First multi chapter written work tell me what you think!
Summary: All Princess Rias has wanted to do is escape the royalty duties and live a normal life, even for just one day. When she meets a charming young prince named Kurt, he offers her the opportunity of a lifetime, one she can't turn down. Now with her savior, Rias begins to wonder whether he is truly her knight in shining armor, or is he something else entirely? Perhaps, her own demise?
WARNING: Rated M FOR MATURE CONTENT LATER ON.
Damsel in Distress
"Princess?" The voice she had been trying to ignore for the last several moments once again made its way to her. With a heavy sigh she closed the book, making sure she had actually left the bookmark in place this time. Setting it up on the table, the young women slid out of her seat and went to answer the door.
"Princess Rias-" Her reading time ender once again knocked and shouted a little higher before becoming surprised as the door actually opened and there stood the kingdom's most prestigious princess.
"Yes, Eva?" Rias crossed her arms waiting for the young blonde maid to answer, before smacking herself mentally and patting her on the shoulder. "Sorry Eva, I was just in the middle of a delightful chapter."
And that she was. The hero of the story was just about to conquer the remaining conflict and save the day, like every other book she had read since being a small child.
"That's okay princess!" Eva laughed as she held the more mature woman's hands in front of her accepting the apology. "All of us know how much you help support the kingdom and know how bothering it has to get sometimes. We want you to relax more and be yourself!" The blonde gave a bright smile which brought one to Rias' face too.
"Thank you, that really means a lot." The two hugged, before pulling away. "Now, what am I needed for?"
Her mind getting back on track, after the abrupt curve, Eva grimaced. "The king has summoned you to him, immediately."
Rias' smile morphed rather quickly into a frown. The king, her own father, use to be a highly regarded individual amongst the royal family and the citizens of the kingdom. However after the queen passed away from a severe illness two years ago, everything had changed. The once bright leader had become increasingly dull, but he also had become more sharp minded.
She loved her father, she really did. However, she had long ago stopped feeling like his daughter and was now just a personal tool. A marketing tool to be exact. He had tried several times in the last two years to put her with some rich family's man, and she had refused and turned them down every single time. It enraged her father, and it enraged herself, as the two sides clashed for weeks, before finally settling on an agreement. Just over a year ago, her father said he would stop trying to force marriage upon her if she just gave in and accepted him one more chance.
Bitterly, Rias knew she had no choice but to oblige otherwise things could take a turn for the worse. She agreed, but since then no attempts had been made and Rias was full of joy having her somewhat normal life back.
"Alright, I will be right there. Thank you." Rias gave the girl a small smile as she turned back into her room and watched as the blonde bowed before departing. She was left alone in her thoughts, left alone in her room.
What could he want me for now?
"Father?" Her light feminine voice made itself known in the king's compartment. She curtsied before smiling at him. The highest ruler of the entire nation sat before her as she felt like an alt about to be stepped on. His staring was so intense!
"You're late." He roughly spoke.
"I know, I know, I am sorry father I was in the middle of reading my book and needed to get ready-" Rias began explaining before going quiet as she watched him stalk down from his throne.
"I do not want to hear your pitiful excuses." He ordered as she went silent and gazed at him hesitantly before glancing down.
"Yes father."
"Now, I am going to tell this once, so I want you to prepare and BE on your best behavior." He began. "I have organized a ballroom event, many princes from the neighboring kingdoms will be there. You somehow are the most popular and dashing princess despite lacking any self intelligence. Anyways, tomorrow night we will find you your match."
Rias' eyes flared up with anger as she walked forward. "You said you wouldn't-"
Her father dashed in front of her as he grabbed her arm and pushed her back to where she originally was. It seemed her persistency to remain free had only driven the man to further rage over the months, without her particularly knowing.
"And you agreed you would give me once more chance. This is that chance, and it is no chance, it is what will be happening."
"You can't be serious father!" Rias cried out.
"I am one hundred percent. You will be with one of those bright young men by the end of tomorrow night, whether you like it or not." He ordered as a bright smile formed on his own face. "Now go back to your quarters."
She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to just attack the man standing triumphantly before her. Instead, Rias rushed out of the room slamming the door behind her.
Of course! Of course he would do this to me! Rias angrily beelined back to her room as she slammed the door shut there too. Many of her friendly maids and older friends tried to ask what the matter was, but she ignored all of them.
Her anger peeked as she picked up the book she had previously been reading and threw it at the wall next to her. She watched as the hardback smacked the smooth surface and bounced down to the floor, taking note of a small rectangle slipping out upon its descension.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Rias pouted crossing her arms as she sat resting her back against the end of her bed and stared daggers through the bedroom door.
Calm down, you have got to calm down. She thought
"Princess?" The same familiar voice from before reached out as Rias hurriedly ran for the door. Before the young blonde could even speak another word, she was pulled in by the fiery redhead and the door closed.
Eva watched her friend closely wondering what had happened.
"He did it Eva..." Rias whispered out loud to her as she sulked over to her bed and sat down.
"Did what?"
"He's setting me up to find my husband." She revealed as she began to sniffle.
"Oh. Oh!" Eva was hit with reality like a freight train as she scrambled to her friend's side and tried to comfort her.
"When is it Rias? Surely you have a few more days to think about all of this, right?" She said hopeful.
"He is hosting a ballroom tomorrow night with a bunch of princes. Tomorrow freaking night."
Eva's hopefulness drained away instantly at that and all she could do was try to help console the young princess.
"Well...I'm sure it can't be that bad right? I mean one of them has to be pretty cute!" She tried easing the tension and making a joke, but it only seemed to make Rias sadder.
"That's the thing...I have no choice whether they're all ugly or all hot Eva. I am going to be forced to choose or one will be chosen for me by him."
Her words were met with silence, and then a long silence from both girls ensued. Rain began to splat against the window as Rias dried her teary eyes and looked outside. The sun had vanished, and now it was all dark skies.
"It seems like the weather can replicate my emotions." Rias giggled to herself with a light smirk forming which Eva noticed. Understanding there was nothing else she could do, she began to depart.
"Where are you going Eva?" Rias asked the blonde as she noticed her begin to slip away from the bed.
"I have some things I still need to do princess. If you'll excuse me." She said smiling as she reached the door.
"Oh." Rias replied dimly.
Opening it, Eva began to make her way out before stopping. Turning around she clapped her hands getting the redhead's attention. "You're my top priority Rias, but you're also my friend. I know you will get through this. If you need me, you know where to find me!" She called out as she closed the door and went her separate way.
Several minutes after she was once again left alone in her room, Rias couldn't help but laugh. She laughed and she laughed. Picking herself up, physically and mentally, she walked over and kneeled down to pick up the discarded book she had angrily thrown at the wall not long ago.
"Damn I didn't see what page number I was on." She frowned while whispering to herself, before placing the hardback on the table.
Eva is right. No matter what, I am a princess. I won't let father's greed control me any longer. I got this!
"On second thought...I don't got this." Rias groaned as she stood in the center of the ballroom. The next day had come and gone, way faster then the she could of ever imagined. She had little to no time at all to process everything after now three hours into the ball, had danced with a dozen or more princes. Thankfully, once he had announced everything and met with the princes, to which she assumed is where he told them all of his plan, her father had practically disappeared from the picture for the time being.
Maybe he is just trying to make me feel comfortable?
The princes were...unique to say the least. A few were handsome and witty, some were really smart and observant, and the rest were just plain ugly or stupid in Rias' opinion. She felt bad thinking of them like that, but at the same time she didn't want to be doing this in the first place and was forced to do so. She needed to vent somehow.
Excusing herself politely from the twelfth prince she had encountered, she quietly walked off to the balcony overlooking the grass fields below as she looked up into the dark sky. It was pitch black with a full moon shining overhead.
Rias placed her delicate palms on the metal railing as she looked down at her attire. She knew she would have to dress up with something appealing, she was a princess after all and this was a ball, but this...she felt exposed. A mainly white dress with streaks of blue down the side of her arms and chest clothed her which was tied off in the center by a golden and bright sash like ribbon that wrapped around her waist. The dress continued down with the same blueish white design. Her footwear was a little different though from her usual.
Normally for events or just when she was around the castle needing to look preppy, Rias would wear a small pair of white high heels that had a little sparkle design across the sides. However for tonight, Eva wanted her to look dashing for her hero, Rias wanted to throw up remembering how she had referenced it.
"You need to look stellar for your prince charming!" She had giggled. "Here, put these on. The older girls got together and told me to give these to you. They said it should help you in 'more ways then one' whatever that means?"
Her friend, and friends, had insisted she wear these metallic golden high heels that went further up her leg then the normal white ones she would wear. Despite not originally liking it, Rias couldn't help but smile as they did feel rather comfortable and it helped her balance when it came to dancing.
She quickly figured out what Eva's final sentence entailed as a few of the princes had gotten greedy, and thought they could pull a fast one. Trying to start a little below the end of her knee, because that's where her dress practically ended, the few princes who dared try were left disheartened, and very embarrassed, as instead of getting a hand on her soft skin, they instead felt hardened gold metal. Oh, and they received a scolding courtesy of Rias herself to seal the packaging.
She listened closely to the quietness of the world as she tuned out the blaring music and laughter behind her and leaned further against the railing. Using her hand she brushed a lock of her crimson hair back behind her ear as she looked at the darkness below. She knew a forest stared somewhere down there, but she had never been able to reach it. Her father made sure of that. It was a pretty big drop to the ground anyways from the balcony, one she had never dared try to cross.
Rias looked up at the shining stars as they reflected back against her bright blue eyes as a frown appeared on her face.
"Mother why is father like this now? Is it because you are gone?" She asked up to the sky as if pleading for an answer to what happened to her once younger self's idol.
Her gaze fell back down to the deep black below after she received no answer. "Is it something that I have done?" She whispered dejectedly.
"Now what is a princess like you doing out here alone?" The random speech broke her out of trance as she hurriedly looked up and noticed a young man standing a little ways from the entrance of the balcony.
"May I come further?" He asked politely waiting to be either accepted or denied. Rias was caught off guard by such gentleness and couldn't help but inwardly smile.
"Yes, you may. Sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?" He asked cheerfully as he walked over and leaned over the railing like she had previously been. She used the opportunity to study him some more as she noticed his thick black spiky-like hair and nearly stumbled as his brown eyes illuminated the area once he stopping looking below them.
"Hi, sorry that wasn't the way I should have started this whole thing was it?" He sheepishly laughed into his shoulder.
"I'm Prince Kurt, but if you would like to keep the formalities down, just Kurt is fine too." He smiled.
"Hi Kurt, I am Princess-" She began before the black haired prince cut her off.
"Princess Rias, I know I have heard a lot about you." He began. "The citizens of your kingdom speak in high regards of you and you seem to be adored almost everywhere you go."
"Yes..." Rias nodded a little hesitant.
Kurt kicked himself mentally for screwing up.
"Sorry, I don't mean to spook you or anything." He once again laughed trying to lighten the mood. "I'm not a stalker or anything if that's what you were thinking at first. I like to travel about from my own kingdom and go on little adventures exploring the world when I can ya know?"
Rias could only look on at amazement at his openness to her. Sure they were both royalty, but they practically were complete strangers.
"That is really neat Kurt." Rias spoke with praise in her voice which the man took notice of.
"Yeah it is a lot of fun for sure, sometimes it can get tiring, but it's totally worth it after you get to see some of the cool stuff that is out there hidden from the public eye." He continued. "Hey Rias! Have you ever gotten to travel anywhere?"
"I, well, I, uh..." She started to stumble over her words trying to form a response as he watched eagerly on. "I use to travel with my mother and father, I went to the beach sometimes as a little girl, but I haven't been anywhere in the last five years."
Her response nearly made him fall over in shock as he rebounded and looked at her as if she was crazy.
"What? Five years?! What have you been doing then in these last few years, if you don't mind me asking?" He questioned, once again making sure to be polite.
Rias couldn't believe how kind Kurt was being to her, and definitely was beginning to think that this prince was going higher and higher up on her list once her father forced her to choose. She would be completely honest with him.
"I have...been trapped here in this very castle." Rias revealed as she looked away from him. Kurt took notice of this act of shame and knew he had to fix it.
Gingerly, he laid his hand on her shoulder nearly making her jump. "It's okay Rias, there is no need to be ashamed. Let me guess? Your father has prevented you and locked you under a key, am I correct?" He asked.
Shakily, Rias turned around as she felt his hand slide off her shoulder as she quickly nodded. She watched as his hand met his chin and he closed his eyes, seemingly to go off into a deep thought. He looked a little funny standing there as if in his own world without a problem in sight. Rias wished she could have that. If only...
"I got it!" Out of nowhere, Kurt's brown eyes flashed back open as he eagerly grabbed both of her hands.
"Rias, you want to go exploring right?" Once again she nodded, her emotions going haywire as she had never been with a male like this. He seemed so laid back and so caring. She didn't know boys like these even existed.
"Then come with me!" He offered still holding her hands with his own. "I can take you on all types of adventures and show you the world through different colors that you probably never even knew were there!"
Rias was taken back by his sudden offer and stared at him observantly. She had only just met him, but as the thirteenth prince she had encountered tonight, he was definitely number one on her list without question.
There was no way her friends would approve, maybe Eva as she had known how long Rias had been dying to want to escape the castle, even if for just one day. The real question was...what would her father think?
"I..." She tried finding her words as her best friend came to her rescue at the perfect time.
"Rias are you out here?" Eva asked while adorning a small red dress. "Oh! I'm sorry am I interrupting something?" She asked awkwardly with red across her face as she noticed the two royals holding hands.