A/N: Okay so I originally wasn't going to publish this until my other stories had more chapters but I simply couldn't resist! Should I be posting another multi chapter fic? LOL no, I shouldn't be. But I am and here it is! This plot just wouldn't leave me alone so I finally gave into temptation and began to type. I would like to say that this will be another slow developing Bakuraka fic, though I'm not necessarily sure of what the plot for this type of universe should be yet. If anything I'll just go with the flow until something comes up lol.

This is rated M due to the mature content that this will contain.

[Edit: 11.6.18] I went back and fixed some grammar mistakes and spelling errors I missed the first time around. I also added like a sentence or two but it doesn't necessarily change the chapter in a drastic way so you guys don't have to re-read it unless you really want to. Oh yeah, and this story is now cross-posted on AO3! :D

[Edit: 9.4.20] Once again I've gone back and edited all thirteen chapters by revising a couple of spelling errors when it comes to the character's names as well as changing the structure of some sentences so that the word flow is more smooth.

Falling in love is not rational. It's madness. A beautiful, wonderful, moment of magnificent insanity. — Michael Faudet

Chapter One

The Roses and The Thorns

Ochako awoke alone in her chamber with the feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach. Of course, she knew what today was. She was reminded every day for the past two years of what she is to do today. Of what she is to promise to a complete stranger. They have been patiently waiting for her to come of age in order for this day to finally happen, she'd only been sixteen when they announced to her that she had been engaged, and every day she would neglect her duties for the dreadful ceremony.

She would stand still as they poked and prodded her for the gown she was to wear. She wouldn't respond to the handmaidens as they gushed about her beauty and how lucky she is to be betrothed to a handsome prince. She wouldn't say a word. She would just stand there quietly, trying to drown out their words of meaningless comfort and encouragement.

"It isn't as bad as you think, princess." They would say, as they plucked her bare after she got out of her bath. "I'm sure he will make you happy, even if he is the heir of the rival kingdom."

She bit her tongue at those words. A prince who is to become king had asked her parents' permission for her hand in marriage. Her parents had agreed without her consent, of course, but she had been told that the merging of these two houses would be a great thing. The merging of these kingdoms will benefit all. The unity of two rival countries is something both kingdoms should be proud of. But she doesn't believe them. How could she when they constantly remind her of all the horrendous things they've done? How do they expect her to be compliant when she'd never even seen her betrothed? Not once had he presented himself to her… and not once had he asked to see her.

They dressed her in a gown of silk, they adorned her in gems of sapphire and gold, they delicately braided her hair to keep it from hiding her features. They placed the thin silver circlet on her head, and it suddenly felt unbearably heavy. She stands tall before the full-length mirror, and she doesn't recognize the woman staring back at her. Instead, she sees a frightened little girl whose crown does not fit as it should.

Her stomach churns at the sight.

"Ochako, may I have a word with you?"

She's startled by her mother's voice and the handmaidens stop tending to her in order to bow respectfully before excusing themselves. Ochako turned to meet her mother's loving gaze, and she grimaced as she reached to caress her cheek. "I know you're not happy about this." She began, voice low, almost as if she was afraid of being overheard by someone outside of this room, "None of us are. But please, at least try to smile."

Ochako's frown only deepened then, and she furrowed her brows in aggravation. "If no one is content with this union then why make me go through with it?" She demanded, trying to keep her voice low and calm. But in reality, she wanted to scream. She wanted to let everyone know exactly what she thought of this but yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. She can't defy her parents.

"We already told you. They came in peace and made a truce, dear." Her mother explained, "Your father didn't bend the knee but they suggested that the merging of the two houses would be… easier. You'll come to love him."

"I can't believe you!" Ochako shook her head furiously and backed away from her mother's touch, ignoring her pained expression. "That's not what happened and you know it."

"Believe what you want but that is the truth, Ochako. They didn't force him to agree with them… he had no other option."

"But why me?" Ochako whined, "There are plenty of other women who would gladly want to marry the prince!"

"But none of them are the princess of this kingdom, Ochako."

She sucked in a sharp breath, the cold air hurting her lungs. Of course, how could she have forgotten? A princess is supposed to marry a prince, like in the stories her mother read to her when she was a child. Something that was once a cherished memory was now tainted and once again her eyes burned at the thought. Her mother exhaled a tired breath, and Ochako headed towards her balcony for desperately needed air. She did her best to ignore her mother's gaze on her back.

With a heavy heart, she looked out over her beloved kingdom that was covered in snow. The fact that even the sun had neglected to shine over their land had Ochako wondering if the Gods were also in mourning for this union and everything suddenly looked out of reach. Everything was slipping through her fingers like sand and she couldn't seem to get a grip anymore. It is then when she realized that she never did have any control over her own life and that thought alone made her blood boil in both frustration and anger. If only she had the option to choose who she truly wanted. If only she could choose the only man who had already won her heart over...

When she caught a glimpse of him from her balcony, her heart began to race at the sight of the curly haired knight who was escorting the prince and his court into the castle.

He was her sun. Her earth. Her sky. So bright and so inviting. She had loved him; a secret she had been willing to keep.

He is her lamb. Her comfort. Her savior. She doesn't want to be torn away from him, but fate had never been kind to them. She doesn't have a choice in this matter. This is what's best for my kingdom. She sighed, looking wistful and lost in thought. If only things have been different. If only he wasn't a knight but someone who held actual power to his name instead of a mere sword.

But no, she is to marry the wolf. A monster of a man whose gaze strikes fear into the very hearts of those who stand before him. She is to marry a cruel man who kills those who dare to defy him. She is going to marry a dark man who doesn't know the meaning of compassion or love. And she fears him. She is afraid of the prince whom she will marry and she turned back to her mother who was yet to leave the room, a look of utter betrayal flashing in her eyes.

"Happy birthday, my sweet child." She said, her grip on the door handle tightening ever so slightly, the guilt evident in her tone but it didn't make Ochako feel any better. Instead, it only served to make her feel worse. "And I hope that one day… you will come to forgive us for doing this to you."

And she left without saying another word, leaving Ochako with nothing but a hole in her heart and the deafening sound of silence to be her only company.

...

Izuku walked a couple of steps in front of the prince, his thoughts running wild as he tried to ignore the prince's intense glare on his back. The prince of the rival kingdom had come to finally marry the princess and he had been ordered to safely escort the prince and his court into the castle and towards their assigned chamber.

It was unsettling how quiet they were behind him. They wouldn't say a word but at times they would ask questions about the kingdom and how it must feel to serve a king who may or may not have bent the knee. They were mocking him, surely, but no one knows for sure what happened between the meeting of the two kings. The only thing he remembers was his heart shattering at the news that the princess had been engaged to Prince Katsuki and that was all he needed to hear. That was all he needed to know. And as a result, he had found himself trying to get closer to the princess before it was inevitably too late.

In his mind's eye, he would like to believe that he made significant progress with the princess. He would try to woo her with pretty words fit for a queen. He would make her swoon with his loving gaze and subtle touches. He would kiss her passionately for she is his flower; his rose that he had watched bloom and become this magnificent, beautiful, strong woman who is now going to promise herself to another man who isn't him.

And he is to watch his rose be plucked from his garden, thorns and all, and be gifted to someone else who is an actual prince— someone who has real power to his name. Someone… who could give her all the riches in the world.

And he had met this prince before. Yes. His crimson gaze is all but forgettable. His demeanor is frightening but admirable. He respects this prince who had asked to marry the love of his life but that is an unforgivable act. He could see his flower looking down upon them from her balcony, and for a moment, their eyes met. From where he stands he could see her rose tinted cheeks, and he unconsciously waved at her, earning the curious gaze of the ashen-blond prince beside him. "That is the woman you are to marry, Your Highness." He says, trying to not sound bitter or angry. "Lovely, isn't she?"

The unimpressed grunt that came from the prince had him frowning in agitation, but he could see the prince's gaze never leaving the princess' figure, almost as if he wanted to get a good look of his bride-to-be and something flickered in his brilliant reds, causing Izuku to force himself to look away before he did anything he would regret. It had looked like the prince was pleased with what he saw, and it would be a lie if he didn't say that he was envious of the man who was now beside him.

"So that's Princess Ochako?" One of the men behind him asked. Izuku looked back only to see the intimidating redhead gape at the princess. "She's much prettier than what I originally imagined…"

"She's considered the jewel of Farel." Izuku explained, looking back at her then back again to the men behind him. "Being the only daughter of the King you must see why she's loved. We would all put our lives on the line if she were to ever be in danger."

"I see…" The redhead became pensive, "Prince Katsuki is also the only child so I understand your devotion to protecting the princess."

Izuku set his lips into a thin line then, and nodded stiffly before addressing the prince. "Shall we get moving? I'm certain your advisor is eager to speak with you… Your Highness."

Finally looking away, the prince looked like he was taken out of his thoughts. He nods without saying a word and Izuku saw that as a sign to continue escorting them through the snow covered court yard and towards the main entrance of the castle.

Once inside, they were greeted by servants and handmaidens who bowed deeply as they walked past them, the prince's court in awe of the elaborate decoration. There were flowers—mainly brilliant red roses— in every corner. The furniture kept clean and crisp that they wondered if they had ever been used. The gold embroidery on the pristine white walls put everything together and Deku couldn't help but swell with pride at how beautiful his home is.

He guides them through a maze of corridors, going up the flight of stairs that led them towards their temporary chambers until the ceremony tomorrow night. He had explained to them that the King and Queen had offered to let each one of them stay in their own assigned room and they expressed their gratitude for their generosity. Until finally, he was left alone with the prince.

"I hope you find your chamber to be exceptional." Izuku began, hoping to get something out of him in order to get rid of this uncomfortable silence. "I would like to believe that it will suit your taste."

He glanced at the prince from the corner of his eye and he frowned upon seeing him look completely impassive. It is clear to him that he is not easily impressed as the people who came with him, but still, it wouldn't hurt him to try and show a little bit of gratitude.

"Does she always look so miserable?"

The question was sudden. Izuku's head turned instantly, meeting the questioning gaze of the prince and he immediately regretted reacting to the question the way he did. So he's been thinking about her the entire time… something welled within his chest and he forced himself to look away. "It's nothing to be concerned about." He was quick to reassure, clearing his throat, "I'm sure you already know the answer to your own question."

He didn't look satisfied with his answer. "What's your name."

Not a question but a demand. Izuku furrowed his brows, "Midoriya, Your Highness, Izuku Midoriya."

"Are you in favor of this marriage?"

Here, Izuku's frown only deepened. No. He wanted to say but didn't, because if he admitted his feelings it would only cause problems. He knows better than to cause problems… "It'll be a beautiful union." It sounded rehearsed, "You will make her happy." It didn't sound sincere.

The silence Prince Katsuki gave him was unnerving but nonetheless he nodded, almost as if he was at a loss for words. It wasn't long until they were greeted by two magnificent wooden doors. "This is where I'll leave you." He opened the doors for the prince and he allowed him to walk in before bowing only slightly, "We shall see you soon. You should get some rest."

He turned on his heel, not giving the prince nor the advisor, who had been waiting inside, the chance to say anything else to him. And the doors remain closed once again, almost as if they were never touched in the first place.

"You are to be kind to her, Your Highness. She has never seen you nor has she met you so her thoughts may be clouded with rumors she has heard of you."

Katsuki's gaze never left the frame of the petite woman he is to marry, she'd been completely oblivious of his eyes on her and he began to wonder if she was doing it on purpose. Neither of them are happy about the upcoming ceremony, he could hear the royal staff whisper amongst themselves as they mentioned how their little princess weeps tears of sorrow for their inevitable union. "She's already seen me, Eiji." He said with indifference, "And in all honesty I could care less of what she thinks I do."

"She is becoming your bride. You can't be saying such things." The older advisor tried, his tone begging him to understand, "Your parents will arrive tomorrow for the ceremony so I advise you to try and be civil with the people here. You are a guest and you don't want to disappoint them."

"No." He mused, "I wouldn't want to do that, now, would I?"

"Your sarcasm is appalling." Eiji scolded, shaking his head as Katsuki continued to look out the window.

"This shit is appalling." He scoffed, crossing his arms as he finally looked away from his princess. "To think they chose her is fucking repulsive!"

Eiji set his lips into a thin line, clearly upset with the way he was handling this situation and he released an exasperated sigh, making his way to look out the window to see the princess strolling through the garden with the curly haired knight as her only company. "You don't find her pleasing to look at, Your Highness? Or are you saying you actually prefer the women from those brothels?"

Katsuki's scowl deepened at the question, "The people from this realm are lower than dirt. You know that. She is not an exception."

"But not anymore." Eiji countered, "She's just as human as you are. She holds as much power as you do in the palm of her hand. One day she will be your queen as you will be her king."

"The fact that you're defending this is disgusting."

"The fact that you're so against something that could be absolutely beautiful is honestly baffling. Get to know her a little bit. You'll see that she's human too."

Katsuki clenched his jaw then, and he narrowed his eyes at the old man, unsure of his sudden change of attitude when just last week he too was against personally coming here to have the ceremony.

"Today's her birthday, you know?" Eiji continued, looking back at Katsuki with a mischievous gleam in his eye, almost as if he knew something and was eager to share his knowledge.

"And what of it?"

"It is said that the knights lay a red rose in the Red Lake where she had supposedly been born. They do it every year." Here, Eiji began to slowly

pace around the chamber, "But never have they actually given her the passionate flower."

Katsuki would have laughed then if he wasn't so annoyed at what his advisor was implying him to do. To think that he would lower himself to follow that pesky tradition just so that he could woo the girl… it was a degrading thought to say the least. "Are you saying I should take part in this tradition?" He asked with an eyebrow raised, catching his advisor's wry smile, "Just so that I could seduce the girl I'm forced to marry?"

"Not seduce but make her fall in love. I hear she's afraid of you."

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "I wasn't aware you favored these people."

"They're great conversationalists." He shrugged, "Everything here is rather interesting, don't you think? Especially the princess."

Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling a migraine pulsate at his temples. "If you're so interested in her, why don't you marry her? Since I've arrived she's all you've been talking about."

"Trust me, Your Highness, if I were younger I wouldn't mind taking her away from you." The older man said with another shrug, stopping a shy away from the pitcher that is filled with water, "But then again, they do say forbidden fruit is always enticing."

"You're fucking repulsive." Katsuki sneered, having the sudden need to have some actual wine in order to drown out Eiji's boisterous laughter, and also to block out the unfavorable image that had appeared in his mind. To hear him say such a thing had him almost feeling sick.

"Wouldn't you agree, Prince Katsuki?" Eiji said after his laughing fit, still grinning madly.

Katsuki glanced at him from the corner of his eye, his jaw clenched in irritation, "Agree with what?"

"Eat the fruit and you can have the desires of your heart." He tilted his head slightly towards the princess' direction, influencing Katsuki to look at her once more. "What I said earlier was a mere joke, Your Highness, I would never take something away from you. But there's no denying it now… I'm sure you realized it yourself when that knight was escorting you."

Katsuki was watching her closely now, noticing the prominent tint of her cheeks as she spoke with that knight and it was hard to miss what his advisor was implying. She looked completely taken by him. Her eyes dazed. Her expression solemn— sad even— much like the one he saw on her when he first arrived. He looked back at Eiji whose features had darkened.

"You see, my prince, she is your forbidden fruit. The woman who is said to make flowers bloom with the sound of her laughter will never belong to you. This marriage that your parents, hell, even I pushed you into, will surely be doomed to fail."