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The roughness of the walls of the Wintermarrow Castle felt damp as the hooded figure snuck through its treacherous halls. As her hand grazed the coarseness of the wet and rocky surface, a cold, icy wind permeated through its doorways, ever-increasing the loneliness of her heart. Her shoulders tensed with the continual fear of being caught, as though one scuffle, a single trip of the feet would send her tumbling to her doom – even if she were nearly untouchable in these lands.
Her back ached, arched against the walls as she snuck past guards, clutching the golden heart necklace hidden under the black robe she cloaked herself in; The echoes of footsteps and the sound of bated breath being her only company.
The path was familiar. It was almost impressive, how easy it was to get around, she mused to herself, picking up the pace. Any normal thief could easily trespass, whether to steal an heirloom or slit the throat of one of the members of the royal family.
In the back of her mind, she could almost hear the exasperation of her Royal Bodyguard, always looking for her – as if she would ever be in trouble! Approaching the tall wooden doors of the entrance, she slipped away, sneaking not into the castle for mischief but instead out. It was something that reminded her so much of the stories Shauna always read when they had any free time together (all of their free time, in fact), something to tuck away into her heart to remember later.
The creak of the doors caused a few crows to fly out, turning a few heads in the direction of the sound, only for there to be nothing but the slam of the dual doors commanding their attention.
Nobody would see the small, petite, some would even say frail at first glance – figure flying down the streets, ducking into the singular lit-up building in the middle of the night. The door closed once more and as she removed her hood, hazel eyes illuminated in excitement, Princess Jackie Taylor couldn’t resist letting out a long and enduring sigh of relief, a grin plastered on her face full of childish joy.
“Yknow Jack,” a voice said from across the room, belonging to the muscular figure sporting a tan apron and gloves, still swinging down on what appeared to be the finishing touches of a steel longsword. They wiped the leftover soot from their face before putting their hammer next to the anvil, the crackling of the forge still pervading the atmosphere around them. “There are better ways for our favorite little princess to get around without seeming like a common thief from one of those storybooks you and Shauna gush about,”
Jackie flipped the illustrious Van Palmer, blacksmith of the Ignis Empire, off and rolled his eyes. “We do not gush. We admire. ”
“Well, you both are certainly gushing at something, if not the storybooks,” they snarked, a toothy grin plastered on their face. “But yes yes, you, of course, are not the princess who oh-so mysteriously runs off several times a week, clearly not,”
A fake curtsey was given and Jackie groaned. He walked right into that one.
“Just…what are we learning today?”
“Wellllll,” Van drawled, wiggling their eyebrows as they motioned to Jackie to follow deeper into the room, “My restless little apprentice o’ mine, you’ll be excited to see what we have today! Nat may have stopped by earlier and he may have let slip details about your little project - which I think, is the perfect fit for my protege, but first, a test,”
Jackie grinned, fighting to keep his composure, drilled so deep in him from countless etiquette lessons from the Queen, but he couldn’t help it as he giggled and clapped upon seeing the bronze daggers he would be working on today. For every night he was in these safe walls, surrounded only by love and trust, he was not Princess Jackie Taylor. Instead, he could just be Jack, a bumbling blacksmith’s apprentice.
And that was all he needed.
—------ —---------- —------------
Shauna Shipman needed Jackie.
That is to say, Shauna loved Jackie and Jackie loved Shauna, but specifically in this particular moment, Princess Jackie Taylor was missing. Again. And as her personal guard, Shauna very very very very much needed to know where she was. Again.
She sighed as she looked in the mirror, dark green tunic lay flat against her bound breasts (Jackie had made a fuss about that in the beginning, claiming Shauna was too handsome to hide any part of her - whatever that meant), over her tanned pants and long-sleeves. Her casual wear; luckily these days she rarely needed anything more. Long gone were her days as The Butcher, and now she was simply Sir Shipman, a loyal guard and best friend to the Princess of the Throne, Jacqueline of the Taylors.
Taking a moment to refasten her trusty axe to her back, and to make sure her silver knife was in grabbing distance, just in case. Satisfied, she headed out the door, on her way to her - unfortunately - normal routine of figuring out where the fuck her liege was.
To anyone who didn’t know Shauna, they would see her focused and furrowed brows as she walked hallway after hallway, right hand never far from the side of her waist, and say they felt fear striking their heart, that she made them feel like they were prey, that she was a predator on the hunt. But for those who did know her, knew her loyalties and her heart that shone as bright as the sun, they would simply laugh and say that was her Jax face, whatever that meant.
And if you asked Lady Taissa Turner, Commander of the Royal Knights, she would smirk and call Shauna “a raging lesbian” before going back to her business - barking orders left and right at new recruits of the royal army - and that was where Shauna found herself first.
“Tai!” Shauna yelled, waving quickly as she sprinted across the field of trainees, deftly dodging any incoming projectiles from stray arrows, ducking under the swings of wooden swords, and coming to a stop at her friend's feet, doing a proper salute with a sheepish grin as she greeted Taissa.
“You know, Sir Shipman,” Tai rolled her eyes, a lazy salute given in response, “It would be a lot quicker if you just used the sidewalk instead of showing off to recruits all the time. For someone who never has time to come and train with them, you sure seem eager to be noticed.”
“And for someone who is so valiantly the Commander of the Royal Knights, you certainly should be capable of stopping me,” Shauna rolled her eyes, pushing at the other’s full armored shoulder.
The pair met eyes, squinting in a stare-down before bursting out laughing. Shauna leaned into her friend, a comfort she was given daily ever since they trained as children together nearly twenty years back, before the wars, and certainly before being given honors they previously could only imagine.
“You looking for the Princess again.”
“You know she doesn’t like being called that,”
Tai rolled her eyes. “And yet is the princess in the room with us?”
“It’s actually a Recruit Training Grounds, so by technical means it’s not a room–”
“Smartass.”
They smiled. This was the game they played – these days Taissa had Van, Shauna had Jackie – but besides their loves or their liege, and whatever came with that, the one thing that had stayed the same through it all was their bond. Taissa had saved Shauna back when she was just a newly appointed Page, and Shauna had returned that favor time and time again during their years as Squires and Knights, fighting battle after battle for the Ignis Empire.
Shauna looked around, sighing when she realized that Tai was indeed right, Jackie was still nowhere to be found. She placed a hand on her hip, shaking her head in exasperation. Her liege was someone who always had high aspirations, not of royalty, but not of normalcy either and Shauna loved that about her. The problem was that that could mean so many things.
The rustling of chains followed by a quick ting of a sword unsheathed brought Shauna out of her thoughts, looking up to see Tai smirking, longsword pointed in her direction. She felt her heart racing, the adrenaline of a challenge to be met coursing through her veins.
“Well Sir Shipman,” Tai said, brown eyes glinting with excitement as she watched Shauna grip her axe with both hands, answering her call as she always would. “I would suggest finding Lady Lottie or Lady Laura Lee, near the library as always.”
“But first,” Tai did a few warmup swings, taunting Shauna. “Shall we show these recruits exactly why you were once one of the most feared warriors in our land?”
“Were once?” Shauna raised an eyebrow and scoffed, feigning nonchalance before charging forward. The clang of metal against metal echoed through the airway, attracting the attention of dozens of new trainees, all buzzing with the thrill of seeing the legendary duo of Taissa Turner and Shauna Shipman demonstrate their prowess, a sight so rare in these peaceful times.
And as longsword met axe, knight commander faced bodyguard, the battle commenced.
—---- —--------- —---------
“Fuck!” Jackie yelled as he missed the angle he needed to hit against the silver ingot, just barely grazing his finger in the process. He lept away from the anvil, partially in frustration, partially in the pain that he had to bandage up again. His hands were always covered in bruises and bandages these days - he hated making up stories to Shauna every time it happened, but couldn’t help but feel warm (warmer than the burning lava sloshing around in the forge even) whenever Shauna would call it badass. He always was weak to Shauna Shipman, even before they were bound together by honor and oath. Back when they vowed themselves to each other through love instead of status, a pompous princess still under the reign of his parents and the kindhearted page just trying her best, sneaking off into the gardens to look at the flowers, read children’s stories, or watch the stars and think of their future.
Jackie had heard the term “burning the midnight oil” many times, though she never quite understood it. Definitely not in her religion training, nor her basic combat training, even though both were led by two of her closest friends - High Priestess Laura Lee and Lady Lottie - to their frustration. Nor would she understand the draw to overwork herself like the illusive Spymaster Misty seemed to have. She would miss her beauty sleep too much. But since discovering this new life, after her Councilor and personal savior Nat finally snapped and took her out to meet at Van’s Smithy a few months ago, she started to understand the appeal.
“Ooooooh close!” Van praised, a soft smile on their lips, hands together in a single clap. If Jackie had to describe Van Palmer, it would be that they were the Heart. Always full of quick-witted humor and snarky to a fault sometimes, but always ready to lend a helping hand. No matter if it was through supportive words or a firm smack to the back, they were always there. It was no wonder that they were so close to Nat, a pair no one would expect to get along on first glance until you realized they both were truly the shining stars of the kingdom. That is, if you were willing to overlook the unnecessary and grandiose praise of the royal family and their powers.
Jackie fell onto the stone bench against the brick wall to the side. He rubbed water and a towel over his injuries and sighed. He was nothing but a perfectionist and this project…well to him, it was more important than anything else in the realm. “It’s really not. It’s supposed to be a heart,”
“Practice makes perfect, JT!” Van chuckled, walking over and taking a seat next to him. They pulled him into a side hug that Jackie sunk into. “And yknow…an oval is…close!”
A beat.
“Alright, let’s not lie to the poor guy,” said one Nat Scatorccio, Jackie’s personal councilor. He twirled the bronze daggers previously set aside on the weapon’s rack, paying attention to the way they spun in the air before expertly catching them. He didn’t look at Jackie but he didn’t need to. They always were good at reading each other’s thoughts - a feat required as they were together daily. After all, he only got his position after dealing with a bratty princess and his own self-consciousness for many, many years. “It looks like shit.”
“Wowza Nat thanks, glad I can always rely on you.”
“It’s what I’m here for!” Nat laughed before standing up and walking closer to the others. He had a soft smile on his face that only those who had worked to bring his walls down would recognize. “But seriously Jack, I don’t think you get it. You could kill a man and hide the body and Shauna would still look at you like you were the rarest jewel in the kingdom. She loves you.”
“I know Nat!” Jackie whined, throwing her head back in frustration.
“I know,” her voice went softer, nearly a whisper, and she closed her eyes.
Love was something Jackie Taylor cherished above all else. She knew love – not by her parents, no never the royal family, but from those around her. It kept her strong, kept her going, and was the reason she was known as the radiance of the kingdom.
For her, love felt different with everyone. With Van and Nat, love felt like sea salt. It was something you had to earn and fight the roughness for, but would be rewarded with the sweetest satisfaction.
With Tai and Lottie and Laura Lee, love was like a softened silk, something so delicate, so precious, that not even the finest seamstress could ever truly understand its value and meaning.
And then there was the love for Shauna Shipman. And oh - how there were no words to describe that love – for sometimes it was consuming, like the waves of the ocean, threatening to drown Jackie in its energy. Sometimes that love felt like a Siren’s Song, where Jackie felt she would never be able to focus on anything but Shauna ever again. That she would throw away everything for her. But most of the time, the love that Jackie felt for Shauna was the warmth of an amber pendant. It was the warmth of the sun, the warmth of the fire of the forge even - it lay in her smiles, in her loyalty, in her strength. It lay in the way she teased, the way she fought, the way she taught. It lay in the stories they would tell as kids - Shauna describing what she heard in training before watching Jackie dramatically attempt to act it out. Love was something Jackie felt for all, yes, but she knew that no one held her heart in a deeper and more beautiful way than her very own personal guard, whom she would do anything for. She just wished things were different.
A calloused hand gripped her shoulder, and she looked up to see hazel eyes reflected back at her, shining with sympathy. “She’s gonna love it Jack, I promise.”
And Jackie couldn’t help but believe him. For no one showed more honesty, more care, the soft embers to her blazing fire – than Nat Scatorccio.
“Thank you, Nat.”
A clap of gloved hands brought them all back to the present as Van stood up with a huff. They stretched their arms out before giving a hearty thumbs up. “Eh, that’s the spirit JT! Now how about we keep going on this little project of yours, right?” They winked. “Wifey’s gonna love it, I promise.”
Jackie flushed, that fire rising to grace her cheeks in a sheepish red color. “VAN! She is not –we’re not–I mean not yet but–Nat?! A little help?!”
“Nah Princess, I don’t enter a battle I’m gonna lose. You’re on your own,”
“Don’t call me that!”
Their laughter resonated through the walls, filling the smithery with a joyful aura, known only to them. Motivated once more, Jack picked up his hammer the same way he used to pick up the pieces of himself and carried on.
—------- —------- —---------
The walls of the library were vast and large, always bringing comfort to Shauna. It was the place where rumors would say she went to forget her duty and lose herself in stories, but they were wrong. Her duty, her heart always belonged to Jackie and she would never forget that. She could never lose vice grip of their bond.
Nonetheless, the castle library was important. It was where she spent so many of her early days to tear into pages and dive into worlds. Sometimes the books spoke of “true” history, sometimes of heroics that she would memorize. Most times, however, the books would be taken back to the Princess’ room to share with her best friend and liege.
Shauna walked into the library and felt the air cool the sweat still dripping down her body after a rough spar with Taissa. The darkening stain from between her skin and binder always was uncomfortable, so she breathed a sigh of relief at some of that discomfort being lifted. Making her way past her normal sections, she briskly walked into the religion section. She never studied much in that section but she knew who would be there.
Turns out, it was good she came alone because as she walked through the aisle, she saw Lady Lottie pinned against the hardwood shelves by the one and only High Priestess Laura Lee. Neither seemed to be aware of her presence as they lost themselves in the moment. Rolling her eyes, she politely coughed into her hand, face tinged a light pink, even though this was a common situation for her to interrupt by accident.
“...Again, really?” she spoke, arms crossed as she watched the pair pull apart. They didn’t seem to be embarrassed in the slightest. “This is like the third time this week.”
“Oh c’mon Sir Shipman,” Lottie smirked, wiping her lips with her cloaked arm. “That’s not even that bad.”
“Lottie it’s Tuesday.”
“That’s…” Laura Lee smiled gently, clearly wanting to move this discussion along. “Anyways Shauna, what can we help you with?”
“Did you lose your Jackie again?” Lottie cut in, arm swung lazily around Laura Lee.
Shauna rolled her eyes. This was a game they all played. It was a running joke that JackieandShauna were one word together, even if they were so separated by status. To the commonfolk, they wouldn’t notice anything - thinking Shauna was only there by oath and honor, and were unaware that it was fully by choice.
Shauna knew what it was like to almost lose Jackie. She tried not to think of how she got her name - The Butcher - from her first blood spilled. It was after an assassination attempt on her princess that occurred right as she had snuck into Jackie’s room to hang out. They were only eleven. She had felt her knife slice into the assassin’s chest with a sickening quelch, and yet she felt no remorse, only fear; fear for not herself but for Jackie. She remembered how she clung so close to her best friend, their tears melded together as whispers of comfort and love and admiration were shared between them. They had to be physically wretched apart by the senior clerics to have their wounds checked. From that moment on, she swore never to let anything touch Jackie ever again. It was an oath sworn through two linked pinkies and the transfer of her heart necklace, a secret shared only by them. It was by pure coincidence that she would be offered an official position of Royal Bodyguard years later after the war. The same war that she survived only through a promise to return to Jackie, losing her innocence and taking lives aplenty in the process.
However, that is not the story for now - for now it is the fact that as much as Shauna hoped to never lose her grip on Jackie, she certainly seemed to be missing a lot. There was a constant twinge of jealousy in her heart that threatened to overwhelm her in a hurricane of emotions, wreaking havoc within. This often led to training dummies being mysteriously blundered to shreds in the middle of the night, only to be discovered by new recruits in the morning. Emotions aside, however, Shauna knew her place. At the end of the day, Jackie was her liege. She was Jackie’s bodyguard. That was all they could ever be.
To Shauna, the tragedy that was their love story was a well-kept secret, even within their inner circle besides Lottie and Nat. It was because of this fact that she learned to cope with the jabs, knowing they were lighthearted and full of love, even if sometimes she wished she could let loose on them. Just a bit.
As much as she felt that, however, Shauna always felt a close and loving bond with everyone - especially Lottie. Lot, who had given up immense power from her family to come here, who sparred with Shauna and always treated her as an equal. The first to truly speak of Shauna's consuming and devoted love, non judgemental through it all. Even during their brief fling they had in the past, they both were aware of their true loves all the while.
“Just…do you know where she is?” Shauna pinched the bridge of her nose and laid back against the bookshelf. She ran her fingers against the leather covers to ground herself. “Tai said to check with you, and it’s sounding like this is a wild goose chase.”
Lottie smiled. She was as fierce as she was understanding, sharing a nod with Laura Lee before speaking. “Check the Blacksmiths. I saw Nat walking there and if Jackie’s not with you, she’s probably with him.”
“Thanks, Lot,” Shauna smiled, before briskly turning and running out of the library, doing a sheepish wave of apology to the head librarian for the noise. All the while cursing herself because of course of all the places Jackie could’ve wound up, it was the goddamned Smithy .
—------ —------- —----------
Shauna had been to Van’s Smithy so many times – sometimes for weapons, sometimes to find a certain Taissa Turner, and many times it was to drag Nat or Jackie home after a long night. Honestly, it was more surprising to her that she didn’t think of checking their most-frequented site outside the castle first. Or that Jackie didn’t tell her. Jackie, who told Shauna everything.
What Shauna didn’t expect to find, of all possibilities, was Princess Jackie with thick gloves only seen on Van previously, tongue sticking out of his mouth in focus. Her hazel eyes were alit with passion, an orange tint reflecting on her face from the iron rivet melding together. It was unlike anything Shauna had ever seen before, and it unleashed something in herself that wasn’t that hurricane of jealousy or storm of love. No, this was new. It was a raging fire of lust. She licked her lips, throat dry.
“Jax?”
“Shauna?!” Jack yelped as he nearly threw the burning tools down in shock, barely caught by Van and Nat. The former quickly made sure no one was put in sudden danger by his stumble and the latter pinched the bridge of his nose, a quiet yet exasperated “Je-sus Christ,” heard under his breath.
Coming back to herself, Shauna’s brain fully processed the scene in front of her as she charged in past the doorway. She pushed Nat aside, almost knocking a green-wrapped box that Van swiftly picked up, and began checking Jackie for injuries. Calloused hands grazed all over, checking his palms for burns, his arms for gashes or cuts, before slowly cupping his cheek. Her thumb caressing against the soot lining his cheekbone, uncaring of the audience around them.
“S-Shauna?” Jackie floundered and Shauna couldn’t blame him. They never did this. It was often they almost crossed the imaginary line between them, but never so public, never in a place outside the safety of their own room (Jackie’s room to be specific but Shauna knew - and relished - that it was theirs). “What are you doing here?”
“What do you think, you dumbass,” she whispered, foreheads touching as the night turned silent. It was only them. “Looking for you. Jack, let’s go home,”
—--------- —----------- —------------
Jackie and Shauna walked in silence on the way home. After a long lecture from Sir Shipman to High Councillor Scatorccio about letting the literal princess to the kingdom roam around without telling his bodyguard.
“Why am I the only one being lectured?!” Nat had whined, throwing his hands in the air and motioning rapidly to Van and Jackie. They both sheepishly shrugged.
“I just live here,” Van smirked. They always had some bonus favor with Sir Shipman - especially when she was in overprotective mode. Personally, they were just happy no punches were being thrown this time.
The silence between them was comfortable. As they walked arm in arm, Jackie could let himself imagine they were just two ordinary people - courting freely like the world didn’t matter. It was something he had always dreamed of, a secret kept buried within his bones.
It wasn’t always comfortable silences with them. There were times where Jackie’s lack of self-awareness or her haughty upbringing came out unintentionally. There were times when Shauna was a little too violent, a little too possessive of something they both knew they couldn’t have entirely. But they had worked those out – the quite literal power dynamics, Shauna’s time as a war hero, Jackie’s need to be Jack sometimes. There were many hard conversations, many that were bitter and sharp, many that were full of insecurity but trust - but this was not one of them. This one was easy.
In fact, the only uncomfortable thing between them right now, Jackie noted, was the heavy weight of that green-laced box that Van had slipped into her pocket before they departed.
Before long, they had made it back into their familiar room - painted pink and green. It was something that Shauna had personally argued against years before, yet conveniently stopped once the Queen started calling it atrocious.
Spite was very attractive on Shauna, so Jackie certainly wasn’t complaining. Even if Shauna wasn’t as slick about it as she liked to pretend.
Instead of running to the bed she always insisted they shared, Jackie paused just past the entryway. He fiddled with his necklace, biting his lip in nerves as he watched Shauna check their room for any intrusions. This was a nightly routine they had developed since the assassination attempt so many years ago.
Seemingly noticing Jackie’s strange behavior after leaning down to check something from the dark oak desk against the wall, Shauna turned towards him. She slowly stood back up, tilting her head in confusion. “Jax?”
“I um–” Jackie began, swallowing slowly, almost cringing at the Nat and Van in her head mocking her for her hesitance. “Sir Shauna…”
Shauna quirked an eyebrow before walking closer, gently placing calloused hands on Jackie’s shoulders. She always seemed to be aware of when Jackie needed to be touched. She always seemed to be aware of Jackie’s everything, after all.
“ Sir Shauna, really?” she smirked, a quirk to her smile as she let her thumb run across Jackie’s shoulders and arms. “Jackie, what’s going on? You haven’t called me that in here since we were kids,”
“Do you remember the assassination attempt?” Jackie blurted out instead, cringing as it came out. That wasn’t how she wanted to start this conversation.
Shauna paused, but didn’t remove her hands from Jackie’s body, although Jackie could tell her body was tense. It wasn’t exactly a good memory. “Of course I do Jackie – you know I could never forget, I’m so–what’s going on, really?”
“You gave me your heart necklace,”
“...I did, yes,”
Jackie took a deep breath. The golden heart necklace, a gift from Shauna’s grandmother that was passed down in her family for years. One of the only personal belongings Shauna had with her when she joined as a knight recruit so many years ago, besides her journal, quill pen, and a few books. It was something special, truly special and Shauna had given it to her - for protection, Shauna had said back then. Jackie still remembered the tremor in her voice and the shaking of her hands, the way Jackie had felt for the first time that she knew what unconditional love was.
Jack reached into his pocket, pulling out the box and clumsily handing it to Shauna, nearly smacking her in the process. His eyes widened. “Sorry! I mean–just–it’s supposed to be…for you,”
His eyes would not meet Shauna. Instead he seemed to be very interested in the wooden floor beneath them as he listened for the rustling of fabric as the package was opened, followed by Shauna’s gasp.
“Jax, this is–”
He looked up. Shauna’s big brown eyes were wide, glinting with tears of emotion as she held out a golden necklace. The chain was barely long enough, and while the vision was clear, the curves of the heart were more jagged, barely put together. A true novice’s work. It looked more like one of the sigils you’d see in the head alchemist labs than a heart, but she was still holding it. She hadn’t tossed it in disgust.
“It’s a heart! For you!” Jackie forced out, feeling her mind beginning to spiral. She could do this. “You gave me your heart once. And I’m giving mine to you.”
“I know–there’s a lot like– I’m a princess and I don’t want to be. I go by Jack, you know that, but at the blacksmith I wanted…to learn, but I wanted to make it for you because you’re–you’re you, and you matter.” She forced herself to be brave, though she could hear the racing of her heart as she pushed against every boundary they kept. She knew she was breaking through every invisible wall they had formed over the years. “You matter so much it’s like nothing else does. You’re my best friend but you’re so much more. You’re– fuck –you’re you, the most handsome person I’ve ever met, the voice of an angel, the warming soul full of love and—you’re Shauna and the most important person in my life and, fuck–this isn’t how this was supposed to go but we’re here, and you haven’t uh, walked out, but you could! If you wanted! And–”
Shauna kissed her.
Shauna was kissing her.
Shauna was kissing Jackie.
Jackie had imagined this so many times (nearly every day of her life, but who’s keeping track), and in her mind, the kiss was always desperate. It was always full of passion and maybe anger, maybe love, but always intense.
This was not that.
It was warm.
It was soft.
And the world slowed down.
Their chapped lips touched. Battle-worn hands cupping her cheek again, Jackie let Shauna lead as they kissed again and again. They both smiled into it, giggling when they smacked noses before going back for more.
It was perfect.
It was her dream. Her everything. Nothing mattered but Shauna.
Finally, Shauna pulled away, her eyes shining with tears and Jackie knew her own face was matching. All happy tears and pink blushes and wide smiles, known to no one but them.
"Hi," Jackie said, voice in a dreamy drawl like she couldn't fully believe this was happening.
“Jax,” Shauna said, pulling him in to touch foreheads once more. “I love you. I’ve loved you since we were kids. You are everything to me. Everything. I’m never not thinking of you, ever. Why do you think I gave you that necklace in the first place? My heart’s been yours since.”
Giggles burst through the room as they nearly fell on top of each other, Jackie nuzzling himself into Shauna’s shoulder, absolute elation in every part of his body.
They had so much to discuss. So much to talk about.
Jackie was the Princess. Shauna was her personal guard.
It was complicated. It was a lot.
And yet.
It was all they needed.