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Chapter Text

Hoshino Ichika was the princess of the Kingdom of Leo, told to be blessed by the Goddess herself and was considered fairest of all. With being of such high status, of course hundreds flock over to the kingdom to try and woo her and strengthen ties with the kingdom. 

This has grown into such a problem that her majesty the Queen Hoshino had decided to assign a guard to her beloved daughter, a petite knight with hair as soft and flowy as silk, as white as a swan’s feathers, a descendant of the Yoisaki Clan, Yoisaki Kanade, who was known to keep to herself and show little emotion.

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Their first meeting was an awkward one, only looking at each other and not uttering one word, not knowing what the other was thinking about.

Ichika’s mind was suddenly filled with the imagery of Kanade’s hair when she saw her, and imagined what it would feel like to touch it with her own hands. Her knight had hair that reached to the back of her knees, it fell from her shoulders like threads of finely made strings that shone in the light. As the knight bowed before her, she had caught a whiff of her smell, noticing the smell to be of carnations. She couldn’t clear her mind of it, and she thought that to be just a bit odd.

After a while, they finally found courage to talk to each other, finding that they both have an interest in music, as well as finding out that they both had a profound belief in the Goddess. They had only exchanged a few words with each other, and yet their minds wandered off after a while, but instead of just hair, they thought of each other’s voices and facial features as well.

The princess had noticed that, despite what other people say about her, Kanade did show her emotions quite often, but only if one had heeded more attention to her slightly changing facial features. Her eyebrows sometimes raise or furrow just a bit whenever she finds something interesting or frustrating. She also found Kanade’s voice quite calming. It was soft, as gentle as the Goddess’ wind, as if it were lulling her to sleep.

She still finds it weird that she kept thinking of the small knight, but she paid no heed to it.

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Until the day that she went to observe the training of the knights of the kingdom.

A few months ago, she had insisted to Kanade to let her tag along with her, since one of her friends, Saki, had sent her a letter saying that her brother, Tsukasa, was joining the knights, and she had wanted Ichika to come say hello to him, and being the good friend that Ichika was, she had accepted the request.

The silver-haired knight found it a bit peculiar that the princess wanted to watch the recruitment of knights, but went along with it. Of course, she couldn’t dismiss the request of the princess, she was just her bodyguard after all.

The day of the recruitments came and Ichika was seated at the covered bleachers of the field, looking out for her friend’s brother. While mindlessly searching, her eyes found themselves wandering over to Kanade.

She observed her as she sparred with another knight, she noticed her armor was light, just enough to move around easily and be protected from the blows of her sparring partner. She watched as this small knight moved quickly and accurately, her hair flowing behind her like it were a comet’s tail in the night, her blue eyes filled with focus as she struck down her sparring opponent. It was then that Ichika had realized that the reason she only thought about Kanade the past few months. 

Heck, the princess talked about her knight every single day to her friends, that even they realized that something was up with her, and yet it was only now that she had realized how dense she was.

She was in love.

And she knew that she was in trouble.

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Ichika fidgeted in her seat, thinking about what horrid consequences that would befall onto Kanade if ever she admitted or she got found out to have feelings for her. What horrid punishments would be given? Would she be exiled? Disgraced? Or worse, executed! Oh how disgraceful this princess felt, her chest getting the feeling of closing up and suffocating her where she sat.

And as if the Goddess was toying with her, her situation got even worse than before. Her parents had announced that there was going to be a kingdom ball, where she was to choose her spouse from the collection of princes that were going there, which made her throat close up even more. She didn’t want to do anything with those princes, but yet she doesn’t really have a choice. What is a princess like her to do? She couldn’t confess to her parents at all, because if she did then Kanade would be taken from her, and she would effectively forced to wed some man that she didn’t wanna do anything with.

All that stress built up in her formed into tears, sobs making her entire body tremble as she gripped at her frilled dress. Oh how it hurt to fall in love with your own body guard, much less a girl. She got up from her seat and threw herself onto the bed, burying her face onto the pillow as it soaked in her tears.

Her sobbing, although soft, attracted Kanade from outside the door of her room. The petite knight opened the door, a soft creak echoing from the hinges. “Your highness, is everything alright?” Kanade asked, concern weighing down on her soft voice and filling her eyes. Ichika removed herself from her pillow, looking at the knight that was before her. Without a second thought, Ichika ran up to hug Kanade, finally letting out the dam that she prevented from coming loose.

Kanade was, of course, surprised. She ponders what has happened to the princess, and she had opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She removed her gloves, dropping them onto the floor and hugging Ichika back, patting her back with one, and entangling the other in the princess’ hair. Kanade’s scarf got soaked with the princess’ tears, and yet she couldn’t care less.

They stayed like that for a while, the world just staying still as Ichika’s sobs slowly dissipated, the breeze outside being the only thing heard along with their breaths. They felt that there was nobody in the world left but them, and it felt so warm that neither of them wanted to pull off from that warmth, but as all things do, their hug came to an end, looking at each other.

Both had eyes of blue, yet those blues felt so different from each other. Ichika stared into Kanade’s eyes, and Kanade stared back. Ichika’s eyes were of the sky, reflected upon the ocean that is Kanade’s own, and without even knowing it, they had unconsiously leaned in closer to each other, wanting to find more in the other’s eyes. So many secrets hidden in those eyes, they wanted to find more and more of each other.

Closer and closer they got, Ichika squeezed her eyes shut as she pressed her lips onto the soft ones that were in front of her. Kanade jolted, but she didn’t pull off, and instead she was stuck frozen onto her spot, the sensation still registering in her brain. The princess pulled her ever closer, her warmth contrasting the naturally cold temperature of Kanade’s body. Ichika wanted this moment to last forever and ever.

Seconds felt like hours, they pulled off breathless and blushing, Ichika having poured every ounce of her feelings into that clumsy kiss so Kanade could understand her and with a swift motion, Ichika pushed Kanade down onto her bed, kissing her again, deeper this time. Her hands roamed around Kanade’s body, slipping them into Kanade’s tunic to get a feel of her muscular build from all the training she’s been through. This was also the moment that Ichika realized that Kanade was very sensitive, shivering and shaking through every soft touch that coursed from the tip of her fingers and onto her pale skin.

Ichika couldn’t resist touching Kanade’s body, caressing her biceps and rubbing her fingers along Kanade’s abs, claiming everything on her body as hers, as her property. Kanade was hers, and she was Kanade’s, so to say. Everything was mild, until Kanade let out such a grunt that made Ichika’s mind go blank and her lust almost took control if not a knock on the door interrupt their little session.

“Your highness, the queen requests your presence.”

They pulled off from their predicament, heavily panting from the almost endless kiss they locked each other with, a string of saliva connecting their tongues together. They didn’t wanna pull of from their embrace, but Ichika dared not to disobey her mother, and so she had fixed herself, not a hair out of place, before sorrowly looking at Kanade on the bed and proceeding to exit her room.

As she reached the throneroom, she felt a feeling of dread in her chest, as if it were a premonition to what was going to happen inside the throneroom. And as she had predicted, her mom had given her news that she were to meet a prince named Aoyagi Toya, from the kingdom of Vivid. She had not even met the prince yet, and she was already arranged into a marriage with him?!

Ichika felt her world shatter.

Just earlier, she had poured all her love onto her knight, and now there she stood, in disbelief and despair, over such a trivial manner as being wed to a man who she didn’t want to do anything with.

A part of her wanted to storm out of the throne room.

And a part of her wanted to just kneel there and sob her heart out.

But she simply bowed, and walked calmly out of the throne room. 

“Your highness? Is everything alright? You look quite pale.” A familiar voice called out to the girl with raven hair. 

Kanade..

“Yeah.. It’s just that… You know what, I… I should go to sleep.” 

“Your highness--”

Before Kanade could even finish what she was saying, Ichika had already run off, lifting up her frilled gown, running to her room as tears flew off her supple cheeks. Her ears were ringing, the only audible thing being her own heartbeat.

Oh how she wanted to sob, to scream, to just let everything out again.

But how could she now?

She couldn’t even get Kanade’s response earlier, no words were exchanged after parting from the kisses they had, so how was she to truly face the knight again? Kanade probably hated her by then, but why did she even kiss back? 

Why still care and ask her if she was alright?

Ichika, in simpler words, was a mess.

Opening the door to her bedroom once more, then immediately slamming it behind her, she fell onto her knees, letting the waterworks out. Sobbing like a child.

Was she really blessed by the goddess, or was she cursed?

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Well, this was it.

The kingdom ball, well, specifically it was a masquerade ball.

Ichika sighed as her attendants put yet another kind of dress on her, a sleeveless gown with gloves that reached to her elbows. It’s not as elaborate as her other dresses and gowns, sure, but it still did the job of enhancing her beauty.

A portion of her black raven hair was tied up neatly into a braid, the yet untouched parts of her hair had the tips be curled. Light makeup was put on her, as she wasn’t really a fan of a full heavy face of makeup, and besides, it’d be covered up by a mask anyways.

As her hair was being fixed, her mind wandered back to Kanade.

And how she lashed out, at how she took the title of “personal knight” from her, by the Goddess did it hurt. She never really meant to do that, it was purely in the heat of the moment.

What had happened was, Kanade had chased the princess into her room, knocking on her door and asking again what had happened, and if she was okay.

And as emotion swelled she had finally lost it, screaming at the innocent knight, telling her to leave, and that her rank as “personal knight” be stripped from her.

And the only response she got?

“Ah, as you wish, your highness, if you think it best. I shall inform the queen at once.”

Only then did Ichika realise the gravity of her actions.

Now every time she sees Kanade in the halls, fully clad in her armour, her heart gets confused, for it either beats in pain and guilt, or it beats in adornment and love.

And her long, bluish-silver hair…

By the Goddess..

Ichika wanted to feel it once more, to say that she was sorry, but how could she?

Tears welled up in her eyes before she had put on her mask.

Walking out into the vast ballroom, she was almost blinded by the lights of the chandelier, as the sounds of instruments filled her ears, she felt a hand land gently on her shoulder.

As she turned back, a familiar sight greeted her.

“Your highness, may I have a dance with you?”

Yoisaki Kanade.

Her knight.

Ichika felt blood rush to her cheeks as she saw the knight in a fine pressed, powder blue suit, with that silk-like hair tied up into a handsome high ponytail, though Ichika felt cheated that Kanade’s ice-like eyes were hidden under her masquerade mask.

Stammering out a “yes”, the princess let her knight take her into the middle of the ballroom, the music and the people getting drowned out as she focused on Kanade and Kanade alone.

Hand in hers, Kanade weaved Ichika into a simple yet elegant dance, her silver hair shimmering in the light as if it were the moon. It felt like it was only them and them alone at that moment, and Ichika wanted to stay like that.

Ichika kept her eyes on Kanade, wanting to see those eyes from under that mask. Was she judging her? Did Kanade hate her? She’s not even her personal knight anymore after that day, but why did she ask for a dance? 

Was she forgiven already?

Tears once more threatened to spill from her eyes, a small sob escaping from her throat and despite the loudness of the environment, Kanade seemed to notice it.

So she pulled Ichika aside, outside the grand ballroom, stopping by the castle’s garden and sitting onto the nearby bench, beckoning the princess to come sit with her.

Ichika took her mask off, setting it beside her as the tears finally flowed out of her deep blue eyes, a stream of apologies coming out of her mouth as she gripped her gown in her fists, looking down and wallowing in her own shame.

But Kanade didn’t leave her. At all.

It confused her so much, because she just knows that she did her knight so wrong from firing her so suddenly like that.

“Your highness.. Can you look at me?” 

And Ichika did, her wavering blue eyes meeting the sturdy ocean blue hues of Kanade’s own, the knight’s silver hair cascading behind her as she gently held the princess’ hand in her own.

“Can you match my breathing?” Kanade asked, coming a bit closer to Ichika, her rough hand caressing Ichika’s knuckles.

She was met with a nod from the princess, who, despite the sniffles and sobs, slowly matched her calm breathing.

“Can you name three things you can see right now?”

“Your mask… Your suit… You…”

“Two colours you can see?”

“Blue eyes… White flowers…”

“One thing you can hear?”

“Your voice..”

Kanade would blush at that, but now was not the time to do so, she still had to help the princess through this.

“Have you calmed down now?”

“I-I have, yes…”

A soft, relieved sigh escaped Kanade’s lips. She was alright, she’ll be alright. Even if she’s not a personal knight anymore, she won’t leave the princess in despair like this. She can’t, she cares too much about her.

Receiving a hug from the raven haired princess, a small smile tugged on her lips. Thank the Goddess that she was alright,

Though she has to return to her post in a little bit, she hugged the princess back and guided her back to the grand ballroom, though she can’t help but notice that there’s just… Something off...

She wanted to shrug it off, but she feels that if she didn’t do anything about it or at least find its source, something might happen to the crown princess she loved so much, but she had to get back to her post. So she did.

Ichika watched her walk back to her post, and she finally got the courage to walk to where Aoyagi supposedly was, but before she could reach the meeting place, her vision suddenly turned dark as she felt a presence pick her up and the wind whip past her face.

And just when Kanade reached her post, she saw a figure running past her. The princess. The princess was there. Carried by the figure.

She fucked up.

Chasing the figure with brown hair, she took out her sword that she kept sheathed at her side.

“Halt! I demand you halt and drop the princess!” Kanade shouted, alerting the other guards at their posts to also chase or block the kidnapper.

The figure’s hood fell off, revealing short brown hair as they ran faster and faster by the moment, as if they were doing something urgent. And so Kanade sprinted even faster, cursing her suit a little bit for restraining her movements, but she still managed to catch the culprit.

She tackled the brown haired person onto the ground, rolling around with them as if they were two tumbleweeds in a windy morning, her eyes meeting with chocolate brown ones as they both stood up, swords at the ready.

A duel was about to begin, a duel for the princess.