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“Remind me why I let you come to these meetings.” Pieck said with an exasperated sigh.
“Because you like me, obviously.”
“Well I’m starting to regret it.” Pieck narrowed her eyes as she looked at Yelena from the corner of the eye. “Must you scare to death every single person who acts nicely towards me?”
“If they intend to propose to you in the future, yes I must, Your Highness.” Yelena responded cockily. “It’s entertaining.”
“If frightening other people is what entertains you, I should reconsider my opinion about you. And stop with the Your Highnesses.”
“You seem to be okay with everyone else using that title with you.”
“You’re not everyone.” Pieck muttered matter-of-factly. “I thought that was obvious.”
“Oh, it is. I just like it when you say it.”
Pieck didn’t bother to hide her groan. “You know, whatever. I think I’m done for today, let’s go anywhere else.”
“You really can’t take a joke.” Yelena murmured lowly, walking a few meters behind Pieck.
Their relationship had always been very complex. Even if each of them had – or used to have secrets of their own, they always looked out for each other. Knowing each other from infancy had its perks, but once they began growing up, things started going too fast before they knew it.
Since Pieck was child, she knew she would eventually have to marry. Probably to some random person she had never met before. It was selfish, of that she was aware, and even if she felt certain level of empathy towards her parents and their concerns about the kingdom, she still always wished for her desires to be taken into consideration. And her number one desire – her strongest wish, was to be with Yelena.
The want to be together was equally strong on Yelena’s part. The knights had reclaimed Yelena’s presence more than once – after all, her strength could be incredibly useful when fighting, but then again, Yelena refused. Her only goal by then was to love and protect the princess. Pieck gave her the chance to leave and fight if that was what she truly wanted, but Yelena never wished to leave her side.
And that was their situation until then. Pieck had to assume her future role as queen and all the duties that came with it, and Yelena too, more or less. Though there was certain thought bothering the blonde woman: Pieck’s suitors. Oh how she hated every single person who came with the objective of uselessly gaining Pieck’s hand.
Pieck politely rejected every single one of them, but Yelena wasn’t content with just that. She made sure none of them would even dare to come back, either with indirect – or not so indirect – threats or the crueller option, humiliation. Added to that, Pieck and Yelena didn’t really hide their affections for each other, but they didn’t tell anyone either, so most people just didn’t pick on it.
They weren’t touchy in public either, by Pieck’s request, so most people thought they were just close friends, and that Yelena’s overprotection towards Pieck was something between friendship and blind loyalty.
“It’s getting worse though.” Yelena said bitterly. “Your parents are pressuring you into marrying even more than before.”
Pieck stayed silent for a moment. “I know.”
“And aren’t you doing anything about it?”
“What am I supposed to do? I’ve already tried telling them I don’t want to, but they don’t listen.”
“But–”
“We’ve had this conversation plenty of times. I’m tired.” And with that, Pieck left Yelena’s side.
The situation was frustrating for them both. It wasn’t like suggesting Yelena as a suitor was an option – she was just a knight, that wouldn’t benefit the royal family in the slightest.
And Yelena was right, it was getting worse. But they just didn’t talk about it. Yelena was the one who tried to bring up the topic most times, but Pieck just avoided it or talked about anything else. Probably because of how scared she was about the outcome of that conversation.
There were two possible ones. Either they stopped with whatever they had and try to live their lives as just friends – or, they could leave everything behind and run away together. That second option was ridiculously tempting, but Pieck wasn’t likely to accept. That, or either she hadn’t considered it at all, or that was what Yelena thought.
A few hours later, when Yelena was done with her duties, she made Pieck a visit. Aware of the possibility of not getting an answer, Yelena still knocked on her bedroom’s door. Two loud knocks, two quieter ones. With that, Pieck would know it was her.
“What do you want?” Came Pieck’s voice from inside the room.
“Are you still busy being mad at me, or can I come in?”
There was silence for a moment before Pieck answered. “Enter.”
Closing the door after her, Yelena stepped inside the room. Since Pieck wasn’t looking at the other woman, she didn’t notice Yelena had changed into more comfortable clothes. “Can Her Highness bother to look at me?”
Pieck then turned her head and gave Yelena a satirical look. “Better?”
“Yes. Your angry face is funny.”
Unable to keep being mad, Pieck laughed lowly as she closed her eyes, rubbing them with the middle and thumb fingers of her right hand. “You’re something else. Come here.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Once in front of the short woman, Yelena lifted her chin and leant in to kiss her. Pieck clutched to her arms, feeling herself grow weak. They hadn’t been able to do that for quite a while.
“I’m sorry I act like a jerk when other people propose to you. I can’t help it.” Yelena cooed in a softer tone.
“I understand why. I would also be frustrated if I were in your place.” Truth was, Pieck did understand very well Yelena’s jealously and overprotection. Yelena had many people who admired her, and she had received more than one confession. She didn’t reciprocate any of them, of course.
Yelena’s mind was still actively thinking about certain topic after their sort of fight earlier, and just to test the waters, she gently cupped Pieck’s face and asked in a low voice, “Pieck, are you happy?”
Pieck blinked, not knowing how to answer at first. She didn’t ask what the reasoning behind the question was though. “That’s a… very difficult question.”
“Take your time.”
Instead of keeping standing, Pieck lied on her bed, patting the space next to her, encouraging Yelena to curl up next to her. In a matter of seconds, Pieck had her face buried in the crook of Yelena’s neck, sensing the blonde’s long fingers gently threading through her hair.
“I think if I answer honestly, I would say I don’t know.” Pieck started in a whisper. “I don’t despise the life I have. I have nice friends, and you’re with me. But sometimes it’s just… so stressing. Having so much responsibility onto my shoulders.”
“I don’t blame you. I get stressed as well and I’m not even you.”
The comment gained a giggle from Pieck. “You know you can quit being my guard whenever you want to.”
“I’m afraid that won’t happen anytime soon.”
“Good.”
Yelena hated to break their current comfortable mood, but she had to ask the question. “Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Have you ever thought about how life would be if we ran away? Just the two of us together, very far from here.”
What Yelena wasn’t expecting at all was Pieck’s very honest answer. “Plenty of times since we were little.”
“Really?”
“Do you really think you’re the only one who fantasizes about it?” The softness yet sadness with which she spoke made Yelena’s heart tighten in her chest.
“I don’t know. Maybe you were content with what you have now.”
“I am… I guess.” She added quietly. “But what’s the use of talking about it? There’s no way we could make it work.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yelena, please. I’m tired.” She snuggled closer, her voice almost breaking. “Can we sleep?”
Taking the hint, the blonde sighed and gave up. For the moment. “Okay.” She gave Pieck a forehead kiss. “Sleep tight.”
During the following two weeks, Pieck hardly saw Yelena. She thought it was because of her duties as a knight at first, but after a few days, it seemed more like Yelena was purposefully avoiding her. Pieck didn’t want to appear childish and demand her attention, but at the very least she wanted a reason. Even if the reason was that Yelena was tired of their situation.
And she wouldn’t blame Yelena if that was the case. Feelings could change, as hard as it sounded.
It started to be truly concerning for Pieck when Yelena suddenly took several days off without telling her. The blonde gave Hange – her second in command – the order to protect Pieck while she was, supposedly, resting. That was when Pieck switched from worried to horribly angry.
“How many days off did she plan to take?” Pieck questioned Hange the day they told her about Yelena’s break.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you, Miss.” Hange responded calmly. “She ordered me not to tell anyone.”
With clenched fists, Pieck breathed deeply. Taking her anger on Hange wasn’t the smartest thing to do, and it wasn’t their fault. “Never mind. Thanks for acceding to look after me.”
“No problem.” Hange didn’t say it, but they really couldn’t say no, mainly because Yelena was their superior and she had the last word. Though they weren’t complaining either because they were quite fond of Pieck. Besides, Hange was aware of whatever Pieck and Yelena had between them, and Yelena asking them to take care of Pieck meant she trusted them; she wouldn’t leave Pieck under anyone else’s protection.
Days went by, and Pieck began to wonder if Yelena wasn’t taking days off, but left instead. The thought was sickening. That night, as the previous ones, she found trouble when trying to sleep. The feelings of loneliness and betrayal kept her awake.
Before her thoughts could go further, she heard the door. Two loud knocks, two quieter ones. Weird. The first thing coming to her mind was that she must be dreaming, and proceeded to bury her face into the pillow. This isn’t happening.
More knocks came. At that point, she had no other option but to get up and confirm herself if she was hallucinating or someone was trying to mess with her. When the door opened, the person who came inside was alarmingly fast, immediately closing the door just a second before they came inside.
Pieck had to blink several times to make sure the person in front of her was truly the woman she had been missing for two entire weeks. There was no doubt, it was Yelena.
“Where have you been?” Pieck instantly demanded to know. “I was worried sick!”
“Shh.” Yelena clamped a hand over her mouth. “I’ll explain everything later. Now, listen carefully.” Still a bit confused, Pieck nodded. “Your parents plan to engage you to some random duke with or without your consent.” Pieck tried to protest, but only muffled complaints came out of her mouth. Yelena went on. “This is your chance. You either stay and go on with the life they prepared for you, or we leave now.”
Pieck’s jaw dropped. Yelena retired her hand. “… Leave together? For real?” Pieck mumbled.
“For real. I gave the guards a day off – they didn’t complain one bit, those lazy losers.” She scoffed. “And no one is awake inside the castle. As for everyone’s questions about where we went once they notice we’re gone, Hange will cover us.”
“Wait, wait– were you planning this all along?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while.” Yelena had to admit. “But I didn’t take action until recently.”
“So that’s why you disappeared.”
“Plans aren’t made on their own.” Yelena shrugged. “So? What will you do?”
Everything quickly registered in Pieck’s brain, but she still had an unresolved doubt in mind. “What if I choose to stay?”
“I will respect your decision. But I’m leaving regardless.” She recognized the panic in Pieck’s face, and sighed heavily. “What? Do you expect me to stay and watch you marry some rich stranger? No way.”
Pieck didn’t complain. Who could really blame her? If she was in Yelena’s situation, she would probably choose her own happiness as well rather than seeing the person she loved marry someone else. Think fast, Pieck told herself. The night won’t last forever.
After knowing her family wanted to marry her off, the only thing tying her to the kingdom now were her friends. As if reading her mind, Yelena spoke, “All the people you care about won’t hold any grudges if you leave.”
“How do you know that?”
“They told me. I also took care of that.”
Words failed Pieck for a moment. It was a perfect plan. “You truly thought about everything.”
“I like it when my plans get carried out properly.”
For some reason, Pieck laughed. Maybe because everything was happening so fast, or because she still had the impression it was all a dream, and she would wake up at any moment. “Of course you do.”
Yelena understood Pieck was still processing it, and patiently waited with her back against the wall. The thought of living a happy life with the woman she loved was on her mind at all times, and even if she didn’t show it, she felt uncomfortably tense. As much as she wished Pieck to say yes, Yelena would never force her to do something she hasn’t consented to.
The blonde came back to reality when she felt Pieck’s hands holding her wrist. “Let’s go.”
Now that was a quick way of making up her mind. “Are you serious?”
“I’ve never been more serious.” Her hand intertwined with Yelena’s. “I don’t want to keep living the life others want me to live or pretending I don’t want you in front of everyone.”
Yelena never felt more touched in her life. She pulled Pieck closer and hugged her, holding the short woman in her arms for as long as possible as a huge feeling of relief took over her body. “God. I’m so happy.”
Softly cupping her face, Pieck joined their lips her passionately, conveying how much Yelena truly meant to her in that kiss. “Let’s get as far from here as possible.”
To where? They didn’t care as long as they were together.