Ah, I've been wanting to write something simple and romantic for a while. So, I cooked this up.

This features genderbent!Yao, who is queen to Alfred, and her lover, Ivan the General. (He is supposed to be the "rook" or "castle" piece in real chessverse, but I would rather not let Yao have an affair with an inanimate object.)

I don't know, I just have trouble writing Chun-Yan, so I had to do genderbent!Yao. Otherwise it feels like Ivan's cheating.

I swear to GOD I will have the first chapter of my next series up as soon as possible.

Anyways, please enjoy. Oh, and bring tissues just in case. :)

27 October 2012- Edited. Never staying up until 3 in the morning revising ever again, cause you'll end up with crap.

Yao came into the royal family not to pursue true love, but to receive support for her failing family name. The King, Alfred, had been infatuated with her the moment they met. Though she was fond of him as well, what she needed most was security for everyone back home.

After their wedding night, Yao never again received the same amount of attention. Alfred had grown distant, too preoccupied with work, and from what Yao had heard from the palace maids, he had found company elsewhere.

Upon learning that, Yao felt a sickening mixture of anger, embarrassment, and most of all, helplessness. She had married Alfred while relying on that he would take care of her for the rest of their lives, because she had given up everything to be with him. Other than her husband, she had nothing left, maybe except for the title of Queen.

One day, she and Alfred were sitting in their thrones, welcoming the return of the army from yet another victorious war. Kneeling before them was the General, Ivan Braginsky. When they first met gazes, Yao didn't think much of him. He was tall, broad, and had eyes a demonic shade of violet. If he hadn't been covered in blood and soot, maybe she would have thought him handsome. When he smiled at her, she reluctantly returned the favour.

From then on, she started seeing him everywhere— at the dining table, where his assigned seat had been conveniently placed right next to hers, in the gardens, where he had chosen her acclaimed rosebush as his new happy place, and even randomly in the halls, where he made their encounters seem almost accidental.

Soon enough, a certain creeping notion surfaced in Yao's mind. She wasn't sure exactly what his intentions were, but all she knew was that they probably weren't kind, and she should try to stay away from the man. But at the bottom of her heart, she had begun to miss the General, no matter how she much she tried to deny it. He became a pleasant surprise in her otherwise bland and hopeless life in the castle.

One day, Yao was sitting alone in the garden by the bed of roses, where she and Ivan had met many times before. Since it had been many nights since she and the King made love, she found herself thinking about the General, his face, his voice, his laugh, more often than usual.

"You were thinking about me."

The General seemed to have appeared out of thin air, and took a seat beside the Queen. Though they had only ever spoken a few words to each other, it felt like they were long-time acquaintances.

Once the moon rose, Ivan had to leave. He took Yao's dainty hand in his own larger, clumsier one, and pressed a firm kiss upon it. He said that they'd see each other again, and left.

From then on, a certain warmth began to spread in her heart, which she didn't know what to do with. Yao was married to another, but it didn't stop her from thinking about this Ivan Braginsky all the time, ever since.

He often slipped her little gifts, like trinkets and dolls. He said they were items he had collected on his travels, and saved for when he met the one woman he cared about. Yao kept them in a small box upon her vanity table, to look at fondly whenever she missed him too much.

Ivan told her many things about himself, things which he probably wouldn't have said to any other person.

He had been born in poverty, and orphaned when he was very young. Ivan had lived most of his younger years as a beggar. He became a stonemason's apprentice when he grew up, until one day, he caught the eyes of the army recruiter. Afterwards, he shot up the ranks from a disposable pawn to a revered General, having fought and won numerous battles under their flag.

His story made Yao's seem like a fairy tale. Yao was born and raised in a rich family, and only because her family had gone bankrupt in recent years, she had to make the biggest decision of her life and marry into royalty.

It seemed like fate that two people so different were brought together.

Their first kiss was under a starlit sky on a warm, summer's night. It was short and simple, only because there were suspicious eyes at every corner.

But, the kiss sealed a promise— Though time would pass, and kingdoms would fall, their feelings for each other would never die. This was the first time the two of them had felt like this in their whole lives, and both vowed that it would be the last.

So, their tryst began.

All throughout their relationship, they had not been able to spend more than a few hours together. Most of their days were spent alone, longing, yearning for the other until their hearts ached.

They'd steal painfully brief moments standing in an empty alleyway and held hands under the table. One night, when he couldn't take it anymore, Ivan managed to convince Yao to sneak into the dungeons with him. It was dark and cold, but they were alone, and giggling foolishly to themselves, their heads spinning. He kissed her, and she kissed him back. Then, one thing lead to another.

It was Ivan's very first time, but his passion made up for his inexperience. He held her in his arms, and whispered sweet nothings into her ear.

Being the first time Yao had seen Ivan's bare body, she was frightened at the sight of the many scars slashed across his chest. She lovingly caressed every single one of them, new and old, and made him promise to never risk his life again. Ivan but let out a chuckle, and reminded her that now, he actually had someone to protect.

"You know, I still don't love you." She lied, as a last attempt to preserve her pride.

"No matter. I love you enough for the both of us."

The years went by, and naturally, the people and politics of the kingdom had changed. The King, having so impetuously declared war on a bordering nation, cast a cloud of dread upon his people. With the prospect of death looming over everyone's heads, panic and chaos were everywhere. No one felt safe behind the great bulwarks, and mothers were becoming mortally afraid that their sons would be taken away to become soldiers.

Yao was in no place to convince Alfred out of any of the decisions he had made, though she still tried. She spoke until her lips bled, but Alfred simply dismissed her warnings, saying that she knew nothing. He told her not to worry, and promised that his precious Queen would be safe no matter what.

He was right though. Yao didn't know much about the world outside of castle walls. But, she knew it was wrong to lead thousands of people to their deaths due to pointless, childish conflicts, and because she was only the Queen, there was nothing she could do to help.

She was with child.

Yao kept her grace throughout the many galas that they had thrown in celebration, and pretended to be equally happy about this gift that the heavens had granted them. Alfred was proud of her, and would personally lead her down the stairs so she wouldn't fall. People from all over sent her their best wishes, along with mountains of presents. She became the centre of attention for everyone, and Yao figured she should be glad for the euphoria that her begetting had brought forth in these dark times. But on the inside, she was restless.

"Take care of yourself when I'm gone, Yao." Ivan said coldly, "The kingdom needs a strong, healthy heir."

"No Ivan, you're going to be a father."

Yao couldn't hold onto the secret anymore, and told Ivan the truth the night before he had to leave for war. Ivan was shocked, and she waited a long time for him to gather up a reaction. Eventually, Ivan broke into racking sobs, scooped his lover into his arms, and held her close with all his strength. In tears, he frantically uttered Yao, over and over again, that he was sorry he ever doubted her, and promised he would come back.

"I don't want my child growing up without knowing who he really is, and for the woman I love to fear for her life when she gives birth. I'll return to you, Yao, I promise, and we'll spend the rest of our lives together..."

Maybe she shouldn't have, but Yao actually believed those words.

The months passed by, and they still had yet to receive news from the front. But, Yao never let her hopes die. Messages took a long time to travel by horse. Besides, no news meant good news, right?

Yao spent her days doing whatever she could to help the King in her delicate condition. She stayed awake past midnight reading pamphlets and writing letters to their allies in seek of military aid. Though she was tired all the time, she still had to take care of her poor husband, who had begun to have recurring nightmares. Alfred was a good man, even if he was not the best King, and she hated to see him suffer.

Yao still missed Ivan, and not a moment passed without her thinking about him. It was bearable though, as there were many sweet memories for her to enjoy. The hope that they were going to escape to a new life together after Ivan came back gave her a reason to rise in the morning.

When Yao looked up from her balcony, she found comfort in the fact that the sky was the same wherever Ivan may be.

They were at the border between their kingdom and the next, which had shrunk significantly ever since Ivan had arrived. His army had won many battles already, and the final one was tomorrow, when they'd to seize the capital.

In the beginning of the war, Ivan had wanted to finish it as soon as possible to get back to Yao. But as time went on, he realized just how slim that prospect had become. He had heard too many stories about the families and loved ones of his soldiers, and had to see, with his own eyes, the hopes of all these men lay broken across the battlefield. It made him think that perhaps, he was no different than them. He was made of flesh and bones just like they were, and it would only take a bit of fire to incinerate him to ash.

Ivan wasn't frightened of death in the least. He was more frightened of disappointing his Yao. Real men never backed down from a promise, and though he knew he couldn't, there were too many things in life that were inevitable.

He loved Yao with all his heart, and nothing would ever change that.

But, their army was outnumbered tenfold.

The baby inside of Yao was kicking more than usual this evening, so she gave Alfred a goodnight kiss, excused herself, and went back to her bedroom. She patted her tummy and tried singing lullabies to her child, but to no avail. Eventually, Yao became too tired and fell asleep anyway.

"Hey Yao... Yao!"

"...I-Ivan?" She couldn't believe herself. He had finally returned. She reached her hand up to caress his face, and he felt... real. Warmth had returned to her fingertips, and the rest of the body, which felt like it had been encased by ice all this time, was finally thawing. "You've come back to me..." She said, almost to herself.

"Yes, I'm here." He assured her, and held her in an embrace that both of them wished would last forever. They kissed until they were out of breath, and could not keep the rivers of tears from tumbling down their faces. It's been so long, but in the end, they never lost faith. Yao had prepared a whole eternity worth of words to say to him, and now that he's here, she didn't know where to start.

Ivan sighed and shook his head. "I want you to do something for me, Yao."

Yao smiled dreamily, her face still buried in the familiar scent she missed so much. "Anything for you, Ivan." She mumbled.

"I want you to forget about me, and move on."

Her eyes widened. Chill dashed through her veins. She dropped her arms limply to the side, and looked up at him.

"W-What did you say?" She stuttered.

Already, Ivan could feel himself fading away. He didn't have much time left.

"Please, do it for me, will you?" He asked desperately, extending a thumb to barely, just barely caress her wet, porcelain cheek. "I'm so sorry I let you down, Yao. But I just want you to stay happy and safe with our child, even if I can't be yours forever. Please..."

Yao shook her head slowly in disbelief. His words had still yet to sink in completely, and she refused to let them. "Don't go," she croaked, grasping his hands and trying to pull him back, "Don't go... I love you..."

After months and months of waiting, all they got was a few short minutes together? It couldn't, mustn't be! She tried to chase after his retreating form, but she could never catch up, and only fell forward upon the cold ground in a deafening thud.

It was too late. He was already gone.

The very next morning, the messenger arrived with news that they had won the war. But General Ivan Braginsky had perished.

Yao took the news solemnly, and didn't shed a tear. The baby inside of her kicked slightly, as if it had also heard. Yao but bit her lip, and patted her womb.

Ivan, her Ivan was gone, and this was his only legacy. She knew she had to protect it with her life. For his honour, for the love they had shared. There was no time to mourn, no time to cry.

She knew she couldn't remain in the castle anymore. She had to leave. It was what Ivan would have wanted for her. To live a simple, worry-free life, and not become blinded by riches. In the end, vanity of that sort would be hollow and bleak, if there wasn't someone to share it with.

But still, she regretted nothing. Yao would not have lived these past few years any other way. The memories of their first meeting to their last goodbye were kept safe in her heart.

"Hey mommy, where's daddy?"

At first, Yao didn't know how to answer the question. She looked at down her daughter silently, and out to the distance.

The flowers were finally beginning to bloom in the first days of spring. Daffodils mostly, but the roses would come later. Yao knew it.

After their kingdom had fallen, Yao and her daughter had moved to the edge of the forest, and built a cottage right beside the path upon which Ivan had first left for battle many years ago. She wrote letters to Ivan every day, and kept them locked safe in a chest upon her desk. He was still on her mind all the time, and in a way, he never died. It felt like Ivan had always been there with them, watching over and protecting them.

"He's right over there." Yao pointed to the small spot heading closer down the path, "See him?"

Surely, the image, or perhaps, the illusion of a man in armour was becoming clear, as a handsome black stallion trotted towards where they stood. The man had a messy head of silvery hair, and his bright purple eyes were visible, even from a distance. He was grinning stupidly and waving both arms at them.

Yao smiled to herself. Maybe, Ivan did keep his promise after all.

Fin.

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