♡ summary: now fugitives on the run, jean and his princess seek temporary refuge in a forest—and jean grapples with the less-than professional feelings for her that threaten to spill forth from him.
♡ word count: 3.5k words
♡ additional tags/warnings: royalty AU / mentioned past war, violence, torture & rape + sex slavery / some biblical references (explained at the end of the fic)
♡ notes: this is a very belated fic for day 1 of the jean route countdown party, for the prompt ‘jean and chérie’though there ended up being less chérie than expected lol rip. also, this is the 1st installment in a bigger series that spans the rest of the countdown party so yeah, keep an eye out for them
“Good,” the Princess gasps. The moment they reach a clearing in the forest that opens up to a lake, she releases his hand and all but collapses on a mossy boulder, drawing in each breath harshly like it could be her last. “I’ve never run this much in my life! I knew being a soldier required you to be physically fit and all, but now I have a deeper appreciation for just how much you had to go through to be as strong as you are, Jean.”
Ah, she’s always doing this to him—looking up at him with those crystal-like eyes, clear in their sweet honesty, uttering words that causes an admittedly not-unpleasant heat to rush up his neck to his ears.
“There is nothing much to admire about me,” Jean states plainly, turning around so she wouldn’t glimpse the rose blush threatening to invade from his ears and neck to his cheeks. Even shrouded in the dark cloak of night, he doesn’t trust his body to keep the secrets his heart bears—secrets that he doesn’t dare admit to even himself.
Just then, a loud rustling in the bushes catches his attention. Instantly, his hand flies to his sword, ready to draw and swing at the next provocation. This was what he was trained for—to do anything, even devolve into a soulless monster, previously for his country and now for his Princess. He shifts his position so he’s blocking her from view, only hoping he is enough to hide her petite frame behind his back.
