More than Convenience
By Misha
Disclaimer- I don’t own any of the characters of “The Crown and the Flame”, I’m just borrowing them for a little while and will return them unharmed when I am done, so please don’t sue me.
Author’s Notes- This is the combination of multiple requests. I was asked if I ever intended to do an AU and this was the idea that was floating around in my head, I also two sets of dialogue requests that fit said idea, as well as a request for a Diavolos/Kenna pieces that started out angsty but ended up happy. The request dialogue prompts were “We can’t keep this up forever”, “I’ve wanted this for so long”, “let’s run away together”, and “give me a chance”. This is set in an alternate universe where Queen Livia (Diavolos’s mother) was never killed by Azura’s assassins, but Luther was killed fending off the Iron Empire along with Kenna’s father. Adriana and Livia made an alliance and arranged a betrothal for their children to one day unite the kingdoms. Kenna’s upbringing is the same though, raised at Stormholt, more interested in sword play than queen lessons and Dom is her childhood best friend and confidante and their friendship has blossomed into something more, though they know that they can never be together.
Pairing- Diavolos/Kenna, minor Dom/Kenna
Rating- More mature than true NSFW. It gets steamy, but not explicit.
Summary- Princess Kenna is initially unhappy about her impending marriage to Prince Diavolos, arranged since she was a child, but as she gets to know her future husband, she begins to think it might not be so bad, after all.
Words- 2831
Kenna took in Dom’s familiar features, his teasing grin and caring eyes and the words she had to tell him felt like a lump in her throat. She knew that grin would disappear once she told him her news.
“Ok, you’re making this downright easy on me,” he said after a moment stepping back, “what’s wrong?”
Kenna took a deep breath, knowing that she couldn’t put it off any longer. “You know that the delegation from Abanthus arrives today.”
“Yes, the castle has been hustling to get ready,” he commented, “I’m actually surprised you were able to sneak away.”
“I think Mother is being a little more lenient than usual because… Because it’ll be the last time.” Kenna admitted. “The reason for this visit is to formalize my betrothal to Prince Diavolos.”
“Oh.” She could see the pain on Dom’s face as the words sung in. Dominic, her closest friend in the world. Her childhood playmate, who had become something more as the years had passed. Or would have been more if fate allowed it. The feelings were there, but they had both known they could never act on them.
After all, the betrothal wasn’t a surprise. Kenna had known since childhood that she was going to marry the son of her mother’s closest friend, but it had been easy to push out of her mind. She hadn’t seen Diavolos in years, he had been off leading the army while Kenna grew up, the betrothal more of an understanding than a day-to-day part of either of their lives.
“Kenna…” Dom began and she knew he was going to say something he shouldn’t, something like “let’s run away together” and she cut him off.
“This is what’s best for the kingdom,” she reminded him, “Stormholt needs this alliance.”
As much as she cared for Dom, as she much would have loved the freedom to choose who she wanted, she couldn’t do it. She was a princess, her duty was to her people and that meant marrying a stranger.
Dom nodded. “Of course.” He picked up his sword. “I should go see if I’m needed.” He said quietly, hurrying away. Kenna watched him go, knowing that things would never be the same between them again. How could they be?
—
“Kenna, you remember Queen Livia,” her mother introduced with a smile a little while later.
“Of course, it’s nice to see you again, your majesty,” Kenna said, holding out her hand.
Queen Livia took it, smiling warmly. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Princess Kenna. Do you remember my son, Prince Diavolos, I believe it has been some time since you last met.”
“Several years,” Kenna agreed. She had been a mere child the last time she had met the Abanthean prince and he hadn’t made much of an impression. She turned to him now, mildly curious about this man she was expected to marry and ended up taking a little step back.
He was tall and muscular, darkly handsome with strong features and a charming grin. More than his good looks, there was something incredibly compelling about him and some of the dread she had been feeling disappeared.
“It’s nice to see you again, Prince Diavolos,” she said, in what she hoped was a calm and steady voice, “welcome to Stormholt.”
“The pleasure is mine,” he told her, his dark eyes watching her intently, “especially since I get to make your acquaintance again.”
Something in his tone made Kenna blush and she could see her mother watching them with obvious satisfaction, apparently taking Kenna’s reaction to mean that the marriage wouldn’t be unbearable.
And maybe it wouldn’t be. At least Diavolos was nice to look at and he was charming. She knew it could be a lot worse, but her heart still ached and wished for the impossible, even as she took the arm Diavolos offered her and fell into step behind their mothers.
—
To Kenna’s surprise, the wedding plans were put into motion as soon as the betrothal was formalized.
“Why so quickly?” Kenna asked her mother. She had thought she’d have time to get used to the idea of being married, but instead, it would be happening in a matter of weeks.
“There are rumblings that the Iron Empire may attack again.” Her mother told her quietly. “And the best chance the Five Kingdoms has of holding off an invasion is a strong alliance between Stormholt and Abanthus.”
The Iron Empire, the mystical foe across the ocean, who occasionally waged war on the Five Kingdoms. She’d grown up with the story about her father and King Luther of Abanthus had sacrificed their lives to drive off the last attack.
“The other kingdoms will follow our lead,” Adriana added. “But Stormholt and Abanthus have to stand together.”
Kenna nodded, understanding. She wanted to ask why it couldn’t just be a military alliance, but she already knew the answer. A military alliance could be broken, but a marriage, especially between the two sole heirs, would unite the kingdoms in a lasting way.
“Once you are married, Livia and I will both abdicate,” her mother continued, “and you will become Queen of both Stormholt and Abanthus.”
“I am not ready to be queen,” Kenna protested, “there’s still so much I have to learn.”
“I will be here to teach you,” her mother assured her, “you can do this, Kenna. I have faith in you. I know that you can become the queen our people need you to be.”
—
What follows next is a whirlwind of wedding plans and queen lessons, leaving Kenna no time for swordplay or lazy rides and she barely catches even a glimpse of Dom. Though, it’s probably for the best. She’s not sure what they would say to each other.
Except, he’s her best friend and she feels like she owes him some kind of goodbye. But what can she say? Talk about what might have been if things were different? That didn’t do anyone, any good. It didn’t matter what might have been, what mattered was that in a matter of days she was going to be a married woman.
Overwhelmed by thoughts of what lay ahead of her, Kenna escaped to the ramparts to clear her head. She gazed out at her kingdom, remembering all the time she and Dom had escaped to the meadow or the woods and how much simpler it had been.
“I wouldn’t recommend jumping.” A familiar voice joked from behind her. Startled, Kenna whirled around to see Diavolos watching her. “I mean, I don’t think marriage to me is that bad a proposition.”
Kenna laughed, despite herself. “I was just trying to clear my head. All the wedding talk gets a little overwhelming.”
“Plus those reminders about how the fate of the lands rests on us, right?” Diavolos asked, watching her carefully.
“Yes,” she admitted. She sighed. “I feel like so much resting on me and I…” She blushed, remembering who she was talking to. “It’s not that I don’t… I just.”
“It’s ok,” he assured, stepping towards her. “We both know this isn’t a love match and that neither of us had a say in this, but that doesn’t mean it has to be unbearable.” He reached for her hand. “You are incredible and I, I believe I can make you happy if you give me a chance. I really think that we can build something lasting out of the foundation we’ve been given, something more than a political marriage.”
“I’d like that.” She said, startled to realize that it was the truth.
—
In the days leading up to the wedding, Diavolos was charming and attentive and Kenna found herself enjoying his company, even seeking it out.
She didn’t love him, but… He made her laugh and sometimes the way he looked at her… Well, it brought a flush to her cheeks and filled her with an unfamiliar heat. It also made her realize how sheltered she was. Her only experience came from a few stolen kisses with Dom, that had stayed fairly chaste, both of them understanding that that was a line that couldn’t be crossed.
She was an innocent, while Diavolos… There was no doubt that he was a man with experience, there was a certain knowledge in the way he watched her sometimes, and she wondered if she would disappoint him with her inexperience. Except, what did it matter if she did? It wasn’t like she had wanted this in the first place and yet…
She did want him. Sometimes when he looked at her; when he took her hand in his or placed his hand on her back, she found her breath catching in her throat, longing for him to touch her more intimately, but he never did.
She found herself so consumed by thoughts of him that she realized she had barely thought about Dom, which took her surprise. She missed their sparring sessions, missed the easy comradery that they shared, but she didn’t miss him in a romantic sense. Why was that? It couldn’t be because of Diavolos, could it?
She was trying to work it all out as she headed towards the stables, having finally managed to sneak away from the castle. She needed to at least see Dom one last time, to say goodbye if nothing else. “Dom…”
“Kenna,” he said quietly and she could see the longing in his eyes. Before she could say anything, he took a deep breath, “I’m leaving Stormholt.”
She stared at him. “What? You can’t!” He was her best friend. She needed him.
“Kenna, you know… You know how I feel.” He told her quietly. “We can’t keep this up forever. I want things that you can never give me. I can’t stay and watch you marry someone else.”
She wanted to cry or beg him to stay, but deep down she knew he was right. Gabriel had spent years warning her that their friendship would have an expiration date, that what was fine for children was not so acceptable for Queens. Apparently, they had reached that point.
“I’ll miss you,” she said instead.
“I’ll miss you too.” He told her quietly. “Be happy, ok?”
“I’ll try,” she promised, fighting back tears. Instead, she threw himself into his arms, letting herself have the luxury of being held by him just once. They stood there for a long moment before he finally released her and she turned and left the stables, leaving her oldest friend behind and wondering if she would ever see him again.
—
“Is there something I should know about?”
Kenna turned to see Diavolos standing behind her. She had slipped out for some air, and to escape the hustle and bustle of wedding plans. She was surprised by how grim he looked. “What do you mean?”
“I was checking on my horse and I saw you in the stables, talking to one of the scouts,” he said quietly, “I know this marriage isn’t what you wanted, but I want it to work. However, I need to know you are with me. Only me.”
Kenna felt a wave of regret, realizing he had seen her with Dom. To her surprise, the idea that what he saw might have hurt him upset her. “Dominic is my oldest friend,” Kenna told him quietly, “maybe if he wasn’t a nameless commoner and I wasn’t a princess, we would be more, but… We’re not and we have never been. What you saw was goodbye, he’s leaving Stormholt for good.”
She stepped towards him and placed her hand on his arm. “I can’t deny that I wouldn’t have chosen this marriage, but I enjoy your company and I really do want to make it work.”
She couldn’t quite decipher the look that crossed his face, but before she knew what was happening, he had pulled her into her arms and was kissing her. It was different than any kiss she had ever experienced. Diavolos’s kiss was powerful and demanding, much like him, his tongue demanding access to her mouth, his one hand tugging at her hair to bring her closer, while the gripped her back pressing her tight against him.
She responded instinctively, wrapping her arms around his neck and arching her body into his. “Diavolos,” she whispered against his lips, marveling at the new sensations he was evoking within her.
Too soon, he pulled away. “Tomorrow, princess,” he promised, his eyes dark with desire, “Tomorrow, you’re going to be mine.”
The words sent a shiver down her spine, adding to her inner confusion. Part of her was heartbroken that she had to say goodbye to Dom, but another part was so eager to be this man’s wife…
—
The wedding celebrations seemed to go on forever, leaving Kenna on edge, her thoughts consumed by what would happen when she and Diavolos were finally alone.
At last, Diavolos took her hand and lead her from the grand hall and then swung her into his arms, cradling her there as if she weighed nothing.
“What are you doing?” She asked with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Whisking my bride away.”
She just nodded, leaning into his embrace as he carried her through the corridor to his chambers and then gently set her on her feet, before closing the door behind them.
“You are so beautiful,” he told her, moving behind her to help her with her gown. His hands were surprisingly gentle as they undid the buttons and then eased the gown down until it pool at her feet. He placed kissed along her neck and shoulders and then lower as her undergarments joined her dress on the floor.
He stepped away from her for a moment, much to her frustration, and quickly discarded his clothes. Then he gathered her in his arms again, kissing her deeply, his hands exploring her body.
Kenna gasped at his touch, at the feeling he was arousing with her. His hands and mouth were skilled and a curious mix of rough and tender as they introduced to her several new kinds of pleasure. Finally his body joined hers and while there was pain, there was more pleasure and afterward, he cradled her in his strong arms.
As she drifted off to sleep, she reflected on the fact that if she didn’t get to choose her own husband, she was so glad that fate had chosen Diavolos for her.
—
As the months passed, Kenna settled into married life and transitioned from princess to queen.
She also got to know her husband better, fascinated by the complex man she had married, discovering they had more in common than she would have thought. To her delight, he didn’t think swordplay was unladylike and was happy to spar with her, though he had quite the size advantage.
Besides their official duties, they found lots to occupy them, from sparring matches to long rides or even just evenings laying by the fire in each other’s arms and, to her surprise, Kenna found her feelings deepening as time went on.
She missed Dom, but it was his friendship she missed, not anything else. She thought of him, hoping that wherever he was, he found happiness and she missed his companionship, but her heart didn’t ache for him the way she’d thought it would. What she had felt for Dom had been a child’s love and it had slowly been replaced by something deeper and much more powerful, though it took her several months to realize that.
She and Diavolos were sparring in the courtyard at the castle in Lykos, the capital of Abanthus when it hit her. He was looming over, confident grin on his face, and she knew.
“Diavolos?”
“Hmmm?”
“I love you.”
He immediately dropped his sword and closed the distance between them, his mouth on hers in an instant. “Say it again.”
“I love you,” she said jubilantly, practically bubbling over with happiness. She loved him.
“I love you,” he told her, swinging her into his arms, “I’ve loved you for so long, I just… I was afraid you would never feel the same way.” He carried her into the castle, not caring who saw, and up to their quarters.
“Tell me you’re mine,” he whispered as he set her on their bed, their clothes hastily discarded all around them.
“I’m yours,” she assured him, touched by his show of vulnerability, “mind, body, and soul.”
“Good.” He claimed her mouth in another kiss, his muscular body pinning her to the bed. “I’ve wanted this for so long, to know that you were really and truly mine.”
“Forever.” She promised, digging her fingers into his back and pulling him closer to her, wanting to lose herself in the feel of him.
Maybe this had started out as an arranged marriage, but it had turned into so much more. He was everything she wanted, everything she would ever want.
– End
