you were a princess who would rather be anything but a royal; he was the knight her father forced her to marry-a true match made in hell if there ever was one. but, as the wedding inches closer and closer, it seems that, perhaps, your father had fin...
pairing: knight!steven grant x fem!princess!reader x knight!marc spector x knight!jake lockley
series summary: you were a princess who would rather be anything but a royal; he was the knight her father forced her to marry—a true match made in hell if there ever was one. but, as the wedding inches closer and closer, it seems that, perhaps, your father had finally done something right by you.
chapter summary: you receive, perhaps, the worst birthday present of all: betrayal.
word count: 6,543
warnings?: royal au, arranged marriage, assassination attempt, poisoning (nightshade), pet name (dove), not proofread
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For your birthday, your father was throwing a ball. It was tradition for the royal family to throw a ball for its members birthdays. You dreaded the entire event. When you were younger, it was more fun. Your mother would spin you around the room, let you wear her favorite tiara, introduce you to the members of Parliament and foreign dignitaries, pronounce you the future queen (even if it was untrue and everyone knew it; Kieran would inherit the throne as the first-born legitimate child of the king). It was some of your favorite memories with your mother. But, as you got older, and when your mother eventually passed, your birthday became something you dreaded. If you ever did anything that your father didn't approve of—which was a lot—then he would make sure you never heard the end of it.
That was why you asked Marc if he would like some dance lessons before the big day. It was inevitable that you and Marc would have to dance together. And if he made one misstep...Well, he wouldn't be the one your father would chastise. No, that would be you. So, for the entire week leading up to your birthday ball, Marc came to the palace for a couple hours and spun you around the ballroom until you were so dizzy you couldn't think straight.
He was actually a decent dancer to start. Not the best by any stretch of the imagination, but he seemed to do well at the basics. He was able to lead, danced in time with the music, and there were minimal moments of stepping on your feet. And perhaps, most importantly (at least in your semi-professional opinion), he was a decent conversationalist, too.
"I hope this didn't ruin your plans for your life," you had said to him on the first day of dance lessons. "I know this life isn't one people would want if they knew about all that comes with it. I don't know you very well, but I would hate for you to be miserable."
"It's not the life I would have chosen," he had admitted. "I had always dreamed of a quiet life. I'm sure you can imagine what a curveball this has been and will continue to be."
"I understand that. Sometimes, I wonder how my life would have gone if I'd had a normal childhood, something away from all the glitz and glam, away from the royal procedures and watchful eye of the king. I know I should be grateful for it all—so many would kill for a life like this. But, the thought still tickles at the back of my mind."
