A/N: I'm back! I know it's been a while since I last updated this story (or any of my other stories for that matter) but life sort of got in the way and I simply didn't have enough time to work on this as much as I would like. Autumn Leaves and Angels are currently being worked on and I hope I could post new chapters for those two fairly soon. But to touch on certain subjects, I'm aware that the characters may appear to be ooc at first but I promise that as the story line progresses their actual character traits will come through if that makes any sense lol.

I have many plans for this story and I hope you enjoy reading this new installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you!

Chapter 2

Hopeless Dream

Ochako hadn't realized that she'd been holding her breath. She watches on as the knights each place a delicate red rose into the lake. She smiles prettily and makes sure to give them her gratitude. She glances at the prince who is on the other side and she sees that he too holds the flower in his hand… but his is different. His has thorns while the others do not. It is obvious to her that it was his intention to have his look significantly different from the rest and she grimaces at the thought. He shouldn't be holding the flower in the first place…

She quickly looks at Izuku and sees that his expression is grim as he refuses to meet her eyes. They all know that she's getting married tomorrow— a marriage no one asked for— and she begins to wonder if he feels as though he has no right to look at her anymore… she wonders, and she hates to admit it, if he feels as though he has no right to love her anymore.

She looks back at the prince as he holds the last rose, her brows creasing in confusion as he begins to approach the lake with the dreadful flower still in his hand. She could see him hesitate for a minute, his hand hovering above the water as he turns to look at her with a look that could only be described as hatred— a look no one seemed to notice— and she swallows thickly as he finally placed it in the water.

"Prince Katsuki has taken part in this sacred ceremony!" One of the advisors announces, prompting everyone to kneel around them, "Tomorrow, he shall wed Princess Ochako as she is now of age! This union will be talked about for generations to come!"

A firm hand on her shoulder causes her to flinch, and she slowly turns to meet her father's soft gaze. She forces herself to smile at him and she's certain he caught onto her reluctance because of the way his eyes flicked to the prince. "Go to him, Ochako." He says softly, giving her a gentle push, "Don't let your prince stand alone."

Prince Katsuki is looking at her expectantly and Ochako could only nod stiffly, her movements are rigid and she dares to glance at Izuku through the corner of her eye as she walked past him. Katsuki is holding out his hand as she gets nearer and she instinctively put hers in his, a sudden heat in the palm of her hand despite how cold and calloused his hand was. He brings the back of her hand to his lips and her breath hitches if only for a moment. She suddenly felt nauseous.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, my princess." He says, his tone anything but sincere and maybe with a hint of sarcasm. She wasn't sure. All she knows is that he was trained to sound so chivalrous towards her, she could see it in his eyes that more or less reminds her of blood.

"My prince." She says, making sure her voice dripped with undeniable sweetness despite the trembling of her hands, "I do pray we live a long and happy life together. It will be a shame to let our people down."

He was still holding her hand, and something flashed in his eyes almost as if he was reminded of his role in this god forsaken marriage. She could see that he too isn't happy about it. Wasn't he the one who asked her parents for her hand? Shouldn't he be rejoicing that he finally got what he wanted? The burning sensations suddenly became unbearable but they were yet to let go of one another.

The applause and cheers that erupted from the crowd is what prompts them to let each other go. She had forgotten that they were there and she hates to admit how empty her hand suddenly felt without the prince's hand in her own. She looks at him and she lets her eyes linger on him, then, she looks away, only to meet Izuku's forest greens among the crowd looking back at her with an unreadable expression on his face. Her heart sinks.

"I'm sorry but I must go." She tells her father who was now standing beside her, ignoring her mother's questioning gaze as she rushed past them. She knows that they're looking at her, she could feel their gazes on her back and she could also feel her cheeks flush and her eyes begin to burn as she refuses to look back.

She doesn't know what came over her… and she's certain Izuku saw something, she doesn't know what, but the way he looked at her had a sudden wave of guilt wash over her and she can't bear the thought of him hating her. She doesn't want him to hate her…

She lets a tear fall. She couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Katsuki is washing his hands. He's washing his hands in scalding hot water in an attempt to cancel out the burning sensation that isn't leaving him alone ever since he touched the princess.

He's washing his hands in an attempt to erase the imprint she left on him and he knows she felt it too. The moment their hands connected there was a spark and the longer they stayed connected the more it seemed to burn. He feels disgusted by the contact. He hated every minute of it.

He hates how she looked at him. He hates how small she looked beside him. Shouldn't his wife stand as tall as him? Didn't they tell him that he was lucky enough to be betrothed to a strong elegant woman? From what he saw, she was anything but. She looked clumsy, she looked afraid and he would assume that she would at least know how to hide her true feelings through her expressions but her expressions on her face were what gave her away.

Damn woman. He curses under his breath and he clenches his jaw as he looks at himself in the mirror. To think that his parents thought this was the best option… he despises the fact that the girl is in the same exact situation as himself. They both had no say in this. He's certain she's realized it herself because of the way she looked at him in the end… her gaze that's too innocent for his taste... he wonders if the princess has ever seen a drop of blood.

The knock on the door takes him out of his thoughts and he curses under his breath as he goes to open it. His scowl only deepens at the sight of his personal guard frowning back at him, almost as if he were disappointed in him. "What do you want, Eijiro?" He hisses and he moves aside to let the red head come in.

"You shouldn't have let her leave, Katsuki." He scolds, "It was obvious she ran away from you. People are talking."

"Like I give a shit about what the people are saying. She left before I realized she was gone."

Eijiro set his lips into a thin line and glanced at his hands, noticing how red and raw they were, and Katsuki could hardly bring himself to hide them from his scrutinizing gaze. "You are really against this, aren't you?" He asks, furrowing his brows in what appears to be worry.

An unintentional scoff left his lips, "I blame my parents for not having another child. Then I wouldn't be the one forced to marry a woman from a kingdom we despise."

"You know that this union, your union, is essential for the protection of the crown. Princess Ochako has a target on her back and if she doesn't marry soon she may as well lose her crown and this kingdom."

"But this kingdom has nothing to do with us!" He tried again, almost as if he were trying to convince Eijiro that this marriage is nothing but a waste of time— which it is. Nothing good will come out of this… he's almost certain. "It's not our problem if they want the princess dead."

A tired sigh left the redhead's lips, "You are to promise her your protection." He spoke firmly, with a hint of irritation in his voice that Katsuki caught in an instant, "You can't fight this, Katsuki, no matter how hard you try." And he exited the room, not bothering to spare the prince another glance.

She made sure to specify that she had wanted to meet him at midnight; when the stars are out and the moon is their only witness. She had ordered her personal handmaiden to deliver the note without being noticed, and it's been hours since then.

She had written to him that she will be waiting for him in the basement— the place where they first met when they were children… the place where they had multiple secret meetings away from the scrutinizing gaze from the people around the castle. No one had ever caught wind of their romance. Only a select few would know the reason behind their longing gazes and subtle touches. But tonight she's desperate. She needs to see him for she fears that this may be the last time she would ever lay her eyes on him.

The knock on the door has her heart racing at a rate she didn't know was possible and she eagerly watches on as the door begins to slowly open. Izuku comes in and stands a few feet away from her, he's out of breath and it makes her wonder if he ran on his way here. "I tried to come as soon as I got your letter Princess Ochako." He breathes, "Is something wrong? What's so urgent?"

Ochako closes the distance between them and wraps her arms around his middle, catching him by surprise. "I wanted to see you." She says against his tunic, "I really wanted to see you."

He gently pries off her arms and cups her head in his hands, "I'm here." He reassures, looking into her eyes and she could see the conflict in them. He isn't sure if he should be holding her.

She exhales a shaky breath, "I'm getting married tomorrow…" She says as if they both weren't already painfully aware. His jaw clenched at her words and she could tell that he was forcing himself to stay put. "But I won't love him. I possibly can't… not when I have you."

He holds her at arms length, his expression is grim and a part of him looks angry as she continues to hold his gaze with slightly parted lips. "This is for your kingdom, Ochako, you can't defy the crown."

"If only things were different…" she sighs, once again closing the distance, "If only I wasn't the next in line to be queen… if only I was-"

"If only you were what?" He asked, lowering his head to the point where she could feel his breath on her lips. "Are you saying you'd rather be a mere peasant? Maybe a lady in the court, perhaps? So that I could have the opportunity to court you?" He places a hand on her cheek, "That's an impossible dream."

"An impossible dream it may be but I can still dream, Deku." She retorts, catching his surprised expression at the nickname he hadn't heard since he was a child. The name that holds so many fond memories feels foreign on her tongue, but despite that fact, he was the first to lean in and catch her lips in his own.

She kisses him back with just as much eagerness if not more, almost as if he was her air that she so desperately needed. His hands roam her body and she shivers at the contact. Skin against skin. If people from the castle were to know what they're doing— that she willingly gave herself to another man who isn't her betrothed— she knows they wouldn't allow her to marry since she is no longer pure. She knows about all of the terrible things that would happen if this act were to come into the surface and her pride as the future queen is loudly telling her to stop this madness but she could hardly bring herself to do so. They have gone too far and she gasps into his mouth as he holds her close.

She shivers at the exposure of her skin and she relishes the warmth of his hands. A part of her would like to believe their last kiss was supposed to be quick and chaste, but after the first touch of his lips something welled in the pit of her stomach. Her fingers pull him closer, digging her nails into his back. He holds her tightly, almost as if he were trying to meld themselves together to become one heart and one soul. She knotted her fingers in his hair and bit down on his bottom lip, making him groan. He parted his lips, and she only seemed to have deepened their kiss. There was nothing sweet or gentle about their last kiss; it was filled with sorrow and desperation, of the bitter knowledge that they could have been something perfect, but it just wasn't meant to be.