Chapter Text
Alidiya, the peaceful land ruled by the great ruler of the sun. Each day feels like a day of happiness, until Phantasma, also known as the great dragon that has been sleeping for over decades, has woken up and disturbed the peace of the cheerful land. Its lair wasn't far away from the kingdom, so every morning the people of Alidiya would wake up to terrible noises and screams, echoing in the near distance.
Everyone from the grand castle has been stressed out for days, but finally the king has decided to attack first. His decision ending horribly, his most trusted knights dying along.
The king rushed and hastily announced that the person who manages to defeat Nightmare will be rewarded with his daughter's hand in marriage, his dear Sua. It was already time for her to get married so this would be just right for her!
Sua wasn't just any princess, she was the beauty of the whole region, everyone knew about her. She was a delicate and kind soul, everyone adored her. Even though she had a loving soul, she was the utmost pickiest person when it came to choosing a future spouse. Her dad cherished her dearly and would've liked it if her daughter wouldn't have to go through an arranged marriage, but it has gotten too far and he needed to take some drastic measures. She was already of age and needed to take over the kingdom at some point.
Whenever she took part in the balls arranged by her father, none of the princes there interested her. They were all too lousy and annoying for her taste. After all, she already had her mind set on someone, but she started losing hope for her first love because of their status differences, being torn apart from a young age.
The announcement has already been circulating all over the region, lots of knights already beginning to strike towards the dangerous dragon. All knights of the Alidiya force have been preparing to charge and defeat Phantasma.
Mizi, the strong and fearless knight of the Alidiya force, has also begun to get ready for the big fight. She has been preparing alongside Hyuna, her commander, and her other colleagues. The moment she saw the announcement she knew exactly what she's been preparing for her entire life.
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A bunch of different princes and knights have tried to defeat the dragon, but none of them managed to succeed, they ended up either injured or dead.
The king has tried to voice out his care and protection he has for the kingdom, but what the citizens did not know is that the dragon, even though it hasn't left its lair because of his weakness, might get out soon after strengthening itself.
For the past few days only loud yelling has been heard echoing from the cave of Phantasma. The Alidiya forces are being careful and calculating precisely when it'll be time to head for the big strike.
Mizi spent her days on the training grounds day and night, causing worry for the other knights, but Hyuna assured them they should just mind their business.
“Mizi, im not telling you this as your commander, but as your friend. Please take a break, ive even prepared some food. I'm worried about you and I'm sure your beloved wouldn’t like to see you in this state.” Hyuna came by Mizi, being worried she hasn't taken a proper break. Mizi was always trying her best to train as hard as possible, but this time it had gone far too much.
Mizi ignored her and continued with her routine. She was focused on her one and only goal: to prove she is worthy of Sua. They haven't met eyes since Sua’s debut ball from 4 years ago, the first but also last time Mizi ever got to guard the ball Sua attended to. All she looked at was her one and only true love. Memories flooding her mind, almost tearing up on the spot, but she needed to hold it in. She watched Sua with a carefree expression, hiding her sadness.
She misses her face, but now wasn't the time to think of what she missed, she needed to brace herself for what she'll have to go through. It still angers her the day her father tore them apart. She was fighting to prove she's not just a mere foolish knight, she wanted to justify she was the one who truly deserves Sua, the one who truly loves her.
“Mizi, I will shove this food right in your face if you don't respond to me this instant! This is a direct order.” Hyuna yelled at Mizi. It was unbelievable how far she'd go ignoring her very own commander, let alone her caring friend.
“I appreciate it a lot, but as you can see I'm busy at the moment. Let's dine later, I'm not done with my warmup routine yet.” stated Mizi, panting.
Hyuna rolled her eyes, put the food aside and gripped Mizi’s arm. She forced her to stand straight and held her hand up. “Are you perhaps deaf? Listen to me already! You always do whatever you want and never listen to others when they're clearly only trying to help you”, Hyuna yelled.
“Agh, don't grab my wrist so tight! You're seriously gonna cut it off with how strong you're gripping me”, Mizi shouted annoyed.
Hyuna let Mizi’s wrist go as she massaged her temples in irritation. “Get a grip, Mizi.”
“Gee, sorry for troubling you, commander. Maybe also pay attention to yourself, I can take very good care of my own being, thank you very much!” Mizi spoke angrily.
“I'm sure you can, but during this time, I'm begging you, please think of yourself more. I know you want to prove yourself but with accomplishing your duties you must also face taking care of your mind and body.” Hyuna explained gently. She was always worrying about Mizi’s health and wished for her to be well off, without any problems.
“I'll try..” mumbled the so-called fearless knight. She took the sandwich Hyuna put aside and began to eat.
“There you go.. Eat this and take a break, you'll have more energy later to train, so don't worry.” Hyuna reassured Mizi.
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“Father, I've told you multiple times alrea–” Sua stated, but got cut off by the king.
“Sua, my dear, I'm sure you're gonna be just fine! Don't you realise you're already 23 with no lover? This is something I've been very concerned about. I only wish the best for you, my lovely daughter.” clarified Sua’s father. He never had any bad intentions, he's always been worried for his oldest.
“B-but you never even talked with me about your senseless announcement! You've never once checked it over with me. It's as if you don't care who I'll be married off to!” Sua whined sad and in disbelief.
“It’s as if you weren't aware of the situation you're in! Calm down, Sua dear, I'm sure that the one who'll be able to defeat a whole dragon will definitely be worthy of you.” His Grace comforted his daughter.
“You didn't even try understanding my concern! I wish to be alone right now, we’ll discuss this matter later, maybe until then you'll actually understand what I've always been trying to tell you.” Sua stormed off furiously. She made her way to her brother's room, Ivan.
After climbing all the steps to her brother's bed chamber, Sua finally got to her destined room, the only place she could actually be at least a bit more understood. She knocked on the door, but suddenly there was a loud thud coming from inside.
After a few seconds, Ivan opened the door rapidly. He looked all damp and kept panting. “O-oh, Sua! It's you, my adored big sister.. Haha..! Um, c-come inside..” Ivan spoke uncertainly.
Sua had a confused look on her, until she saw who was also accompanying his Highness.. Till, his very own guard.
“Good afternoon, Till. Hope I didn't disturb you or anything, since that wasn't my intention at all.” Sua bowed softly.
Till almost tripped right in front of Sua but managed to keep himself standing and bowed respectfully before her. “Good afternoon, your Highness! I apologise for the inconvenience I've done, I’ll be on my wa–” Till explained himself swiftly, only to be cut off by Sua’s laughter.
“Don’t be a fool, Till. You've done nothing wrong. I've only passed by to check up on my dear brother. Now, I'll be excusing myself to not further bother you with my presence.” Sua bowed again and turned to the door.
“Wait, don't go.” Ivan stopped her, noticing something was off. “Dont worry about coming over, you're always welcome here. Something is on your mind, isn't it big sister?”
Sua sighed and turned to the two curious boys. She had a sad gaze cast upon her face, ready to bawl out every tear she's been keeping hidden. “You know me too well.. It's about father.”
Till sat on the edge of Ivan’s bed as Ivan directed Sua to sit by the window in a comfortable chair. Both men were worried about Sua and wished to help her. “There, sit and calm down before you reveal what's been on your mind.” Ivan spoke softly as he sat next to Till on the bed, both facing the princess.
“You see, I'm sure you two are well aware of the statement my dad voiced out, right?” Sua sighed.
“Yes, your Majesty. It's awful news, completely unfair!” Till answered completely swept away by his dramatic fanatics. Ivan smacked him on the head. “Yes, we are well aware of father’s notice.” Ivan spoke calmly.
“It's just that I could never let myself love anyone else.. I just cant even think about anyone else other than her.. “ Sua voiced out a bit dazed, almost as if she were about to cry. “Gosh, what am I even mumbling about? Don't you worry boys, I'll be just fine.” Sua smiled at the two.
“We are.. Immensely sorry to hear that, big sister. If you ever need us, make sure to tell us, we'll always be by your side.” Ivan comforted his sister.
“I truly am the luckiest to have such trustworthy people I can depend on. Thank you, Ivan, Till.” Sua smiled with tears in her eyes and stood up to hug them both.
They clasped their arms around each other. Shortly after Sua retreated and wiped her tears away.
“Then I'll be on my way, see you later boys, be careful not to get caught!” Sua chuckled and left, Ivan and Till becoming flustered from Sua’s remark.
“W-we’re not that obvious, r-right?” began Till to worry, red as a tomato.
“Dont be silly! No one would ever even notice us.” Ivan tried to be convincing, even though probably all his servants already knew but chose to ignore and let them be..
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It was already evening. The sun was ready to go, beginning its slumber as the crickets began their fanfare.
Mizi skipped her dinner and was already preparing to go to bed, even though she wouldn't end up sleeping until far later.
As she was heading to bed, Hyuna came into her room, worried as always, but acted freakingly calmer than usual.
“Mizi, I brought you some food, eat this” Hyuna spoke softly, putting the plate on Mizi’s bedtable.
Mizi stood up and began eating a bit, finishing fast what she's been given. “Thank you, Hyuna.. I really appreciate it but you don't have to worry so much, I'm doing just fine if I skip a meal or two.” Mizi reassured her friend with a faint smile on her face.
“Its just that in times like this you need someone to look out for you. I know you'll be fine, you're no weak being.” Hyuna spoke. She has been with Mizi for a long time, so it was only natural to care about her. They've always been there for each other during difficult times
“Alright, I'll leave you to it. Don't strain yourself too much, I wish you a pleasant sleep.” Hyuna stated, looking back one more time smiling before leaving and closing the door behind her. Mizi tucked herself in and blew out the remaining candles that were lighting the room.
There wasn't much time left until she'd go and fight Phantasma along with the other knights. It was all she could think about. Her mind was flooded with the thought of succeeding and being rewarded with the king's daughter. All she's ever wanted was to escape her boring monotonous life and live by the seaside with her beloved. All she could dream of was her one and only Sua, the one she's been yearning for since they met. All she could ever think about was the peaceful days where they played and statuses weren't even something they knew about.
Right before sleeping, a certain memory filled her mind. It was the time where Sua got hurt because she tripped on a rock, but her nanny blamed it on Mizi, although she had nothing to do with it. They were running outside in the warm sunlight, but all of a sudden Sua tripped and fell, scraping both her knees and palms. Mizi hurried to her friend, calming her cries and picked her up, only to be pushed by Sua’s nanny.
“You imbecile! Do you know what you've just done?! Never show your face here again or else I will tell the king himself what you've been up to!” the nanny shouted. Mizi was in a state of shock, not understanding what she could have done wrong. Sua was held by the nanny, crying and trying to explain it wasn't Mizi’s fault, but the nanny couldn't care less.
Only a few hours later, at midnight, came Mizi at Sua’s window, her room being located on the ground floor. Mizi knocked lightly and apologised to Sua, who waited for Mizi’s arrival.
“You don't need to be sorry, I should be the one apologising. My new nanny is awful, I'm truly sorry for what happened. Are you okay? You also fell earlier.” Sua whispered, hoping not to get caught.
“Im alright, i hope your wounds will heal as soon as possible! Let's be more careful and hide our interactions. You know.. I also sneaked out just to come here. My guardian wouldn't like me being here. But don't worry, I'll also come by tomorrow at this time.” Mizi whispered back, smiling as if nothing truly bad happened. The next day both of them got caught talking in the middle of the night and the king decided to take some measures, they only met again after a few weeks when Sua’s father went on his trip to the east.
Mizi was happy with the moments she spent with Sua, wishing she'd see her again. Soon enough, Mizi fell asleep
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As days went by, Phantasma was still in its lair, being attacked by all sorts of knights from different kingdoms. It whined and cried, soon enough eating the ones who'd dare disturb him.
The people of Alidiya have gotten used to the loud screeching and vital noises the dragon was producing. They went on with their day, being assured by the king himself they wont get hurt and that they will be protected by the knights of the Alidiya force. It won't take long until the knights are ready to attack. Unlike the others who have prepared for an aggressive launch, they had something else in mind.
Sua laid peacefully in her room, reading a romance book. It reminded her of Mizi. She missed her a lot.. It became unbearable. She was lost in thought, until she snapped right back to reality the moment she heard knocking on her door. It was one of her housemaids.
“May I come in, your Highness?” asked the women. It wasn't usual to come all of a sudden in the princesses room while she was there.
“Yes, you may”, answered Sua accordingly, standing up to see what news she'll be greeted by.
The maid opened the door letting herself in and bowed. “The king wished to see you, your Highness. He's in the dining hall waiting for you.”
How unexpected.. “Thank you, Bianca. I'll be on my way.” Sua spoke, hurrying towards the dining hall. It surely didn't sound like good news to her.
As she arrived in the dining hall, her father was seated at one end of the table, inviting his daughter to sit at the other end. It wasn't a very long table, but Sua could have felt the distance far too well.
“Good afternoon, Sua. I've called you here to talk about some matters with you and to apologise for the talk we had last time. I finally realised what I had done wrong, I'm deeply sorry.” unexpectedly, Sua’s father actually apologized to her, which made this whole meeting even more suspicious, but she decided to tag along with it.
“I forgive you, father. What is the topic you'd like to discuss?” Sua asked, even though she could have sensed what her father wanted to talk about.
“You see, I've come to understand you wouldn't like a strong and powerful knight as your spouse, so I've found someone better for you.” stated the king.
Sua was at a loss of words yet again. What could this even mean? “Excuse me? I thought we were over this arranged marriage thing. What do you have up your sleeve this time father?” Sua already felt her blood boiling.
“Now, don't you worry dear, this is an alternative plan if no knight will end up defeating Phantasma. I'm offering you choices, aren't you happy?” said the father smiling.
Choices? This was already enough. Sua didn't want to have choices, she wanted to have freedom. She wanted to be able to make her own choices.
“Oh, so now that you've given me multiple choice variations that means I should be happy? I should just give up my expectations from you, father. You wouldn't understand, since you genuinely loved my mother.” Sua uttered yet again in disbelief.
“Now Sua, don't be rude to your father. I'm being very considerate right now, as you know. Do not mention your mother in talks such as these, may the gods of this region rest her soul.” Sua’s father voiced. “Im trying my best to give you the best possible living, can’t you accept this one thing im doing for you? You've already proven to me you won't be falling in love with anyone pretty soon so just let me help you. Someone has to carry on this family's legacy, and you're well aware your brother is incapable of doing so, fooling around with god knows who..”
Sua was furious.. Yet again! “Help? You want to help me? With finding a spouse? Father, you're well aware I am qualified enough to find someone for myself, I don't need your assistance.”
“Dont worry honey, ive found someone just right for you. Now dont worry if you dont want to be with this man, he'll come in handy only if there won't be anyone defeating that idiotic dragon. As mentioned earlier, I have multiple choices for my sweet loving daughter.” assured the king.
Sua sighed, trying to calm herself down from all the nonsense she'd just heard. “I guess there's no point in convincing you otherwise, father. Who is this man you're talking about anyways?”
“I'm glad you're asking! He's the 4th oldest of the Frederick family, a bit older than you. His name is Luka and he's quite the looker! You'll love him surely.” Sua’s father answered.
Luka? What a basic name. How old is he? Older than Sua? She already hates him, she doesn't want to know more. “Dont bring up this Luka prince ever again, ill be fine just without him.”
“Oh, I'm afraid that'll be a problem.. We're having a dinner feast tomorrow with his parents. Don't worry, I didn't insist, only invited them to get to know them better. They are a very influential family, as you may or may not know.” the king spoke.
This was already more than enough. Sua didn't answer and excused herself back to her dormitory. As she arrived she went under her bedsheets covering herself up and started crying.
She was very upset from the fact she wasn't even announced of this ‘Luka’ prince. She didn't care about him. All she ever wished for was a peaceful life with Mizi. She dreamed about the day seeing Mizi again. She wasn't even sure enough if she was still on the training fields or far away from this region. It annoyed her how the Alidiya force training center wasn't even remotely close to the grand castle. Why wouldn’t it be next to the castle if it's the king's knights? Sua never got to understand that. She couldn't understand a lot of things actually. Her father hid too much information from her, thinking it'd be better for her. He hoped his one and only daughter would remain the innocent little girl he once knew.
‘Innocence’. What even means that? Sua’s father must think her daughter is the purest of them all, but even he doesn't know the lies Sua has told. Sua has always tried to be a trustworthy and respected person in front of everyone: her father, the civilians of Alidiya and everyone who has ever looked up to her.
The day Sua made her debut into the royal family, at 19 years old, was the day her so called ‘innocence’ was taken away from her. The day she lied to her father about her doings after the debut party. She told her father she'd go early to sleep, because she felt tired, but little did he know, she was off with Mizi. The party went on, as if it wasn't even dedicated to Sua. Everyone enjoyed themselves with lots to drink and lots to laugh about, as Sua and Mizi drifted off to Sua’s bedchamber. All maids and servants were assisting at the party, no one being able to disturb them.
It was already past midnight, the room's only light source being the moon's glimmer. The moments they shared together felt as if they were from a dream. The night was young and full of love. The girls kissed each other, Mizi giving Sua occasional pecks all over her face. As she kissed her cheeks softly, she went a bit lower and bit her neck. Sua whined delighted. Mizi undid Sua’s dress and took most of her outfit off, leaving her in her lingerie. She then also took her own clothes off and tossed them aside. They looked each other in the eyes. Mizi suddenly embraced Sua and hugged her tightly. She was scared of the upcoming morning, she didn't want to leave her side. Sua backed Mizi lightly, assuring her it'll be ok, not knowing they'll be separated in just a few hours.
Mizi couldn't stop admiring Sua’s beauty. She couldn't believe that what was happening was real. This was their first and last night spending their love together. Mizi was a bit afraid not to hurt Sua, but she nevertheless didn't mind anything.
Mizi was on top of Sua, kissing her entire neck while taking Sua’s bra off. She kissed her entire chest and upper body. She kissed her chest and then her stomach until she got to her lingerie, which she also took off. She began forming a trail of kisses from her stomach to her clit. Sua was flustered and held Mizi’s head with her hand and covered her mouth with the other, not wanting to expose her improper moans.
Mizi began kissing her lower, some of Sua’s whines slipping out. Mizi asked Sua to remove her hand from her mouth, Sua obeyed her beloved's words. Mizi wanted to hear Sua enjoying herself.
It was a night spent with true love. Sua has never experienced such considerate and loving devotion. She never wished to experience such intimate moments with anyone other than Mizi.
After much kissing, enjoyment and words of love, they both fell asleep in each other's arms. If only Sua could've frozen time and sit like that forever.. As the sun came up, Mizi had to get going. It would have become a scandal if the king knew about this, she did not wish to tarnish Sua’s reputation. As she put her own clothes back on and was ready to leave out the window, a hand clasped her palm. Sua has also woken up, already beginning to tear up.
“Dont worry, your Highness, we'll get to meet each other soon enough.” Mizi spoke softly, taking Sua’s chin and kissing her lightly on the lips.
“Y-you promise? Please be careful.. I'll be waiting for you.” Sua mumbled as she was drying her tears with her hand.
Mizi left, promising they'll see each other, but she never came back. Sua was scared back then, thinking she'd been punished, but heard 2 years after that, that Mizi had been promoted to work alongside the commander of the Alidiya forces herself. After hearing about that little information about her beloved, she hadn't heard anything else besides that. She trusted Mizi, she knew they'll meet each other soon enough, 4 years after her debut into the royal world.
Eventually, Sua cried herself to sleep, dreaming of Mizi as always.