The prompts are: "All I wanted was a happy ending", "Please hold me. It's been a day", and "I couldn't imagine my future without you now that I have you".

Warnings: cursing, mental abuse,

It took you many moons to come to a final decision, months during which you didn't let yourself go to the royal church, in fear of meeting Aethelred.

You knew that Aethelred was giving you the chance you had always wanted, the chance you had been waiting for.

Nevertheless you didn't want to disappoint, to bring scandal to the family that had treated you so poorly in sending you away to live at the abbey, because you were running away with a Prince who too wanted to flee his life.

He was another reason why you were still contemplating.

Your fear was that you were merely tempted by the proposition because he had made it, because you were drawn to him.

And it was true, every waking thought you had either concerned itself with Aethelred, or with the proposition he had made to you.

Another reason you had for not coming to the church sooner was the thought that maybe he would have second thoughts, and you certainly didn't want to be the reason why Aethelred regretted giving up his life as a Prince.

Nevertheless after months of waiting you finally decided to return to the royals' church, and to see if Aethelred was still determined to run.

You didn't know what it was about him, but you felt so much more for him than you had ever felt for anyone.

It was silly, you had merely spoken a few words to each other and spent most of the time sitting together in silence, but you knew you needed to be with him for your life to become a better one.

When you entered the church you saw Aethelred sitting on one of the benches at the front.

He didn't even look up when you entered, and neither when you made your way towards him.

You had imagined that he would have at least looked up when you entered the church or that he would have stood up and come towards you, but nothing of the sort had happened.

When you reached Aethelred he finally looked up, and the frown that had been on his face made way for a heartfelt smile as he stood up, moving closer towards you.

"I didn't think you would come back, I waited so long", he let out as his eyes studied your face and the gown you were wearing.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to give the both of us time to thoroughly think it through", you said, and an understanding look settled on Aethelred's face.

"You don't want to come, then. You came to tell me you're not joining me?", he asked, his face stern instead of the happily relieved one he had only moments ago.

"No, not at all. I want to come, desperately so, but I wanted to be sure of it", you answered, and Aethelred nodded quickly.

"I have thought of it all as well. I have put some money aside, enough to start a life of our own, I think. I have bought a small cottage, it's nothing like you and I are used to, but hopefully it'll be enough. It's small, but when I visited it it seemed quite lovely, it's in the countryside, away from the city, which I think will guarantee us a security away from the people that will undoubtedly be looking for us", he told you, and the fact that he was speaking about a shared life for the two of you sent a shiver running down your spine.

He was talking about you as if you were married, and even though you were drawn to him you certainly weren't ready to live a life at his side when all you had ever had was the company of women, and your father.

Aethelred studied your face because you didn't answer, and realization set in slowly.

"I do not... I mean we can... I do not want to pressure you into anything. I have already set a night camp for myself in the kitchen of the cottage, because I want you to have the bedroom for yourself. Again, it's not much but all I could do for now", he told you as he watched you with soft blue eyes.

"I think it would be good to appear as a married couple to the outside world but I promise you that I would never dare to force you into anything you would not be comfortable with. I want you to have a life you could be happier in, and I hope you will be, but I cannot promise you that", he told you, and the smile that appeared on your face triggered his smile as well.

"I want to live with you", you answered, leaving open if there was room for more, because you didn't feel confident enough to clarify.

The next morning you woke up to the usual time, but while the other nuns were preparing the morning prayer you excited the abbey.

You saw that abbyss Hild was watching you closely, but she only nodded to you, sending a small smile your way as you walked through the doors of the abbey, leaving it behind to start anew.

You met Aethelred at the place you had decided on, wearing a nervous smile and the habit you had put on in the morning, because you didn't have anything else to wear.

You were putting your life in Aethelred's hands, you didn't know him at all but still you trusted him, and though you knew it was foolish you felt like it was the right thing to do.

When you watched Aethelred you saw he was still wearing royal clothing, a sword and dagger visible at his hip.

You gulped and nodded as you smiled as a greeting, and he smiled back.

"Are you sure you want to?", he asked you and you nodded determinedly.

"Yes, and as I said yesterday I want to visit my parents first", you answered as he handed you the reins to the horse he had taken for you.

When you arrived at your father's estate Aethelred assured you that he would wait with the horses while you would talk with your father.

He had asked if you were comfortable doing so alone but you had assured to him that you preferred it, so he kept his distance.

You were escorted to your father's study, who greeted you with an angry glare.

"What are you doing here?", he asked, but you stood you ground as he got up towards you.

"Would you please ask for mother to join us? I have something I need to tell the both of you", you whispered, and your father nodded, leaving the servant to go and fetch her.

When your mother finally arrived she moved to hug you, which you didn't return.

"I wanted to tell you myself that I'm not going back to the abbey", you said and you heard your mother gasp as your father started to bellow at you.

"How dare you even think so? You will return to the abbey immediately, I will escort you myself if I have to, but I fucking will", he growled and you shook your head, though you knew you were trembling.

"I will not return", you said and the silence that followed was interrupted by your mother's soft cries, who had started crying when you hadn't hugged her back.

"I will not go back, I cannot. I told you for so long that I would die at the abbey but you didn't listen, but now I have found someone who is willing to start a life with me, far from the abbey or the noblemen, and I am glad to go", you said and you watched your father turn red with anger.

"All I wanted was a happy ending, why couldn't you see that? I never wanted to live a pious life in service to our Lord, you knew it, and you never cared", you whispered out.

While your mother continued to cry your father closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before looking at you.

"Out. Get out, now, before I kill you myself", he breathed out, it was nothing more than a whisper, but you knew the threat was real.

"You never meant anything to either of us. You are a useless, coinless whore who isn't even capable of living in a fucking abbey", he raised his voice and you stood still, listening to every word he said.

"Even in an abbey you couldn't keep your legs closed, that is presumably why you are leaving now, out of shame and fear. Let me tell you something", he continued and he moved further towards you.

"You are not our daughter, you never have been. All you've ever been is a worthless piece of horseshit I was ecstatic to leave in the service of God", your father continued and you nodded softly.

While you turned around you heard your father continue to shout, but you walked away, turning your attention to Aethelred who was safely waiting for you.

You didn't say anything when he helped you mount your horse and when you left your family's estate, and he kept silent too, occasionally sending you worried or reassuring glances.

When you came to rest at a nearby village he helped you off the horse.

"We have to change our clothes. The both of us look quite... recognizable", he sent you a careful smile, which you returned.

You hadn't cried yet but you felt like it, and he seemed to know exactly how you were feeling.

"I will get the clothing, I want you to have time for yourself. I will be back soon", he told you as he left, leaving you with the horses.

When he returned he had a packet of clothes slung over his shoulder and he again smiled at you as he took his horse from you.

"We will have to change later, for now I think it would be best to keep going", he told you and you nodded at him.

When you reached a forest he stopped his horse, taking the package and handing what clothes he had bought for you to you.

You both got off your horses and you started by taking off your veil, letting the hair you were used to only have loose while sleeping fall over your shoulders.

Aethelred, who had originally started to turn around stopped and stared at the small movement you had made.

When he realized you were looking he turned around, moving through the woods to find a private place to change.

You did the same, changing into a simple farmer's dress, which to you was entirely beautiful in its simplicity and femininity.

You ripped fabric off the gown you had been wearing as a nun to use it as a ribbon to braid your hair, leaving the last remains of your life behind in the forest as you came back to the horses and a waiting Aethelred who seemed taken aback by seeing you.

You weren't wearing much cleavage, but far more than you had as a nun, and Aethelred had to force himself to look into your eyes far more often than he would have liked to.

"You are beautiful", he told you, which sent a sincere smile to your face.

You kept moving then, the two of you glancing at the other when you thought they weren't looking.

Aethelred looked amazing even though he was merely wearing a shirt that noblemen regarded as sleep shirt if anything, and leather pants that were fitting tight in contrast the loose cotton he was wearing on his upper body.

After what felt like hours of riding you finally reached a small cottage at the edge of a forest, minutes away from the last small village you had passed.

It was entirely beautiful even though it was small, dark grey stone meeting the green of the forest, plants and ivory that was growing up the facade.

It had a small well and wildflowers in front of the house, and it made a wide smile spread over your face as you got off your horse.

Aethelred moved around your horse to take the reins from you, moving away to bring the horses somewhere where they presumably were contained.

You still stood there staring when Aethelred returned and he moved to your side, setting a gentle hand on your back.

He was looking at you and not the house you were taking in, a concerned look on his face.

"Are you alright?", he asked you, and you nodded softly.

The tears you had held back for hours now finally fell as you looked up at Aethelred.

"It's perfect", you breathed out and he smiled at you, keeping the appropriate and considerate distance he had always had to you.

When you let your eyes wander from the house back to Aethelred you looked up at him, tears running down your cheeks even though you were entirely happy.

"Please hold me. It's been a day", you whispered out and Aethelred immediately moved to pull you to his chest, embracing you with his arms and the distinctive smell of cedar wood and leather, more comforting than anything you had ever smelt or felt.

When you pulled away Aethelred smiled at you, keeping one of his hands at the small of your back to show you support.

"If you want to talk about it we can. I'm here for you", he said softly as the two of you entered the small cottage, while he still had his hand on your back to support you.

Months went by and Aethelred and you learned to live together in the small cottage, a lifestyle neither of you were used to, but loved all the same.

It was hard work, feeding the horses, the small sheep and goats you kept and taking care of the vegetables and fruit you grew, but you loved the independent life you lived.

Though nothing had happened between Aethelred and you that would suggest more of love than the platonic relationship the two of you had you both knew that there was more between the two of you than what met the eye, partly through longing glances or lingering touches, but also because neither of you denied wanting more than you already had from another, though neither of you suggested going further either.

It was a late night when the two of you returned from your garden after harsh and long hours of harvesting the fruit that was ripe, finally sitting down to eat the bread you had baked the day before with the butter the two of you had made using milk from the one old cow you earned.

You were far happier than you had ever been in your life and you knew Aethelred was as well.

It was hard work, maintaining kettle and growing food but from your stay at the abbey you had learned how to garden, a skill that came in handy.

When Aethelred and you sat down to eat Aethelred smiled at you as he took a bite, admiration visible on his face.

"This tastes amazing", he told you and he didn't miss the small chuckle you let out as you shook your head.

Aethelred had lived at the royal court all his life, but the food you made seemed to be at least as delicious as that from the royal cooks, or so he wanted to make you think.

Maybe it was the idea that the two of you were free from everything you had hated before that made the food taste so much better and made the work far less painful.

"I'm serious", he said as he reached over the table to take your hand in his and caress it gently, and you let him, returning the caress by grazing your thumb gently over the back of his hand.

After a small while of silence he sent a small grin your way as he began to speak.

"I couldn't imagine my future without you now that I have you", he told you softly and your breath caught in your throat.

"Me neither", you answered softly, and his grin grew into a wholehearted smile which you returned.

He was so gentle, so loving, and the knowledge that you might have more than just a platonic love turned into the need for more.

You slowly raised your joined hands to your face, pressing a soft kiss to the side of his hand.

It was a show of affection just as much as it was a signal that you were finally ready, and the way Aethelred lovingly looked at you left no doubt that he had picked it up, the smile that widened on his face showed just how happy it made him.