#out of the ones which havent come up before this so i can not be over 365 again now. dear lord

[nastybuckybarnes]

Kingdom Fall  -  Three

Pairing: Farmboy!Bucky X Princess!Reader

Summary: When an invading Kingdom forces you to flee your home, you find yourself stranded in an enemy kingdom on a farm, and the farmboy is nothing like you thought he would be.

Warnings: Violence, Angst, Fluff, Injuries, mentions of SA, Mentions of Murder, 

Word Count: 2.3K

A/n: baddaboom shes posting another one look at me go i havent posted this much in YEARS its so strange being back. As Lisa Rowe once said ‘its good to be home!’

~*~

You awake the next morning feeling peaceful and well-rested, a welcome ache between your legs that reminds you of the night prior. 

You reach across the bed, a smile finding your lips when you feel the warm body of the man beside you. 

Peeling your eyes open, you push yourself into a seated position and look at him with nothing but softness in your gaze. 

“Good morning,” he whispers, his voice thick with sleep.

You lean forward and place a gentle kiss to his lips. 

“Good morning to you,” you reply softly. 

You roll onto your side and lightly trace over the muscles covering his chest, content to spend this time with him.

As if hearing your thoughts, the Gods decide to shatter your peace. 

There’s a harsh knock on the door that has ice shooting through your veins. 

James’ eyes dart from you to the front door, and then he’s pushing to his feet. 

“Stay here,” he murmurs, tugging on his trousers and heading toward the door. He picks up his tunic along the way, but doesn’t bother fully buttoning it. 

You slowly rise to your feet and tug on your white slip, eyes darting around the room for your sword, only for you to realize that it’s currently in the kitchen, leaning against the wall. 

If you move quickly enough, you can grab it now and hide behind the wall before he gets the door open. 

With quick feet, you do exactly that, following silently after James and grabbing your sword, then pressing your back against the wall, out of sight. 

He pulls the door open, brows frown together. 

“I’m looking for a woman. Has she come by here?” A man asks. He wears the garb of a knight, though not one of this kingdom. 

James doesn’t know much about you, but he knows that he never wants to put you in danger. And if the man standing before him means to harm you, he won’t let that happen. 

“No, I apologize,” James says easily, going to close the door only for the blond on the other end to stop it with his foot. 

His eyes are trained on the daggers on the table. More importantly, the gems decorating the hilt. 

James follows his gaze, but by the time the pieces click in his mind, it’s too late. The stranger is forcing his way into James’ little house. 

“You have seen her. Where is she?” He demands, unsheathing his sword and aiming it at the brunet. 

James raises his hands in surrender, taking slow steps back. 

“I know not who you speak of,” he insists, though he feels increasingly nervous. 

“The woman of which those daggers belong. Where is she? I will not ask again.”

James stumbles over the uneven floors as the blond swipes his sword, falling to the floor as the blade bites into his bicep. 

“Then I suppose you will have to kill me,” He says simply, though his heart is in his chest. 

“No!” You exclaim, darting out from behind the wall and sliding between the men, sword raised right as the blond swings his down. 

The two swords clash and the brunet behind you winces at such proximity to death. 

The blond’s eyes widen at the sight of you standing before him in nothing more than your nightdress. 

“Princess?” He asks, withdrawing his sword immediately.

“You will fall back,” you command, rising to your full height and glaring at him. 

His brows pull together, and he looks at the man on the ground in confusion. 

“This man has lied about your whereabouts. He knows you are here, he cannot be trusted.”

“You will stand down. A life for a life, this man saved me. I owe him a debt.”

Steve glares at you and you match the look, not backing down. 

“I could order it,” you remind him, “though we are not on my land, you are sworn to obey me.”

He grinds his teeth together but slowly takes a step back, huffing out a breath of disbelief. 

“Go check to make sure you weren’t followed. Secure the area,” you order, turning your back to him to signal the end of the conversation. 

You reach for James’ hand and help him to his feet, watching as he and Steve face off for a long moment. You turn to the blond and quirk your brow at him, waiting for him to obey your orders. 

Finally, he turns on his heel and marches outside, mumbling profanities the entire time. 

You turn back to the brunet and inspect the wound on his arm, a frown on your face at the idea of him being hurt because of you. 

“Princess?” He asks, a little stunned at the fact that you didn’t tell him you’re royalty. 

You sigh and lead him by the hand to the bathroom to clean and dress his wound. 

“It's not deep. It should heal fairly quickly,” you murmur, cleaning the wound on his arm and avoiding his eyes as you prepare to tell him the complete truth. 

“I’m Princess (Y/n) of Aresia. The third Eldest of Queen Cathana.”

His brows pull together at your words.

“Cathana the Cruel?” He asks, to which you nod. 

“Mother has many names, that being one of her most famous. It was given to her many years ago after she slaughtered the family of a man who raped my youngest sister.” You slowly bring your eyes to his. “I do not think her to be cruel for what she did. I think she was merciful, and those people were lucky that my older sister and I were not permitted to seek justice.”

He nods, entranced by the passion and fire in your eyes.

“Your King,” you sneer his title, “stormed out Kingdom. Set fire to the Palace, to the village. His aim is to take what never was meant to be his. And so I ran. I fled the city under order of the Queen. All my sisters did. We were to flee in different directions. I know not if any of them have survived. Steve... the man at the door... he is sworn to me. He has sacrificed many things to serve the royal guard, to serve me. One of the only men to ever be trusted by the royal family.”

As you explain it, it all makes so much more sense. 

He should’ve known, really. Given your clothes and your weapons and the way you carry yourself. It should’ve been obvious to him. 

“I have spent the days learning the lands, reading the maps. My sisters have fled across the continent, but I intend to reclaim what is mine. I would like to find them along the way, but I know not for how long I will be safe here.”

James shakes his head, reaching for you once you’ve finished tying the fabric around the wound on his arm.

“I would never do anything to put you in danger, that you must know,” he says, his voice borderline desperate. 

A small smile tugs at your cheeks and you nod, reaching up to hold his face gently in your hands. 

“I know that, James. But it is not you who I fear. Not anymore. Now that Steve is here, it is only a matter of time before your King realizes at least one of the Princesses is alive. I would not be surprised if he had his men searching the forests and the villages for me as we speak. I have enjoyed our time together, but I cannot stay any longer.”

His hands come up to cover yours on his face.

“Then I will go with you.”

You chuckle weakly and shake your head.

“My path surely leads to battle. You are not a warrior, James. I cannot put you in that sort of danger.”

He shakes his head, “I can learn. Have Steve teach me. I will swear an oath to you if I must, but I will not let you walk into battle without me by your side. I will follow you if I must, but I... I've only just found you, (Y/n). I will not lose you so soon.”

Your heart is warmed by his words and you sigh softly. 

“I suppose it would be helpful to have another warrior alongside us on our journey. And you know the lands better than myself and Steve. But if you are to join us, you must obey my commands.”

A small smirk finds his lips and he kisses the inside of your wrist. 

“I think last night is a good demonstration of how good I am at following orders.”

Heat blazes in your core at the memory and you shake your head at him. 

“Right. I will go find Steve and inform him that he will be training you,” you whisper, pulling out of his grip and heading toward the door. 

You tug on your dress on the way, a million thoughts swarming through your head as you make your way toward the blond soldier scouting the perimeter of the farm. 

“Steve,” You call, jogging over to him when he stops walking. 

“Yes, Princess?”

You step in front of him, looking up into his blue eyes.

“That is not how I wanted our reunion to go,” you murmur, reaching for his hand and holding it tightly in yours. 

“And how were you expecting it to go?” He questions, a single eyebrow raised. 

You look up at him then lunge into his arms, wrapping yourself around him tightly. 

He stumbles back a step then falls onto his back in the grass, arms wrapping around your protectively, always protecting you. 

“You’re alive,” you whisper, holding onto him as if he’ll disappear in an instant. He chuckles softly and maneuvers the two of you into a seated position, pulling you onto his lap and holding you against his chest. 

“I made you a promise, Princess,” he reminds you gently, rocking you side to side. 

You slowly pull away and look into his eyes, a thousand questions racing through your mind.

“Have you heard anything of my sisters? My mother? Do you know if there are any survivors?” 

He sighs heavily, smoothing your hair away from your face with one hand.

“I know that several of your sisters have survived, and your mother is being kept alive within the Palace. I know not how many members of the guard have survived, but I know they are scattered throughout the tunnels beneath Aresia and the surrounding forests.”

A weight lifts from your chest and you hug him tightly again. 

“Then there is hope,” you whisper. 

He chuckles and presses a gentle kiss to the top of your head, “So long as you are alive, Princess, hope will remain alive with you.”

You walk the perimeter of the farm with Steve, discussing all that you have learned and what you have planned so far, and he shares with you the information he was able to gather.

There’s a gathering of warriors not far from James’ farm. Steve had spent some time with them while hiding from the Lornillian guards. 

You turn to the blond when you approach the small house, holding his hands tenderly between your own. 

“James has offered to come with us. To fight alongside us. I have agreed.”

Steve blinks at you then laughs as if you told the funniest joke in the world. 

“What use have we for a farm boy? I doubt he can even wield a sword.”

You smile up at him, “which is why you shall instruct him.”

Suddenly the situation is not so funny to Steve.

“Me?”

You nod, “yes, you.”

“But-”

“We will need every sword we have, Steve. He is strong, and he is willing to fight. He has... protected me... been kind to me. I will not order you to do it, but I will let you know that it would mean a great deal to me if you would.”

He watches you for a long moment with those endless blue eyes before huffing a sigh. 

“I almost wish you had ordered it,” he murmurs, opening the door to the house and motioning for you to go inside. 

You nod gratefully and enter, smiling warmly at James.

He looks between you and Steve for a long moment before dropping his eyes to his hands, suddenly not so sure of himself. 

It’s obvious that there’s a history between the two of you, and anyone can tell how much you mean to the blond by the way he looks at you. 

How can James ever hope to compare to this warrior? Someone so strong and so brave. Willing to fight for you and die for you.

“We will begin your training tomorrow. We will use wooden staffs... branches or anything of the sort. You must learn to wield a sword and take a hit. Once you do, we will begin combat.”

Steve turns to you after speaking, his eyebrows pulled together, “when do you want to make for the tunnels? Meet with your people?”

You gnaw on your bottom lip for a moment, trying to contemplate the timeframe before you.

The longer you wait, the stronger their army will be. But it could also grant you a stronger army in the process. Give your people more time to gather themselves, gather supplies.

The Lornillian army may have the upper hand of the Palace, but you and your people know the grounds, and that is something that will be key to reclaiming what is rightfully yours. 

“We will remain for one more moon cycle. Then we will leave.” You turn to James again, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“You do not have to join us. You have a duty here,” you whisper, looking deeply into his eyes. 

He nods, a small smile on his face. 

“I now have a duty to you, as well, Princess.”

Steve watches the exchange, his stomach flipping with unease. 

He does not like the way the farm boy looks at you. 

No one should be looking at you like that. No one but him.

[hella1975]

so there's a reason my new job got back to me so quickly about my application and that's bc it's an absolute fucking shambles like actually perfect timing for me to decide to rewatch the bear bc i have never more felt like ive been thrown into a broke on-its-knees establishment trying to crawl its way up the ladder where i am somehow a godsend to them. my old job was crazy and shambolic in the sense that the industry is just Like That but this one?????? insanity. every 5 mins i am questioning what im doing with my life. ive already had a walk-in fridge moment

[bitegore]

if your ocs were bosses in a video game, what do you think their boss fight would be like?

[nerdie-faerie]

Just when I think the day's going well, I crash a golf cart

[penisbilt]

the bittersweet but absolute flood of relief that comes from admitting defeat at living independently, to have to move back in with parents. we tried! we gave it our best shot for almost 3 years! but living like this (being on our own) is just not possible for us at this time of our lives. we've finally proved it to ourselves that we can't do it. it'll be okay to let ourselves rest now

[ducktollers]

got a sortof interview for a research assistant job tomorrow and sooooooooo scareds :D

[killjoy-prince]

I now know the context for the 'Doctor... you're huge' line

[toastsnaffler]

happy flat fuck friday I feel likr I've been run over by a steamroller <3

[kathrynmjaneway]

.

[duskerot]

world's normalest guy spends $100 on nendoroid parts

[our-lady-of-mcr]

everytime i think im done ranting i remember something else LMFAO this one is extra long i hit tag limit god mf damn

[myownprivatcidaho]

whats tough about like. Having Chemistry and spending time with someone at the start of the spring semester is that valentines day is coming up and its like a make or break point with what you may or may not Be and you have to question what direction things are headed in and its a pressure just Not present in the fall semester idk. idk

[willczek-art]

~* Late Happy Holidays and early Happy New Year! :D *~

Y'know, last year when I complained about not getting to animate I really didn't think I would end up with A Full-On Animation Assignment, even two if you count my current project!

Also two more zines this year, including first merch ever! :DD I really enjoy these and hope I'll get to contribute to more next year! :P

Thank you everyone for sticking around! I wont be super active for the next 2-3 months, finishing school and all~ But when that's over we'll definitely celebrate with a round of requests or whatever fun thing I can do for y'all ;P Until then, see you in messy sketchdumps~

[I edited last year's template, which doesn't seem to be available anymore ;-;]

[2023]

[2021] [2020] [2019] [2018] [2017] [2016]

[dullahandyke]

-_-

[gardenerofstars]

literally why does leaving people that cause you literally so much harm hurt so much

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...