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liillyliilly · 5 months ago

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The Princess, The Guard, And The Impossible Task

oikawa tooru x reader words; 4209 synopsis; oikawa's just a commoner, his only chance to become a knight rests on watching the king's alarmingly cold daughter.

There never was a chance for him was there?

Oikawa Tooru was doomed to never to be a Knight for the Royal Family.

He wants to, desperately. Being just a mere commoner under the King’s rule was never his intention, but it was the life he was born into. That didn’t stop him from going for what he desired. There was a type of shine and luxury to being a Knight, they fight and protect the Kingdom, and then in exchange they get treated the way they want. Royals had it easy and Oikawa hated the injustice of it all.

So, he worked for it. He trained every single day. Even when his hands were blistering and until his feet had callouses on the heels, he would train. The regime for being a Knight was easy to follow. Training and practicing, Oikawa advanced quickly through the ranks of workers under the King. No one could stand in the way of his raging war path to Knighthood.

His best friend Iwaizumi helped to continue his progress when the public trainings became too dull and repetitive for Oikawa. Always pushing him and challenging him with new maneuvers, new sword attacks, even hand to hand combat.

Nothing stood in Oikawa's plan except for the fact that Knighthood was only given to those of blue blood, only if they were connected somewhere through the Royal lineage, only then were they ever given the chance to be a Knight.

The desire he had to be a knight shone through, and he was given an opportunity. The personal guard of the King often scouted Royals to join the Knights, especially from the certain classes of trainees for normal sheriffs. As the lonesome guard observed the class, Oikawa stood out to him.

Already a knight, Iwaizumi joined Oikawa in classes occasionally, the only person who could actually match Oikawa's drive and intensity without losing a finger in the process.

The King's guard watched as the two elite participants practiced. Oikawa's form was perfect in the dueling portion of the class, and yet he didn’t bear the simple emblem of Royal lineage on his left breast pocket. This intrigued the guard, if a normal subject of the Kingdom could advance this quickly to a class of this level and beat most of the other students then Oikawa was surely special enough to be Knighted. When the guard talked to the King about it, the King denied his request for Oikawa to be put through Knight training.

If Oikawa wanted to be a Knight then he would have to prove it to the King by his standards. By protecting something, something the thing the King held valuable to him. His only child, his daughter. Oikawa had heard rumors of the difficulty to find proper protection over Princess L/N. At the time, all Oikawa could think of was that he wanted to be a Knight, so he took the King’s offer.

In a trade, the form of his opportunity took shape. He would be the personal guard to the Princess for a month, and then if after his time guarding her, if he still wanted to be a Knight, he would be given the Knighthood.

At the end of the first day, there she sat writing notes in her notebook as her personal tutor droned on and on. Oikawa thought he would die of boredom just standing at the door keeping watch, but the Princess looked content with making her notes look fancy and adding all types of brightly colored ink on the crinkled tan pages.

Dipping her quill into bright blues, bloody reds, and earthy greens. The quill spiraled across the page in cursive print worthy of being framed and hung on the walls of the palace. Oikawa was simply admiring her abilities, nothing else, he mused. Not her hands, or the way the ink would stick to her skin when she accidentally brought the quill to her neck as she paused. Leaving dots of all colors across her collarbone.

After knowing her for a single day, Oikawa understood why all her other guards didn’t work out in the end. She was well behaved, almost too well behaved. She never spoke out of turn, she never blurted out her personal thoughts, she didn’t even try to make conversation with Oikawa and just gave him curt nods or shakes of her head.

It was almost as if she had been stripped away of any personality. But there were moments that her true character shone through, and Oikawa soon found himself searching for ways to bring it out. Even if he was just guarding her as a way to achieve his own personal gain, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t help her in the process, now could it?

Only a week after beginning his post as Y/n’s guard when she looked at him, Oikawa thought he was going to die. Her intense gaze shook him to his very core. She was putting away her latest reads back onto the grand bookshelves of the Royal Library, Oikawa carrying around twelve books in his arms.

She feigned disinterest at the way his arms would bunch and tighten, the muscles acting as a testament of his dedication. She finally agreed with her father's choice in guard clothing, sleeveless. Next time she would see if he could carry fifteen books instead. She knew he could handle it.

“You are thinking about me.” She took another book from his grasp and stood on her toes to return it onto the shelf.

“No, Princess, of course I am not-” Oikawa flushed. His mind ran with thoughts of her finding out that he wasn’t actually a Royal, or that she would ask him to stop guarding her and then he would lose his chance to become a Knight.

“Stop trying to get to know me. It’s easier that way.” She grabbed two more books and placed them away, before turning on her heel to the next row of shelves. The musty scent of paper and dust hung in the air, the smell clearly belonged in the library. The way the shuffling of her feet against the carpet floors, also belonged. The way Oikawa could see her weaving in and out of the rows of books, she so clearly belonged in the library.

Oikawa had tried to conversate between her lessons, when she was out in the palace gardens, when she was doing small chores that he had tried to do instead. He was trying to know her, to make the companionship less of a bore and more of an enriching engagement in learning about the future ruler over the kingdom.

“If there is one thing that I cannot stand, Oikawa, it’s people who shove their noses into others’ business.”

Oikawa was playing her game now. She had challenged him the moment she had started talking, and she was winning. If she was going to be bold, then he was as well.

“And Princess, if there is one thing that I cannot stand, it is Princesses who hardly have any semblance of a personality.” Oikawa could have sworn he saw her smirk when she tried to hide her face behind the arm she was using to put away the last book from his hands.

She held her head high as they exited the library, she nodded to her servants that went about their way, cleaning and making preparations for the next ball. When they went down an empty hallway, she moved to face Oikawa, closing space between them as she threatened him.

“You will never know me. At least not the version of me you so stubbornly want to see.” As she went to put distance between them, Oikawa found himself wishing he could still smell the cocoa and coconut oil scent that radiated off of her.

“What if I told you that I already know everything about you?” Oikawa wasn’t stupid, he wasn’t oblivious, and he was most definitely not unaware of the way she flinched whenever her father walked into the same room as her. “You are hiding, hiding behind your façade of the perfect little Princess.”

Although he was desperate to know more. He wanted to know what she looked like in the morning just waking up, how her smile looked if she was kissing someone, him even, how all her little sounds worked together to narrate her pleasure.

She scowled at him before dropping the anger and putting up another mask of simple contentment as they reached her bedroom.

“And you have a secret, I can tell. So, I propose a race, of sorts, Oikawa. If you can figure out the real me then I’ll let my father Knight you early. If I can figure out whatever your secret is then you have to leave my Kingdom and never return.”

“Sounds like an impossible task Princess. It isn’t fair if you are never going to give me an opportunity to know the real you, as you so bluntly stated it.”

“Fine, I will adjust the conditions of this figurative race then. I will do my best to give opportunities for you to see who I am. That way, our game is fair.” She smiles at him before entering her room and shutting the door.

She never slammed the door on him. When she held the door open for him once, after a garden walk, he knew she wasn't like any Princess he had heard of from all the other kingdoms. Harsh, prissy, cruel, Princesses were the only kind of Princess? Or so he had thought before he became familiar with his own Princess.

Oikawa nodded his head in the face of her closed door, before taking his post to the side. Leaning against the wall, he rested his foot against the brick and let out a deep sigh. He really was playing a dangerous game with her. But he couldn’t let his growing feelings be the reason for his demise. In a game with Y/n, he couldn’t lose, or else everything he had worked for would have been for nothing.

As much as Oikawa wanted his interactions with her to be nothing but formal, professional, he often found that he crossed the line often. He was following her as she walked about the market, looking at all the wares foreign traders had come to sell and buy. Fresh fruits and crisp vegetables made the entire market area smell like a kitchen. As Oikawa caught a glimpse of the jewelry stands, he saw the necklace that had caught his eye. It was a simple chain, with a simple diamond, but it was colored in a way that looked exactly like his Princess’s eyes.

As Y/n inspected some of the ceramic vases available, Oikawa bought the necklace and placed it around his neck, hiding the diamond underneath his shirt. The metal was cold against his warm skin. But he felt comforted by the idea of having something that resembled her close to him. When she walked up to his side again, Oikawa coughed into his elbow, making her pay attention to him.

“You should get this one.” Oikawa pointed to a large and gaudy emerald ring. Y/n chuckled before nodding her head.

“If you ask me, Oikawa, it fits you a lot better than it fits me.” She states seriously and with a blank look on her face. Oikawa gasps, and fakes hurt by putting a hand to his forehead.

“Princess, you wound me.” Y/n pats his head before cooing slightly. Oikawa wishes he could have kissed her cheek in that moment. But then he remembers, he is her guard. She is a princess. Their relationship is nothing but a business exchange. It is not a friendship and as much as he wishes, it is not a courtship.

On the days she is quieter, Oikawa still talks to her. Even if she hardly responds. If he did get a response it was a simple upwards turn of her mouth, or a movement of her head. He rambles to her about random things, or of his opinions, and she listens. Oikawa had gotten used to people hearing him, but he never had someone listen to him.

“And the Knights are so, they just get to be and do whatever they want. I want that kind of freedom.” He exhales as Y/n continues to braid the fabric of the doll she is making.

“Why are you making a doll? You don’t have any in your room, or keep any in your spot in the library.”

Y/n hums, before cutting off a thread and setting the doll down onto the table. She shifts her chair so her chair is directly across from where Oikawa stood against her bedroom wall.

“Do you know how many children in this kingdom don’t have parents?” Oikawa shakes his head. “They deserve something for all they go through. So, I make these dolls, and have them delivered to the orphanages, anonymously of course.”

“Of course?” Oikawa questions.

“If my father knew that it was me doing this he would get upset, telling me to spend my time in a way that could actually come to an eventual fruition. Or at least a ‘noble cause’ as he calls it.”

Oikawa clenches his teeth. Over the days, his opinion of his King has lowered and lowered. The King is nothing but horrible to the servants, while Y/n makes up for it by being kind and forgiving. The King is brash and rude to the poor and needy, where Y/n does everything she can to provide a way of suitable living for all. If it was up to Oikawa, he would kick out the King and have Y/n rule. She would rule with a strong will but open mind.

Oikawa still needed to train, keeping in peak condition. But one day, he pushed himself too far and pulled a muscle. He kept groaning as he walked around with Y/n, his leg pulsing with hot blood and sore ligaments. After he had accidentally cursed as he stepped forward, Y/n stopped walking around the ballroom, holding the delicate decorations in her hand.

“Is there something bothering you Oikawa?” Worry was dripping on her words.

“Everything is fine, Princess.” When he takes a step forward, he falls from the lack of strength in his leg.

“Tooru!” Y/n immediately moves so that she is cradling his head. She takes a deep breath. “Oikawa, can you move?”

“Yes, I can. My leg is just-”

“You are lying. Stop lying to me. You clearly hurt your leg. Let me go get some help.” She offers, but Oikawa grips her hand.

“Don’t. If anyone found out that I was incapable of protecting you then my Knighthood would be at risk.” Y/n opened her mouth to say something but held back.

So, they just stay there. Oikawa resting his head on Y/n lap, trying to ignore the feeling of his leg aching, but focusing on the way she nervously runs a hand through his hair. He swears, as he looks up into her eyes, that he would protect her with his life.

If the game was supposed to be dangerous and scary, then why did Oikawa like playing it with her? He knew what the answer was, he likes her, that much is clear.

Later that evening, Oikawa rubbed his leg while sitting on his straw bed. The boarding for him was impromptu, but at least it was warm in the lowest level of the castle.

When a knock rapped at his door, he assumed Iwaizumi had finally come back from an assignment and wanted to share the stories of his adventures. His surcoat rested on his chair, leaving him in a loose linen top and brown fabric pants, the tie of his shirt undone and the expanse of his chest visible.

"Iwai, you lucky bastard-"

She coughed lightly into her arm, looking up to the casing as if it held the secrets of the world.

"Give me two moments." She nodded before stifling a laugh, shifting to a light giggle that he could hear from his side of the door.

Quickly tying his shirt up, and throwing his coat over his frame, he ran a hand through his hair.

"Princess, come in."

She was draped in a black cape, with a hood over her head. She looked around his room, grazing over his personal belongings that rested on his chest of drawers. She motioned for him to sit back down on his bed, he limped slightly. Pulling out a vial from her pocket, she patted his bad knee softly.

"Slide your pant leg up if you would please." How could she say something like that without any sort of hesitance? He obliged.

Slowly, she poured the vial into her hand little by little, rubbing the mixture over his calf, knee, and stopping midway up his thigh. It smelt of mint and lemon. She smiled at him wordlessly, leaving about a half full vial on his side table.

The feeling of her hands on his leg, caring and tender, made him lightheaded.

Days later, after what Oikawa now referred to as the pinnacle for his affections for his Princess, was the biggest hurt he had ever experienced. Sitting in the courtyard, she sat with her journal and a book, reading for minute before rushing to write her thoughts down onto her journal. Oikawa stole away her book, lifting it high above his head, leaving her jumping around him trying to get her book back.

“Why do you flinch whenever the King enters the room?” His question seemed like a simple one, maybe the shining gold of the King’s robes shined onto her eyes a little too much. Or perhaps his worst nightmare would be true. The nightmare that haunted him was that all Royals beat their kids into submission.

“My father is not a kind person, especially not when you are his only child and you have to deal with the highest expectations of perfection placed onto your shoulders.” She stops trying to jump, giving him the answer, the one he was looking for. Except now he didn’t want to know the answer. Oikawa holds onto her elbow keeping her close to him.

“That bastard. Who would even think to hit a child?” Oikawa sets the book down, looking at her as both of their eyes slowly sheen over with tears. He's supposed to be her guard, his only job is to protect her, and he feels horrible that he couldn’t protect her when she needed him most.

She swallows thickly before opening her mouth to croak out an answer, “A king would hit a child.”

She steals the book away from where it sat on the bench, grabbing her journal from Oikawa as well. Trying to exit the courtyard through the archway that is covered in flora. Oikawa lets her leave.

The next day when Oikawa has to take her into the ballroom to check the preparations, his impulse to block her from the King by rushing to put his arm in front of her can’t be stopped. Y/n lightly pushes his arm down and gives her father a side hug, as he goes on about her planning.

“The design really is beautiful, using the autumnal colors to decorate is pure genius.” The King rambles, and Oikawa has to stop himself from seething at his words. Oikawa clears his throat before speaking.

“Your majesty, may I talk to you about my Knighthood?” Y/n’s eyebrows shoot up and she gapes, her eyes wide.

“Don't you still have another week or so of guarding my child?”

“I would like to revoke my place of potential Knighthood.” Oikawa didn’t want to work for a corrupt leader, even if it gave him the opportunity for the easiest way out of leading a life as a simple cog in the machine of the Kingdom.

“Oh, really why is-”

“Father, mother called for you an hour ago. You must meet her, or else she might anger.” Y/n cuts in.

The king smiles at his daughter, cups her face in his hand before uttering a goodbye, “We will talk later Oikawa.” He nodded and made his escape, his long cape of expensive fabric trailing behind him.

Y/n turns to Oikawa, her bottom lip trembling slightly. “All you have ever wanted was Knighthood, why now do you choose to revoke your only chance of getting it? If it is because of what I told you the other day, please reconsider your reasoning. Oikawa, I will not let you throw away your opportunity.”

Oikawa would have begun arguing immediately, had it not been for her first sentence. “My only chance of getting Knighted?” Y/n covers her mouth with her hands, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

“You know. You know I'm not of royal blood.” He whispers.

“I wasn’t going to tell you that I found out. You have to know that.” Y/n blinks a couple times to try and get rid of any possible tears.

“You figured it out and yet you didn’t make me leave the kingdom. Why?” Oikawa is glad that the ballroom in empty, leaving him and Y/n to stand in the center of the huge room. This confrontation wouldn't feel less important if it was in any other place. This conversation would feel as entangled and deep even if it was on a dirt path, if it was in the stables, anywhere.

“Because I like having you around Oikawa, is that not clear to you?” She goes silent as she waits for Oikawa to respond. She holds onto her skirt tightly, wrinkling the baby blue silk fabric. Oikawa rushes to kiss her. And she lets him. Her hand lets go of her dress as Oikawa wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her to him, protecting her. When he swipes his tongue along her bottom lip, she backs up slightly before shaking her head and chuckling lightly.

“I love you.” He presses his lips to her neck, before nuzzling his nose into the curve between her shoulder and neck.

Y/n ruffles his hair, before kissing the crown of his head. She can’t stop the nerves that build in her chest though. “What are you going to do?”

“I’ll revoke my demand of Knighthood. And resolve to keep being your personal guard.” Oikawa said it like it was gospel.

“What about,” She pauses before grabbing his face to make him look at her, “What about us?”

Oikawa wants to curl up into a ball and die. The rules of society seem dead set on keeping them apart. Royals don’t court, never mind marry, commoners. Oikawa thinks, he thinks harder than he ever has before. Royals can marry Knights. Oikawa can become a Knight, and then he can be with Y/n. He wants to kiss her, and instead of holding back he doesn’t. She lets out a stunned gasp before kissing back.

He nips at her bottom lip, and pushes on her neck so she faces up to him for a better angle. She wraps her arms around his neck and tilts her head to the side, moving her lips from his to his check, and then trailing light kisses along his jawline. Oikawa sighs.

She slips her hand to the front of his chest. Oikawa's ears turn cherry tinted. When she reaches in and pulls out his diamond necklace, he turns his face to the side to avoid eye contact.

"Really?" He nods. "I thought my mind had tricked me that time, you know, when I helped you out." For her it was like a mirror of her own eyes, seeing the same color shining right back at her.

When she reaches into the front of her own blouse, Oikawa's neck flares. She pulls out a similar necklace, with a slightly larger pendant, the same color as Oikawa's own eyes.

"Like milk chocolate," She holds the pendant up to his eyes, "It's not quite identical, I tried to get the jeweler to capture the right color but they just couldn't."

He kisses her open palm. He adjusts his surcoat, leaving his necklace visible over the fabric with royal insignia embroidered all over.

She furrowed her eyebrows then looked to the ground before meeting his eyes again. “You're going through with it. You are going to try to become a Knight, aren’t you?” Oikawa nods, his hair falling onto his forehead.

“But, what about-”

“I don’t want there to be any reasons for us not to be together. I can figure everything out, I promise.”

Oikawa was eventually Knighted, then he married Y/n. The commoner turned into a Knight, then into the future King. So, Oikawa supposes, there never was a chance of him being a Knight. Because now, he ruled the kingdom with the only person he could ever imagine to be right by his side, Y/n. He still called her ‘Princess’ though, purely from habit, and because he would always remember the kind of person he first knew her as.

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #hq #hq x reader #oikawa #oikawa tooru x reader #oikawa x reader #oikawa tooru #royal au #fluff #pining #angst with a happy ending #friends to lovers #she's a princess #he's just a guard #lilly's red string of fate

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