The prompt is: „Break my heart a thousand times, it's yours".

You couldn't have been happier with the fact that you were engaged to be married to King Alfred. You were the usual arranged marriage, his mother Princess Judith and your father had decided that marrying the two of you would form a sublime alliance that both families would profit from, since your father, though not royalty, was one of the very best tradors, making profit for his family and his Kingdom.

From the time your father had announced your marriage to you you had been left at the palace, with the hopes of your families that you and Alfred would become more familiar with each other.

And that did in fact happen, in the little time that King Alfred had taken to get to know you in between of his heaps of work you had found that there was an instant connection, and at least on your part an instant attraction as well. You didn't know about Alfred, since he was known to be highly religious so you didn't dare assume he was attracted to you, though you had heard many men jokingly state that only eunuchs would be able to resist your charms.

With Alfred you were simply not sure, his eyes often roaming your face, but you didn't know if it was for your beauty or the fact that he wanted to get to know you and the way you thought.

Though he took the time to be with you he kept his distance, his eyes looking over you, but his appearance was shy if you could call it that. It was strange to you, the men you had gotten to know were direct, flirty even, and some of them improperly so.

In the time you had gotten to know Alfred you had learned he was the perfect gentleman. He realized things the men that had tried to court you usually wouldn't, opening and holding doors open, on walks through the gardens he would be giving you a hand when the pavement was off as to help you.

He'd also helped when you felt uncomfortable in the presence of the royal court and his mother, taking the center of conversation elsewhere when he had seen the discomfort in your eyes. You were entirely grateful for everything he was doing and you were very happy that it was him you'd be marrying.

You had pointed that out to him once, sitting beside him in the gardens, saying that the arranged marriage coming as a surprise to both of you had been a very pleasant one on your end. Alfred's usually clear angelic face had been disrupted by furrowed eyebrows until he had realized that his face had dropped. Then a small smile had formed as he had looked at his hands securely wrapped in his lap.

Taking your hand in both of his carefully, which was the first physical contact he had allowed himself aside from the occasional help he had given to you he had admitted to you that the marriage didn't come as a surprise to him at all, that he had chosen you because of what he had seen of you on feasts or official gatherings you had attended, your caring nature, your thoughtfulness, reservedness and last but not least your beauty.

This came as a shock to you, not only that he had known, or rather initiated, but also the words he had said shocking you pleasantly and showing you a new side to him.

He wasn't only the shy religious King, he was a very articulate scholar with the choice of his words, but also a quite emotional being. That was a side you had never heard anyone mention before, which showed you that maybe, just maybe you meant more to him than just an arranged practical contract between families.

From that day on something had changed between the two of you, you had grown together as a couple and though you hadn't entirely thought of it before you had begun to fall for the shy but beautiful leader.

People had noticed too, the bond between the two of you changing from clinical to emotionally involved. It was strange to you, you had been used to acting out an interest in men as a help to get your father business deals to his favor, though nothing had ever tainted you. Nevertheless you were confused to say the least when you had realized that you had caught feelings for the King.

But when you had realized that it was alright to have those feelings, that you were already engaged to the person you harbored those feelings for you were happier than ever.

And you couldn't explain it any other way than saying that seeing you happy put a new side to King Alfred, though he was still the clean and focused royal you could sometimes see him smiling to himself or watching you with a smile on his face as you were doing the work you were provided with or engaging into conversation with members of the court.

It came as a shock to his mother Princess Judith who visibly had trouble seeing you with him much more often that she could take time to care for him.

Nevertheless it was a beautiful change, seeing Alfred less serious at times, giving up his facade and letting his emotions come though. You had caught him staring a few times, which made your heart swell with happiness and pride and his cheeks fill with blood, causing him to avert his eyes though the smile on his face either remained or even deepened.

This feeling of affection only grew with time and you realized that Alfred had indeed become your King, from a mere person that reigned the country you lived in he had transformed into a person you deeply respected, loved and cared for.

It was strange to you because you never cared for the system of monarchy too much, but Alfred was a sovereign you and everyone else had to look up to and love and respect deeply.

Or so you had thought. Alfred's brother Aethelred had never struck you as a mischevious or bad person, but you had felt the disdain he had towards his brother whenever he realized that Alfred was the King, and not him. You could see it in his eyes, or maybe you could only see it because you were new to the palace and the life as a royal, but you saw.

You saw how Aethelred loved his brother but hated the injustice of him on the throne. You had heard the stories, had heard how Aethelred had renounced the crown so Alfred could wear it, though you came to the court only shortly after, but you saw how Aethelred hated the decision he had unmistakenly been forced into.

But that was only what you had interpreted into his hurt looks or his disdainful glances, you never thought that it might have an actual impact on Aethelred's decisions, until you encountered it in person. You had been on your way to Alfred's chambers though you chose to stroll through the gardens before since it was a lovely day.

Rounding a corner in the gardens you had heard muffled voices, one of which undoubtedly had been Aethelred's. You hadn't been suspicious until you had actually heard what they were saying.

The idea of Aethelred taking part in a conspiracy against your fiancé didn't even cross your mind before, but that only meant the shock hit you harder. Aethelred had always seemed kind, caring and composed, but what the members of the court around Aethelred were saying was neither of those things.

Though Alfred had enemies and you were aware of that you had never thought that they would plan to dethrone him, and that his own brother would be the main villain.

You didn't hear him say much at all, but you heard the men around him and their plans for the ‚rightful King Aethelred'.

It scared you, all of it and you took in a sharp breath which attracted the attention of the men to you. It had been stupid of you to do so but your genuine surprise had stabbed you in the back.

Realizing that you were in a giant heap of trouble now you turned around and fled towards where you knew your fiancé's chambers lay, Aethelred following suit.

You didn't want to talk to him, you were afraid of him now even, though you were even more afraid of the men around him that had seen you spying.

You had nearly reached the entrance to the castle near Alfred's chambers when Aethelred finally reached you and grabbed your upper arm to keep you from running away and to make you face him. You let out a yelp of pain as you were forced to look the traitor in the eye, your own eyes swimming with tears. Aethelred was Alfred's brother, his older brother, he was supposed to care for him, to protect him, not to stab him in the back.

Once he had turned you to face him he pushed you against one of the nearest pillows of the castle walls. „Don't mention this to my brother. Not a single word", he uttered, lowering his head to yours to whisper those words threateningly, your bodies now in precarious positions in which any outstanding person would have read into.

You were scared now, breathing heavily and tears in your eyes as you tried to get your arm free of his grip, to no avail.

„Please don't I... how could you... I can't just...", you tried to look for words but you didn't find any. „How dare you betray your brother's trust like that, how dare you betray him", you had tried again even if you knew that it pulled you even further into the mess.

„I can't just let you do this, I can't let you go and betray him, who knows what might happen to him!", you continued. You weren't in a rage, you weren't angry, but you were hurt. Aethelred had listened to what you said and nodded, moving further towards you so the front of his body was pressed against yours. You hated the feel of it but you couldn't fight the strong grip he had on you. „I'm not going to...", he whispered and leaned in closer to your ear so only you could hear what he had to say.

„I needed to take down the conspiracists, I need them to trust me. I just... I need to know they're serious about it first before I go to my brother and trouble him with it, that is why I didn't talk about it yet. As soon as I have proof of their traitorous intentions I will act against them and for the favor of Alfred, I promise you, my lady", he had said softly.

„I promise no harm will come to him, I care for him too much to let any of it happen", he added and you just knew he meant it. You nodded, wiping the tears off your face and he let you go, his eyes apologizing about his rough behavior.

Afterwards he bowed to you and turned his back to you, making his way through the gardens to where he came from.

Collecting yourself after everything you had found out and experienced you brushed over your dress, correcting ist position on your body after Aethelred had manhandled you. Looking around you made sure that no one saw, closing your eyes and sighing before finally making your way to Alfred's chambers.

Once you got there though you found Alfred in a state of devastation. Sitting on his chair in front of his desk he had his head in his hands, his long hair messy around his beautiful face. You immediately moved towards him, asking what was wrong but he stretched a hand out with authority, making you halt in your tracks. „Don't", he hissed as he looked up at you, the look of admiration he usually carried towards you replaced with a look of utter hatred. Or maybe it wasn't hatred, it was grief.

„You were with my brother just now. Don't even try to deny it, I saw", he said after a long silence and you winced as you looked out of the window searching for things to say and realizing that you were looking at exactly the place Aethelred had cornered you.

Alfred had been able to see though you had desperately hoped no one had.

You didn't know what to say, on the one hand he believed something entirely different had taken place than it actually had but on the other the thing that had taken place had in some aspects been even worse.

„Do you love him?", he asked and you could hear his voice break at the end of the sentence and see a tear finally run freely down his cheek.

You weren't able to speak, just standing there staring at him like a fool, shaking your head vehemently. His sarcastic laugh tore your heart to shreds and you realized then and there that you had been gradually falling in love with the King. No, not the King, the person. Alfred. „It wasn't... it wasn't like that", you stuttered, the hurt on your face visible as well. „We didn't... he didn't... I said some things that offended him and he confronted me afterwards", you tried to reason, tried to lie as near to the truth as possible.

But you saw the look in Alfred's eyes and it cut even deeper into your heart.

It wasn't a look of anger, grief or even fear. It was a look of acceptance. Brokenness.

He leaned back in his chair slowly, like an old man whom pained every movement and shut his eyes. He took his time like that, just sitting there with his eyes closed until his breathing had returned to normal. Then he looked at you and the look of acceptance and love broke you. „It's alright", he finally said as he leaned forward, bracing one hand against the desk. „It's alright, you don't need to lie to me", he repeated which in turn made your eyes fill with tears.

You were about to protest but he hushed you with the raising of one ringed finger and a small tired smile that fell from his lips as soon as it had appeared.

„I just...", he began as he took his time to study you. „I meant what I said in the gardens a few days ago. It wasn't my mother's decision to marry you, it was mine. I had seen you, I had fallen for you without even speaking a word with you and I felt like maybe, just maybe I had luck on my side and you would be able to love me back. You seemed like a caring and loving person", he began and already the beginning had the tears falling down your cheeks. „Which you are, I am sure that you are a loving person. I have seen it", he added. It was incredibly admirable that in a situation like this he had the ability to stay calm, to stay focused and even caring.

„It's alright", he continued as he again shot you a small smile that you could see he didn't mean. „If it's my brother you want that's alright we can...", he broke off the sentence to look at the ground to collect himself, „we can arrange something, I'm sure of it", he continued and you shook your head.

This was the final straw that made you break out of the spell he had put on you. You stumbled forwards towars him quite unladylike, but that didn't matter to you at all.

Once you reached him you fell to your knees in front of him, your hands finding their way towards his in his lap as you looked up at him, shaking your head energetically.

„I don't", you began as you wiped a tear away from your face, „I never wanted Aethelred. I don't want him. Nor any other person in this castle. No one... but you", you said and the look of genuine surprise on his face hurt you deeply. „I don't want anyone but you", you repeated yourself, trying to form a clear thought. „What happened with Aethelred was not what you thought you were seeing, there is nothing between us", you continued your reasoning, your eyes fixed on his as you saw another wave of tears forming.

„When I came here I would have never imagined falling in love with you, especially so quickly", you laughed through your tears. „I fell for you, Alfred, and there is no one I would want other than you", you had explained to him as one of your hands left his to wipe a tear that was falling down his cheek away.

„I only want you", you repeated breathlessly as you waited to let the words sink in.

You watched your fiancé as he came to terms with reality and the tears on your cheeks slowly dried away.

You had never kissed each other but the only thing you could think of was kissing him right here and now, on your knees in front of him. But you waited for his response. And it came.

„I... I just...", he began and his usually articulate speeched deformed into a series of mumbles. „I just need you to know that I loved you from the first moment I set eyes on you", he finished his stumbling and looked at you.

And you couldn't believe it. You furrowed your brows as you let out a breath of disbelief, looking up at him in wonder.

„After all I put you through?", you asked softly, the look of wonder and admiration never leaving your face, „After all I put you through you tell me that you love me?", you asked once more.

This brought a small smile onto his face, a sincere one at that. He slightly shook his head, his hands leaving his lap to lay on the sides of your face.

„Break my heart a thousand times, it's yours",