AN: Hey everyone! Inspired by the lovely wingsofnight on tumblr's Game of Thornes AU and Legend of the Seeker AU, Cierra (Monty-the-Dog/ mrskensideeks) and I decided to team up and write a Medieval Densi AU fic. Usual disclaimer: Shane Brennan has all rights to NCIS:LA, we just got an idea! :)

Once upon a time, the world stopped turning.

She tuned out every sound but her feet hitting the hard dirt path beneath her, feet kicking up a cloud of dust as she ran, intent on two things; the first being not to cry, the second being not to look back. Her mother's voice had long since faded, the length between the woman who raised her and herself increasing with every step.

Kensi hadn't expected that that would be the last time she saw her mother for over fifteen years. Her mother was supposed to come looking for her, tell her that it had all been some twisted joke. That she hadn't left her father for another man. That she hadn't put so much distance between her favorite person to ever exist and herself. That, come the following day, Kensi and Julia would be headed back home, satchels loaded and equestrian riding boots buckled tight to their legs.

But her mother never tried to track her down, never sent a message to her father asking if Kensi arrived safely or not. And when her father was reported killed in action, she took to the streets of the small village, living off of hand-outs and her mediocre hunting skills. She had amazing aim, but the closest thing to a weapon she had in her possession was a homemade sling shot that was untrustworthy and often caused more harm than good. Just when Kensi was sure that if she waited one more day to eat she'd starve, a small woman dressed in a swaddle of purple changed her life forever.

"What the hell?" she screamed, voice lost over the sound of the battle raging around her. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting you."

"Well, can you get off of me?"

"Wasn't planning on it." Oh, that cocky smile was infuriating. The mischievous glint in the man's blue eyes made her irrationally angry, she had the irrational urge to punch him in the face. "Actually, I'm pretty comfortable right here."

"Do you have any idea who I am? And, for the record, I didn't need your protection in the first place. I had the situation under control."

"Who you are? Do I know who you are?" He laughed. Laughed.

"Well?"

He sobered slightly, rolling his eyes. "Who doesn't?"

Good question.

Her eyes narrowed into slits, dark and full of menace. "If you don't get off of me, I will personally break your neck with my bare hands. You have until the count of three."

"Well, Princess, I feel as if it is my duty as a gracious citizen under your reign to protect you at all costs and keep you from harm's way, lest I become the equivalent of a traitor by revealing you to the evils of battle, thus leading to your possible death. So, Your Highness, I must insist on not moving, contrary to your orders."

"Stop it with the bullshit and get off of me! I can protect myself."

"Yeah? If I remember correctly you were an inch short of getting speared in your heart had I not saved you at the last minute."

"You remember incorrectly. Move."

The battle had died down considerably, and their kingdom had, of course, won. Her older brother, another child Hetty had taken under her wing, G Callen, hadn't lost to an adversary yet. Him and his most trusted knight, an honored member of society and a close family friend, were virtually unstoppable.

When the man atop her didn't budge, Kensi took advantage of the fact that his attention at shifted towards the battle, flipping him onto his back and straddling him.

"Princess Kensi likes it on top? Wow. That's a surprise. A totally sexy surprise."

Kensi groaned. "You're a pig. And that is no way to talk to a princess." She extracted herself from atop him, picking up her bow that lay abandoned on the ground next to her, her favorite weapon of choice.

"So I'll be seeing you, Princess?" the man called after her, and she could practically hear his smirk.

"Maybe in your dreams, if your lucky," she responded without turning around, continuing to walk away from her so called savior. She almost didn't hear him yell back, "Definitely in my dreams."

Back at the castle, Kensi was told by a guard that Hetty was expecting her. The guard…James? No, no, Jack, had given her a bright grin then continued down the hall whistling happily.

What's with him? Kensi wondered before making her way to Hetty. Inside Hetty's private quarters, Kensi found her adopted mother peering out her window, her small form silhouetted against the sunlight that streamed freely into the room, the shadow of her petite body slender and lanky.

Out of habit, Kensi curtsied. Around Hetty it was more of a formality than anything, but the woman was a bit of a stickler about things regarding acting like a 'proper' princess, something Kensi never was nor desired to be. She only followed Hetty's protocol because she felt it was the least she could do; after all, if it hadn't been for the queen that stood across from her she'd probably already have starved to death. "Hetty? We won. Are you going to address the people?" Kensi silently hoped Hetty wouldn't make her do it, or she'd assign Callen. Public appearance was not her strong point.

Hetty turned towards Kensi, a sad and tiny smile gracing her face. "My dear, I think you should sit down. Would you like some tea? I must say, this Ceylon Green Tea works wonders. A middle eastern guru introduced me to it right before he tried to kill me."

Kensi accepted a cup, noting how Hetty had averted the question but choosing not to comment on it. She was more interested in the woman's demeanor, which wasn't accompanied by her normal briskness. No, Hetty seemed quieter, solemn even. It was unsettling. She set down, sipping the tea, all the while receptive of Hetty's unordinary mood.

They set silently, waiting for the other to initiate a conversation relating to the elephant in the room which was Hetty's off-ness. Kensi interrupted the quiet first, her curiosity and impatience getting the better of her. "Hetty? Everything good?"

Hetty sighed. "My dear, you do know the chief of the army, Commander Owen Granger?" Once Kensi nodded her head, Hetty continued on. "Unfortunately, Owen had done a very noble deed a long time ago and I had granted him a favor. He has cashed it in now, and I cannot deny him."

Kensi set down her cup and sat up straighter, more than a little apprehensive now. "Wait.. what favor?"

"Owen has arranged for your marriage. To his only son, Jack."

Kensi gasped. No, she couldn't be married now! This would basically ruin her life! She would be stuck inside the castle all day doing nothing but knitting doilies and making baby after baby after baby!

"When? When is the marriage?"

"Owen will announce it to the kingdom tomorrow and is planning to get you married and with his son by next week."

That was when the world came crashing down. This was it. Her life as she knew it would be over.

"I'm very sorry." Hetty whispered, making her way out of the room. Kensi sat in the chair, shocked. No. She would do something. She would not sit there like the perfect and ideal woman everyone expected her to be. She would find her freedom, and she would seize it.

Late at night, once everyone was snoring fitfully, Kensi was still awake, eyes trained on the ceiling. She'd thought about her situation, mulled over every detail over and over again, trying to find a logical way out the predicament she'd fallen into. Grabbing a tiny bag to fit on a saddle, she packed a knife and money, tying her hair into a tight pony tail. She changed into her favorite brown casual outfit and snuck into the stables, finding her beautiful white mare, Royal, and saddled her bag on her. Leading Royal outside the palace, Kensi surveyed the castle behind her one last time and rode off on Royal into the deep forests.

Later in the morning, Nell Jones, Hetty's lady-in-waiting, made her way into her best friend's room to wake her up. The only thing Nell found was crumpled bed sheets and a pillow where Kensi should've been. After word had spread about Kensi missing, Granger furiously stormed towards Hetty, demanding where Kensi went to which Hetty could not reply. A sudden court meeting was called, which an angry Owen Granger raised this issue.

Marty Deeks, one of the best knights in the army and known to be a joker in the court was immediately interested when Granger started spewing. Of course the badass princess would run away at the thought of marriage. Who'd expect any different? Especially to a sleazeball like Jack. When Granger immediately called for someone to volunteer to bring the fair princess back where she belonged, Deeks knew he should be the one to go. And he figured that, even though he'd kind of pissed Kensi off earlier on the battlefield, a familiar face might be nice. Definitely a hell of a lot better than Granger.

After he had stabbed his drunken father with a piece of glass on the floor from a broken plate, his mother had deserted him on the town's streets, berating him in front of everyone how stupid and idiotic it was of him to attack his father before she left and never looked back. A few year later, he signed up for the army and got to work.

Deeks knew, in Owen Granger's eyes, Deeks was probably his least favorite knight and Granger always berated him for no fault of his. Either his style, his quarters, the fighting techniques, anything. So if bringing back Princess Kensi could at least prove himself worthy, he would do it. Lucky for him, Hetty actually convinced Granger to allow Deeks permission to go out and now he was to depart for the forests the next day. Packing everything he would need and getting his horse, Monty, ready for the next day, Deeks promptly fell asleep once his head hit the pillow. Little did he know of the adventure that would unfold in front of him.