Forbidden (mxm)

27. The First Option (Danail)

   My lovely Moon's eyes are pinned on mine. So are the prinx's. I smile at both. I can see they are sad. The two queens are sobbing with no attempt to hide their tears. I wish I could hug them and tell them that there is no reason for despair. I am not afraid to die. I've never feared the pain. All I pray for is to have enough time to show Sai how much I love him and how grateful I am that I met him and won his affection, before I have to save the world.

   Arxia senses my thoughts and utters, "You will have time Dey, many days and nights."

   "Thank you!" I nod.

   "Not many options for my son, huh?" King Dorth hisses, gazing menacingly at King Unufrail. "Are you happy now? He will either become your son's lover and die, or we will all burn in flames. I choose the second. I'd rather kill him than let him become a 'wife'." 

   The last word is spitted out with such hatred and contempt that it flies like an arrow and I feel it pierce both my and Sai's hearts. It becomes clear to me now, we will never have his blessing. He will never accept us. I am sure, his hands are itching to grab the sword and slit our throats. His thunderous expression leaves no doubt about it. The only thing, holding him back, is that he's not a fool. He knows Sai will stop him and he'll only disgrace himself.

   "I'm ashamed of you," The Desert King shakes his head. "My old friend was a person of honor. All I see now is blind rejection. I would've forgiven you the murder of my brother, even though I had to witness the grief of his child. I would've forgotten the ten years of war, if you had shown the slightest sign of change. I would've understood your concern for your son's life, but that's not your motive. You're not considerate, not even conservative. You're just stubborn and rude."

   "I won't allow this," father growls. "I have legal means to stop it."

   "Prince Dai Stial," king Unufrail urges. "Proceed!"

   "King Dorth of Eleysan," Sai  continues with the ceremony, ignoring my father's scowl, "confirm the identity of your Commander as the War Code requires!"

   Father squints at me and points a finger at my chest, "I confirm that the one, standing here, is Prince Dai Danail, heir of The God's Garden and Commander of The Northern Army."

   "Your Highness," the prince turns to me, "I am honored to give you, according to the Law, two proposals to seal the peace treaty. The first is as follows; King Unufrail, being the winner, generously offers you to choose whatever assurance you want of his peaceful intentions, no matter if that will be a person from the royal family to be your spouse, some land or any kind of treasure. Your king shall sign the treaty in return and swear that Eleysan will never attack The Desert Kingdom again from this day till the end of time. If the last person in succession to the throne of Eleysan dies without heirs of the body, no collateral lines shall be considered. The heir of The Desert Kingdom will instantly become the grantee of Eleysan's crown as well."

   King Dorth laughs out loudly and snorts, "A kingdom for a spouse! Idiots!"

   Prinxe Arxia covers their mouth with a trembling hand, unable to hold their gasp at this impudence. Sai only directs his pink gaze at me and asks, "Did you understand the proposal, Commander?"

   "I did!" I confirm.

   "Very well," he nods and goes on. "King Unufrail offers a second option. He is willing to allow you to marry one of his daughters as an assurance. Your king shall sign the treaty in return and swear that the peace will be preserved for twenty years. The daughters of proper age, who are willing to enter the matrimony, are..." he smiles warmly at his sisters, "Princess Valeyna, Princess Kamina, Princess Collia, Princess Arla, Princess Danya, Princess Lovala, Princess Malina..." Each girl, upon hearing her name, stands up and makes a curtsy, slightly bending her knees and bowing her head. Some are staring at me, startled and numb, others are smiling shyly. "... Princess Lana, Princess Maldia and Princess Dila." 

   The last one I remember very well, always competing for my attention with the youngest Lila. She immediately beams and shouts, "I know that you love Sola, prince Dey. I forgive you. You can still choose me."

   "Shhh!" Queen Salia interrupts her. "Show some manners!"

   The ten standing girls start to giggle, but quickly become silent, when Sai addresses me again, "Do you agree with the first proposal, Commander?"

   Never in the whole known history, has a commander agreed with the first option. No one has even considered it. It has become just an official part of the ceremony that has to be said, but doesn't have to be thought about. Father is sneering, convinced that I'll preserve the traditions and instantly refuse. 

   I recall Sai's words from when we first met. He was pleading for me to trust him, kneeling at my feet, 'Only say 'Yes', when the time comes, and choose as your heart guides you'. This was the moment he was talking about. His mission was to save the world. He changed his mind later, asking me to stop loving him and choose one of his sisters. Perhaps, when he fell in love with me, he decided to sacrifice the world for me. We both know, though, that the answer is only one.

   "Yes, I accept the first proposal," I state loud and clear. 

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A/N

Hello at the end of chapter 27!

Thank you for reading and supporting!

This chapter is for my dear friend Kibika . I love your heartwarming books and am thankful for all your support! ❤❤❤ I hope you'll be back online soon.

Does anyone have doubts what Dey will require for assurance? 😀

Do you think this is the end and the treaty will be signed with no more obstacles? 🤭

Share your thoughts, ask questions and criticize, if you think it's necessary.

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Love: Anny