o·be·di·ence
/ōˈbēdēəns/
noun

》compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority《

》biding time until you can break your chains and be yourself《

♢

In your room, you tucked the rule book deep underneath your pillows and blankets, sitting on top of the mound proudly. As long as the Queen found no reason to search your bedroom, she'd never find it. And why would she? You've been nothing but obedient since you returned from Fandomia.

You were about ready to sleep when you remembered that you'd promised to visit Ethan again when you had rushed out of the infirmary today. It would be risky, but you needed to tell him what you'd found.

Wrapping your shawl around you tightly, you shivered as you dashed down the halls, the cold stone underneath your feet freezing your toes. Fall was setting in, and soon it'd be Leo's birthday, then Christmas-time. You miserably wondered if Rachel would make it through the cold of winter, or even be able to see the leaves change colors.

At the infirmary, you quietly opened the door, trying not to disturb the sleeping doctors. They deserved some rest. The doctors had taken the cots for patients in the front room, and you could only assume that the kind men had let Ethan keep the bed in the back room. Stepping around the lightly-snoring Sean and over the resting Robin, you made your way into the back room. Inside was Ethan, wide awake as ever.

"Why are you awake?" You whispered, walking over to him, and he looked up at you with a smile.

"You said you were coming back, so I waited for you." Ethan reached up to grab your hand, leaning into your touch.

"You need to sleep, Ethan."

"Princess, I'm okay." He scooted over and patted the bed space he had just opened up for you.

You sat down and let Ethan rest his head against your chest, arms loosely around your waist as he snuggled into your embrace. Reveling in how wonderful this felt, you set your cheek down onto his hair, eyes gracing his wounds. You were so happy to see how nicely they were healing.

"How's the medicine working?"

"I haven't thrown up yet, and I feel good. Thank you, my love."

"I wish I could have done more." You admitted, playing with his hair absentmindedly.

Ethan scoffed, pressing a kiss to your abdomen through your nightgown. "You've done so much for me, Y/N. You made my life worth living."

Tears filled your eyes, and you deserpately tried to stop them, but a few had fallen onto Ethan's head, and he looked up at you, sitting himself up.

"Hey," he said softly, grasping your hand in his. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ethan." You took a deep breath, holding him close to you again. Just having him with you made you nearly breakdown, how would you be able to offer him up to assassinations and regicide?

"Y/N, what's on your mind?"

"Nothing, love."

"Tell me, Y/N. That's an order."

You let out a breathy laugh at his joke, harkening back to the first day you met him, but finally relented. "Ethan, when is your twenty-first birthday?"

"October 24th."

"Then we have one week to get you on the throne."

Ethan startled, sitting straight up and looking at you, bewildered. "What?"

"I found the rulebook of Gizmonia in the library, okay? And you rightfully have the throne, Ethan. But when you turn twenty-one, the king can exile you, so we have to figure out how to get him off the throne before then."

"Y/N, that's insane, we can't-"

"Hey. Listen to me. You've had everything take fom you. Your mom, your dad, your sister, your well-being, your royal status. You deserve to get it back."

"I haven't had everything taken from me." Ethan rested a hand on your cheek. "I still have you. And as long as I have you, I don't care about the rest of that stuff."

You leaned into his touch, almost giving up your pursuit, but you were nothing if not persistant. "Ethan, we can't be together forever like this. Leo already knows, and that means that the Queen probably knows as well. It won't be long before everyone in this castle knows. We can't continue on like this. If you want to keep me, we have to do this."

Your love pressed his forehead to yours, eyes closed and obviously pondering this. With a deep breath, he touched his lips to yours for a moment. "One week to do this?"

You could only nod, and he sighed. "Well, we should get started."

♢

"Come on, Maryana, you know that word!" You said, exasperated at the servant.

Since you and Ethan had decided to try to get him on the throne, you've had to continue your normal daily routine, which included lessons with Maryana. But today she couldn't seem to focus, getting tripped up on the easiest words.

"I'm sorry, My Lady." She apologized, clealry frustrated with herself.

"Let's take a break." With a sigh, you closed the book and put your face in your hands.

"I should go, Lady Y/N."

"No, Maryana, stay. We'll continue soon. For now, tell me what's going on with you."

"Pardon?"

"You've been distracted all day, tell me what's happening."

"I couldn't possibly bother My Lady with such trivial things." She shook her head, walking over to your bed to start habitually adjusting the covers.

You stood up, following her across the room. "Maryana, please. I want to listen."

The girl stopped mid-fold, letting go of the sheet. "There's a rumor buzzing around the servants, but it's not my place to question you on it."

"Maryana."

"They say they've heard... strange noises coming from your room some nights. And that you sneak through the halls to go to the doctor's quarters after dark."

Your eyes widened, and you weren't sure whether to laugh or angrily deny it. They all thought you were having an affair with Sean. You humorously wondered what they'd think if they found out it was actually with Ethan, a servant.

Maryana had gone back to folding your bedspread, making her way up to the pillows where you'd hidden the rulebook.

"Don't feed into malicious gossip, Maryana." You snapped, blocking her from revealing what you'd hidden. "Come, we need to get back to work."

"Of course. I knew you weren't a traitor, My Lady." She seemed content with your answer, walking back over to the desk.

You let out a relieved sigh, messing up your covers again before returning to the lesson with her. At least the servants were off the trail of you and Ethan, but was it any better for them to think you were having an affair with the court physician?

Maryana did a lot better now that she had let that off her chest, and eventually she got through the rest of the chapter. "Good work today, Maryana."

"Thank you again, My Lady." She curtsyed to you then exited your room.

You were mentally exhausted as you sat down on your bed, falling back onto the comfy mattress. A knock came at your door, and you groaned, ready to just yell at them to go away. But you had to be on your best behavior now.

"Come in." You called out, standing up to adjust yourself and greet the visitor properly.

To your surprise, the King of Gizmonia opened the door, dressed in his everday royal robes. "My Lord," you quickly bowed respectfully to him. "What brings you to my chambers?"

"I merely wished to check on my ward. We haven't talked since the first day you arrived." He said kindly, taking a seat by the fireplace in your room.

You sat on the armchair across from him, trying to keep a calm demeanor. "I'm doing well, sir. The accommadations you've granted me are very luxurious, and I admire the view out of my window. I couldn't possibly thank you enough."

"I didn't ask how the room was, I asked how you were." The King laughed, stroking his greying beard.

He reminded you so much of Ethan it was almost painful as memories of your first night in Gizmonia came back to your mind, when Ethan asked how you were doing. Your left fingers reached for the green emerald engagement ring you still had from your mother, twisting it. You hadn't even thought of it since then, because Ethan had become your happiness, not a wish made on some jewelry.

"I... miss Amy, sir. She was the first friend I made here. If I'm not overstepping my bounds, it was a bit jarring to suddenly be thrown in here, but I think I've finally adjusted. Leo is a wonderful boy, and he will grow into a fine ruler when the time comes."

The prince's father nodded, mulling over your response for a moment before replying himself. "A ruler you could love, as his loyal wife?"

You were caught off-guard at his question, suspicion thrown in at the very last second. Pulling yourself together, you broke eye contact with him to look into the unlit fireplace, only a few charred logs were there. "I will support him, as is a wife's duty."

Holding your breath, you waited for what felt like hours for the King to speak. "Very well. I'm afraid I also came bearing unfortunate news."

"Yes?"

"Your sister, the Young Princess Rachel, has passed in her sleep. Goodnight, Princess Y/N."

You couldn't even utter a goodnight back to King. He just dropped that on you then left. A painful screech was thrust out of your throat as you slid down against the smooth wooden door. She didn't deserve it. Your darling sister, she had so much life ahead of her. Her smile was there when you closed your eyes shut, blinding you, and her laughter echoed deafiningly in your ears.

Screaming incoherently, you slammed your fist against anything that would make you feel something. You were filled with a dull ache and yet your chest was hurting with a stabbing pain.

Exhausted and cradling a bruised, split, and splintered hand, you fell onto your bed in a pool of your own tears that you wept profusely for her, your Rachel.

♢

The next day, you woke up to the ecstatic whisperings and chatters of women all around you. When you woke up, you saw a bunch of maids waiting eagerly in your room.

"She's awake!" One of them squealed while another threw the covers off of you and a third grabbed your hand to pull you up.

"Woah, what's happening?" You asked, rubbing sleep out of your eyes and squinting at the sunlight in your room.

None answered, sintead pushing you over to a dressing stand, peeling your nightgown off. Frantically, you tried to tell them that you could undress and dress yourself, but they continued stripping you. Once you were in only your undergarments, a huge white dress was brought out from an armoire. It was much too poofy for your liking, and you realized exactly what it was. Your wedding dress.

"What the hell is happening?" You yelped as a corset was tightened around you. You hadn't even had your fitting for your wedding dress, why were they already stuffing you into one?

"Today's the day, My Lady!" One of the girls squealed, buttoning the itchy tulle collar around your neck.

"What do you mean?"

"You're marrying the Young Prince Leopold today, My Lady! How could you have forgotten?" Maryana shook her head, slipping a shoe onto your foot as you held onto another servant's shoulder for support.

"That's not for another two weeks!" You tried to take off the dress, but the more you struggled, the tighter it seemed to get aound you, constricting your lungs.

You coughed and thrashed in the lace straightjacket you were being forced into, and dots crept into your periphreal vision. "Help!" You managed to choke out, but then Sara, the youngest maid that was in the castle knocked you off the pedastal.

"Traitor." She hissed, claws portruding from her fingers.

"Traitor." The bubbly voices from before turned demonic as all the maids crowded around you, adding to the panic and suffocating feeling you felt.

Their claws were digging into your skin, tearing at your flesh and drawing red blood from underneath, coating the pristine white garment you were in. Tears brimmed in your eyes as you desperately tried to plead for your life, but you couldn't breathe, couldn't utter a single word.

"Y/N!" A voice yelled from above you, and you looked up to the ceiling through your tears, wondering if that was God finally coming to cast you down to hell. Were you dead? You had to be.

"Y/N!" The voice came again, this time, far too high-pitched to be The Big Man.

Small hands gripped at your sholders, and the demon maids suddenly disappeared. Instead, the worried and freckled face of Leopold was in your vision. You jolted up, realizing that you were safely in your bed, covers thrown about so wildly that one sheet was, in fact, wrapped dangerously tight around your throat. You loosened it, desperately gasping in air again.

"Y/N, are you okay?" Leo asked, standing up to give you your space.

You could only nod hesitantly, still looking around vigilantly for any sign of the evil servants. "Stay here," the boy said cautiously, darting out of your room. "I'll get someone to help you."

((hello, i normally don't interrupt the middle of my story, but i have to say something rlly important. this is a trigger warning for suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide. please know that you are loved and no matter how much you think the world would be better without you, it wouldn't. you mean something to someone out there and you are loved. please, don't do it.

if you can't read things that contain things like this, please skip ahead to the next section after another section of bolded text like this, it will be safe there. i love all of you. okay, now you can read on.))

Pulling your knees up to your chest, you could still hear the voices whispering in your ear that you were a traitor, that you deserved to die, you deserved every ounce of pain you were feeling. Leo would be better without you. Ethan would be better without you, he wouldn't be risking his life for some selfish desire of yours to be happy. Happiness. What even was happiness? It surely wasn't everyone you ever cared for getting hurt and taunting Death's scythe because of you.

Your eyes trailed to the window. It was open, allowing the crisp autumn air to strike your sweat-drenched skin, nipping at your exposed body. Your room was on the second floor, you thought, wondering if a fall from there would be enough to kill you. Or at least give you the pain you deserved.

Standing on your wobbly feet, you took shaky steps towards the window. Strengthening your resolve, you thought of Leo, and how unfair you were being to him. You thought of Ethan, how he gotten assaulted by his own jealous brother. You thought of Rachel, she was dead. Fucking dead. You couldn't even save your own baby sister, the person you loved with your whole being.

Your knees shuddered as you climbed onto the windowsill, but you forced them to stop. You'd made up your mind.

Inching forward, your toes were at the edge of the stone. Below you was the ground. Hopefully the grass wouldn't cushion your fall. A wave of nausea spun your vision as you gripped the side of the window to keep from puking. This was just nerves. But you had to do it. Before Leo got back with whoever would help you. There was nobody to help you, you had to help them.

You'd be dead soon, and everyone would be okay. You were saving them, the only people left who still gave a damn about you. They would stop giving a damn eventually, and get on with their lives. The lives that would be so much better if you would just step off that damn ledge.

But you couldn't. What the hell was stoppping you? This is what was best, for everyone. For Leo, for Ethan, for Rachel. Rachel. You'd be able to see your baby sister again. As soon as you left the safety of your perch on the sill.

"Y/N!" A voice jolted you from your mindspace.

A lump formed in your throat when you realized who exactly it was.

"Ethan." Your voice cracked as you uttered his name, not turning around to look at him. You knew that if you just saw his face, you wouldn't be able to do it, you would step back.

"Y/N, talk to me. Please." His own voice sounded as though he were crying. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. You were just supposed to leave so he would stop crying.

"I'm protecting you." You affirmed to yourself, ready to step off, but he called your name out desperately again.

"Y/N, my love, please don't. You're not protecting me, you're hurting me. I know you don't want to hurt me. Please, my love, please."

((continue reading here bc major plot development))

You hesitated, tears streaming down your face at his words. Another voice entered your ears, the voice of one of your dearest friends. "Y/N, if you do it, you won't just be taking your own life, you'll be taking two lives."

Before you could even respond to Sean's cryptic persuasion, a strong set of arms pulled you pack from the ledge, and you both fell to the ground. Ethan was above you, pinning you down on the floor, and you held onto his shirt as if your life depended on it. And it did, he just saved your life.

"Ethan, Ethan, I'm sorry." You sobbed, and he fervently kissed the tears covering your face.

"I'm here, Y/N, I'm here, my love." Ethan's own salty tears were mixing with yours as you two exchanged sloppy, despairing kisses.

He sat up, cleaving you close to him, and you just let your sobs cascade out of you. You blubbered out apologies and love confessions to him, and he rocked you, muttering understanding words to you.

Sniffling, you tried to calm yourself down, but when you looked into Ethan's red, puffy eyes from his own crying, you broke down into sobs again. How could you be so stupid? Leaving would have solved nothing, and you never would have been able to see the beautiful face of your truest love again.

"Please, don't do that again. I would have followed you, Y/N, and that scares me even more." Ethan admitted, and you vigorously shook your head at his words.

"No, no, don't say that." You were suddenly angered, his words were stupid and naiive.

His fingers ran through your hair soothingly, and you burrowed your face into his chest, breathing in the comforting smell he always had on him. To you, it was home. The tears were starting to subside as you exchanged more calming kisses with Ethan, and you allowed yourself to look away from his face.

Sean was still in the room, standing awkwardly behind your bed, clearly not wanting to interrupt the moment. Now he knew for sure about you and Ethan, before, it could've all been speculation and circumstantial.

"Thank you too, Sean." You said, biting your lip to keep the tears at bay. "For being a wonderful friend and bringing Ethan to me."

"Oh I didn't bring him, he insisted he came as soon as Leo told me of your nightmares. I tried to convince him to continue his two more days of bedrest, but now I'm glad he's so stubbornly in love with you." The Septican came to sit on the bed above you and Ethan, still together on the floor.

"What did you mean, Doctor, when you said she would be taking two lives?" Ethan questioned, and you remembered the strange words of the Doctor too.

"Y/N, I'm sure you might have suspected as well, from recent changes in your body," Dr. McLoughlin took a deep breath, and it dawned on you what he was referencing, your frequent nausea, mood swings, the unfortunate bloating. "But you are with child."

Hearing the words said aloud, with no doubt in the phycisian's voice caused your breath to hitch in your throat. You were pregnant, and there was no doubt in your mind that Ethan was the father. Ethan was going to father your child.

"You're pregnant?" Ethan breathed out in awe, rubbing a hand over your stomach. You weren't showing yet, but he still acted as stunned as if the baby was already kicking at his touch.

"I guess I am." Your tears turned to happy ones as you placed your hand on Ethan's, rubbing circles onto his hand with your thumb. "We're going to have a child together, Ethan."

"I love you, so much." He was crying too, kissing you, then leaning down to your abdomen. "And I love you too, baby."

Sean joined the conversation again, stony and serious. "I hate to ruin such a happy moment, but you two must think of a plan. Y/N will start showing in a month or so, and there would be no way to convince the King and Queen it was Leo's. Winter is coming and it is harder for a pregnant woman to survive without the necessary provisions if she's to go on the run. Take into consideration everything. And don't forget, you don't have to keep it. I will be supportive no matter what."

You nodded as Ethan thanked him, and he left the room. Once you were alone with Ethan, you turned to him and took a few shaky breaths.

"We have less than one week to figure this out, huh?" You were crying again, and Ethan held you tight to him.

"We'll figure this out, my love. The three of us."