A/N:

Hello, everyone! This fanfiction is merely a collection of short stories centered around an AU idea I had, in which Sherlock is a prince and Amy is his knight. An interesting spin on the "knight and princess" romance archetype. I hope you guys enjoy!

-Han


Amy pulled her dark cloak tighter around her, standing in front of the castle and staring at the massive wooden doors with trepidation. It was her first day working as the younger prince's – in the King's words – "personal guardian"; a job which, in her opinion, may not be worth the admittedly generous pay.

She'd heard nothing but awful things about Prince Sherlock. According to several servants she'd consulted, the man was arrogant, insensitive, cold, lacked any semblance of diplomacy… the list went on. The only tentatively positive thing she'd been told was that he was a genius, incredibly brilliant beyond his years, but the same could be said for his older brother, and look how he turned out.

Amy shook her head to banish her doubts and opened the doors. Her boots clacked on the marble floors as she walked inside, and people gave her curious glances as she headed for the throne room. At least her hood covered up her hair.

Upon entering, she was greeted warmly by the king and queen. A servant presented her with a bundle of fabric and a sheathed sword, then showed her to her chamber, which was a small but comfortable room near the prince's own. She was informed that immediately after donning her uniform, she was to begin her duties.

Amy dressed in the uniform, which consisted of a long-sleeved tunic, half-fingered gloves, a belt, and leggings. The leggings and gloves were black. The tunic itself was dark blue, with a black rectangle of cloth over her chest that was embroidered with a deep blue rose. She strapped the scabbard to her belt, fastened her cloak around her shoulders again, and left her room.

She stood in front of the prince's library, the room where she was told he spent most of his time, with the same feeling of anxiety as before. She wanted to pull her hood up to cover her bright red hair again, but she had a feeling that would seem suspicious. She took a deep breath, shook out her hands, and went into the room.

It was completely different from how she had imagined – but then, she had never been in a library before. There were shelves everywhere, filled with more books than Amy had ever seen in her life. There were several windows along the black-and-white walls, but the room was still dimly lit. A fire burned low in the hearth, and the prince sat in the chair before it, his back to her.

"I suppose you are my new 'guardian', then?" he said without turning to face her. His voice was startlingly deep. "I have one question for you."

Amy hardly dared to breathe as the prince paused. When he spoke again, his voice was tinged with something like contempt.

"How long do you expect to last here?"

She tensed, anger burning away her hesitation. He dared doubt her? "A lifetime, if you so choose, my lord," she said firmly.

The prince rose from his chair so quickly, Amy took a step back. He turned to face her, and their eyes met for the first time.

His eyes were grey to her in that moment, but she later learned they could appear icy blue or even a light greenish gold. His hair was dark and curly, and his face was pale and uniquely handsome, with high, sharp cheekbones and full lips. He stared at Amy wonderingly for a long moment.

"You are a woman," he said finally.

"Yes. So?"

"That has never happened before," he answered. "Tell me, knight, how can I trust you to keep your word? How do I know you will stay?"

Amy looked at him. "I swore an oath to remain with you and protect you, my lord," she said. "No matter the circumstance."

He laughed. "And you would honor that oath?"

"To my last breath," she said.

The prince frowned then. "What is your name?"

She frowned back. "Amy."

He came closer to her, reaching out to touch a strand of her flaming hair. "Amy," he repeated. "Time will tell if you honor your oath, Amy."

She swallowed. "Yes, my lord," she said, praying he couldn't tell how her heart pounded.

The prince regarded her with those steel-grey eyes, as though seeing her in a new light. "Fascinating," he said at length, stepping away and letting his hand fall from her hair.

"What is?" Amy asked.

"You are."