Don't Trust The Royals (Bang Chan X Reader)

Soot and String

You ran and ran as fast as you could, the hem of your dress balled up in your clenched fists as you darted into alleyways and around the occasional passerby. However, you hadn't planned for this turn in events and your corset's tight hold on your lungs began to become a problem. Unable to get enough oxygen, your pace became sluggish as the rising and falling of your chest turned sporadic. You leaned a hand against the moist cobblestone wall of the alleyway as your eyes drooped, your mind struggled to fight against unconsciousness but there was no hope, soon you could feel yourself falling.

A cloaked man leaped down from the rooftops and caught your slumbering body in his rough hands, "Idiot.." He mumbled as he heaved you up and brushed your hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear. The man, his face veiled by the night, worked nimbly, pulling off your overcoat and carefully unbuttoning your dress. He ignored the flushing of his cheeks and began untying the ribbons of your corset. As soon as the corset's grip on your ribs loosened you gasped heavily and coughed, your eyes fluttering open. Your (e/c) hues quickly narrowed however as you looked up and saw the unfamiliar form, " I beg your pardon!" You exclaimed, pushing him away and glaring at the man, your hands quickly rising up to cover your shoulders.

You felt indecent in front of this stranger despite still arguably still being relatively clothed in the position you found yourself in. A scoff came from underneath the hood, "I think you mean: thank you." 

You frowned, "And I think you're mistaken! There's hardly anything about this situation I should thank you for!" You snapped.

"How about saving your life? I think that's worth more than a heated look. Don't you think, Princess?" He coyly replied. 

You took a step back, "How did you-" The stranger crossed his arms, seemingly smug, "I know a lot about you but, there's no reason to fret. I'm not a threat, at least not to you." He kept his distance and continued to speak, " You have made a very dangerous ally, he reeks of black blood." You opened your mouth to ask more questions when suddenly his head turned to the entrance of the alley. Wordlessly he turned and disappeared into the night.

"Hey! Wait!" You reached a hand out in the direction the stranger had taken his exit but your attention was quickly won over by a melodic call from behind, "M'lady!" A small smile tugged at your lips and you spun around, "Chris!" You could barely recognize his broad silhouette at the end of the alley but, you didn't have to strain your eyes for long as Christopher rushed to you and enveloped you in his warm embrace. The soldier pulled away and even in the low light of the moon you caught a glimpse of a rose hue dusting his cheeks, "What- What happened to your clothes?" he stammered, averting his eyes quickly.

"Oh!" You blushed vibrantly and quickly buttoned up your dress as well as hug your coat around your body, "It's nothing to be concerned with. I had an unexpected encounter." You reassured him. A frown pulled down at Christopher's lips, yet again he blamed himself. Now that you had a moment to take in his appearance you noted the red stains on his uniform and pondered worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Let's get you home, Princess." He closed down that conversation swiftly, clearly, it wasn't up for discussion.

You nodded, not wanting to pry if Christopher felt so strongly about it. The soldier took your free hand in his and began to walk down the alleyway rather than leave it. His boots clicked against the slick stone until he came to a stop in front of a few crates. Maybe you could climb them if they were sturdy enough? He cracked open the wooden seal and peered inside to see if the contents could withstand their weight. Christopher exhaled roughly through his nose once he spotted the materials. His grip tensed on the lid and he moved so that his back was obscuring your view. Inside, there were large pouches leaking fine golden dust. "Bastards..." He brokenly uttered.

"Chris?" You placed a hand on his back and tried to peer around him. In response, the man swatted your hand away and grit his teeth. "It's nothing." Christopher pulled out a bag and began to pour out a small trail leading to the crate before he crouched down and pulled out two metallic blocks from a pouch hanging from his belt. He began to strike the two rocks together, causing sparks to fly. You watched silently as he did this, examining the determined look in his eyes as the sparks would illuminate his features occasionally. You knew better than to interrupt and face the consequences, you had seen this expression on the face of many men, and it never led to anything good.

Eventually, the dust ignited and began to crackle, burning away the trail and causing the box to catch flame. "M'lady! Time to go!"

Christopher grabbed your hand roughly and pulled you out of the alleyway and around the corner, holding you close as his back pressed against the wall of a storefront. There was silence for a few moments, the two of you not daring to breathe. Then, a loud, bone-rattling, bang rang out from the alleyway, the contents of the box had exploded. Smoke trailed out of the alley and soot licked at the hem of your dress.

"Well... this evening adventure certainly went out with a bang..." You sighed.