Notes: This was supposed to be a one-shot request. It's turned into my fun side-fic for me to write whenever I'm feeling drained of inspiration for my main fics. I'm finally writing for this ship. And it's a fantasy AU! I'm so excited, even if no one else is. lmao

When Uraraka had been given the order to protect the prince during their journey through the barbarian lands, she had been incredibly displeased. If there was one thing she had learned in her life, it was that royals were arrogant and snotty. They had far too much money than they knew what to do with, spending it frivolously while the little people wanted for more, and thought themselves better than everyone else.

Still, despite her attempts during her childhood to avoid all things royal, as she had gotten older and her magic stronger, the king had seen it fit to bring her to the court. After all, magic was power and power meant a stronger rule. He was already a man who ruled his people with an iron fist and he had ensured that Uraraka was a part of that rule. It hadn't helped that her magic was stronger than most wizards or witches twice her age or more.

After years of war between their country and the large barbarian tribe that hung around their borders, there had been talk of a treaty. Uraraka wouldn't have been interested in it if not for the fact that magic was more prevalent there. She'd even heard talk that they had dragons! Her magic was unique in her world, making people both revere and fear her at times. She felt removed from everyone, especially since she'd been taken from her parents when she was younger and forced to live on the outskirts of the castle like she belonged to the royal family.

Being tasked with the crowned prince's protection had not been a pleasant one, but it afforded the opportunity to leave, spread her wings, and explore a world that she had only dreamed of. If she had to deal with some uppity prince in order to do that, she would suffer it. She had learned to ignore a lot of things in her time after being brought to court. A snotty rich kid who would one day be king would be simple enough to deal with. He probably wouldn't even leave the safety of his horse drawn carriage unless it was to complain. Maybe she could even pretend that she was on some grand adventure instead of babysitting some highborn ponce.

Having really only seen Prince Shouto Todoroki from a distance and at royal functions, being kept away from him, Uraraka had not interacted with him personally. She hadn't been allowed to, seeing as how she wasn't from a highborn family. Although she wasn't lowborn either, it was easier to interact with them. Being stuck in the middle left her in a strange limbo, belonging to neither and making both resent her on some level. She had expected that of Todoroki as well. From what she'd seen of him, he was aloof and cold, allowing very few close to him, even if many highborn girls fawned over him. She supposed he was attractive, even with that mysterious burn on the side of his face, but that was offset by his distant superiority complex.

Of course the prince was nothing like she'd anticipated.

Besides Todoroki, a few other highborn members of the court had come along with them on the journey to hold the treaty talks. They all stayed in the carriage, peeking their heads out to complain or demand something. With Uraraka's position as the mage of their company, nearly all of their orders were directed to her or the head of their guard, a young but very serious knight named Teyna Iida. He was much more intense about the whole thing, but then there had been reports of attacks on caravans and the like. It was partly why the king had decided to speak with barbarian tribe about a peace treaty. They could provide protection on the road for a price and also allow more trade to come in, their lands rich with bounty that they didn't have in their borders.

While most people rode horses, some were forced to walk. Uraraka hated the idea of riding above others that were less fortunate, so she had chosen to walk like many of the lower-born knights and tradesmen. It helped that she was more familiar with them too. She kept her staff on her at all times, just in case, and a small pack filled with potions and herbs should she need them.

As soon as the castle was out of sight, the door to the carriage opened and the prince stepped out effortlessly without even bothering to ask for it to be stopped. She peered at him, expecting him to complain about the heat or bugs, but instead, he asked a young green-haired knight, "Can you retrieve my horse for me?"

Izuku Midoriya was one of the higher-born knights and a close companion of both the prince and many other knights in their company. He was friendly in a way that made people both high and lowborn flock to him. Out of everyone, Uraraka had only seen him act as a friend to Todoroki. Even as the prince remained impassive, Midoriya was often smiling and laughing. He was kind. When many other highborns sneered at her for her lowborn blood and even some of the knights shunned her for her magic, he always went out of his way to speak with her. He was one of the few people in the castle that had made her time bearable in the past. She wondered how someone with such a good heart as him was able to be friends with someone as unapproachable as Todoroki.

Now as they were traveling, Midoriya grinned down at the prince from his horse. "Was the carriage not to your liking or was it the company?"

Todoroki sighed. "If I have to listen to Monoma complain about 'savages' and their rumored customs one more time, I might throw him out."

Midoriya laughed as he waved down a knight to bring over a beautiful white horse that only Todoroki was allowed to ride. "I don't think anyone would be upset with you if you did."

"Not to mention Yaoyozoru's constant hints about a betrothal between me and his daughter are threatening to drive me mad." Todoroki took the reins of the white horse, bringing a hand to softly caress it. Despite his tired and displeased tone, a faint smile cross his face as he mumbled something for only his horse to hear. It was an unexpectedly soft gesture that took Uraraka by surprise. Maybe she shouldn't have been eavesdropping, but she was only a meter away.

"You're quite popular," Midoriya teased.

With practiced easy, Todoroki pulled himself up onto his horse and swung his leg over. He looked like a natural, like he'd been born to ride, but then, many highborns were like that. Commoners didn't get the chance to ride horses as often unless they worked with them. Uraraka liked riding horses, but she didn't want some of the lowerborn knights and members of their company to think that she thought herself better than them. Still, she had been admiring Todoroki's horse earlier. He was one of her favorites at the royal stables.

"It's not me me that's popular. It's the crown." There was no bitterness in Todoroki's voice, but there wasn't any happiness either. Unlike Uraraka, who was stuck somewhere in between, the prince knew his place. He had his restraints as well. Instead of looking upset or disappointed by it, he'd accepted his role. "And that's what will be behind any motivation of my father's choosing for the future queen. As if I have any choice in the matter. He should be talking with the king, not me. It's just bothersome."

Though she had never felt any sort of pity for him before, Uraraka thought that rather sad. He was wealthy beyond any imaginable means and would rule this country one day, but there were some things that he would never be able to have. Something as simple as love was not to be in his future. Even if Uraraka found it difficult to form some connections because of her magic, she would at least have a choice. So far, she'd chosen to not consider it at all, focusing on her magic and building her strength, but it wouldn't have to always be that way.

They continued the rest of the day in relative silence. The guards talked amongst each other while the tradesmen stuck with one another. Midoriya often acted as a go between for all of them, weaving his horse through the group to speak with Iida for updates and then back to where Todoroki rode in silence.

The prince was still aloof as ever, but for the first time, Uraraka noticed something different about him. He was at ease. She'd never realized how tense he was before, but now she saw just how uncomfortable he'd been every time she saw him at court. Out here, he was much more at ease, his body relaxed and his expression one of passive content. He had probably never been far from the castle either now that she thought about it. This trip must have been a chance for him to escape the confines of his royal blood on some level.

As the sun began to set, Iida decided that they would stop and make camp. It was at least a three days journey to the border if nothing came up to stop them or so she'd been told by a knight named Jirou. It was rare for women to be knights, but she had lived on the border of the country and was more familiar with the barbarian tribe than most people. Where she had grown up, fighting had been much more common and it hadn't mattered what gender you were. A woman could still die by the sword or flame.

Unlike the other highborn members of their group, Prince Todoroki was active in helping set up base camp. He did simple things such as help other pitch their tents before insisting on helping with his own. Naturally, it was larger than the rest and more elaborate as well. She caught a few members of their group gazing at it enviously, but no one said anything. Very few spoke out against the Todoroki family. The king was feared and respected and, despite his harsh rule at times, he was mostly a just king. Uraraka simply didn't like him, but even she kept her mouth shut.

She was in the process of setting up her own tent when a voice from behind asked her, "Do you require any assistance, my lady?"

Ready to brush off another attempt from one of the knights to engage her, Uraraka huffed and said, "I'm not some hapless maidan." However, when she turned around, she found herself standing face-to-face with the prince and her face burned a furious pink. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know-" Speaking so brusquely to one of royal blood was a punishable offense. She often spoke sharply to highborns, seeing as how they meant very little to her when put up against her magic, but not to someone like him. "I apologize, Your Grace."

Todoroki, on the other hand, didn't seem phased by her behavior in the slightest. "There's no need to be so formal around me." That was easy for him to say. He was the bloody crowned prince of the whole kingdom. "I don't think that you're hapless. I merely want to make sure I pull my weight around camp."

"I'm fine, really!" Uraraka insisted. With a simple swirl of her left hand, the tent seemingly pitched itself up with the help of invisible hands. She'd learned to do that a few years ago. Even the simplest magic helped build her strength, so she had to continually use it for even trivial things.

Todoroki's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He was very good at hiding how he felt. "You're the court mage."

"I wouldn't say that I'm a mage. That sounds so fancy." Uraraka held her staff closer to her. "I'm more like a witch, if I'm being honest."

"I was told that you were a part of my guard," Todoroki said in such a serious tone. "You were walking nearby the whole time and I didn't even acknowledge you. I apologize for my rudeness."

A nervous laugh tumbled out of Uraraka's lips. She was talking to the prince like it was normal. This was not normal. "It's not a big deal. I usually tend to keep to myself, even at the castle. I don't like drawing attention to myself much. It's...not always positive when I do."

"Because of your magic?"

Uraraka nodded her head. "Most people find it fascinating and admire it." She held out her hand and opened it palm up, a ball of light appearing in it as she did. With the sun close to falling down the horizon, the light provided them better vision and she watched the way it glowed in his eyes as he focused on it. "Others though…" The ball of light turned into a swirl of darkness that enveloped her hand and took it out of sight. "It's a curse, something to be feared. I'm considered little more than a weapon of the kingdom."

"Have you ever had to use your magic in battle before?" Todoroki's question was so straightforward that it took her aback. There hadn't been any fear in his eyes as he'd watched her use her magic. It had been more than curiosity as well. He had looked… Well, it was hard for her to tell what he'd looked like, but his face had been more open than she could ever remember him appearing.

"Once," Uraraka admitted. "When the neighboring kingdom sent someone to assassinate you."

Recognition lit up in Todoroki's eyes as he snapped them back up to hers. "You saved me then?" His gaze was almost too much for her, his mismatched eyes filled with intensity, to the point where she almost took a step back. She bit her lip, but nodded her head again. "Why was I not made aware of this?"

"Well, your father - the king, I mean - keeps me at the castle for such reasons, but he prefers for me to...not mingle much with the court." Uraraka shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "I come from a very lowborn family, but was brought to the castle when my powers began to bloom. I suppose there's not much magic left in these lands, so I'm considered an important tool."

Todoroki stared at her. "You're not a tool." He spoke with such conviction that it nearly knocked the wind out of her chest, as if he had some sort of magic that could do that. Why was he being so nice to her? He was of royal blood. He would be king one day. She might have to fight to the death to protect him, but he didn't even need to acknowledge her presence. "You are an important member of the royal court and my personal guard and you should be treated as such with the proper respect."

Uraraka blushed again. "I'm used to it…"

"I've heard tale that your magic is extremely powerful," Todoroki continued, "though I've never seen it until now." He frowned. "I thought…" She found herself leaning in as he trailed off, a troubled look crossing his face. "I've seen you around the castle for years. I thought you were a serving girl of some sort. I never even knew…"

"Don't fret!" Uraraka said hastily. "That appearance was what the king thought was best. If I remained unassuming, I could serve my purpose better." She smiled. "Besides, who would believe that the kingdom's most treasured weapon and mage was a young girl?"

When Todoroki stepped forward and took one of her hands in both of his, Uraraka nearly jumped out of her shoes. She might have accidentally zapped them both with a bit of magic, but he didn't blink. "That's unacceptable. You shouldn't be hidden in the dark. If you're a sign of power, then you should be allowed to show your face to the world."

She didn't know what to say. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she was even capable of words right now. She was beginning to understand why he had such a polarizing effect on many of the highborn girls at court. Not that it meant anything! Uraraka managed to put on a weak smile and say, "Thank you," if only because there was no way she could get anything else out. Her magic felt like it was burning through her veins and it was all she could do to contain it. Sometimes, her emotions made it go haywire, especially when she was nervous.

"You should eat with us tonight," Todoroki told her.

That sounded...terrible. She could only imagine eating at a hastily made dining area in the main tent that was serving as a base of sorts with all the other highborns, many of whom sneered at her. Ugh, especially Lord Monoma. He was young like that, but had taken over as the head of his family after his father's hunting accident. He was one of her main tormentors. She'd love to turn him into a toad, but alas, it would only end badly for her.

"I usually have my meals with Midoriya and Iida," Todoroki continued before she could answer. "The others are…"

"Grating on the nerves?" Uraraka offered.

A ghost of a smile crossed Todoroki's face. "I was going to say 'difficult', but Midoriya would say that was more appropriate."

She did get on well with Midoriya and she liked Iida. Both of them were serious about their positions and jobs to protect the prince, but they could be light-hearted and they had always been friendly to her. It would be nice to have a meal with them and be treated as closer to an equal. She was still wary, of course, mostly because the prince would be there, but she had a strange feeling that he was thinking the same thing. Yes, he was above them all, but there would be times when not being treated as such came as a relief.

This journey was a way to feel that for the both of them apparently.

"So, will you join us tonight?" Todoroki asked.

"If you don't mind," Uraraka replied.

"I will have Midoriya find you when it's ready." Todoroki finally let go of her hand. Uraraka tried not to act like she hadn't been holding her breath the entire time. "There's still work to do around camp and I should see to the others." They could hear someone yelling. It sounded like one of the highborns was displeased about the rate their tent was being set up. Todoroki sighed. "A prince's duty never ends."

It was very close to a joke and Uraraka bit back a smile. She gave a small bow, which he returned, and then he gave her his leave, taking off the in the direction of the shouting. As soon as he was out of her sight, Uraraka ducked into her tent and put her face in her hands. She'd talked to the prince! He'd grabbed her hand! He'd invited her to dine with Midoriya and Captain Iida! What was going on? This was definitely going to be an interesting journey.