Scenario: Story of young man named Vergil who is a foreigner and was took in by his noble family and moved to a different country after his mother death when he was 10 years old. He was taught the way of swordsmanship and became a world renowned soldier. Now he is being forced into a marriage after being picked by a young woman of higher nobility than his own she chose him when they were kids. Will they find love in each other?
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Story of young man named Vergil who is a foreigner and was took in by his noble family and moved to a different country after his mother death when he was 10 years old. He was taught the way of swordsmanship and became a world renowned soldier. Now he is being forced into a marriage after being picked by a young woman of higher nobility than his own she chose him when they were kids. Will they find love in each other?
I was only ten years old when I first met her.
She was the daughter of the Duke of Lysandra, a high-ranking noblewoman.
I was a foreigner, a nobody.
But she chose me as her future husband.
And I was too young to understand what that meant.
I was only ten years old when I first met her.
She was the daughter of the Duke of Lysandra, a high-ranking noblewoman.
I was a foreigner, a nobody.
But she chose me as her future husband.
And I was too young to understand what that meant.
My father summoned me to his study, and I went without question, my heart pounding in my chest.
He’d been away for weeks on end, and he’d just returned this morning with an entire entourage in tow—men on horseback and in carriages, all dressed in the colors of our family crest: silver and violet.
He was a powerful man—Lord Argent of House Valerian, Count of Alba and Warden of Lysandra.
My mother often said that the King himself bowed to my father in private.
I didn’t know if that was true, but it certainly felt like it at times.
“Vergil.” My father’s voice was deep and commanding.
He was looking down at me from behind his desk, a stern expression on his face.
I’d always been afraid of him as a child, and I still was.
“Come here, Vergil.” I took a few steps forward, my heart sinking.
I’d never seen him look quite so serious before.
The door swung closed behind me, and I walked the rest of the way to his desk alone.
I’d forgotten how cold this room could be, with its marble floors and towering bookshelves filled from top to bottom with thick leather tomes and scrolls.
My father had lived in this estate for three decades now, ever since he married my mother, but he’d never bothered to fill his study with any personal touches.
He took another long look at me.
I could see the resemblance between us: the silver hair, the violet eyes, the finely-chiseled features.
We looked almost identical.
“We will be leaving for the Duke’s estate in two days,” he said.
“He has a daughter, Elara, who is your age.
You will be betrothed to her.”
I stared at him, feeling like I’d been struck dumb.
He continued speaking as though he hadn’t heard me.
“You are lucky to have caught her eye,” he said.
“She is very beautiful and very well-bred.”
Another long pause.
He said nothing more, and I didn’t have the courage to ask any questions.
Elara had chosen me as her future husband when we were but ten years old, and she’d promised to wait for me no matter how long it took.
In truth, I didn’t know much about her—not even what she looked like—for I’d only met her once or twice in passing.
But that day, when we were both ten years old and she’d taken my hand and declared, “I’ll wait for you, Vergil.
I’ll never marry anyone else, so you should come back soon…”
…Those words had haunted me ever since.
She’d said them so seriously, so sincerely.
And even though I’d been young and foolish then, and even though I had no idea what it meant to be betrothed, I’d known those words had power behind them.
I’d known that it was an important decision she was making, and that it was a promise she was asking me to make in return.
It was only now that I realized just how serious she’d been.
As the daughter of a Duke, she was one of the most powerful and well-connected nobles in our entire kingdom.
And as the son of a Count from a foreign land, I was nothing more than a glorified commoner in the eyes of these snooty nobles.
“Two days?”
“Yes,” my father said.
“I have much to discuss with the Duke, and I cannot be delayed.
We will be taking you with us.”
“Yes, Father.” I bowed, as was the custom in our land.
He didn’t say anything to that, his expression unreadable.
I turned to leave, but he called me back.
My heart sank.
He was a busy man and I didn’t see him very often, but his punishments were always stern when he did decide to discipline me.
My father was not a cruel man, but he was a strict one, and I’d grown up in fear of his disapproval.
Not that he ever showed me much approval or love anyway.
In fact, I’d always felt that I was more like an obligation to him than a son.
He’d married my mother for political reasons, and I’d been born out of that marriage.
But even though my mother had loved me dearly, and even though my father had never been unkind to me, I always felt like my mother’s death had left a hole in his heart that he’d never bothered to fill with me.
It was as if he’d loved my mother so much that he simply didn’t have any more affection to spare for anyone else.
I left his study and walked through the empty halls of the estate, my footsteps echoing around me.
I didn’t have any siblings, and I rarely saw my father, so it could get very lonely here at times, especially on summer days like these when the weather was warm and the birds were singing outside and I could hear the sound of children laughing and playing in the gardens beyond the walls.
The estate itself was massive, even bigger than it looked from the outside, with hundreds of rooms and countless halls and passageways to explore.
I’d grown up in this place, but there were still many rooms that I knew nothing about, and some halls that I’d never even walked down before.
I’d spent much of my childhood wandering these halls alone, looking for hidden corners and secret places that I could call my own, where I could be myself without anyone to watch over me or judge me.
I made my way to my chambers and changed into a fresh set of clothes—embroidered tunics, leather pants, and heavy boots—before heading to my father’s study once again.
The door opened for me, and I entered to find him seated behind his desk just as before.
He looked up at me as I entered, and once again his expression gave nothing away.
He was a large man, tall and broad-shouldered with a thick beard turning gray at his chin, but his hair was still mostly black, and his eyes were as piercing as ever.
He had a thick neck and a powerful jaw, and his hands were enormous—broad palms and long fingers like the roots of an ancient tree.
Even now, as he sat behind his desk, he had an imposing presence about him, as if he were some kind of mighty ruler surveying his kingdom—a god among men who could make or break you on a whim.
He gestured to the chair opposite him, and I sat down in front of him, my heart pounding in my chest.
I thought about asking him why he’d called me here today, but I figured that he would tell me soon enough, so I decided to wait.
“Vergil,” he said, looking at me steadily.
“I have asked you here today because I have something important to discuss with you.”
“I have been thinking about it a lot these past few weeks, and I have come to a decision.”
He trails off, and I sit there waiting for him to continue.
He looks down at his hands for a moment, then back up at me, and there is a hint of weariness in his eyes that I’ve never seen before.
“You know that Lady Elara will be visiting us soon, yes?”
I nod my head.
I had forgotten, but only because I had been so busy with my studies and my duties that I hadn’t really thought about it.
“Do you remember what she promised to do while she was here?”
I nod my head again.
“She made a promise to me, Vergil,” he said.
“And now she has come here to fulfill that promise.
She is a very determined girl, and I do not think that she will leave until she has done what she set out to do.”
I frown, still not sure what he is talking about, and he shakes his head at me before continuing.
I close my eyes for a moment, bowing my head as I try to think back and remember what he is talking about.
It takes me a moment, but then it comes back to me.
I had almost forgotten about it, but now that he has mentioned it, I remember everything.
Lady Elara had come to visit us when we were children, and during that visit, she had made a promise to me—no, not just me, but to my father as well.
She had made a wish, and she had promised that she would return one day to see if that wish could be granted.
I hadn’t taken that promise very seriously at the time, because I was only ten years old and because it had seemed like such a foolish thing for her to say.
But now, hearing my father’s words, I realized that maybe I should have listened more carefully.
That wish was the reason that she was coming here.
I remembered that day as if it were yesterday.
We’d been playing in the gardens behind the palace when she’d suddenly turned to me and asked if she could make a wish.
I hadn’t been sure what to say, because I was a foreigner here, the son of a Count from a distant land, while she was the daughter of a high-ranking Duke who held much power within the kingdom.
In the end, I’d told her that I didn’t understand, and she’d said that it didn’t matter—that I would understand when I was older.
She’d then made her wish and promised to return to see if it could be granted someday.
But I hadn’t been sure if she really meant it or if she’d simply been caught up in the moment.
After all, we were only children, and children often said foolish things they didn’t really mean.
But now, five years later, it seemed that Lady Elara had not forgotten her promise—she was coming back to see if it could be granted after all.
And my father believed that she would not leave until it had been done.
As I stand in front of my father, listening to his words, I am struck by how much he has changed in the past five years.
We both have, of course, but he has changed more than I have.
He seems to have aged ten years in that time, while I still look much the same as I did before.
The only real difference is that I am taller now than I was then, so much taller than my head almost reaches the top of the doorway.
I am tall for my age, much taller than most boys my age, which is strange because my father is not tall at all.
I haven’t seen my father for several weeks, though he has returned from his business trip a day or two ago.
But I have spent most of my time here in this grand estate alone for the past five years, because my father has not wanted to see me very often during that time.
And I him, because I could hardly bear to look him in the eye after what had happened to my mother.
I try not to think about it, but sometimes memories of her come flooding back and overwhelm me.
My father and I have never spoken about what happened, because we are both far too proud to do so.
But even though we never mention her name, the memory of her lingers on every time we are together—and every time we are apart.
“Now,” my father says after a long silence, “let us go inside.”
He turns to open the door.
We are standing outside his grand study, which is located at the end of a long hallway on the second floor of the palace.
The heavy velvet curtains are drawn back to let in the light of the midday sun, which is shining brightly in the sky and casting a warm golden glow on the polished wooden floors and intricately woven rugs.
It is so bright in here that I almost have to squint, and I wonder how my father can stand it so bright.
But then I remember—he is used to it.
He spends most of his days working in this room, which is probably why he always looks so pale when I see him.
A large mahogany desk sits in the center of the room, surrounded by several chairs.
There are bookshelves on either side of the desk, filled with ancient tomes and artifacts collected from lands far and wide.
The walls are lined with tapestries and paintings of famous battles and great generals who have been immortalized in history.
My father is a man of great respect and honor, even though he is not a warrior like them.
He does not fight with a sword or a spear but with words and alliances instead.
He is one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, second only to the king himself.
He has always impressed me, even when I was a child.
He turns back to me with a serious expression, and I can see that there is something he wants to tell me, but he doesn’t know how.
“Vergil,” he says finally, “we have not been to Lysandra in fifteen years.”
It is not really a question, but I nod anyway, because it is the truth.
It has been fifteen years since we left our home and moved into the palace, which is where we have been living ever since.
We have not been back to the estate even once, because we have had no reason to be there.
But his next words come as a surprise—though they probably shouldn’t have given the way he has been acting lately.
“We are going back.”
I stare at him, my heart pounding.
“I don’t understand,” I say at last.
“It is our home.”
“Yes,” he agrees, “it is our home.”
But it does not feel like home anymore, even though I know it should.
I was born in that estate, and I spent most of my childhood there.
It was not until I turned fifteen that we moved into the palace, which was when everything changed.
Some of my happiest memories took place in Lysandra—and also some of my most painful.
But despite everything, I have always loved it there.
It has always felt like home to me, no matter where I was.
And even though I have not been there for so long, it still holds a special place in my heart.
But now, the thought of going back does not make me happy.
In fact, it makes me feel sick to my stomach.
“No,” I say at last, when I can find no other words.
He nods, his expression grim.
“It will be hard for both of us,” he tells me.
“I know how much you love it here, but it has to be done.
It is time for us to go home.”
He doesn’t say anything else for a long moment, and I can see that he has more to say.
He wants to tell me why we are going back, and it must be something important.
After all, he would not have made this decision lightly.
As the ruler of Lysandra, he has many responsibilities, and he cannot afford to make mistakes.
He knows that better than anyone, which is why he has been so successful during his time here.
And even though he has had his share of failures, he has never given up.
He has always persevered, no matter how hard things have gotten.
Even when it seemed like all was lost, he kept going.
This decision must have been very difficult for him to make, and I can see that he is not happy about it.
But he knows that he has no other choice.
It is time for us to return home, after all these years.
And I can see that he is glad about that, even though he doesn’t want to admit it.
“This will not be like visiting a foreign land or another country,” he says finally, his voice firm.
“This time we are going home—back to our roots, where we belong.”
I nod, because I know what he means.
I am the son of a Count from a distant land, which makes me a foreigner here in this kingdom.
“Elara has not yet married.”
“Elara has not married yet,” he repeats.
“I received a letter from her father recently to inform me of this.
It seems that she has not yet found a suitable match.”
He stares at me for a long moment.
“Do you know what this means?”
he asks at last.
I shake my head.
“It means that you will have to marry her,” he tells me in a low voice.
The blood drains from my face at his words.
We left Lysandra fifteen years ago.
So much has changed since then.
When we left, Lysandra was just a small kingdom with only one city.
But now everything has changed.
The kingdom has grown larger over the years, and many other cities have sprung up around it.
And it has become one of the most powerful kingdoms in the land.
But despite all these changes, one thing has remained the same in Lysandra: Lady Elara has not yet married.
It surprises me to hear this.
After all, she is the daughter of the Duke of Lysandra—surely she could have anyone she wanted?
But as I think about it more, it makes sense to me now why we are going back after all these years.
I made a promise to her when we were just children, and I have never forgotten it.
And I am sure that she has not forgotten it either.
But I cannot believe that she would have waited for me for so long.
It does not make any sense to me.
“Please tell me what you mean,” I beg him after a long moment of silence.
“Tell me why we are really going back, after all these years.”
He nods and takes a deep breath to steady himself before he speaks again.
“I received a letter from the Duke of Lysandra recently,” he tells me quietly.
“He informed me that his daughter has still not married yet—and he is getting worried about it.”
I stare at him in shock when he says these words.
This is not what I was expecting to hear at all.
I made a promise to Lady Elara when we were just children, and I have never forgotten it.
But I never thought that I would have to follow through on it now.
It has been over two decades since I have seen her last—and I still remember the day she chose me as her future husband as if it were yesterday.
She was only five years old at the time—and I was only ten—but she knew exactly what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to go after it.
And she chose me as the one she wanted to marry someday.
The memory of that day fills me with regret now, because I know that I will have to break my promise to her eventually.
It is inevitable that this will happen; there is no way around it.
But it does not make it any easier for me to accept the truth of it now.
My father’s voice interrupts my thoughts before I can go any further down this path of regret.”
he asks suddenly, his voice low and full of emotion.
I shake my head in response quickly, before he can say anything else.
“But why are we going back then?”
he asks at last, his expression curious.
“If you do not want to marry her then why go back after all these years?”
“And then we received another letter that changed everything,” my father tells me after a long moment of silence, his voice not much more than a whisper as he speaks again.
My father’s next words make my blood run cold, and I suddenly feel more than a little sick to my stomach as I listen to what he says next.
He explains that Lady Elara knows that I am back in Lysandra, and she expects me to fulfill the promise that I made to her so many years ago now.
And if I do not, then it could be seen as an insult to the Duke of Lysandra and his family, which is something that my father would rather not happen at all if it can be avoided.
I cannot believe that this is happening now, after all these years.
It has been over two decades since Lady Elara and I spoke to each other last, but she is still expecting me to fulfill the promise that I made to her when we were just children?
I do not understand how this could be possible at all—after all these years apart, how could she still be holding onto it?
How could she even think that it is still possible for us to get married at all?
So much time has passed for both of us since then…so much has changed from what it was like when we were just children together.
It doesn’t make any sense at all—and yet here it is, happening all around me now just as if it were yesterday and nothing had changed at all.
My father tells me that Lady Elara is twenty-three now, but there are still plenty of men who would be willing to marry her despite this fact.
But he also tells me that none of the men that have tried to woo her so far have been able to capture her attention at all.
They have all been turned away for one reason or another, and she is beginning to worry that she will never be able to find anyone who is good enough for her.
It is clear to me that she is starting to get desperate now, which is why she is insisting that I marry her after all these years.
My father is a diplomat, even more so than most other men in the kingdom, so he tries to put it as gently as he can for me when he says these things.
He speaks about the political benefits that would come with my marriage to Lady Elara: the sizeable dowry that she brings with her, the influence that she has at court, and the connections to powerful people that would come with being married to her.
He says that Lady Elara’s father insists that I must marry her within six months of my return to the kingdom, and I must promise to stay in Lysandra for at least a year after our wedding to ensure that our marriage is successful.
It is an unusually forward request from a man who currently holds no power at all, but my father insists that I should not worry about it too much; it is just a suggestion, after all.
I do not believe him at all, but I say nothing about it.
It gets worse, though, as my father continues to speak about it.
Lady Elara’s father is also insisting that I marry Lady Elara in their own castle in Lysandra, rather than in our own castle as would be typical.
Vows to Lady Elara must be taken in the castle chapel, in full view of the entire household.
The Duke believes that it will bring Lady Elara luck if I take my vows in the same place where they were betrothed as children, so he insists that it must be done this way whether I like it or not.
I wonder why he needs it to come with luck at all…what does he think will happen if Lady Elara does not find a husband soon?
Does he believe that she will remain unmarried for the rest of her life at this rate?
That seems unlikely to me at all; Lady Elara is beautiful, intelligent, and beloved by most people who meet her.
It seems very unlikely to me at all, but I do not say it out loud.
My father is trying his best to sell me on the idea, after all, and I can tell that he is getting worried about it now as well.
He tells me that Lady Elara is a very lovely woman and I should be very happy with the way things have turned out for me.
I do not believe him at all, but I say nothing about it.
Lady Elara and I have not seen each other in over a decade, but I do not need such things as appearances or words from others to know what kind of person she is.
I have known her since I was just a child, after all—she was my friend long before she became my betrothed.
I do not need anyone else to tell me what she is like; I have already seen it myself firsthand, and it is not the kind of thing I would ever be willing to overlook completely.
I feel my bitterness rising up in me again as I think about it once more—I cannot believe that everyone around me seems to be so willing to forget what happened between us when we were just children!
Lady Elara may be beautiful, intelligent, and beloved by many people around her, but she is also a bully who delights in making fun of others even if it hurts them!
She cannot keep herself from doing so, even if she knows how much it hurts them—and I know this for certain because she did it to me almost every day when we were children.
It is true that I have not seen her in over ten years, and it is possible that she may have changed since then, but I cannot bring myself to be optimistic about the idea at all.
He tells me that she is educated, beautiful, and skilled in many different arts—even in the bedroom itself.
It is the last of these that catches me by surprise—what kind of father would say such a thing to his own son about his future wife?
I feel my cheeks flushing with embarrassment now.
I am quite sure that I do not need to know any more about that last part than I already do to know what it means.
I am an adult man now and I understand much more about the world than I ever did when I was just a child, after all.
And yet I cannot help but feel some sort of curiosity toward it nonetheless—I am quite sure that I have never heard of such a thing before.
He tells me that Lady Elara is truly perfect in every single way possible.
I do not believe him at all.
He must think me to be some sort of fool if he believes that I will listen to this sort of nonsense from him!
Lady Elara may or may not be any of these things that he says she is, but none of them are things that matter to me at all.
I cannot comprehend why he seems to keep on talking about it as if any of this could possibly make me change my mind about it.
It is very true that Lady Elara could have gone on to become the most beautiful and intelligent young woman in the kingdom in the years since we last saw each other again.
That she could have become skilled in many different arts and things that might well have nothing to do with her own pleasure either.
But even if all of these things are true—and I cannot help but feel some doubt as to whether any of them actually are true—the very fact that they must be listed out so precisely makes me quite sure that it would never work between us even if they were.
Marriage should be about more than such superficial things as appearances or money or even love, after all—it should be about sharing a bond with another person who you can trust and respect and rely upon just as they can trust and respect and rely upon you in return.
And after everything I have seen during my time here in Lysandra, I cannot help but feel quite certain that marriage should never be something quite like this at all.
I have seen so many different marriages here in Lysandra in the years since I first arrived here as an ambassador of sorts from my own kingdom and people to theirs, and I have not liked what I have seen of them at all.
I have seen many people who were forced to marry people they do not wish to marry because their families have agreed to such a thing long ago, and it is something that brings them no joy or happiness at all.
I have seen so many people who are married to others who they do not even know or trust or respect, and it is something that brings them no joy or happiness at all as well.
I have seen so many people who are married to others who do not care about them at all, and it is something that brings them no joy or happiness at all either.
I was silent for some time after he had finished speaking and it was quite a while before I could bring myself to say anything in response at all—never mind saying anything of substance.
My father had always been like this with me, but I didn't let it bother me too much since I was used to it by now.
My father stopped next to me shortly after we entered the estate's gates, so I stopped walking as well so that I could look up towards him curiously.
“You are so sure of yourself and your own feelings,” he said, “and I cannot help but think you may be right about this as well.
But there is still so much you do not understand about all of this as well—too much, I fear.”
"Remember, Vergil," he whispered to me after a moment, leaning down slightly so that he could reach my ear better.
"This is all for the good of our family, all right?
“I am sorry, Father,” I said, “but I am afraid I do not understand quite what you mean by this.”
I have high expectations for you this time, so make sure that you do your best."
“Elara was only able to convince her brother to remain in the city and fight for his place as Duke after he had learned of your refusal because she was able to promise him that you would indeed marry her after all,” he said at last.
“And she has only been able to keep him convinced of your love for each other in the years since because she has been able to promise him the same thing.”
I nodded at him after a moment, just as I always did whenever he said things like this to me.
I knew what he wanted me to do without him having to remind me of it like this, but he did it anyway since he was my father.
“Her brother is dead?”
He cannot be serious.”
He always wanted me to be the best at everything that I did, even if it was something that I didn't want to do in the first place, so he would always try to remind me of that whenever we were together.
"Your mother would be very proud of you, Vergil," my father told me quietly after a moment as well, though the smile that he wore on his face now was a sad one.
“He was killed in the war four years ago.”
“And what of her brother?”
"I know that she would have been very proud of everything that you have accomplished so far at least."
I just nodded at my father again after a moment then before we continued on our way.
“Lord Elara died just a few weeks ago,” he said.
The two of us were quiet for the rest of the time that we walked together, but it didn't take us too long before we reached the entrance of the Lysandra estate.
“And now the very survival of their family's rule over Lysandra depends upon her ability to marry you and give birth to at least one child of her own with your blood in their veins.
The Duke could not afford to have her waiting for you any longer than necessary.
There were servants waiting there for us as well who bowed their heads when they saw us coming, and one of them stepped forward after a moment so that she could guide us inside.
We followed her inside shortly after that then, and she led us through all sorts of hallways until we finally reached what I assumed must have been the main hall itself.
And certainly not when it was necessary for him to find a way to save his family in the years ahead.”
I did not know what to say in response to this and so I simply stared at him without saying anything at all.
I was surprised when I saw the hall for the first time too, since it was huge, with all sorts of things inside of it that no one would ever need in the first place.
It was difficult for me to believe that things were quite so dire here in Lysandra, and even more difficult for me to believe that I had so badly misunderstood everything that was happening here in the years since it had all happened.
There were all sorts of paintings decorating the walls, along with vases and tables made out of gold while the hall itself was covered over with a carpet so thick that I couldn't see the floor beneath it.
It was hard to believe that someone lived here who was younger than I was, I thought after a moment, but I suppose that was just how things worked when you were born into a noble family like she had been.
“I understand that this is difficult for you to hear and even more difficult for you to accept,” he said.
I looked around curiously for a moment as we stood there waiting for someone to come find us then, but I didn't have to wait long before my father put a hand on my shoulder so that I would stop moving.
“After all, it is difficult for me as well.
But even if what you feel for her is nothing more than pity then that should still be enough.
Lady Elara will be here soon," one of the servants who had followed us there said to me after a moment in a low voice.
I have seen how she looks at you and how she behaves around you on those rare occasions when we are able to see them together.
There are very few people who can make her look quite like that.
And there are even fewer who would be of use as a political ally for us in the years ahead.”
“She is beautiful and intelligent and capable of sharing many interests with you as well,” he said.
“And she is also capable of giving you many children in the years ahead as well—and not just because she must do so either.”
It is true that Lady Elara could have many children with my blood in their veins and that she could also be very beautiful and intelligent and capable in many different ways as well.
It is also true that she could be very kind and gentle and understanding as well.
But even if all of these things were true—even if she could be all of these things—there was still one thing that made me very unsure about all of this still: what if none of these things were true?
What if she was only doing these things because she had been trained and instructed from a very young age by her father to be this way?
I took a deep breath as she said those words and did my best to prepare myself as well for what was going to happen next.
I will not pretend that Lady Elara has not had a difficult time here while you were away,” he said.
We must look our best for her today," my father said to me in a low voice as we waited for her to arrive.
“But that will not do any good when it comes time for the two of you to actually have to live together as husband and wife either.
No matter how much time she has spent learning what it means to be the wife of a nobleman—even if most of that time was spent away from the eyes of other people—she will still have to find a way to make it work in the end.”
You have nothing to worry about.
You are a very handsome young man as it is and she already asked for you herself too, after all.
“What does Lord Elara say about all of this?”
“Lord Elara has been dead for several weeks now,” he said.
You should be very proud too.
Very few young men have been chosen by their future wives in such a way."
“I am speaking on behalf of the Duke himself.”
I just nodded at my father again as he said those words and tried to make myself feel better because of them too.
I listened to this and I knew that he could see how upset I was even if he did not want to say it out loud.
After all, it was true.
I did not know how it was possible for me to have been so wrong about something so important, but at the same time I did not want to believe that any of this was true either.
She had asked for me herself when we were younger, so I suppose that she must have some sort of feelings for me already.
“When do we leave?”
I asked him, even though I already knew what his answer would be.
That was something to be thankful for at least, if nothing else.
There was nothing more for me to do here in the house, after all, at least not now that there was no longer anything else left for me to do here now that my mother had passed on.
It would make my life far easier if she already cared about me in some way.
And if Lady Elara's future really did depend upon my actions then there was no way that I could be so foolish as to ignore what needed to be done now that he had told me what Lady Elara's future really depended upon.”
If nothing else, it was something to look forward to as well.
Perhaps I would be able to fall in love with her as well if she was already in love with me.
“The Duke expects us to come as soon as possible,” he said.
That would be something to look forward to at least.
“There are several things that we will need to do first, however, before we can go to see them—”
However, even as I thought those words to myself, I knew how foolish they were as well.
I tried very hard to keep myself composed while he explained everything to me but it was very difficult.
My father was right about one thing at least: this wasn't just about us getting married today.
I tried to imagine what Lady Elara would look like once I saw her again but even the best my imagination could think of still seemed very ominous to me as well.
She is not so old that she will be haggard when she sees me again, after all, but how much will that matter really?
There were far more important things at stake here than just two people falling in love.
This was something that both of our families had been planning for years now.
Will her face be lined with worry the way that her father's is, or will it still be as smooth as I remember it from the last time that I saw it?
Lady Elara and I were both the only heirs to our families' lands and titles as well after all.
Will her eyes be as bright as they were when we were children, or will they still be as full of uncertainty as the last time that I saw them?
That made our marriage far more important than any other one ever could have been too.
Or will they be even worse than that still?
Will I be unable to recognize the very face that I had been dreaming about for the last ten years while I lay there in my bed at night as well?
Not only would our marriage help bring our two families together into one much larger and far more powerful bloodline, but it would also help make sure that the people who lived on our lands would not have to suffer through any sort of war or revolt as well.
They wouldn't have to worry about it either because they would know that their future would be secure since Lady Elara and I had decided to marry each other too.
At least, that was what I hoped they would think when everything was said and done anyway.
As soon as my father had finished explaining everything to me I stood up and turned away from him.
I took a deep breath as I waited for Lady Elara to come and find us then and then took one more deep breath before we heard someone coming towards us then as well.
There were too many questions that I needed to answer right away and the only place to go where I could actually find any answers at all was outside in the garden where my mother had always walked with me when I was a child.
There is a small labyrinth there that is beautifully kept so I decided to take a walk through it while I thought about everything that my father had said to me and tried to remember what Lady Elara had been like when we were children as well.
It had been ten years since I had last seen her after all, and ten years is a very long time indeed, especially for someone who is not even twenty years old yet like Lady Elara is now.
I watched as the door opened and then felt my breath catch in my throat as I saw Lady Elara standing there with us as well.
Everything about the garden seemed very peaceful as well so I decided to walk through it and try to find at least some small measure of peace while I looked for answers to my questions as well.
She was even more beautiful than I remembered.
She was shorter than I was by a few inches and she was also more petite as well, but she was also very slender and graceful too.
The garden was beautiful, as always, when I stepped outside, with the sun shining down on the flowers and the trees as well.
I breathed in the scent of the flowers as deeply as I could while I looked for a place to go where no one else would bother me and finally decided to go to the labyrinth that was there, instead.
She must have been working hard on her figure over the last few years, because she was more beautiful than any other woman I had ever seen before.
It was only a small one, but my mother had loved walking through it when I was a child so much that we had arranged for her to be buried there when she died—it was a part of her family's estate, after all.
Her hair was golden and reached down past her waist while her eyes were emerald and sparkled like the finest jewels in all of the kingdom.
I went to the entrance of the labyrinth and stepped inside, then took a deep breath to steady myself before I started walking through the garden paths.
She was dressed in the most beautiful dress I had ever seen as well, pale blue with tiny flowers embroidered into it as well.
It is good to see this place again, really, with everything that has happened over the last few years, but sometimes it still makes me very sad to think about my mother.
She looked like an angel coming down from the heavens above and I felt my heart skip a beat as I saw her as well.
I couldn't help but think that she looked familiar too.
She was such a kind woman, after all, with such a gentle nature that sometimes I still cannot believe that she is gone.
In fact, there was something about her that I recognized even though we hadn't seen each other for such a long time too.
I was so sick when she died, after all, that I cannot remember most of the time that we spent together while I was ill—no one has ever been able to tell me exactly what happened while I was sick enough to forget everything else about it.
I felt my cheeks flush as I thought of it, feeling my heart beating faster and faster as I realized she was coming closer and closer to me now.
What is worse is just how much my heart still hurts because of her death even now, ten years later.
At least, I thought she was anyway.
It is impossible for me to think about her without remembering just how much I loved her and just how much I still miss her.
I know that my father loves me very much but sometimes he still seems so distant to me when he speaks to me about things like this—he is much too formal and serious for my tastes.
My father nudged me forward suddenly, making me realize that she was standing right in front of me now.
I tried to smile as I looked at her then, hoping that she wouldn't be able to see how nervous I was either.
My mother always spoke to me about things like this in much simpler terms than he did, even though she was far more serious than he is as well.
After all, this was not just an important day for me but for both of us as well.
"Take her hand, Vergil," my father whispered into my ear and I could see the smile on his face as he did it as well.
"She's already waiting for you, so you should take her hand and lead her inside with us as well.
Perhaps it is because she was always so straightforward with me that I have such a hard time understanding what my father wants me to do.
Everything will be fine, I promise.
I have been back home for several months now, ever since my sixteenth birthday, but I still have not gotten used to it.
There is nothing to be afraid of because we are all here for you."
I still cannot believe that my father is asking me to marry Lady Elara, even though she is only a little older than I am, and I still do not understand why he thinks that it is such a good idea.
I know that they were friends, when they were both children, and that my father has been trying to arrange this marriage for years, but why?
I just nodded at my father as he said those words and then took Lady Elara's hand into mine then and then led her forward with us too.
There was nothing else I could do except for nodding at Lady Elara and taking her hand into mine.
I do not even know her, after all, so how can I be expected to marry her?
She gave me a small smile back and I felt my heart start beating faster and faster as I noticed it.
It is not as if I can just fall in love with her at first sight.
I wish that I could—I wish that I could meet her and find out that she is so perfect for me that I will never want anyone else in my life ever again—but it is not going to happen, no matter what my father wants or needs from me.
It was warm and familiar and it made me feel like I was actually home again after all.
It was a small smile, but it was still a smile nonetheless.
I wish that I did not have to do this, that I did not have to leave everything that I know behind me like this, but I do not have any choice.
Lady Elara is the daughter of the Duke of Lysandra, after all, so my father says that he will not listen to anything that I say about this.
It made me feel happy but I didn't have any time to think about it more after I saw it either.
My father nudged me forward again and I took a deep breath and started walking forward with her then.
"Vergil, you have to marry Lady Elara," my father said to me when we left home to start our journey to Lysandra.
I took her hand and led her forward into the manor and heard my father and the guards following behind us as we went.
"It is necessary for us to be able to keep our place in this kingdom, after all—our family's honor—and you are the only one who can do it for us."
I clenched my hands into fists at my sides as I listened to him speak, but did not say anything to him—not yet, at least.
I tried to take another deep breath to calm myself down even more, but I couldn't do it.
My hands were shaking so badly that I could barely keep Lady Elara's hand in mine at all.
"I do not want to marry her," I finally said to him after a few moments had passed, even if I knew that it was not going to do any good.
I was sure that she could notice my hands shaking because of how nervous I was as well.
"I know that, Vergil, but you do not have a choice," he said quietly, as if he understood how much it pained me to be told something like this.
I didn't know what to do to calm myself down any more than I already had either.
"You swore an oath to always do what is best for our family, after all, so now you must prove yourself willing to keep it."
I did swear an oath like that when I was still quite young, but how can my father expect me to keep it when it means giving up everything else in my life?
All of my thoughts were swirling around inside my head so fast that I couldn't think of anything to say or do to calm myself down now either.
We traveled to Lysandra in a small carriage that was designed to give us more privacy than a larger one would have done and it was a good thing—there was so much that I had to think about as we traveled that I am not sure what I would have done if there had been people watching us the whole way.
All I knew was that Lady Elara was standing right next to me and we were getting married today whether we wanted to or not.
I had to try to make the best of it no matter how scared or how nervous I was.
My father and I did not talk much to each other while we traveled, since we were both so busy trying to prepare for everything that we would have to do once we got there.
I took another deep breath and tried to relax my hands more before we stepped into the grand hall together and then started walking forward towards the rest of our guests who were waiting for us now.
It was going to be a very long trip, after all, and there was no way to be sure how well we would be able to prepare for it—even if we had thought of everything, which I strongly doubted.
Finally, after what felt like years of travel, we reached the city of Lysandra and I was able to see the sight of it from a distance for the first time.
It was so very different from the way that I remembered it from the last time I was here—it looked almost like a completely different city from this far away.
I did not like it one bit, but I knew that there was nothing that I could do to change it now.
My heart started returning back to normal after a few moments had passed and then I could finally feel like I could breathe properly again.
But then I suddenly remembered the scent of the lavender perfume one more time and my heart started racing even faster than before again.
What if Lady Elara had recognized the scent on me?
What would she think about me being the one who smelled like her homeland when she was the one who had been away for so long?
It had been too long since I had seen Lady Elara as well, even though she had been my best friend when we were still quite young.
We used to be very close to each other when we were both young children in Lysandra, but now it had been many years since I had seen her last and I could not help but worry about how different she might be now.
Would she think about me being a foreigner even more than she already did?
She might not even remember what she used to be like when she was still so young—we are all very different people now than we were then.
Would it make her hate me even more than she already did?
No, there was no way that could happen since she had chosen me to be her husband after all, but what would she think about me being the one who smelled like her home in the first place?
It made me feel as if there were an impossible distance between us, even though she would be standing right in front of me again soon.
The sound of my father's voice pulled me out of my thoughts after a moment and I shook my head to try and clear them away.
There was no way to know what she would think about me smelling like her home in the first place after all either.
"What are you talking about, Father?"I asked, even though I had not been paying attention to him for a moment.
I couldn’t worry about it any more right now though.
"We will never know the answer to that," he said with a sigh.
All I could do was to keep going forward with her until we reached the end of the aisle at least.
The guards led us into the hall first and then lit up a legion of candles which lined the entire aisle leading towards the altar as well.
"But it does not matter anyway, since we will see her soon enough."
He did have a point—I would not have to worry about it for much longer.
The sight of them took my breath away since they were so beautiful and so bright as well.
After all, I would see Lady Elara soon.
They made me feel warm inside even though I knew they weren’t real fires either.
But the sight of them still made me feel warm inside as well.
The only reason that I had agreed to come back home in the first place, after all, was so that I could marry her.
Now that her brother is dead, it is more important for us to get married than ever before.
The grand hall was decorated with velvet drapes and golden candelabras which lined the entire aisle stretching out into the distance, showing just how grand the occasion actually was too.
The noble families who attended the wedding all had to be incredibly wealthy to afford to make a grand hall look like this after all.
It is the only way that we can both have what we need.
There were a lot of them as well who attended the wedding, but I didn't know how many people there actually were there either.
The thought of what we were going to do—it haunted me for the rest of the trip, just as it had done ever since my father first told me about it.
I did not know whether it was a good or a bad thing, but I knew that my whole life would change once I had seen her face again and I did not want anything to change in my life.
All I knew was that there were a lot of people who attended the wedding, but I didn't know how many people there actually were there at all either.
There were a lot of guards lined up on both sides of the aisle leading towards the altar as well, which made the entire occasion look even more formal than it already did too.
I knew better than to hope for such a thing, though.
It made the entire occasion feel even more formal than it already did too since there were so many guards lining up on both sides of the aisle like that as well.
Once we entered the city's gates, the first thing I noticed about Lysandra was how much smaller it seemed now than it did when I had been here before.
It made me want to stop and take a closer look at it, but I forced myself to keep moving forward instead.
All of them were standing there with their hands resting on their swords but they didn't move at all while we walked down the aisle either.
I knew that there were things here—things that I needed to see—that would make me feel even worse about what I had to do, but I went anyway.
They didn’t move at all while we walked down the aisle since they didn’t have any reason to do it at all either since everything was going smoothly right now too.
I kept looking forward at everything around me while we kept walking down the aisle towards the altar so I could keep track of what was going on around me while we walked down it together as well too.
If I could just keep moving now, then maybe I would be able to pass through here without feeling too much pain at all.
The gates themselves were guarded by a mix of men who seemed to be from both my father's house and Lady Elara's house and they were all watching me closely as I approached them.
Then my eyes spotted Lady Elara’s bright golden hair again while we were walking down the aisle together as well.
I kept looking at her while we continued walking down the aisle as well.
I could have been imagining it, but I thought that they were watching me more closely than they had been watching my father when he had been the one riding next to me.
I felt a jolt pass through me as I realized that I was now being watched not just because I was a member of my father's family, but because I was the future husband of the head of the other side of this alliance.
She was so beautiful with her bright golden hair which shone so brightly as well.
It made her stand out a lot in the crowd of people attending the wedding as well.
I was so lost in thought that I almost didn't notice when one of them called out a greeting, until I heard my father respond with one of his own.
She was so beautiful even in my eyes as well.
"Thank you, Lord Caelan," the man said, although I don't know if he was actually Lord Caelan, since there were several men in front of us in a line.
I wonder if she thought so as well.
"It is good to be home."
I hope she does at least.
My father smiled sadly at him before saying, "Yes, it is, Vergil." He looked at me then and I saw pride in his eyes for the first time since I had joined him on this journey.
"You have grown so much in the last two years, my son, and you have matured so quickly as well."
And then we finally arrived at the grand altar which was located in the middle of the grand hall straight after walking down the aisle for so long as well.
"I'm sorry that you had to grow up so quickly, though," he said, after a moment, and I could hear the sorrow in his voice just as clearly as I had heard the pride before it.
I kept looking at Lady Elara even while we were standing at the grand altar together as well.
I was standing at one end of it while she was standing at the other end of it with the grand priest standing directly in front of her as well.
"I wish that there had been some way for you to stay young and carefree for a little while longer, even though I know that it is a foolish wish."
We were just standing there by ourselves in front of everyone while facing each other by ourselves as well.
I wanted to respond to him, to tell him that it was alright, that I didn't blame him for what had happened, but I knew that those were both lies so I stayed silent instead and waited for him to continue instead.
After a moment, he did just that and I saw a smile come to his face then, although it was a sadder smile than I had ever seen on his face before.
It didn't feel right for some reason as well.
"You were so young then—only four years old—and you didn't know about the way that things worked here in Lysandra yet.
It felt wrong for some reason as well.
I still remember that you asked Mrs.
I was standing there feeling incredibly nervous with everything going on around me as well.
Pruett if she would let you keep her, and she said no." He shook his head then and smiled at me again.
I couldn't stop trembling at all either.
My heart was racing incredibly fast inside of my chest as well.
"I think that your mother and I both thought that there was no way for her to say yes, since she never would have let any of us keep a cat in the house no matter what we said about it." He looked out over the crowd in front of us then and sighed before he fell silent again.
I couldn't stop trembling at all either since I was feeling so nervous about everything which was happening around me as well.
I let him stay silent this time, since it wasn't as if I knew what to say in response to any of this either.
It had been years since either of us had been this close to Lysandra, after all, so it made sense that he would be thinking about these things now.
But I also had to try and keep my composure with everything which was happening around me at the same time too.
I knew that there were other memories from all of those years ago that he would prefer to be thinking about now, though, so I stayed silent as we rode through the city.
It wasn't easy to do either but I had to try and keep my composure with everything which was happening around me at least too.
The grand priest began to speak to us after a moment, but for some reason I couldn't hear his voice, no matter how hard I listened to what he was saying to us either.
It was hard for me to stay silent, though, once we were inside the gates and even more people started appearing on the streets in front of us.
I couldn't figure out why I couldn't hear his voice either.
I couldn't figure out why his voice sounded so far away from us either.
But maybe it was because I was feeling so stressed out about everything which was happening to us as well?
I forced myself to stop fidgeting, then, and forced myself to sit still and be patient instead.
At least he kept speaking to us even though I couldn't actually hear what he was saying to us either.
It wasn't long after that, though, that I heard my father give a gasp of awe and then I heard him mutter a soft prayer under his breath and I looked out the window so that I could see what he was looking at.
I wanted him to stop speaking to us somehow!
In doing so, I saw that the ancient walls around Lysandra were still standing—they had been standing for over a millennium now—and that they were still beautiful as well.
I didn't remember them being quite as tall as they looked to be now, although I supposed that I must have been wrong about that.
The noble families who attended our wedding were still sitting down on their seats while they watched us from a distance away.
The nobles were sitting down on their seats while they watched our wedding in silence as well.
After all, I had been very young the last time that I had been here so it was likely that I just hadn't remembered them correctly.
It made me sad to think about that, even as I looked out at the walls in front of me, but other than that, I barely gave them any more thought at all.
I kept looking at them while we were getting married together.
There was so much else to see in front of me, after all, and it was hard for me to look away from everything else that was out there.
I couldn't actually see their expressions at all, but I knew that they were watching us get married together at the same time too.
The streets of Lysandra were alive with merchants and townsfolk going about their day, and the sight of them brought back a flood of memories from my childhood.
I kept looking at them while we were getting married together.
I remembered how, when I had been a young boy, I used to sneak away from my lessons as often as possible so that I could explore the markets and alleys of Lysandra instead.
I could tell that they were watching us in silence for some reason too.
I had always known that what I was doing was wrong, and that my tutors would be angry with me if they ever found out, but I hadn't cared about any of that at all.
I could tell that they were watching us in silence for some reason too.
The only thing that mattered to me then—or now—was the fact that I liked being around other people more than I liked being by myself and studying my lessons with my tutors.
Their eyes were so cold when they looked at us in silence like that.
They looked so cold while they watched us getting married in silence like that.
When we had arrived here for the first time, my father and I both found that our estate was empty of servants, since we hadn't expected to arrive for another week or two yet.
They looked so cold while they watched us getting married in silence like that.
By the time that our own servants arrived there the next morning, though, I had already made plenty of friends among the children of the city and I was happy to find that many of them still lived here as well.
My father was happy to see that I was happy, and he smiled as he pointed out various landmarks and districts to me as we passed by them as well.
They looked so cold while they watched us getting married in silence like that.
I didn't need him to point them all out to me, since I remembered where most of them were from all those years ago, but I appreciated his doing it anyway and I said as much to him when he was finished.
The grand priest finally stopped speaking to us after a while, but she still hadn't said anything to us at all.
She hadn't said anything to us at all.
He smiled at me again and patted my knee then before he looked back out over the city once more.
She hadn't said anything to us at all.
"I'm glad," he said after a moment.
She hadn't said anything to us at all.
"I was worried that it wouldn't be quite as charming as I remembered it being, but it seems that I was wrong about that."
"I hope so," he said with a laugh.
She hadn't said anything to us at all.
She hadn't said anything to us at all.
Then we both fell silent as we continued on our way again while we made our way towards the estate that would be my new home soon enough—my new home where I would live as a husband to Lady Elara eventually and then become her duke one day after her father died.
Why hadn't she said anything to me at this point?
As we made our way towards the Lysandra estate, we left the crowded parts of Lysandra behind us and rode past many fields with crops in them that were already beginning to grow in preparation for the upcoming harvests in a few months.
We traveled in silence for a while then since there was nothing interesting to look at anymore and I needed the time alone with my thoughts anyway before we reached our destination.
Maybe she had already changed her mind?
Maybe she had already decided to forsake her promise to me for some reason too?
My father didn't speak at all either as far as I knew, and so we sat together in a companionable silence as the carriage rolled on towards the Lysandra estate.
The journey wasn't long at all by any means—I could have walked there from where we lived if I'd wanted to—but it seemed to be taking forever right now since I couldn't wait for it to be over with now that we were so close.
I had no idea why she would have done that though.
Maybe she had just changed her mind about everything which had happened between us?
We arrived before too long though, and as soon as we did, I knew it right away even though I'd never seen it before because of how grand it looked compared to everything else around here where we lived.
The estate was surrounded on every side by high stone walls that were covered over with ivy, and the gates to the estate were of iron with sharp spikes on top.
Maybe she had just changed her mind about everything which had happened between us?
Maybe she had just changed her mind about everything which had happened between us?
The front garden was filled with all sorts of flowers, and there were even servants out there right now who were working to keep it looking nice, I could see, while the marble walkways of the estate itself shone brightly in the sun.
Or maybe she had just changed her mind about everything which had happened between us instead?
It was a lot different from the simple stone houses that everyone around here lived in, but I liked it anyway.
It was nice to look at, and I thought that living here would probably be nice as well.
I stood at the dais, my heart pounding in my chest, my hands clenching tightly around the hilt of my sword.
The murmurs and whispers of the assembly buzzed around me like a cloud of angry bees, a constant reminder of the weight of my destiny settling upon my shoulders.
I hoped so, at least.
The carriage came to a stop right outside of the estate's gates then, and my father and I got out of it shortly after.
My destiny, not Lady Elara's, for she was nowhere to be seen on the balcony above and I felt a pang of disappointment twist in my gut.
Had she truly forsaken our shared past, our friendship, for the sake of tradition and duty?
My father was the first one down, as always, and he looked around curiously for a moment while he waited for me to get down too.
Could she not find the courage to face these people who would shape our future?
Once I did, he turned back towards me before I could walk away and he smiled at me briefly.
Could she not find the courage to stand beside her husband-to-be on this most important of days?
"I'm sure that Lady Elara will be very happy to see you again," he said to me then.
My breath caught in my throat as King Theodoric finally stepped forward, his eyes scanning the grand hall before him as if searching for something or someone in the crowd.
I could tell that he was trying to remind me that there was a reason behind all of this, but I thought that he was being too obvious about it anyway.
He cleared his throat, his deep voice echoing through the vast space of the grand hall, compelling the attention of all present as he spoke.
I knew what he meant without him having to say it, but he said it anyway, just to make sure that I knew that he had high expectations for me, I supposed.
"Today is a day of joyous celebration," he began, his voice ringing with authority as he spoke.
I nodded at him after a moment, though, just to let him know that I understood his meaning even though I didn't say anything to him.
"Today, two great families come together at last, united in their shared commitment to peace and prosperity for all of Lysandra…"
He smiled at me briefly once more then before he turned towards the gates and then walked through them.
And yet I could not shake the feeling of unease that gripped my soul at his words.
He had already been invited inside by the time that I got there though, so I followed after him quickly once I caught up with him.
I imagined that the two of us made quite a sight together, with our matching silver hair and violet eyes, but I had never asked anyone if they thought so before.
I felt the urge to run, to flee from this grand hall with its oppressive air of formality and expectation and never look back but something held me fast in place.
I didn't really care about it anyway one way or the other since my father was only one person out of many who looked like this where we came from anyway, so it wasn't a big deal to me.
Something kept me rooted to the spot, unable to move or act or speak for fear of what might come next.
I felt as if the very air around us was growing heavier, thicker, as if it was pressing down upon us like a great weight, forcing us to bend to its will.
I felt as if I was drowning, suffocating, unable to draw in a single breath, unable to move or think or feel.
Unable to do anything.
And then, as if in answer to an unspoken prayer, a sudden stir in the crowd caught my attention, pulling my gaze away from King Theodoric's regal figure at last.
I watched as a figure emerged from the shadows at the back of the grand hall, slowly descending the steps with a grace and beauty that took my breath away.
It was Lady Elara, more radiant than any vision I had ever beheld, her golden hair flowing down her back in gentle waves, her emerald eyes bright with unshed tears as she stared at me from across the expanse of the courtyard below.
For a moment, our eyes met, her gaze locking with mine in a silent pledge of love and devotion.
She was even more beautiful than I’d imagined she would be, more beautiful than any of the endless, sleepless nights of anticipation had prepared me for, more beautiful even than my memories of the girl she used to be.
She was a vision, a dream, a goddess given form, a delicate flower blooming in the shadowed depths of the forest, a rare and precious gem lying undiscovered for centuries at the bottom of the sea.
She was my heart’s greatest desire, my soul’s one true mate, my life’s one great regret.
And she was looking at me as if she’d never seen me before, as if my presence there on the dais was an unexpected surprise, a strange and unwelcome guest at her most private party, an unwelcome intrusion into her most personal dreams.
I wanted to shout at her, to scream, to rage against the dying of the light.
I wanted to beg for forgiveness, to plead for mercy, to throw myself down at her feet and beg for one last chance to make things right again.
But it was far too late for that now.
It had all been so long ago, so many years had passed, so much time had gone by, so many things had changed.
And she was not the same girl I’d left behind, not by any means, not at all.
She was a woman now, a grown woman, a beautiful woman, an ethereal creature of light and beauty who stood before me on the steps of the dais like an angel come to life, her long, slender limbs encased in gossamer silk, her delicate curves barely veiled by the sheer white fabric, her perfect features untouched by time or worry or care, her golden hair gleaming like spun silk in the fading sunlight, her porcelain skin as smooth and unblemished as a baby’s bottom.
But it was not just her appearance that had changed since last we met; it was her aura, her presence, her entire being that was different now, her very essence transformed by the passage of time into something new and strange and wonderful to behold.
She was no longer a child, no longer a girl, no longer an innocent virgin waiting to be claimed; she was a woman now, a grown woman, an adult woman who knew how to take what she wanted from life without asking permission first, who knew how to bend men to her will with nothing more than a single glance, who knew how to command their attention with nothing more than a single word.
The crowd fell silent as she made her way across the courtyard, every eye fixed on her as if in a trance, as if under a spell, as if powerless to resist her call.
And I could hardly blame them; I was in a daze myself, barely able to make sense of what I was seeing or feeling or hearing through the thick fog of my mind, the loud pounding of my heart distracting me, making it hard for me to think or act or see clearly.
But I had to try, I had to keep my wits about me, I had to stay strong, I had to stay calm and composed and in control of my emotions at all times, no matter what.
I looked at her more closely, studying her features with a critical eye, searching for any trace of the girl I once knew, the girl I once loved, the girl who once loved me back in return.
But there was no trace of her left anymore – not one solitary trace – nothing but a vague, distant memory of the past that even I could hardly recall.
She was different now, so different now, so very different now that I hardly recognized her anymore as the same person at all; but it didn’t matter, it didn’t make a difference, not really.
She was still beautiful, so beautiful, so exquisitely beautiful that it took my breath away, that it made my chest ache and burn and tighten up with longing for something that I could never have – something that I could never possess – something that I could never keep for myself.
And yet for a single moment, just one single moment, just one fleeting moment in time and space and memory, I dared to believe that maybe I could – maybe I could possess her after all – maybe I could keep her for myself – maybe I could win her heart and make her love me back again in return.
She walked down the steps with regal grace, moving with an easy, natural, effortless beauty that left the crowd in awe, that left them breathless, that left them wanting more.
Her gown was a masterpiece of white silk and silver embroidery that shimmered with its own inner light, that seemed to glow and sparkle and shine like a thousand suns, like a million stars, like a billion diamonds splattered across the night sky.
The guests murmured their admiration of her, their approval of her, their acceptance of her, but it was the look in her eyes as she fixed them on me that truly captured my heart, that truly stole my breath away, that truly took my soul.
There was a flicker of something unspoken in the depths of those emerald eyes, something that made my blood boil with desire, something that made my skin tingle with excitement, something that made me shiver with longing.
It was a glimmer of surprise perhaps; or maybe recognition; or maybe wonder; or maybe doubt.
I couldn’t be sure.
But there was something there just the same.
Something that caught my eye and held me in its grip until I could hardly breathe.
Duke Leonidas walked proudly beside his daughter, his head held high, his eyes fixed straight ahead, his lips pressed into a thin, tight line.
There was a look of solemnity on his face, a look of gravitas, a look of formality, a look of finality that sent a shiver down my spine.
He looked like he’d aged twenty years in the time since we last met; but then, so had we all.
The moment we reached the dais, he placed Elara’s hand in mine, a silent gesture that spoke volumes of the bond that was being sealed between our families, of the alliance that was being forged between our kingdoms, of the union that was being celebrated in our names.
I took her hand in mine without thinking, without hesitating, without asking – and suddenly everything else disappeared.
The world around me disappeared.
The guests disappeared.
The king and queen and princess disappeared.
The guards and soldiers and servants disappeared.
I stepped forward to stand beside my betrothed, my hand outstretched, my arm held stiffly at my side, my face turned innocently toward hers.
Lady Elara stood beside me, as pale and beautiful as a ghost, as fragile and delicate as a porcelain doll, as fearsome and powerful as a queen.
Her golden hair rippled in the wind behind her, her emerald eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her rosebud lips quivering in a silent smile that never quite reached her face.
There was an ethereal quality to her, a transcendent quality to her, a divine quality to her that I’d never quite noticed before – and I felt humbled to be standing in her shadow.
I felt honored to be standing by her side.
I felt grateful to be standing in her presence at all.
My eyes flickered to the right, where Lysandra stood, watching us with a mischievous glint in her own emerald gaze.
She was shorter than Elara by several inches, with a plumper figure and paler complexion, but she was every bit as beautiful every bit as enticing every bit as enchanting as my bride-to-be.
There was a wicked light dancing behind those emerald eyes of hers, a naughty light that made my pulse quicken with desire, that made my skin tingle with excitement, that made my body ache with longing.
The ceremony proceeded smoothly after that, with the king leading the proceedings and all the other dignitaries following in his wake.
There were vows to be exchanged and blessings to be given and rings to be distributed.
There were gifts to be offered and oaths to be sworn and fealty to be promised.
It was Lady Elara’s voice that anchored me in the present, with its soft, lilting tones and gentle turns of phrase, and it was her eyes that held my gaze as we spoke our vows back and forth.
She promised to honor me and cherish me and respect me as her husband; and I promised to honor her and cherish her and respect her as my wife.
We both knew the truth of those words; and we both knew the lie of them too.
But for now at least, we were content to play along.
For now at least, we were content to pretend.
For now at least, we were content to ignore the weight of the engagement ring on my finger; and the weight of the engagement ring on hers; and everything else besides.
We were content to stand before our families, and the assembled court, and the entire kingdom of Lysandra beyond.
The king blessed our marriage, and Lady Elara closed her eyes, as she murmured a soft prayer of thanks.
I closed my own eyes, as my heart swelled with conviction.
We knelt before the throne, with my hand in hers, as we waited for the final act of our union to unfold.
The entire court held its breath in silence; and I held my breath in silence too.
Now was the moment of truth; now was the moment of decision.
Now was the moment of choice.
I had a choice to make: a choice between what I wanted and what was right.
I chose what was right.
Lady Elara’s fingers tightened around mine, as I squeezed them back in return.
Her touch was a reassurance, just as her presence was a reassurance.
Her touch was a grounding force, just as her presence was a grounding force.
And for the first time in my life, I felt as if I belonged…but only for a moment.
I opened my eyes, as the king spoke his final words, and I found myself staring into Lady Elara’s gaze.
There were no more doubts in those eyes of hers, only expectation…anticipation…confidence.
I had made the right choice after all, or so I hoped.
The king gestured for us to rise, and rise we did, with our heads bowed in obedience, as we turned our backs on the throne behind us and faced the court ahead.
The courtiers eyed us with curiosity, while the nobles eyed us with expectation, but it was Duke Leonidas who looked at us with pride.
He stood before his seat at the high table, with his arms crossed over his chest, as he beamed down at us from above.
He was a tall man, with piercing blue eyes and a stern jawline, which he put to good use as the master of ceremonies himself.
And he was Lady Elara’s father too, who had blessed our union himself before the king had given his consent.
My father stood beside him, with his hand on his sword belt, but it was my mother who stood beside him in spirit alone, with the ghost of her smile hovering at the corner of his lips.
The celebration that followed was a blur, with music and feasting and dancing.
Bards sang of our triumphs and accomplishments, while jesters danced and jugglers pranced and acrobats twirled.
Children ran and laughed and played, while maidens blushed and giggled and whispered.
The wine flowed like water, and the food was piled high enough to feed an army, but it was not enough to drown my sorrows; nor to sate my hunger.
But that was all right.
For tonight at least, my sorrows would have to wait; and my hunger would have to wait too.
For tonight at least, we were content to let it all be.
We were content to let it all go.
We were content to enjoy ourselves.
And enjoy ourselves we did.
But even then, I still found myself gravitating towards Lady Elara’s side.
She was still standing beneath the canopy of white roses, with her hand in mine, with her eyes gazing up at me, with her lips smiling up at me.
And this time, I knew it wasn’t my imagination.
This time, I knew it wasn’t just me.