Work Text:
It has been several months since your father appointed Blade to serve as your personal bodyguard. As a noble’s daughter, your protection was of utmost importance.
Stoic yet well-mannered, Blade has carried out his role dutifully since his appointment. He accompanied you wherever you went, whether it was for business meetings, spontaneous shopping trips, or simply a stroll in your personal garden. The only place where he was not by your side was your bedroom, which you both understood, since day one, was strictly off limits.
You’ve had these feelings for Blade for quite a while now. You knew that they were romantic feelings when you noticed how your heartbeat quickened when he would extend his hand out to you as you got off your carriage, or when you found yourself going on strolls more frequently simply to have more private time with him. And of course, how could you forget about how dashing he looked when you saw him in formal attire at a business party for the very first time?
Tonight, you wanted to make a special request. You had stayed up late enough to ensure that all the maids were asleep and that there would be no prying eyes or eavesdropping ears to witness what you were about to do. After all, the maids had a tendency to gossip.
The moonlight gently shined through your sheer white curtains, illuminating your bedroom in a light blue hue. Your bedroom was a testament to your father’s wealth; luxurious and beautiful, it was furnished with everything that you needed.
Having waited in bed this whole time, you gently lifted the covers from your body and sat yourself upright. As you put on your slippers, your gaze shifted to your bedroom door which Blade was surely guarding on the other side. At this point, your heart was racing from the anticipation.
You made your way to your bedroom door and gently placed your hand on the doorknob, which was cold to the touch. You wondered if Blade’s keen ears had already picked up on the slight shift in the doorknob from the other side.
You took a deep breath, then gently pulled the door open. As you expected, Blade was leaning on the wall right outside of your bedroom while cradling his sheathed blade in his arms. He assumed this position every night to ensure your safety, and tonight was no different.
There was a slight hint of surprise on Blade’s face upon seeing you, breaking off from his usual stoic expression.
“What are you doing up so late, mistress?” He stopped leaning against the wall and stood face to face with you. You couldn’t help but stare at him for a second, admiring how beautiful his crimson eyes and red-hued hair looked in the moonlight. Your eyes drew to his broad figure, which his tight shirt barely hid.
“I can’t sleep,” you quickly said, being unable to contain your nervousness.
“I advise that you go back to bed. It’s not good to be staying up so late.”
You fiddled with the hem of your nightgown, its silky fabric gliding through your fingers.
“Well.. I was thinking…” You removed your hands from the hem of your nightgown and gently took his hand, which took him by surprise.
He gently exhaled. “Mistress..”
“Blade, I’d really like for you to spend the night with me.”
You had finally said it. Your heart seemed to be pounding out of your chest–as if the noise of it beating alone could wake up every single maid in the mansion. Blade’s hand was rough yet warm to the touch and notably much larger than yours. This was the first time you were holding his hand for this long, you noted.
Your eyes looked up pleadingly at him.
“I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking me,” he responded. It was difficult to interpret his tone, yet what remained clear was that he did not remove his hand from your clasp.
You moved closer to him. At this point, he was standing only a few mere inches away from you.
“Instead of standing guard outside tonight," you said, your voice quivering nervously, "I want you to come into my bedroom with me."
By explicitly saying that, you now realize that you were trespassing a boundary and initiating something that was prohibited. He was your bodyguard and you were his employer; there should be no room for a romantic relationship between the two of you. Yet your feelings had grown too immense and it was difficult for you to even proceed with your day without thinking about him now. Despite everything that he does for you, you don’t know anything about him; but you were ready to cross the line now.
“Mistress, I hope you realize that what you are asking of me is strictly prohibited,” he finally responded in an unusually gentle tone after a moment of thought. “If your father finds out about this, he will be enraged.”
“I’m aware,” you admitted. “But I can’t ignore these feelings any longer. I really want your company… just for tonight.”
Blade’s expression was difficult to decipher. You feared that he would utter a rejection any second now, and you thought about how he would report this to your father immediately the next morning. Your father would be angered by how you knowingly crossed a boundary with your bodyguard, and–
“Very well, mistress. If that is what you desire.”
Your heart burst with delight. Upon hearing his words, you opened the door to your bedroom and led Blade in. You promptly shut the door behind him, signaling that the two of you were finally alone in your bedroom.
Blade set his sheathed sword down on your dresser and turned towards you. His stoic expression was now gone; what was left was a look of longing and desire in his eyes. He was like a completely different person from the silent bodyguard you were accustomed to.
“I didn’t realize you felt this way about me,” you murmured shyly. It was an odd feeling having him in your room. He was always stationed outside of your bedroom and had never once stepped foot into it out of courtesy and respect.
Blade didn’t respond, but instead gently raised his hand towards your face and cupped your cheek. Instinctively, you leaned your face into it and lifted your hands to grasp his. Too nervous to look at him, you shifted your gaze towards his arm. It was unmistakably the arm of a fighter; wrapped in bandages, it appeared athletic and well-built. Blade was strong and firm when he protected you from others, but reserved his gentleness only for you.
“You are beautiful, mistress,” Blade finally said. You looked up at him and met his piercing crimson eyes, feeling your face grow warm from the compliment.
“You’ve never complimented me before.”
With his hand still cupped on your cheek, Blade pulled your face closer and lightly kissed your forehead.
“I’ll make it up to you tonight, mistress.”
You opened your eyes to see your room illuminated in a golden light, signaling that it was the start of a new day. It took you a few seconds to awaken from the morning grogginess. Upon remembering the events from last night, you immediately sat up from bed and began searching with your eyes for Blade. He was nowhere to be found, but you could still see the indentation in your sheets from where he slept beside you last night.
You hurriedly slipped into your nightgown again and opened your bedroom door. Relief set in when you were greeted with the familiar view of Blade standing guard outside your bedroom in his usual stance, his arms wrapped around his sword.
Blade looked at you wordlessly at first. Finally, as if he had sensed your worry, he said quietly, “I’m sorry, mistress. It would raise suspicions if somebody didn’t see me standing guard this morning.”
You smiled at him teasingly. “That’s my good Blade.”
Throughout the week, you couldn't help but remember how gentle he was with you that night. How his bare skin felt against yours and the patterns that his scars created along his skin. How it felt to be held by him after you both were finished. And how easily you drifted off to sleep afterward.
Blade, on the other hand, was excellent at concealing his feelings towards you around others. His calm and professional demeanor when he acted as your bodyguard around others could dismiss any claims that the two of you had something more than that. During the daytime, your relationship with him resumed as normal–apart from the subtle glances that you would make at him.
Yet when the maids are asleep and the moon is fully shining with all its alluring beauty, that is when your bedroom door is opened again.