“𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐄”
-royal au!! (rin itoshi x reader) ☽
-a/n: this is very LONG, and it took me a long time to write it because I had a lot of things to do, but I hope you like it.
-contains: reader has heterochromatic eyes, indirect mention of violence and some wound, Rin is a little older than reader, reader is a little scientist!, there are mentioned some characters completely invented by me for convention, they are only useful for the story.
The distant kingdom of Astravor had two princesses: Princess Mira, the eldest daughter of the king and his first wife; the one who was always perfect and whom the court loved and respected. There was never a single detail of her appearance out of place, and her etiquette was impeccable. The future queen by bloodline, nobles bowed as she passed and servants trembled at the sound of her voice. No one dared contradict her.
The second princess of the kingdom was y/n, daughter of the king’s second wife, who died giving birth to her beneath a shower of meteors. From the moment she opened her eyes, a tragic fate awaited her. The world had never seen a person with two different-colored eyes, having only heard of such a thing in legends, always associated with the gods. But gods do not exist among mortals, and so the court quickly reached a conclusion: the second princess was a witch.
The nobles whispered whenever y/n passed by, and no servant approached her unless absolutely necessary. At social events, wherever y/n went, there was always a wide space around her; no one crossed the invisible line that might bring them too close to her.
‘She’s too strange. How does she know all those things about the stars? I bet she makes them up.’ ‘Someone saw her behind the royal gardens throwing strange powders into the flames. They said the fire changed color.’ ‘She’s too dangerous. What would happen if she decided to use her witchcraft against us?’
Science was something the people knew very little about, but y/n knew far too much. However, people fear what they do not know, what they do not understand, and so y/n grew up alone within the kingdom’s castle. She possessed an appearance that frightened people, imperfect etiquette, and an intelligence that inspired fear.
But her father, King Draven, loved her. Perhaps far more than he loved Princess Mira. The king allowed her to study anything she wished in his secret observatory tucked away in one of the castle towers. They spent their free time together, and he never forced her to dance or search for a husband (who would probably never come) during court balls.
And y/n loved him too. He had taught her how to read, cared for her when she was ill, and was the only person with whom she could share a meal without spending the entire time staring silently at her plate. Princess Mira could not accept it. Why did her father prefer a witch like her? A princess incapable of speaking in public, a daughter who had killed her own mother simply by being born.
As Mira and y/n grew older, the former began to fear that her father might favor the latter as the future queen.
“Protect Princess y/n.”
These were the only words the king had spoken to Rin Itoshi, his most trusted knight, as well as the youngest and strongest in the kingdom. Having returned only a few months earlier from a war that had lasted nearly three years—a war whose conclusion had earned him a Royal Sword—he now stood before the king’s throne, summoned for a new assignment.
The armor weighed heavily on his body, and no fewer than two swords hung from his belt. A long black cloak fell to his feet, ending just above the tops of his boots. The room was completely empty. Rin quickly understood that the true reason behind this order had to remain secret. Still, the fact that the king was assigning him a babysitting job did not sit well with him.
Though he had been very young at the time, Rin remembered the day y/n was born. He remembered how a blind old wanderer had roamed the city, shouting that a new ruler had been born beneath the dance of the stars. But Rin was the kingdom’s finest knight, born to stand on the battlefield and spread despair among his enemies. The king could have chosen any other trusted knight, yet now he was expected to follow someone around like a lapdog. Watch her eat, watch her breathe. A complete waste of his abilities.
“Do not leave her alone with her sister. This assignment will last until Princess Mira finds a husband and goes to live in another castle,” the king had added. That caught some of Rin’s attention, but even so, he asked no questions. He simply accepted the assignment, hoping that the first princess would quickly find some handsome fool willing to promise her love and a mountain of other nonsense.
“I don’t want him,” y/n said softly and uncertainly the next day, looking at her father. Rin stood far from her, but the young princess could still clearly sense that the knight would rather fight five lions barehanded than spend even a single hour of his day following her around the palace. “I don’t need one.”
Rin wanted to laugh, but his face remained as motionless as a statue’s. y/n’s statement was both true and false at the same time. True, because no one would ever come close enough to bother her. False, because, from the moment he had seen her enter the room, Rin had immediately thought about how easily he could snap her in half without even trying. She looked fragile and insecure, as though she was frightened simply by being in the company of a man who was not her father.
“This is not a punishment, y/n,” the king sighed gently. “Sir Rin is my finest knight, and also the youngest. He will protect you, and in the meantime, you’ll have someone to keep you company.”
‘Fantastic.’ Rin wanted to die. ‘Now I’ll have to be her tea companion too.’ He had no intention of listening to her complain all day about how miserable her life was, hearing her whine because some noble spoke badly of her, or looking into her eyes while she vented about her awful sister. Those eyes everyone feared. And those eyes Rin could not stop staring at, because they were the most magnificent thing he had ever seen.
y/n briefly turned to glance at Rin, then faced her father once more without saying a word. In the end, King Draven dismissed them both. y/n began walking slowly toward the grand doors of the hall, almost as if she no longer knew how to move now that someone was finally paying attention to her. She walked down the corridor and, after a while, looked back. Rin was behind her. She could not even hear his footsteps. And so Rin’s new life began.
What he had not expected, however, was for the little princess with the mesmerizing eyes to try to escape from him. Quick steps. Sudden turns behind columns. Even the use of secret passages. The problem was that whenever y/n emerged again, Rin was already there. How could she possibly think she could escape Rin Itoshi? Then again, she was a princess. She probably believed she had every right to think so.
At the very least, Rin liked her behavior. He took it as a challenge. Too starved for combat—which he likely would not get to taste again for quite some time—he chased after y/n every single time, never losing sight of her, exactly as the king had ordered. After several attempts, y/n realized it was pointless. She slowed her pace and stopped, her back turned to Rin. Then she took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage, and turned around with a hesitant smile.
“You’re not going to stop following me, are you?” she asked in a voice so sweet it almost sounded unreal.
“No,” was all Rin said.
And although he hated the idea of constantly following her around for who knew how many days, deep down he knew that y/n was not a bad princess, nor an annoying girl like the version of her he kept inventing in his head to convince himself this assignment was terrible. He could not understand how anyone could fear a person who looked like a flower blooming in the middle of snow.
Besides, Rin never disobeyed the Crown.
After nervously fidgeting with her hands for a moment, y/n raised her gaze to meet that of her new knight—the first knight she had ever had. A shiver ran down Rin’s spine. “What’s your name?” she asked, as though she did not already know. He frowned slightly but answered anyway.
“Rin Itoshi.” “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Sir Rin. I’m y/n, although… you already knew that.”
Rin thought that perhaps this princess really was strange after all.
“I did. You may call me simply Rin, Princess.” “Then you can call me simply y/n.” “…I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be appropriate.” “There’s no problem if it’s just the two of us. Besides, I don’t even feel like a princess.” She said it with such a gentle smile, as though it were the most normal thing in the world.
Rin fell silent, growing a little stiff. Breaking the rules was not his strong suit. And if anyone heard him calling the princess by her first name, rumors would surely spread—rumors that would only hurt y/n. Protecting her had now become his duty.
“If you’re not going to stop following me, then… would you rather walk beside me instead of behind me?”
Rin considered it for a moment. Then he moved closer to her—still keeping a respectful distance, but no longer acting like her shadow. He had thought this assignment would be boring, yet the princess had already surprised him three times: with her failed escape attempts, with the way she introduced them as friends, and with her suggestion that they walk side by side as though they were simply taking a stroll through the castle gardens. Rin was almost beginning to believe that this would not be so bad, provided it did not drag on forever.
But at dinner, y/n surprised him a fourth time.
“Please, sit with me. I don’t really like eating alone.” A strange statement, considering that the moment they entered the dining hall, y/n had chosen the smallest and most secluded table in the room. Rin stood behind her, motionless as a statue. Now that he was acting as a bodyguard as well, he could not understand why soldiers had to accompany nobles during meals. The only real danger was someone choking, and if the food happened to be poisoned, they would not know until it was too late anyway. For the first time, he began to feel sympathy for the guards he had judged so harshly.
“Sir Rin?” The sound of her voice brought him back to reality. “You can call me Rin, Princess,” he repeated.
“Well then, Rin…” —the man in question wondered how she managed to pronounce his name so perfectly— “I was asking whether you’d like to sit beside me for dinner.”
“I apologize for not hearing you earlier, Princess. But I cannot sit with you. I am only a knight.”
“It’s okay. I don’t care what you are. You’re not a weapon—you need to eat too.” Rin looked into her heterochromatic eyes. “Otherwise, you won’t be able to keep up with me while I’m trying to escape from you.”
For the first time that day, y/n saw Rin take a breath. Until then, he had seemed so powerful that breathing felt unnecessary to him, as though he himself decided the rules of the world. Everything about him felt more royalty than y/n herself. His breathtaking appearance, those icy eyes that resembled the sea in winter, his black hair that made him seem dangerous. His broad shoulders carrying the weight of a won war and a Royal Sword hanging at his side, reminding everyone that foolishness was best avoided in his presence.
He was rigid. Cold. Winter itself, ordered to protect an enchanted flower.
In the end, Rin sat beside the princess. Because somehow, this had become his life.
Several days had already passed since Rin Itoshi had met y/n y/s, and he was beginning to grow accustomed to his new daily routine—or rather, to the princess’s. Every morning, Rin would wait outside y/n’s chambers while a maid named Naoki helped her prepare for the day. Rin had learned that this maid was the only person who spoke to y/n besides the king, probably because she had watched her grow up.
Afterward, y/n would wander through the castle for a while. She usually went to the private gardens, the ones least visited by the nobles and filled with the most colorful flowers. At lunchtime, she preferred eating beneath the garden’s berceau, alone with Rin in the shade of the leaves. During the afternoon, she would spend hours hidden away in the royal library, reading. Once, she told Rin he was free to go elsewhere and spend his time doing something more useful and less boring. Rin had simply shaken his head and remained in his usual corner, watching her. Finally, in the evening, she would have dinner in the royal dining hall.
As empty as her days seemed, Rin did not hate them. Because before long, he realized he did not hate her. Every morning, when she stepped out of her room, y/n would greet him with a gentle smile and ask what he had dreamed about the night before as they walked down the corridors together. Once they reached the gardens, she would begin talking about what the clouds in the sky meant or how the flowers were starting to wilt to protect themselves from the cold and dehydration now that winter was approaching.
At lunch, y/n always asked whether Rin liked the food. She also constantly tried to make him drink more water, insisting that a knight needed to stay properly hydrated. In the afternoons, she would explain the plot of whatever book she was reading before eventually falling silent and becoming lost in its pages. Yet, Rin always caught her whenever her heterochromatic eyes stole occasional glances in his direction, convinced she was being subtle. At dinner, the two of them always sat as far away from everyone else as possible, as though enclosed within their own little world.
Rin soon understood that y/n was not a witch as people claimed. She was simply a lonely girl. She did not join the nobles’ conversations because nobody would speak to her. She did not involve herself in political matters because nobody would listen to her. Her etiquette was poor because nobody had ever bothered to teach her properly. All because they were afraid of her.
Rin, on the other hand, knew there were far more terrifying things in this world than a small, defenseless girl. And far crueler people. Three years of war had been enough to teach him that. There was nothing about y/n that frightened him. Nor did he pity her. If anything, he was becoming used to having her around, even if she perhaps talked a little too much. Still, hearing her voice was nice. It drowned out the screams of dying soldiers that constantly haunted his mind.
And besides, the best part of the day was the night. As soon as dinner ended, y/n wasted no time heading to her observatory, a small room hidden within the side of a long-abandoned tower.
After climbing several spiral staircases, they would reach a wooden door. Once inside, y/n would always light a wall torch with a flicker of flame. At the center of the room stood a large wooden table covered in papers—papers filled with mathematical formulas far too complicated for Rin to understand—and strange objects whose purposes he did not know, though he was slowly beginning to learn. Shelves lined one side of the room, overflowing with everything y/n used for her experiments.
Her favorite object, however, was the telescope pointed toward the star-filled sky through the observatory’s open window. She could spend hours studying stars and distant planets, sketching maps and marking points in her notebook until Rin eventually decided it was time for her to return to her room and sleep. Sometimes, the two of them would sit side by side against the wall, looking upward through the glass ceiling and watching the stars.
Rin never dared touch anything in that room. He was too afraid of accidentally breaking something y/n treasured. Yet guarding her during those hours became his favorite part of the day. Because there, she no longer looked like someone who wished to disappear rather than interact with others. She looked like someone who simply did not care that a man was watching her play with vinegar and baking soda.
y/n was not fragile. She was misunderstood. And she did not hide because she feared other people, she hid because it was the easiest way to be herself.
“Rin, have you ever seen a volcano erupt?”
Every now and then, y/n still asked strange questions. Rin lifted his head from his usual spot on the floor. She was fiddling with something he could not quite make out.
“No,” he replied. “Actually, I’ve never seen one in person.”
“Neither have I. But I know that when volcanoes erupt, people blame the gods. They say it’s a sign that something terrible is about to happen.” She paused before turning toward him. “Do you believe in gods, Rin?”
“No,” Rin answered again. “I don’t believe in something that doesn’t exist just because I’m too much of a coward to face my fears.”
y/n blinked at him for a moment. It almost seemed as though those words carried a deeper meaning. Eventually, she smiled.
“I don’t believe in those things either. But only because I can prove they’re false.” She stepped aside from the table, making room for him to see what she had been working on. Rin stood and approached, trying to understand what she had created this time.
“This is a volcano!” y/n announced enthusiastically, pointing at a misshapen cardboard structure with a hole in the center. “I made it by wrapping cardboard around a bottle.”
Rin said nothing. He was too afraid of offending her by admitting that it looked like everything except a volcano. Then y/n handed him some baking soda.
“This is baking soda! Put two or three spoonfuls inside the bottle.”
Rin stared at it.
“Is that an order?” “Yes!” “…Why do I have to do it?” y/n smiled.
“You can’t think I’m a witch if you’re the one making our volcano erupt.” Rin knew she was joking, so he did not tell her that she had never looked like a witch in his eyes. Still, a strange warmth settled in his chest when she called it their volcano. In the end, he poured the baking soda into the bottle and added a few drops of red dye as instructed.
“You know,” y/n said while handing him some vinegar, “a volcano doesn’t erupt because the gods had nothing better to do. Inside the Earth, there are molten rocks, gases, pressure…”
Rin glanced at her, silently asking whether he could pour in the final ingredient. She nodded. As he tilted the vinegar into the bottle, y/n continued her explanation. “Magma builds up, and eventually, when there’s too much of it, it rises higher and higher. The pressure increases and then—boom!”
The moment she finished speaking, the mixture began to bubble. Foam rose through the bottle’s neck and spilled over the sides, perfectly imitating a volcanic eruption. Rin stared at it with mild surprise. For a brief instant, amusement flickered across his face before disappearing again. “How…?” he asked quietly.
y/n simply giggled. A cold gust of wind drifted into the room through the open window, sending her hair and flowing clothes dancing around her. Rin had said he did not believe in gods. Yet, for a moment, he found himself thinking that perhaps one stood before him. “It’s called science,” y/n said.
Rin watched her until the wind finally died down. Then he unclasped his long cloak. Before y/n could protest, he wrapped it around her shoulders. The heavy fabric nearly swallowed her whole.
“How about we continue with science tomorrow, Princess?” “Only if you agree to call me y/n.”
Rin tried several times to say something. Eventually, he gave up.
“…y/n,” he said quietly, almost as though speaking her name were a sin. But when he saw her smile again, he thought that perhaps it was not so bad after all.
A few days later, y/n and Rin sat beneath their usual berceau after lunch, immersed in a game of chess. It was y/n’s turn to move, and the match would be over within minutes. She picked up her remaining white knight and moved it decisively. Check. Rin studied her for a moment before returning his attention to the board.
“You’ve improved,” he said before moving his black rook. y/n looked strangely pleased by the compliment. “Really?” she asked, trying to hide the smile spreading across her face so she would not seem too childish. Rin nodded.
“You’re becoming more confident.” The two continued moving the few pieces they had left. “You know,” y/n began, “when I was little, I used to play chess all the time. With my father, back when he had more free time.”
Rin did not answer, but y/n knew he was listening.
“Then we stopped. And nobody else wanted to play with me.” Her voice carried neither sadness nor bitterness. She was merely stating a fact. “Then he taught you well,” Rin said. When y/n lifted her gaze toward him, she found that Rin was already looking at her with that same piercing stare of his. So piercing that, at times, she felt almost naked beneath it. Her chest would burn with embarrassment, and she would quickly break eye contact.
But as time passed, she had begun to enjoy that feeling— the feeling of finally being seen. So today, she continued staring into his aquamarine eyes. It was her move again, but she did not move. And Rin said nothing. After a long silence, y/n spoke.
“Your eyes are like mine too.” “There are no eyes like yours,” Rin replied immediately. Far too quickly, in fact. As though he had not needed a single second to think about it. He regretted saying it the moment the words left his mouth. Perhaps the princess would misunderstand, perhaps she would think he believed all those cruel things people said about her. Perhaps now y/n would hate him.
Instead, y/n blushed. She understood exactly what her knight meant. And she kept looking at him. “Your eyes…” she said softly. “Your eyes have two colors too. They’re both green and blue.” Rin visibly relaxed and soon returned his attention to the chessboard.
“My eyes may have two colors, but they’re still the same. Yours are completely different.” “I know. I don’t really like them. They’re not harmonious. And they aren’t symmetrical.” Only y/n could dislike her eyes because ‘they were not symmetrical.’
“I don’t see it that way,” Rin said. Then he fell completely silent. y/n heard those words clearly. And for the rest of the game, they were all she could think about. For the first time, victory belonged to the princess. And when Rin heard her celebrate, his eyes almost softened (completely).
“Rin, look!” y/n grabbed the king piece and held it up. “This is my father.” She placed it in the center of the board, as though all attention naturally belonged there.
“Everything revolves around him. He has allies and enemies, and even though he moves slowly, he tries to protect everyone. The pawn, on the other hand, is Naoki. Because she’s a maid, and there are many maids in the castle. But if they’re brave and hardworking enough, they can earn very important positions.” Then she picked up the bishop and placed it behind the king, slightly to the right.
“This is you! You’re my father’s right hand and the strongest knight in the kingdom, even though I still haven’t seen you fight. And finally, I’m the rook.” “Why the rook?” Rin asked, following her childish game with a gentleness visible in his gaze. Why not the queen? “Because our observatory is in the castle tower.”
Of course y/n would say something like that. Once again, Rin felt warmth spread through his chest as she placed the rook beside the bishop.
“Oh!” y/n suddenly exclaimed, as though she had just remembered something. She picked up the black knight and placed it beside the bishop representing Rin, filling the empty space next to it. “This is your horse.” Rin frowned slightly, confused by the unexpected addition. “I remember it, you know. When you returned from the war, riding your black horse. I thought…” y/n rested her elbows on the table and looked at Rin again, hiding the lower half of her face behind her hands. “I thought you seemed much more royalty than I had ever been.”
For a moment, Rin genuinely wondered if he should visit the castle physician. His heart had been beating far too hard lately. And usually it did not race this much even after fighting five men at once.
“I could never,” he replied. “Everything about you screams that you’re royalty.” “People think everything about me screams witch.” “Forgive me, Princess. But I think the only cursed thing about you is your eyes, because I can’t stop looking at them.”
It was another night like so many others, one of those nights when y/n kept repeating, ‘just 5 more minutes, please!’ to Rin, begging him to stay a little longer in the observatory and watch those cursed stars. Except they were never really 5 minutes. By now, Rin had grown used to spending the night with his back against the stone wall, his eyes never leaving y/n’s back for even a second as she looked through her telescope, scribbled on her papers, or chose to play with some strange mineral.
In the end, however, she would always sit beside Rin, and they would spend hours talking until dawn drew near and y/n would fall asleep on his shoulder. Then he would escort her back to her chambers, tuck the blankets around her, and watch her sleep for a while before disappearing.
And Rin was fine with it, because somehow, this had become his life.
“Is that a Royal Sword?” y/n asked, her eyes shining as she looked at the imposing sword Rin had laid on the floor between them, the only barrier separating them. She had always wanted to ask, but had never found the courage.
Royal Swords were forged from mythical and rare materials, older than the kingdom itself and limited in number. Few men possessed one, and only the very best were granted such an honor. The sword was forged with a specific person in mind. Its hilt was intricately crafted and based on a representation of the knight’s soul; the entire sword, including the name chosen for it, was meant to embody what mattered most to them and what they would always want to protect—the reason they fought. It was said that these weapons were magical.
“Yes,” Rin replied. “It is.” y/n stared at the sword as though she were afraid to touch it and yet wanted to do nothing else. “I heard it can only be drawn in defense of the Crown,” she said, “and that breaking that vow brings bad luck. Is that true? Is that why you always carry another sword with you?”
“Yes.” “And then… is it true that the katana changes color for every owner?” “Yes. And it isn’t necessarily a katana. It depends on the person it’s entrusted to.” “So… it’s black?” y/n had heard rumors about his Royal Sword. Rin nodded because he felt stupid answering “yes” for a fourth time. y/n smiled.
“It suits you.” Rin raised an eyebrow. “It does? Because I’m cold and grumpy?” y/n giggled softly, and her knight relaxed his entire body. “No, not because it’s ominous, but because it reminds me of a black body. As if it absorbs all the heat and never lets it escape.”
Silence settled between them again. But not an awkward silence. Not the kind that made you want to scratch at your skin just to stop thinking about it.
The kind that made you feel safe.
“It seems incomplete, though,” y/n said thoughtfully. “It is,” Rin replied. “Why?” Rin hesitated for a moment before answering. He had never spoken about this with anyone before, except the king when the latter informed him that he would receive such a relic.
“The hilt is supposed to be shaped to represent the spirit of the knight. What they value most and what they most wish to protect.” He paused briefly. “I haven’t decided yet.”
The princess thought about it for a moment, then smiled. “Good!” Rin looked at her from the corner of his eye, slightly confused. “What’s good about that? I had the honor of receiving a Royal Sword and I didn’t even know what to name it. I’m lukewarm.” He said it almost as though he were angry with himself.
y/n did not like that tone.
“You are the strongest knight in the kingdom, the king’s most trusted knight, the one who led three hundred men against a thousand and won while losing fewer than a hundred soldiers. That is being a legend, not lukewarm.” Rin missed a beat as y/n spoke those words. No one had ever said something like that to him. “The fact that you still don’t know how to decorate your sword proves that you truly care about your choice, that you don’t make decisions when there’s a chance you might regret them later. You are a real person. That’s why my father entrusted me to you. Because someone like you would never allow himself to be influenced by other people’s voices.”
Rin looked at her: her long hair, the profile of her face illuminated by candlelight, her eyes. Her brows were slightly furrowed, as though she were upset by what Rin had said about himself. The thought that he might have been the one to upset her was destroying him, even if it was over something so small.
“I’m sorry… y/n,” he said her name, as he always did when they were alone, immersed in their own little world.
“I didn’t mean to make you nervous.” y/n relaxed and, with melancholy eyes, looked upward through the glass ceiling, gazing at her beloved stars.
“I wasn’t angry. It’s just that those words… sounded a lot like something I always think about myself. And it hurts when I think them. So I didn’t want you to hurt yourself.” Rin followed y/n’s gaze upward, and before either of them realized it, their bodies were touching. y/n’s head rested on Rin’s shoulder. Neither of them even knew when they had moved so close.
“Then maybe…” Rin began, “we could be lukewarm together.” y/n felt her eyes grow damp as she smiled. “I’d love that.”
“The celebration is in three days. Then perhaps Mira will finally find the perfect suitor.” King Draven sat behind his desk, buried beneath piles of paperwork. Rin had been summoned to his small office. “If Mira finds someone to marry and leaves the palace, you will no longer be required to constantly protect y/n.” Rin knew that perfectly well. That had been the entire premise of the assignment the king had given him months ago.
Once, Rin had prayed every day that the kingdom’s eldest princess would quickly find a husband. Now, he almost wished she would remain alone for the rest of her life if it meant having an excuse to stay by y/n’s side forever. But then again, if Mira never left the castle, y/n would continue to be threatened. Rin no longer knew what he wanted. He only knew that he did not like the idea of no longer being the younger princess’s babysitter.
The king—who had practically raised Rin as though he were his third child—looked at him, fully understanding the turmoil within him. He smiled fondly. Then he spoke quietly. “Rin,” he said, drawing his attention, “what do you think of my daughter?”
Rin looked at him, confused. “Not Mira. What do you think of y/n?” Rin was not very good with words, but he tried anyway. He thought of y/n in the observatory, smiling, and concentrated as though he were about to face someone in battle. Finally, he said,
“I think she talks too much.”
The king stared at him, blinking a few times. After five seconds, he burst out laughing. “…What?” Rin muttered, offended. “I thought you were going to say something nice about her! Although I suppose what you said about y/n isn’t entirely false…”
Rin’s ears turned slightly red. Then he tried to explain himself better.
“I mean… Princess y/n talks a lot, as if the mere fact that someone stays long enough to listen makes her happy.” The king was no longer laughing. And then, perhaps because Rin somehow felt obligated to speak well of the princess in front of the king instead of teasing her, he continued. “But it’s not a flaw. I… like listening to her, even though I probably shouldn’t think things like that. She talks so much that I don’t have time to think about when I was on the battlefield.”
King Draven now looked at him seriously, but chose not to comment on Rin’s words. He did not want to upset him now that he was finally beginning to express his emotions. “You should tell her those words too,” he said simply. Then he returned his attention to his paperwork, sighing softly. Rin thought he had said something wrong, something he should not have said. Instead, the king paused. With a small smile, he slowly looked back at Rin.
“Would you like to continue protecting y/n even after Mira is no longer here?”
Rin almost forgot how to breathe. He did not know whether this was some kind of test the king was putting him through. But he remembered y/n’s words from a few days earlier in the observatory, when she had told him that he was a real person. So Rin decided on his answer.
“Yes. I would.”
“Lord Valis will also be attending the ball tomorrow! Except you, I only know the name of one other knight who possesses a Royal Sword, and it’s him,” y/n said animatedly, her eyes shining at the thought of such a lord. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, already wearing her nightgown, her hair loose and slightly wild. Rin was sitting on the bed as well.
The two were separated only by a basin of warm water, in which Rin constantly dipped a small cotton cloth before wringing out the excess water. He gently took y/n’s exposed arm, covered in scratches and bruises, and carefully washed it to make sure the wounds were clean. Two days earlier, Rin had left her alone for about half an hour just so he could speak with the king, and this had happened. But when Rin found y/n, she did not cry, nor did she complain. She only asked to go to sleep.
Except it was three o’clock in the afternoon.
“I’ve never met Lord Valis in person, but I’ve always wanted to. He’s famous for his kingdom. It’s very far away, and they say it’s constantly winter in that land,” y/n continued, ignoring what Rin was doing. “They also say his people are brilliant in science. His kingdom produces the finest scholars in the world! I read about their studies in some book. I’d love to visit his kingdom someday.”
Rin moved on to her other arm, giving it the same care, while continuing to listen to y/n. He always did.
“Have you ever visited his kingdom?” “No,” Rin replied. “But I’ve heard of him. Like you said, he also has a Royal Sword. I’ve heard he’s one of the finest knights in the kingdom.” “But you’re the finest knight in the kingdom,” y/n said softly, looking at him with admiration. The corner of Rin’s mouth almost twitched, but he immediately returned to his serious expression.
“I’d like to meet him too, except I’d want to challenge him to a sword duel. I’d lose the battle of minds.” y/n giggled softly. “I’d win the battle of minds and lose the sword duel miserably.” This time Rin genuinely smiled a little, a rare sight that y/n had only managed to witness a handful of times. He set the damp cloth aside, standing up to put the basin away, and returned with a bowl containing an herbal cream. He began applying it gently to her arms.
“Yeah… yeah, you would,” Rin finally replied. “You’re getting bold.” “That’s because I’m always with you.”
Silence fell over the room. As Rin continued his work, y/n stared ahead for a moment, eventually catching sight of herself and Rin in the mirror on her desk. For the first time that evening, y/n finally paid attention to what was happening around her. Her eyes settled on her arms, which Rin was now wrapping with bandages to keep the ointment in place. The poor knight immediately noticed the change in his princess’s mood.
“Do you think… Lord Valis would notice me at the ball?” “Yes,” Rin said immediately, “because I would.” He paused slightly to look into her eyes, and when he realized they were too close, he returned to wrapping the bandages around her second arm. y/n remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
“Once, Mira said that she would really like it if Lord Valis took an interest in her.” Rin had just finished, and now he was tucking the blankets around y/n as he had done a thousand times before. “I hope Lord Valis doesn’t fall for Mira, because if they become husband and wife, I’ll never be able to visit his kingdom.”
Rin stopped, slightly bent toward her as he looked at her. One of his hands was close to y/n’s body, but he never allowed himself to touch her. “Then I’ll take you to another kingdom.”
“What?” y/n asked, a little confused. Rin repeated his words.
“I’ll take you to another kingdom, one where people won’t be afraid of your knowledge, one where you can watch the stars for as long as you want without anyone bothering you.”
y/n looked at him, her eyelids drooping with exhaustion. “You promise?” “I promise.”
She was beautiful. Rin could think of nothing else. That evening, y/n was glowing. She wore a long white dress, with a fitted bodice that left her shoulders bare and sleeves that draped from her forearms down to the middle of her hands. Her hair was left loose, though styled with several braids adorned with small red and blue flowers. Naoki had done a good job.
Rin spotted her the moment she entered the grand hall, despite it being packed with people. He saw her as she slowly made her way inside, looking around uncertainly, not quite sure where to go, probably searching for the best place to hide. He wanted to move and reach her in three strides, tell her that everything was fine and that they could do whatever she wanted. Even sneak away and go to their observatory, if that was what she wished. But this stupid role of knight prevented Rin from moving and forced him to remain motionless as a statue at the edge of the hall.
When y/n finally found him, however, she smiled and began walking toward him with determined steps. Rin felt selfish for finding joy in that. He never took his eyes off her, not even once, and eventually she stopped in front of him. For a moment, she said nothing, her expression shifting into a confused one.
“What are you doing?” y/n asked. “Watching over idiots,” Rin replied dryly. The only person he wanted to watch over was standing right in front of him.
“Can’t you move?” “No.” “Mmh… okay, then I’ll stay here with you.” Rin watched as she began playfully circling around him. “You should try having fun instead.” “I only have fun with you,” y/n replied firmly. Rin tilted his head slightly to look at her better.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. And immediately afterward, he cursed himself for letting it slip out. y/n turned red and lightly gathered part of her skirt in her hands, but she looked happy. A shy smile formed on her lips, and she opened her mouth to answer.
“y/n! Rin!” Someone called from behind them. Both of them stiffened as they turned toward the person who had called out to them (and interrupted their little moment). King Draven approached them with a smile, his crown gleaming atop his head. “I knew I’d find you together.” After the two of them offered a small bow, the king waved a hand, saying there was no need to be formal. Then he turned to Rin.
“I think my daughter won’t leave your side before the end of this celebration.” Rin tried not to react, and y/n remained red-faced, hiding slightly behind her knight’s back. “So I was thinking…” the king continued. “Why don’t you abandon this boring etiquette and take y/n around the celebration for a while?”
Both young people were now surprised. y/n looked at Rin hopefully, but he tried to ignore her.
“Your Majesty, I… am only her knight. I don’t think it would be good for the princess’s image if I were her escort at the ball.” The sadness appeared immediately in y/n’s eyes, and Rin wanted to lock himself in the punishment room for an entire week simply because he had been the one to disappoint her with those words. The king smiled with a mixture of fondness and amusement before replying.
“You’re not just a knight, Rin. You’re a person, and you’re the one who cares about y/n and protects her more than anyone else. After me, of course.” The king paused for a moment to stick his tongue out playfully at y/n, and she giggled. “Who deserves to stand by her side more than you?” he finished. Rin thought about it for a moment. Rationally, he knew the king was right, and that there was nothing wrong with keeping y/n company at this dreadful celebration. But his heart was beating strangely, and he did not know how to react. In the end, he let out a small sigh and turned to y/n. She looked at him while holding her breath.
“Princess, would you like to have me as your escort for the ball?”
A smile slowly spread across y/n’s face as she answered yes. And when the two of them slowly took each other’s hand, Rin forgot how to breathe. Then they left their old spot, and Rin began guiding y/n around the hall. From afar, the king watched them with a proud face. “You should have linked your arms, not held hands, idiots,” he muttered to himself. But there was no real annoyance in his tone. Only affection. Meanwhile, Rin and y/n walked toward the buffet, avoiding the center of the hall.
“Is there anything in particular you’d like to do?” Rin asked, a little nervously, though he tried not to show it. He felt as though he were talking to a girl for the first time. Not that Rin had ever really had a conversation long enough to be called one with any woman other than y/n, but still, it felt ridiculous. And y/n was younger than him too, so he needed to get a grip on himself.
“I’d like to eat that dessert,” y/n replied innocently, completely unaware of the turmoil raging inside Rin. Rin picked up a plate and handed her the dessert she had pointed at. The two ended up eating together. Afterward, they wandered around the hall for a while. They commented on the nobles passing by them, on the ridiculous skirt of Mira’s dress—which was so wide that it prevented anyone from getting too close to her—on the noblemen desperately trying to impress her in the hope of becoming the next king, and on the music changing in the background. And when a slow song finally began to play, and several couples started dancing a waltz across the floor, Rin slowly turned toward y/n, who was watching the scene.
“y/n…” he said quietly, loud enough for her to hear, but soft enough that no one else could.
“Would you like to dance with—”
“Princess,” a firm, deep voice called from behind them, interrupting Rin’s question. Both of them turned around in confusion. The man was tall and broad-shouldered—he looked like an excellent fighter, Rin immediately noted. His jaw was sharp and well defined, his hair long and white as snow, while his brown eyes were fixed on y/n. Resting at his side was what was unmistakably a Royal Sword. y/n looked at the man before her, her eyes widening.
“Lord Valis,” she said quietly, and Rin turned to look at her again. So, that’s him, he thought. Lord Valis politely inclined his head and, with a sincere smile, continued speaking. “I’m glad I found you, Princess. I’ve been looking for you throughout the entire hall. I would like to speak with you.” A small playful smile appeared on his face. “I know you’re a remarkable scholar, and I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”
y/n did not answer immediately, clearly overwhelmed. Rin was annoyed that someone had interrupted them, but Lord Valis seemed genuine, and y/n looked happy. So, as he always did, he pretended nothing was wrong.
“But before we start talking,” Valis said, extending a hand toward y/n, “would you honor me with a dance?”
Rin heard y/n’s breathing change, and immediately noticed how the princess turned to look at him, not the lord. Rin quickly scanned the hall. Mira, standing far from them, looked as though she wished the great chandelier would suddenly crash onto the dance floor and kill every couple beneath it. On the opposite side, the king was watching Rin with sparkling eyes, both thumbs raised as if urging him to give y/n a little push. In the end, while y/n tried to answer Lord Valis through a series of stutters, Rin stepped closer from behind her.
“What the princess is trying to say…” he began, glancing briefly at y/n, “…is that she would be very happy to receive such an honor.” y/n immediately spun toward Rin and whispered “But you asked me first.” Rin felt a sharp ache in his chest. “This is different.”
He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing himself to touch her only because he was wearing gloves.
“Don’t be stubborn. I’ll wait for you here.”
Eventually, y/n gave in and took Lord Valis’s hand, allowing him to lead her toward the dance floor. And Rin returned to doing what he had always done: watching over her. He watched as Valis’s respectful hand rested lightly against her back. He watched them begin to dance among the other guests. He watched the lord’s lips move as he spoke to y/n, and the way he lowered himself slightly to better hear her responses. And at one point, he even heard her laugh, a sweet sound that was usually reserved for Rin alone.
When Lord Valis smiled at her, genuinely and warmly, his fists clenched at his sides. He had been so foolish to think, even for just a few minutes, that he might actually remain by y/n’s side for the rest of his life, as though no one else would ever come along besides him and recognize her worth. Someone who could offer y/n a world he never could.
I promise, he had said the night before at her bedside. And he had meant it. But perhaps he was not the one who should do it, not her knight. Perhaps a lord was better suited for it.
As the dance came to an end, his gaze drifted for a moment toward Princess Mira, who was now toying with a glass goblet, swirling some wine around inside it. Her back was turned to the guests, and her expression was cold, lost in thought. Rin frowned, because he knew that spoiled princess was never a sign of anything good.
“Rin.”
Rin looked ahead, noticing that the song had ended and that y/n had returned to him. “I’m back,” the princess said. Rin was silent for a moment, and then, once again forgetting all the negative thoughts he had been having just moments before, he spoke.
“Welcome back.”
y/n smiled and began telling him everything she and Lord Valis had talked about, how much she had enjoyed the conversation, but how she had eventually told the lord that she had to return to Rin because he was waiting for her. “You didn’t have to,” Rin said. “I wanted to,” y/n replied. And then, their peace was disturbed for the umpteenth time that day, but this time not by a welcome guest.
“y/n.” Mira spoke with barely concealed disdain, though she wore a strained little smile. Rin stepped slightly in front of y/n as Mira approached them, still holding her glass goblet. The column behind which Rin and y/n had moved earlier to remain secluded now shielded them from the rest of the guests. “You never learn, do you?”
She had barely started speaking, and Rin already wanted to cut her head off. y/n remained silent as her older sister continued to lash out at her. “Out of all the men you could have deceived with your spells, did you really have to bewitch him?” Mira said angrily, obviously referring to the dance y/n had shared with Lord Valis. Annoyed, Rin answered in y/n’s place.
“Watch your mouth,” he said to Mira, and his voice was nothing like the gentle, calm tone he reserved for the other princess. “You should be the one doing that! I’m royalty!” she snapped indignantly. Meanwhile, y/n gently grasped Rin’s sleeve, looking at Mira with nothing but exhaustion.
“There is only one royal to me, and I take orders only from her.”
Rin was very clear about that, and somehow it managed to halt Mira’s stream of insults. At least until she burst into a harsh, almost hysterical laugh. “I can’t believe this,” she said, staring at y/n. “Now you’ve hypnotized the finest knight in the kingdom too. Are you planning to take away any more of my privileges?”
Rin wanted to tell her that he would rather be tortured for months than serve her for even a single day, but he decided not to fuel her anger any further. After all, they were still at the party, and his priority was to protect y/n—always. But then, Mira did something even Rin could not have foreseen. The remaining shards of the broken glass fell to the ground, producing a sound that drew the attention of most of the hall. Mira threw herself to the floor, screaming in pain and calling for help, while blood began to run down from her head.
“Someone, help me, please!” she said, dragging herself away from the column so she could be seen by everyone. “Mira!” King Draven shouted, alarmed, already rushing forward with his guards. “It was her, Father—y/n! She hit me on the head with her glass!” Mira screamed so loudly that everyone could hear, as two maids helped her up from the ground.
“That’s not true!” y/n finally replied, gripping Rin’s clothes tightly with obvious agitation and shame. “I didn’t do anything, she hit herself!” The king looked between the two sisters in shock, not knowing what to do. He did not truly believe that y/n had struck Mira, since she had never responded to her attacks for years, and would have no reason to do so now that Rin was by her side. But he also could not believe that Mira was capable of such cruelty, far greater than anything she had ever shown before.
However, his hesitation was felt, and murmurs began to rise in the air, quickly turning into frightened voices.
‘She really did it.’. ‘I can’t believe she did that to her own sister!’ ‘She’s a witch! We’re all in danger!’ y/n was scared, Rin could tell without even looking at her. He could hear her breathing grow faster, her usual aura falling into turmoil. Just as he was about to grab her and take her away from this false scene, something hit y/n’s back, followed by a man shouting ‘witch’, making her arch and flinch in pain.
That was enough for Rin.
His hand quickly found the hilt of his Royal Sword, and with a clean motion it was drawn in front of everyone present, the effect of having unsheathed it so strong that it produced a gust of wind throughout the entire room. His other hand moved behind y/n’s head, gently but firmly guiding her against his chest, covering her sight. Even though y/n could have sworn she saw, for a brief moment, Rin’s eyes turn red. No one dared to speak anymore in front of Rin Itoshi’s imposing black blade, even if it was incomplete.
“If anyone dares even approach y/n, they die.”
Rin said it coldly, without emotion. After a complete silence filled the hall, the king, who had Mira taken away to be treated, shouted at Rin. “Rin!” for the first time, he sounded angry with him. “You cannot do this! You cannot simply use your Royal Sword!”
“Once, you told me I could only use it to defend the crown,” Rin replied quietly, not lowering his weapon even against the king. “y/n is the crown. She is a scholar, not a witch. And she is under my protection, by a power granted by the king himself.” The sword pulsed with a crimson red beneath his fingers, as if responding to him. No one dared to move or speak. And before things could escalate further, a third person intervened.
“Enough!” Lord Valis’s voice rose loudly across the hall as he signaled his personal guards to escort everyone out of the castle. “Everyone out!” And as the people finally left the hall, Rin lowered his sword slightly. King Draven looked at Lord Valis, but before he could even speak, the lord continued—now that only they, Rin, and y/n remained. “It was all false. y/n didn’t hurt her, and neither did Rin. Mira did it herself. I am certain, because I saw it with my own eyes.”
It was the third night. The third night that y/n refused to leave her room. When, after the disastrous party, Rin had brought y/n back to her chambers, he had waited for her to fall asleep, watching over her all night and holding her hand whenever she grew restless in her sleep. But the next morning, when he went to pick her up as usual, y/n did not respond. No walks, no shared lunches, no chess games, and no night observatory. Rin waited, sitting in front of her door day and night.
But y/n did not say a single word, did not move a single step. Now, Rin was sitting on the floor again, his back resting against the wooden door. It was past midnight, and Rin was staring at his Royal Sword in his hands, remembering how, just a few days earlier, he had drawn it in front of everyone to protect her. Finally, something inside him broke.
“y/n,” he said gently, “I know you’re awake. You always are at this hour, because we’re in our observatory.” He got no answer. He swallowed, then continued speaking. “I’ve been sitting here for three days, and I’ve thought a lot. I’ve discovered I have a lot of time to think.” Even if y/n did not respond, Rin could feel her presence on the other side of the wood.
“I chose the name for my sword.” Rin felt a faint movement. “The other day… I didn’t mean to scare you when I drew it like that. I’m sorry.” He lowered his gaze to his sword, then finished everything in one breath.
“I know the name of a Royal Sword is supposed to represent what matters most to the knight. For a long time, I had no idea. I was always just a knight who followed orders. But when you told me that not knowing how to complete my sword was a good thing, I really tried to understand what I wanted it to represent, just to make you happy. But everything I thought about always led me back to the same thing. You.”
Rin paused, closing his eyes.
“The sky, the stars,” he continued, “even horses and volcanoes,” he said, almost smiling a little. “Even flowers. Once, you told me that flowers wither to defend themselves from cold and dehydration. I thought it suited you, and that it wasn’t right that something so beautiful should fade because of others.” His voice lowered. “I thought of naming my sword after astronomy. Something that could remind me of you.” Finally, he added softly the last words.
“It would have been about you.”
Rin stopped speaking, having fully opened his heart. But then he heard her voice behind the door. “Don’t.” Rin’s eyes widened instantly. “Don’t,” y/n continued, her voice trembling, “don’t condemn yourself by choosing something that will bind you to me forever. I don’t want you to be cursed, I want you to be happy.” Rin instinctively moved closer to the door.
“I ruin things, I ruin people. Maybe people are right to be afraid of me. I hate myself. I hate that I care about what people think, I hate wanting to be seen. I hate them, because they hate me. I hate Mira for what she did to me, and I hate my father for letting it happen.” There was a small pause after her powerful words. “But I don’t hate you, Rin. Not at all. So don’t do it, please.” In the end, y/n was sobbing behind the door.
Rin’s chest hurt. He sighed, resting his forehead against the door. No barrier could stop him from feeling y/n’s presence.
“y/n,” he said softly, so as not to scare her, “open the door and come into my arms.” “I can’t.” “You can. You’ve been brave your whole life. You are the strongest person I know.”
When y/n still did not answer, Rin spoke again.
“I love you,” he said, almost fearfully. “I love you, not as a knight, but as a man. And I love you, not as a princess, but as y/n.”
In the end, the door opened, and y/n immediately found herself in Rin’s arms. The lit candles in the hallway were the only source of light illuminating their silhouettes as they shared a kiss, slow and deep, and neither of them wanted to break it.
About an hour later, the two were back in the observatory. A large blanket wrapped around their shoulders, while y/n rested her back against Rin’s chest.
Eclipse, that was the name Rin had chosen for his Royal Sword. y/n liked it very much. ‘An eclipse occurs when any celestial body, such as a planet or satellite, comes between a light source, such as a star, and another celestial body.’ It was she who explained it to Rin. Now, the princess was playing with Rin’s hand, lost in her thoughts, before Rin interrupted her. Usually, it was the other way around.
“A while ago, you told me to remember my return from the war. When I came back to the castle on my black horse.” y/n smiled faintly, tired. “Yes. I remember you looked very serious, as always. I thought your horse looked like it came out of a magical story.” Rin’s expression changed slightly, becoming distant. “I also remember the day you were born.” y/n blinked, surprised. “You do? Just how old are you?”
Rin huffed slightly, lightly tapping her forehead with his finger, making her giggle. Then he leaned in to kiss the same spot. “I was small. Very small, maybe four. I don’t remember much.” He looked up at the stars, and y/n followed his gaze. “That night, there was a meteor shower.” y/n’s breath stopped. “Really?”
“Yes,” Rin continued. “I remember I was in the street with other people, watching the event. Some were praying to the gods, others thought it was a bad omen. And then there was this traveler, old and probably drunk. But he kept saying that a new ruler had been born under the dance of the stars. I remember he pointed at the castle and said, ‘the one with the eyes of the gods.’”
“That’s impossible,” y/n said. “How could he have known about my eyes?” “I don’t know,” Rin replied honestly, “but I remember everyone ignored him, except me.” Then Rin slowly lifted y/n’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “You’ve always been special, y/n. It’s this kingdom that doesn’t know how to appreciate you.”
y/n leaned against Rin’s shoulder, letting herself be cradled in his arms. After a moment, she spoke with a smile.
“…I think I understand it now.” “What?” “Why women like to feel seen.” “And why is that?” y/n looked into his eyes, meeting his intense gaze.
“Because when someone looks at you like this, it feels warm everywhere.”
a/n: don’t copy or translate! Any likes, reposts or comments are greatly appreciated. I LOVE this trope, I could write about this story forever. Maybe I’ll write a second part sooner or later.
