Prompt: Loosely inspired by a request from Beelzebub_1. What if Asta became a prince of Spade?
—
The Clover Kingdom was supposed to be peaceful now.
After everything they'd fought for.
After everything Asta had bled for.
But Yuno had lived among nobles long enough to know—
Peace just meant the knives got sharper behind your back.
He stood in the upper tower of the Golden Dawn headquarters, staring out at the pale skyline.
The wind whispered through the open balcony, brushing his cloak aside.
Below, the capital looked quiet.
But he knew the rot was spreading.
They're planning something.
He didn't need proof. Not yet.
The tone in their voices, the way certain nobles paused when Asta's name came up—it told him enough.
"They're scared of him," Yuno murmured to himself.
Asta had done the impossible more times than anyone could count.
Fought devils. Saved kingdoms. Held the line at the edge of hell.
And what was his reward?
Exile.
Still branded a risk. A threat. A peasant with power he wasn't supposed to have.
Because Damnatio was gone.
And so was Julius.
Two shadows conveniently vanished, leaving Asta's trial unfinished and his name still tainted.
Yuno clenched his fists against the balcony railing.
The nobles had been quiet at first, wary.
But now? They were growing bolder.
He'd overheard them in backrooms and corners.
"We should've dealt with the boy months ago."
"Letting him run free was a mistake."
"His connection to devils makes him unstable. Dangerous. Corrupt."
Lies.
All of it.
But to them, truth didn't matter.
What mattered was control.
And Asta—strong, loyal, incorruptible—was something they couldn't control.
Yuno stepped back into the office, letting the door swing shut behind him.
He didn't pace. He didn't fidget. He simply stood.
Still.
Focused.
If they came after Asta, they'd have to go through him.
But protecting Asta wouldn't be as simple as drawing a sword.
No, this wasn't a battlefield of blades and magic.
This was a game of politics. And perception.
He needed leverage.
He needed a move they couldn't predict.
Something untouchable.
His eyes narrowed.
There was only one person who could make that kind of move.
Someone who had power beyond Clover's reach.
The chill wind outside stirred again, rustling the papers on his desk.
Spade.
He hadn't returned in person since the war ended, but he kept in contact.
Letters. Reports. Spade's reconstruction was moving fast.
His mother was overseeing everything herself—Queen Ciel Grinberryall.
And she owed Asta.
Not because of politics.
But because Asta had fought for her son like a brother.
Because Asta contributed arguably the most in the effort to liberate her kingdom and her people.
Yuno walked to his desk and pulled out a blank scroll.
He didn't overthink the wording.
Ciel.
I need your help. It's for Asta.
They're planning to destroy him. I want to make him untouchable.
Can you adopt him into our family?
He stared at the parchment.
It was insane.
Unprecedented.
Exactly what he needed.
Asta would hate the politics of it.
But it might be the only thing that could save him.
He signed it, sealed it, and handed it off to a courier hawk bound for Spade.
As the bird took off into the clouds, Yuno leaned against the tower wall.
He could already hear Asta's reaction in his head.
"Adoption?! Wait—YOU DID WHAT?!"
The corner of his mouth twitched.
It was going to be chaos.
But at least Asta would be safe.
For now, Yuno just had to wait.
And watch.
And keep the wolves at bay until the thunder hit.
—
Two days later, the thunder arrived.
Not with war. Not with blood.
But with a decree.
Every capital across the continent received the same royal seal.
Carried on magic parchment that couldn't be forged or intercepted.
By order of Queen Ciel Grinberryall of the Spade Kingdom, I hereby announce the royal adoption of Asta—former resident of Clover Kingdom and hero of the Spade War—into the royal family. From this day forth, he shall be known as Prince Asta Grinberryall.
The letter burned through the capital like wildfire.
Every noble. Every merchant. Every peasant.
All of them saw it.
And just like that, Asta was no longer a peasant.
No longer a threat they could smear.
He was a royal.
Second in line to Spade's throne.
Yuno folded his arms as he stood on a capital balcony.
He could already hear the nobles panicking.
Whispers.
Denials.
Confusion.
But they all came to the same conclusion:
They can't touch him anymore.
Even the most arrogant among them wouldn't risk provoking Spade.
Not when it had just begun to reestablish itself as a rising power.
And certainly not when Queen Ciel had made her stance unmistakably clear.
"Mess with Asta," her actions said, "and you mess with me."
Yuno didn't need to gloat.
Didn't need to tell anyone I warned you.
He just waited.
Waited for the next move.
Waited to see Asta's face when he heard.
Waited for the next part of this strange, inevitable chaos to begin.
Because if Yuno knew anything about his brother, it was this:
Asta would never sit comfortably on a throne.
But he'd never abandon his people, either.
And now, for once…
The world would have to treat him the way he deserved.
Whether they liked it or not.
—
Asta didn't think much of it when a royal courier from Spade showed up at his temporary quarters.
He was in the middle of sparring with Magna.
Which meant dodging explosions while trying not to trash the courtyard again.
The envelope was delivered with a bow and a cryptic, "Her Majesty expects you."
And then the courier disappeared into a swirl of teleportation magic.
"What was that about?" Magna asked, wiping soot off his face.
Asta shrugged, confused but curious.
He cracked the seal.
Read the first line.
And screamed so loud, birds took off from the trees.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'VE BEEN ADOPTED?!?!"
—
Back in Spade, Queen Ciel Grinberryall smiled as she poured herself tea.
The windows of the royal palace were open.
Fresh air flowed through the crystalline hall, but her thoughts were somewhere else.
Asta.
She'd only met him once during the war—drenched in sweat, limbs torn, sword dragging behind him.
And yet he smiled.
Like it was nothing.
Like saving a kingdom was just another day on the job.
She remembered the way he stood beside Yuno.
Fierce. Loud. Loyal.
A boy with nothing, willing to die for everything.
When her son's letter arrived asking her to adopt him, she hadn't hesitated.
Not because she was sentimental.
But because it was the right move.
Yuno wanted to protect his brother.
Ciel wanted to honor the one who'd protected her people.
Besides, she'd always wanted more children.
Why not start with one of the most famous magic knights in the world?
—
Yuno met Asta in the Spade palace's grand atrium, two hours after the royal seal made headlines across Clover and Spade.
Asta stormed up the steps with a very un-princely snarl.
"YUNO!! What the hell is going on?!"
Yuno blinked. Calm as ever.
"You got adopted. Congratulations."
"CONGRATULATIONS?!"
Asta was flailing now.
"I went to bed, a peasant! I wake up and I'm a prince?!"
Ciel entered from the hallway, humming softly, silk robes trailing behind her.
"Technically, it was processed overnight. You've been a prince since sunrise."
Asta turned. Froze.
Queen Ciel looked like the exact opposite of anything he could argue with.
Calm. Elegant. Commanding.
"Oh—uh—Your Majesty—I mean—Mom? Wait no—I—GAH!"
Ciel's smile was serene.
"I prefer Ciel, but I won't object to Mom if you insist."
Asta looked like he might pass out on the carpet.
Yuno leaned against a pillar, barely suppressing a smirk.
"I warned you it'd be chaos."
"You didn't warn me at all!"
Ciel sat gracefully in her chair, sipping tea like this was all normal.
"I did this because I wanted to protect you," she said gently.
"Yuno asked. I agreed."
"But—but I don't even have Spade blood!"
"You have something better," she said.
"You have loyalty. Strength. A good heart. That's more than half the nobles here could say."
Asta scratched his head, ears still red.
"I'm just a guy who wants to be Wizard King…"
"And now you're a guy who can't be touched by corrupt nobles trying to sabotage your path to that dream," Yuno added.
Asta paused.
"…Wait. Is that what this is about?"
Yuno nodded once.
"The nobles in Clover are planning something. I don't know what. But I know they're scared of you."
"Now they'll really be scared."
Asta slumped onto a nearby couch.
"So let me get this straight. I've been exiled. I saved the world. I get adopted by Spade royalty. And now I'm second in line to a throne I don't want?"
"Yes," Yuno said.
"Exactly," Ciel added, sipping.
Asta groaned. "I just wanted to finish my reps and eat some meat…"
"You can still do that," Ciel said. "You just might have to do it in a nicer uniform."
Asta sank lower into the cushions, a defeated lump of muscle and confusion.
"…Does this mean I have to learn fancy table manners?"
Yuno didn't answer.
Ciel just smiled again.
—
By nightfall, the news had reached every corner of Clover.
The nobles were panicking.
The commoners and peasants were having a field day.
The Magic Knights were losing their minds.
Some didn't believe it at first.
Then the official seals arrived.
Copies of the decree were pinned to public notice boards.
"Prince Asta."
That was the title.
Asta tried to lie low in the Spade palace.
Tried to act normal.
It was going terribly.
Servants bowed every time he walked by.
Royal staff kept trying to redo his wardrobe.
Someone actually called him Your Highness at dinner.
Asta nearly choked on a steak.
—
Yuno stayed by his side for most of the evening, silent but ever-present.
He watched as Asta fumbled through formality after formality.
He watched as Ciel steered conversations effortlessly, never once letting Asta be overwhelmed.
And beneath all that calm, he was satisfied.
He hadn't done this out of grand sentiment.
He wasn't the emotional type.
Not that much anyways.
But he had done this out of loyalty.
Asta had always protected others.
It was about time someone protected him.
—
That night, in the quiet of his new chambers, Asta sat by the window.
He stared up at the stars.
Same sky.
Different life.
"…I didn't ask for any of this," he muttered.
But he couldn't deny it—
There was a warmth in his chest that hadn't been there before.
A sense of safety he hadn't known he needed.
Someone had his back.
More than one person, actually.
He looked toward the next room where Yuno was staying.
"…Thanks, man."
—
Noelle prided herself on being composed.
Elegant.
A royal.
Sure, she yelled sometimes.
Maybe she had a slight temper.
But she was still noble—nobler than most.
She never let anything rattle her.
Until the day she walked into the base and heard Luck shouting:
"Did you hear?! Asta's a prince now!"
She blinked.
Paused mid-step.
"…What?"
"Spade Kingdom adopted him!" Luck grinned, sparks flying from his fingers.
"He's a real-life prince now! Can you believe it?"
Noelle stared.
He's WHAT?!
—
She rushed to the common room, nearly tripping over Gordon and Henry.
Vanessa waved a letter in the air.
Gray was trembling, clutching a newspaper.
Gauche was already drawing fanart of Asta in royal robes.
"It's official," Vanessa said, smirking.
"Queen Ciel adopted him. Guess he's your royal equal now, huh?"
Noelle grabbed the paper and scanned the page.
There it was in bold, swirling Spade script.
Prince Asta Grinberryall.
She read it twice.
Three times.
Then once more.
It didn't change.
She stumbled backward onto the couch.
"…No. No no no no no."
—
She'd always had one thing.
One comforting thought.
Sure, Asta was ridiculously strong.
Sure, he was charming in that dumb, earnest, oblivious way.
Sure, he made her heart race every time he smiled at her.
But she was royalty.
She was the noble.
And he was just… him.
That imbalance helped her sleep at night.
It gave her hope.
Someday, she imagined, he'd realize just how amazing she was—
How lucky he was to have caught the eye of a princess.
But now—
He's a prince?
Adopted by a queen?!
Second in line for the throne?!
She clutched the paper tighter.
I'm not the royal gem in this story anymore… I-I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH ON SOME LONELY PEASANT BUT SOME FAMOUS PRINCE?!
—
For the rest of the day, she wandered the halls of the base in a daze.
Muttering.
Brooding.
Accidentally blasting kitchenware and tripping over brooms.
"Silva pride," she told herself.
"Royalty runs in my blood."
But it didn't help.
Because now Asta outranked her.
By a lot.
The Silva's were one of three royal families in Clover.
Spade only had one.
The Silva's haven't sat on the throne since their break up with the Vermillions.
Noelle wasn't even a royal candidate.
Asta would take over Spade if god forbid anything happened to Yuno.
It was abundantly clear to anyone with a brain on who was above who.
Noelle has lost the leverage that helped her sleep at night.
—
She thought maybe she was overreacting.
Until she saw him.
Asta arrived at the base the next morning, dressed in his usual black Bulls robe—
Nothing fancy, nothing flashy.
Just him.
Except…
Trailing behind him were Spade guards.
In actual armor.
With crests and standards.
One of them opened the door for him.
Noelle nearly died.
He smiled like it was nothing.
"Hey guys! Man, they keep following me. I told 'em I don't need guards, but Queen Ciel insisted."
Noelle stared at him.
He looked the same.
Same goofy grin.
Same wild energy.
But now he was technically a foreign dignitary.
With diplomatic immunity.
And royal protection.
And—
"Oh hey, Noelle!" he waved.
"Nice to see ya, Princess!"
She short-circuited.
Face red.
Heart in her throat.
Did he just—
Did he call her Princess back?!
—
Later that day, she tried to reclaim the upper hand.
They were assigned cleaning duty.
She marched up, chin high.
"I won't be helping today," she said smoothly. "As a royal, I shouldn't be—"
Asta blinked at her.
Then smiled.
"Royalty? So am I."
He said it so casually.
So innocently.
And then he walked off to start scrubbing windows.
Noelle stood there.
Mouth open.
Heart crushed.
It echoed in her brain for the next six hours.
"Royalty? So am I."
—
The worst part was… she couldn't even be mad.
Not really.
He was royalty now.
And unlike the nobles in Clover, he actually deserved it.
He wasn't born into it.
He earned it.
With grit.
And kindness.
And those dumb, sparkly eyes.
Ugh.
—
That night, she paced her room, still spiraling.
"I'm still special," she mumbled. "I'm still important."
"I have battle experience. Noble upbringing. Intelligence. A refined—"
Her thoughts stopped dead.
Outside her window, she saw it—
A small crowd of women near the gates.
Noblewomen.
Fancy dresses.
Painted nails.
And all of them giggling as they waited.
For him.
"No. No. Absolutely not—"
—
She stormed downstairs.
Burst through the door.
Crossed the courtyard in a fury.
Asta was out there, talking to them.
Being Asta.
Kind. Friendly.
Oblivious.
One of the women touched his shoulder.
Another leaned in way too close.
Noelle's eye twitched.
—
This is a crisis.
He was hers.
Even if she hadn't said it out loud.
Even if she hadn't done anything about it.
He was supposed to look at her.
Not these—these nobility groupies!
She clenched her fists.
Turned.
Stomped away.
And whispered to herself:
"…This means war."
—
Asta had been followed before.
By weird cultists. By wild beasts. By children shouting "ASTA-SENPAI!!"
Once, even by Zora for a prank.
But nothing could've prepared him for the noblewomen.
It started small.
A few Spade citizens waving from balconies.
A few Clover women gave him flirty looks.
Then a pair of nervous girls giggling behind a fruit stand.
Then…
The first letter.
It was in an envelope with pink lace.
Smelled like perfume.
Heavy perfume.
Asta opened it, read the first few lines, and dropped it like it burned him.
"Nope. Nope nope nope—"
—
By the end of the week, his room in the Spade palace was buried.
Letters. Chocolates. Gifts. Fan art.
Someone even sent him a custom crown with hearts on it.
He didn't even like crowns!
Things in the Black Bulls base weren't much better.
Some even sent steamy gifts to the Church.
"I just wanna train!" he cried, struggling to dig a path to the door.
"Why is everyone acting so weird?!"
Ciel smiled, amused, sipping her tea.
"Because you're a prince. And not a boring one. A heroic one."
Yuno, passing by, didn't even look up.
"They want to marry you."
Asta blanched.
"WHAT?!"
—
Back in Clover, Noelle was experiencing something far worse:
News reports.
Every single update from Spade was worse than the last.
Prince Asta greets noble entourage.
Prince Asta gifted thousand-flower bouquet.
Prince Asta spotted sparring shirtless in training yard—noblewomen faint en masse.
Noelle crushed her teacup.
"…Shirtless?! WHO AUTHORISED THAT?!"
—
She tried to brush it off.
"I don't care," she told herself.
"Let them drool. He's just being polite."
But then she saw the photo.
In the Clover Times.
A blonde noblewoman laughing at something Asta said—
Her hand on his bicep.
His. BICEP.
Noelle combusted on the spot.
—
When Asta finally visited again, she was waiting by the door.
Arms crossed.
Eye twitching.
Power leaking from her grimoire like mist.
Asta barely stepped inside.
"Hey Noelle! You won't believe it, this lady tried to propose marriage to me with a—"
"DON'T."
He froze.
"…Okay?"
—
She didn't speak to him for hours.
Not during chores.
Not during lunch.
Not during group training.
Which, to Asta, was terrifying.
Noelle's usual insults? Fine.
Her yelling? Normal.
Her silence?
Alarming.
He finally caught her alone in the garden, blasting magic at a training dummy like it owed her money.
"Noelle."
No answer.
"Noelleeeeee."
Still nothing.
He stepped closer.
"Are you mad at me?"
She whirled around.
"I am not mad. I am dignified."
"…That means yes."
"Shut up!"
—
Asta sat down in the grass.
Picked at a flower.
"I don't get why people are acting so different lately."
Noelle didn't look at him.
Because if she did, she might say something stupid.
He kept talking anyway.
"I'm still me, you know?"
"I still sleep in the same weird position. I still hate losing. I still want to be Wizard King."
"I don't want to be a prince."
That made her blink.
Finally.
"Then why'd you say yes?"
He scratched the back of his head.
"I didn't. Ciel just… did it. Yuno asked. I didn't even know until after."
He smiled, sheepish.
"Honestly? I thought it was a prank."
Noelle stared at him.
The dorky grin. The honest eyes.
The same Asta.
Prince or not.
—
She sighed. Sat down beside him.
"You really have no idea what they're trying to do, do you?"
"Huh?"
"The noble girls. The ones touching you. Giggling at you. Throwing gifts like pigeons with rice."
Asta blinked.
"…Wait. That wasn't just because I'm popular?"
Noelle facepalmed.
"They want to bed you, you idiot."
He turned red.
Bright, dangerous red.
"W-WHAT?!"
She rolled her eyes.
"Why do you think they keep showing up in glitter dresses? They're trying to seduce you!"
"I thought they just wanted to get married…"
Just wanted to get married?!
Noelle actually choked.
"That's to bed you, you idiot!"
"W-what, why?!"
"Because they want your child!"
Asta flushed crimson. "T-to do what?!"
DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR THIS IDIOT?!
Noelle nearly exploded.
"You are the densest royal in the history of magic."
Sensing she wasn't done, Asta didn't retort. He merely waited for her to continue.
And she did.
Noelle chewed on her lip and hissed.
"Those cows just want to climb the social ladder."
"You're a prince—"
"So is Yuno—"
"Don't cut me off again!"
Asta gulped and nodded heavily. "S-sorry!"
Noelle sighed and tugged at her hair in frustration.
"Yuno's practically asexual. He's only married to his job."
Asta blinked. He had no comeback for that.
"That leaves just you. If they can snag you, they'll become Spade princesses… or even queens if things work out in their favor."
Asta knew he shouldn't speak, but he still didn't get what this had to do with bedding him.
"So…?" he ventured cautiously.
Noelle snorted. "None of them are your lovers. They need an in—a way to trap you and tie you to them permanently."
Her eye twitched.
"And knowing your selfless, idiot heart, if any of them ended up carrying your child, you'd take responsibility! Even if they got it through shady means!"
".... They know that, and they're taking advantage of it!" Noelle finished with a light scream of frustration.
Asta blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then he turned beet red.
"....Ooooohhhhh….." He added on very unhelpfully.
Noelle felt a vein throb in her forehead.
—
They sat in silence for a bit.
Asta still red.
Noelle still fuming.
Then he asked, quiet:
"Would it… bother you? If I did marry someone like that?"
She didn't answer.
Not with words.
But the air shifted.
Water magic curled around her like mist, charged and restless.
"…Yes," she said finally.
"Of course it would."
He blinked.
Looked at her.
Really looked.
Noelle's cheeks were pink.
Her eyes sharp.
She didn't yell.
She didn't run.
She just said it.
—
"I'm not letting some frilly noble hussy steal you away," she muttered.
"Not when I've put years into this nonsense."
Asta stared at her like she'd grown a second head.
"Noelle…"
She stood up.
Grabbed her wand.
"I'm going to go vaporize a training dummy now. And maybe scream into a pillow."
She paused halfway back to the base.
"…And if another one of those girls touches you, I'll drown her in a birdbath."
—
Asta sat there in the garden, stunned.
And for the first time in weeks…
He started to smile.
—
Short story? Noelle Silva talked a big game, but reality was another matter.
At first, Noelle tried to be mature.
She told herself, He's a prince now. This is just… diplomatic nonsense.
I don't care. I don't care. I DO NOT care.
She told herself this every morning.
Right before seeing Asta casually chatting with another noble girl.
—
The worst one was the one with the parasol.
Tall, graceful, Spade accent so thick it sounded fake.
She clung to Asta's arm like moss to a tree.
Laughing at everything he said.
Batting her lashes.
And worst of all—
She called him "Your Highness."
Noelle's eye twitched so hard she saw stars.
—
She could've let it go.
She almost did.
Until the girl leaned in and whispered something in Asta's ear.
And he laughed.
A real one. Loud. Bright.
Noelle blacked out for two seconds.
—
Back at the base, she paced like a trapped animal.
"You're overreacting," Vanessa said, sipping wine.
"Overreacting?! She was practically licking his ear!"
Finral coughed.
"Some cultures do flirt that way—"
"Don't finish that sentence unless you want to join her in the lake."
—
She tried punching a dummy.
Didn't help.
She tried sparring with Magna.
He tapped out in two minutes.
She even asked Charmy for one of her coma-inducing meals.
Didn't work. Just made her angry and full.
—
Asta, of course, noticed nothing.
He still greeted her with that same sunny grin.
Still asked to train together.
Still complimented her magic.
And it only made it worse.
Because now she knew.
She knew he didn't care about titles or status or bloodlines.
He never had.
So what if—what if he did end up with someone else?
Someone bolder?
Someone who wasn't terrified to just say the damn words?
—
The final straw came at the capital's celebration.
Ciel had organized a formal banquet in Asta's honor.
"Prince of Spade. Hero of Peace."
Everyone who mattered was there.
Nobles. Captains. Foreign dignitaries.
And them.
The noble harem.
Draped in silks and jewels like peacocks in heat.
—
Asta stood in the center of it all.
Smiling. Talking. Still oblivious.
One of them touched his chest.
Laughed at something stupid.
Said, "You'd make a fine king, Your Highness."
Noelle snapped.
—
She didn't think.
Didn't plan.
Didn't care.
She stomped up the balcony stairs like thunder in heels.
Magic swirling around her like a stormcloud.
Someone tried to stop her.
She glared.
They backed off immediately.
She reached the railing. Looked down.
Took a deep breath.
Then—
—
"LISTEN UP, YOU PAINTED PIGEONS!"
The ballroom froze.
Noelle's voice echoed through the chamber like a cannon blast.
"The only king Asta will ever be is Wizard King! Got that? Wizard! Not prince! Not emperor! Wizard King!"
She pointed a shaking finger down at the gaggle of noblewomen.
"And if he ever has a queen—it'll be me and me alone!"
Gasp.
Someone dropped a wine glass.
"I've known him for years. I've fought beside him! I've nearly died beside him! I've watched him grow into the most amazing, stupidly kind, infuriatingly dense man alive!"
A few heads turned.
More gasps.
Noelle didn't care.
She was burning.
She was done.
"So BACK. OFF. You perfume-soaked hussies and leave my future man alone!"
—
Silence.
Dead silence.
Noelle stood there, chest heaving, magic crackling.
The crowd stared up in horror. Awe. Shock.
And then—
Someone in the crowd shifted.
Noelle looked down.
Her heart stopped.
Asta.
Right in the middle of the crowd.
Staring up at her.
His face redder than his uniform.
Eyes wide. Mouth open.
Oh.
Oh no.
Consumed by her anger, Noelle Silva forgot Asta was in the room with her.
—
"I…"
Noelle's throat locked.
"I mean—what I meant was—"
She looked for the exit.
There was no exit.
She looked for Finral.
He was gone.
She looked for Yami.
He was laughing.
Oh. This was the end.
—
"I was joking!" she shouted weakly.
"It was a bit! A—a satire!"
No one believed her.
Then Asta started walking.
Up the steps.
Toward her.
Noelle backed up.
"No, nope, you're not allowed to walk like that, you're blushing too much, it's illegal—"
He kept coming.
Didn't stop.
Noelle's voice cracked.
"Forget everything I said! It was a spell! Gordon cursed me! This is all a hallucination!"
He reached the top.
Stopped right in front of her.
She stared up at him like a cornered cat.
"Please don't say anything weird," she whispered.
"I'll explode. I will literally explode."
—
He smiled.
So soft.
So gentle.
"Noelle."
Her knees gave out.
—
Noelle didn't run.
Mostly because her legs wouldn't move.
She stood there on that balcony like she'd been turned to stone.
Still shaking. Still blushing.
Still staring at Asta like he was holding a sword to her chest.
He wasn't.
He was just looking at her.
But for some reason, that was way worse.
—
Asta didn't say anything for a long second.
Just rubbed the back of his neck.
Still pink in the face. Still smiling.
Why is he smiling?! I just screamed that I want to marry him in front of the entire continent!
Noelle's hands curled into fists at her sides.
She wanted to disappear.
Fall backward into the sky.
—
"So," he said quietly, "you meant all that?"
Noelle stared at him.
Her mouth opened.
Then closed.
Then opened again.
"...maybe."
Asta's grin widened.
Noelle panicked.
"I panicked, okay?! That wasn't me, it was—a—a spirit possession! Or maybe a glamour spell! Or—"
"—Noelle."
She stopped rambling.
Snapped her mouth shut.
He looked her straight in the eyes.
Serious now.
"I meant what I said back then too, you know."
She blinked.
"What... what did you say?"
"Back when you told me not to die. Before the last big battle."
His voice dropped a little.
"You said I had to come back. For you."
"That we had to meet again."
Her heart stuttered.
"I never forgot that," he said. "Even if I didn't know what you meant at the time."
Noelle stared at the floor.
Her ears burned.
He still remembers that?
—
"I didn't know how you felt," Asta said, stepping a little closer.
"I thought… I dunno. Maybe I was imagining it. Or hoping too hard."
Her eyes snapped back up.
"You were hoping?"
He flushed again.
Rubbed his neck harder.
"Y-Yeah. Kinda always did, I think."
Noelle felt like she couldn't breathe.
He'd always hoped?
She'd spent years pretending he didn't matter that much—
Faking distance, building walls—
All while he was out here… waiting?
—
"I'm not good at this," she muttered.
Asta smiled again.
"Me neither. But I can still say it."
He reached for her hand.
Hesitated.
Waited for her to meet him halfway.
She did.
—
"I really, really like you, Noelle."
His voice was barely above a whisper now.
"And if you meant what you said down there—about being my queen someday—"
"I did," she blurted.
Asta blinked.
His mouth opened.
This time, he was the one stunned speechless.
Noelle, flushed and furious with herself, shoved his chest lightly.
"Don't make that face! I've already embarrassed myself enough for five lifetimes!"
But she didn't let go of his hand.
—
Asta stepped closer.
"Then… what now?"
Noelle swallowed.
Everything in her screamed to pull back.
To retreat.
To make a snarky comment and pretend it didn't happen.
But for once—
She didn't want to.
She took a breath.
Looked him right in the eye.
And said, "Now you shut up and kiss me before I faint."
—
Asta's eyes went wide.
Then he laughed.
That same bright, earnest laugh she'd fallen for.
And then—
He kissed her.
It wasn't perfect.
Their noses bumped.
She almost slipped on her heel.
He leaned in too fast, she leaned in too hard—
But gods, it didn't matter.
It was warm.
It was real.
It was everything she'd been too afraid to want.
—
When they finally pulled back, Noelle barely had time to catch her breath before a round of obnoxious cheering erupted below.
Finra, back and with company in tow, (that sneaky bastard) whistled.
Vanessa yelled something crude.
Even Jack the Ripper cackled.
Asta turned red again.
Noelle covered her face.
"I'm going to kill them," she muttered.
"After I throw myself off this balcony."
—
But Asta caught her wrist gently.
"Hey."
She looked up.
He looked nervous again.
But this time, not in a bad way.
"Does this mean I have to start calling you 'my lady' now?" he asked, teasing.
Noelle rolled her eyes.
Smacked his arm.
"In your dreams, Prince Dork."
—
Down below, Yuno sipped his wine.
Expression flat.
But his lips twitched.
Just a little.
Next to him, Ciel watched with a satisfied smile.
"Just as planned," she murmured.
Yuno didn't respond.
But his smirk said enough.
—
The morning after their kiss, Noelle expected chaos.
Whispers. Gossip. Judgemental nobles hounding her like wolves.
Maybe even another duel challenge from a jealous hussy.
What she didn't expect—
Was silence.
Respectful, smug, knowing silence.
The kind that meant, oh, everyone saw, everyone knows, but nobody wanted to die on Queen Ciel's bad side.
—
She sat at the base's kitchen table, head down.
Elbows planted. Cheeks still warm.
Luck zipped by and dropped a plate in front of her.
"Breakfast for Her Royal Sassiness."
"Shut it."
Vanessa walked past, winked.
"Nice claim, princess. About time."
Noelle covered her face with both hands.
"I was possessed, okay?! It was a magic outburst!"
"Sure, honey."
Finral walked by and tossed a flower on the table.
"Long live the queen."
"I hate all of you."
—
Asta walked in mid-banter.
Saw her.
Smiled like he'd never seen sunlight until that moment.
Noelle forgot how to breathe.
Again.
—
They didn't say much in front of everyone.
They didn't have to.
He passed her a cup of tea.
She took it with slightly shaking fingers.
Their hands brushed.
Vanessa stifled a laugh.
Magna muttered, "About freakin' time."
Charmy screamed.
Gordon wept in the corner, probably writing poems.
Yami looked up from the newspaper and said, "Tch. Finally."
Then immediately went back to ignoring them.
—
But it wasn't just the Bulls.
The capital had changed.
No more side-eyes from nobles when Asta walked by.
No more murmurs of commoner trash.
He wore his Spade crest on his cloak now.
Didn't flaunt it.
Didn't need to.
Even the cockiest aristocrats knew better.
And the ones who didn't?
Well, one glare from Queen Ciel's hawk-like attendants usually fixed that.
—
Noelle adjusted fast.
Sort of.
She got used to girls not flirting with Asta in public anymore.
(Mostly because of what happened last time. The threat still echoed.)
She got used to walking beside him—not behind.
Used to him offering her his arm at formal events.
Used to the Spade maids bowing and saying, "Lady Noelle."
She almost exploded the first time.
But Ciel just smiled and said,
"Well, you did call dibs, dear."
—
Still, it wasn't all sunshine and parades.
Asta was Asta.
He forgot to wear his princely cloak half the time.
He still trained shirtless in public.
Still greeted everyone with that same reckless, warm energy.
But now, when he smiled at Noelle—
It lingered.
Now, when she smacked his arm for saying something dumb—
He caught her hand. Held it a second longer.
His smile for her was a special smile. Reserved only for her.
His actions towards her were special.
His banter with her was special.
Things he did with her, and things he did with others, even if they were the same thing, were different.
Because now Asta and Noelle meant something special.
Asta and Noelle were something special.
—
They didn't label it.
Didn't need to.
They were just... them.
Closer.
Warmer.
Undeniable.
—
There was one moment, though—weeks later—that made everything real.
They were sitting under a tree outside the base.
Sunlight spilling through the leaves.
Noelle leaned her head on his shoulder.
Asta glanced down.
Smiled.
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"You still think I'm gonna be Wizard King?"
She scoffed.
"Of course. Idiot."
He laughed.
"Then what'll that make you?"
Noelle blinked.
Sat up.
Paused.
Then—
"...The one standing beside you. Your Queen."
Asta went still.
Then blushed.
Then grinned.
"Good. That's what I was hoping for."
She rolled her eyes.
Shoved him lightly.
Then leaned back into him with a tiny smile.
The wind stirred around them.
Warm. Light. Easy.
No titles. No fear. No pretending.
Just Asta and Noelle.
Exactly where they belonged.