i just might love you (a hosie royalty au)

Part 15 "Landon."

A/n: some of y'all have the weirdest names for your hosie reading lists and it brings me joy.
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Hope rides home a few days after the battle. It had been hard to stay, let alone put on a brave face for her fellow warriors as they slaughtered and chased the Malivore soldiers back to the borders. Their camps had been thoroughly raided and destroyed, ending the siege and bringing peace to the edges of the Mikaelson's kingdom once again.

Daisy sidestepped on his own, bringing Hope's attention to the little girl that had been in their path. Her mother pulled her closer with scolding words and a fearful look at the large warhorse.

Hope patted the horses neck as she steered him through the crowded marketplace. She was a few hours from home, still wearing her armer and exhausted beyond all hell. A quick stop at a stream had been enough to clean the blood off her face, but not from under her nails. There was definitely still blood in her hair but she had no time to focus towards that. She had to get home. Once she was home she could have a nice bath.

The crowd faded away as she reached the end of town, allowing the Princess to fade back into her thoughts as she urged Daisy into a gallop.

The letter resting in Hope's saddle bag, tucked neatly among the personal belongings she had brought, felt like it was burning a hole in her mind. The thudding of her horses hooves echoed the sentiment of her heart. The blur of the tree's as she raced closer to the castle was hardly noticeable.

There had been another assassination attempt. The arrow meant for her father lodged into a Saltzman, and the one meant for her in the head of a poor servant girl. Guilt clawed up her chest and into her throat as a choked sob made its way out of her, disappearing into the wind as Daisy charged forward. She guided him expertly through a small opening in the tree line, taking a hunters path that was dangerous but much faster.

All the death that she had seen and participated in was nothing compared to the thought of losing someone she loved again. To a degree she had a tolerance for death. When you are met with the sight of it at every corner it becomes familiar, even if its a haunting shadow. But if her father had died, she would not only be overwhelmed by the death of another parent, but the responsibility of ruling an entire kingdom. She wasn't ready for that.

The rhythmic thud of Daisy's hooves on hard dirt changes to a crunching sound as hunters path meets gravely shore. Normally Hope might stop to let her horse drink, or splash around in the hidden lake. It was surrounded by high ridges and tightly packed trees. The shoreline itself was small and full of driftwood. But Daisy maneuvered himself as if it were a dance, and maybe, Hope thought, it was. His eyes were focused on the familiar break in the trees just up ahead. Soon they were both covered by the forest canopy once again.

Half an hour later she was pulling back on the reins as she reached the main gate of the castle. Gracefully she slipped off the saddle and let a stable boy take Daisy away. She ran to the main door, slowing to a polite pace once she entered but taking the stairs two at a time. She concentrates on her feet in order to prevent a slip up, but is able to look up in time to stop before she runs into somebody.

"Hope." A surprised voice says, standing right in front of her path.

"I mean uh, your highness." Landon Kirby corrects himself quickly, dipping his head in a graceless attempt at a bow.

Hope looks the young man up and down, noticing his awkward posture and trembling hands. The hair on the top of his head is curled to perfection, being an excellent combination of messy and put together. His tensed mannerisms seem to put her at ease, melting some of the stress she was feeling earlier away from her mind. A small smile tugs at her lips as he continuous to stand in front of her silently.