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I.
She hadn’t meant to lose track of time, but Genevieve was so stressed out with her mother and her duties that she had accidentally fallen asleep in the highest tree in the gardens, her book perched dangerously close to the edge. She cursed under her breath as she grabbed her book, preparing to make her way down the tree before Logan could notice she was absent. She was halfway down the tree when she misstepped and before she knew it, she had taken a nasty spill onto the ground. Pain immediately radiated throughout her body, and she hobbled to her feet, gritting her teeth at the sensation of blood dripping steadily down her leg. Genevieve knew she was going to be in a lot of trouble, God forbid Logan or Walter find out about this, so that’s how she ended up in the kitchen castle, her legs hanging over the edge of the counter as Elliot kneeled before her, inspecting the series of scratches on her knee she had sustained due to her fall from the tree.
“How do you manage to always get yourself in trouble whenever I’m not stuck at your side?” Elliot gently scolded her as he stood to his feet, and she felt herself blush at his words, opting to look away so he didn’t see the pink tinging her cheeks.
“I can take care of myself, you know.” Genevieve insisted, her finger making lines through a leftover pile of flour and he shook his head and laughed, kneeling back down in front of her. She could feel the heat emanating from him as he moved closer to her body, and she tried not to squirm at his proximity. From her vantage point, she could see the concentration on his face as he carefully cleaned her wounds, making sure to be as gentle as possible while doing so. Genevieve couldn’t deny that Elliot was handsome, or the fact that she had somewhat of an infatuation with him, but she was also painfully aware that he saw her as nothing more than the daughter of one of the greatest heroes Albion had ever known, the heir to the throne. She didn’t know why she was thinking of this, but before she knew it, she felt angry tears well up in her eyes, and she gently moved him away from her, going to stand on unsteady legs. Elliot reached out to prevent her from falling, and she flinched away from him, causing the younger boy’s hand to fall limply to his side.
“Why do you not treat me like you do all the other girls? Like, your… admirers.” Genevieve said before she could stop herself, and Elliot tilted his head slightly to the side at her question, looking at her like she had just grown an extra head.
“Because you are nothing like any of them.” Elliot answered simply, turning his back to begin to clean up the medical supplies he had used to clean her wounds. She couldn’t fathom why that answer filled her with so much rage, but it did, so she limped over to him and tugged him so he was facing her. She froze in her tracks at how close they had suddenly gotten, and time stood painfully still as Elliot’s hand reached up to carefully cup her cheek. Genvieve instinctively moved towards him, Elliot copying her movements, but it was when their lips were a centimeter apart that the harmony they had created shattered around them, and reality set in. Elliot pulled away from her, and Genevieve felt her heart quietly shatter inside of her chest, and she looked at him with tears sticking in her throat.
“You know we cannot do this. I’m just a kitchen servant, I have no land or gold to offer for your hand. I have… nothing.” Elliot said softly, turning away from her to busy himself with cutting vegetables for tonight’s dinner preparations. Genevieve put her hand on his shoulder, turning him to face her once more.
“I do not care what you have or do not have, you could have the richest of rubies and it wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t change how I feel for you, nothing could. Why do you only see me as everyone else does? I thought I was just Genevieve to you.” She couldn’t keep the accusatory tone out of her voice, and Genevieve didn’t miss him wincing at her words. His hand covered hers on his shoulder and he squeezed gently before removing her hand, letting it fall back down to her side.
“You are my future Queen, and I am your loyal servant. That’s all that there can ever be between us. I think it is best if you and I do away with this friendship, nothing good will come from it.” Elliot said, bitterness coating his words.
“There already is something between us, why can’t you see that?” Genevieve pleaded, feeling the tears well up in her eyes as Elliot slipped further and further through her fingers. She knew his words held some semblance of truth, but she found that she didn’t quite care what consequences she would face for being with him, even if for a moment. She took another experimental step towards him, waiting to see what he would do, but Elliot stayed rooted in the same spot, finding that his limbs could not move himself away from her.
“I’m sorry princess, but you should probably go and find Walter, he was here looking for you earlier.” Elliot said as he finally found the courage to walk away, leaving her in the kitchen all alone. Genevieve figured something like this was bound to happen, but she had not expected it so soon. She never wanted to lose Elliot, the one person in this godforsaken world who she had that made her feel normal, but Genevieve knew she could never be normal, not now, not ever. So with a heavy heart, she departed the kitchen, leaving a piece of her heart behind in the flour.
II.
It had been two years since Genevieve had last stepped foot into the kitchen, throwing herself into the very same royal duties she hated with a passion to distract herself from him , but Genevieve had found out that forgetting Elliot was nearly an impossible feat. He was everywhere she turned, that stupid polite smile on his face as he brushed past her, pretending that there was nothing between them still, and she was frustrated beyond belief. Logan had come home and immediately locked himself in his bedchambers, and their mother had taken a turn for the worst, and it was all up to her to try to run a nation seemingly all on her own. She was only 17 years old, she wasn’t prepared in the slightest to take on a whole continent's worth of responsibility, but heavy is the head that wears the crown, so she had to grit her teeth and bear it all alone. She had the support of Jasper and Walter to guide her, but she found herself wanting more, wanting him and she despised the feeling she felt curl around her stomach whenever she saw him with another girl, making her laugh or showing off that stupid boyish charm (oh how she envied all of them) . She had no time for childish crushes, running after something she could not have, so she buried the feelings as well as she could, going out of her way to avoid him now more than ever. Walter sensed her discomfort, but he never pressed her on what was troubling her, and Genevieve was both grateful and dejected at the action. She sat in the throne room, legs crossed tightly as she awaited a meeting she had scheduled for her by Walter, a meeting to discuss alliances with Aurora, and what would come next after her mother passed away.
“Princess Genevieve, your guests will soon be arriving.” Jasper told her from the entrance to the throne room, and she nodded her head at his words, distracted by a thought that had begun to blossom within her head; when her mother passed, what would happen? Logan hadn’t been right since he returned from his solo adventure, flinching at every loud noise and waking up screaming every night with tremors running through his body. He was in no mental headspace to run Albion, but given his age, he would be next in line for the throne. The thought worried her immensely, but she was pulled from her thoughts by the representatives of Aurora arriving, so she took a deep breath and pushed aside what she was feeling, like she always did.
When the meeting ended and everyone went their separate ways, Genevieve didn’t feel like any concrete progress had been made, and she felt an even heavier burden fall onto her already crumbling shoulders. She didn’t know how it happened, but suddenly, she found herself slumped at one of the tables in the dining hall, a half finished bottle of rum sitting precariously on the edge. She had her head resting on her forearms, so she didn’t hear that she had a guest, until she felt a warmth spread over her body and she knew it was him.
“Princess Genevieve, why are you down here so late?” His voice still sounded the same, and it made her heart ache all over again. But the influence of the liquor outweighed her sadness at the situation, so she answered with a scoff, grabbing the bottle by the neck and taking another pull. Genevieve heard Elliot sigh, his eyes flitting back and forth between her and the bottle.
“My mother’s on her deathbed, my brother may or may not be going mad, and the boy that I think I might love won’t even speak to me. I wish I could leave this place and never look back. Nothing but pain awaits me here.” Genevieve didn’t care if Elliot was listening to her or not, it seemed anyways that her words always fell upon deaf ears. But to her utter surprise, Elliot sat down across from her, and she looked at him in confusion.
“Why are you here? No longer afraid of finally admitting out loud what you and I both know is true?” Her tone was accusatory, a normal tone Genevieve had adopted since she had been under all the stress, but there was also a tinge of desperation- the hope that for once, Elliot would give her the honesty she had been craving. But to her disappointment, he sighed once more and ran his hands through his short brown hair.
“I came to see if you were okay, I know you have not had it easy. And I came to offer my companionship to you should you ever need it. I may be your servant, but it is my life’s duty to make sure you never feel alone.” Elliot’s tone was cordial, but it also felt incredibly rehearsed and Genevieve scoffed loudly at his words.
“I do not need nor want your companionship. You made it painfully clear you wanted nothing to do with me other than to be just another face in the crowd of my speeches. I have been trying to respect your wishes for the past 2 years, but I’m finding it difficult to keep holding myself back.” Genevieve uttered the last words underneath her breath, but his reaction told her that he had heard what she said. A long pause stretched between them for a long time, until she calmly rose to her feet and walked over to him, Elliot’s eyes following her the whole way.
“Why are you doing this to me? Why do you continue to make me feel this way for you?” Elliot said softly, his glassy eyes staring up at her as she leaned over him, the bottle of alcohol long forgotten. Genevieve held her breath as she moved closer and closer to him, feeling his warm breath hit her face. Elliot’s hands came to rest on her waist, and his touch felt like fire on her skin.
“I do not want to fight this anymore. Tell me to stop and I shall.” Genevieve replied breathlessly, anticipation clawing at her gut. But when their lips were centimeters apart, when there was only a gap left between their mouths, Elliot pulled back with a frustrated groan.
“I want to, more than anything.. But you know we…” His voice trailed off as her face burned in shame. She cleared her throat and stood up, smoothing down her skirts and picking up the bottle once again. Genevieve felt Elliot’s eyes on her, but she couldn’t look him in the eye. She felt sick with anger and with grief, she felt like if she looked at him, then she wouldn’t be able to walk away from him.
“You know what? I’m tired of this back and forth nonsense. It is obvious that the feelings I thought you harbored for me were nothing but a lie, and I apologize for not noticing sooner. I suppose this is goodbye then right? We will not speak, or spend any time together. We won’t even breathe in the same vicinity as each other since the very sight of me is such an inconvenience to you. You will not have to worry about me at all anymore, you got your wish Elliot.” Genevieve couldn’t stop the shaking in her voice or the tears spilling down her cheeks, but she was too tired to care about keeping up her facade. She loved him, she was certain of that, but this moment proved that they were never fated to meet, never meant to connect.
“I’m sorry, Princess.” Elliot’s voice was small, but she heard him all the same. There were so many confessions hidden in those 3 small words, things they would never be able to say to each other out loud.
I love you. I want you. I can’t live without you.
“I’m sorry too.” She replied softly, turning on her heel and leaving Elliot sitting in the dining room with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company.
III.
It had been many years since Genevieve had fled the castle with Walter and Jasper at her side, many years since she had learned the truth about her lineage; she was a Hero, just like her father had been before her, and she had been tasked with overthrowing the tyrannical leader who she called brother. It felt like she had aged 20 years since that last day in the castle, that day she had to choose between Elliot and the failed leaders of a rebellion; it had not been a hard choice. But despite knowing her heart could not deny her selfishness, she still felt an immense amount of guilt for all that had transpired. She had lost so many allies in this war, and the guilt of each one settled on her throat like a boot, pressing her down into the dirt where she belonged. Swift, Eleanora, Sebastasian.. The list of fallen friends continued to grow, and Genevieve couldn’t swallow without tasting bitterness. So she did the one thing she knew to do; she started helping the local townspeople, still as loyal to her people even as a traitor to the crown. She completed rescue missions for whoever required her assistance, and slowly, she began to feel like she deserved a chance to still be alive, to still be fighting.
“When you get done with your little journey, we need you back here, Princess. There are some things Page still wants to discuss regarding the trip to Aurora.” Ben Finn informed her as she suited up, grabbing her weapons and placing them in the holsters around her hips. Genevieve nodded at his words, bidding him a farewell before she ventured out into the streets of Bowerstone Industrial, the soot and smoke from the factories nearly stealing her breath. She was approached by a few different people on her way to the children’s orphanage, and she made small conversations with them, pressing coins into their hands before she walked away. She wished she could do more for them, the people who lived in street gutters and hideaways not easily found, but Genevieve knew what she was doing in the sewers would help everyone, so she tried to not feel guilty as she reached the shelter, the figure of a woman capturing her attention.
“If you’re here for a place to rest your head for the night, I’m sorry but the shelter is closed. You can come back in a few days if you wish.” The woman said in a tired tone, sighing heavily as she watched two beggars walk off, muttering underneath their breaths as they did.
“Oh I’m not here for that, I heard about your fiancé from a drunk at the bar and wanted to help. I’m pretty good with a weapon, and I know my way around.” The woman seemed shocked by her words, but she nodded quickly when the words settled into her.
“Thank you, thank you! My name is Linda. Wait, are you…” The words died on the woman’s lips as she tilted her head to have a closer look at her. Genevieve adjusted the braid resting on her shoulder and resisted the urge to huff. Despite having dealt with this same exact situation a thousand times over, something about the awe that lit up Linda’s eyes when she looked at her annoyed Genevieve to no end.
“Yes, I am. But my identity isn’t what is important. I’m very busy, time isn’t a luxury I really have right now, so if you could tell me more about the circumstances of your fiancé and his kidnapping, I would really appreciate it.” She tried to keep the snark out of her voice, but she found it more difficult than usual. There was something about this woman, something she couldn’t put her finger on, that made her want to be rude to her. Genevieve shook her head and allowed Linda to recount all the information that she had for her; Linda’s fiancé had been stolen for ransom, hidden away in one of Nigel Ferret’s many hideouts. Genevieve was quite familiar with the man, but she had never interacted with him surprisingly.
“I don’t know what I’ll do if I can't get him back.. He’s my whole heart. You don’t understand how painful this is for me, it’s almost too much to bear.” Linda said as they approached the hideout, sorrow seeping into her words. Genevieve pursed her lips as her mind drifted to Elliot, the thought of him nearly stalling her movements. If anything, she understood Linda’s pain more than anyone else ever could. The only difference is that at least Linda knew her beloved felt the same way in return, while Genevieve didn’t even know if Elliot ever thought about her at all. Perhaps that’s why she was jealous, or spiteful to this woman who led her up the stairs and to the front door of a nearly dilapidated home overlooking the factory.
“Nigel!” Linda shouted, banging on the door with both of her fists. Genevieve observed her, wondering if she was brave or stupid to be making demands of a man who was, on all accounts, a dangerous criminal.
“I’m not opening this door until you have my money.” A gruff voice replied from the other side, and Linda gave her a look before gesturing to her side. Genevieve went and within seconds, the door swung open, revealing Nigel Ferret in all his distasteful glory. She tried to avoid wrinkling her nose as the smell of cheap rum wafted to her nostrils as they slid past him into the house, which had seen better days. Before long, she found herself fighting off Nigel’s group of men while he ran off, Linda singlemindedly chasing after him. Genevieve made quick work of slaughtering the small group of men and she swiftly followed the pair, who she was sure were nearing closer to the heart of the house.
“You wouldn’t pull the trigger on me woman, you don’t have the guts.” She heard Nigel shout out, presumably to Linda, and she quickened her pace as she finally reached the room where they were located, her eyes falling immediately on the woman who had the gun pointed right at Nigel’s head, her hand shaking violently around the pistol.
“Just tell us where the man is and this will all be over. Is he in the building somewhere?” Genevieve broke the tense silence by asking, and Nigel looked at her, slowly shaking his head at the question. She heard a broken sob erupt from Linda’s throat, but this was an inconvenience more than it was anything else.
“Okay… so where the hell is he?” Nigel looked over at the edge of the room, and she resisted to heavily sigh at the implication. Linda grabbed her arm as she ventured over to the ledge, but Genevieve just gave her a forced smile and a nod of reassurance before she took the plunge, holding her breath as she hit the water. She immediately felt cold seep within her outfit, but she gritted her teeth and pulled herself out of the water, looking up to make eye contact with the one man she was sure she would never have the chance of seeing again, the face that had haunted her every waking moment and thought for as long as she had known him.
“Elliot?” Her voice cracked as she said his name, and she hated it. She hated that even after being apart from him for so long, he could still evoke such an emotional response from her. His fingers were warm as they wrapped around her forearm, helping her to her feet and grabbing her sword that had dislodged itself during the fall. Genevieve felt like it was impossible to breathe as she looked at him, wondering just how cruel the gods were to make them finally reunite, but under such terrible circumstances.
“It’s really you… I can hardly believe my eyes.” Elliot’s fingers went to brush against her cheek, and even though she wanted to allow him to touch her, she still pulled away. Genevieve took a deep and stabilizing breath, praying she could separate herself from this situation, separate herself from him, so she could go back to pretending that she wanted to do this for the rest of her life.
“We have to get back up to the main floor, your fiancée is worried sick.” Genevieve said shortly, trying to keep the bite out of her voice. Suddenly she understood why she had that unexplainable hatred towards Linda; she had the one thing on this earth that Genevieve had never been able to have. The walk through the sewers was tense, and paired with her having to dispatch several small bands of hobbes, her patience was pulled taut.
“Linda is an incredible woman, she makes me feel like even after everything, that I can be normal.” Something in the way he said the sentence caused Genevieve to stop in her place and look at him with piercing eyes.
“So that’s why you avoided me like I had the plague? I didn’t make you feel normal?” The sentence had made her feel like she was punched in the gut for some reason, and she found it difficult to control the sudden tremors in her hands.
“You know exactly why I avoided you, Princess.” Elliot said somberly, and she resisted the urge to scream as loud as possible. She hated the way he used her royal title, she hated the way he still believed she was on an unattainable level even after her leaving, but she hated herself most of all, for making him think he wasn’t good enough to be on the same level as her, good enough to love her as more than what they were.
“I never wanted this, you know. I never wanted to be a princess, I never wanted this.. ‘life’ that I'm dragging myself through every day. The one thing I wanted, more than anything in this world, was for you to want me back, to love me as more than the title I had been born with. I think deep down, that is still what I want.” Genevieve confessed, looking away from Elliot immediately, not prepared for the familiar look she knew would grace his features at the words.
“Princess…” She heard Elliot begin to say, but she turned to face him, halting his words. Genevieve pushed against his chest, causing him to stagger backwards a few feet, and the look he gave her was one she knew all too well.
“I am not a princess anymore. I am nothing but a traitor, to this country and to what once was my dear brother. Even now, you look at me like I’m nothing more than your leader. I am more than that, more than the title that was bestowed on me when I was born into the world, so just stop. Stop calling me that, and stop looking at me like that.. By the gods you are so…” Genevieve stopped herself for a minute, collecting herself with a deep inhale and exhale.
“I am sorry.” Elliot said softly, surprising her deeply. Genevieve knew the man standing in front of her was deeply apologetic, but she herself had only heard the words come from him a few times. She sensed he had more to say, so she stayed quiet and looked at him. Genevieve was proven right when he walked over to her and took her hand in his.
“I am sorry for so many things that I have done, but I am most sorry for making you think I never wanted you. I have wanted you for my whole life, before I even knew that you were a princess. I saw you playing in the gardens on the day of my arrival, and when you turned to smile at me, I knew I would love you forever. We were two different people, from two different worlds. But now, none of that matters. You are the one thing my heart has never stopped wanting. Even when we were apart, I loved you. It was an ache that was unbearable.” Elliot stopped for a moment, his thumb smoothing across the back of her hand, and Genevieve felt like she was barely breathing as she waited for him to continue. “Linda is an incredible woman, she is passionate and driven and brimming with kindness. But as selfish as it is to admit, I knew she was not the woman I’d stay with for the rest of my days. She was not the face I saw myself waking up to every morning, yours was. Even after all these years, I could not forget your face. You are imprinted in every part of my being.” Elliot fell silent, and she looked up at him, seeing the shine of unshed tears in his pupils.
“Even when I am not bearing the weight of being the next heir of this country, we still managed to pass over each other.” Genevieve tried to make a joke, but she knew how true her words were, and they were the most painful thing she had to come to terms with. Elliot seemed to understand what she was saying, because he released her hand tentatively and stepped back, smoothing down his crumpled blouse.
“Is it too late? I want you to be honest with me, Genevieve. I have bared my entire heart and its contents to you and I need you to tell me that you understand, and that you share my affections.” Genevieve swallowed thickly at the question, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew, more than anything, that she wanted to be at his side after all this time, but the timing was the biggest inconvenience she had ever faced.
“Timing has never quite been on our side, has it? My heart is telling me to forget it all and just be with you. But the region is counting on me to stop Logan’s tyrannical reign, and I’m afraid I cannot abandon my people in their time of need.” Genevieve looked at him, trying to gauge his expression. Elliot pondered her words for a moment longer, and then nodded slowly at them.
“Then I will wait for you. I’ve waited for this many years yet, what’s a couple more?” He joked, and Genevieve couldn’t help but join him. They stood together for a beat longer, neither wanting to leave just yet, but Linda was surely worrying herself sick over Elliot, so together they made their way back to the door that would lead them back out to the main house.
“Genevieve?” Elliot’s voice stopped her, forcing her to pause with her hand atop the heavy door. She looked at him with a question in her eyes, and she was surprised to feel strong arms wrap securely around her torso.
“I am grateful I got to see you again, even if it was under these circumstances. I hope next time we meet, we won’t have to ever part again.” Elliot’s voice whispered in her ear, and she closed her eyes as she sunk into his embrace.
“I hope so too.” Genevieve whispered back, and she felt his smile at her collarbone. They embraced for a moment longer, and when they finally parted, she felt his warmth seep into her bones, making a home within her. She gave him one last smile before she pulled open the door, allowing them to walk back into the lives neither of them wanted to live.
IV.
Logan had been usurped, Genevieve had become the queen in his place, and she barely had a moment to breathe before darkness spread over the region. It had claimed its fair share of victims, including one Walter Beck, which had made her feel like her world had ended entirely. She had stayed strong, even until the end, and all she was rewarded with was a deep and dark emptiness that camped within her very being. Page and Ben Finn and all of her other comrades had departed for their new adventures, leaving her behind in the too big castle all alone. Genevieve spent most of her free time in the gardens, sitting with the statue that had been erected for Walter, allowing herself to feel a small bit of normalcy. Her faithful dog laid across her lap, his head tilted up so he could look at her as she let the wind blow gently across her skin.
“Are you prepared to go back inside now, huh?” Genevieve asked the pup, scratching behind his ears before she rose to her feet, wincing as she put pressure on her damaged leg. Once she had stood up, she had dusted off her skirts before giving one last look to the statue of the old soldier, a silent goodbye until she reunited with him the following morning.
“Genevieve.” She felt his presence before she heard him call her name, but it was undeniable- Elliot was standing inches away from her, looking devastatingly handsome, a small and sad smile gracing his lips as he stared at the statue of Walter looming behind her.
“You’re…” Genevieve stepped towards him cautiously, her mind still refusing to acknowledge that the man she had loved for as long as she could remember was standing in front of her, alive and breathing. She knew the darkness had been playing mind games with her, but her heart ached all the same at the idea of Elliot being gone where she could not follow him. Her hands were shaking as she reached out to cup his face, and he allowed her to hold him, gazing softly into her eyes as she examined every inch of his face.
“I would have come sooner, but I had to break the news to Linda. She was heartbroken, but very understanding of the circumstances. I am sorry it took me so long to arrive at your side, but I hope you will have me.” Elliot’s hands were hovering above her waist, and she melted into his chest as an answer. He embraced her tightly, and Genevieve heard the steady thrum of his heartbeat underneath her ear, another reminder that he was here and not a figment of her imagination.
“Of course I will. You don't know how long I have awaited you finally saying those words. I will have you today, tonight, tomorrow, forever.” Genevieve promised him, leaving the wors imprinted into his tunic as she pulled back to look at him.
“You don’t know how long I have waited for you, my darling Genevieve.” Elliot breathed out, one of his hands cradling her face delicately. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, dazzling her with all of his beauty. She leaned towards him, and their lips finally met, molding together as if it was their sole purpose of being. Genevieve’s heartbeat was roaring in her ears as they separated, still holding each other in their arms.
“I love you, I love you more than anything else in this world.” Genevieve replied, her hands shaking from where they were joined at the nape of his neck, and Elliot smiled at the words, kissing her again as the gentle breeze carried across their bodies.
“Loving you is as natural as breathing, it is the best thing I’ve ever done in this world.” Elliot exclaimed, and Genevieve couldn’t stop the tears that filled her eyes at the words. She hugged him once more, and his arms around her felt more like home than anything else ever had.
She wasn’t alone anymore, and for as long as they both lived, she never was again.