change as the lift passed another floor, drawing closer to the final destination. Just a few floors left.
Initially, the senator kept her hands clasped together in front of herself. Her hands mindlessly fell apart, which resulted in her hands shifting back to the respective sides of her body. In the process of this happening, the senator's hand brushed against the back of the sergeant's gloved hand on accident.
Upon contact, the both of them retracted their hands in a slightly awkward fashion. The sergeant shifted on his feet slightly, taking a small step away and mumbling a soft "sorry" through his modulated helmet. Though it was hardly his fault.
In response, the senator sent him a warm smile before directing her line of attention back towards the closed door in front of her. Her hands moved back into the original position in front of herself. She could feel some heat rising to her cheeks, but she figured it would go unnoticed.
Behind them, Tech had watched this slightly awkward encounter with a cocked eyebrow. He was quick to nudge Wrecker who stood beside him.
"Huh?" Wrecker looked down at Tech.
Tech gestured to the sergeant and the senator was a subtle nod of the head in their general direction. So Wrecker took a second to analyze them with his eyes switching back and forth between the two bodies. He didn't catch their encounter so he was rather confused.
"What? What happened?" Wrecker whispered to his brother. Though it wasn't really a whisper, because everyone in the lift heard him.
"Nevermind," Tech sighed with a roll of his eyes.
Finally, the lift had come to stop on the designated floor. The two doors slid open to reveal a vast long corridor. A few people were walking through the corridor which consisted of other members of the senate or personal guards.
It didn't take long for Hunter to sense the uncertainty radiating from the senator standing beside him. He glanced down at her briefly to see the worried expression on her face. For a little encouragement, Hunter placed one hand on her lower back to urge her forward and his other hand gestured to the corridor before her. She gathered her courage with a deep breath, taking the necessary step forward.
Exiting the lift, Hunter and Echo walked on either side of Coruscant's Senator. Right behind them, Wrecker went to follow them but was abruptly stopped when Crosshair placed a single hand on his chest. The much larger clone nearly toppled over his own feet and looked towards his brother for some form of explanation.
"Wouldn't want to step on the senator's dress, would we, Wrecker?" Crosshair teased him. He gestured to the white train that flowed behind her dress and trailed along the floor.
"Oh right," Wrecker agreed while scatching the back of his neck.
The three clones waited until the others had properly exited the lift before finally following them through the corridor. They made sure to be two steps behind so they wouldn't step on the senator's dress.
And Wrecker was relieved that his brother saved him the embarrassment because he couldn't imagine the look on the senator's face if she ever found a large footprint on her white dress.
Walking through the corridor, the escort found themselves quickly becoming the center of attention. It seemed like they continued to receive stares from passing senators or workers from the capital. This was something they were commonly used to, especially back on Kamino. But for some reason, it felt different this time around.
"Sorry about the unwanted attention," Echo said from beside her.
"Hmm? I hadn't noticed," Senator Rayna replied with a small smile on her face. The clones were a little relieved to hear that the senator did not mind in the slightest.
In the short distance, a few clones were striding down the long length of the corridor with blasters in hand. The clone armor that they wore was adorned with red accents, hinting to the fact that they were members of the Coruscant Guard. They were elite clone shock troopers whose main purpose was to protect the Galactic Republic Capital. They were some of the best clones the Republic had to offer.
In passing, the Coruscant Guard took a second to stare at the passing members of Clone Force 99. They nudged each other and gestured to the group of defective clones. Their unnatural appearances always caused them to garner more attention than they would have liked.
"Hey," one of the guards called attention to his buddy standing beside him. He tipped his head to gesture to them. "Get a load of these guys."
"Those guys are clones?" Another clone remarked from the sidelines. "They sure don't look like clones."
Once the Coruscant Guard was out of their line of sight, Crosshair seemed to glance over his shoulder. He seemed to grumble something under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the batch of regs behind them.
"Remind me again why you weren't assigned members from the Coruscant Guard?" Crosshair questioned. It seemed like an obvious choice for an escort given that they were already stationed on Coruscant.
"Because my last guards were part of the Coruscant Guard," Senator Rayna replied flatly. "And they didn't do a great job."
"Fair enough," Crosshair accepted. He almost wanted to chuckle at this because he knew the guard was not nearly as skilled as everyone gave them credit for.
Upon rounding a corner, Senator Rayna halted in her tracks to stand in front of a closed door. The other members of her escort seemed to stop beside her, waiting for her next step. She activated the panel on the right side which opened the door for them. She quickly stepped inside with Hunter and Echo following behind her.
As the door closed, Wrecker and Tech went to stand on either side of the door for the extra added protection. And Crosshair began walking down to corridor to secure the perimeter. Back inside the room, Hunter and Echo took their stops by standing beside one another in the back of the room. Their eyes never leaving the senator's moving figure.
"My apologies for being late," Senator Rayna announced. She went to sit at the head of the table, finding a small stack of papers in her place meant for her. She quickly looked them over.
"No worries, my dear. I'm sure you have plenty of other things on your mind," an older voice spoke from the far side of the table. Raising her head, Senator Rayna's eyes landed on the familiar form of Chancellor Palpatine who was sitting at the head on the other side.
"Right. Now what have I missed?" Senator Rayna questioned. Her eyes shifted between the various senators within the committee, half expecting one of them to catch her up to date since she arrived so late.
On the right side of the table, Bail Organa of Alderaan and Padmé Amidala of Naboo were sitting beside one another. On the left side of the table, Mon Mothma of Chandrilla and Orn Free Taa of Ryloth had also been apart of this committee. The senators looked to each other in order to see who would speak first.
"We were just discussing the details surrounding the upcoming Gala," Senator Amidala explained.
The Senator of Coruscant proceeded to rifle through the stack of papers in front of her, attempting to find the list of things that still needed to be completed in preparation for the gala.
For a moment, Hunter's gaze seemed to drift towards the window in the large conference room. He studied the buildings across the way carefully, spotting a few unoccupied rooftops. It was the senator's voice which brought him out of his train of thoughts.
"How far out are we again?" Senator Rayna asked.
"Three months," Chancellor Palpatine said rather calmly.
"Are things going accordingly with the planning?" Senator Rayna wondered. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room, which caused the senator to look up at them with a confused expression. "What's going on? You've all been acting weird."
The other senators continued to remain silent. However, they looked at each other as if they were all thinking the same thing and were choosing to stay quiet about it. Finally, Bail Organa gathered the courage to speak for the rest of them. He spoke softly and calmly with hopes that it would help soften the blow he was about to deliver.
"We think you should take a hiatus," Bail Organa replied.
"A hiatus? From what?" Senator Rayna asked in utter confusion.
"From your job -- your position as senator of this planet," Chancellor Palpatine added. "Law low for a little bit until things die down."
"I don't need to law low. What I need to do is my job and taking a hiatus will not help me do that," Senator Rayna argued. She rose out of her seat in a furry.
"Y/n," Mon Mmtha interjected. She spoke with a calm voice. "We are worried about you and your wellbeing."
"I have a new escort. They will protect me," Rayna would not drop her argument.
"And the hiatus will only add to that protection," The Supreme Chancellor claimed. He was trying to sound optimistic about the proposition, which only seemed to anger the senator more.
"I have to present a treaty at the end of the quarter. And we vote a week later. I can't miss that," Senator Rayna tried to reason with them.
"It can be pushed back," Chancellor Palpatine suggested. He shrugged his shoulders at the notion, seemingly unfazed by the option of pushing back her speech.
"Til when?" Rayna inquired angrily.
"Indefinitely."
Upon hearing this, Senator Rayna leaned forward to press her hands against the table. She looked the chancellor dead in the eyes from across the room. She wore a stern look on her face.
"I have been working on this treaty for months, changing the littlest of details to make sure it is nothing short of perfect. I applied for the notion to be brought to the senate at the end of the quarter and it was accepted. I am going to present this," Senator Rayna said sternly.
Look back out the window, Hunter saw a small perch on one of the rooftops. He almost wondered if that was a sniper's nest; it would have been a prime location if it had been. With that in mind, Hunter's eyes trailed along the length of the sniper's path. His gaze settled on the wood table in the room. And his stomach dropped.
"E-Echo?" Hunter whispered to his comrade standing beside him.
"What?" Echo said in the quietest voice.
The sergeant was staring directly at what looked like a small nick in the middle of the wooden table. It couldn't have been more than an inch in diameter. There was a small dark circle around it. It had to have been from a blaster shot.
The senator's hands were on either side of said hole. He quickly came to realize that if the sniper had raised his weapon just a little higher, it would have gone right into the senator's head.
"I think this is where it happened," Hunter concluded. Whoever had taken the shot knew what they were doing. They fired a warning shot. At least, that seemed to be the case before they proceeded to take out the guards.
The sergeant's mind was occupied elsewhere. He hadn't been fully listening to the conversation up until now. He tuned his ears into what the chancellor had to say about this. And sure enough, Hunter's suspicious was right.
"Who says you will even be around to present your treaty?" Chancellor Palpatine wondered. "The last time you were in this room -- it did not end well. You could have been killed if your guards had not been there."
It suddenly made sense. The senator was feeling nervous about leaving her office to come here because of what happened the last time she was there. She was still feeling the affects of the incident. And whether she chose to deny it, it was affecting her mental health now.
"We cannot force you to take a hiatus, but we strongly advice it."
"Please Y/n," Senator Amidala said softly from the sidelines. "We don't want you to get hurt."
"I appreciate your concern -- truly I do," Senator Rayna began. She looked over the faces sitting around the table. "But I have to be there for my planet and for my people. You should all understand that."
"We do," Senator Organa nodded his head in agreement.
"Then let me do my job," Senator Rayna pleaded her case one final time. Her eyes shown with sympathy.
With great hesitation, the other senators looked towards one another in a form of silent communication. A few of them seemed to nod their heads gently as if to say they will allow the senator to operate as she always had been. Finally, The Supreme Chancellor reluctantly gave her his approval in the form of a short and curt nod of the head.
"Very well," Chancellor Palpatine agreed. He sent her a smile. "Continue as you were, senator."
By the end of the meeting, a majority of the members had gone their separate ways since their schedules differed. Now, it seemed like only Senator Organa, Senator Amidala, and Senator Rayna remained in the room. While the Senator of Alderaan went to speak with the newest escort, Senator Amidala went to stand beside her best friend and greeted her with a warm smile. The two young women began talking amongst themselves.
On the other side of the room, Senator Organa went to talk to Hunter and Echo. He took the time to shake both of their hands in greeting and introduced himself to them.
"You must be Clone Force 99," Bail Organa noted.
"We are two fifths of them," Echo claimed. "The others are right outside."
"I was the one to reach out to General Kenobi and Commander Cody about finding Senator Rayna a new escort. I've heard a lot of things about your squad," Senator Organa replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"All good things, I hope." Hunter wondered.
"You know your own reputation better than anyone. You tell me," Senator Organa stated. He quirked his eyebrow at the two clone troopers in front of him. They remained silent because he did bring up a good point.
Looking over his shoulder, Bail Organa looked towards the two senators talking to each other. His eyes softened upon seeing how the two of them interacted with each other. While they were best friends, he always thought they acted more like sisters (though they actually got along with each other). He felt a weak smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"She's a handful, that one. Once she sets her mind on something, she won't back down easily. One of the most stubborn people I know," Bail chuckled to himself.
Neither Hunter or Echo doubted that. They had just witnessed how stubborn she could be in their meeting and how she refused to take a hiatus despite the fact that her life was on the line. However, was it stubbornness or selflessness?
For a brief moment, Hunter found himself following his line of sight until it landed on the senator. She seemed so carefree; her face was radiating with beams of happiness. Her lips turned upwards into a smile and her laugh echoed over to them.
"I won't tell you how to do your job," Bail Organa returned to their conversation. He looked between the two clones. "But can I give you a piece of advice?"
"Of course, senator." Hunter nodded his head.
"Be mindful of her. She's gone through a lot recently and she's grown more sensitive to her surroundings. She doesn't sleep most nights in fear of what may happen when she closes her eyes," Senator Organa claimed.
Slowly, Hunter's eyes drifted back to the senator standing in front of him. He saw the gentlest and kindness in his eyes. He could tell by the tone of his voice that he cared deeply for his fellow senator. But then things turned more solemn.
"She's like the daughter I never had," Bail's voice was laced with a heavy sense of sadness. "If anything should happen to her--"
"We know, senator." Hunter interjected. He placed a hand on the senator's shoulder. "We'll try our hardest to take care of her for you."
"Thank you," Bail gave a nod of appreciation.
Across the length of the room, Senator Amidala and Senator Rayna caught up with each other. They had spent some time apart. While one was traveling the galaxy, the other was strictly confined to the planet for her safety. It truly felt like eternity since they had last seen one another.
"I heard Senator Organa reached out to General Kenobi for assistance," Senator Amidala began. "Did he travel alone or--"
"He was accompanied by Commander Cody," Senator Rayna explained. The corners of her lips tugged into a mischievous all-knowing smirk. "His Padawan was not with him if that's what you're wondering," Senator Rayna added.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Senator Amidala scoffed awkwardly. She shook her head at her friend's ridiculous comment.
"Oh please," Senator Rayna sighed. She rolled her eyes. "You think I don't notice how you are constantly asking about him and pining over him."
"I do not!" Padmé scolded her.
"You do know that it is forbidden for the jedi to form attachments," Senator Rayna tried to talk some reason into her friend. She knew that there was some unspoken thing going on between them, but she didn't know the details of it.
"Enough about me," Padmé quickly dismissed the conversation with a wave of her hand. "What about you?"
"Me? What about me?" Y/n scoffed slightly.
"Isn't there someone you are pining over yourself?" Senator Amidala wondered. She cocked an eyebrow at her in a suggestive manner.
"No, I am not pining over someone." Senator Rayna shook her head in denial. "I'm a little bit occupied with other matters at the moment."
From across the room, Hunter's highly sensitive ears had picked up their conversation unbeknownst to them. He turned his head ever so slightly to be more in tune. He felt his heart flutter once again in his chest.
Finally, Senator Amidala and Senator Rayna went to leave the room by walking beside one another. The others made sure to follow behind them. They entered into the corridor to be met by the rest of the squad.
"Perimeter is secure," Tech relayed to his sergeant. Hunter gave a curt nod of acceptance. "The shuttle is ready for departure whenever the senator sees fit."
Now Hunter and Echo had shifted to stand beside their brothers in the corridor. The senators had directed their line of attention to view the small squad of soldiers. They certainly did not look like your regular batch of clones. Their armor didn't even match the traditional white with hinted colored accents. It was more of a dark grey color and was accompanied with hinted red accents.
Not only did each of their helmets mismatch, but so did their physical appearance. The one near the back was a literally giant, two of the others were tall and lanky, the other one looked more like a droid, and the last one had broad shoulders and a strong built. Just by looking at them, one could tell that there was something off and that they were genetically enhanced.
"Ma'am," Hunter drew the senator's attention. "Whenever you are ready."
The Senator of Coruscant nodded her head understandingly. She quickly gave a brief farewell to her fellow senators. The clones saluted the other senators as a form of respect. The senator proceeded to walk back down the long length of the corridor with her new clone escort following right behind her.
Meanwhile, Senator Organa and Senator Amidala watched their retreating figures with keen eyes. They saw how their associate interacted with this new batch of rogue clones. She didn't seem to mind or question their abnormalities. At first, Senator Rayna had been hesitant to ask for help from the jedi and was uncertain about having a clone escort. But now, things seemed to have changed her mind. And the senators wanted to know why.
CHAPTER THREE HERE
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Casual reminder that Hunter is LITERALLY the person who brings a knife to a gun blaster fight.
What makes this even funnier? In this scene, Anakin says "Hunter, hold them off," and Hunter's response is to drop the blaster he's holding in exchange for his knife.
Hi there 👋🏽, I hope you are doing well. I’m just passing by to tell you how much I enjoy reading the new chapter of The Royal Family. I always admire how you write each scene with so much vividness; it’s as if I’m right there witnessing the events myself. I also love how Y/N and Tom finally kissed! Aaah! That part got me all mushy inside and even got me wanting to have one of those kisses 🥺. Much love to you and your writing! Have a lovely day 😊💖
I’m definitely not shedding some tears right now. I wanted to say thank you so very much! That is literally the sweetest thing ever! I just loved writing that kiss scene too. And believe me, that is pretty much all they are going to be doing in the next chapter😉
TBB Screenshot Edits
Armor
Their armor tells us a thousand stories about how much they have seen since the end of Season 2.
(The last edit is a merge of two pictures since we never saw top and bottom at the same time, plus I removed the guy from the Pyke syndicate.)
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Just A Bartender | Kaz Brekker
Summary: There was nothing special about the head bartender at the Crow Club. For Kaz Brekker, he could list off thirty people who were more valuable assets or investments to him. But there is something about the bartender that ignites a desire to protect her at all costs.
Warning: alcoholic beverages, mentions of gambling, slightly demeaning behavior
Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader
Type: Oneshot
Word Count: 4k
The Crow Club had such an enticing ambience filled to the brim with thoughtless pigeons. The Ketterdam tourists didn’t know any better than to visit one of the most well-known clubs in the Barrel. A place where they could put down a couple wages, drink until their hearts content, and get tricked into spending more money than they realize.
It was the perfect trap set by Kaz Brekker himself. The tables and dealers weren’t rigged, but a gambling hall is still a gambling hall. People lose their money at the tables and invest in a couple drinks. Before they know it, all their money is gone and it has all goes right into his pocket.
The Crow Club was never not busy, besides when it was closed in the early hours of the morning. It was Friday, which only meant that it was going to be a busy night and the start of the weekend. The tables were filled with some bystanders even standing on the sidelines awaiting their turn.
The bouncers guarded the door to monitor the people coming in and out of the club. The waitresses whisked around tables, carrying tray after tray of various alcoholic drinks. All of which were provided and stocked by the head bartender.
Near the back of the club, Y/N was standing behind the bar counter. She had a pint in her hands and was filling the pint to the brim with rich golden beer. She placed the pint onto a tray that was almost full of other drinks. She quickly pushed the tray into the hands of a waitress, sending the orders out.
On busy nights like these, Y/N barely had a moment to think to herself. Instead, she opted to bury herself in the work in front of her because she knew how well it paid. She wiped her hands clear of beer on the apron tied around her waist before grabbing a nearby rag to clean the countertop.
In that given moment, Wylan had returned to the bar with an empty tray in his hands. He slipped behind the bar and began helping by drying some cups with a rag himself.
Over the past couple weeks, Y/N had been training Wylan in the art of bartending. She had seen firsthand how well he performed when mixing different chemicals to create his signature bombs. She wondered if he would take an interest in bartending since it was somewhat similar. And he most certainly did.
Wylan was a quick learner. Despite still not knowing how to read, Wylan was able to memorize which bottles of alcohol where which by the shape, size, color, and even smell. He always measured out the correct amount for each drink, since precision was insanely important when it comes to pyrotechnics. In no time, Wylan had become well knowledge in how to make certain drinks.
To have a second bartender was very helpful, especially on busy nights like these ones. For the past week, Wylan also doubled as another waiter since one of the girls had called out sick on short notice. He would take orders, return to the bar, create them himself, and then deliver them to the pigeons.
With Wylan often at the bar, this meant that Jesper spent even less time at the tables. For the majority of the night, Jesper would find himself perched on one of the barstools at the bar; his head perched in the palm of his hand as he stared longingly at the young bartender. This distraction was one that Wylan, Y/N, and Kaz were most thankful for as they knew how bad his gambling problem really was.
“Might I have another refill?” Jesper wondered as he lowered his now empty glass onto the bar counter. He winced at the burning in the back of his throat.
“I think you’ve had enough tonight,” Y/N said warringly as she took his glass away. “Don't want to develop a drinking problem on top of a gambling problem.”
Jesper snorted in response, but nodded his head in agreement. She sent him a warm smile and cheeky wink. He went to push the barstool back, standing to his feet. He stretched his arms over his head.
“Well, then I might head to the tables.” Jesper began. She went to protest, but Wylan beat her to it.
“We’ve talked about this,” Wylan quickly came to stand beside him and took his arm as if to stop him.
“Don’t worry about me. I won’t spend more than an hour at the table,” Jesper claimed. He leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his forehead, burying his nose in the ruff of hair. He quickly pulled away and slipped into the crowd to find an empty table.
Left at the bar, Wylan slumped down in the empty barstool left by Jesper. He breathed a long sigh of defeat. His gaze drifted down to the wet rag in his hands, finding a loose string and pulling on it without thought.
“I’ll send Inej to make sure he leaves the tables after an hour,” Y/N tried to cheer him up. He looked over his shoulder to send her a weak smile, mentally appreciating the effort. He redirected his line of attention to the crowd, spotting his lover situated at one of the tables.
From across the room, Y/N’s eyes had landed on the dark and looming figure of her boss walking the floor. He was currently being trailed by one of his informants; a pesky man who honestly didn’t know when to stop talking.
The bartender just knew by the look in his eyes that his patience was already warring thin. His jaw was locked in place and his pace quickened despite the use of his cane. He also had that clear look of annoyance in his eyes.
In that moment, Y/N began to prepare his usual order, which was a glass of the finest whiskey in Ketterdam. She knew he was gonna need it after that conversation. Sure enough, Kaz spun around on the heels of his feet and said one thing to his informant. Without another word, the short and stout man scurried past him to leave the club.
Now, Kaz headed straight to the far side of the bar. He stood with his eyes facing the shelf full of the alcoholic beverages. The head bartender placed his usual on the countertop before sending it sliding down the long length of the counter. Without looking, Kaz caught the small glass of whiskey with his leather black glove. He raised the glass to his lips, taking a long sip of the rich liquid and relishing in the burning sensation felt near the back of his throat.
When Y/N turned her head away, Kaz shifted his gaze to stare at her discreetly unbeknownst to her. He remembered the day he hired her, which was only a few days before the club opened. He hired her for one reason and one reason only: if she agreed to not to ask any questions. And she had kept her end of the bargain ever since.
He knew this would be a difficult task for anyone. There was always the mystery behind the black leather gloves he wore and the limp accompanied by the crow cane. The origins of where Kaz Brekker came from. Why he was so ruthless and heartless even as a twenty year old now. But she wasn’t allowed to ask questions.
When Kaz would come back to the Slat bloodied and bruised because he had gotten into a fistfight with a local gang, Y/N couldn’t even ask what happened or who did that to him. She simply sit silently while tending to his cuts with a damp rag. She never pestered and she never pried.
She wasn’t anything special herself. She wasn’t part of the Six Crows. She didn’t participate in the heist. She didn’t wield any foreign knives, have the heartrending ability, or have a sharpshooter’s eye. She was just simply the bartender.
She wasn’t part of the fight. She didn’t attend meetings. She brought very little to the table, besides the occasional alcoholic drinks as per requested.
She played no role. She had no importance. She didn’t have a name for herself. She most certainly was expendable. If she disappeared, nobody would know her or even remember her. Her job could easily be filled by the next person who walked into the room or even Wylan if that was an option.
She had little value and she knew this.
“Hey lady,” Y/N was pulled from her thoughts by a customer sitting at a table nearby. He raised his empty glass. “Be a sweetheart and get me a refill,” the man grinned wickedly.
Now Kaz’s gaze shifted from the customer to the bartender. He watched carefully. She grabbed a clean empty glass, choosing to fill up the pint without saying anything. She went to hand the glass to Wylan, but the customer stopped her by calling out again.
“Bring it to me yourself, lady.” He almost groaned. He sent a cheeky wink to the other men around the table. They chuckled deeply to themselves.
With some hesitation, Y/N made her way around the side of the counter with the pint of beer in her hands. She went to approach the table, carefully placing the glass down for the customer. She began taking a single step back, but was stopped when the man gripped her wrist.
Out of instinct, Y/N let out a small gasp of surprise. She clenched her fist tightly and attempted to pull herself out of his tight grasp. She tried to contain herself, in attempts of hiding the clear fear and discomfort she felt. Because she knew that if she showed even an ounce of fear, that they will feed off of that and tear her to pieces. She held her ground.
“Kindly let go,” Y/N demanded firmly but quietly.
“What you gonna do about it, pretty girl?” The man said with a deep chuckle. The beer drenched his long orange beer, dripping onto his fine waistcoat. His breath stank of alcohol and tobacco.
All of the sudden, a loud click of a cane came in contact with the wooden floorboards. The table went silent. Everyone’s heads turned to the source of the sound; their gazes falling on the one who ran the club.
In all his glory, Kaz Brekker stood facing the table of pigeons. His two gloved hands rested on top of the crow head cane. He said nothing to them, simply staring them down with a hard look in his eyes.
A little click of a gun caused the men at the table to turn their heads once again. On the other side of the room, Jesper stood with one of his precious pearly guns in his hand. It was already cocked and ready for a fight. He narrowed his eyes at them as if challenging them. Wylan shallowed heavily in fear of the worst happening.
The sound of a knife being pulled out of its sheath could be heard much to everyone’s surprise. They turned their heads one final time to see a dark cloaked figure standing on the other side of the room. She drawn knives glistened in a yellow light of the club. Her face covered by a thin blue cloth. It was the Wraith.
“I’d chose your next step very carefully if I were you,” Kaz threatened darkly.
With little hesitation, the man released his tight grip on the bartender’s wrist. She took a couple steps back in retreat. She pulled her wrist to her chest, rubbing the tingling pain away with her other hand. She wondered if it would bruise tomorrow.
Kaz didn’t say anything. He tipped his head to Jesper as if to say ‘escort this man and his pals out of the place.’ He nodded knowingly before calling over the bouncers. They acted quickly by escorting the whole table out of the club despite their protests that their money was good and they didn’t do anything wrong.
The owner of the club went to stand in front of his bartender. He kept his eyes on the door of the club as the men were forcefully pushed out of the club. She looked at him expectedly. She half expected him to ask if she was alright, but she should have known better because all he said was:
“My office after work.”
Her shoulders slouched at her sides in defeat. She stared at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes. The pain in her wrist was starting to become more prominent with each passing second. It was bound to bruise at this point.
“Yes boss,” Y/N accepted.
With her head hung low, Y/N returned to her rightful place behind the bar to finish out the rest of her shift. She dreaded the conversation that she was expected to have at the end of the night, left expectant in the dark about what their topic would pertain to.
Many hours later, the Crow Club was finally closed. The tables had been cleared. The dealers and bouncers had all gone back to their quarters at the Slat. Even Jesper, Wylan, and Inej had made their way back to the place they called home. All that was left was the bartender.
For starters, Y/N had to walk around the club in order to collect all of the glasses and pints. Many of them were left empty, but some of them still had liquid leftover. She returned to the bar to wash the dishes and dry them with her spare rag. She placed the rest of them upside down on the counter to dry overnight.
Next, Y/N made her way to each table to clean the table tops. She then proceeded to stack the chairs on top of table. This took quite some time as they were a lot of tables in the club. But once the tables and chairs were taken care of, Y/N was able to get out a broom and dustpan.
The pigeons often brought in heaps of dust and dirt from the road, which made the naturally brown floorboards this disgusting black color. It took close to an hour of sweeping the place before she was able to move onto the mopping portion of her tasks.
By this point, it was close to the early hours of the morning. While the sun wasn’t peeking over the horizon, it was bound to in an hours time. Rather sluggishly, Y/N returned to her place behind the bar. She opened a hidden cupboard to retrieve a single pristine teacup. She filled the teacup with a rich black coffee before placing the cup on a silver tray.
Carefully, so not to spill the cup of coffee, Y/N made her way upstairs to the upper level of the club. She cautiously went to approach the door to her boss’s office. She raised her hand to knock twice.
Even though she heard nothing in response, Y/N was able to open the door and make her way inside. She saw her boss sitting behind his desk, working through some of the books. She strode over to his desk to lower the silver tray on top of it.
As per request, Kaz liked to have a cup of coffee while working on the books every night before leaving the club. He never took any creamer or sugar with his coffee, opting to drink it straight black. Almost fitting to his persona.
Black gloves. Black coffee. Black soul.
Without taking his eyes away from his work, Kaz’s devilishly long fingers curled round the handle of the teacup. He brought the cup to the seam of his lips, tipping the cup slightly upwards to get a taste of its bitter and strong flavor.
In the three years of working for Kaz Brekker, Y/N always brought him a cup of coffee at the end of the night. She’d watch him drink his coffee, waiting for her next orders. Sometimes Kaz would ask her to restock the new shipment of vodka that had come in from the harbor. Other times, Kaz would ask her to look over the books for him to make sure he didn’t miss anything.
The longest wait had been over an hour long of her just standing in front of his desk, waiting for a verbal dismissal from him. It was always how she ended her night at the club. Sometimes her dismissal came in the form of a short nod. On rare occasions, Kaz would say something like ‘you may go.’
Tonight would be different. A fight had almost broke out in the club. A gun could have been fired by Jesper had his patience run out a minute earlier. Blood could have been shed over a mere bartender.
A few moments passed in utter silence. The only sound was coming from Kaz flipping through some papers and when he lowered his drink back down onto the silver tray.
“I’d like to apologize for tonight--,” Y/N began but was quickly interrupted.
“What for?” Kaz said without drawing his gaze away from his work. She paused for a moment.
“There was almost a fight,” Y/N replied blankly.
“Happens from time to time,” Kaz claimed. He wasn’t wrong. “I just prefer to keep my floors clean of blood.”
She knew this better than anyone. He’d always get so frustrated if someone shot a gun off in his club or if someone ended up dead on his floor. Unbeknownst to her, it was solely because she was the one who always had to clean up the mess. He hated seeing her on her hands and knees, scrubbing the blood out of the floorboards.
He knew that she’d wake up the next day with sore knees and splinters in her hand. An ache in her back that wouldn’t go away for another week. Her hands stained pink from the blood she washed away with a scrubber and bucket. Her eyes tired from having to stay later.
Kaz Brekker knew well of pain. He was old buddies with him. The effects of firepox had caused an unbearable pain when he was much younger. However, the worst pain that Kaz ever endured was when he was fourteen years old. In which, he jumped off the roof of a bank and broke his right leg. That pain failed to leave his side and still resides with him to his day, hint the cane.
Kaz Brekker knew well of the pain of others. Often times, Kaz found a somewhat sense of joy upon seeing the look of pain in others faces, particularly other members of rivalry gangs. To see a man writhing in pain due to being shot in the leg or being witness to a solid left hook to a jaw. It was often satisfying to say the least.
However, Kaz Brekker concealed behind all his hard armor, could not stand to see one particular person in pain. It shouldn’t have been an issue, but it had been for the past three years. His bartender of all people was the one person on his mind.
He always knew that he liked to take care of his investments, particularly his crows in which he had invested a lot of his money and time into. His bartender was not much of an investment. He had paid off Inej’s indenture years ago and she worked for him as a spy in disguise. He gave Jesper a line of credit in which he quickly became his right hand man. Even Wylan, whom Kaz had taken under his wing, was part of the crew and was a much more valuable asset than any bartender could be. After all, she was just a bartender.
She brought nothing to the table. No intel. No skill. No muscle. Just the ability to make one hell of a cocktail and the strong sense to not ask any questions.
The investment in her was not one for the books. It wasn’t one of the best choices he’d ever made. She made drinks and kept the place tidy. That was it. She was dispensable.
And yet, for some reason, Kaz protected her. He always protects his investments, but especially the ones he truly cares about. He protects his crows as they are the closest thing he has to a family now. He protects the other members of the Dregs as they are what holds his empire together. And he protects his bartender because...
Kaz lifted his head to finally meet her soft gaze. She offered him a small smile that went away as quickly as it appeared. He found himself standing to his feet with the help of his cane, shifting around the side of his desk. He stood in front of her.
He very slowly lowered himself to perch on the edge of his desk, studying her figure with a blank look on his face. She faltered under his strict gaze, dropped her line of sight to stare at the ground instead. She closed her eyes to calm herself.
Suddenly, Y/N felt the soft pads of two leather fingers touch the underside of her chin. Her head was lifted by those fingers until her gaze met those of her boss’s. She held her breathe as she stared directly into the eyes of the bastard of the barrel.
He took the time to admire all of her features. Her skin was illuminated by the soft golden glow of the fireplace beside them. Her hair smelt of alcohol from the drinks she had been pouring all night. Her lips so perfect because they had never been tempted once to ask a single question.
“Your wrist...” Kaz said softly.
His other hand made contact with the wrist that had been clutched tightly that night. He brought her hand up to view himself. He went to push away the sleeve of her blouse, settling his gaze on the small purple bruise that had begun to form around her wrist.
“It’ll heal,” Y/N claimed with a shrug of the shoulders. He cast a glance to her.
“They won’t come near you again. That I can promise,” Kaz gave a nod.
“B-But they bring in money. They meant no harm--,” Y/N tried to reason with him.
“They meant harm,” Kaz said curtly. He lifted his head to stare at her hard, unwavering in his opinion on the matter. He examined her wrist once more. “Those kind always do.”
“It’s only a bruise. Not a break or even a sprain,” Y/N replied. She tried to recapture his attention by lowering her head to insert herself into his line of vision. “I am fine. You don’t have to worry about me,” she claimed.
In that moment, Kaz Brekker could feel the walls around his mind and heart begin to fall away at her words. His mind wasn’t plagued with the fear that someone might overhear their conversation. He always believed attachment meant weakness, but just for a moment, he forgot all about his beliefs.
“I do worry,” Kaz said in a soft whisper. He stared into the depths of her eyes, now taking notice of their proximity to one another. That he was able to feel the soft fanning of her breath against his face. “All the time,” Kaz added.
“W-Why’s that?” Y/N replied, almost baffled by his answer.
“Because...” Kaz couldn’t find the words. He was reminded that if he spoke his mind or showed any sense of vulnerability, that he would be deemed weak in his own eyes. So he changed his answer. “You’re an investment. And I like to protect my investments,” Kaz lied under his tongue.
“I can take care of myself,” Y/N chuckled at his response. She wanted to take a step back and turn away from him entirely, but she was too drawn to him.
“The thing is...you don’t have to,” Kaz responded. He dropped his voice to a low whisper so that they couldn’t be heard by anyone other than themselves. His lips curved into a michevious grin. He was up to something. “I can take care of you for the rest of our lives.”
“How?” Y/N narrowed her eyes at him, knowing this was far beyond a (what she thought was) simple confessor of feelings.
“Found myself another job,” Kaz replied. He smirked at her wickedly. “One that will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams.”
Author’s Note:
IT’S BEEN A WHILE, HASN’T IT? I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE MY RETURN.
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