You Are The Reason ( Prince x Reader )

Chapter 31: The Fallen Kingdom

You were unsure what kingdom or direction you were heading, but you trusted Quinn. The sun would be setting soon, and you didn't want to be riding in the dark, but you didn't have any camping supplies.

   " Is she close? "

   " She is. We are almost there. "

You nodded and faced forward, looking for any sign of a town or a lantern. If there were a lantern, more light would highlight the road leading into a city or a small village. All you needed was a little bit of light to find your way. 

   " Do not worry, dear. We have arrived. "

   " What? "

Quinn stopped the horse from moving any further. He slid off and then reached his hand upward to help you down. Before placing your hand in his, you looked around, not seeing any sign of light. The sun had set, and the moon would soon rise to the sky with its start companions. 

   " What do you mean, Quinn? There's no lanterns, town, or even a house nearby. How can we be there? "

   " You'll see. My mom put the lights out in case anyone was following, and they would not be able to follow us in the dark. Trust me, I know where we are going. "

You didn't want to argue with him further and took his hand, sliding off the horse. Your feet touched the ground, and Quinn took the horse's reins and guided you into a forest. You could do nothing but follow Quinn as he walked in the darkness, touching the trees with his left hand and holding the horse's reins with his right. With your right hand on the horse, you followed behind him to ensure you wouldn't get lost in the forest's darkness. Your eyes quickly started to adjust, and underneath the moonlight, you could spot the dark silhouette of a small house. 

   " This is it. "

Quinn walked up to the house and knocked on the door. The door opened, and you heard Aileen's voice from within the home.

   " Quinn, is that you? "

   " Yes, mother. I have brought Y/n with me and no one followed us. "

   " Good, come inside. I will light the candles and fireplaces so we may see, but the lanterns outside will remain unlit. "

   " That's fine. "

Quinn tied the horse's reins to a post beside the house, and he guided you inside. As you stepped inside the house, Aileen and thrown a match into her fireplace, lighting the room with a yellow/orange color. She lit a few candles around the living room, and when she finished, she threw the blackened match into the fire. 

   " Quinn, it's good to see you, my son. "

Aileen opened her arms wide, and Quinn hugged her as her arms wrapped around him. They hugged for a minute or two before Aileen separated from her son and hugged you.

   " It's good to see you too, my dear friend. It has been a while, since I have seen the both of you. Come let us sit. Would either of you like some tea? "

You declined, and so did Quinn. You sat on the sofa she had while Quinn sat beside you. Aileen sat on a single sitting chair and looked towards the both of you, waiting for the bombarding questions. 

   " I thought you were going to go back to your home town and be with your friends. What happened? " You asked, popping the first question.

   " Well, that's a short story. My kingdom was defeated, a long time ago, and the war was so brutal that everything was destroyed. Right now, this is the only house still fully intact from the war. The woman who owned this house, was a farmer, along with her adopted children and wife. Originally marrying or dating the same gender was seen as a devil's action. It is still seen as such, but these ladies didn't mind the pressure they faced. My mother was gracious, and asked if instead of hanging, they would be moved outside of the city. "

   " So, your father agreed? "

   " Yes, my father agreed with my mother and allowed the women to come into town if truly necessary. They were free to come and visit, but they could not live in the town. My parents did not want to kick them out of the kingdom, but at the same time, keeping them would have hurt the kingdom's name. So, we had them move outside of the city, and into this cottage. They were very nice ladies, and they cared for their children, with healthy hearts, and brought eyes. But when the war came, they were killed. My kingdom is don't far from this cottage, but if you go there, you will only find cobble, banners, and a destroyed kingdom. "

    " It was destroyed beyond living. "

   " Correct. So, this is the only home I have, that reminds me of my days here. I do plan to restore my kingdom. Brick by brick until it has been repaired, and made stronger. "

   " That's very honorable of you, Aileen. "

   " Thank you. But tell me, what is the news in Madrathia about these days? I would like to know how Elina, Genevive, Mariella, as well as Quintin is doing. Of course, I would like to kno-Ahhh! "

Aileen screamed and shot forward in her chair, grabbing your hand. She pulled your left hand ahead and gazed at the ring that adorned your hand. The band was silver, and it wrapped around your finger nicely. On the top of the ring, there were two small stones. One was your favorite color. The second stone was a light blue color, but the color was almost a silver-blue color, and it mesmerized the eyes of those around. Smaller diamonds wrapped around the silver band before; it was only the silver banding touching the skin between your fingers. There were four smaller diamonds around the two colored ones. There were two in the crevices of the diamonds, one stuck out of the left side of the silver-blue diamond, and the other was on the opposite end of your diamond. Inside the band was Quinn's full name.

   " You're married!? To whom!? I must meet the man that won your heart! Why didn't you invite me to the wedding? I know I shouldn't be back in Madrathia, but still! "

   " Aileen, calm down a little and breathe. " You said, chuckling. 

Aileen stopped talking, took a deep breath, and let it out through her nose. She nodded her head at you. You nodded back and looked over at Quinn. Aileen's eyes followed yours, and Quinn raised his left hand, where a silver band sat on his fourth finger. The finger had a vein leading directly to the heart. Aileen screamed once more and embraced both of you, pushing you into the couch. Aileen was excited, and she could not contain it. You hugged her back and looked towards Quinn's ring. His silver band was plain, but on the inside of his ring, your full name was inscribed on the metal, making it unique.