The Goth One

One of the perks of liking her so much was that he observed her, he studied all of her moves, and he knew that he didn't stand a chance if Celia was being rational, so his plan was to get her angry, so, instead of attacking, he kept dodging her blows with a cockiness that he knew she hated, so, once her blows started to get messy, he disarmed her and pinned her on the ground, holding both of her hands over her head and restricting the movement of her legs, "It seems like I won," he whispered to her ear.

Her rage simmered beneath the surface, steadily building until it threatened to overflow. Every little thing he did—his words, his movements—fueled the fire inside her, heating her blood to a boiling point. It was unbearable, suffocating, and finally, it burst. Her voice, sharp and venomous, cut through the tension like a knife. "I'll bite your fucking ear off, don't try me, James," she spat, her anger seething through every word.

"I would never," he said with a very dramatic fake innocence, "I will let you go, if you tell me how much you hate me, how much you despise me, how much you like me," he brushed his lips on her ear before kissing softly ker cheek, so very close to her lips, but without touching them, no matter how tempted he was.

“Liar.” The heat radiating from the man above her ignited a fire within her, flushing her cheeks a deep crimson. She narrowed her eyes, locking onto his gaze with a fierce intensity. Leaning in, she whispered against his lips, each word laced with a mix of defiance and desire, “I hope you drop dead...” Then, with a swift, bold motion, she closed the distance and kissed him fiercely.

He let go of her hands and cupped her face, he wasn't expecting that reaction, not that he was mad about it. He broke the kiss to catch his breath, "Well, you almost kill me, princess," and with than he stood up, offering a hand to help her.

Never would she admit what happen today to another soul. She would never tell anyone how she did take his hand and stood to her feet. "Maybe I should."

He kissed her knuckles and walking out of the gym, not before giving her a last look, "Then I'll be waiting eagerly," and with that, he left her there.

That very same night she had snuck the two out of the castle away from prying eyes, she claims for her to not have any witnesses around when she kills him. Yet here they were in the city of gold exploring all the sights there were to see. "For a knight you walk slower than a granny."

He took her hand as he walked beside her, "Maybe I don't want this night to end," he flashed her a smile, looking at those rosy cheeks, "So, this is a very public place for a murder, don't you think?"

Narrowing her eyes at her knight, she huffed in frustration. “Well, maybe if you were faster, we’d be at our destination by now, and I could finally get on with killing you.”

He chuckled, "You know, that doesn't really sound bad," he said and leaned towards her, "Sounds kind of... entertaining," yes, teasing her was his new sport, and the fact that he was the only one playing it was a great privilege.

Thinning her lips, Celia kept walking, leading them toward their destination outside of town. "Good," she murmured, her tone firm, "because there's no turning back." He belonged to her—completely, utterly hers.

And as she was taking a dagger to stab him, he turned and kissed her, it was fierce and passionate, gods, kissing her felt so wild, yet it felt right.

Whenever he kissed her, everything felt right. The chaos of her life faded into the background, leaving only the warmth of his presence and the softness of his lips against hers. In those moments, it was just the two of them, no worries or fears. She dropped the knife and began to remove his armor.

He wasn't planning any of this to happen, he just wanted to spend time with her, and something in his head was telling him that maybe he should wait for this to happen, that it was too soon, but for some reason, he couldn't stop. He let her take his armor and his shirt before he delicately placed her over the soft grass, kissing her again. He would go as far as she let him.

Something about him was intoxicating, drawing her in with a pull she couldn’t resist. She wanted all of him—and now she will have him completely. Breathless and content, they now lay together in the field, wrapped in each other's arms as they caught their breath. "You know if you weren't so smug I might've given you a compliment..."

He chuckled and leaned to kiss her pulse, "Don't worry, I already took it as a compliment," he told her. He could spend the eternity like that, he just realized how dangerous could that be, for both of them. With a last peck of her lips he sat up, "Now, princess, I have to take you back," and helped to gather their clothes.

She paused, her gaze lingering on the dress he held out to her. It was a gown fit for royalty, with delicate embroidery woven into the fabric. She drew a breath and took it slipping it on. ”Before I came here," she began softly, her voice carrying an edge of nostalgia, "I lived with my family, deep in the woods, in a small cottage hidden from the world. No people, no sounds but the trees, streams, and animals. It was quiet—peaceful." She smiled, a faint, fleeting thing, but it disappeared as memories rose. "Before that, I was…well, I was a maid in a vampire’s manor. The vampire was a monster," she whispered, the words thick with bitterness. "He watched me too closely, and his hands always lingered. And before that, I was Mama’s ‘little helper’ because…” Her voice cracked. "Because she was always too drunk to help herself." She steady her voice, 'what I am trying to say is, I do not trust easy and I am in an environment I am vastly unfamiliar with, because of that I've taken a lot of my frustrations out on you and for that I am sorry."

He cupped her face, gods she was even more beautiful now, "I know that I can be a pain in the ass, I deserved a lot of what you gave me," he told her to lighten up the mood, "but believe me if I tell you, I would never break that trust, the fact that you gave me at least the tiny bit of it," enough to make this moment happen, "it's one of the biggest treasures no one ever gave me".

There was something here, something that set her heart racing. Is this what her father meant by love? She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his, a gentle smile playing on her lips. Her hand rose to cup his cheek, and she kissed him one last time, savoring the warmth between them. As she pulled back, her smile lingered, and she rose to her feet. “We should get back to the castle,” she murmured. “Before anyone notices we’re missing.”

And hand in hand they went back to the palace, he gave her a last kiss before she went into her chambers. And as soon as they returned, another palace guard went to the king's chamber, to make him know that the princess has returned and that his sergeant had been with her.

The king assigned the guard to inform the princesses and the eldest personal guard that they shall be having breakfast together in the morning.
The eldest bite the inside of her cheek, she did not doubt the king was attempting to see how much of a threat the two were together. Best to be on her best behavior. Setting her brush down she began to get dress to have breakfast with the king.

For the past few weeks, Odin ordered his most trusted guards to keep an eye on his granddaughter and the soldier, and he didn't like the relationship that had formed between the two, it was too risky, and he had taken enough risks already with the two girls, at the end of the day he only needed one of them, and the younger one was more malleable than Celia, so, once more, he had to take care of her, this time he wouldn't make the same mistakes. "Princess Celia, the king wishes to speak to you," a guard came into the sparing ring when she was training with Bucky, "alone".

Every instinct screamed at her to flee, a primal warning deep in her gut urging her to turn back. She knew, with a certainty that chilled her, that nothing good lay ahead. Yet, she steeled herself and took a deep breath. She couldn’t afford to back down—not when her little sister’s safety depended on her. Slowly, she lowered her sword, feeling the weight leave her hand as she placed it in Bucky’s grasp. ”I’ll see you soon,” she murmured, her gaze locking with his, a quiet promise burning in her eyes. No matter what Odin had planned, no matter the trials she might face, she would return. She would see him again. With a final nod, she turned and strode toward the throne room, every step heavy with resolve, the echoes of her footfalls mixing with the icy dread settling in her bones. Odin awaited her, and so did the unknown, but she would face it head-on.

Odin sat upon his throne, eyes calculating yet masked with an expression of solemn approval as Celia entered the hall. "You have surpassed my expectations, child,” he announced, his voice grave and regal. “You are worthy—not only of my trust but of the duty to protect this realm." He paused, letting his words sink in, then continued, "We have uncovered the witches' lair, where they keep your parents imprisoned. You shall lead my most loyal warriors to bring them back.” His gaze settled on her, steely but unreadable. "This task calls for both strength and power, and you are uniquely suited for it. Take these twenty minutes to prepare yourself and speak with your sister."