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obislittleone · 2 years ago

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What Once Was Mine

Chapter 12

Summary: Locked away in a house her entire life, she always dreamed of exploring the nearby kingdom for just a day, believing it could make the rest of her days in solitude bearable. What she was unaware of, was the real reason she’d been hidden away for so long. Changes comes swift like a flying dagger when a thieving bounty hunter seeks solace in the old home.

Din Djarin Royalty!AU / Tangled!AU

Pairing: Din Djarin x Princess Kryze!Reader

A/n: okay so there’s one more part after this and then Ima start posting more indy stuff…

Warnings: Heavy fluff, angst if you squint, Bo being a little bit weird ig… Oh and smut (18+)

He was strong enough to ride a horse, that was his argument.

“I had to walk you down those steps to get to the stable,” you countered, a chuckle within your tone as you tried to reason with your mandalorian hunter. He was being so stubborn about his healing process, and even now, while strolling through the gardens, he had an arm hooked around yours for safety.

“You didn’t have to, you wanted to,” he emphasized his point by stepping away for a moment, walking on his own and without a limp in his footsteps. You could acknowledge that there was quite a bit of progress since he had been injured, but you wondered if he was fully recovered or just pretending to appease you. “See? I’m fine.”

You shook your head and rejoined your arms, linking together at the elbow as you continued your stroll. You still had to have a chaperone present on your day walks, as until you were married, it would not be appropriate for other court members and such to see you alone together. She followed behind at a close distance, but she minded her own business enough that you both felt comfortable to express yourselves freely.

“If you are in fact fine, you wouldn’t mind dancing with me in the hall this evening?” You let your voice grow softer, leaning into him a small bit when you spoke. It was innocent enough, but unfortunately something as simple as this may be looked down upon by royal standards. You were new to the life of monarchy, and still didn’t know the rules of what was tolerated and what wasn’t.

“Walking and dancing are two separate things,” he chided, trying to still seem confident about his progress while also making it known that he hadn’t quite made it that far.

“Then I will postpone the planning further.”

He huffed a sigh, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at your antics. Oh how he loved you, but sometimes you were more stubborn than he was, and that in itself was an accomplishment.

“Lady Bo Katan said the planning would take a fortnight, I’m sure I’ll be fully recovered by then,” he argued yet again, and you would admit you were getting closer to folding. He turned to you, stopping in the walkway on the cobblestones and taking your hands in his own. The look in his eyes as he took in your every feature… those eyes made you a victim, willing to comply with any request he may ever present. It’s not like he was asking anything bad of you, quite the opposite, actually. “I just want to be married to you.”

With a hand placed at the side of his face, you leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the nose. There was still a chaperone behind you, after all. “Only if you’re completely sure you can dance with me by then.”

“I promise, I will dance with you until your feet give out.”

You chuckled timidly, a blush spreading across your cheeks from the smirk forming across his.

“Then I’ll tell Bo this afternoon.” With a nod, and a sweet smile, the deal was sealed. It was all done in perfect timing, too, for the royal child nurse, Peli, came rushing up to you both with your lovely green bundle in her arms.

You reached out to take the baby into your possession, his tiny hands reaching out for you in return.

“Good morning, bright eyes,” you said, bouncing him a few times before pulling him close to your chest for a hug. “How’d he sleep?”

“Better than me, I imagine,” she chuckled, but you knew it was all in good fun. She would have the rest of the day off until the evening, now, as Din usually took the time to bond with him while you slowly integrated yourself with meetings again. Peli was only there to make sure he was comfortable during the night. She did a wonderful job as far as you were concerned, and Grogu loved having her nearby. “Ate a hefty breakfast, too.”

“Hungry little boy,” you cooed, letting him play with your fingers the way he always used to in the old house. These moments were precious, as until you’d been married and taken residence in the King suite, you all would be forced to endure separate living situations. Hopefully, since you’d finally agreed to plan the wedding, things would be easier afterwards. “Thank you, Peli. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you, I know you do so well with him.”

“All part of the job, your highness,” she bowed slightly, and you gave a slight one in return, as you hated the way others lowered themselves for you. It was only right that you return the favor, a show of your respect. “I was told to pass on the message that Lady Kryze awaits you on the second balcony for tea.”

“Of course, I’ll be right on my way.”

With that, the royal nursemaid returned to her chambers, probably to get some much needed rest and sustenance.

You turned to Din with the child, whom now reached out for him with a tiny squeal of excitement. This had been the first day he was able to spend with him since the incident, other than a few minutes here and there of just a visit while he was recovering.

“I probably won’t see you until this evening, but I’ll make sure my advisor sends for you as soon as I’m through with everything,” this time you ignored the fact that there was a chaperone, and leaned upwards to peck his lips once before retreating quickly. “I love you.”

“I love you, mesh’la.”

The tea was nearly cold by the time you’d found Bo Katan. She didn’t mind, as she learned not to wait for you in these situations. You both were complete opposites, as her being the logical and precise one, and you being the free spirited and poetic one. Even still, with these differences, she considered you her closest ally, a true sister. Though you never met Satine, you believed she was probably like Bo Katan, strong and unwavering. Bo missed her other sister, but having you back was like filling an emptiness that had been there for so long.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” you nearly tripped over your gown, your bare feet doing there best to recover your stance before you sat across from her. Being queen meant making your own rules. You didn’t need to wear the gaudy and dramatic outfits everyday, that was the first thing to go. Regular gowns like the ones you used to wear would do just fine for everyday life. “I was taking a stroll with Din through the courtyard.”

“I expected so,” her little slanted smile meant she hadn’t been too upset about your absence. “He seems to be well on his feet, now.”

You nodded in agreement to her statement. He was almost completely healed of his injuries, barely a scratch remained.

“He says he will feel at his best in a fortnight,” you knew she wouldn’t catch on immediately, though you didn’t want to sound too brash… perhaps you should just tell her of your plans. “I remember you said it would take that long to plan-“

“A wedding?” Her brows raised as she turned to you, not truly surprised, but a bit intrigued by the fact that it was the hunter’s suggestion. “I assumed your marriage would not take place for at least a month’s time.”

“We wished it could have been sooner, actually.”

“I see,” she responded, giving you a sideways look over her cup of tea when she took a long sip. You didn’t understand the meaning in those strange glances she would sometimes give you, but she usually explained her thoughts after giving them. “I dare to ask if consummation is the main priority?”

“Pardon?” You didn’t understand that word, and she recognized your confusion immediately, feeling the need to go further in her questioning.

“I know I could perhaps be wrong, but I figured you’d have already laid with him before.” Her glance shifted away from yours for only a moment, knowing that even though you were very different from the proper royalty she’d been raised to speak with, it may still have been a forbidden topic.

“I don’t understand your meaning,” you paused, furrowing your brows as you racked your brain for what she could possibly be saying. You were smart, you were quick on your feet, but sometimes your innocence was too much for your own good. “I laid with him at night when we slept, or I did until he had to return to his room. I don’t understand what that has to do with marriage?”

The dumbfounded look on her face would have been funny, had anyone else seen it but you. It was unassuming to you and honestly made you feel like the butt of a cruel joke. Was she really so surprised? You’d grown up in a hidden part of the forrest, living mainly on your own for eighteen years… it was bound that you weren’t going to know of all the things other children were taught of.

“You can’t be serious,” she all but muttered, trying to hold her reaction to a minimum while still being in disbelief. Never in all her years had she encountered someone so untouched by the world and yet so formed by it. You had brutally killed a man, taking his head from his shoulders and not even batting an eye… but you didn’t know what sex was? “You really don’t know?”

“Pardon me, sister… but I didn’t have the most well rounded education,” you tried to keep your anger inside, for you knew it was hard for others to come to terms with the way your mind worked, or rather, the lack of information it held sometimes. You tried your best to absorb everything at all times, but there were some things that hadn’t ever been introduced.

“I apologize, I don’t mean to mock you… I’m only surprised,” she paused again, taking a sip of her tea and gathering her thoughts. “Has you hunter not made more physical advances to you before?”

You shook your head, unsure of the full context in what she was asking, but knowing he’d never do anything to you physically or otherwise, that you were not certain of.

“He’s a good man, whatever this act is that I’m unaware of, I know he would never force it upon me.”

You spoke with such diction, with such poise. Of all the books you’d read in your lifetime, with all the fancy and refined words that were used… never had they described something known as consummation. Perhaps your kidnapper was opposed to you knowing such things. It would have made sense.

“He’s one of few, I’m afraid,” she acknowledged, heaving a deep breath and then finally meeting your eyes again. “I will not speak of this, now… but you will need to know what you’re going into before it happens.”

“I understand.”

“As for now, I need to speak with a few people, first of all Mayfeld. He will begin preparations as soon as the order is given,” she stood from her seat, her navy gown falling in billows around her feet and making her look like a goddess. “You will meet with the dress maker, a design will likely take the most time of anything.”

You followed her to the entranceway of the hall, careful not to trip again on your skirt that was flowing around you.

“I know that it’s your decision to set in stone old and new traditions for Mandalore… but in the past, the wedding gowns have always been blue, so if you’re open to suggestions, that one would be at the top of the list.”

You’d always read that wedding gowns were white in your stories… once in your favorite fairy book, there was a golden gown, worn by the fairy queen herself. You never pictured yourself in a wedding gown before you met Din, but now it was all that filled your mind. Something beautiful and romantic, and… blue. Like the sky, and the ocean, and the stunning sapphire stones on the exterior of the castle. You were sure that a blue dress would look stunning, and it went rather well with your complexion.

“I would love to wear a blue dress.”

Bo Katan had spoken with Mayfeld, along with a few of the other castle staff, before making a beeline for the library. She knew Din liked to take the child there and read most afternoons, since you weren’t able to do it with him as much these days. He was such a good father figure to the little one, as you were a good mother. Bo was certain neither of you would have any issues in raising an heir. The problem would be conceiving one, as you were so unfortunately uneducated to the point that it could hurt you.

She entered the place with a smile, greeting all those who passed her by, acknowledging them with a nod for every bow she received. She couldn’t reach her destination soon enough, as she ventured though all the booths as well as the rows and rows of books.

The hunter and the child were both sat in the very back of the library, leanings against the ornate walls while turning though the pages of a Mandalorian history book. It had years of knowledge dating all the way back to the first King of Mandalore, Tarre Vizsla. She would admit she saw the effort he was putting in to learn everything about this place. She nearly admired the way he took the time to read something of the sort. All for you, no doubt.

She cleared her throat once, causing them to both look up in unison. Din placed the child down, along with the book, and stood to his feet. His bow of respect was cut short by the hand she held out to stop him.

“I need to speak with you, alone,” she gestured to the child. He was none the wiser anyways, but still she insisted, as the subject would be rather mature for little ears to hear.

“I’m not supposed to leave him by h-“

“He will be fine, I only request a few minutes of your time.” Her voice was firm but gentle, as it most times was. Din looked back to Grogu, who had already busied himself with the task of turning to another page of the book. As far as anyone could tell, the child couldn’t even read, but enjoyed books nonetheless. Probably a result of spending hours with you while you read.

He nodded in response to her, following after her footsteps and turning into an aisle a few rows down. It was further away from any other occupants, so hopefully no one else would be listening to the conversation.

“You seem tense,” he noticed, leaning against the book case and crossing his arms. He hadn’t gotten to know the Lady Bo Katan as well as he meant to, and he had hoped he could trust her, she was after all going to be his sister in law.

“This matter is unconventional, I would rather not speak of it.” Her voice didn’t waiver, however, she made a distinct point to avoid his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he should take it as a slight or if she was genuinely uncomfortable by the subject.

“Then don’t.”

She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh, opening them and finally giving him a single glare as she began speaking again.

“Unfortunately, it is a matter of importance concerning the one person we both care about,” she uttered, completely and totally set on telling him. She wished she could have just checked out a book about human anatomy and given it to you, that would be far less painless… these were but mitigating circumstances. “I suggest you let me finish and do not interrupt me.” Then came another pause, and he nodded in understanding. His face seemed more softened towards her, now. Only after hearing this pertained to his fiancé, of course. “She doesn’t understand the process of consummation. I’m not even sure she knows how her own body works. She’s well aware of her cycle, but other than that, she seems completely in the dark.”

She looked to him for a reaction, but he did not have one. She thought he might be surprised or even a little peeved about the situation, but he stood still with the same dulled expression.

“Did you hear what I sai-?”

“Yes,” he stopped her, rolling his eyes and chuckling lowly under his breath. “And I know.”

“You know?” She puzzled curiously, her brows lifted as her head shifted to view him from a side angle. This man was truly a contradiction to the others she’d met in her lifetime. As far as she was aware, men were only after a woman’s virtue, her most intimate offerings and her body as well. It did not make sense that the hunter know about this innocence and keep it intact… much less try and preserve it. You were young, you were naive, and though you were smart you were also a hopeless romantic… he could have easily tricked you into letting him have his way with you, but he didn’t. He instead pushed away the thoughts of his own mind and kept you as pure as he’d found you. “How long?”

“Since the beginning,” he shrugged, as if it wasn’t something to make a big deal over. He was more relaxed now that he knew he wasn’t in trouble, and that you weren’t in any danger. “When I found her, she’d never seen a man in her life… you could just look at her, and know.”

Once she gathered her bearings, and moved past the fact that he was more than aware, she stood straighter, coming up with a new topic that still related to the old and needed discussing.

“Even still… she must learn what is to happen if you ever plan on laying with her.”

Of course he did, and he’d thought about it several times before. That being said, if you weren’t ready to take that step of intimacy even on your wedding night, he would wait, and ease you into it for however long you needed. Since that first day in the woods, and then the second day in the kingdom, he knew the way with you was always going to involve baby steps. He’d never complain, nor would he try and speed the process along. Anything he had with you was worth it, even the first kiss, though clumsy and short, made him feel more than he’d ever felt for a woman he’d been with. It was because you were of pure intentions, and always were. He wanted you, badly, but whatever you chose to do with him would suffice.

“Look, I knew what I was getting myself into. I can explain it to her when-“

“No,” she cut him off immediately, as if he’d uttered a curse and she was scolding him for it. The look on her face showed her disgust, and she had to take a deep breath to help her not lash out. “That would be the most improper thing I’ve ever heard. If anyone is to tell her, it would most certainly not be you.”

He wasn’t embarrassed by the fact that she had called him out, because though he regrets a great portion of his past, he wasn’t ashamed to come from lesser circumstances, neither was he self conscious about the way he spoke so plainly. He was from a different world, but he would not be made to feel as though he didn’t belong in a place such as this, with people such as herself and you.

“Then I suppose you’ll be the one to tell her,” he sighed out, leaning forward as he stopped supporting himself on the shelf behind him. This conversation was coming to a close, and he figured the kid was probably eating the pages of that book by now, so he turned to leave, only looking back over his shoulder to give her a few last words. “Try not to make it sound like torture, alright?”

He knew that you may want to wait, or that you may not be quick to learn on what this act meant, but he sure as hell did not want you to be afraid of it, or of him. He’d never hurt you, never. The first day in your house, with your back against the wall and his arms on either side, trapping you in… he was still gentle when he touched you, unwilling to leave a mark on that lovely soft skin.

When he found the child, he was surprised to see him continuously turning the pages, landing on a space about the armor of the mandalorians. The beskar which weighed almost nothing, but was impenetrable to almost all weapons. The portrait in the book shown a tall King, one who wore the most beautiful set of silver pieces. It adorned him well, and the helmet, though confining, seemed like an honor to behold.

The child turned to him, having seen that he arrived, and pointed to the man on the page, gurgling some gibberish as Din sat back down with his small green companion.

“I gotta get me one, huh?”

Every turn you took down the halls for the next week was surrounded by preparations. All the beautiful decorations in the colors of blue and purple with hints of silver. A traditional Mandalorian wedding had not been held since your mother wed your father… that’s what everyone said, anyway.

You were sometimes sad when people mentioned your parents, only for the fact that you never knew them. You mourned over them in a different way than most did, differently than your sister did. She had told you a few stories, mostly just things her youthful mind remembered. The beautiful strawberry blonde hair of your mother, and the piercing eyes of your father. It wasn’t enough to feel a connection to them, but you tried your best to picture what they might have been like now.

Bo Katan also told you that they were brought into their marriage as an arrangement, only growing to love each other after the first year together. She explained about the expectation for rules to produce an heir, something you would have to do.

“Does this have anything to do with consummation?” You whispered until you walked through the doors of her chambers, as though you weren’t aware the contents, you figured she kept it as a hushed topic for a reason.

“It has everything to do with it, actually,” she paused, turning to her desk in which held a few books she was browsing in the past day or so. She preferred more logical books, filled with facts and reasoning, ones that could give knowledge of the useful sense. You wondered why she did not have a single story amongst them, for surely imagination kept people like her from going mad. “Speaking of which, I know you like to read. This will tell you everything you need to know.”

You received the small book with open hands, looking down to read the cover. You furrowed your brows a bit at the strange imaging they placed with the title, but kept your mind open, since you really had no idea about any of this. You would learn, though.

“Human Reproduction,” you read, raising your brows and giving a slight chuckle. She nodded, opening the cover and sifting through a few pages until she found the correct section. “Male anatomy…?”

You knew very little of this topic, but you weren’t stupid. You understood the difference between a man and a woman by all the small marble statues your kidnapper used to bring home to decorate the house in the woods. You had a very good idea of what men looked like before you ever saw one, the only problem was that Din had far exceeded your expectations… which is why you were afraid of him at first. The look you shot her made her believe that perhaps you weren’t so naive that this would all be shocking to you. It was almost a weight off her shoulders, really.

“Alright, then start here,” she flipped to another section, pointing to the page and letting you glance over it.

“Process of begetting, and the seed of life.” You would admit this was a new one. You always wondered how women came to be with child, and how you might possibly one day as well. The first page seemed filled with information, along with some helpful images to help explain. You looked back to her with a smile and a short nod before taking the book and walking towards the door.

“Oh, and one more thing?” She called to you, and you turned back around, awaiting her final words before you walked out into the castle halls once more. “I want you to know that I think greatly of your hunter, and I’m glad he found you.”

You smiled to her, unable to stop the wide spread of your grin as Din was mentioned. Someone of high status, a true royal raised and taught what was proper and what wasn’t. She thought well of him, someone whom others might see as that which is beneath them.

“Thank you, sister,” you spoke, addressing her by the title you’d taken to calling her lately. You practically skipped out of the room, turning down halls and running barefoot through the castle until you found the large window nook, with a comfortable seat and a fantastic view. Other than the beautiful couch in your quarters, this had become your favorite place to read.

The introduction was short, and this specific chapter simply dove right in to the act itself. The next page was rigidly long, and had several drawings to help your mind understand… though it was all very frightening to grasp at first. Your eyes widened and you had to drag them away from those pictures and back to the top of the page in order to read what you were supposed to.

“Sexual Intercourse is the basis for all human reproduction,” you read off the first sentence, sighing in defeat when you realized what this meant. That scary drawing on the page of a man entering a woman was something you would have to recreate if you were to get pregnant and produce an heir. It frightened you, and you started breathing heavily while thinking about it until you slammed the book closed, taking some deep breaths and focusing on looking out the window. You could even see Din on his way back from the city, walking though the gates with Grogu in his arms. They had been doing so well together, and you knew that should you ever become pregnant and have a child, Din would make an amazing father… it was only the process of conception that was making you feel eerie.

Why couldn’t Grogu just be considered the heir? You claimed him as your son, and so did Din… so why was there going to be pressure on you to have a baby when there was a perfectly good one in your possession. True, he was of a different species, and true, he aged far slower than that of a human… but in the future he could eventually learn the ways of the kingdom.

You hated that this act of sexual intimacy scared you, because the book had called it something of a miracle, a process of which could bring actual life, and yet? You wanted no part of it.

Perhaps it only seemed scary because of the way it was shown to you, and maybe if Din could tell you more, you would feel better. He had surely done this many times, and could help you come to terms with all the aspects. You wondered why you did not just go to him in the first place. He knew you were innocent, he wouldn’t have judged you or made you feel foolish for not knowing of such things. He’d always been so patient to show you everything before.

You reopened the book to the page you were on, leaning back against the window and using the light to read more. You would do all the reading just to make sure you understood it correctly, then tonight you would ask Din. You only hoped you would be able to sneak into his room, as guards in the castle have been stationed closer to your room at night than usual.

Once you finished the section, you went on about your day, trying to keep everything but the welfare of the kingdom pushed to the very back of your mind.

It was all a haze of rushed meetings, people wanting or needing to be in other places throughout the remainder of the day. You met with the dress maker, too… but she was certain you had become distracted only minutes into sitting down with her. Your eyes kept traveling about the room when she spoke, and not because you were ignoring her, far from it actually. You wished you could listen and hear of all the plans she was making for the gown you both had discussed. The beautiful design had been sketched onto parchment for you to view, and looked exquisite, but she could tell your mind was elsewhere when you complimented her work, normally you were much more enthusiastic and excited.

“What troubles you, your highness?”

You looked up at her from the page to see her concerned gaze. You weren’t sure if this was a topic you should share with just anyone, as Bo Katan had been so hushed about it prior to giving you the book.

“I’m just nervous, I suppose,” you began, an anxious smile forming to try and deflect from your actual stress over the matter. “I’ve never been married before.”

She chuckled, nodding along as she realized what you must have meant.

“Being a young bride such as yourself, it’s perfectly normal to experience cold feet.”

“Cold feet?” You slanted a brow, tilting your head to convey that you didn’t understand.

“It’s just an expression, darling. It simply means that you are frightened about something before it happens… but have no worries,” she took your hand, giving it a small squeeze of encouragement before letting it go. “I can tell you are in love with your intended, it’s that special shine in your eyes.”

You breathed out a soft laugh, smiling with a red glow on your cheeks. Oh, did you love him, but that was not the problem in all of this. You could not wait for your duties to be completed, the anxiety was built in the pit of your stomach.

“I am in love with him,” you responded gently, handing her back her sketches to pin up on the board beside her. It also had a few fabric swatches, and tiny gems that you assumed would be attached to the dress in some way.

“Then all will be well.”

You certainly hoped so, it was circling your mind on a loop that never seemed to end, even later that evening after everything had been completed, and the royals parted off to their rooms. You were sat at your vanity, whilst your favorite handmaiden Elise tended to your hair, raking through it with a comb to rid it of all the tangles provided by the long day. She sensed your tense nature, and you could tell, as she gave you slightly concerned glances in the mirror from time to time. You were only happy that she did not ask about anything, for that would only make it worse. Every person who tried to make you feel better about this upcoming union had inadvertently stirred the pot of your emotions further.

Once she left you to your bed chambers, you waited as many minutes as you could, for though you knew it was risky to leave early, you couldn’t help yourself but leave. You wrapped yourself in a thin dressing gown, tucking the book under your arm before carefully heading out into the halls. You were never heard upon the marble floors, as you were the only royal who refused to wear shoes all hours of the day. It made for an easy journey, uninterrupted by curious guards or even others who heard racket outside of their rooms.

The moon was high in the sky, shining through the stain glass windows and creating brilliant colors to be painted upon the ground. The ambience of the castle late at night was something so pleasing, so soothing, and the cold marble beneath your feet helped to cool off whatever heat you’d retained from your overwhelming stress. You reached the door quickly, laying two soft knocks on the wood and backing up to wait.

Din had been with Grogu until nightfall, handing him off to Peli before heading back to his living space. It was well known by now that he had been the thief to steal the darksaber, and though it now rested in the hands of the rightful ruler by his doing, he still got quite a few stingy looks here and there by staff and other court members. There were a lot of people that had come to love you as Queen, but they were very weary of your choice for a partner. Some couldn’t even bare to think that he was actually going to receive a consort title.

He bore all the hateful glares within the castle willingly, because to him, things hadn’t changed much since when he was only a commoner. People passing him by on the streets, seeing the infamous masked figure roaming about their town, they would send the same looks his way as these pristine upperclass living castle dwellers.

He hoped that it might wear off eventually. It never bothered him, but he didn’t want to live his whole life as an outcast. He had every right to be here, just like all the othe just like you. You’d told him so time and time again, that he was as princely as it could possibly get. He was so handsome, with a rugged charm that could get him out of anything. His eyes were like entire galaxies, darkness in the irises, but with hints of light reflecting off them as stars. These were the descriptions of him from your eyes, and he’d like to believe they were true. He loved to know that even if he didn’t see himself this way, someone did, and loved him all the same.

He sat back onto his bed, his back hurting suddenly as these thoughts racked through his brain. He wanted to seem perfectly fine, like his healing was complete and this wedding could happen even sooner, but he could not lie. His bones still ached, and his muscles felt weaker than before. He reached up behind his head, yanking his shirt off before standing again and going to the mirror in the corner of his room. He never had a mirror like this. Never was he concerned with his looks or even how others perceived him. He had always worn a mask, anyway. Now that he had a looking glass in his room, he always felt more self-conscious about what stared back at him. In comparison to you, he felt he was but little. Especially now that he could see clearly all the scars on his body. Someone so tainted as himself didn’t deserve to be with someone so pure, so perfect. Your skin was untouched, clean of any altercations.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the most meek sounding knock at his door. It rung only twice, and he rushed over to answer it knowing who had come so late.

There you stood, looking so soft and angelic. Your dressing gown was almost sheer, and the nightgown made of silk left little to the imagination, but he caught the look of uncertainty in your eyes and was instantly more concerned about what you came for than how you came dressed.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to send for you earlier, I skipped dinner in the great hall to meet with the dressmaker,” you explained, hoping he would understand and that all was forgiven. He didn’t even see any wrongs in what you’d done, though.

“You don’t need to apologize to me, sweet girl,” he opened the door further, allowing you to step inside. He did notice the glazed state your eyes held when you glanced down at his chest. It was much easier to see his body in this lighting than it had been in the dungeon. “I’m just glad you’re here now.”

You smiled, waiting for him to shut the door and meet you on the bed, where you so conveniently took your place up by his pillows. He had yet to notice the book you came accompanied by, and now that you were here, you were worried to even bring it up.

“Din?”

He nodded in response, letting you know he was listening to every word, and sat beside you atop the duvet. His skin looked so warm and inviting in this light, it was almost straining you to keep from laying a finger upon his shoulder and dragging it down the expanse of his chest.

“I just,” you couldn’t find the right words, and also had a bit of trouble in meeting his eyes. It was only when he brought his thumb to your chin, lifting your face until you met his eyeline. “I have a few things to ask you, about this book.”

He furrowed his brows, finally realizing what you’d clutched tightly to your body this whole time. He held his hands out to take it, and you willingly handed it over, feeling good to be rid of it for once this day.

He read the cover and immediately let out a sigh. Bo Katan had taken the easy route, not even trying to sit you down and explain it in her own words. No wonder you looked so scared, the words in this book had probably already planted a bad image in your mind about what this act was, and how it was to be done. He was quite furious at the fact that Lady Kryze had one job to do, and she shoved it off on a book.

“How much did you read?” He turned back to you with a soft gaze, unsure how he should go about this. There weren’t exactly instructions for this conversation.

“Almost all of it,” you admitted, your voice was unsure, and the inflections told him you didn’t like what you read. It was clear on your face, you despised the book he held. “I came to you because I wondered if perhaps you could tell me more… like if it will be painful, or if I need to do anything to-“

“Slow down, mesh’la…” he trailed off, bringing his hands to your shoulders and trying to help you calm yourself. You hadn’t realized how much you breathing had changed in only a second.

“I’m afraid of it,” you let out, being able to take slow breaths now and focus on the way he held you steady, keeping you grounded.

This was what he had been scared of in the beginning. If only he had just ignored Bo Katan’s wishes and told you after she approached him, you probably would view everything differently.

“It’s okay,” he nodded, acknowledging your fear before scooting closer to you and doing his best to fix what has been done. “I know it looks scary, and you don’t need to feel pressured to do anything until you’re ready to do it, I promise.”

“But I have obligations, we have to produce an heir.”

This sentence worried him. Not only were you so scared of having sex that you didn’t even want to do it for the reason it was intended, but you already felt pressured by others to conform and go through with it. You already felt like you would be a disappointment if you didn’t.

“We don’t need to worry about that right now. Listen to me, alright? It’s up to you to set boundaries, and it’s up to me to make sure those boundaries are upheld, understand?” His hand had found its way to your cheek, and your nod gave him a bit of peace, knowing there was still more work to do. “And I know that it seems like torture, I’ve seen books like this, they take all the good parts out and only leave the stuff that scares people.”

“It just seems like a horribly painful thing to do,” you opened the book, unashamedly showing him the drawings you’d been flipping to all day. The page was well worn by now, and easy to find. He wasn’t surprised by your openness to look upon such things with him, because he knew you were unaware of the proper standards of them.

“Yes, well I can understand why you would think that,” he gave a face of disgust to the poorly done drawing, the basic positioning of the people in it and the awkward way they were entangled. The look on the woman’s face didn’t help, either.

“You’ve done this many times, haven’t you?” You weren’t concerned with the other women who may have been in this position with him, only because you knew that he was no longer in connection with them, only you.

“Not like that, no.”

You furrowed your brows, waiting for him to explain. He seemed to have a much different view, and you hoped you would have a chance to see it his way.

“I won’t lie to you, sweet girl… it might hurt the first time.” He avoided your eyes, because just thinking about causing you pain, even inadvertently, didn’t feel right to him. It twisted his stomach, to think that in order to pleasure you, he would first have to hurt you. “But it can feel really good, too.”

“It can feel good?” You almost looked shocked. You glanced back to the book and then to his face, almost cringing at the drawing that was forever burned in your mind. “I just… don’t know how it could. Even the precautions taken for my monthly cycles are painful.”

He nodded, trying to ease this idea into your mind as gently as possible. He cursed Bo Katan for ever giving you that book. She knew you liked to read, but this wasn’t information that should have been passed along through pages.

“I know, but there are ways that I can help you relax. I can even go down on you, if you want,” he said, but knew as soon as the words left his lips that you would have no idea what he was talking about. Your tilted head while looking at him with slanted eyes told him to try again, in different words. “It’s something else that I can do to make you feel good.”

You wondered if since this wasn’t technically part of the sexual reproduction process, that he might be able to show you.

“Can we try it now?”

His brows raised and he dropped his jaw momentarily before shaking off his initial shock and looking back to your innocent expression. He took your hand in his, holding it tightly and pressing a kiss to your knuckles.

“I’m not sure if we should, mesh’la.”

He wasn’t repulsed by the idea, and he knew that since everyone was in bed this was the perfect opportunity. He was however afraid of what volumes may be heard from the room.

“Please?” You practically begged, looking at him with the purest expression on your face. “If there’s something I can do for you, too, I’ll do it. I want to learn how…”

Several months ago this would have been like a dream to him, having a willing girl who wanted him to show her all that sex had to offer. Now, though… in this very room where you both sat so close together on his bed, he was nervous. He’d never been nervous to have intimate relations with someone before, and he realized it was because he cared so much. He didn’t want to do anything wrong and make you resent him. He loved you to the moon and back, and though he longed to please you, he was hesitant.

“We’ll be married in a few days, I promise I’ll show you then, alright?”

“Alright.”

You flipped up the covers on his bed, sliding in on the side you most preferred, looking at him to do the same. Sleeping beside you was one thing he’d never object to, and he knew that since the death of Gideon, there was no need to hide the fact that you were together in the night. You were queen, and could do as you wished. He pulled your body close to his once he’d gotten settled, and kissed the crown of your head. The best thing that had ever happened to him was you, and of course, the kid. He can’t even imagine having a life without you in it, because it would probably only be more hunting and thievery, his old ways that he hoped to forget. You were his everything, you had saved him from an eventual death sentence, rather it be by Gideon or others, he knew if you hadn’t been there, he would have at some point been killed.

He let these thoughts circle his mind as you both drifted off into slumber, forgetting all about the horrid book that fell on the floor.

The afternoon of your wedding, you paced back and forth around the room, complaining about the rules that had been set in place ahead of time. You wore a chemise and corset, waiting for the rest of your dress to be brought to the room. Your hair and face were done earlier, and having to wait long periods of time in between made you even more nervous.

“I don’t understand why I’m not allowed to see him,” you ranted on towards Bo Katan, sitting in the corner of the room, already wearing her silver gown and trying to take a sip of her tea. “Only a few minutes would help.”

She rolled her eyes, trying to keep them on the small tray of good brought to the room a few minutes prior. You hadn’t stopped moving the entire day, a relentless ball of energy that bounced like rubber.

“It’s a tradition to keep the bride away from the groom until the wedding. You yourself thought it would be a good idea as of yesterday,” she reminded, noting the conversation of how everything would go. Yesterday was the last of the preparations, and this morning you awoke with nothing to do… that was part of the problem. You didn’t have any way to keep busy and now your feet were getting cold… literally. The marble beneath your bare feet felt like ice at the moment, hence your constant movement. “It’s only going to be another hour or two, so sit down and breath. You’re giving me a headache.”

She wanted to act like your behavior annoyed her, but even you caught the slight smirk on her face when she spoke to you. She was enjoying these moments, together as sisters, but more importantly, as friends.

“He’s probably doing the same thing I am, and Grogu won’t exactly help him calm down.”

She set her tea cup down on the small circular table, and stood up from the seat. She wanted to keep everyone’s composure, but you seemed to be falling apart right now, as it were.

“Do you love him?”

You furrowed your brow, unsure of what she was getting at, before nodding rapidly. “Yes, of course I do.”

“And do you want to marry him?” Her next question made you even more confused. What did this have to do with your nerves?

“More than anything.”

“Then keep your mind on that. Keep thinking about how excited you are to see him when you walk down that aisle.”

It was sound advice, and while thinking about it, you noticed you’d finally stopped pacing around the room, stood in one place. A knock sounding on the door brought you out of your thoughts, and you raced to open in, mindless of who might be standing there.

“Your highness, I was-“ Advisor Mayfeld stopped his words short upon seeing your current state of dress, eyes widening and wandering before he snapped out of it and lowered his gaze to the ground. It was widely known around the castle that you did not carry a sense of modesty when it came to things such as this. You thought of it as silly that a woman need cover up even more than you were now, unless she really wanted to. If you didn’t love galavanting through the castle halls in the flowing skirts and dresses, you would probably live life in your undergarments, or they were really all you needed. Mayfeld took in a deep breath, trying to clear his mind of what he’d seen. “The dressmaker is brining your garments, I told her I would make sure you’d been prepped… and as I’ve already seen, you are in fact prepped.”

You chuckled, taking the dressing robe from off the chair and wrapping it around your body for his sake. He was rather shy until you did so, and now that he saw the fabric swinging by your feet, he was able to finally look up.

“Thank you, Miggs… I have appreciated all your service today. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you,” you told him, a sweet smile appearing on your cheeks. He was so kind to do so many of the things he did for you, and you felt in his debt for it all.

“For me? I couldn’t ask for anything, your highness. Only that you are happy on this day.”

You leaned forward and kissed his cheek, pulling away for see a blush spread across his face. He looked as if he wasn’t sure what to do, now. You thought you would spare him from having to figure it out himself.

“How is Din? Has he been anxious like me?” Your tone was rather playful, but you were very serious. You hoped he was alright, that there was no chance of him backing out. Truly, you knew he would never do that… but the doubtful part of you remembered his past, free of commitments and with the ability to go wherever he wanted.

You watched as Mayfeld’s face turned comical, and he almost laughed if it weren’t for the fact that he had an answer on the tip of his tongue.

“Anxious is not a good enough word, I’m afraid,” he bit his lip between sentences to keep hold of the laughter. “I’ve never seen the poor man so high strung.”

You understood now that Din was not nervous about commitment, or being with you, but about the anticipation of it all. Just as you were having to reel yourself into reality one moment at a time, you thought that maybe Din would have to do the same. You only hoped that Grogu was being helpful and not a tiny terror for him to deal with additionally.

Since the door was already open, the team of dress handlers and the maker herself walked through and into the room. They all marveled at you for a few moments before shooing Mayfeld into the hall and closing the door. The dress was in so many pieces, it was hard to keep up with what they were showing you.

You tried to nod along as if you understood half of what they were saying, but most of it went in one ear and out the other. Bo tried to keep her giggles of amusement to herself, but even she couldn’t help it… it was too happy of a day to keep everything inside for once.

The order of the dress layers went as follows: A small crinoline with scalloped ruffles hanging off the ends, a giant elliptical caged hoop-skirt, three layers of floor length petticoats that featured over two hundred yards of gathered flounces, two white underskirts, a mystical pearlized skirt layer, a lilac silk layer, a teal silk layer, and a soft transparent blue layer, topped with the shiniest, smallest gemstones you could ever imagine. Lastly came the beautiful bodice, of which had a narrow waistline, and a beautiful soft bertha across the shoulders to broaden your frame. It had tiny butterflies hand sewn into each tuck of fabric, and looked absolutely exquisite.

They ushered you towards the mirror, making you to look at yourself in the full wedding day glory they had achieved. You were speechless. You grew up reading fairytales about princesses and fairies, magical beings with dresses unlike no other. They always seemed like radiant angels when you read about them, you pictured them that way, too. Now, you couldn’t even believe your eyes. You had become a real life fairytale, in every way. This would be your magical wedding day, and the prince on the other side was your dream come true. He was beautiful, and held so much gentility in his large and capable body. You’d never know the things he was capable of by watching him, for his acts of sweetness were like that of a young school boy. You loved him so, and hoped he would like this dress as much as you did.

“I’ve never felt more beautiful in all my life,” you nearly cried, a small bit of fogginess coming to your eyes. “I am certain I will wear this dress until the last possible second.”

“We are so glad you’re pleased, dearest,” the dress maker came to you and took your hand into her own. “Your hunter is sure to be astonished.”

You smiled at her statement, and otherly at the way she mentioned Din as the hunter. Everyone still called him that, even though after today he was a prince consort. He would wear the title of royalty, and be your right hand at the throne. He would help you through all the trials of being a monarch, and he would do good for the people of this kingdom, you were sure of it.

You took a trial spin around the room, catching the beauty of the dress in the mirror. It sparkled like diamonds and moved like a watercolor painting.

“Your highness, we must be leaving soon, your carriage has arrived.”

You turned to the woman with a smile, nodding and beginning to follow her along with everyone else down the halls. It took two people to load you into the carriage once you got to it. The only other person allowed in was your sister, and even that was frowned upon, but by no means were you going to arrive by your lonesome. You were already as nervous as one can possibly be, and being alone on the journey to the grand church would have been all too much.

Looking out the window, you could have sworn you saw the outline of another carriage identical to this one, which was parked in place outside the grand entrance. Din was already here, and would be waiting at the altar for your arrival. Given the amount of other transportation outside, you were positive that the number of guests was rather large…. But the anticipation of finally being here, so close to seeing your love. It was as exciting as it was calming, and you prepared to disembark from the carriage as the doors were opened. “Watch the step, your majesty,” Mayfeld came to your side and met you by the opening, giving you a hand as the dress came spilling out of the carriage. He hadn’t seen the dress until now, and with you wearing it, he was entranced for a moment. “You look lovely…”

“Thank you, I feel lovely,” you spoke through a wide grin, feeling as though it was going to be a regular occurrence throughout the night. He had a red tint to his cheeks while interacting with you, and you weren’t sure why, but he seemed happy to be in your presence at least.

“It’s just right this way,” he offered his arm, but Bo Katan jumped in front of you, and you realized you’d forgotten something.

“Our florist would be in shambles if you left these in the carriage.”

Of course, your bouquet of white roses, the tips of the petals dyed blue to match your dress. Everything had been orchestrated so well, and you were in awe of everyone’s wonderful talents.

“Good luck,” she murmured, going on ahead of you and entering first.

Walking up the steps to the door, you heard the music begin to play. It was melodious and welcoming, and the second you were to be seen, everyone rose from their seats. It was intimidating as first, and made your blood run cold… until you saw him. Standing at the end of the pathway, all decked out in princely garb. He was stunning, but in your eyes, he always was. You locked eyes and from that moment, everything melted away. The people were gone from the room, and the music was only a faint echo in your mind. There was nothing now that could separate the two of you, and as you reached the end of the aisle you understood why. Your connection was strong, stronger than the force you held, and stronger than the past that kept you apart for so long.

He had tears in his eyes, and tried to blink them away as he took your hands in his. You handed your flowers to Bo, who’d stood beside you to your left.

“You’re so beautiful, sweet girl…”

You tried your best to keep yourself composed, as tears would surely ruin the hard work that was put into your face today… but you should have known you couldn’t help it when it came to him.

“And you look so handsome, my love,” you responded with, though it turned into a whisper at the end. He gave your hand a squeeze and and raised it to his lips for a kiss.

You both turned to face the front, and the minister began his long spiel.

“Marriage! Marriage is what brings us together today…”

After the service, everyone returned to the castle to retire for the evening. As per Mandalorian tradition, it was custom for the reception of the wedding to happen the day after the ceremony. It would then last a duration of two entire days while the newlyweds accepted gifts from neighboring kingdoms. Though tired from the day, you excitedly dragged Din by the hand through the halls to your new living quarters.

The King’s suite was even more magnificent than you imagined it would be, with the elaborate decor that well reflected the culture of this kingdom while also being comfortable and sooting. It was a beautiful blue and gold combination, the contrast in color was strong but it suited the beauty of the room.

Your dress was chasing behind you as you ran to the center of the suite and tossed yourself onto your back, sprawling out across the feather soft bed. You barely took up a quarter of the mattress, even with your monumentally sized gown. Your fit of giggles and love-crazy sighs were heard echoing across the room, and as Din closed the door behind him, he couldn’t help but smile at his beautiful, happy girl.

“You look comfortable,” he chided, sitting down onto the bed beside you and leaning over to stroke his fingers through your hair. You beamed up at him, your husband, the man whom at first had just stumbled into the worst possible hiding place in the entire world. Now he calls you his wife, and there’s nothing else you’d rather be.

“I would be if I could get this dress off. It’s gorgeous, but I don’t think it’s the best attire for bed.”

You sat up and reached behind you to start taking off the layers, but your hands couldn’t even reach the hooks on the back of the bodice. Damn be the beautiful, puffy bertha, which stood in the way of your shoulder’s full movement.

“Can you help me?” You turned to him, his face was hiding a smirk, and you could tell he found your struggle amusing.

“I think you almost had it,” he chided, a chuckle evident in his tone. You stopped what you were doing and faced him, moving the layers of your dress aside to sit partially on his lap. His expression changed almost immediately when you took his hands in yours, placing them on the back of your bodice. You looked him straight in the eyes, wanting him to understand your meaning in ridding yourself of the dress.

“Take it off.”

He hesitated… he’s never done that before.

“Mesh’la, are you sure?” He was so unsure of himself, afraid to make a wrong move or to scare you somehow.

“I am, I promise,” you whispered, leaning close to him and capturing his lips with your own, just like you’d done a hundred times before.

It was passionate, but it was easy after that… he slowly and expertly stripped away each layer, going back and forth and allowing you to do the same for him every time to make sure everything was comfortable for you. You misunderstood why you’d been so nervous in the days before, as now this act of love felt like it would be the best part of your life together… and oh how simple it was coming to you, the feel of him was something foreign but somehow familiar. Like you’d done it before, although you never had. Once you were bare of everything but your corset and chemise, he took his time in gently unlacing the material at your back, loosing it enough to unclasp the busk at your front. He tossed the corset to the ground with everything else, and one by one slid the straps of your chemise over your shoulders. He’s seen you in multiple states of undress before, but nothing could have prepared him for what you body looked like in its purest form.

He laid you back against the bed, being careful to maneuver himself around you as he removed his final undergarment. You spared only one glance downwards, trying to keep your eyes with his. They calmed you, and made you feel at peace.

“Can we try what you mentioned before?” You asked curiously, your mind wandering back to the conversation of a few nights prior. It was something he’d not soon forgotten, and it would be his pleasure to give you what you wanted.

“Of course, my love,” he leaned down and stole a quick kiss, before trailing his lips down the expanse of your body, the touch ever so ghostly and light. “Tap my shoulder if you want me to stop.”

You wondered why there could possibly be a reason to stop. Everything he’d done so far has given you the best feelings in the world.

Lowering his head closer to your heat, he exhaled, the warm wind of his breath shooting a tingling sensation through you. You instinctually wove your fingers through his hair, encouraging him to keep on. He went on to slowly lick a stripe up your center, and instantly you were on cloud nine. You were helpless to stop any sound that escaped you from now on.

He held a gentle hand over your hips, to stop them from bucking unintentionally, then he went back again, more ferociously this time. He used his mouth and tongue to further your pleasure, using his other hand to introduce a finger to your entrance.

“Din,” your sigh of his name was like a melody in his mind, and he used it as motivation.

You were so sensitive, it was unreal.

“Tell me how it feels, mesh’la..”

“Feels..” you momentarily trailed off, trying to grab ahold of any words that you could still speak. “Feels amazing.”

When he felt you begin to clench around his finger, he continued faster with his pace, ready to see what it was like when you let it all go. He was addicted to hearing you, and feeling you in this state. So angelic, so perfect, and all for him.

You squeezed the fistful of his hair in your fingers, feeling it all become undone within your body, with a wave of relief and a sensation of bliss washing over you.

Immediately he was back over you, watching with intent and helping you to ride out that luxurious feeling. It was something you felt like chasing again, but this time you needed him to feel that same ecstasy, needed to see him in this blissed out state you felt surround you. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him back for a kiss that tasted ever so slightly like salt.

His hold on you was so gentle, so delicate. He knew for a fact that you were not made of glass, but his subconscious may have lead his hands to believe that you were. He handled you with such care and utter devotion. This was his way of showing your effect on him… the way you made him lose his aggression and rough exterior, call it weakness, or call it true strength.

He positioned you in a way that he thought would be the most secure, your head resting on his forearm which he’d slipped beneath. He kept the other hand against the bed to brace himself, finally resting his hips between your spread legs. He was careful not to make any sudden movements, as now when you got close to the act itself, you seemed to show how anxious you really were over it. He wasn’t by any means a small man, and that fact alone was scary to think about. Your arms, though still wrapped around his neck for warmth, had nearly begun trembling against him.

“Tell me to stop, Mesh’la…”

“No,” you whispered, shaking your head. “I need this… need to do this with you.”

He wasn’t sure if there was a pressure you felt, and he wanted to know if perhaps that was the case. You shouldn’t feel any obligation to him in this sense. This was something he craved for you to enjoy, and if you couldn’t, then he didn’t want any part in it.

“You don’t need to,” he paused, taking a breath and trying to calm himself down from the daze you’d put him into only moments ago. “Not if you don’t want you.”

Without missing a beat, you used one of your hands to make him look at you, to have him focus all of his attention on your eyes.

“I do want this, only with you.”

He saw that glint of sincerity in your eyes, it told him you were in this the whole way, and you were only nervous of how it would go. Truth be told, he was, too. He wanted nothing more than to make love to you all through the night and into the morning, but the speed of which it would have to take place could not be rushed.

He nodded, looking back down to where your bodies were almost joined, using his hand to guide himself towards your heat. You had ached for him by now, but once he stretched you open even the slightest bit, you squeezed your eyes closed, letting one hand befall the bed to clench the sheets in your fist. Of all the physical pain you bore in your life, you didn’t expect this to be as bad as it was.

Din stopped his movements and whispered soft words to you.

“Hey, open those eyes.” His voice was quiet, and soothing, “just look at me, alright? Keep those pretty eyes on me, sweet girl.”

You forced your gaze to his, focusing on the dark brown pools of bliss you’d fallen so deeply in love with. You were able to even your breathing, though it wasn’t until now that you realized it had been out of sorts. You reached the hand that had fallen, placing it at the side of his face. It was a grounding action, and helped to numb the slight pain that still pulsed. He turned his head to kiss your palm, his eyes closing as he savored the small and seemingly insignificant moment in all of this.

“Take a deep breath in,” he instructed quietly. He was so good to help you find the best way of experiencing such a thing. Though he regrets all of the meaningless conquests of his past, you were quite thankful for them, now. It was through his years of experience that you were now being well taken care of. “Breath out.”

As soon as you exhaled, he gently slid in further, nearly bottoming out within the pit of your stomach. He was restraining every muscle in his body from giving even the slightest thrust, because you just weren’t ready yet. He had to bury his face into your neck, softly biting the flesh to try and keep a sense of control. You whimpered at the feeling of his lips on your skin again, as well as the feeling of fullness you’d yet to experience until this moment.

“Keep breathing, love,” he staggered out into the spot behind your ear. He was well on his way by now, and the little sounds you made while he simply laid here with you like this, not even moving yet… it was driving him crazy. He’d had dozens of women in his chambers late at night, but never did he love them, and that was the difference. That was the reason he was so hellbent on making you feel everything good, and to hell with whatever he got out of it.

“Kiss me?” You asked him sweetly, eyes trying to meet his, though his face was still nestled into the confines of you shoulder and neck. He did not let your request go unanswered. Kissing you was one of the things he liked doing best. His lips were so swollen, but then again, yours must have been, too.

He couldn’t help the small movement of his hips retreating and sinking back in, it was too natural of a movement, and you felt so good around him. He was a victim of remaining still for too long.

You tensed up, slightly unsure of the unexpected movement, and he backed away several inches from you in fear that he may have caused some pain unintentionally.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, looking aside and holding himself still once more for a time indefinite. This was supposed to be slow, and he felt that even just rushing one part of it could ruin everything. He wanted it to be perfect, because you were perfect… damn him if he should tarnish that.

“Do it again.” Your whispered command hit his ears like music. He focused back on your face, seeing the lust form in your eyes. He’d never seen that glaze before, but it looked good on you.

Who was he to deny you? He slowly withdrew once before he gave a slight thrust this time, testing the waters of what you could handle. If your heavy breathing was any indication, only being interrupted by little noises of pleasure, he’d say you were taking it very well. After a few more slow movements, he found a rhythm that seemed to have just fallen over his hips naturally. He had never known pleasure like this before, where all he had to do was look at you and it spread through him like wildfire.

He escalated his pace only slightly, taking note of every expression change on your face. When he noticed the blissed out look wash over you, he understood how good he was making you feel, and that drove him closer to a high he had been building up to for weeks, now. He captured your lips in a kiss that lasted only a second, and pressed his forehead to yours thereafter.

“You’re doing so good f’me, mesh’la,” he choked out, leaning on his one arm while moving the other down by your hip. He massaged the skin slowly, kneading it and letting it slightly redden beneath his fingers. He wanted to touch you everywhere, all at once… to feel your entire being and to worship it in its entirety.

He didn’t even realize how fast his speed picked up until he could hear the sound of his hips repeatedly hitting yours. It wasn’t rough, and it wasn’t hard, but it was fast, and getting faster. Your cries of needing release were left from your lips, though you couldn’t bring yourself to focus on the sounds you made, only the grunts and groans and whispers falling from the mouth of your lover.

“Taking me so good, sweet girl… so good.”

“Din…” You were like putty in his hands, and the knot in your stomach that was closer to unraveling was making you feel like you were at the edge of another release. You wanted it, needed it, badly.

“I know you’re close, my love.”

He was on the verge of his own high, but chased yours first. He gathered your knee into his hand that straggled down by your hip, hoisting it up and over his back in order to give you a new sensation, the angle he thrusted into now caused a shaky whimper to leave your parted lips. Your lower half started shaking, and your hips involuntarily bucked into him for more. You weren’t even sure you had control over it, but it helped to get you even further towards the release.

It was like fire burning in the pit of your core, aching and begging to be extinguished. He leaned back down towards your ear, and you could hear every little sound he made. Every little grunt or gasp or breath was right there, and it caused something in you to snap.

All at once you felt a relief in your body, washing over you in the most pleasure you felt you could ever know. It was euphoric, and purely bliss. You clung to Din, digging your fingertips into his back and shoulders while you breathed shakily on the way down from the elation. Not long after did he jerk his hips forward once more, spilling out a warmth within you that felt heavenly. He held you like you were his lifeline, the very air that he breathed.

He’d never been so satisfied before. This was everything he ever needed and more.

“You’re amazing, y’know?”

You looked to see his smile, and by chain reaction, you began to smile as well. He was so pretty like this, his tan skin all covered with a thin sheen of sweat. His hair was messy and curls hung down in his face. He was a vision of loveliness, and he was all for you. Your husband, the wonderful treasure of your life.

”I love you, Din Djarin,” you spoke with just a breath, removing a curl from his eyes.

“And I love you… the most beautiful girl in all the world.”

Tags:

@i-ameri-cant@littlemisspascal@fanfics-toread@icanbeyourjedi@castleallherown@mysticalgalaxysalad @princess-prettyy @67impalagirl13@agingerindenial@childrenofthewatch@insomniac-nerd-posts-things@marjoherbo@juletheghoul-main@tiredbuthappy@themand0lorian@janebby@goldielocks2004@yuiopiklmn @oh-no-who-am-i @appleejuice @luxmundee @belovedadam @seninjakitey @harriedandharassed @notsosecretspy

#din djarin #din djarin smut #din djarin royalty!au #din djarin x y/n #din djarin x princess!reader #din djarin x reader #din djarin x jedi!reader #grogu

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inthe-dark-tonight · 1 year ago

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And All the Stars Align

chapter one: across the room, your silhouette

din djarin x princess!reader series

chapter two

summary: your mother seeks out the well known mandalorian, din djarin, to help your planet by fighting in a duel. what starts as a strong distaste for the armored man grows into something more.

word count: 1.7k

series rating: E (18+ mdni)

warnings: no use of y/n, slow burn, slight enemies to lovers, some helmetless din, no physical descriptions of reader other than clothing a few times, no mentions of age gap so read however you’d like, not really that many warnings yet :)

notes: this is the first thing i’ve ever written, i’ve just been really nervous to post it but here it is!!! i also was slightly inspired by padme and anakin’s relationship in episode 2 & 3 so you may see some similarities here and there. this will be multiple chapters, not sure how many yet but know that it will be quite a few lol. thank you to my loves @shatteredbaby & @javiscigarette for beta reading and brainstorming with me mwah. also @pr0ximamidnight for listening to me ramble about this fic and also encouraging me to keep writing ily

He’s sitting in the cantina on Nevarro minding his business, when he suddenly feels a presence behind him.

“Can I help you?” His deep voice booms through the modulator on his helmet. He doesn’t bother to turn around.

The man standing close behind him clears his throat before speaking. “I’m visiting from the planet Xeron. I was sent by the queen in search of a Mandalorian named Din Djarin.” He pauses, hesitating for a moment. “I was told he could be found here.”

Din turns around in his seat and props his elbow up to lean back on the counter nonchalantly. “You’ve found him.” He says in a flat tone. Although his face is covered with a beskar helmet, his voice is enough to make anyone intimidated. “You have one minute to explain what you’re here for.”

The advisor swallows hard and clears his throat. “I- uh,”

“Fifty-six seconds.” the Mandalorian says, his voice coming out deep and monotone.

“Our planet, Xeron, is having a quarrel of sorts with our sister planet, Arkam, and we need help. We need your help.” He hesitated for a quick moment, a bit flustered. “Word around the inner rim is that you’re a great fighter, you’ve taken down a mudhorn, a kryat dragon, the list goes on and on. We’re desperately in need of someone to fight. Someone who will win.”

“What’s in it for me?”

A week later the Mandalorian is on his way to Xeron. Your mother, the queen, insisted that he come a week early to settle in before the duel. She had said we should lend him our hospitality for what he’s agreed to do for our planet, so there’s going to be a welcome dinner hosted tonight when he arrives.

You’re currently in your room getting ready to leave when there’s a knock on your door. “Come in.” The door opens a crack and you see Jem poke her head in.

Jem is your closest friend, though she’s more of an assistant of sorts. You don’t like to think of her that way, she’s just your friend that also happens to keep watch over you and help you out with anything you might need.

“Are you almost ready? Your mother is already in the grand hall awaiting your arrival.” She raises her brow at you, knowing that you always tend to be late.

“Yes just- give me a second. I’ll be right out.” You smile before she shuts the door behind her.

You turn towards your mirror and take a deep breath. Why are you so nervous? It’s not like you haven’t attended banquets for visitors in the past. You run your gloved hands over your floor length dress and take one last look in the mirror before turning to leave.

When you open the door Jem is waiting there for you, also wearing a long elegant dress for the occasion. She turns to walk down the hall and you quickly follow.

“Are you curious to see what he’s like?” She asks as you make your way towards the grand hall.

You look at her slightly confused “….who?”

She blinks at you, waiting for you to say something else. “The Mandalorian, you know, the one your mother hired to fight in the duel?” She gives you an odd look before the two of you step into the elevator. “I’ve heard he’s quiet, a little mysterious. I guess we’ll see for ourselves.” A smirk grows on her face as she says the words.

When the elevator doors open again, you quickly round the corner to see that the doors to the great hall are wide open and the room is flooded with people. Some are gathered standing in large groups, others are sitting at the large tables spread around the room. You look around the room and see your mother through the crowd, sitting in her usual spot. You walk towards her smiling here and there at guests as you pass by.

“You’re here! We can get started finally.” She gestures something to one of the royal guards, seconds later you hear a loud noise signaling that dinner will be served shortly. In the next couple of minutes everyone is finally seated, Jem sitting next to you. You glance around noticing that someone’s missing, the guest of honor. Great first impression, you think to yourself. If he can’t even arrive on time, how’s he going to win this fight?

You can see your mother glancing around the room frantically. “Where is he?” She mumbles to herself. The guests are chatting at a low volume, probably wondering what’s going on as well.

All of a sudden one of the doors to the royal hall opens, everyone’s head snaps towards that direction to get a look. As you look around the room, everyone’s quiet and still. It’s like the world has stopped. You hear heavy steps growing closer and what sounds like something clanking. Finally you look towards the door and your eyes land on him. The Mandalorian.

He’s covered head to toe in beskar armor, and the visor on his helmet creates a t shape. There’s a sway in his step, he walks with confidence and you can feel the air in the room has changed just from his presence. Your mother stands from her chair as he gets closer, and everyone else in the room follows. You’re so mesmerized by him and the confidence in each step he takes that you end up being the last to stand, eyes never leaving his captivating form. When he gets to you and your mother he bows his head, leaving your mother ecstatic.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our guest of honor, Din Djarin.” She gestures towards him. “The Mandalorian.” the room applauds.

He nods and takes a seat next to your mother, everyone following her lead to sit. Your mother looks at one of the royal guards and droids start coming from the kitchen with plates full of food, placing them at every table.

Your mother turns her head to Din “Thank you so much for being here tonight, I’m glad you could make it a week early. We want to show our thanks, and how greatly appreciative we are.” she smiles at him.

Din turns his head towards her and nods. “Thank you for your hospitality.” His voice is deep coming through his modulator, it sends a chill down your spine. You’re still staring at him when your mother starts to speak.

“This is my daughter.” Your mother fully sits back in her chair so he can look past her and see you properly.

He turns his head towards you. “Princess.” He nods his head again. What Jem heard is true. He really doesn’t say much, but you feel squeamish under his gaze.

“We really are more grateful than you could ever imagine.” Your mother smiles again. “Please! Help yourself!” Your mother gestures to the table full of food.

Jem nudges your shoulder and you turn to her, finally breaking your gaze away from Din. She’s smirking “I told you” she whispers before reaching to fill her plate.

You’re trying not to stare at this point, just looking out the corner of your eye. You pile a few things onto your plate and before you can take a bite you see his hand lift up to his helmet. You hear a hissing sound as he lifts it off his head.

You snap your head to look over at him and you’re absolutely stunned, almost breathless as his profile comes into view. The strong outline of his nose and plush pink lips immediately catch your attention. You don’t think you’ve ever laid your eyes on someone as beautiful as him. Still taking in his features, your mouth slightly opens in awe. His large brown eyes, the crease between his brows, the way his curls fall perfectly over his forehead even after having a helmet on.

He turns his head towards you, almost like he could feel your gaze. A blush creeps onto your cheeks as you quickly turn back to look at your plate in embarrassment. You can still feel his gaze burning through you, your body starting to heat up. Through the corner of your eye you can see him staring now, you lift your head and turn to look at him again. This time he turns away, quickly glancing back at you for only a split second before focusing on his plate. It’s almost… shy. Cute, you think.

“I didn’t know Mandalorians could remove their helmets?” Your mother asks him.

Din clears his throat as he glances at your mother. “The rules aren’t… as strict as they once were.” He states.

His voice sounds even more heavenly without being filtered through the modulator. It makes your skin tingle.

The rest of the dinner you don’t dare to look at him. Your mother dismisses everyone and people get up to gather and chat again. Everyone wants to speak to Din, he’s never not crowded by guests. He put his helmet back on at this point after dinner.

Jem pops up beside you. “Wow, I knew he’d be popular tonight, being the guest of honor and all but… he really can’t catch a break”

“Yeah.” you’re trying to seem nonchalant as you stare him down from across the room.

“Have you gotten a chance to speak with him?” She looks over at you.

“No!” Your head snaps towards her and Jem’s brow raises at your tone. “I mean, no. He’s been occupied basically all night.” You’re looking back towards where he stands.

“What’s there for me to say anyway?” You glance over at her “Am I supposed to thank him? However much my mother’s paying him won’t be worth anything if he doesn’t make it out.” You look back out into the crowd of people and you’re unable to spot him.

“Yeah, I guess.” She pauses for a moment. “Well I need to go find your mother, I told her I’d help her with something. See you later?”

You nod and watch her disappear into the pool of people laughing and talking loudly.

You hear someone say your name in a deep voice from behind you.

“Princess.”

thank you for reading lmk what you think & my asks are open to chat :) xo

np tagging some moots: @ilovepedro @isitmeulookin4 @joelsversion @nostalxgic @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @jenispunk @beskarandblasters @javiscigarette @gracieheartspedro @cannolighost @eliza-8 @hearteyesforjoel @tieronecrush @daydreamingmiller @pamasaur

#din djarin x reader #din djarin x female reader #din djarin x fem!reader #mandalorian x reader #din djarin x princess!reader #din darjin #din djarin fanfiction #mandalorian fanfic #star wars fanfiction

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obislittleone · 2 years ago

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What Once Was Mine

Chapter 11

Din Djarin Royalty!AU / Tangled!AU

Pairing: Din Djarin x Princess Kryze!Reader

A/n: okay so there’s one more part after this one and then I’ll just probably start posting a series that’s like half finished but its in my drafts… and alsos the indy fic

Warnings: oh boy kinda a lot… mentions of death, having beatings take place, several scenes with blood… there’s a mention of beheading… sadness and depression idk. Uncomfortable situations fr… imprisonment and degradation again bc why not

Bo Katan sat on the stool across from you, watching with both anxiety and pride as you were being fitted with a traditional suit of Mandalorian beskar armor.

“You wear it well,” she commented, seeing the look on your face as you held the helmet in your hands. It matched the chest plate and the pauldrons in which were being placed upon each shoulder. They both carried the signet of the blue owl, and the etchings looked as though they had been carved ages ago. “I know you won’t disgrace it the way I have.”

You turned to her with sad eyes. She regrets the day she lost to Gideon, all but throwing the fight and losing everything she had in only a moment. She yielded, and that’s what everyone knew, but little did they know the cause as to why. She was a strong fighter, she would not have lost it had it not been for a certain someone.

“You did the best you could have done,” you assumed, trying to give an encouraging smile, though your nerves made the corner of your lip twitch in an awkward way.

“No, I didn’t. I gave in,” she paused, heaving a sigh and shaking off the wave of memories. “Gideon challenged me when I was only sixteen. I felt I was unready to be queen, so I faltered and let him win.”

“What?”

The surprise in your tone matched the wide eyed stare you wore on your face, the gears in your head working overtime to try and process why she might have done such a thing.

“There were things expected of me, and I wasn’t ready to commit to them… I once had a love like yours, but being queen meant I would be forced to give it up.” Her brows furrowed as she spoke of the past, an inkling in her mind wanted her to share it with you, but she was unsure if she was a good idea. You already had enough pressure on your shoulders.

“Bo,” you wanted her to feel your sympathy, to know that with your love’s life on the line, you could partially understand her feelings.

“After I lost the fight, that love was taken from me anyway. The King made fast enemies in the land, and drafted an entire army to rid him of all the people that stood in the way of his rule. The man I intended to marry was killed and I was powerless to stop it.”

“I’m sorry…” you trailed off, remaining silent for a few moments until you caught sight of yourself in the reflection of another chest plate hanging on the wall. You looked mighty and strong. “Gideon will be defeated, I promise. I will finish what you started.”

“I shall hope with everything in me that your strength will not falter in battle. I know you will do right by your hunter,” she nodded, taking the helmet from your hands and placing it atop your head. The metal felt warm around you, but the T shaped opening in the front gave you a sense of exact focus. As long as your eyes remained on Gideon, you would be set in your mission to kill him.

You’d never killed anyone before, and growing up you swore you never would, knowing the brutality of your powers was exactly why you were hidden away… you always said that violence was not your way, but this man had cheated you, lied to you and publicly humiliated you on more than one front. If all of that was not bad enough, the way he’d treated Din topped it all. The blood that had stained the edges of your beautiful green sleeves the night prior, it was thick and dark. Just like it had been when he crossed paths with death before. Your kidnapper who had tried to kill him was child’s play compared to the enemy you now faced. He held the power of the kingdom in his hands, and you needed to physically destroy him in order to stop him.

Din’s sentencing to death was paused temporarily, for the duel of rulers would take priority over the hanging of a single criminal. You only hoped he was alright, being stuck in a cage where he didn’t belong. He was like a bird with clipped wings, unable to fly or flourish or do anything in the confines of his small cell.

It was only a matter of time before you set him free, and that was what you kept your mind on as you prepared to meet your opponent.

You’d been given a sword and shield to battle with, though they were heavy and you didn’t really need them. You’d gone over the rules with Bo Katan several times, and every time there had not been a rule against using ones magical powers… none else ever living in Mandalore seemingly possessed them.

You’d been standing in a room, overhearing the crowd shouting in the arena outside. The horseback ride on the way to said location was short, barely outside of the castle walls, but it gave you too much time to think about how things might possibly go wrong. You were stronger than him by far, and your motivation to fight was growing even now, but a small yet powerful voice in your head told you it was going to end poorly. You could lose your footing or get distracted. If you let your guard down even once, it would be over.

The door opening stopped your intrusive thoughts from rampaging, but the face on the other side made your skin crawl.

“What are you doing here?”

King Gideon chuckled darkly before entering the room. He was alone, but that didn’t make him any less of a threat at the moment. You couldn’t touch a hair on his head before the canon sounded, but anything he said or did now could easily take your mindset and make it even worse.

“If you’d care to take a quick stroll, I think there’s something you should see,” he spoke heavy, a smirk rising to his cheeks. He held his hand out towards the doorway, and you knew that he wouldn’t leave until you followed along with his charade, so you passed him and walked through the door. You noticed that with all your armor and thick sole boots, you were almost as large in frame as he was. It made you feel stronger in some way.

“Make it quick,” you turned to him, not allowing a hint of emotion to show through your voice. You wouldn’t let him have anything on you, not one show of anger or even a clenched fist to show he’d caused it.

His steps were mockingly slow from there, but it didn’t take long before he reached a staircase. He gestured for you to go first, and you did, climbing up what you counted to be three flights before there was another door. You looked back to the King, and he nodded, so you entered. You appeared to be on the top level of the arena, overlooking the kingdom. Three stories up, and you wondered if he’d perhaps dragged you up here to push you off. He was still King, and if he had, he’d be the ruler nonetheless, even if it was a cowardly move, he could still do it.

“If you’d care to sight see with me, I believe you’ll find a particular scene down there to your interest.”

You shifted your eyes over the ledge, and froze to your place.

Your small green child was held in a cage meant for a bird, his coos and cries for help being ignored by the palace guards keeping watch. On the ground beside him was Din, curling in on himself as three men beat him to a pulp. They kicked and yelled at him, watching in fake pity as he tried his best to fight back. He was in no condition to fight in the first place, nor was he strong enough after not being fed for two days.

“Stop them,” you turned to Gideon, your fiery gaze burning through his exterior for a moment, as he almost looked afraid. You still carried the sword made of Mandalorian iron, an impenetrable metal that could cut him down where he stood. He took a step back and immediately felt the power shift. This could still work to his advantage. “Stop them, now!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I’ve given my last orders as King before the duel, and as per tradition, my rule will be ceased until it is over,” he raised his hands, as if this was not his plan all along, to lure you here and allow you to see with your own eyes the man you loved being beaten to death. “I do hope for your sake he lives until the battle, for then you have a chance to save him.”

You weren’t going to let this happen. Everything you did was to protect the ones you love, and now they were being held against their will, one of them being tortured on your behalf, simply because the King couldn’t touch you, yet.

At this very point you didn’t care about the rules, only that an end was put to this man. A man who so viscously would steal from you everything you had for the reason of revenge. You drew your sword from the sheath at your hip, swinging it over your head and straight at him. But this was what he wanted, and he’d been prepared. He ignited the Dark Saber and blocked your strike, counter attacking and hitting your vambrace, which burned like fire. You retreated for only a second before again throwing the blade towards his body, which was deflected for a second time by his glowing weapon. It turned the metal of the sword red with heat, and not even a moment later, the sword was hit away from your hands by another rough strike.

Gideon stared you down, the saber inches away from your neck. You could feel the warmth emanating from where it was held, and tried your best to stay still. Even a flinch could end your life.

“Save it for the arena,” he said smugly before disengaging his weapon and handing yours back to you. You took it quickly, and turned to leave. If there was still time, you could tell Bo about the guards behind the building. She was a skilled fighter, perhaps she could stop them from killing Din until the fight was over.

As soon as you reached the bottom of the stairs, you’d been pulled by the arm.

“Where were you? It’s less than two minutes until the canon is lit,” Mayfeld seemed stressed, like he’d been looking for you for ages. Truth be told, you weren’t supposed to leave the room they put you in until it was time, so already you’d gotten them on the tips of their toes.

“Mayfeld, you have to listen to me,” you tried to make him stop walking, to slow down at least so the words could come out while he was paying attention.

“It’ll have to wait until after the fight. You’re supposed to be out there already,” he kept on, practically dragging you with him until you reached a chain drawn entrance, the wooden slab being lowered to the ground.

“No, you don’t understand he’s-“

“You’re going to be fine, just remember what Bo said.”

And with that, you were shoved into the arena. You turned towards the center of it, hearing the people of the land cheering. You stood in fear of the events around you, seeing as though you had been thrust into the middle with no where to go. There was only one way out, and that was the death of Gideon, the faux King of Mandalore.

You looked to the other side of the arena, and sure enough… the second wooden slab was lowered until it hit the dirt, and behind it stood your opponent. His stance was wide, and it angered you to see how arrogantly he strolled in. His weapon was activated, and he dragged it next to him in the dirt, creating small fits of dust to fly in the air behind his steps.

He stopped about ten feet away from you, pointing to the top of the arena where you both were just standing only minutes ago. The canon had been raised, and the fuse had been lit, the flame getting closer and closer until the loud boom was heard, echoing through the sky.

You held your weapon steady, making sure your helmet was secure before charging him. You struck first, making contact with his saber, while he quickly rebuttals against you. You were fired up, and so was he. The crowd was only background noise as this feud ending battle commenced.

Bo had been made aware of the hunter’s disappearance from his cell. She snuck in that morning to try and get him into a safer location until after the fight, but found that he’d been removed, the cell at the end of the block being completely empty when she went in. She hadn’t however found him in time to prevent the horrendous beatings he’d received. At the sound of the canon, she left her place on the ground level of the arena, going outside to inspect the guards that had been rotating to a discreet location.

When she saw the hunter on the ground, covered in his own blood, she leapt into action immediately. She pulled the knives from her boots and threw them straight forward, killing out the only guards who had been armed. They dropped to the ground before her as the other three stopped their attack on Din to focus on her. She was a threat by all means, and they remember the fight she put up at her young age of sixteen. Now, it was likely she could kill a man with her bare hands.

“Who’s first?” She quipped, stepping in front of Din and tilting her head to the one in the center. He looked as if he was waiting to get a piece of her, and was all too confident he would be able to. “You.”

Just as anticipated, he ran towards her, arms flailing about and voice ringing out a battle cry. He was all bark, unfortunately, as she caught him before he made contact, gripping under his shoulder and twisting just right until his shoulder was out of socket. She grabbed his neck and bashed his head over her knee and he went down to the ground, writhing in pain and out of his clear consciousness as the next man charged after her. She kicked out in front of her this time, letting his weight carry him backwards, all she had to do then was land a hard sock on his jaw and he collapsed over top of the last one. The man left standing was not in any hurry to rush her, but he’d been waiting, watching strategically until the others were out of the way. He would wait for her to make the first move, he was the smart one.

She had come to the conclusion he would wait for her, so she turned to Din, seeing that he’d started to pick himself up, and gave him an order. “Take the child, and go.”

He was barely able to hold himself at a seating position, but he gave a nod, beginning to drag himself towards the bird cage sat in the corner atop a barrel.

Bo faced the man head on, taking one step, two, three, and then one more. She struck him hard in the shoulder, and he stumbled back, but didn’t fall. He came back at her with force, blocking her attempt at a kick and using her leg as momentum to send her into the wall. Her back hit the concrete hard, and she nearly lost the air from her lungs, but she wasn’t finished. He came closer, and she feigned lack of awareness long enough to get him right in front of her. From there she let the knee jerk upwards, kicking him between the legs and hearing him groan. He didn’t back off like she’d hoped, and grabbed her fists, holding her to the wall. He used his own knee as a way to mock her, jabbing into her stomach several times until she felt sick. She tried to bend over in hopes it would soothe the pain, but he grabbed her throat, pushing her against the wall once more and looking her straight in the eye.

“You’re weak now, just like you were then.”

And suddenly, the pressure on her throat was gone. The man in front of her stood still, his features becoming like ice, and then he fell to the ground. Bo took in a deep breath, leaning over like she’d intended to earlier. She saw the arrow that had pierced the back of the man before her, and looked up to see Mayfeld rushing to her aid while holding a cross bow. She had never been so grateful to see him.

“Are you alright?” He gave her a hand and helped her to stand straight, looking her over for any additional injuries.

“I’m fine,” she told him, squeezing his hand lightly to assure him what she said was true. “How’s the fight?”

“Bad… she’s losing.”

The last thing Mayfeld saw before coming to find Bo was you getting knocked down, unable to get up for the way Gideon stepped on your chest plate.

Bo looked to the end of the alley, seeing Din holding the child and barely beginning to hobble away. He used the wall to lean against, but she knew they could help him easier. She knew what they needed to do in order for the fight to be turned around.

“She needs to see him,” she muttered, taking steps towards the man as he barely turned the corner. “Hunter..”

He turned as quickly as he could, careful not to drop the kid in the process of doing so.

“Come with me,” she took the child from his hands, handing him off to Mayfeld who followed her over. “Can you walk?”

He tried to push himself away from the wall and take a step, but he nearly fell to his knees. His grunts of pain when Bo caught him meant he was injured to the point of being bed ridden. She hauled him back up, tossing his arm over her shoulder, and began to strong arm him towards the gate of the arena. Hoping that if she could just get him into your view, it would change the ending of this battle.

He groaned with every step they took, but didn’t complain, and kept on towards the entrance, hearing the loud echoes of cheers whilst the competitors fought to the death. He looked down the tunnel, and saw something he hoped he’d never see.

You were on the ground, back against the dirt, while Gideon knelt over top of you. His saber was so close to your face, you felt as if you might catch on fire. Your sword was the only thing standing in the way of your fast approaching death, and you knew you had nothing left in you. You would die at the hands of an evil man, one who may have killed the ones you love, one who abuses his power, and the people he’s supposed to care for.

You looked into his eyes, your scared expression was evident, and he reveled in it. To see the fear in your eyes before he killed you, it felt too good to be true. Everything he’d said and done before this fight was the reason it was going the way it had. You couldn’t focus your power enough to use it, and every time you tried, it only backfired on a worse attack towards you.

“You were my biggest foe, princess, a worthy opponent. I will remember you during the rest of my rule,” he leaned in closer, forcing his blade so close it singed the hair that had been sticking out of it’s binds. You’d lost your helmet about thirty seconds into the battle, and nothing was stopping him from running you through to the ground.

You closed your eyes, ready to except your fate…

“Mesh’la,” the whisper was not even heard aloud, but in your mind. Whatever power you still possessed in you was willing you to hear his words, spoken under his breath and practically into the void.

You opened your eyes, turning your head to catch the sight. The tunnel was opened, and hanging onto Bo Katan was your hunter, the one this was all about. He looked bruised and bloody, but he was here, and he was alive. Standing behind him was Mayfeld, who cautiously held onto your small green child, the one you’d been in companionship with for so long, now. They were both here, and you weren’t going to let them watch you get killed, not at the hands of this man.

Din wasn’t sure how, but he knew you had heard him.

You gathered all the strength in your body and pulled your legs in, kicking his body off of you and back several feet. He was quickly steadied again, as were you, but your stare was no longer afraid, it was determined. This was the gaze he’d been so frightened of before.

You lunged for him, swinging over your head and across your body, hitting his saber multiple times before he tripped and fell back on the ground. You used your power to pull the Dark Saber from his hands and into your own. He barely made it to his knees before you were stood over him, both blades crossed by his throat, waiting to behead him.

He looked up to you, speechless as to how you were able to accomplish this feat. He had always been arrogant, but pride comes before a fall, and his knees could attest to that.

“Last words?”

He swallowed in a shaky manner. Let it not be said that he would die with words unspoken… he’d rather not die at all.

“Allow me to make a deal on my surrender,” he pleaded, begging for the same chance he’d given Bo Katan all those years ago. He may have spared her life, but you weren’t thinking of being so kind in return. Of all the things he’d done, he deserved to die on this field.

You stood still for a moment, and pondered what your terms of a deal may be.

“I offer you two more days, of which you will be beaten until you cannot stand, and starved from any sustenance you may require… sundown on the second day you will be executed,” you stopped for a moment to see the look on his face become even more grim. The man was a shell of himself, and of that you were proud. “Death by hangman’s noose.”

It was comical, really. Two more days to live out the torture he’d put Din through, only to die anyways, in the same way he’d meant for Din to die. He was not going to be permitted to live, because even behind closed bars, he was dangerous… you also knew he would never accept the deal.

“If you will only mock me, do away with me, now.”

The famous last words of King Gideon the ruthless.

The blades crossed each other and slid with ease, ridding the world of the man who ruled this land with tyranny. You’d never killed anyone in your life, but this didn’t feel wrong, it felt empowering. You’d slain the enemy, just as the knights in your stories would slay dragons and viscous beasts that scoured the land.

You heard the crowd erupt once more, and a loud announcement, but you paid no mind to it. You began to run, your slight limp carrying you to the tunnel with which your hunter was waiting. He fell into your arms as Bo let go of his form, and though your strength was again wavering, you held him close as if he were the most important thing in the world. You were too worn to heal him for now, and you might be for a day or two, but you could spend that time taking care of him in other ways, simply being by his side and making sure he was there with you.

The light peering in through the window of the Queen’s suite was only bright enough to make a small beam that reflected onto the ground. It was early morning, but the sun rose earlier here than it did in other parts of the kingdom. The castle always saw the first light.

Din shifted uncomfortably in bed, his shoulders still being the sorest part of him. He was rather broad, like the west mountains that separated Mandalore from the hillside people of Nog. He was broad and strong, but he felt he was anything else at the moment. He tried to sit up, but a pain shot through him and he groaned.

That’s when he saw you, rushing to his aid from a lounge seat that you’d undoubtedly been sleeping on through the night. You gently grabbed his upper arm, trying to get him to lay back down.

“Easy, big guy,” you knew he was probably confused as to where he was, since he’d practically passed out on the horse ride back to the castle, and required major help in getting to your chambers. Everyone insisted he go back to his own, that others could care for him easily there, but you weren’t about to let him out of your sight as long as you could help it. You were a good care taker, yet only one could ever attest to that, and he didn’t talk. “You shouldn’t be up.”

“Did you sleep on the chair?” He responded almost immediately, though it was not what you were thinking he’d say. It was very much like him to be falling apart and in need of constant care, yet being too concerned for your own being to obey your directions. He sat straight up, looking to you for an answer.

“Yes, I wanted to be close to you.”

He furrowed his brow and reached out for you. It hurt the muscles in his body to do so, but he grabbed your hand anyways.

“Could have slept with me, Mesh’la,” he whispered just loud enough to hear, bringing your hand to his mouth for a kiss. You smiled at the gesture but shook your head.

“The physician told me you were not to be disturbed,” you sat down next to him, allowing yourself to disturb him only a little for the sake of your comfort, and the need to feel him beside you. “Everything that happened yesterday, and the day before… it’s almost impossible that you were able to make it out alive.”

“If your plan was to get rid of me, you’re going to have to try harder than that.”

Your soft chuckle was music to his ears, as he’d not heard it in days, and thinking about it was one of the only things keeping him on his feet whilst all he wanted to do was fall. You gripped his hand that was holding yours, squeezing it once before letting go and beginning to get up.

“You should eat something,” you turned to him while pulling on a dressing robe, much thicker than the one you were used to. It would keep you warm until the sun had fully risen, as parts of the castle were freezing in the early morning. “I’ll be back.”

“Stay with me,” he pleaded, just as you had done a few nights prior. That night had been so beautiful, it only made sense that Gideon would have ruined it… but now he was gone for good, and no one would ever be disgraced by him again. You looked back to Din and saw the fave h was giving you. “Please.”

You were a victim of those brown eyes, you swore they’d be the death of you… and what a wonderful way to go. There was no way you’d ever deny him, not when he sat there on your bed, looking like the human personification of softness. You shrugged off your robe, laying it back over the chair it had been in earlier, and crossed the room to where he was sat. You threw up the sheets and blankets and crawled in beside him, laying down on the pillow and looking up at him.

He ran his fingers over the side of your face, tracing the outline of your cheek and jaw, finally reaching down to your neck. There was a burn scar forming there, not even an inch wide but evident enough to him.

“Pretty girl,” he muttered, thinking out loud. The words hit your ears and made you smile, which in turn spread a grin across his own face. He hadn’t kissed you since your shared dance on the cobblestones of the castle garden, and he felt he needed to. Leaning down the way he did should have hurt him tremendously, but something about the way your lips met his made all the pain subside. It was quick and gentle, but it sustained him.

You wished for more, but weren’t about to push your bounds, knowing he was definitely still in pain that he would never admit to.

He laid beside you and opened his arms for you to scoot in. It was very improper, for him to hold you this way and under the blankets of your own bed, but it was only you and him, and the door blocking you both from the outside world was not to be crossed by any means. Bo was taking care of everything in the Kingdom for now, as you’d asked her to do so until Din was on his feet. You were the Queen, now… though there was no official coronation, you were acting ruler of Mandalore. It would be a large responsibility, but you felt you were up to the task. Din knew this as well, for he saw the kindness of your heart and the goodness of your mind. All those years of innocence really shaped your outlook on the world, and you still beheld it with beauty. He only hoped that all the horrible things you’d been through wouldn’t give you a bitterness that may oppose your gentle spirit.

The sun kept rising, and the day began… but you and your hunter were tucked away from the busying kingdom, finding rest and comfort in each other after a trial of great proportions.

Tags: @i-ameri-cant@littlemisspascal@fanfics-toread@icanbeyourjedi@castleallherown@mysticalgalaxysalad @princess-prettyy @67impalagirl13@agingerindenial@childrenofthewatch@insomniac-nerd-posts-things@marjoherbo@juletheghoul-main@tiredbuthappy@themand0lorian@janebby@goldielocks2004@yuiopiklmn @oh-no-who-am-i @appleejuice @luxmundee @belovedadam @seninjakitey @harriedandharassed @notsosecretspy

#din djarin #din djarin smut #din djarin x reader #din djarin x princess!reader #din djarin x jedi!reader #din djarin royalty!au #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #the last of us #joel miller

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obislittleone · 2 years ago

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What One Was Mine

Chapter 10

Din Djarin Royalty!AU / Tangled!AU

Pairing: Din Djarin x Princess Kryze!Reader

A/n: it’s been a hot minute but guys pedro is trending again and I’m legit so happy over it (i had one or two bad experiences with new fans trying to gatekeep or whatever) i’m just so happy he’s getting more recognition tho bc THATS OUR PRECIOUS DAD

Warnings: oh boy kinda a lot… mentions of death, having beatings take place, several scenes with blood… there’s a flogging in the courtyard?? References to sexual themes. Uncomfortable situations fr… imprisonment and degradation. I think that’s it but remind me if i’m wrong.

The way you parted from your new fiancé was bittersweet. Bitter, because it was all too early, but sweet, knowing you would see him again every day after for as long as you should live. You snuck back to your room together, but went separate ways after you entered your doorframe. It hadn’t been for your lack of trying, though.

“Stay with me tonight,” you pleaded with those glazed brown eyes, his stare was always intense, but there was a softness to it when directed upon you. “I know the time when my handmaiden comes, I can wake you before then.”

He pondered it, of course he did. Grogu was in the royal nursery for the time being, and you were standing with your hands against his chest in a dim hallway while asking him to remain by your side through the night. The look in your eyes told him you wanted something more from him, something not so innocent as you were. He couldn’t in good consciousness give you what you desired until you were married. Though he’d never cared before, or even heeded the tradition of waiting for intimacy till marriage, he knew that the terms had now changed. You were a princess, and he was undeserving of you anyways. To steal away your virtue and risk a scandal that could ruin your name in the large and well known kingdom was not likely on his to-do list. He was going to do everything he possibly could to make sure that this was done right, starting now.

“Not tonight, Mesh’la,” he pulled you closer to his chest, kissing the top of your head as a sweet ending to the night. He knew his refusal might make you sad, but his use of an endearment spared your heart and only made it flutter in response. “I will see you tomorrow, as long a you save me a dance.”

“I can’t even think of dancing with someone else.”

He gently brought you away from his chest, using his finger and thumb to raise your chin, eyes meeting once more. You were tired, but your sleepy gaze fell on his and did not want to leave. He understood the feeling, but decided on being the one to bring it to an end. He thought it responsible, though it felt wrong to leave you this way.

“Until then,” he gathered your hand in his, noting the comparable size difference before kissing your knuckles. He never looked away from you, and that was your detriment. His magic would not soon wear off, for even in many years to come, as long as he looked at you like that, like you hung stars, moon, and sun in the sky, you’d always be putty in his hands.

“Goodnight, Din.”

He backed away, fading into the hallway, as you went into your room and shut the door behind you. You slid down the wooden blockade, arms wrapped around yourself and a lovestruck smile adorning your face. You were to be married to the love of your life, and spend an eternity together, going on adventures, doing good in the kingdom, and raising baby Grogu. Already you had a family that you cherished above anything in the worlds, surely nothing could ever go wrong.

Din was elated as well, but keeping light of foot to avoid any attention as he snuck through the halls and back to his assigned suite. It was best to keep all of this quiet until after your coronation ball, because hopefully things would be settled more firmly into stone then, and a consort marriage could be announced.

He was turning the corner to his door when all of a sudden he was ripped away by several pairs of arms. He struggled in their grasp, trying to break free, unsure of why this was happening, but the men who were clearly meant to detain him came prepared, giving a sharp hit to the side of his head, knocking him completely unconscious for them to drag down the hall and out of the palace, heading straight for the dungeons.

The morning awoke you with a shivering chill, but you relaxed into it, pulling the comforter closer to you as you waited for the hand maiden to come and bring you out of the big and luxurious bed. You’d never tire of the sleeping accommodations, although you you would admit, if you could give it up to spend another night on the forest floor wrapped in your hunter’s arms, you most definitely would.

You waited several more minutes, unsure of why the girl named Elise did not come on time like she normally did. You were beginning to be concerned, had something happened to her? Was she alright?

You threw off the sheets, throwing your feet over the side of the bed and standing, trying to find the dressing gown you usually wore in the morning while your hair and face were being attended to. It was a long and dull process and often you hated sitting through it, but you would have rather endured it this morning than be running around the room frantically, nerves on high end that someone you know may be hurt or something.

You had just found your dressing gown when suddenly the doors opened and in came the girl that usually helped attend to you. You heaved a deep sigh, greeting her with a smile.

“Elise, you hadn’t come at the normal time, I was worried something happened to you,” you chuckled over your words, shaking your head and realizing you had been ridiculous to jump to such conclusions so quickly.

“My apologies, your highness… the entire staff has been distracted this morning,” she paused, immediately resuming her work of helping you pull on the dressing gown. “There was a flogging in the castle courtyard, a new prisoner.”

You hated hearing about the mistreatment of the men and women in this kingdom. You’d heard much about the so called ‘prisoners’ they kept. Poor and hungry people who may only had stolen a roll of bread to survive, now to be tortured and held against their will for it. This was what you had wanted to change, and so far you were disappointed, because right now you were powerless to do anything. The king was harsh and unforgiving, and you wanted to stay on his good side in order to achieve your goals, but it was taking so long.

“Poor soul,” you mumbled softly, but she heard it, and as she ushered you to the vanity chair that you were used to by now, she explained further.

“Poor indeed. The staff say he was a guest in the castle, you may even know him,” she rambled on, and you shot up to a straight stance only just as you were taking a seat. You turned to her and gave wide eyes. “I didn’t mean to upset you, your highness. I speak too plainly.”

You were upset, but her speaking plainly was not the reason. You began breathing quickly, and tried to have a single coherent thought.

“What did this man look like?” Your expression made her believe you were angry, and partly you were, but also completely mortified and worried for another.

“He was quite tall, had darkish features. I didn’t get a good look at him,” she tried her best to respond to your question, but in all honestly she couldn’t understand why you were so concerned. Even if you knew this man, shouldn’t you know that the castle laws come first? That if a rule is broken against the king that it is punishable?

“No,” you shook your head, racing for the doors. Elise cried out for you to come back, to calm yourself and not get worked into a frenzy because it was bad for your complexion.

You were half dressed, not even, and considered wildly inappropriate to be walking the halls of the castle, much less leaving it and rushing out to the courtyard, where the king and a few advisors stood, accompanied by some guards who had just carried out a horrible act.

It seems they were all ready to leave, and the prisoner had already been taken away. It was very clear, however, there was still his blood that dripped down and covered the cobblestones of the area, leading up to the whipping post. The sight made you sick, but you persisted, lacking all sense of decorum as you stood straight behind the king, tugging on his cape and making him face you.

“What did you do?” Your question was nothing short of venomous as it dripped from your mouth, and king Gideon was genuinely terrified, if only for a moment. He knew that he had the numbers, and the manly bravado to overpower you if needed, but it didn’t stop him from having a second of fear.

“I have found an enemy of the kingdom and brought him to justice. I’m afraid your… companion is a very notorious thief, my dear. Not to worry, I will dispose of him for you. He shall hang at first light tomorrow.”

His smug smile, and the play of his words. You knew he was taunting you. He must have known about yours and Din’s secret relationship, otherwise this behavior was completely out of the blue and unlikely to occur. It was him, after all, who agreed to the presence of said thief in the castle along with Grogu. The child was well liked by everyone, and Gideon could not deny he found the little green fellow charming… but the hunter. The one who’d stolen your heart and bent down on one knee to enact what the king could only view as a proposal. He was no longer welcome in the home of royalty.

“Let him go,” your eyes were turning dark, and your fists were clenched so tight they almost shook from the pressure. What would you do if he should not concede? Your power had nearly fully restored itself to you, though not as strong as before, it certainly still had enough power to drop him where he stood. You hated the thought of killing someone, of taking a life and becoming something you always swore you were not, but if it meant your hunter’s life was spared, then so be it.

“I’m afraid I can’t. Though I only wish to make you happy, my princess, the law still stands, and he has broken it one too many times to be left alive.”

It was hypocrisy, all of it. He made it sound like a righteous deed, to lock away someone who has done many wrongs, but he was the one who pushed so many to commit acts of crime every day, just by keeping them starving in the streets. He bred crime then persecuted it to become a hero. He was a wolf stalking his prey, the innocent people of Mandalore, who never did anything to deserve his reign of tyranny.

“If you don’t do as I ask, I will-“

“You’ll what?” He stopped you mid sentence, only making your anger to grow. He kept that horrid and demeaning smile on his face at all times, never letting it dwindle, for his pride held strong. “You forget who’s kingdom this is, you forget your place.”

What could you even do to respond to that? How could you keep your dignity in challenging him without it ending so poorly that his blood may be spilt onto the courtyard stones? You would never use your powers to hurt anyone, you swore from your childhood that you may never allow yourself to fall that low, and yet, you were so angry, fuming and red in the face as you glared to the man in front of you. He was no king, he did not govern his people his respect and care, he ruled over them as if they were mud under his boots. He made them to fear him, his only attribute as a king was intimidation. He wasn’t a king, he was a prison keeper.

Your silence had dragged on far too long, and for that he assumed he had put you in your place, made you see things from the right perspective.

“That’s what I thought,” he spoke, beginning to walk past you, curving around your body and smirking as you stood firm on your feet, bare to the ground like they had almost always been before. “Mayfeld, see to it that she is readied for tonight, the ball is in her honor, after all.”

You winced at the mere mention of the occasion. Sickness spread through your stomach at only the thought that you could be made to attend such an event, and with a smile on your face, while the love of your life is in pain, and rotting away his last night on this forsaken earth in a prison cell. Your anger was still red hot, and flaming to the touch. Anyone who neared you need beware, but also, they may need to prepare for the oncoming stream of tears that was fast approaching. You forced yourself to hold them in until the king had re-entered the castle. There was no point in giving him the satisfaction.

The king’s advisor, Miggs Mayfeld, had spoken to you on a few occasions. He was a yes-man in anyone’s book, but you saw people differently than they were, and you could tell that there was a certain kindness in his eyes, hidden beneath hardened layers that no one could see straight away unless they were willing to take the time to peel said layers away. Even now, as he came to your side, he seemed conflicted. He stood a few feet away, not wanting to upset you further than you had been already. He seemed, for lack of a better word, afraid. But you had no intention of hurting him, nay anyone else.

“You should come with me,” he said it with his eyes to the ground, his head parallel to his feet. He sounded very empathetic, as if he’d grown used to the way the king had treated people, and was now just a bystander to anyone he dealt to, feeling their pain the same way he had all those year ago.

“No,” you stood firm, and though you understood he was just doing his job, he now seemed like the enemy. Doing the king’s bidding made him an extension of your foe, in spite of the fact that he seemed to dislike the king as much as you do, now. “Take me to the hunter.”

Your demand was left into the air, and Mayfeld nearly choked on his saliva at how boldly you delivered it. You clearly weren’t playing games, but he couldn’t afford to surpass his own orders for ones given by you. Even if you did outrank him, you had not been crowned a member of the royal family as of yet, making your commands null and void.

“I can’t, and I think you know that,” he didn’t beat around this bush anymore. He wasn’t going to waste his pleasantries on you, knowing you understood the maniacal situation at hand. “But I can take you to someone who can help. By no means are you to mention this to anyone. If you do, my head is on the line.”

He was speaking quite literally. A traitor to the king would be instantly dealt with, and would probably not make it till sunrise to see the thief and hunter hung at the gallows. You couldn’t tell why he was doing this, if maybe he’d just had enough of the mistreatment, or maybe he simply wanted someone to stand up to the king, either way, you knew his help would be vital.

You followed him in the direction of the far off east wing of the castle, which had been completely separated by a wall of pillars and turrets. If you remember correctly, this wing was home to a few lords and ladies of the kingdom, and sat right between the gates and the castle gardens. As you walked passed, you remembered the hour of the night before, the moonlit white roses, and sparkling daisies that sprung up from the earth. Beauty turned to anger and suffering since then, and you shook off the nasty feeling you had as you finally entered a doorway of the luxurious homestead.

The walls were ornate like the interior of the castle, though the ceilings were lower, and the decor was not as precise and detailed. It looked like some of the things you saw in the village, the building structures that have probably been standing for ages. This looked like true mandalorian culture, and you wondered if the king had changed the castle to look a certain way from perhaps being like this before he began his rule.

Mayfeld whispered to the guard in the hallway, whom looked at you suspiciously before returning his eyes to the man before him. He seemed like he was trying to make a decision, and waited a second or two before letting out a sigh and a nod. He rounded the corner to another room, and returned with a woman you were quite familiar with. She had been at every afternoon tea you were made to attend. She was the one with fiery red hair, and eyes that almost reminded you of your own, though hers were worn with years of sights she did not wish to see.

“Lady Bo Katan,” Mayfeld bowed shortly before closely approaching her and speaking lowly at a volume you could not hear. You waited patiently, and eventually, they both came forward. “She knows the hunter.”

Bo Katan, as formal as she may be, only took a once over of your attire, deeming it unnecessary to call any attention to the fact that you were only covered by a silk nightgown and a sheer dressing robe. You must have been in a hurry.

“If you wish to see him, you will have to wait till nightfall, after the celebration os over,” she told you, and you were about to protest, opening your mouth to argue before she held her hand up. “I’m not finished. You must also attend the party to seem as though you have forgotten the matter.”

“I can’t put on that dress and walk those floors knowing how he’s being kept. I don’t just want to see him, I want him to be free. I refuse to watch him die tomorrow.”

“I understand your haste, but may I offer you some wisdom?” The tilt of her head and slight narrowing of her eyes gave you a view into her mind for only a second, and you could tell she knew what she was saying. You nodded for her to continue. “The king has eyes and ears everywhere. If you ever want to see the hunter again, it will need to be done with discretion and planning. I have been in this court since King Gideon took over, and I plan to see him taken from his throne, but I cannot do so by rushing through and wreaking havoc. You understand?”

Something didn’t add up, something about her seemed off… in a familiar way.

“Why would you be willing to wait so long for something that may never happen?” Your question gave her a look of sheer confusion. Were you missing something? Had you somehow dozed off in one of the days before when they were explaining anything about everything to you?

“You really don’t know…” her voice seemed to pity you, but only for your lack of information. She turned to Mayfeld, who was partially listening by now, then back to you, still stunned. “I am Bo Katan Kryze. I’m your sister.”

No…

You weren’t eager to quickly accept this fact, as you had certainly forgotten you even had a remaining sister left alive. Satine Kryze, and the younger, Bo Katan Kryze. Your flesh and blood, never known to you until this very moment.

“You…” the words were short from your mouth, as you failed to gather them as you started to speak. You couldn’t gather a single coherent thought, and though it made sense as to why, you tried to reason with your own mind and say something. “You’re the rightful heir.”

“I was once, but I squandered my chances. I was too young to understand the consequences of my actions, and I lost the throne in a foolish match with a stranger to Mandalore. My decisions were my own, and it is because of them that Gideon is King,” she explained it to you, and you began to understand the weight and severity of this rule’s history. It was… won? How can you win the throne? “I cannot challenge him again on terms of a deal I made in my surrender.”

The air in the room was thick as her words came to an end, and she turned to the King’s advisor to make sure he knew his place, and would not spill any of this to the King to earn favor. Of course, the history of the battle was to remain a hushed topic, and everyone new this, but the one person who could oversee any punishment in the rules being broken was not present, so speak of it they would, right in front of you no doubt. You thought about it for a minute. Surely you were powerful enough to defeat Gideon in a battle. Your powers could possibly end him on sight if it was necessary. The only obstacle would be the challenge itself.

“I could challenge the King,” you spoke assuredly of yourself, earning two heads snapped with immediate haste upon hearing something they deemed so halfwitted.

“You are no warrior, believe me, the King is more spry and capable than he looks.”

You should not blame either of them for seeing you as a stupid girl, only an innocent child of which knew nothing she spoke of, and shook off their complete and utter disapproval of your idea at first.

“I am capable as well,” you told them, and with the audacity and nerve that he had, Advisor Mayfeld scoffed at you, shaking his head and placing his hands on his hips. He was not having any of your foolish notions. “I can prove it.”

You rose your hand from your side, eyes finding the perfect subject for your demonstration. There was quite an ugly looking vase that caught your vision when you were walking in. It did not match the rest of the authentic Mandalorian decor surrounding, it looked like something that would probably be kept in the main castle, along with all the other gaudy and dramatic looking objects. You lifted it high into the air, bringing it towards you while their backs were still turned, but they spun around quickly when sensing some sort of energy passing between them from you and something behind.

You didn’t get to see their looks of astonishment when they realized just exactly what you were doing, but the gasps followed by long silence was enough for you to know that they had been captivated by your show of power. You flung your wrist, sending the vase into the opposite wall across the room, the shattering sound of the glass echoed, and Mayfeld jumped slightly on impact.

“I know it’s not going to be a conventional fight, but I believe that-“ the wind was swiftly knocked out of you as you were pushed harshly against the wall by Mayfeld, a dagger to your throat as your stared at him with wide eyes.

“She’s a witch!” Mayfeld was not letting up, and though the powers bestowed upon her little sister were momentarily frightening, Bo Katan saw this act as madness, pulling him from you as fast as she could.

“You will do well to keep your hands off of her,” she demanded, and you realized now that this had been yet your second encounter with someone claiming you were a witch.

“Her powers are like that of the shadow keepers, she doesn’t belong here, in a castle,” he glared back at you, but the effect didn’t travel as far as it should have since you were still gasping for your breath. “She must be from the dark forrest.”

“That’s enough,” Bo was sick of hearing the miscreant speak any further. “You are still under my authority, or do you forget?”

His stern eyeline had finally shifted away from you and onto her, but you still felt the adrenaline of his stare weighing from when it had been firmly on your being.

“You will not speak a word of any of this to the King, or anyone else for that matter. What you have seen stays inside these walls, do you understand?”

He didn’t like the king, hated him even. He never had a problem with going behind his back before, but now? Well, this had gone farther than what he had known. The girl who claimed to be the rightful heir, but does not overtake the king for his throne, shown up after being missing and assumed dead for eighteen years, now suddenly reveals the power she has been hiding all along. It was something out of a fairytale and he could hardly believe it. Surely, the king would praise him, reward him even, for letting him in on the little secret that could pose a threat to him remaining the ruler of this kingdom…. But he didn’t care about the rewards, and he didn’t care about being praised, not by Gideon at least. You were the first real contender to dethrone him in years, and he would not pass up the opportunity to see that two-faced dictator get what he deserved, not even if it meant siding with a witch.

“I do.”

His nod and heave of a long, deep sigh meant he was not only in agreement with her commands, but he was approving of the plan to let you challenge the king.

“It’s settled, then,” Bo turned back to you, looking you up and down once again, now seeing something far different from that of when you entered her home. “Gideon will be challenged at the ball tonight, but we have to make sure nothing is out of place or suspected until then.”

You looked at your apparel, and knew instantly that it was not in your best interest to remain in this dressing gown until tonight’s event.

“I suppose I should start getting ready.”

You put on a brave face, though it was hard, and your mind kept traveling back to the plan. The very reason it was being enacted still held against his will in a prison cell amongst the other poor thieves and said ‘criminals’ in the dungeon. He was not innocent, perse, but he was not a bad man, and did not deserve to be killed at morning light like everyone was planning. You wanted so badly to sit with him, to hold him close to you and let him know that you weren’t going to stand for this, that you would save him at any cost. You wanted to take his hands in your own and convey to him all the love you held that would not so easily be diminished by simple threats.

The ball had already begun, and your ladies in waiting were surrounding you, putting the final touches onto your dress and hair, lacing your feet with the most glorious shoes that you’d rather do without. You watched out of the window, looking down at all the people arriving to the grand hall of the castle, seeming like Lords and Ladies and Dukes and Duchesses. Only those of high importance and stature, you could imagine.

“It will be time, soon,” Bo Katan was dressed very elegantly, in the classic Kryze family colors of blue and white. She came around your seat to stand in front of you, hoping to see a face of determination, but instead she found one of worry and nerve. “You won’t back out?”

You couldn’t lie, it scared you to think that in front of all these people, pouring into the ballroom right this minute, you would humiliate the King by offering a duel that could dethrone him. It was a bad move, but he was a coward, and if done in secrecy, he would decline, and have you and your hunter killed. If done in front of a multitude, with many eyes to not only hear of the duel, but to possibly see it with their own eyes? He may have been a coward, but he was far more prideful than he was filled with fear. It was risky, it was practically insane, but you would go through with it.

“I won’t, I swear it. I can’t leave him there,” you had revealed your motivation to her quite early, of course you had… and she understood. She once had a love that she would do anything for, but unfortunately death was an untimely thing, and it happened to like picking and choosing it’s victims. You though? You had the ability to play a hand against death, and you would take the opportunity every single time.

“This hunter of yours, what has he done to be imprisoned?”

“Other than being caught with me?” You spewed that part with annoyance, sure that she understood the weight of responsibility you felt for part of this. “He was the thief who stole the darksaber. I’ve heard some strange stories circulate around since I’ve lived here, but the truth of the matter is that it was in his possession for the entire duration of it being missing, or rather… mine. I would know, that’s how I met him.”

“You were his accomplice?” Her eyebrows furrowed, and she tried to stop from cracking a smile, because the sound of it was utter nonsense. You were a little ray of sunshine, a rainbow in the dark, and a silver moon amongst dark skies. You who giggled like a sweet child in the halls after tea with the king and advisors, and read fantasy books with happy endings that were unreal to life… There was no way you were in on a job with a notorious thief and hunter.

“Not precisely, no. He stumbled into my home after stealing it, and I hid it from him to make a trade. I didn’t know what it was, though it felt oddly familiar.”

“It’s apart of your bloodline, it belongs to you.” She placed a hand on your shoulder, turning you away from the window to look into the mirror. You wouldn’t deny you looked rather beautiful. You fit the role of a princess, and now you could play the part with confidence. The emerald green was adorning you so well, and you doubted there was a spot on you that was out of place. It came together so well, but there was only one person you wished to see you looking like this. Perhaps he would, by the end of the night when this all was over.

“It will be mine again, whatever the cost.”

The ball was so elegant, the decorations were stunning and the aura around the halls was nearly perfect, with lit candles near every sconce and nook there was. The beautiful dark green drapes and vines around the scene matched your dress perfectly, and though you hadn’t yet made your first appearance, everyone was having a wonderful time. All except you it would seem.

Your small band of secret alliances was hidden in the upstairs sitting room nearest to the grand staircase, which would have to be ascended any moment.

“Can you see him?” You were sat on a chair, looking to Mayfeld who had been overseeing the actions of the King as he strutted around, greeting his guests and the nobility as they entered the elaborate ballroom.

“He’s still moving, he hasn’t stopped.”

Lady Bo Katan was already in the shuffle, as she was trying to make sure there were no other intercepting forces on the ground that could possibly interfere with the plan. It would be madly simple as long as everything went correctly, and it had thus far.

You were to enter the ball, being welcomed as the Lost Princess of Mandalore. After any greetings with surrounding comers you would be expected to dance with the King as per his request. Once the King felt secure in your actions, then the switch would flip, and you would command the attention of everyone in the hall to your announcement. The challenge to the throne would be set in stone, and there would be too many witnesses for him to deny it. If all went well, the duel would take place at first light, and the hanging of your hunter would be postponed until the battle was over. You would win against the King, of that you were sure. He may have known about your powers, but not to the extent of what they are really capable of. The people who’d hidden you away as a baby were right to fear your power, but not because of the harm it may bring. Instead they should have ben more aware of your will to save whom you love through that power.

“When is he going to call me down?” You wondered, muttering it halfway under your breath as a thought spoken aloud.

“Now,” he said, taking two steps towards you to give you a hand up from your seat. What a contrast to his earlier behavior of slamming you against a wall in accusation. “He’s just signaled for you.”

“Now?”

Though you’d waited almost an hour, it felt too fast all of a sudden. If only you’d been focussing on calming your nerves rather than thinking about the plan, for it had been completely engraved into your mind by now, and there was no chance you would forget it.

“C’mon, your highness,” he guided you to the top of the stairs, and immediately every head was turned and gasps could be heard from below. The whispers were rowdy, yet still discrete, and the soft string music playing gave a small sense of safety when you looked out over the crowd. “Knock em’ dead.”

You pulled your shoulders back, pasting a fake smile to your face that spread across your cheeks and made you look happy to anyone who couldn’t see the pain in your eyes, for having to act this way under the circumstances being what they were. Ascending the steps was the least of your worries, and yet your heart raced over the possibility of falling. R

“The Princess Kryze has returned!” And the moment it was announced, you reached the bottom, bowing nearly to the floor in order to impress the many guests. Given the eruption of applause when you stood, you deemed your performance rather well done.

King Gideon met you in the center of the room, where a circle had formed to surround you both. His smug smile made you want to hurl out whatever contents were left in your stomach. It wouldn’t be much, considering you nearly refused to eat while thinking about the conditions Din was probably having to survive under.

“You are absolutely ravishing, my dear princess.”

“It took a while to achieve, but I’m glad my appearance is to your liking,” though it was said with as much enthusiasm as you could muster, the words held much disdain in your mind. You were truly only a trophy to him, a prize to look upon and enjoy when he means to. Had anything else never occurred, you’d still hate his being more than anything. He held nothing but darkness in his heart, and would never have been a partner worth even settling for. You’d rather spend the rest of your days as a poor town’s maiden with Din, as opposed to living a life full of luxury and riches with Gideon.

“Since you look so angelic in this splendid work of a dress, it would be a shame if the guests were unable to see it move how it was designed to,” a horrid way of asking you to dance, but you supposed you weren’t expecting anything from him at this point. You only smiled wide when he stuck his hand out to you. “Shall we?”

“Of course,” you responded, taking the outstretched appendage and allowing him to pull you closer. The discomfort ran through your veins, it was so thick and made your heart race and stomach turn. The second his hand fell to your mid back, you nearly felt ill, but kept on in knowing who all of this was for.

The music got louder, and other instruments joined in to form the smooth melody of a waltz. A dance you were expected to fail at by many of the King’s friends. He was the one who had told them so, but he knew better, now. He’d seen you dance with your thief, and you were quite the artist of movement. You flowed like a river through a forrest in the spring. Every movement was well done and meticulously thought out. You’d been practicing with Mayfeld earlier under the scrutiny of Bo Katan, and though it was helpful to rehearse some actual steps, it was much more premeditated than your midnight waltz with Din. With him it was so natural, it was so easy.

Your form was impeccable, even the onlookers thought so. You looked heavenly, quite like a dream. All an act, and it was moving along perfectly.

You had expected to finish the dance without another interaction, however, the King Gideon had other plans.

“You seem to be in a far better mood than this morning,” he said in a mocking tone. He must have felt you tense up for a moment, as his grip on you tightened.

“I suppose I was delirious from the early hours,” your lie was told poorly, and though he might have been swayed by your earlier attempts to make him believe you were in fact happy, your tone drove him to think you were only acting a part. “But you mustn’t mind my behavior.”

He chuckled, looking back at you and spinning you around once before continuing his antics.

“If we’re done playing pretend, I have a deal to offer you.”

Your eyes widened momentarily, and you had to compose yourself as to not give anything else away. This wasn’t part of the plan. He wasn’t supposed to offer you anything… but what if this deal is the difference between winning and losing a battle?

“I’m listening,” you encouraged, keeping up with the rhythm of the steady music that droned on still. You looked out to the crowd and caught Bo Katan’s face, staring on in hope that whatever you spoke of would not hinder anything.

“I believe it comes as no surprise to you that I wish to seek your hand in marriage, for both the good of the Kingdom and myself,” he spoke so assuredly. Whatever he had in mind for this so called deal wasn’t looking to be the better option so far. “But knowing what I do about yourself and the thief, I understand you would always resent me and perhaps look for ways to sabotage my rule if I simply took you as my bride.”

“Get to the point,” you spoke with no aggression, nor any emotion, as you couldn’t let it show on your face what you were feeling.

“If you shall agree to be my Queen, and unite all of Mandalore… I shall set free the prisoner Din Djarin and allow him an exile from the kingdom.”

You froze, your entire body refusing to finish the dance as it backed away from him. He in turn did the same, making it look as though the dance was over, and bowing to you. You thought quickly on your feet and did the same. The crowd again erupted into a fit of clapping and cheering, not rambunctiously, but just as the sort who have been entertained well. Unneeded to say they were well on their way to adoring the Princess Kryze, just as they always have while you were missing.

“Think about it. You have until midnight to decide,” he finished, grabbing your hand once more and placing a kiss to your knuckles before disappearing back into the crowd among his invited guests. They had all taken the dance floor by now, and you had to take several deep breaths before emerging from the scene to find your accomplices.

You spotted the lovely mane of firey hair, going straight to her and getting her attention. She turned around and saw your fearsome expression and spoke no words before pulling you by the hand to a crevice that no one could find you.

“What happened?” She rushed out. Looking over you, every limb shaking like a leaf yet nearly sweating profusely, it wasn’t hard to tell something went wrong.

“He offered me a deal.”

“No, whatever it is, you cannot accept,” she cut off any other words you may have about the matter, as apparently the contents of said deal were of no priority. “Anything he has to offer you will soon be yours anyway.”

“He offered Din’s freedom in exchange for my hand,” you told her, and she felt she needed to slow down and assess more of this interaction before making anymore rash decisions on your behalf. “If I challenge him tonight, he still has the authority to kill Din by sunrise. If I take the deal, I can challenge him once I know my hunter is safe.”

It was risky. The plan as it were had no flaws in Bo Katan’s eyes. All she wanted to see was the King Gideon slain and his rule to end… but she knew how love could complicate things. To you, the life of a thief was more important than the details of overthrowing the King. She once knew love like that, and it had been lost. Though bitter in her feelings over the subject, she couldn’t stop you from saving the one you love, because she wishes she could have done the same if she had been given that chance.

“You’re sure you want to do this? You know what it will cost you if anything goes wrong?”

“I want him safe, I don’t care what it costs me,” you assured her. With a heavy sigh, she nodded, understanding your fervor for protecting that which is close to you.

“Alright,” she agreed, but stopped you from turning and leaving just yet. “Do not let the King know of your decision until we’ve made new plans. Find a way to meet me out in the gardens, make sure no one sees you leave.”

“Are you going to tell Mayfeld?”

“I will, but for now, just do as I’ve said.”

And with that she was off, vanishing into the pool of bodies that was the dance floor. She was not one or dancing, or anything romantic like that, but she would admit it often gave a good distraction to those she did not want aware of her schemes.

You had found a way to sneak through a hall, and around to a hidden staircase that was usually only used for staff. There, you made your way to your room, and once you felt you could let your guard down, you finally let go of the deep breath you’d been holding. You wrapped a thick black cloak oar your shoulders, making sure the hood was flipped up before you left the room. There was no one in the upper rooms right now as it were, for the entirety of the castle’s population could be found in the ballroom.

It was much easier to get to the courtyard in the disguise you donned, as the black fabric made you near invisible to the guards watching from the towers. You crossed the rough gravel into the gardens, hidden now by the large trees and voluminous plant life around you. You only waited for about two minutes before Bo Katan and Mayfeld snuck into the shadows along with you. All the under cover activity should have felt exciting to you, as it was new and daring… but there was too much on the line. A life you could not afford to lose hung in the balance.

“What’s the plan?” You whispered to Bo, but she held her hand out. Your eagerness was sometimes your downfall, but it was a lucky thing you didn’t have to depend on yourself in this mess.

“Come with us,” she said in a hushed tone, but still commanding enough for you not to question where you were about to follow them to.

Mayfeld held a set of keys upon his belt that you didn’t recognize from earlier, and since you were still on the subject of accepting Gideon’s proposal, your mind did not put the pieces together as to what your mystery destination might be.

When you entered the cavernous looking establishment, the smell of old moss and water build up were rather strong, and you wondered what kind of place this might be that it could be infested with the things it was scented with.

Mayfeld lit a lantern on the wall once you were far enough inside not to be seen. It was only now that you saw your surroundings. You were in the castle dungeon. The other inmates looked to be fast asleep by now, some lounging on top of one another is a haze of exhaustion. You passed by a cell that held two familiar faces, though they were also unconscious in the corner of the area. Ran and Xi’an, Din’s old partners, the ones who tried to betray him and take you. Serves them right for ending up where they were.

You followed Mayfeld to the end of the row, where a rough wooden blockading door stood closed. Mayfeld took the keys from his belt and unlocked the door, entering first and holding his hand out for you both to wait. You understood who was inside, and you wanted nothing more than to go in, but for the sake of any plans that would be hatched, you remained standing as you were.

Mayfeld emerged from the room with a solemn look on his face, but he nodded to you anyways, and stepped aside.

You wasted no time in trampling over your skirt layers to get through the doorway. You could barely see by the lantern light from the hallway, but you felt around until you collided with a familiar body.

“Din?” You reached out and placed a hand on his chest, feeling the tattered shirt beneath your fingertips. He took you in his arms in a moment, hugging you close to his body and tucking himself around your form like a sheet to a mattress.

“It’s me, mesh’la.”

You nearly cried, just feeling him around you gave you an overwhelming sense of peace that you hadn’t possessed for the entirety of the day until now.

You tried snaking your arms around to his back, but his harsh wince along with a jolt of his body away made you uneasy again. You barely found his face in the dark, seeing those dark brown irises staring you down under the soft orange glow.

“What have they done to you?” Your tear filled eyes were about to overflow. What horrible treatment had he endured while you were embraced with luxuries the whole day through?

“Nothing I can’t handle,” he tried to calm your worries over him, for they were trivial in comparison to his worries over you. The king could break every bone in his body, make him writhe in pain and peel the skin from his bones and he would endure it all with a sly look upon his face… but if anyone dared touch you or the child, he became a danger to all forces opposed.

“I can help,” you pleaded with furrowed brows and teary eyes. You hand’t yet tested this aspect of your powers since the incident, but you’d like to bet the need for his healing would be enough motivation to instantly muster your strength again.

You reached for the bottom of his shirt and pulled it off with his help, feeling the torn edges from when he’d been tossed around and likely beaten senseless. It was the first time you’d seen his bare skin like this before, and given that the light continued to get brighter the longer your eyes adjusted, you could see the expanse of his broad chest and torso in it’s entirety. You blinked twice to refocus and snap back to reality, seeing over his shoulder the red lines of broken skin.

Coming closer to him again, you wrapped your arms around his body gently, placing your palms on his back. His wince was the last bit of incentive you needed to concentrate your energy on healing him. He sunk into your hold, reciprocating it while he felt the warm spread of your powers beginning to take his pain away. This was perhaps the worst wound you had ever healed, and it was going to take a toll on you physically, but you pushed that thought to the back of your mind. You would do whatever it took to bear his pain for him, especially since he carried it because of you in the first place. Your knees grew weak, and he had to catch you before you fell to the ground. He held you steady, whispering his thanks in your ear until you were able to stand on your own.

“I hate to interrupt, but we’re running out of time,” Mayfeld came through the doorway again, a full lit torch in his hand to shine more light on the scene. Once Bo entered the cell, all were now congregated, and the planning could commence. “I suspect the King has already noticed your absence, it won’t be long before he’s unable to find us as well.”

“She’s come to tell you something, hunter,” Bo gestured to you and him, barely broken apart since they both came into the room. She wanted the plan to resume as they originally hoped it would, and she had a feeling it might, if the man they came to see had anything to say about it.

“Come to tell me what?” He looked to you with confusion, surely you hadn’t found him a way out so fast. Tonight was the night of the grand ball, and if your appearance was any indication, you’d been attending until now.

You didn’t want to tell him, because it would be too hard to actually say goodbye. You’d much rather had just accepted the deal and let him go knowing you saved him. Now, he stood before you, looking so deeply into your eyes you could cry. How were you supposed to send him away knowing you’d never get to see those eyes again.

“The king has offered me a deal,” you tried to avoid his stare as you prepared to let him in on the contents. “The terms being that, if I marry him, you go free.”

His expression dropped, and he shook his head rapidly a took another step closer to you.

“No, you can’t do this,” he protested, and you wanted to interject, but he was far from done speaking. He took your face in his hands, ensuring that you were truly listening to every word. “I would rather die tomorrow knowing you had the freedom to leave than live, and always know you’d have signed yourself away for my sake.”

Bo Katan wanted you to listen to him, to understand that he hated the terms and wouldn’t want you to go through with it. She needed you to know there were no other options.

“Din, you’d be safe. I can’t let you die.”

His heart broke when your voice did, the last of your words falling off into a sad whisper that matched the tears in your eyes.

“I love you,” he said, touching his forehead to yours for a moment and then looking to Bo Katan, whom stood behind you in waiting for the interaction to close. “And I can’t let you do this.”

“What do you suggest she does?” Bo hoped that his answer could coincide with the plan, but even if it didn’t, she was happy to know that his reaction to the news had been what she was anticipating.

He took a deep breath in and focused again on your features, the way they were softly lit by the fire light. They had painted your face like they’d been doing for weeks, but with the softer elements and colors to match your aura for the evening, he couldn’t help but admit you were enchanting. His beautiful girl, the one he’d done all of this for in the first place. No doubt about it, you were the cause for the mess… but he’d do it over and again, one hundred times.

“Run.” It was said with a lonesome sadness, but he meant it. “Take the kid, and get far away from here.”

You shook your head, but he wasn’t going to stop. He only wanted you to be free, after all your years of being kept prisoner, you deserved to be uncaged. Marrying the King would only make you his slave.

“We’re out of time,” Mayfeld said, he and Bo Katan trying to usher you away from the cell. You let yourself be pulled away, seeing Din stand still in the middle of the stone floor. He didn’t want you to go, but if the King found out you were gone with his biggest conspirators, you would be in more trouble than he currently was.

Once the door was closed and locked, the three of you began to book it through the long cell block. You dropped your head to hide from them your tears, knowing that they were probably far stronger with hiding their emotions, and might think you to be weak should you expose them.

Din wouldn’t leave you even if they forced him to. There was only one other option that prevented him from being hanged. You froze in your tracks and closed your eyes, feeling the energy around you, making you gain a courage that you wouldn’t have had before. Seeing Din, in the position he was in, under the roof of the castle dungeon and skin split by violence… it angered you, it lit a flame in your spirit, a passion to do right by him whatever means necessary. More than anything, you wanted him to be free, and free by your side. He’d asked you to marry him, and you intended to keep to your word of doing so.

“Are you alright?” Bo asked, upon noticing you fell behind a few steps.

“I’m fine,” you spoke with a newfound tone, one that was straight forward and firm. It was so different from the unsure voice you’d held only moments ago.

You marched on past them and into the staff entrance of the castle. You used a window reflection to remake your appearance, to hide the fact you’d been crying and to fix the disheveled hair that had sat under your cloak, which was the next thing you ride yourself of.

You gathered your skirt, running through the marble halls and finding the ballroom to be completely full of people dancing, laughing, and having a ball. You spotted him in the crowd, King Gideon. He was talking amongst some allies until he caught your gaze from across the floor. He quickly excused himself and made a beeline to where you stood, straight and tall like a firmly planted tree.

“I had wondered where you disappeared to,” he spoke everything with a smile, whether it was genuine or fake, you didn’t care enough to know, but it was spread across his smug face nonetheless.

“I took some time to think about your offer… and I know what I have to do,” you said sincerely. He smirked, feeling as though he had won. His nod of approval meant you had him where you wanted him. “If you’d allow me to, I’d like to make the announcement myself.”

The dark chuckle he responded with sent chills down your spine, and the shiver that glided over your skin was another unwelcome reaction to the man’s devilish grin. He held his hand to the small of your back, seemingly guiding you towards the elevated platform by the stairs.

“I would love nothing more, my queen,” he raised your hand to his lips and did as he had done earlier, pressing a sloppy kiss to your knuckles. It felt dirty, to let him keep doing that.

Now standing where everyone could see, Gideon commanded the attention of the room, allowing them to face you for your announcement of what he presumed to be your engagement to him. The man was too prideful for his own good, which is why this plan would work so perfectly.

“As the princess of Mandalore, I’d like to thank you all for celebrating with me this evening,” a few glasses were raised as if this were to be a toast in someone’s honor. You heaved a breath before continuing. “This Kingdom has known division for too long, and I believe it is up to me to change the way things have been.” Even King Gideon was pleased with your choice of words. He was almost happy to be standing beside you while making this announcement, but he was about to turn a one eighty in only a moment. “The time has come for Mandalore to begin a new chapter, under a new rule.”

The applause was loud, and the King was impressed, but the final words had not yet been spoken…

“I hereby challenge the faux King Gideon to a duel,” and right then, the gasps of the crowd were all around. The audience had been involved. There were too many witnesses for him to refuse, too many to simply kill you behind closed doors. He froze in place beside you, unsure what to do or where to go. “As per tradition of this nation, the battle will be to the death, and the victor will claim the throne of Mandalore once and for all.”

Your speech was spoken at a volume you’d never dared to speak before. This confidence running through your veins was not yet done, and with it you turned to face Gideon, a smirk on your face now, and a fearsome look on his. Oh, how the tables have turned.

“I shall see you at dawn, my king.”

The mockery was lear in your voice, but he had nothing to say in response. As a last stitch effort to make a fool out of him, you bowed low to the ground in his honor. You turned and left up the stairway, and that was the last he’d seen of you for the night.

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