that pic was so beautiful I just had to use it.
hey y'all, so one of the winners of the HC one shots contest chose the prize where I write a one shot of her request. I asked her if I could publish it because I'm pretty proud of it and I want to make people cry so she said yes.
So here it is, I won't give any ideas on what it's about, it's better if you just read it. However, please do remember that it's not related to the plot like it's just a one shot.
I kept tearing up while writing this. I hope you're happy with it by the end of it pradadevil (:
Whatever's in italics is what happened in the past, and pls excuse any errors! Enjoy!
♕♖♕
♕♖♕
"I saw your beauty in the gem of this ring, so I just had to buy it."
Reina could almost hear his words echoing in her ears as she picked up a dainty ring with a gorgeous jade stone, sitting on a simple gold band. She felt her heart tighten at the sight of it in her hand, mind beginning to be bombarded with the memory of when he gave it to her. A small, sad smile danced on her lips at the thought of him, thumb running over the smooth stone.
"The colour reminded me of your beautiful eyes," he said with a tiny grin as he slipped the ring up her ring finger on her right hand.
He then lifted her hand up to press a kiss to her knuckles, making Reina's heart swell up in her chest. Her hand slipped away from his, diving into the curls at the back of his head and tugging him forward for her to kiss his lips. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, head lowering to kiss her deeply.
He had come to bid Reina goodbye as he was going to travel that night with the Dragonsguard to just outside Siremeth where the war will commence. Her father had changed the date of the departure, thus Reina didn't know that Jon was set to leave later that evening. He was afraid of her reaction since they've been having arguments recently concerning the war and how Jon was determined to fight in it whereas Reina was trying to convince him not to go.
"Oh Jon I love it so much," Reina murmured against his lips with a smile, bright eyes twinkling with love. "Thank you, Lord Commander," she said, smile turning into a teasing smirk as she called him by the nickname that always turned him on.
"Reina," Jon flushed with a shy grin, hearing her laugh blissfully. "Stop calling me that, you know it gets me..."
"Aroused? I shan't!" she grinned at him in amusement. "You've never given me a gift like this before, is there a special reason behind this one?"
Jon tried to stop his expression from falling when Reina spoke her words, but it did and Reina quickly noticed. Her brows lowered over her pale eyes that gazed suspiciously at him. The air around them practically dropped another degree as a very heavy cloud of tension settled over their heads. Reina slipped her arms down his chest and around his waist, smaller frame pressing against his larger one because she was cold. Her eyes gazed at him in concern, suddenly very worried and afraid to hear his next words.
"Jon-"
"I'm leaving tonight for the war."
Reina's eyes fluttered shut as she pushed the painful memory away. Everything downhill as soon as he spoke those words, and it pained Reina every time she heard thought about that conversation and how badly it had ended. While Reina was reminiscing, Harry had slipped into the room without her noticing. He focused his gaze on her hands, trying to figure out what she was doing. He saw the jade ring in her hand, and spoke up in curiosity.
"Who gave you that one?" He asked with a light smile, making Reina flinch in surprise, quickly closing her hand into a fist.
"What makes you think someone gave it to me?" she played it off, tone casual. She flicked her gaze over her shoulder. "I could've bought it for myself for all you know."
"Right but I'm assuming someone gave it to you because you've taken it out of that tiny silver chest full of sentimental jewelry that was given to you by loved ones. I mean it's sitting there right in front of you," Harry couldn't help but smirk, watching her expression fall and quickly turn away because he was right. He knew about Reina's precious, tiny silver box.
"If you don't want to tell me it is alright-"
"It was from Jon."
Reina didn't know if she should regret telling him or not, but she was no longer going to be wary of talking about Jon around Harry. Harry looked up with a frown on his face from his boots, which he were taking off. He quickly pulled the other one off and walked over to her. She stood up at the same time, quickly tossing in the ring and closing the chest shut. Her head hung low as she tried to force the pain away, cursing inwardly to herself for opening the chest in the first place. It was inevitable she'd end up crying after rummaging through it.
"Reina, love," Harry said quietly, reaching for her hands. "Look at me."
"I-I'm sorry I wish-I wish-"
"It's okay, Reina," he engulfed her in a warm, comforting hug. "I understand it's hard to cope so if you ever need to talk about...him. I am here for you."
"Really?" Reina pulled back to gaze at him with slightly wide eyes, finding it surprise that he would be okay with her confiding in him when it specifically related to Jon. "You wouldn't feel uncomfortable?"
"Well, not as much as before. I've learnt to accept what happened between you and him, and realized it would be hypocritical of me not to do so," he spoke lowly. "Plus you're clearly still mourning to a certain extent, if talking about him brings you some comfort to you then of course I'll be by your side for you to confide in."
A smile of love and appreciation graced Reina's lips at the sound of his words. She cupped his cheeks gently and reached up to leave a short, sweet kiss on his lips. She told him quietly that she was tired and would rather sleep than talk about Jon at the moment. Harry nodded in response, knowing not to push her if she didn't want to talk about him.
They both got ready for bed in silence, Reina busy with her thoughts and Harry busy with his. He was silently wondering to himself about Jon because he was far too curious now. Reina on the other hand stood in front of the floor-length mirror, almost naked except for a thin robe that covered her. Her hands ran over her tummy that had grown bigger now.
"Reina, you alright love? Do you need anything?" Harry questioned once he was done blowing out the candles near the dragon eggs, and shutting the chest.
She shook her head in response, and began to change into her nightgown. Harry came up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his hands on her small baby bump. Reina slipped her hands over his, fingers filling in the gaps created by his, laced over their unborn children. Harry smiled warmly at the sight, turning his head to brush his lips against Reina's temple before resting his chin on her shoulder, hands gripping hers and wrapped his arms around her body, simultaneously pulling her arms as well.
"I love you, darling," he murmured quietly to her, kissing her cheek affectionately.
"I love you too, my sweet Prince," she returned with a smile of adoration.
Soon enough, they moved along to the bed and fell asleep in each other's arms, all wrapped up in warmth and love. Harry's breath tickled the skin of Reina's neck as he snored lightly, face buried into the crook between her neck and shoulder with his arms lightly wrapped around her waist. Reina mumbled under her breath in her sleep, eyes flicking underneath her eyelids as she dreamt soundlessly.
As she dreamt of Jon.
"I command you not to go."
"Reina, love, please you must understand I cannot stay," Jon pleaded gently, slowly getting frustrated with her stubbornness and lack of understanding of his perspective and situation. "I have men depending on me, who need me to lead them. Your father needs me to lead-"
"But I need you!" Reina cried in exasperation, her loud tone making Jon's brown eyes widen a little before they softened with sadness. "I can't bear to lose you. It will break me."
"You won't lose me," he insisted with a scowl, tone slightly on edge. "Do you not believe that that I can protect myself?"
"I do, but I'd rather not risk it," she shook her head as his arms slipped away from her and he took a step back. "Please Jon, I beg of you. Don't go. Do it for me."
"Reina, I have a duty to fulfill," Jon sighed heavily, eyes hardening and tone growing firm. "I simply cannot abandon my men just like that. We've been training for months now. This rebellion will change everything, and I have to help ensure that your father is the one who ends up on the throne by the end of it."
The fierceness in Jon's tone shocked and saddened Reina at the same time. Honor and duty were the two most important things to him and it broke her heart that for once he wouldn't give them up for her. She was selfish in wanting him to be with her and to leave her father and his army just like that. But she couldn't help it. Jon had never been in a real full-blown war, and she was afraid that he'd get killed, or even if he lived, he'd change and never be the same.
"I made a promise to your father, and I plan on keeping my word and honoring it," Jon softly this time, hand reaching to touch Reina's cheek but she stepped back. Her gaze raised to glare at him, angry tears blurring her vision as her face contorted with a mixture of emotions.
"Honor is what is going to get you killed, Jon," she spoke harshly, now pissing him off as well. "For once, can't you put your love for me before your love for fucking honor and duty?"
"How could you ask-"
"How could I ask of you to do such a thing?" Reina snapped loudly, continuing his sentence. "Because I did it for you! I was supposed to never fall in love with you, but I did. I was supposed to remain a virgin, but I didn't. All for you. All because I love you!"
"Reina, darling-" Jon began to say with a sad pout. He reached out to hold her but she just kept yelling with tears streaming down her cheeks swatting his hands away.
"I gave up my duty for you and- no! Don't touch me," she sniffled, shaking her head and resisting when he managed to grab her and pull her to him. "I love you s-so much-"
Reina gave up fighting him and threw her arms around his neck, body pressing against his and face burying into his neck as she cried. Jon felt his heart break at the sound of her desolate weeping, anger dissipating and sadness replacing it. It increased when she began speaking again, through noisy sobs.
"Please don't leave," she couldn't help but cry sadly. "You're the love of my life, I can't bear to live without you."
Jon's eyes burned with hot tears at her words, heart falling apart as he held his love tightly to his chest. He never wanted to hurt her and make her cry. He only ever wanted to protect her and love her and treat her like a Queen. However, despite her crying making him sad, he was still adamant on going tonight and he just kept telling himself that he will return and make it up to her, even if it takes days, months or even years.
"I love you more than you could ever imagine, Reina," Jon murmured quietly, making her let out a quiet sob.
"But I simply cannot stay."
∙♖∙
"No!"
"Reina, wake up! You're alright!"
Reina's eyes flew shut at the sound of her name being called out. It struck her that it wasn't Jon but Harry. She had been dreaming this entire time, yet it felt so real. She could almost feel the heartache she felt that day, and the bitter cold of the winter that struck Vardomos that month. She sat up with her heart pounding, wide, green eyes darting around for Jon but he was not there. Instead by her side was Harry who was also sitting up next to her, worried eyes gazing at her as he ran his hand up and down her back in a comforting manner. He slowly took a hold of her hands, noticing the way they trembled as she tried to hold her tears in, and gently pulled her towards him.
"C'mere, my love," he murmured ever so softly, curling his left arm around her shoulders as she wept softly.
Harry held her to his chest as Reina let the tears flow freely until her soft sobs died down and her cheeks dried. Her head laid upon his bare chest as he dragged his hand up and down the expanse of her back in a soothing manner. He gently urged her to talk to him, heart aching at how upset she seemed after the dream she had. He had a strong feeling it was about Jon, and he truly didn't want Reina to keep hurting anymore. He wanted her to open up to him, and talk to him. He was ready to be there for her as an attentive listener, a good advisor and someone with a shoulder to cry on.
"I still remember the day I found out," she whispered sadly after a few more minutes of silence. "The day they brought his body back to the castle. I had to hide my crying that night, and the one after that, and so on. Nobody could know I was mourning the loss of a lover."
"Oh Reina," Harry murmured sympathetically, tightening his arm around her. "I am so sorry you had to find out that way."
"I was grieving for two people at that time, for Jon and my father," she said with her voice breaking a little. "The world is so cruel, Harry. So cruel."
"It really is," Harry murmured in agreement. "So dark, and cruel, and uncertain. But what truly matters is that we face it together, my love."
Reina lifted her head up from his chest to look at him, his words bringing a gentle smile to her lips. Their shared a brief, loving kiss before Reina moved to lay on her side, Harry following her movements. Reina continued to spill more about Jon, and tell Harry about the day he left for war and the fight they had.
Harry felt his brows furrowing and heart aching with pity and sadness at the sound of the heart-breaking fight. As Reina explained how much honor and duty meant to Jon, she slowly feared that the same would occur to Harry when he becomes King. She pushed away the fear for now, and refocused on Harry in the present, listening to her attentively.
"I sometimes wonder," she began to say before she paused momentarily, wondering if Harry wanted to hear what she wanted to say.
"Wonder what?" He question silently, curiosity sparking.
"I sometimes wonder what would've happened if he didn't go," she murmured. "And if my father had won the war."
"Hmm," Harry hummed in thought. "Do you think your father done what mine did? Marry you off to me to secure lands and peace."
"Possibly," Reina shrugged. "I know that it would've happened anyways if he stayed and my father lost them war."
"That would've been difficult for you, and complicated," Harry frowned deeply. "I suppose we wouldn't be in love then."
"I don't want to think about that," Reina said with a shake of her head. "I am glad I was able to find love again after him, with you. I'm so grateful to have met you and fallen in love with you."
"I am too, Reina, you've no idea," Harry smiled warmly at her, lips brushing against her forehead in a short, loving kiss.
They laid in silence for a minute or so before Harry spoke up again, unable to control his curiosity and his tongue.
"Did you ever find out who killed him?" He questioned ever so quietly, making Reina gulp and shake her head.
"Everyone was far too occupied in the war to bear witness of his murder," she whispered softly.
"I wonder if I saw him during the war," Harry said thoughtfully, before adding with a chuckle, "then again, there's a lot of men I saw but can't remember."
"Was there anyone in particular you remember?" Reina asked with interest.
"I remember your father and brother there are clear as day. They had the most incredible looking armour," Harry told her. "Most if it's a blur to be honest. War was a little traumatic for me."
"However, there was this one man who put up quite a fight," Harry found himself smiling sadly, remembering when he took the man's life away. "He was badly wounded in the thigh I think, but he was so determined to take me down. I found it amusing at first but after a while..."
"You admired his strength?" Reina continued his sentence.
"Yes, I kept telling him to give up but he kept not fighting. At some point he said he had a lover to return to, and he just couldn't die."
"Yet you killed him," Reina rolled her eyes lightly, making him pout at her.
"I had to defend myself otherwise I would've died," Harry scowled lightly. "I'm sure he had a high position in your father's army, rightfully so. He had this red and black armor on with dragons engraved onto it."
"What?"
A frown etched upon Harry's face at her response of shock. She sat up from her laid down position beside him, gazing at him in shock with wide pale eyes and parted lips. Harry followed her movements as she climbed off the bed and moved further away from him, unable to comprehend what she had just put together. Harry was a bit slow in putting it all together, but he saw the tears gathering in Reina's eyes when he reached out for her; it hit him.
Suddenly, it all came rushing to him.
"Impressive," Harry spoke sarcastically when the man in the dragon armor swung at him weakly, mostly because he was suffering from a deep cut on his abdomen. "For fuck's sake, give up already. Your dragons have been struck down, and we are winning the war. Allow me to put you out of your misery."
"I am not going to die today," Jon growled in response through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw.
His gloved fingers curled tightly around the hilt of his sword, before charging at Harry. Harry raised his sword and deflected the upcoming blow Jon tried to throw at him, silvery metal glimmering with crimson clanking loudly as a result. Jon's nerves snapped at the mocking laughter that was flying out of Harry's mouth, cursing himself for getting wounded. He tried to swing again, but Harry quickly dodge the blow and spun around with his leg lifting off the ground, delivering a sharp kick to the back of Jon's wounded thigh. Harry mocked and taunted, urging the man in the dragon armor to give up but he was resilient.
"I have a lover to return to," Jon spat harshly when Harry prodded at him, wondering who Jon kept fighting for.
"Looks like you're gonna have to say a little prayer of apology for your lady because I doubt you'll be returning home at all," Harry said with a huff, before he swung his sword at him again.
Jon tried his best to deflect the blow, but was unsuccessful when Harry knocked his sword out of his hand. His heart was beating erratically in his chest, tainted with the fear that polluted his blood and was now crawling up his throat and suffocating him. But the fear he was feeling wasn't of death. It was of never being able to see Reina again. Jon was suddenly reminded of her cries for him to stay and the confessions of her unconditional love for him, and that motivated him to keep fighting. He ducked when Harry swung his sword at his head, hand quickly grabbing his own sword that was on the ground.
The sparred for a few seconds, the intensity of the fight making the heavy groans and yells escaping their lips as they fought for their lives. As Harry fought for his life, and Jon fought for Reina. Harry's blade flashed as he swiveled, swords connecting with a metal clang twice before Jon went to swing his sword in one sharp movement to cut Harry's head off. However, he was unlucky when Harry quickly lowered and with all his strength, plunged his sword into Jon's abdomen.
Jon let out a strangled cry, sword dropping from his hand as he locked his wide, dark eyes locked with Harry's pale green ones for a moment. His guts were smashed together and bleeding, pain searing all through his midriff as he felt his life draining away.
Harry held his position with his sword in him for a few seconds, assuming that Jon was saying a prayer, and he should let him have these few seconds to do so before pulling out the sword. Jon felt his favorite memories flashing before his eyes, some of them consisting of training with Myles and befriending Reyes, but most of them of his love: Reina.
He felt the tears start to flow as the memories flashed just as quickly as his life that was seeping out of him. He saw her green eyes that turned silver in the sunlight, and her rosy pink lips that he loved oh so much. He saw the night they shared their first kiss, and felt shivers of the thrill and excitement of the act that was never supposed to happen. He saw the early mornings and late nights where her naked body would be sprawled across his, whispering all sorts of things right from how her day was to her colorful dreams. He felt his heart break apart, strings snapping when he thought about the first time they made love, how she looked so beautiful under the moonlight.
He saw it all in those few seconds of living: the memories with the woman who made him feel alive.
"You...you killed him."
"Reina," Harry began to say with an expression full of guilt on his face. "I-I didn't know. I'm sorry."
"I can't b-believe," she stammered as she backed away from him when he tried to follow her, trying to just hold her and calm her down. "Out of all the people in that war....it was you!"
Harry's heart ached terribly every time she backed away, seeing her absolutely broken and shocked with this new information. Reina's back pressed against the doors of the balcony, hands reaching up behind her for the handles. Harry started rambling sadly and guiltily, unsure of what to say but saying whatever he could so that Reina wouldn't hate him for what he did.
"It was war, Reina. I had to defend myself, otherwise he would've killed me-"
"Just stop! Please!" she cried with a sob, unable to think about anything but the fact that she was in love with and married to the man who murdered her previous lover.
"I'm sorry, please, please, don't stop loving me," Harry begged quietly, reaching out to touch her.
She quickly reacted by swinging the balcony doors open and slipping past them before she shut them behind her. Harry knew better than to open them and continue to plead and ramble, so he stood there on the other side with his heart heavy as lead with guilt and sadness. He felt the anxiety and worry slowly creeping in as he wondered if Reina would understand why he did what he did, and still love him the same, or at all. It made him tick, and he was now pacing back and forth in the room, fingers tugging on his lower lip. He stopped when he heard her quiet sobs from the other side of the doors, walking up towards them and pressing his ear against the wood.
"I'm so sorry, my love," Harry murmured ever so quietly, hoping that she'd hear.
Reina sat on the floor with her back against the balcony doors, arms wrapped around her legs with her knees drawn up to her chest. Her head rested against her knees as she sobbed her heart out, tears flowing like a steady river. Her cries were raw and full of pain, so shocked and hurt and confused about why Harry had to be the one to take Jon's life. Deep down she understood why, but at the moment she was just sad and furious. She continued to sob unceasingly, cries echoing through the lonely night while Harry sat on the other side of the doors in her position, head in his hands with soul polluted with heart-wrenching guilt.
Reina was so sadly reminded of the last thing he said to her, despite all the angry screaming and yelling she let out when he told her his final decision.
"I will always love you, my silver dragoness. I promise you I will return so that one day I will truly be able to call you mine."
♕♔♕
❃ lowkey not happy with that ending but oh whale. Hope you liked it pradadevil (:
❃ what do you guys think of it?
❃ what do you think would've happened if Jon lived but Reina's father lost the war and she was married off the Harry 👀👀👀👀
❃ Also please do remember that this is just a one shots. Harry didn't actually kill Jon in the war, I wanted to do it but I decided against it because it would've complicated the plot. But if I did do it, it would've probably turned out like this.
But the fight Jon and Reina had in this one shot was the real thing. Just not Harry killing him lol.
❃ I hope y'all enjoyed that, I'll post the next chapter soon I'm just trying to figure some things out because I recently got confused with the plot lol. Please bear with me tho cuz I have school shit ):
Until we meet again...
thiø