England, 1905

Reader POV

At the young age of 5, I was already set to marry the neighbor's son, Nicholas, son of Duke Edward Brown.

I met Nicholas once before and he liked me immediately, but I didn't like him.

He was greedy and mean.

We often saw each other-especially now that we would get married on my 18th birthday-his 21st.

"(y/n)! Come here!" Father called me.

I dropped my book down on my seat and ran towards my father who entered the garden where I was reading. "Father!"

He knelt down on the damp grass, not caring he was getting his best outfit dirty. "I've a gift for you, my little rose."

I gasped in awe when he presented me with a rose, the thorns cut off so it wouldn't hurt me. "It's so beautiful..."

"Of course. Just as you are." He picked me up and brought me inside the manor where the servants said hello to the duke.

"You have been keeping up on your studies, yes?" Father questioned me.

I nodded. "Yes! And Nicholas came over to study with me!"

"I am pleased to hear that you and Nicholas are getting along." Father stood up and beckoned a man into the room. "Darling, this is Naobito Zenin. He has a nephew your age. I see you two might get along."

I shyly hid behind my father and peeked out.

A boy with sharp green eyes was staring right at me with a goofy smile.

I looked up at my father for reassurance and he nodded, gently pushing me forward.

"Duchess (y/n) Castille," the boy and his uncle both bowed slightly. "We are honored to finally meet you."

I allowed them to kiss my hand, but the younger had a blush on his face as he did so.

"You're mighty pretty!" He said.

"Toji! Don't speak to a duchess like that!" Naobito hit his side. "Anyone would think I haven't put a stop to your troubled upbringing."

But my father shook his head with amusement. "Do not worry, old friend. It is quite alright. Why don't you two go play in the meadow? Just make sure the maids can see you, my little rose."

I was about to protest when the boy grabbed my bare hand, taking my hat from the nanny.

"Let's go into town!"

"But that's not near the meadow!"

Father shrugged it off. "Well at least take a servant or two with you, children! And be back before sunset, okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Castille Sir!" The boy waved and ran through the halls with me.

"Slow down! You're running too fast!"

A servant opened the door for us and the boy ran past with me still in his hand.

He turned and looked at me with a cheeky smile. "Then run faster! And don't wear such poofy clothing!"

"My dress is not poofy!"

The boy got into the carriage and told the guide to take us into town.

"What's your name?" I asked him as I caught my breath, fanning my face since I was getting hot.

"Toji," he said. "Toji Zenin."

"What a weird name!"

He glared at me. "Hey! My mom gave me that name!"

"It's still weird!"

Toji huffed but his annoyance disappeared when we got into town.

He grabbed my hand and lead me down a street, the servants following.

"Look," he said with seriousness as he pressed his face against the glass of a shop that sold sweets. "Uncle and I passed here last night."

Toji opened his pocket to reveal three coins, smiling happily.

"I want you to try it."

He marched to the counter inside and demanded two candy bags, handing the cashier the coins.

He came back and handed me a bag, grinning.

I opened it and unwrapped a lollipop, my eyes widening at the taste. "Wow..."

"It's so good, right?!"

I nodded, unable to put it into words.

He took my hand after making a servant hold the bags (with strict instructions not to take a single piece) and we walked to the fountain, sitting down.

"Mom and I would do this," he said with a bittersweet smile. "We would sneak out while my father was working and go get candies at the sweet shop. Of course...we didn't exactly have permission from Dad."

I glanced at Toji's clothing that clearly needed some work.

It looked as if he came from poverty-and judging by his ill manners, I suspected it to be true.

However he was sweet and I couldn't help but like him already.

"Hey, Toji?"

"Hm?"

"Let's be friends."

(y/n): age 11
Toji: age 12

"I'm going where?!" I stared at my father with disbelief.

He nodded, looking at me sharply. "You are going to be married eventually, dear. We must prepare you to enter society as best and refined as possible, little rose."

"Now just a moment-"

Father glared at Toji. "Son, this isn't involving you. Please go see if they have any work for you in the fields. I must have a word with my daughter. Alone."

Toji gave me a look and I returned it, him leaving moments later.

When the door closed behind him, Father let out a sigh.

"My dear, I know you have feelings for Toji. But you must be careful. You are already betrothed to Duke Nicholas Brown. How would he feel if he knew his betrothed had sights for another man-especially one from a lower class?"

"Does it matter?" I asked. "Father, Duke Nicholas is a pig!"

"That mouth of yours has become fresh ever since that boy Toji has come," Father glared at me sharply once more. "How would your mother feel if she knew her daughter fell for a boy conceived from wedlock?"

"His circumstances at birth don't matter," I snapped. "He's a kind soul, Father! I very much want to marry him instead of Duke Nicholas!"

"That's enough!" Father slammed his hands on the desk. "You are going to an all-girls academy. You will learn the ways of a woman of high society!"

"But Father-"

He took a deep breath and turned around, his back to me. "You were always a free spirit, little rose. Had you been born a boy, that would've been admired. But you are a girl. Go pack your bags. You leave tomorrow night."

I nodded and left his office.

When I told Toji that night (as he snuck into my room), he was devastated.

"All the way in France?! But that's across the sea!" He held my hands with anger. "(y/n), you can't!"

"I've no choice!" I hugged him tightly, my eyes full of tears. "What else can I do, Toji?!"

He didn't have an answer for that.

"Fine. We'll write to each other," he said. "I love you, (y/n). I can't let you go!"

And he didn't want to.

The next morning, I stood outside with a small bag in my hands as my father and the servants wished me a safe travel to France.

Toji didn't say goodbye to me. He stood beside his uncle, just staring at me.

I waved goodbye to everyone and got into the carriage.

The carriage left, the manor becoming smaller and smaller.

I reached France weeks later and there was a letter waiting for me at the academy.

"A letter from Tara," the bellman said.

I knew it was Toji. If he had written on the front in the address it was from a boy, the letter would be ripped open and read, probably sent to my father since this school was very adamant on none of its student body getting close with boys.

Things seemed okay at first.

My new friends all knew who I was-especially since my father was a sixth cousin of the now deceased Queen Victoria herself.

Toji often sent gifts with his letters.

All of which him telling me how he got a new job after leaving the Castille Manor (as my father no longer liked him).

He would also write how when I came back, we would go.

I've been saving money, (y/n). We'll go to a land where they'll never find us.

(y/n): age 18
Toji: age 19

"(y/n)!!!" My friends came to greet me at the port.

I hugged my friends tightly as we hadn't seen each other in over 6 years due to the Great War.

"Your father is waiting," a maid said to me as she helped me into the carriage.

I nodded to her. "Then shall we go? I'd hate to keep Father waiting for me. I heard he is of poor health."

The familiar gates of the Castille manor appeared and I saw workers in the fields, all eager to see the daughter of the duke.

I held a single rose for my father, holding the railing of the stairs as I walked up the staircase.

It had been 6 years since I had seen this manor, the familiarity of it hurting me.

I knocked on the door gently.

"Come in."

I entered and saw my father in bed, looking sickly just as I had been told.

"Father..." I put the rose down and sat down at the chair by his bed.

He looked at me with deep affection. "My little rose. You're so beautiful-even more so. Just like your mother."

I felt him kiss my gloved hand, his age showing as he did so.

"I have a gift for you," I said as I handed the rose to him.

His eyes softened. "How lovely. Tell me, how was your trip back? I heard about the dreadful war and worried so."

"It was fine," I said. "The academy was destroyed in a blast by the Germans. But we all escaped prior and we did go to the fronts-"

"My little girl?! In a war??"

"It's okay, Father. I was a nurse."

He calmed, but still looked disturbed. "I'm just glad you're safe, (y/n)."

"Yes." I looked outside his window to see the mansion that belonged to the Duke of Brown. "Where is Duke Nicholas?"

"He's gone," Father said softly. "He died of scarlet fever just last week. His last words were for you."

Even though Nicholas was my betrothed, I felt no remorse for him.

I detested him and even though he was gone, I was happy.

Now I would be free not to marry a pig such as himself.

However I also wasn't sure about Toji.

Ever since the war, his letters had stopped coming.

The last one I got was on Christmas, 1916.

Two years ago.

I didn't want to think about it.

Instead, I just made sure my father was okay.

He fell asleep after ordering me to go eat dinner as he figured I had not eaten since lunch.

I ate alone, reading the newspapers.

Servants came and went, all happy to see me.

Still, I had not found Toji.

Until I remembered that he no longer worked for my father and for a shop keeper in town.

Even though it was now starting to get dark out, I rode out to town on the carriage, eager to see him.

People were shocked to see me but nether the less they pointed me in the direction of Toji.

The shop keeper (who was a restaurant owner) informed me Toji was delivering something and would be back soon enough.

It began to rain and I still waited for Toji, talking with the shop keeper who I learned to be Mr. James P. Smith.

Toji appeared and I ran out to the street, not caring that it was pouring rain.

"Toji!!"

He saw me and dropped his umbrella, staring at me like he saw a ghost.

"(y/n)...you're alive?"

He ran up to me and hugged me tightly, me having to soothe him as he was crying hysterically.

Rain soaked us, but we didn't care.

"I heard your school got bombed," he whispered as we both dried off in the back room of the restaurant in private.

"It did. We all escaped prior," I explained to him.

He was amazed to hear I had served as a nurse alongside my friends, praising me and calling me a hero even though I wasn't.

"And my fiancé. He's dead," I said. "I'm no longer engaged-"

And Toji shut me up, kissing me deeply. "Then let's fix that."

(y/n): age 23
Toji: age 24

I held my son close to me.

He just turned 5 years old yesterday.

Toji leaned against me as we watched airplanes in the sky.

Father had been furious when he found out that Toji and I got engaged the night I returned from France.

He banned Toji and I from ever meeting, devastating me.

But Toji snuck into the manor late at night when my father was asleep.

Flashback

"I've saved a lot of money to get us to another country," he said. "We can run away together. Just us."

"But what about my father? I can't leave him..."

"I know..." he rested his forehead against mine. "But he will keep us apart and I heard him talking to someone. He's arranging another marriage."

"No..."

"I can't lose you," he said. "Not again. Come with me, (y/n). I'll keep you safe and our family."

I took his hand in mine, sighing. "How long until dawn?"

"Seven hours."

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Then let's go."

He looked shocked I accepted so easily but smiled softly. "Okay. Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Let me just get dressed-"

"No. If you wear those fancy clothes, you'll be recognized very quickly and we may never see each other again."

I agreed and he gave me a change of clothes that he took from one of the servants.

I changed quickly and we fled the mansion.

As dawn approached, we chartered a boat ride to Spain.

I huddled next to Toji and he held me close.

"I'll protect you."

We married in a small village and 9 months later, our son Megumi entered our lives.

End of Flashback

"Look how small he still is," our neighbor Agatha cooed.

"Isn't he?" I held Megumi close to me and the boy stared at me with large green eyes.

Toji laughed a bit and picked him up. "Alright buddy. Let's go take a nap, eh?"

He returned a bit later and we went to sleep.

England, 1945

Toji: age 46
Megumi: age 27

TOJI POV

The second world war came to a close.

Megumi followed me to his mother's old home.

It had been spared from the bombings by the Germans, but not (y/n).

She died when Megumi was 8, due to scarlet fever.

"Mom grew up here?" Megumi asked me as we entered the abandoned home.

The place was dusty which meant it had been abandoned for some time.

However when I entered the kitchens where I knew they kept their valuables, it was all there.

"It would seem they all planned to come back someday," Megumi commented.

I spotted something and it was a telescope of sorts.

I gave Megumi a tour of the house and he could only marvel at the place.

"You should've seen it when I grew up alongside your mother," I said with a saddened smile. "I remember the endless parties and all the beautiful things. You know, your mother hated dancing. She claimed it was the work of the devil himself...yet she had no issues dancing with me the night we got married."

"Oh yes," Megumi's eyes softened as he remembered all the things (y/n) said to him when he was much younger. "I remember her also telling me about the food and the way her father called her little rose."

"Yes. Follow me."

Megumi and I walked to the overgrown rose garden where (y/n) spent a lot of time. 

I held up (y/n)'s favorite necklace that I got her when we had our honeymoon in Madrid- a rose.

"Rest well, my rose." I kissed the necklace and placed it down on the gravestone where she was buried.

Even though she had died in our home in Spain, we buried her in her ancesteral home-the Castille manor.

Her relatives all but turned their noses away as she eloped with a man far less than the high society gentlemen that she would've been expected to marry.

Megumi knelt down and placed a single rose on her grave, his eyes full of tears as were mine.

"Rest well, Mom."

We stayed like that as rain began to pelt us, a few rose petals dropping onto us due to the wind.

_____________________________

No idea what this was, but here you go.