Chereads / The Throne of Thorns / Chapter 2 - Budding Warmth

Chapter 2 - Budding Warmth

Spring

The sun is high, soft white clouds swirling in the bright blue expanse of sky. The weather is unseasonably clear. You were expecting rain. Instead, your senses are flooded with the welcoming, salty spray of the sea. You didn't realize how much you missed it, and the sensation feels like a warm embrace from the Cultivator, beckoning you home.

A lone carriage jostles along the Pearl Boulevard, the potted flowers that line the cobbled street standing up taller in its wake. Common folk part the way easily, craning their necks while children point unabashedly. Excited shouts and squeals erupt from the crowd. It's more than the usual murmur of activity, and the general sentiment is clear:

The Princess of Yuueii has returned!

You poke your head out from the curtained window and flash a winning smile, waving at passersby. These past five years of pure, unadulterated freedom in the Infyrm Jungle have been deeply satisfying, but you must admit that it feels so good to be back in your old stomping grounds.

You're jittery with anxious energy by the time your ride pulls up to the castle. A stable boy comes up to cater to the horses as you disembark. The fresh faced lad brings an easy grin to your lips as you step out of the carriage and into the daylight.

There's little fanfare; no criers announcing your arrival or commoners gathered for the sole purpose of cheering your name— and for that much you are grateful. After all, you never were a fan of those empty, vain gestures. With an inconsequential focus of arborturgy, a vine snatches your bag from the porter and tosses it through the open balcony doors high into your chambers. There is a resounding crash, but your grin shines even brighter. That should announce your arrival to anyone waiting well enough.

No one is there to greet you other than a couple of guards posted outside the palace doors that you don't recognize. The pair of armed footmen hold their chins higher at your sudden appearance, posturing stiffly as you glide through the entrance. You look around with a giddy and almost childlike elation, however the foyer is unusually empty. The air in the castle feels tense, and it isn't until you stroll into the main entrance hall that you are able to see why.

Sweating servants scurry about in a hurried frenzy while a certain green haired Knight mumbles over a scroll of parchment, yapping orders from time to time like an agitated pup. Reading his words in the many letters he's composed over the years is nothing compared to the melodic sound of his voice, as though carefully hand delivered by the goddess herself. It makes you stand up straighter yet weak at the knees, all at once. Your eyes widen instinctively at the sight of him.

His back is broader than you recall, especially when covered in that shining steel armor, but you could never forget those distinct forest curls. His hair is longer and shaggier, just shy of being unkempt— no doubt from running his hands through it. A stress induced habit that the young man has apparently not grown out of. Again he speaks, and with another magnetic pull you draw closer, hanging onto his every word.

"No, I said to put the ice sculpture over there ," the Knight redirects with thinly veiled frustration. "It should be the first thing that she sees. And where are the priests from the Arborturgic Order? These plants are in desperate need of sprucing."

"Oh!" You pipe up excitedly. "I can help with that."

It's all too easy; placing your delicate hand on a nearby trellis and willing the interwoven plants to stand up taller and prouder and stronger than before. Your favorite flowers burst to life, blooming amongst the greenery, bathing the elegant marble encased room in a harmony of sweet scents.

The Knight nods in approval, checking one more thing off of his lengthy list. "Thank you, Princess. I'm certain Her Majesty will appreciate the gesture—" Although his suit of armor is surely weighing him down, the Knight jumps almost a full foot in the air. "P-Princess?!" He shrieks before turning, and you are face to face with your companion once again for the first time in five years.

Immediately your eyes land on his freckles, and the sight makes your smile grow impossibly wider. Your Izuku. His emerald eyes are darker, but the light within seems to glow a little bit brighter when he sees you. He has a thin mustache and a patchy beard that barely covers the long scar running from his cheek down his neck, disappearing under his suit of armor. The shocked and slightly panicked expression on his face tickles your insides.

"W-What are you doing here?" Izuku asks frantically. "We expected you to arrive this evening at the earliest. The preparations are nowhere near complete!"

"Oh," you reply with a thoughtful look, "perhaps I should leave and re-enter?"

"N-No, no, no!" Izuku says quickly, making you chuckle. His eyes gleaming as he takes in your appearance, hears the teasing laughter that plagues his dreams. The man pinches himself, but he is not dreaming.

This isn't at all how he imagined your reunion; Izuku wanted it to be absolutely perfect, down to the very last minute detail. The Knight wonders briefly if he's done something to upset the Cultivator for his current misfortune.

It was rather typical for Izuku to allow his hair to grow out when he wasn't away at battle, when it'd be a hindrance to his fighting ability. Yet the Knight is suddenly self conscious of his grassy facial hair, wanting nothing more than to be the fresh faced boy you remembered. But no, he's all man now. This much is clear when you begin to slowly circle around him, in the same fashion that you did when the two of you first met.

"Esteemed Knight," you say, taking little to no precaution with the way you openly ogle every part of him. "It seems you've swallowed my squeaky Squire whole. I must ask that you spit him out at once!"

Izuku feels as though he's been transported through time, seeing his pretty little princess waltz around him just like the first time she graced him with her presence. So much is the same from that very first meeting, and yet so much has changed since this reunion. Although he flushes at the sight of you, Izuku is no longer the timid Squire that constantly stumbled over his words and could barely maintain eye contact.

And you, you are different too, he senses. There is undoubtedly an air of calm wisdom and maturity that clouds your playful nature. Yet some things never change…

That mischievous grin that he missed more than words could describe, for instance. How are you able to make him feel so young and full of life and hope and happiness even after everything he's witnessed on the front lines? It begins with a giggle, but before long Izuku is laughing with a lightheartedness that renders you weightless, breathless. The fondness in his gaze, the sound of his joy, goddess knows how much you missed it.

"Why didn't you write me that you'd been Knighted?" You asked with a pout in faux indignation once you came to a stop before him.

Izuku's eyes dance across your face with mirth. "Because I wanted to see that look you have on your face, in person of course." He grins brightly, making the corners of his eyes crinkle. "Welcome home, Princess."

You take him into your arms without further preamble, and it isn't until you feel him squeezing you back just as tightly in the embrace that you know the words to be true. Finally, you are home .

"It is good to be back," you say softly before pulling away.

The Knight drinks in your form, calculating eyes catching every subtle change from the time apart. Your hair has grown longer and wilder, adorned with flowers and shiny interwoven threads for the occasion. Instead of the scholarly robes you'd left in, you wear a simple frock and vest to cinch your waist.

You were always a beautiful girl, but now that you were a gorgeous young woman in full bloom— soft and supple and round in all the best places? There's no doubt that eligible bachelors from the neighboring kingdoms will soon be beating down the castle doors, propositioning you without restraint. The thought irks him to no end, so Izuku shakes his head, clearing it away.

"I should take you to the Queen," he says. "Her Highness will want to know of your arrival immediately."

Your smile twitches and falls slightly at the mention of your mother. "Actually, I would like to see the King first."

A pause before the Knight nods solemnly. "Of course, Princess. I'll escort you."

With a hand at the small of your back, he guides you through the palace halls. Izuku mumbles something about needing to make a quick stop on your way, and you assure him that it's no trouble. Genuinely, you are just glad to have your companion at your side once more. He leads you to his suite, a far cry from the humble Squire's quarters he occupied just a few years ago. A nice perk due to his recently upgraded status. When you go to follow him inside, the Knight stops you with a vibrant blush on his cheeks.

"Your Majesty?" He appears scandalized, looking around the empty corridor for any wandering servants. "Y-You know you can't enter. Wait for me outside, I won't be long."

You offer an apology and step back into the empty hall as he disappears into his room. Things were different, simpler as youths. But of course now that you are both grown, it would be incredibly improper for an unwed noblewoman such as yourself to enter into a man's bedchambers. It is fortunate that no one was around to witness your misstep, even if the rule is rather archaic.

The whole premise seems so silly, especially after your time in the Infyrm Jungle, when you shared sleeping quarters with your elderly mentor and fellow arborturgical student, who was male. At first you'd had such trouble sleeping, hearing other people's breathing and snoring and shifting throughout the night. But over time it became a sense of comfort. A sign that you were not alone. A small smile plays on your lips as you think of them, wondering what the two plant magic users are up to until Izuku emerges from his chambers with his arms behind his back.

"I have something for you, Princess," he tells you with a shy smile, effectively capturing your attention. The Knight doesn't make you wait long before he produces your tiara, in all its shining glory. The many gems inlaid in the intricate silver structure glitter in the flickering sconce light.

"Oh," you try to hide your disappointment at the sight of the headpiece. A reminder of your title, your status, your duty. Reluctantly, you reach for it, but Izuku stops you.

"Allow me," he says, drawing closer. The Knight has an almost surgical focus as he places the tiara on your crown. He towers over you, sage green eyes half lidded, steel clad armor surrounding you like a protective shield. The tips of his fingers brush against your scalp deliciously as he adjusts the headpiece, making your eyes flutter.

"How's that?" Izuku mutters to himself as his gaze flits over you. "Perfect," he decides.

You think you appreciate the gesture of it all far more than the 'gift' itself.

Once he's satisfied with his handiwork, the Knight leads you deeper into the bowels of the castle. As you descend the stairs, the air grows colder. Damper. The windows and the pleasant views vanish, replaced by walls of heavy stone. By the time you reach the end of the stairs and step onto the floor, you're well beneath the ground.

Izuku gestures down a shadowy corridor lit by dim green-blue patches of glowshrooms that sprout from the mortar joints in the wall. Together, you pace along the hall until you reach a doorway that leads into a shroud of pure darkness. Two soldiers stand beside the door. Even though you cannot see into the room beyond, you know that it is devoid of life.

Izuku presses his lips together. "I will be waiting right outside should you need me, Princess."

You nod. Then you turn and stride through the shadow-cloaked doorway, into the crypt. Izuku watches you disappear into the shadows, wondering if he's losing you all over again, in a way more than just physical.

The Knight distinctly recalls the waves of despair that overtook him three years prior when he returned to the castle after a gruesome season of battle, only to learn of the King's passing. Despite all the death he'd seen (and caused) on the front lines, Izuku had openly wept for you and your loss that you were shouldering alone, afar, where he could not extend his reach to comfort you with anything more than sincere sympathetic words on parchment.

He was still just a Squire at the time, cursing himself for not being enough, not doing enough, despite the fact that foul play had been ruled out of the cause of the King's death. Perhaps that is what upset him the most; that there was no one to blame, no one to turn his blade against to enact vengeance in your name.

Izuku always felt as though he could've, should've done more.

His thoughts are disrupted when you emerge from the crypt with puffy red eyes and a somber smile. He looks to you with great concern. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now," you reply. "I am ready to see the Queen."

He hums in response and escorts you to the War Council room. It is just as dusty and dim as you remember, and the Queen is no warmer in the flesh than she is in your memories. She greets you with stiff formality, asking about your studies in a way that feels more like an assessment of your skills rather than a genuine inquiry. Amidst the interrogation, you notice that your mother appears to have aged five generations in the past five years. While her wit and scathing tongue remain sharp as ever, her other senses seem to have dulled. Your keen eyes detect the elegant cane at her side despite her subtle attempts at hiding it. She dismisses you quickly when your gaze glides over the war map.

All in all, it could have gone much worse. However you cannot help but to feel anxious. She is far too prideful to ever admit it, but you know that the Queen is unwell.

You part ways with Izuku and allow your handmaidens to tend to you for what they describe as a much needed cleansing. They scrub you down in the lavish palace bathhouse, plucking and prodding and pulling and tugging every inch of your body. By the time you escape their clutches, the sun has long since descended past the horizon. Dinner is brought to your chambers on a silver platter, enjoyed as you unpack your things before you wander into the gardens for a late night stroll.

Your first day back in Yuueii was rather daunting, although your brain buzzes with activity. The evening is peaceful as you meander your way into the hedge maze. It has always been the best backdrop for your plotting and scheming. Along with many other childhood palatial memories, the path forward bubbles up from the wellspring of your mind.

As you approach the heart of the labyrinth, you hear something that disrupts the quiet night. When you follow the sounds, your heart skips a beat in half-recognition. Who in the realm would dare…? With the aid of arborturgy, you ask the hedges before you to part discreetly, and the foliage begrudgingly obliges. The sight unfolding between the gap in the leaves makes your breath hitch in your throat.

Amongst your sacred thinking grounds, a pair of lovers are entangled. A large man, exposed chest littered in scars, hovers over a petite woman as they both pant heavily. Large hands hold her down in a breeding position, face down in the grass and hips up to the sky. His nose is buried in the porcelain column of her throat as he ruts into her desperately, moaning openly into the night.

Your eyes widen as the man reels back, hand clasped around her throat to halt any movement while he continues to thrust inside her wildly. You're unable to tear your gaze away from his chest, the way his skin seems to glow in the moonlight as sweat runs down his heavily scarred, defined abdomen. The smattering of green hair below his belly button is what makes you gasp and snap your gaze to his face. You'd recognized the brown bob of hair belonging to your chambermaid Ochako, but you're shocked to see Izuku is the one fucking her within an inch of her life.

The sound of your surprise draws his attention, and your eyes lock with a pair of dark jade pools. The Knight doesn't look away. Instead he holds your gaze, freezing you in place as his hips snap harder, faster, sloppier against hers. You should abscond; you've been caught watching something vastly intimate, but the way Izuku stares at you, through you, makes any movement impossible. His groans of pleasure rise, and you watch with bated breath as his lips form your name when he finishes, spilling his milky white seed across her back.

With a racing heart, you backtrack out of the labyrinth as quickly and quietly as you can. No matter how hard you try, you are unable to clear the mental image of what you just witnessed, the entangled bodies burning behind your lids for hours as you lay in bed. The night is much too quiet, and you can't believe you are missing the obnoxious snores of an old woman to lull you into a state of rest. You lie upon perhaps the softest mattress in all the land, and yet sleep still evades you.

***

The following evening, Izuku finds you in the palace greenhouse surrounded by a myriad of lush plant life. A pair of bifocals perched on your nose, cheek smudged with dirt as you examine a potted morning glory, jotting down notes in a journal from time to time. He admires you for a moment as you work, blissfully unaware of his presence until he clears his throat.

"You were missed at dinner," he says. "The chefs prepared your favorite."

Ripped from your train of thought, you start, glancing out the glass walls curiously, only to be met with darkness outside. How long ago did the sun retreat? Heavy clouds block the moon's full glow. It looks like rain.

Your eyes flicker over to the Knight, freshly shaven and dressed in a low cut silk shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing the scars along his arms. He carries a covered silver platter of food in his hands. A hurried thanks leaves your lips, waving a lazy hand at him to place the tray down on a nearby table, that you'll get to it in a minute. The Knight does as you instruct.

He lingers in the aisle between rows of exotic flora, a rainbow of petals arcing around the epitome of sunshine itself. Yet he seems uncharacteristically dim and demure. By now he should be asking what it is that has captured your oh so elusive attention span or making a jest about your glasses.

"Faring well, my Knight?" You ask casually.

Izuku feels a shiver run down his spine hearing you say those last words. "Y-Yes, Your Majesty. I wanted to speak with you." He continues after you remove your bifocals and give him your undivided attention. "I-I wanted to offer my sincerest apologies for last night."

You go rigid as a plank of wood while images of the Knight's sweaty and scarred torso, the deep sound of his grunts and groans of ecstasy instantly flood into your mind. Goddess help you! Was it really too much to hope for the Knight to ignore the massive elephant ear plant in the room? But alas, dancing around delicate subjects like the nobility do on a daily basis was never the lowborn man's specialty.

"Don't be silly," you chortle lightheartedly. "It's no consequence of mine who you choose to bed. Although perhaps it would be better to actually take her to your bed next time," you both share a chuckle.

"Normally the maze is empty by that time of night," he explains. "The only person who ever ventures in after sundown is…"

"Me," you supply, voice barely above a whisper. He nods with a sheepish smile.

Of course, as you are still adjusting to life back in the palace, Izuku must also get accustomed to you roaming the grounds once again as well. It was an innocent mistake. Yet you can't shake the ridiculous notion that the Knight had planned this, had wanted you to catch him in the act. The way he held your gaze, abdominal muscles rippling as he pounded into her with his powerful hips. As though he was demonstrating for you all that he was capable of.

You tell yourself it is an irrational thought.

The first drops of rain patter against the glass encased room, filling the silence with a soothing rhythm. The young man seems relieved after his confession and leans in to smell a pot of colorful hyacinths. His large biceps strain against the material of his shirt with even the slightest movement— and even though he appears soft and gentle in this moment, you wonder just how many men have died by his powerful hand.

"I must admit I am rather surprised," you begin with a teasing smile. "How did you manage to seduce such a sweet and soft spoken chambermaid?"

He huffs a nervous laugh. "It was actually the other way around." Izuku would've left it at that, but your curiosity and stubborn prodding urged him to continue. The Knight hesitates as his cheeks bloom with color. "Ochako… kept your chambers tidy and dusted while you were away. At some point she began to sample your perfumes… always heavily fragranced when she would see me off before battle. Eventually, my resolve crumbled."

Once more you think of the previous night, the way his nose pressed into her neck, inhaling her scent, your scent . "Oh, I see," is all you can manage to say, finding sudden interest in staring out the rain washed glass walls of the greenhouse.

Izuku takes your sudden silence as a sign of great displeasure. He draws closer as he scrambles to appease you, to defend himself. "These p-past few years apart have felt like a lifetime, Princess. More treacherous than any battle… I sought comfort wherever I could in your absence."

You turn back to him with a soft look. "Well… then it is a good thing I have returned, just as promised."

Izuku cups your face in his rough, calloused hands, thumbs gently stroking over your cheeks as he gazes at you fondly. He puts your foreheads together and closes his eyes, taking a deep shaky inhale. Your hands clutch at the silky fabric of his shirt. No further words needed to be exchanged. The pair hold each other tightly, silently fearing that if they didn't, the other would slip out of their grasp all over again.

There was something truly magical about the rainy season; it always had a way of bringing you two together. Spring is about fresh starts, new beginnings, the time of rebirth.

***

Summer

The sunny season arrives quickly, bringing with it longer days, cooler treats, and an overabundance of lightning bugs. It is a time of joy and making memories, rather than reflecting on them.

The weeks are spent mostly at the beach, experimenting with your magic in the greenhouse on particularly hot days, and sparring with Izuku on the training field. It was just like old times, except now you really gave the Knight a run for his money.

When you left five years ago you were a budding arborturgical prodigy, but now you were a full fledged master in your own right. The Knight was an even more fierce opponent than before, faster and stronger with unparalleled strategical thinking abilities. Whenever the two of you faced off, it never failed to draw a crowd of enthusiastic soldiers. The onlookers would praise their Princess for her skill and finesse while jokingly ribbing their fellow Royal Knight. Izuku always took the jests and teasing with a good natured smile.

After all, everyone was swept up in the hot blooded competitive spirit in the air, for the annual Yuueii Tournament Games were just around the corner.

***

The Coliseum is an old and impressive structure, filled with a buzzing energy from the roaring crowd along with the lingering vitality of many generations of fighters embedded into the stone walls. Sir All Might escorts the Queen to her private spectator's booth, leaving you and Izuku to mingle amongst the other courtiers. You hold your head up high and don your most practiced easygoing smile, a mask fabricated specifically for the Royal Court.

A servant is quick to fill your empty hand with a flute of champagne, and you thank them humbly before gliding through the most luxurious space in the arena. There are many fake 'wonderful to see you's and 'of course, we should do tea!'s before you spot someone that you genuinely want to converse with. Your skirts lead you to poppy pink hair and an eye catching purple gown. The glint of your tiara in the daylight is all that's needed to interrupt her conversation with another familiar, albeit less friendly face.

"Lady Mina! Looking radiant as ever," you beam at the pink haired, dark skinned woman before your eyes slide over to the pale, cinnamon haired one. "Camie, darling. Always a treat."

The brunette's smile twitches in annoyance as you purposefully omit her title. "Like a bitter dark chocolate, Your Grace." She then eyes your Knight flirtatiously. "Although I do spy something sweet."

Izuku blushes the faintest shade of pink and bows to the two noblewomen with a hand to his chest. "Ladies, it is a pleasure."

"Will you be competing today, Sir Izuku?" Mina asks enthusiastically after catching up with you, but to your surprise the Knight shakes his head.

"Really?" You ask incredulously. "After boasting about your two consecutive wins on the carriage ride over?"

"I do not boast," he scoffs.

"Ah, frightened of having your streak broken then," you tease lightheartedly, making the other women titter at your joke.

"That is not what frightens me," Izuku mutters, green eyes scanning the room.

Noblemen young and old steal glances in your direction from seemingly all angles. Do you not feel their hungry stares on your youthful face, your matured body, and your glinting tiara? Their gazes are nothing short of lecherous. Izuku knows that they only want your power, your status, and most of all your womb.

He sends a withering glare over your head at a Duke who thought himself important enough to approach you. The spineless man quickly diverts his attention to a tower of tarts at the deadly look in the Knight's eyes. Competing in the tournament for another meaningless trophy is the furthest thing on his mind when Izuku's own most valued treasure could be snatched away at any moment. He must remain vigilant. Not even if the Cultivator herself asked would Izuku leave your side.

"Ah, well, that is a shame," you sigh wistfully, looking down to the arena where warriors stretch and spar in preparation. "Who will I cheer for instead? Hmm… Sir Tenya—"

"I am far stronger than he," Izuku blurts.

"So much for not boasting," Mina giggles behind a feathered fan.

You grin before turning your nose to the sky, "I'd like to see you win the tourney, my Knight. Humor me, won't you?"

Internally, he sighs. He has never been one to deny you. "As you wish, Princess."

"In that case," Camie cuts in, brandishing her handkerchief to your Knight. "Please accept this token of good luck."

A bold move, especially in front of the entire Court who quickly begin to murmur conspiratorially. Your own eyes narrow at the scrap of cloth, but your picturesque smile never falters. To her credit, the Duchess confidently does that which you are unable to do under so many watchful eyes; displaying her apparent affection for your Knight so openly. It would be considered brave, given the possibility of facing a public rejection, but you know Izuku is far too kindhearted to do anything of the sort. He accepts her token as someone else steals you away to exchange more meaningless pleasantries, and for once you are relieved for the distraction.

Every interaction with the nobility is a chess match, and unfortunately this round Camie has successfully bested you with an undeniable checkmate.

After a bit more required socialization, sweetened by a few glasses of champagne, you make your way to the monarchy's spectating booth alongside the Queen. You dismiss the Knight, ordering him once more to win in a spectacular manner.

And so he does.

Knight Izuku defeats every opponent unlucky enough to meet the business end of his blade, displaying his strength and prowess for all of Yuueii mercifully, without toying with his quarry. In the archery event, his arrows rain true and hit their marks. But the joust is where he truly shines. He looks comfortable and confident on the back of his steed, even if the fluttering handkerchief tied to his lance silently taunts you. The Knight uses all three rounds to get the maximum amount of points, first jabbing his opponent in the face, then the body, then dismounting the adversary from his horse altogether. There is a resounding oof from the crowd before the common folk erupt with applause, chanting his name. He looks to you from the arena, and you smile and nod your approval.

The carriage ride home is filled with a comfortable silence. The events of the day have tired the Queen, and after you all arrive at the palace, Sir All Might helps Her Highness to her chambers for some much needed rest.

After bathing, Izuku agrees to a celebratory drink in the den. You turn to your Knight with a mischievous grin after handing him a lager. Your father's pipe filled with honeysmoke sits on the side table, but that infernal Duchess was correct— there is something far sweeter nearby.

"You made me so proud today, my Knight," you praise, and he sits up straighter, holding his head higher. "How should I reward you?"

Izuku chokes on his drink. "There is nothing I could possibly ask of you—"

"Perhaps a kiss?" You continue as though thinking aloud. "Since this is your third victory, perhaps three kisses are due?"

He looks like a rose, utterly beautiful with that crimson flush upon his cheeks. "I-If that is what you wish."

"It is up to you, it is your reward after all," you hum, plucking invisible lint from his shirt and hair. "Unless there is something else you desire?"

"A-A k-kiss from my Princess seems more than enough," Izuku whispers, and you have to fight the grin tugging at your lips.

"Where?"

Anywhere , he wants to shout, everywhere . But that would be uncouth. He looks into his lap timidly before tapping his cheek with a scarred finger. You lean forward and press your lips to his cheek, and he shudders.

"Two more," you remind the Knight patiently.

He taps his neck shyly, and you place a tender smooch at the junction of Izuku's throat and shoulder. Being so close, you're able to hear the shaky sigh he releases upon contact. When you look up at him expectantly, the Knight is already tapping his lips. A thrilling surge goes through you.

His pretty green eyes flutter closed as your lips meet his. Izuku doesn't hesitate to reciprocate, kissing you with far more urgency, desperation, and need than expected. His tongue strokes over your lip, making you gasp, and he gently pokes the wet appendage into your open mouth, exploring your hot wet cavern. He tastes sweet like the mead in his cup, and you moan contentedly into his mouth. The pleasured sound almost makes the young man lose all semblance of control, but he allows you to set the pace.

"My Knight," you whisper possessively between kisses down his jaw. "Mine, mine."

"Yours," he confirms.

"Rewarding you, but you really should be punished," you grumble, and Izuku whines as you tug on his hair to expose more of his throat. "Shouldn't be bowing to any of those filthy nobles, only to the crown, only to me! Tch . Fucking my chambermaid in my hedge maze. Accepting tokens from the Court mattress. When did my squeaky Squire turn into such a whore?"

"I-I'm sorry," Izuku whimpers at your sudden mood switch. "Forgive me, Princess, forgive me. Please? Please, I—"

"Enough begging. Show me how sorry you are. Prove your loyalty to me."

There is no hesitance when the Knight surges forward to capture your lips. One hand cards through the hair at your nape while the other finds your waist, tugging you closer. Izuku trails kisses down to your chest, pulling your nightgown to reveal your bare breasts. Kissing and licking and sucking on the hardened peaks as you moan and sigh softly.

"I would kill for you," he declares, and he has. "I would die for you." And he would.

A rough hand snakes up your skirt with the gentlest of touches, and you hear him gasp softly when his fingertips brush against the wetness at the apex of your thighs. Izuku is momentarily distracted as he rubs curiously over your dew drop covered petals. When he finds your pretty pearl, you jump, and it is then he remembers his current mission.

"I live to please you, to serve you," he moans wantonly at the feeling of your warm wet heat squeezing him as he slips a thick finger inside.

"That's right," you whimper at the stretch. "My Knight."

"Yours," he confirms once more, pumping his finger into your tightness, looking just as affected by his ministrations as you. Izuku inserts a second finger, and you both tremble as he strokes your insides. He builds a steady rhythm, thumb rubbing figure eights on your pearl as your essence coats his hand. "Yours to use however you please."

You do your best to conceal your moans, but Izuku wants to hear you, needs to know he's servicing you well. His head dips back down to your chest, taking a nipple between his teeth as he curls his fingers inside at just the right angle to have you gasping for air.

When you choke out his name as you come undone, it only spurs him on even more. He stuffs another thick finger inside you and pumps, groaning at the lewd squelching sounds that greet him with every thrust. He cannot mark you as freely as you do to him, but he nibbles and sucks on the underside of your breasts while tugging on your nipple with his free hand to satisfy himself. The tender love bites will be hidden beneath your gowns, but Izuku will know that they are there.

"Cum for me, Princess," he begs desperately. "Please, please? Squeeze me, soak me, oh goddess, please."

Just a few hours ago this man was being awarded for being the strongest, the fastest, the most skilled warrior in all the realm— and now he is on his knees in every way except physical, begging and pleading for your release, for your ecstasy to wash over him. Your eyes roll back in your head as you shake and shiver and give him his ultimate prize as you cry out his name.

The Knight continues caressing your insides, prolonging your orgasm and eagerly trying to steer you into another. But it's too much all at once. You push him away weakly, whining, "No more. Enough."

Izuku removes his fingers and buries his face into your neck, sniffling wetly. "I'm s-sorry, Princess, p-please don't get rid of me, please d-don't leave me again—"

"Shh, never that," you coo gently, running your fingers through his hair soothingly. "Apologies… My jealousy got the better of me. But I could never be without you. Never."

Summer heat strips us all of our layers until there is nothing to cover up the truth, naked and laid bare where even the darkest secrets cannot hide from the light.

The only problem is, as with most things, eventually Summer has to end.