Note: This is the multi-chapter Byron Wagner x Reader fic I have been working on. I was contemplating between him and Louis but obviously he won. Hohoho. I just love Byron Wagner so much. ❤
Giles and the Reader are the prince and princess of Wysteria, respectively. He's the Reader's older brother. ;)
And I also took the liberty of naming the king of Wysteria and Stein. Byron isn't yet the king here. He's still 19 or 20, the same age as Giles and the Reader is 18. ^^
Edit: This was originally posted in my main Tumblr account and decided to transfer it here. No name for the heroine in this fic yet.
The cover pic is a fanart made by Kakihoden. You can find her works (Midnight Cinderella and Destined to Love) in her Tumblr account.
RUNAWAY
Chapter One: Marriage for Convenience
"NO!"
The King of Wysteria sighed at his daughter's outburst. "(Y/N), sweetie–"
"No means no," the princess said firmly as she stared at her father, absolutely tempted to glare at him. "Father, you can't be serious!"
Shaking his head at the stubbornness his daughter got from her late queen mother, the king couldn't help but smile. "Baby, I'm serious and you know that."
And the princess couldn't help but pull at her hair in irritation. "B-But… you didn't tell me beforehand!" she protested. "How do you expect me to react? Happily?"
"I'm sorry about that, okay?" He sighed again when she scowled, knowing fully well that with his only daughter's stubborn streak, he'd have trouble with her. It felt like it's going to be a long night. "(Y/N), I'm not expecting you to react positively but please understand that this has been a mutual agreement between me and Edward. A marriage between Stein and Wysteria will be beneficial to both parties. Stein's military power is unparalleled and you know we need them."
"What about my feelings then?" she asked, feeling all hope slowly slipping away from her grasp. She knew, ever since she was a kid, that the primary duty of the royal family is to serve their country. Family and other desires come in second. She wasn't stupid not to know that but with all the fairy tales her nanny have read to her during bedtime, she couldn't help but develop a romantic side in her, that someday she'd actually end up with her one true love. "I don't even know his son. I'm sure he feels the same way, too, or worse, he's already got a lover."
Instead of getting angry like the princess expected him to be, the king smiled at her. And she suddenly didn't feel good about it. "Oh, no worries, (Y/N). He already agreed to the marriage. He said he's ready to marry you anytime."
The princess groaned as she dropped on the couch opposite the king, the strength suddenly drained from her. Albeit she's the princess of Wysteria and she has a duty to her country, she didn't really want to be married to someone whom she didn't have feelings for, much less a stranger. She was just about to open her mouth to protest again when an idea suddenly crossed her mind, causing her to smile secretly. "Okay, fine then. I will marry him," she mumbled.
"Thanks, baby," the king said before he got up and pulled his daughter into his arms. "You'll be in good hands, I promise you that."
"I know, father. Anything for you," she said as she hugged him back, a plan slowly being polished in her mind.
Everyone at the palace, except for a few roaming guards, were already asleep that night when the princess tiptoed out of her room. After making sure that the hallway was deserted, she swiftly but cautiously headed downstairs to the kitchen where she knew a hidden exit was located.
She realised, hours ago, that the more she'd protest about the wedding, the more eyes will be on her and watching her every move. It was imperative to put her king father at ease so she could easily escape.
Because she was so used to climbing trees when she was a kid, she easily scaled the wall at the back of the palace and landed on the other side with only a minor gash on her palms. After dusting herself off dirt, she looked back at the palace, mumbling a silent apology to her king father. She loved him dearly and hated the idea of disappointing him but she hated the idea of losing her freedom even more.
With a final glance at the palace that served as her home for the past eighteen years, she began to walk away and disappeared into the night.
"Where is she, George?" Edward asked as he stirred his coffee the next morning.
The king of Wysteria and the princess' father, George Christophe, shook his head as he rubbed his temples warily. He had never been so stressed like this, not even when his queen wife have died. "I have no inkling to her whereabouts. She agreed with me yesterday but her ladies-in-waiting found her missing this morning," he said. When the princess was discovered missing, her king father immediately called Edward Wagner, King of Stein, about what happened. Luckily, the king and his only son and heir, Byron, was headed to Wysteria at that moment.
And Edward Wagner seemed to be taking the news calmly. "I like your girl, George. She knows what she wants and what she doesn't want. She'll make a perfect partner for Byron here," he said as he motioned to his son who was seated beside him.
Byron shifted in his seat, his indifferent gaze boring onto his father's amused ones. "Father, just let her be. There are still other areas where Stein and Wysteria can fall into an alliance," he said but his mind was secretly wandering towards the princess. Where is she now?
"I think I know where we can find her," Giles, the princess' older brother, said as if he just read Byron's thoughts. He smiled when the three men looked at him.
"Where is she, Giles?" George asked his son and heir, excitement and hope clear in his voice.
"At the last place you ever thought she would be."