Sir Mark. The one knight that I couldn't stop thinking about. He was the High Knight, the one that led every single move that our Kingdom's cavalry made. And I couldn't be more in love with him. Father said that me being a simple maiden in the village meant that it was just a petty crush and that I should just stick to marrying the Pig-Washer's son, Fredrick.
I never listened to him, though. It wasn't just a petty crush, but a crush nonetheless. I knew I couldn't call him my own, but I sure as heck could dream, couldn't I?
I started to hear trotting on the outside of my house, tugging me out of my daydreaming. I went to the window, as trotting was no common thing to occur within the village. I opened the shutters and saw Sir Mark and his men coming down the road, his helmet's mask covering his face. You could only tell that it was him by the way his horse looked: regal, and commanding. He rode with a higher placed posture than the rest, but you could tell that they, too, were of higher rank within the kingdom. Their armor was silver and Mark's was a coal black, once again signifying that he was of higher command.
He neared my small cottage, and me being the shy 22-year-old girl I am, I started to slightly cower in the window. Much to my surprise, though, he came to a halt right by the door, climbing off of his horse and taking off his helmet, revealing his handsome tanned skin and jet-black hair. He came up to the window, looking down at me. "Excuse me, but do you know if we can speak to Ms. Y/n?" His voice rang through my ears and I once again shrank back a slight bit.
"That would be me, Sir Mark." I felt my cheeks slightly heat up, my shy side obvious and embarrassing me.
He smiled kindly before continuing, "Well, Ms. Y/n, the king is holding a ball tonight, and as a favor returned to your Father, we would like to invite you and your family." I was taken by surprise. What had my Father done for the King that allowed our family to be invited to a royal ball?
"Of course, but I am afraid that my Mother and Father are out of town, and it is just me. Would it be fine if I came by myself?" I was trying to keep my composure, still red-cheeked and shocked.
The High Knight in front of me chuckled, "Of course, it would be just fine. And, Ms. Y/n?" I looked up slightly at him, noticing then that I had looked down a little bit.
"The King also requested that I escort your family, and seeing as it is just you, would you like me to come get you for the ball around sunset?" I nodded, smiling widely. He returned the nod, a small smile gracing his features, also softening his chocolate eyes. With that, though, he took a bow and walked back to his horse, sliding his helmet back on during the process. The other knights within his command gave me a slight nod, turning their steeds to follow after Sir Mark's already retreating one.
I finally came out of my shocked state, still coming to terms with what had just happened. Still, I dashed back into my room, realizing that this was actually happening and that it was mid-afternoon. I surfed through my closet, looking for the most regal and formal looking dress I had. As I got my hands on the last sad piece of clothing and moving it, I saw a dress that I hadn't worn yet that had been made by the tailors specially for me. It was a (f/c) dress, with a decently-sized neck and a not too floofy bottom, with lacey designs going down the sleeves and the torso. I plucked it off the makeshift hanger that it was on, laying it out on my bed before going toward the tin that was a bathtub and bathing with a quickness that was almost unbelievable.
I washed my hair, getting all the dirt and grime out of it, and doing the same to my skin. I also shaved with the razor that Mother had set out, smoothing out the hairs on my legs and under my arms - not that it was a jungle, but it was bad enough that I needed to shave it. I hopped out of the tub, grabbing a cotton towel and wrapping it around my body before grabbing a slightly smaller one and wrapping my hair in it.
With the extra time I had, I cleaned up around my room, then making up my bed, just in case someone were to come in while I wasn't here, or Sir Mark were to. Which I doubt very seriously, but you never know.
After that, I finally let my hair down, brushing it straightening it (I don't know how they did that, so let's just skip it), and sweeping it to the side. With my hair finally settled, I ran into my room, grabbing the dress and sliding it over my small-ish frame. I smoothed it out slightly, as it wasn't very wrinkled, but just enough to need to be smoothed out.
Walking back to the bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror, readying myself to do my makeup. I wasn't the best at it, and I never really wore it that often, but I felt like it was needed tonight. I grabbed the eyeliner and did what looked like a cat eye on my eyelid, not too thick, but just thick enough to be noticed, and put on a little bit of mascara. Then, I put on the base and blush, again not making the blush so thick that it looked like I was eternally embarrassed about something, but just enough to give my cheeks a little color, and put in my heart-shaped crystal earrings before finally being done with my appearance.
I went to the window where I had talked to Sir Mark, looking toward the sky and noticing that the sun was setting and he was going to show up at any time. I let out a breath, feeling a rush of butterflies enter my stomach. I looked down towards my feet, soon realizing I had forgotten to put shoes on. I once again dashed to my room, pulling out the high heels that Mother had given me when she grew too old for them. I slipped them on, seeing they matched my dress and had a little bit of an open toe at the tip.
I walked back to the window again, hearing the trotting of a horse and seeing the High Knight himself on the back of his mighty steed, dressed in attire that made him look even more handsome. It was sort of a suit but looked more like something a Prince would wear without all of the dangly things and the tails in the back. Kind of like a.. tux, I think it was called.
I closed my window, checking to make sure I had everything before walking out of my cottage and standing outside the door. The warm summer air wrapped around my body, giving me a warm chill down my spine. My palms became slightly sweaty, but I quickly wiped it off on the bottom of my dress, calming myself a slight bit.
Sir Mark strode up to me, pulling his horse to a halt and climbing off to come and greet me. "You look absolutely stunning, Ms. Y/n."
"Thank you, Sir Mark."
He smiled, then nodded to his horse. "We best get going." I nodded, a light heat going to my cheeks.
He walked gracefully to his horse, climbing atop the saddle with ease then extending his hand to me. I took it, feeling my feet leave the ground by being picked up and put in front of him on the horse. I wondered why he put me in front of him, but soon realized why as the horse's hind legs bucked at my sudden weight. I grabbed his neck, a fear of falling off overcoming my mind. Behind me, the Knight chuckled, his breath hitting the backside of my ear. I felt another shiver go down my spine at the feeling, a heavy blush painting my cheeks. "S-Sir-"
"Please, call me Mark."
"M-Mark, shouldn't we be going?" He chuckled once again before putting his arms around my waist and moving my hands to the reigns, while under his. With one quick jerk, the horse was speeding down the road, running quickly with Mark and I bouncing on the saddle. When we turned the corner, Mark's arms took a tighter a squeeze on my waist, keeping me on the saddle while his shoes kicked against the horse's stomach, telling it to speed up. The whole ride, my hands were under Mark's, him teaching me how to ride without even saying anything, and the cool wind blasting in my face, giving me a feeling of freedom.
We reached the Castle, sooner than I would've liked, and Mark and I got off his steed. Mark had to help me slightly, but once I got my balance, I laughed a little. I just thought it was quite funny that I almost fell on my face in front of the High Knight, and hearing him laugh along with me only made me smile more, as I found his laugh adorable.
Ceasing our laughing to a slight giggle, we made our way into the ballroom, the smell of sweet food and a slight smell of alcohol coming to my nose. Before I even realized it, though, I was being whisked away by other townsfolk, a couple wearing masks. I excused myself from the dancing, finding an empty table to rest and look at the beautiful ballroom. It was decorated with gold, red, blue, silver, and white – the colors of our kingdom. It was quite a masterpiece, but then again, it was a little too fancy for my taste.
My eyes scanned the crowd, almost immediately spotting Mark, talking with the other Knights. He was laughing and holding a glass of wine, his right hand now donning a snow-white glove that he hadn't had on before. The surrounding Knights all had their own suits, none as regal looking as Mark's, but still nice. One of them seemed to notice me staring, as he pointed behind to the side of Mark. The High Knight's head jerked to the side, his eyes pinpointing me within seconds. I raised my glass of wine to him and saw as he looked back toward his friends. He put up his hand as if excusing himself and made his way over to me, swiftness and gracefulness all within his steps.
When he finally came to me, he picked smiled lightly at me. "Hello, Y/n. Would you care to dance?" I smiled, taking his extended hand like I had earlier today, and being pulled out onto the dance floor. My hands, seemingly already knowing what to do, placed themselves in their rightful position: one on his shoulder while the other entangled with his. His other hand secured itself around my waist, taking a firm grip, much like he did on the horse.
I looked up at his face, and even though he wasn't on his horse, he still had a height advantage – plus I was just naturally shorter than him. His brown eyes had a shine in them, making them look like they were the sun shining through a brown forest. He had a smirk on his face, a smirk that seemed to only belong to him – like no one else could ever mimic it. He truly was a masterpiece; right on the line of perfect, with his golden skin and muscular build, he was truly magnificent. How I had ended up dancing with him, I will never know.
I laid my head on his chest, our feet still moving with such grace across the marble dance floor. I couldn't keep the smile off my face; everything just felt so right: being this close to him, being able to feel his hand on my waist and hear his heartbeat – to be in pure bliss with him. I felt his breath on my neck, then his chin atop my head. "You truly are a work of art, Y/n. I am so glad you were invited to this dance tonight." I blushed, giving a small sigh in response.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to dance like this, Mark." Especially with you, I added in my thoughts. He chuckled in his deep voice, the vibration sending yet another chill down my spine and causing my heart to flutter. "I wouldn't want to be dancing with anyone but you, Mark," I whispered softly, hoping he didn't hear me.
Soon, there was a chime that rang throughout the ballroom, ceasing all dancing and conversation. I took my head off Mark's chest to look at up at the King standing on a balcony high above the rest of us. "Good evening," his regal voice bellowed. Good evenings were returned to his highness, a couple bows from the Knights – including Mark.
"I would like to thank all of the Knights under the command of High Knight Mark, for once again defending this kingdom from anything dangerous to us, and the rest of you for attending my ball. Now, as the main event of the evening, I would like all the Knights and their ladies to join me on the dance floor – even if you have already been on it – with my queen and princess." With that, all the Knights in the ballroom went to the dance floor, whisking away their ladies from either beside them or a random part of the crowd. Mark held onto me as the other Knights filled the dance floor, a little bit of a challenging look on his face when other Knights who didn't have a dance partner would get close to me.
"And, as one final thing to this dance, we will be crowning the best dancers at the end; not with my crown of course," laughs came from the surrounding people at the King's words. I giggled myself, feeling a little bit awkward, as I knew what the dances with the King consisted of. We would be switching partners during the middle of the dance, but not before we danced a little bit with our own. I was nervous, but I knew that I came here to have a good time, and that's what I was gonna do.
The music started to play, a slow beat meaning a slow dance pace. I looked up to Mark, his eyes instantly making contact with mine. I smiled nervously, but still had a smile nonetheless. Soon, the music picked up pace, the dancing becoming faster as well. We were nearing the partner switch, and I could tell Mark didn't want to let me go, but he had to. I squeezed his hand in mine, getting a squeeze from both his hand in mine and the one on my waist.
The switch came and I was whisked away once again from someone I didn't know. It was another Knight, sure, but that didn't mean I was comfortable. We went in a couple circles, his hand in the same place Mark's had been, but it didn't feel the same. He smiled at me and I gave him a small smile back before looking behind his shoulder, trying to find Mark. Once again, we switched, me being partnered with someone else. This one was slightly creepier than the other: his smile seemed more sinister to be a Knight, but I said nothing, just smiled politely back once again looking for the High Knight.
As the next to last switch came, I didn't switch partners – I couldn't. The guy that had a sinister smile was holding me in place and I began to get worried. "It is time to switch, sir," I said as politely as possible, just wanting to get out of his grasp.
At my words, he came close to my ear, his hoarse and ragged voice whispering, "Oh no you don't, sweetie."
Shivers ran down my spine – completely different from the ones Mark gave me. I looked over his shoulder, looking anywhere and everywhere for Mark. The man grabbed my chin, pulling my attention back to him, his hot and nasty breath blowing on my face. "Only look at me, darling. I wouldn't want you to dance with anyone else."
The main switch back to your original partners came, and I saw Mark – finally – looking around the crowd, trying to find me. I did my best to struggle, not wanting to alarm anyone in the ballroom by a shrill scream. Finally, I got his hand off my chin just long enough to yell out Mark's name, catching his attention instantaneously.
I looked at the man that was holding me, then back at Mark. His eyes narrowed like they had earlier in the dance when he was iffy about me going to another Knight. He pushed through the crowd, not caring about who he shoved out of the way. Soon enough, Mark had gotten the attention of all of the Knights on the floor, all hugging their ladies and looking at him. He came up to me, the guy still holding me oblivious to everything that was happening behind him. I looked at him, seeing his tongue run over his rotten teeth, and I knew then, he was no Knight – nor was he someone that was supposed to be within the walls of the Castle.
Mark came up right behind him, towering over the man, a look of anger and rage in his eyes that struck downright fear into me. I looked up at Mark, causing the man to turn around and face him. He quickly let go of my arms, making a nervous chuckle. "Why did you have your hands on her?" Mark's booming voice came, coated with the same rage that was present in his eyes.
The man began to shake, making random sounds in an attempt to make words. I raced behind Mark at that point, his arm reflexively keeping me behind him, his hand taking hold of my waist. His arms bulged with muscle and his golden skin had turned red and a small bit of teal – the teal being his veins. I peeked a little over his shoulder, the man in front of him still shaking in fear. "Why did you have your hands on her?!" He repeated, his hand getting tighter on my waist. I moved my hand to it, soothing him a little like I had earlier. His muscles relaxed a slight bit, not enough to take away from his towering and strong stature, but enough to show me that he knows I'm here and I'm okay.
"I'm sorry, High Knight. I didn't know sh-she was wi-with you." I looked at Mark, who in turn looked appalled by the man's response. "You're damn right she's with me, but what does it matter?! You shouldn't handle any woman like that." His last sentence was once again smothered in rage. He was mad – and I mean mad. The man quickly nodded, scurrying off, not looking back but once at me. I was truly scared and I didn't want to be anywhere else but in the Knight's arms.
Mark turned around, quickly pulling me into his chest, his chin atop my head just like when we were dancing. We heard cheering and clapping; the Knights were happy to see the man go, along with the fact that the High Knight had caused him to go. I was grateful for the same reasons, plus one: He did it for me. Even if we had just met, I knew he was one that I could love. And I could tell, he liked me just the same – I hope.
"Y/n, I need to tell you something." It was but a mere whisper in my ear, but I looked up to him, readying myself for anything. "Even if we just met a few hours ago, I already feel as if I could spend the rest of my life with you, so would you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" I was in tears with the short speech, my hands covering my mouth. I nodded quickly, Mark giving a sigh of relief before leaning down to me and giving me the sweetest kiss on the lips that lasted as long as it needed to for me to know that I wasn't just asleep, that nothing that had happened was a dream.
I loved him; He, The High Knight Mark Fischbach, was my knight in shining armor.
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Quick thing I might start doing for my longer imagines is telling you how many words are in it. This particular one had:
3503 Words.
Anyway! Pengui away!