Royals. (Prince! Komaeda Nagito x Fem! Reader x Prince! Hajime Hinata)

20. The Necklace's Secret.

After my bizarre encounter with Prince Nagito in the rose garden, my heart continued to pound in my chest for what felt like an eternity afterwards. I looked down at the necklace, the events in the garden replaying in my mind. What had caused him go react so dramatically about the necklace?

I frowned, holding the cool metal in the palm of my hand. He was jealous, wasn't he? His reaction was white hot with rage and fury, I felt like it had to transcend jealously. Though the necklace had been such a thoughtful, sentimental gift from Prince Hajime, it seemed to have only brought me trouble ever since I received it.

My eyes widened as my thumb grazed the metal, noticing a strange piece of metal protruding from the necklace. I quickly took the necklace off, holding the pendant close to my face. Sure enough, the necklace had a small clasp on the side of it, so tiny it was nearly impossible to observe it before. I then gently tugged at the other side of the necklace, and to my surprise, the pendant spring open, revealing a folded square of yellowing paper.

My fingers shook in anticipation as I carefully removed the paper from the necklace. Did Prince Hajime know that the necklace even opened? I felt like I was breaking some sort of rule as I gently unfolded the piece of paper. Once I opened it, I immediately noticed the neat, tiny handwriting, and begun to read the note.

To the future wife of my darling Hajime,

If you are reading this note, you are the person my Hajime intends to marry. Given his sensibilities, I have no doubt that you are all of the woman that I am and more. I have been unable to provide him with a life that he deserves, and I write this with deep sorrow and regret. I ask that you follow in my footsteps to ensure his happiness until the grave. He  will be taken from me soon, but I hope that you are able to provide him with all of the love and care that his mother could not. I thank you for being the kind, courageous, and beautiful woman that my son has chosen to spend the rest of his life with, and I wish you both a beautiful marriage full of happiness. Know that I will continue to smile down on you both from above, until your time to join me comes.

Love,

Hinata

My eyes immediately began to well up with tears once I finished the note, and I quickly had to fold it back up to avoid staining the paper. Hajime's mother had known she was going to die, hadn't she? Had Hajime known that the note was inside of the locket in the first place?

Questions circled my mind as I looked down at the locket, my eyes widening in surprise. On the inside, was a small, hand painted portrait of a young looking Prince Hajime. The tiny, faint initials in the corner— H.H.— matched the handwriting of the note perfectly. Sure enough, Hajime's mother had painted it as well.

I held the necklace close to my heart and let out a shaky sigh, completely amazed at how I was being entrusted with such an important thing. Everything about the necklace was so intricate and important, it was truly priceless in my eyes. I placed the note back inside and clasped it shut again before placing it back on my neck.

As if on cue, the brunette prince appeared down the hallway, elegantly dressed in a regal looking white suit. My eyes widened as I quickly fell into a curtsy, smiling at the approaching prince. "Oh, hello, your majesty."

Unfortunately, the prince bore a discontent expression on his face. "Hello, my lady. What are you doing in the hallway?"

"I-uh, was simply admiring the necklace you got me," I admitted candidly. "It's so beautiful, I cannot help but treasure it."

The prince's stoic expression cracked, a small smile spreading on his lips. "Really? It makes me happy to hear that you like it. It looks lovely on you."

"You look lovely today, too," I breathed in response. I hesitated for a moment, contemplating asking him about the note. "Are you dressed up for any particular occasion?"

"Oh, this? I'm glad you like it. Truth be told, I could never get used to such stuffy formal attire," Prince Hajime admitted. "And I have had some royal proceedings to attend to today. I never would have assumed being a prince would mean I would have to take care of so many trifling matters, either."

"I can imagine it's a lot," I replied with a small sigh. The prince's eyes locked onto mine, the shining green of his having lost some of its luster. Thick bags hung below them, his beautiful face plagued with an exhaustion that never seemed to fully go away since that faithful night on the balcony. It made my heart ache seeing the effects of the stress still wearing on his body. "Please be sure to take care of yourself, your majesty."

"My lady, please do not be concerned for me," the prince replied, smiling gently at me as he cupped my face in his hand. "It is I who worries about your well-being, especially after the suffering you endured at the Imperial Kingdom."

Flashbacks to the dark, cold cell replayed in my mind, and I couldn't help but shudder at the thought. The prince pulled away, staring down at his feet for a painfully long, silent moment.

Finally, he spoke, his voice hesitant and raw. "(Y/n), I have to ask you... have you ever thought about leaving here?"

My eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by his words. "Pardon?"

"Well, I know you don't live here, technically," the prince continued, avoiding my gaze. "But I want to ask what your thoughts would be if you and I met under different circumstances. You know, if we met beyond these castle walls..."

"I would love you just the same," I admitted, my words coming out without hesitation. The prince's eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by my words.

"Y-you love me?" The prince echoed, his face flushing red. "I, I was not expecting to hear those words from you, my lady..."

"I love you for you, your majesty," I replied, my tone constant. "No matter your status, commoner or royalty, I love you for who you are, and for the hope that shines within your pure heart."

The prince merely stared at me, his mouth hung open in surprise. I eagerly awaited for his reply, but it seemed as if no words would come out. We stood there in agonizing silence, until finally, he broke. Tears began to stream down his face, the prince holding his face in his hands.

"You... love me..." he choked between sobs. "You love me... for me. And you, oh god, you, lady (y/n)... if only there were words for me to describe how I felt about you..."

Without hesitation, I pulled the prince into a tight yet gentle embrace, allowing his tears to fall freely. "It is alright if you do not have the words, your majesty. This is enough for me."

We stood there like that for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest at my close proximity to the prince. After he had calmed down, I pulled away from him, turning away as I did so. I couldn't bare to face him, to see his expression after having let go of such pain.

However, the prince took care of my worries for me. He grabbed my hand and turned me around before dipping me into a passionate kiss. I kissed back, wrapping my arms around him in doing so. His kiss was needy, desperate to remain connected to mine.

After a while, he pulled away, studying my expression with bloodshot eyes. His fingers grazed the sides of my face, his touch gentle. "I love you too, my beautiful (y/n). Words cannot describe how lucky I truly am to have you, but I vow I will commit to proving it to you for as long as I live."

"I love you for who you are, your majesty," I whispered in response. "There is nothing that you need to prove to me."

His face changed, the prince wincing at my words. He pulled me right into his embrace, before whispering in my ear in a shaking, raw voice.

"And I love you for you too, my darling (y/n)."

((I'm really proud of how this chapter came out, leave a fave if you enjoyed :) ))