A/N: Hiiii, so, for a start! I need to apologise! I haven't updated my chapter fic, Just a heart in forever and you probably all hate me and have stopped reading :( BUT I promise that I am working on it and will try and get it up ASAP (I've just finished my GCSE'S so I finally have a free second!) and I hope that you will all keep reading! :) Anyway, this little idea came to me while I was enjoying a full scale Blair Waldorf spa day and I just had to get it down! Its basically my tribute to Chair (sort of) because I recently finished my rewatch (for the millionth time) and was inspired! It starts off pretty similar to the plot, with twists and things taken out/added to make it fit! The ending turns pretty AU though, but yess, I hope you like it darlings and I promise you will have the rest of Just a Heart very soon! xo
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PROLOGUE
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young princess, who was promised to a boy who did not love her as she deserved, but he was her prince charming, so she convinced herself that everything was perfect.
But it wasn't, she was fooling herself and everyone around her into thinking that she was living in a fairytale, because no one ever looks past the flawless wedding and smiling families, no one ever looks beyond the alleged 'happily ever after'
And prince charming had a friend, a dark and allusive knight who acted as though he cared for nothing and no one, but that was not true. For he cared for prince charming, they were brothers, and the more he came to know the princess, the more he grew to care for her, even though he knew he should not.
And the, a disaster struck, a beautiful disaster, because, you see, prince charming was in love with the princesses golden haired sister and, unthinkingly, he trampled the princesses heart in an attempt to win that of her sister. And oh how the princess cried, for everything was no longer perfect, the charade had finally ended, she cried not because prince charming no longer loved him, but for she knew that he never truly had. Yet, the princess also felt relief, for she was no longer pretending any more.
And the dark knight was there to comfort her, he was everything she needed whenever needed it. And for that, she was grateful. And over the time they had known each other, she had let him in, let him see her in a way that no one ever had before, and in turn, he did the same, allowing her to see the parts of himself that he tried his best to hide from the world. And it was because of this that she gave him her most treasured possession, her innocence. And in that moment, his heart erupted with butterflies for that princess, for the girl that would never belong with him.
But maybe she did…
For he fell in love with her, overtime.
It was simple really;
The lost little boy, who'd sworn that his heart was cold, fell in love with her, the girl who had been promised to another for as long as anyone could remember. He fell in love with her because she pulled him from the darkness he had lived in for as long as he could recall, because when she looked at him, she saw the real him, and didn't run away.
And, as much as she tried to deny it at first, she fell in love with him too. She fell for the boy who was just as broken as she was, who made her feel like she was beautiful, a boy who set her free and allowed her to be whoever she wanted to be, understood her like no one else, knew all of her faults and darkness and was unafraid; the boy who was not her prince charming, but her dark knight instead.
Part 1
Prince charming was enraged upon learning of the man he thought of as a brothers betrayal, however, upon learning the depth of what his brethren was feeling towards the girl he had once been expected to marry, he was happy for them, because it was clear that his brother loved the princess in a way he never could, and, while he did not love her, he still cared for her and wished her to be happy, so, the prince stepped aside and forgave his brother.
But, of course it was not that simple, because a love like theirs never is.
They twisted and manipulated and fought each other for the longest of times, for eneither was willing to conced and admit the truth, that what these fleet for each other was real.
But it always came back to them. Lightness and darkness, the devil and the angel, the princess and the dark knight. So, finally, in his darkest moment she conceded, and she told him the truth. But he was still that lost little boy, and he couldn't face her, and her love terrified him - she terrified him. So, he did what he did best: he ran. He tried to push his princess away but she would not let him go. She had fought for him for too long to just lethim slip away, so she went to battle and
fought for him, again and again, and...it nearly destroyed her. And just as she was about to give up and accept defeat, he found her, and finally he gave her what she wanted, what she had always wanted; three words, eight letters; he told her that he loved her too. And finally, the princess had her happy ending.
But that's the thing about happily ever afters, they don't last.
Part 2
The Kingdom looked on as the princess and her dark knight gradually became the king and queen that they had always promised to become, ruling together they did battle with witches, slayed dragons and loved more fiercely than ever. But it's the brightest flames that are always the first to be put out, and since this showed no indication of dying a natural death...
It was the arrival of the dark knights evil uncle that sparked the trouble. As he manipulated the lovers and tricked the dark knight out of his empire, claiming control over it before giving his nephew a choice; his empire for his princess.
The dark knights evil uncle had played his cards right, leaving the dark knight no choice but to betray his princess. And so great was her love for him that she almost willingly fell into his uncle's trap, willing to give everything for him to have all he had worked so hard for, all that he had built, his empire, back.
But the dark knights uncle told the princess of his nephews betrayal when she came to him, and it destroyed her. As everything that they had built together, came crashing down around them.
The princess fled the knights empire, and that was the first time she ever knew true, soul destroying heartbreak, and the dark knight watched her go, and it was the first time he ever lost his heart - for she took it with him when she left.
Tears were cried and battles were fought, because the dark knight would not give his princess up. He would not let his princess get away, give up after all that they had been through. And so, after much pain, and hurt and self destruction, he gave her an ultimatum. He told her that the next evening, he would await her presence in the tallest tower in all the land, and that if she loved him still, she would meet him there when the clock struck 12, but, that if by 12.01 she had not shown, he would close his heart to her forever.
The princess was lost.
For nothing made sense to her anymore.
She wanted, so desperately to hate him. But she didn't. Not at all. Because, despite it all, there was still one thing that she was sure of; she loved him still.
But, her beloved servants babe came early, and the princess was late, and the dark knight was gone. the flowers he had bought her left, discarded on the tower floor.
The dark knight was heartbroken, for his princess loved him no more. He stumbled back to his palace, no longer concerned for his empire as, without her its worth was lost. And he sought to drown his sorrows, allowing the darkness that had once consumed him, to swallow him once more in her absence. And so, when the witch appeared he was too numb to resist her, caring not if he lived or died for his heart was so torn and fractured.
Yet, in the cruel and beautiful way that the faults work, his princess came to him, flowers in hand and fixed his heart with her words and lips, and he was alright again; for the witch had vanished from his bedchamber and he had his princess back.
His princess took him to see the babe that had caused her to be late. And the dark knight prepared himself to ask his princess a question, and just as he bent to one knee, sweet and sincere declarations on the tip of his tongue , the witch
appeared and told the princess of what had transpired earlier that eve. And the princess was, yet again, heart broken as her dark knight confirmed the witches accusations, not with his words, but his silence. And so she banished the witch from the kingdom and fled, leaving her dark knight to sink further into the emptiness he was left with in her absence.
He travelled far, in no particular direction, while she remained and tried in vain to nurse her wounded heart. He wandered around and soon he found himself in an unfamiliar land, still clutching the ring, and all it symbolised, close to his chest. His desolate and empty chest and soon enough he was set upon by a band of thieves. He fought hard, offered them all the gold he possessed if they would not take the ring from him, her ring, from him.
He was stabbed in the struggle, but still, they had to prise the ring from his bloody fingers as he fell to the ground. The thieves left him there to die. But he didn't. For a pretty maiden found him and nursed him back to health. And he tried, he tried so hard to love her, but, despite it all, she was just a pretty maiden. She was not his princess.
The princess travelled, along with her golden haired sister, to a far away land, in the hopes of healing herself, for, while they claimed it was but a broken heart, the princess hurt in her whole body.
While in this land, she met a foreign prince. A perfect prince who was everything she had ever thought she wanted, and she trued so hard to allow herself to love him, but when it came down to it...
The dark knight was playing the pauper as he travelled to a far away land with his pretty maiden, but it all came crashing down around him when he learned that his princess was also in the kingdom.
And just as he was about to flee, for they had taken it all from him, he had lost the only thing that had ever mattered to him, he was ready to disappear without a trace with only his pretty maiden as company, his princess came for him. For the stolen ring had been returned to her, and she had been informed of what her dark knight had been about to do that evening, before everything had gone wrong, she had known that he could not lose him, not this completely,
"I destroyed the only thing I ever loved," he told her, and slowly, she handed him the ring, causing his already ruined heart to ache,
"I don't love you anymore," she said bravely, just hoping he couldn't see through her lie, "but it takes more than even you to destroy a princess." The dark knight took the ring, causing the princesses heart to break a little more, because, despite what she had said, she wanted nothing more than for that ring to find its home on her left finger. Her dark knight looked up, saying, "your world would be easier if I didn't come back." And at this, she smiled sadly,
"That's true...but it wouldn't be my world without you in it."
So, the dark knight journeyed home, bringing with him his pretty maiden. And the princess too left the foreign prince and returned home to the kingdom that she had once ruled by her dark knights side.
Part 3
And maybe that should've been the end, but, as the dark knight flaunted his new pretty maiden about the kingdom, the princess grew jealous and eventually, she drove her dark knights pretty maiden away. This angered the dark knight, for he didn't understand, she, after all, had been the one who told him that she no longer loved him, yet here she was acting like a jealous lover, and so, in all his confusion and rage, he declared war on his princess.
They fought for months, hurting and destroying each other in ways that only they could, but it was when the dark knight tricked the witch into returning that things changed, because seeing that the witch had nearly killed his princess - his princess and him both - for the witch was tired of all the games and evil,
"You two used to be in love, and together, you were invincible." the witch had cried, "now you've turned against each other it's only a matter of time before your mutual destruction!"
And so, that evening, that dark knight sought out the princess and apologised, for everything,
"I'm sorry for not waiting longer at the Empire State Building. I'm sorry for treating you like property. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I loved you when I knew I did. Most of all I'm sorry that I gave up on us when you never did." and then, he went on to sadly say, "we're holding on to the pain because it's all we have left," and tearfully, she agreed, for she knew that he was right, all that was left between them was hurt, pain and memories, and the fact that she still loved a boy who had clearly moved on. So, they called a truce, and for a time, they lived as friends. But that was short lived, for the princesses foreign prince came to seek her out, declaring his love for her and, after a sort while proposing.
The dark knight was in a state of despair as his princess ran about with another man, a prince no less, for he still loved her. And when he learnt of the princes proposal and her acceptance of it, he snapped,
"You'll never marry anyone else! You're mine!" He said when she told him of her engagement,
"I wanted to be," she whispered, "for so long, but, not anymore,"
"You're mine!" he yelled, before striking the window and shattering it, a fragment of the broken glass cutting her cheek. She fled in tears, and he had no choice but to watch her as she ran, again.
However, after a while, the princess began having doubts for, despite everything and despite the fact that she really did care for the foreign prince, she was still in love with her dark knight, sensing her hesitation, the foreign prince gave her a choice; she was either committed or not, and that if she still wished to be his bride, she would meet him at the ball being held that evening. If not, she need not bother show.
But, unbeknownst to the princess, the dark knights uncle returned, bringing with him an old enemy of the dark knights, and he kidnapped the princess, holding her prisoner in his castle and threatening to kill her. But thankfully, her dark knight arrived just in time and saved her. The princess was deeply shaken, and, having made peace with her coming wedding to another man, he wished nothing more than to comfort her - for he was growing up, he was no longer a lost little boy, besides, they had been friends once, so, he took her to a party at some lord's, and they danced and laughed and it was as though the past year had not happened, as though all the pain and the hurt never existed. And, before the night was over, she had returned to him, confessing that it was he she loved, her dark knight, and that it was him she wished to spend her life with.
So, they made their way to the foreign princes castle, stopping to drop the dark knight of at the ball before the princess told the foreign prince of her decision, for the party was nearly over and the princess assumed that the prince would have long since left. But he hadn't
This struck a chord with the dark knight, and just as his princess tried to tell the foreign prince that it was over, he cut it,
"She just wanted to say that you have my blessing," he said, shaking the princes hand, "I wish you both the all the best." And the, he turned and walked away, leaving the princess shocked at his sudden change of heart, so she chased after him, demanding to know what was wrong, why he had just done that. He told her that she deserved to be happy. That she deserved her fairytale and that, while the love they shared may be a 'great' love, her love with the foreign prince was 'right'. It was what would make her happy. And she cried, for she did not want to let him go, not just yet. So she protested, but in vain,
"I waited two minutes at the tower last year, the prince waited all night." He told her, and the tears flowed down her flushed cheeks, for this was it. He was letting her go, he had finally come to the conclusion that he loved her so much, that he was willing to spend the rest of his life without her, if that was what would take for her to be happy,
"It's taking all the power I have to walk away from you," she breathed, her voice thick with emotion,
"I know," he accepted sadly.
"I will always love you," she finally sobbed, and he looked at her, eyes glistening with tears for here it was. This was the end, all of the tears and hurt and love and passion and lies and secrets and fire; it had all come down to this. And for them, this was the final chapter. This was the end of their story, and by god it hurt. So, he said the only thing he could in that moment, the only thing he knew in that moment was the truth, was right;
"And I will always love you," and then, he stepped forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before turning and walking away, for this time, it was her turn to watch him leave. And as she watched him leave she wiped one final tear from her cheeks. And once he was out of sight, she turned and walked back towards her fiancé, to her 'right love' as he had said, and she wondered if he was right. And her heart broke a little more with the realisation that, he was no letting her go because he no longer loved her, but because her dark knight loved her too much. He wanted her to be happy, and in his mind, that was what she would be with the foreign prince: truly happy. But would she?
Part 4
The day of the princesses wedding drew closer, and she found herself doubting the decision more and more every day. For her fairytale was complicated and broken in ways that no one could ever hope to fix.
The dark knight was lost, more lost than he had ever been before as the day that the woman he loved would forever bind herself to another man drew closer. Because he couldn't do it. He had been wrong before, just because the foreign prince was good for her, didn't mean that was who she belonged with. She belonged with him, her dark knight, and everybody knew it. And so, with the help of his brother, prince charming and the princesses golden haired sister, he realised that he needed to fight for her, one last time. That he could not let her get away; that really she didn't want him to let her get away either.
On the day of her wedding, her dark knight appeared, begging her not to go through with it. And it broke her heart,
"It should be us up there and you know it," he claimed, and she knew that he was right. But it was too late, and the procession music had started up, and there she was, his lost princess, walking away from him for what really would be the final time. He watched with haunted, desperate eyes as she made her way down the aisle, allowing his eyes to flicker shut and imagine that she was walking towards him, not the prince, before turning and walking away, unable to watch the woman he loved leave him so finally.
With every step the princess took, towards the foreign prince and away from her dark knight, the more panicked she became; it wasn't right and the closer she got to the alter and the foreign prince, the more her stomach churned and her head whirled. And then she was beside him, and in front of all of the most prestigious men and women in the kingdom as they looked at her with jealousy, and there he was, at the back, turning and walking away from the scene unfolding, the scene she was at the very centre of, and then she looked up, at the man stood beside her; the prince, and she felt her heart sink and her stomach drop, for it was the wrong face staring lovingly down at her as she stood dressed head to toe in white,
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, before removing the engagement ring and handing it back to the foreign prince. She turned then, and, with as much dignity as she could muster, she fled. But this time, she was not fleeing from her dark knight, but too him.
She found him on his balcony, looking out over the city, the city he had once ruled with her by his side,
"Princess?" he said as she came up behind him, still clothed in white, "what are you doing here? You're supposed to be getting married," he continued, a note of bitterness in his deep voice,
"A girl cannot marry if she is without a fiancé,"
"What…?" she held up her naked hand and he understood, "What do you want, princess?" he asked wearily, for he was tired of the games now and the ache in his chest was already large enough,
"You," she breathed, stepping towards him, "only you because…I love you, I am in love with you. I have tried to hide it, to kill it to run away from it but, I can't, and, I don't want to anymore." And then, she kissed him, and he kissed her back and the dark knight practically sand with joy, for his lost princess had finally returned to him.
"I love you," he said,
"I love you too," she replied.
EPILOGUE
Two months later, the dark prince yet again found himself bent on one knee before her, ring in hand and sweet and sincere words on his lips, but this time, there was to be no interruptions,
"Marry me?"
And when, four months later the procession music started up again, this time, the princess felt perfectly calm and content, for the face staring lovingly down at her this time was the face of the man she truly loved, her dark knight, and suddenly, everything was okay.
And six months later, as she cradled her new born baby boy in her arms as her husband held her tightly and kissed her hair, thanking her for everything, and telling her just how much he loved her, how thankful he was that she had chosen him, everything was finally perfect.
And this time, the happily ever after lasted, and the princess, the broken little girl from before, had her fairytale, not with a prince, but with her dark knight instead. And the dark knight, that lost little boy was no longer lost, for he had found her, his princess, and he was home.
A/N: I hope you like it - it's just cute and a little something to keep you happy until I can update my chapter fic xo
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