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The palace rang with celebration when the betrothal was announced. Princess Jackie, the jewel of her kingdom, was promised to Prince Jeff. Everyone praised the match. A union of two great kingdoms, a political alliance that would secure peace and prosperity. The prince was described as “handsome” and “refined” by every lady in waiting who’d glimpsed at him, though Jackie found him about as exciting as a damp sponge.
He was polite yes, proper yes, but the conversations she often had with him were always about trade routes, tariffs and the superiority of his kingdom compared to hers. Jackie found her eyes glazing over within minutes.
Natalie Scatorccio, however, was another matter entirely. She was the newly appointed captain of the king’s royal guard. Being captain meant she was basically Jackie’s guard dog or so the other knights call her. Natalie was the subject of all the court’s whispers. They always said she was too young for her rank, too fierce for her station, and too blunt for polite company. She wore her armor like a second skin, and her sword looked so comfortable in her hand. Whenever she bowed to Jackie her movements were sharp and precise enough to cut.
Which was precisely why Jackie loved to test the knight’s patience just to see how far it went. She would often slip out of the palace after sunset, ducking behind curtains when she knew Natalie was patrolling the hallways. Jackie treated her protester like both a game and a challenge.
Tonight she was careless. Her footsteps were too loud and caused the floor below her to creak. It immediately caught Natalie’s attention causing the knight to turn around sharply.
“You’re meant to be in your room, your highness.” Natalie’s tone was stern but she didn’t look angry, only tired.
“You’re meant to keep me safe. Doesn’t that mean following me wherever I go?” Jackie argued back, figuring if she had a good argument she could break the knight down.
“It means keeping you inside the walls. You’re the future queen. What business do you have down in the village?” Natalie glared at her so coldly that it could’ve frozen a river. Jackie swallowed hard. This definitely wasn’t going to be easy.
“I just wish to see how they live. I want to be able to explore instead of staring at the same walls every single day.” Jackie smiled back at the knight, her eyes alight with mischief.
“My only wish is to keep you safe princess. If it were up to me I would let you roam wherever. Sadly it is the prince who ordered me to keep you inside. You must understand.” Natalie’s voice was quieter than usual as if she didn’t have a choice in the matter.
At the mention of the prince, Jackie’s future husband, the princess’s smile faltered.
“Right of course Jeff wants me safe.” Jackie was quick to find her smile again so the knight wouldn’t worry too much. What she didn’t say, not yet was that the thought of binding herself to a man she barely knew filled her with dread. Beneath her courtesy ran a quiet rebellion. Jackie Taylor, the perfect princess, didn’t want the prince.
“Would you like me to escort you back to your room, your highness?” Natalie offered after shutting down Jackie's attempts to explore.
“That's not necessary. I'm not tired yet. Would you join me in the library instead?” Jackie tried to coax the knight not ready to go to sleep just yet. The night was still young after all.
Natalie paused weighing her options. On one hand her only duty was to follow the princess and make sure she's safe, but on the other it was approaching midnight and she would surely get scolded if someone found out that the princess didn't sleep properly.
“Fine. I will accompany you but make it quick your highness. You do need to sleep at some point.” She finally caved with a sigh much to the excitement of the princess who practically squealed in excitement.
The doors of the royal library creaked as Jackie pushed the door open. Candles against the marble floor as she weaved through the numerous shelves. She leaned against one, keeping her voice low as she spoke.
“Do you know what they expect of me? To marry a man who makes me want to fall asleep at dinner?” Her gaze flicked up, searching Natalie’s expression as she vented her frustrations.
“Sometimes I think I'd rather run away.”
Natalie’s arms were crossed, but there was the faintest crack in her armor, almost as if the princess was her soft spot.
“With all do respect your highness, I think you would last three hours outside the walls before somebody robbed you blind.”
“Then you'll just have to come with me.” Jackie smiled faintly amused at seeing a crack in the walls the knight built up.
Natalie flinched at the princess's words. A muscle in her cheek twitched as she fought back a smile at the idea.
“Alright your highness, grab what you need. Off to bed with you.” She cleared her throat, the stern look on her face returning.
“You're no fun.” Jackie huffed as she grabbed a book from the shelf and brushed past Natalie, letting her sleeve graze her just to see if the captain would flinch. She didn’t. But the corner of her mouth did, barely.
——————————————————
Rumors of unrest soon rippled through the kingdom as the date of the ball to celebrate the princess's engagement drew closer. An attempted poisoning at the border, whispers of assassins hired to destabilize the alliance. In response, Natalie's shadow never left Jackie's side.
It was in this constant nearness that something began to shift.
Jackie was hoisted into the prince's orbit by day acting like his perfect bride to be, glowing in borrowed gold and jewels from his kingdom. When Jeff presented her with a necklace so heavy it felt like a chain around her neck, she smiled until her cheeks trembled. She found a moment when the prince was distracted to flee to her chamber tearing the necklace off as soon as she entered. Natalie was quick to follow in her footsteps concerned about the princess. When she entered she found Jackie sitting near the window, the necklace tucked in between her fist.
“Is something wrong your highness? I think the necklace is quite beautiful. It suits you.” Natalie spoke quietly, her tone careful as she took a seat next to the princess.
“I hate it.” Jackie whispered, pressing the necklace into Natalie’s palm. “I hate him. I'm so tired of pretending.”
Natalie should have scolded her, reminded her of her duties as future queen. Instead, she closed her fingers around the gold, her jaw tightening as if she hated him too. She kept her thoughts to herself.
The air between them grew charged, forbidden. Jackie’s longing slipped through the cracks in her smile. Natalie fought her instincts to remain stone.
“I'm so tired of being the helpless princess. The kingdom is in unrest. Threats draw closer and yet here I am sitting like a helpless damsel.” Jackie spoke up again, her tone sharp and annoyed.
“I want you to teach me to fight.”
“No.” Natalie was quick to refuse not wanting to put the princess in any danger whatsoever.
Jackie wasn't going to settle for the knight’s refusal. She was stubborn and determined for the captain to at least teach her the basics.
“Please.” She pleaded with Natalie.
“Your highness–” Natalie started to try and reason with Jackie but was quickly cut off by the princess.
“Jackie. Call me Jackie.”
Something in the knight’s posture faltered at that. She glanced at the door, the windows, the long dark run of the corridor as if the answer might be hidden there.
“Fine but if the queen asks. I will say I refused.”
Natalie took her outside to the royal garden, where the rose bushes grew so thick they swallowed sound. Where the moonlight would be their only guide.
The first session was a disaster.Jackie held the practice sword as if it would bite. She tripped over her own feet and swore under her breath. Natalie watched her from the side doing her best to hold back her laughter as she watched the princess.
“You're holding it wrong, your highness.” The knight came behind her hands closing over Jackie’s on the hilt, her chest a warm line along the princess's back.
“Here.” Natalie murmured, and the word shivered down Jackie's spine. The knight adjusted her grip on the sword, their fingers intertwined. She corrected her stance with one boot nudging the back of Jackie’s heel.
“And when you twist you want to do it with your waist not your wrist. Common mistake.” Natalie guided the princess before eventually stepping back letting Jackie try on her own with her corrections.
Jackie was surprised at herself, with the captain's corrections she was handling the sword with ease. Although part of her missed the way Natalie’s fingers brushed against hers just moments before.
“You're quite the teacher Natalie.” She complimented the knight who was watching her from the side proudly.
“Just Nat is fine. Natalie sounds too formal.” The knight corrected her as the princess did earlier that night.
Jackie lowered the sword for a moment to give Nat her full attention.
“I suppose our relationship has no need for formalities does it?”
That word made the knight freeze in place. Relationship. It was a dangerous word. She reminded herself that she couldn't get too attached to the princess. She was engaged to another.
Natalie cleared her throat, breaking the few moments of silence between them.
“I think we should end our lesson for today. It's growing rather late.” She silently urged Jackie to follow her back inside the castle.
Jackie reluctantly followed behind wondering what she did or said wrong. The knight’s demeanor shifted so suddenly that she wished she could get a peek into Nat's mind to hear what she was thinking. Instead she retreated back into her chamber for the night not wanting to pry and make the other uncomfortable.
——————————————————
The night of the engagement ball arrived faster than Jackie anticipated. The ballroom was decorated beautifully. Chandeliers aligned the ceilings sparkling above. Every emissary who mattered and hundreds who didn’t crowded the ballroom to witness the kingdom's happiness. Jackie wore her crown with great heaviness, but her smile never wavered. It felt like a mask. She glanced over to the prince who cleaned up quite well for the night. He looked handsome, almost straight out of a portrait. Try as she might, she couldn't find one attractive thing about him. There was only one person she truly wanted tonight.
She danced with her future husband to kick off the celebration. Everyone around them watched with smiles on their faces, happy for the couple. All except one. Jackie caught Nat's gaze from across the room, it felt like a hand closing around her ribs. The dance with Jeff felt like it lasted entirely too long. She was counting the seconds until it was over.
“Excuse me for a moment my love. I need some fresh air.” Jackie excused herself from Jeff the moment they dance was over and other people started crowding the ballroom floor.
“Don't take too long. I'll be waiting for you.” Jeff smiled at her letting her go but was already eager for her return.
Jackie pushed through the crowd of people snagging Natalie’s gauntlet wrist as she walked past. No one stopped them. Who would stop a princess with her captain at her heels? They slipped onto the balcony where the night air was fresh and the gardens below pulsed with fireflies.
Jackie went to the railing and gripped it until her knuckles turned white.
“I can't do this. I can't marry him. I don't even love him.” She whispered in a confession to the knight.
Natalie stood beside her listening to her quiet whispers.
“You can.” The knight’s eyes softened though her words remained steady and reassuring.
“Your duty is bigger than you. Bigger than what you want I'm afraid.”
“What if what I want is you?” Jackie turned to her, crown glistening under the starlight, her eyes had a fierceness behind them determined to get what she wanted.
The words cracked in the night. They hung between them, intense and fragile. Jackie wondered if she had just ruined things between them or finally said what they were both thinking.
Natalie's mouth parted. Jackie watched the war on her face as she struggled with a response. She was bound to her duty as a knight, but also felt a strange attachment to the princess.
“Your highness. You should go back inside.” When the knight finally spoke her words made Jackie flinch. They were back to formalities.
“Jackie.” The princess insisted on correcting the knight once again.
“Jackie.” It was almost a plea, the word in Nat’s mouth. “Don't do this.”
Just as Jackie was about to question the knight and arrow whizzed past Jackie's ear and hit the stone pillar beside them. There was a heartbeat of silence, then the garden erupted below them. Masked figures flowed from the hedges and their shouts surged up the walls. Natalie moved before Jackie registered the sound, the captain's sword already in hand and prepared for a fight.
“Down.” The knight snapped and shoved Jackie down behind her, guarding her.
“Guards!” Someone cried from the far end of the balcony. Steel scraped stone. Another arrow flew, this one landing just above Natalie’s head so close that Jackie felt the wind of it. Nat didn’t make a sound. She didn’t have time to.
The first assassin came over the balcony with the easy grace of a cat, dagger held low. Natalie met him with the clang of metal as her sword clashed with his dagger. The second reached for Jackie, hand closing around the silk of her dress. The princess tore herself free, snatching the fallen dagger from the first assassin and slashed blindly at her attacker. It caught flesh. The man cried out in pain and staggered backwards. Jackie gasped, surprised that she landed the blow. She pivoted and raised the dagger again landing a final blow on the man.
“Go! What are you doing?” Nat shouted as she pulled her sword from the assassin she just killed.
“I won’t. I want to fight beside you.” The words were a shock coming out of Jackie’s mouth. She should have been the girl who hid. She couldn’t leave Nat out here alone even as fear rushed through her. She stayed with the knight, not skilled, not brave, only stubborn, only unwilling to leave her.
The fight was ugly. It was never like the stories Jackie was told when she was younger. There were no elegant duels, only grunted breathing and the stink of sweat and blood. Natalie cut down a man twice her size and staggered when another blade found her arm. Jackie panicked at the sight of Nat being stabbed. Before she could check on her, another assassin reached for her. She drove the dagger forwards exactly as Nat had shown her, not with her wrist but with her waist.
Just as quickly as the fight started, it was over. The balcony was a wreck of dropped weapons, blood, and bodies. The fireflies below them shine their lights as if nothing had happened.
Jackie’s heart lunged in her chest. The reality of everything hitting her all at once. Her hands were shaking so hard she could barely keep hold of the dagger. She forced herself to open her fingers. The blade thudded to the stone.
Natalie stood swaying, one palm clamped around the wound on her arm. Blood had darkened the cloth under her armor. For a second the knight and the princess just stared at each other, the space between them heavy with everything that had been interrupted.
“Come.” Jackie rushed over to the knight’s side, panic filling her voice. “Come with me.”
She didn’t shout for servants. She didn’t call for the queen or king to get a doctor. Jackie took Nat herself and led her through a side door into the corridor to her chamber. She turned the lock behind them making sure they were alone.
“You're bleeding Nat. Let me clean you up.” Jackie kneeled in front of her with a bowl of water, a cloth, and bandages.
“Just a scratch. I'm fine.” The knight tried to reassure her but her voice cracked from the pain.
“You're not fine. You're as pale as a ghost.” Jackie was already pulling the bowl of water towards them, dipping the cloth into it. She got a good look at the wound now. It was bleeding fast, thankfully the gash wasn't that deep. Jackie’s fingers trembled as she reached for the cloth to clean the wound. Natalie winced when the princess pressed the cloth against the wound. Jackie murmured a sheepish apology in response, moving the cloth much more gently now.
Silence spread between them as Jackie continued to clean the wound. She wrapped the bandage tight around the wound once it was clean, pressing her palm over it to stop the last of the bleeding.
“I hate this.” Jackie was the one to finally break the silence. Her voice was quiet as if someone was listening to their private moment. “I am supposed to marry a man I can't even stand when the only person I want is right in front of me.”
Natalie flinched at the reminder of the conversation they were having earlier before the fight broke out.
“You don't understand what you're saying. If anyone knew, it would mean ruin. For you. For me.”
“I understand.” The princess lifted her head meeting the knight’s gaze.
“And I still choose you.”
“Jackie.” Nat's voice broke on her name. She reached up, her fingers closed around Jackie’s wrist where her pulse fluttered.
“If they knew…”
“They don't.” Jackie leaned forward, her face inches away from the knight’s. She could see the fear behind Nat's eyes. She was holding herself back.
“This will be our secret. Just for us.”
She tilted Nat's chin up with gentle fingers. She meant to be clever, to say something to find humor in the moment but the words got caught in her throat. Instead, she found herself closing the distance between them and kissing the knight.
For a beat, Nat froze. Her fingers tightened around Jackie's wrist, not rejecting, not accepting, only holding her in place to make sure this was real. Whatever she built inside her. Duty, fear, discipline cracked down the middle. Her walls had crumbled. She finally let herself surrender and pulled Jackie closer.
It was a terrible idea, but it felt inevitable. It was like all the plans the king and queen had made for Jackie shattered with one simple kiss. They didn't speak for a while after pulling away. This should feel like a sin. Like something wrong, but everything in Jackie was screaming in her head that it was so right.
Nat closed her eyes and inhaled. When she opened them again she made a decision. Somehow they could be happy.
“We have to be careful. You must marry the prince. I hate the idea but if loving you in the shadows keeps both of us alive then so be it.”
Jackie’s throat tightened. “We?”
“We.” Natalie promised almost like a vow, reaching for the princess's hand and intertwining their fingers.
They fell quiet then, because quiet was a luxury and they had it, for a breath. Beyond the door, bells rang again, in a jubilant clamor that made the glass hum beside them. Victory, safety, the betrothal that would secure peace. The story the palace needed to hear.
Inside, in secret, two women sat with their fingers threaded and chose something else entirely.