knight's Royal Duty || Gonkillu ||

Fated

The next morning, Gon left again, called away for another mission, and Killua was left alone once more in the cold silence of the palace. But something had changed. The kiss they had shared the night before lingered in Killua's mind, a reminder that no matter how much his mother tried to tear them apart, they still had each other.

But the challenges ahead were still overwhelming. The queen's control over the court was stronger than ever, and the marriage—though postponed—was still inevitable. Killua had no allies outside of Gon and Lady Sylva, and the thought of standing up to his mother again, with no one else to back him, filled him with dread.

But he couldn't give up. Not now.

With Gon's promise still echoing in his heart, Killua knew that he had to keep fighting. The road ahead was uncertain, and the queen's power loomed over him like a dark cloud, but as long as Gon was with him—no matter how far apart they were physically—Killua wasn't alone.

And that, for now, was enough.

Days turned into weeks, and the palace returned to its cold, suffocating routine. The queen, having succeeded in distancing Gon from Killua by promoting him to knight, seemed content to let her plans progress. The marriage was still looming, and Killua's future still seemed carved in stone. The court remained silent, too afraid of the queen's power to intervene. But despite the oppressive atmosphere, Killua had learned how to steal moments of happiness—precious, fleeting moments with Gon that helped him survive the long days.

Gon's missions often took him far from the palace, but whenever he returned, he and Killua found ways to be together, even if it meant sneaking around the guards or slipping out into the hidden passages beneath the palace. It became their routine—stealing small moments of peace in a world that seemed determined to pull them apart.

One night, after Gon had returned from a particularly long mission, Killua managed to sneak out of the palace with him. They found themselves in a quiet meadow just beyond the palace walls, the sky above them filled with stars. The moon cast a soft glow over the field, and for a moment, everything felt perfect.

Killua lay back on the grass, his hands behind his head as he stared up at the night sky. Gon sat beside him, his legs stretched out in front of him, his eyes scanning the horizon. There was a peacefulness to the moment, a sense of calm that neither of them had felt in a long time.

"I wish we could stay out here forever," Killua said quietly, his voice breaking the silence.

Gon glanced down at him, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, me too. It's nice out here."

Killua sighed, his chest tightening with the bittersweet reality of their situation. Every moment they spent together like this felt like borrowed time—time that could be taken from them at any moment. But for now, it was enough.

"Do you ever think about what it would be like to just... run away?" Killua asked, his voice soft. He knew it was an impossible fantasy, but sometimes he let himself imagine it—escaping the palace, escaping his mother's control, and living a life of freedom with Gon by his side.

Gon's smile faded slightly as he leaned back on his hands, staring up at the stars. "Sometimes. But I know it's not that simple."

"I know," Killua muttered, his voice tinged with sadness. "But it's nice to think about."

They sat in silence for a while longer, the peacefulness of the night wrapping around them like a comforting blanket. For a brief moment, Killua allowed himself to forget about the impending marriage, about the court's expectations, and the queen's relentless control. Here, in this quiet meadow, none of that mattered.

It was just him and Gon.

The moments Killua spent with Gon became his lifeline. Every time Gon returned from a mission, they would find some way to meet—whether it was sneaking out of the palace late at night or meeting in one of the hidden passages. Each time, they clung to those moments of joy, trying to make them last as long as possible before reality crashed back in.

One afternoon, when Gon had returned from a particularly grueling mission, Killua convinced him to skip his debriefing and meet him in one of the palace's secluded courtyards. It was a warm day, the sun filtering through the canopy of trees above them, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Gon arrived with a smile, his face lit up with relief at the sight of Killua. "Skipping debriefings now?" Gon teased, though his eyes shone with warmth.

Killua smirked. "I thought you could use a break."

They spent the afternoon talking, laughing, and catching up on everything that had happened since Gon had been away. For a few short hours, the weight of their responsibilities melted away, and it was just like it used to be—before the queen had driven them apart, before the marriage had become an unavoidable reality.

At one point, Gon challenged Killua to a sparring match, just like old times. The two of them moved through the familiar motions, their bodies in perfect sync as they dodged, parried, and struck. There was no real tension between them—just the joy of being able to fight side by side again.

By the end of it, they were both breathless, lying side by side on the grass, staring up at the sky with tired but satisfied smiles.

"You've gotten better," Killua said between breaths, glancing at Gon with a playful grin. "I almost didn't win this time."

Gon laughed, his eyes sparkling. "Almost? You barely won, and you know it."

Killua chuckled, his heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time. These moments—these stolen, happy memories—were what kept him going. Even if things never truly got better, even if the looming threat of his mother's plans never went away, at least he had this.

At least he had Gon.

But even as they made the most of their stolen moments, Killua couldn't ignore the growing tension. The queen's plans for the marriage hadn't disappeared; they had only been delayed. Each time Killua returned to the palace after sneaking out with Gon, the weight of his mother's expectations bore down on him more heavily than before.

One evening, after a particularly joyful day with Gon, Killua returned to the palace to find the queen waiting for him. She was seated at the head of a long table, her eyes cold and calculating as always.

"Where have you been?" she asked, her voice quiet but filled with warning.

Killua's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Out," he replied, his tone deliberately vague. "Just needed some air."

The queen's lips curled into a thin smile, though there was no warmth in her expression. "You've been spending an awful lot of time away from the palace lately. I wonder where you go."

Killua clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. He knew what she was implying—she knew about him and Gon. Or at least, she suspected. But Killua refused to let her see his fear.

"It's nothing you need to worry about," Killua said, keeping his voice steady. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

The queen's eyes narrowed slightly, her smile fading. "For now," she said softly. "But the wedding will happen, Killua. You may enjoy these little distractions for the moment, but in the end, you will fulfill your duty."

Killua's heart pounded in his chest, but he didn't respond. He couldn't—there was nothing he could say that would change her mind. She had already decided his fate, and every moment he spent with Gon felt like another step toward the inevitable.

But even as the tension between him and his mother grew, Killua refused to let her win. He continued to find ways to meet with Gon, to create small moments of happiness in the midst of the storm. Each time, they made more memories, shared more laughter, and strengthened the bond between them.

But the reality of the situation was never far from Killua's mind. He knew that their time was limited, that each stolen moment brought them closer to the day when everything would come crashing down.