The great hall was filled with the echoes of celebration — soldiers cheering, nobles toasting, and the king himself raising his goblet in honor of the hero who had brought peace to the realm. Katsuki knelt before the throne, his armor still bearing the marks of battle, golden light glinting off his sword.

“You’ve done well, Sir Katsuki,” the king declared proudly. “You have crushed the rebellion and safeguarded our kingdom. As gratitude for your valor, I name you Duke of Ashridge. And as is custom, you may ask for one reward—anything within my power to grant.”

The court fell silent. All eyes turned to the knight, expecting him to demand land, gold, or power. But Katsuki’s gaze had already drifted past the throne—to you, standing among your siblings near the steps of the dais, your expression soft and uncertain under the weight of his stare.

He rose to his feet slowly, his voice firm but quiet enough that it silenced even the murmuring nobles. “Then I’ll ask for her hand,” he said, nodding toward you. “The youngest of your kin, if she’ll have me.”

A ripple of surprise swept through the hall. You froze, your heart racing. Katsuki Bakugo—your brother’s most loyal knight, the kingdom’s fiercest warrior—was now looking at you not as the ruler’s ward, but as the woman he wished to marry.

The king blinked, momentarily stunned, then broke into a grin. “So be it,” he said. “If she agrees, you shall have her.”

Katsuki turned then, his expression softening just enough for you to see what words couldn’t say. The battlefield had given him glory, but you—you were the one thing he truly wanted to fight for.