Lizzie of the North (Yrsoreth Chronicles 2)

63◦✿◦END

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

At first, she thought she was hallucinating. Alec, who was supposed to be dead the moment he stepped foot in the castle is in front of her. Roughed up with a black eye, but very much alive....and real.

She was already down from Honey's back, and even the Fenrir was prancing around the Gran Dacchian prince in excitement.

"So you mean I can break his bones, for real?" Garth, in his dark enthusiasm, broke the stunned silence.

"You may not," she snapped and marched to the two. She checked the purple bruise on Alec's left eye, somehow distracted at the ever immaculate face, gazing at her as if she was his world. "Who did this?"

"Your father."

Lizzie clamped her mouth. Of course. It has to be him.

Her thumb caressed his cheeks, thankfully spared from any abuse from the med in her family. "How long have you been here?"

"This morning. If I could win a duel with Garth, then I'd have a duel with Erdan then with your father. And if I win, I'll marry you."

To that, she could not say anything. At least it was just a punch. "You still look handsome," she whispered, the only way to appease the injustice.

Alec smiled and finally touched her face. His sword was already abandoned on the ground. "Really?"

He was covered in dust and tired, but the life in his black eyes radiantly reflected Lizzie.

"Yes. And yes, I'd marry you."

His smile faltered, he grinned, then didn't, he'd look back to the equally stunned Garth, then to Lizzie, as if assuring they heard the same thing.

"I said I'd marry you."

Even the spectator knights heard and were stunned.

"Wait a minute Lizzie, he'd have to duel first."

"And how long will you do that?" She asked. "It's sundown." The duel was just Devanti's retribution and even distracted Lizzie to be in her room reading Alec's letters so as not to know that he was there.

In the first place, the king already decided to leave everything to his daughter.

"Then, may I kneel now?" Alec asked, more like, begging with his eyes shaping round with plea.

She wanted him to, but it felt incomplete. At least, her beloved family must witness it. They deserve it.

They deserve the peace of mind that this man will love her as he did in the past years.

She tiptoed and planted a shirt chaste kiss on his lips. The gasping and blushing reaction from the once ferocious knights and her frozen brother didn't matter.

"In the ceremony... please do that in the ceremony."

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

After a long correspondence between families, face-to-face discussion, and convincing on the Gran Dacchia's part, the betrothal ceremony and the ball were held in the empire's capital. Among the long list of her worries, the top three spots were hogged by her own family members. Naturally, Devanti reigned supreme, with his temper, unfiltered words, and disgust for social interaction. Lizzie constantly visited her father's quarters next to hers and searched for his whereabouts most of the time.

Since he came to Gran Dacchia for the ceremony, the Norvillon king's already cold and intimidating face was more ominous. In return, no Gran Dacchian approached him in their own volition, and if they did, they couldn't even look at him in the eye.