The Gift of Beauty | ONC2020

Chapter 15

Brandon looked around in wonder. It wasn't often that he had been in the personal wing of the royal family. It looked nice. The hallway was decorated with all kinds of paintings, statues and tapestries, depicting heroic tales from legends. Many of them Brandon recognized from the stories he was told as a child, though some were more obscure.

Before each of the rooms stood two guards, flanking the doorways. They were dressed impeccably, wearing ornate sets of armour, and carrying shiny shield and decorated swords. Brandon felt awkward beside them. He had just come home after being in the wilderness for a month, and his clothing showed it. It was dirty and muddy.

He asked one of them where the room he needed was. They pointed him to one of the rooms on the far end of the hallway. He walked towards it, still with haste in his step, and knocked on the door.

Just when he became afraid that no one was there, the door slowly opened. In the doorway stood a beautiful lady, with long blond hair falling past her shoulders and eyes as blue as that of an ocean.

"Princess Victoria," Brandon said, as he bowed before her. The moment he saw her he felt the same butterflies he used to feel, like they were never gone. But he knew was just nostalgia, a memory of the love he once felt for her, and it disappeared just as quickly as it had come.

"Brandon!" she said. "What are you doing here? Last I heard you were on some kind of adventure?"

Brandon nodded. "I was, princess. I was looking for a gift, for the king's competition. Can I come in? It will be easier to talk inside."

Victoria's face grew gloomy when Brandon mentioned the competition, but she stepped inside to let him in.

"Please, sit down," she said once he was inside, gesturing towards one of the benches in the room.

Brandon noticed she was polite as ever, just like she had always been taught, but that any joy he had heard when she first saw him had left her voice. He sat down.

"So you're the one that won, huh? I'll be honest, I was expecting it would be Christian. I'm happy for that, at least," she said.

"The competition is still ongoing, princess. No winner has been declared yet."

Victoria's eyes widened in surprise. "Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be trying to sway my father like the rest of them?"

Brandon shook his head. "During my adventure I realized something. I realized that love is about than just liking someone from a distance. It's about more than just physical attraction."

"Before I left, I thought I loved you, I really did. But during my adventures I realized that I didn't. Not in the way I thought, anyway. Instead, I think I've found someone else. Someone that, despite all our arguments and issues, I can't stop thinking about. And I think she might feel the same about me."

Victoria's face softened. "That's nice, Brandon. I'm happy for you. But I'm not sure what that has to do with why you're here."

"Because I know that you feel the same way about someone that I feel about her, and you deserve to be with him."

She smirked. "I can't. You might not have noticed, but I'm being married off later today. And not to him."

"Oh, I have. I remember the king's words exactly." Brandon smiled. This is why he was here, and not with King Edward. He had been thinking about this ever since he said goodbye to Rose, and he was sure it was the right thing to do.

"King Edward said that the winner of the competition would marry Princess Victoria. Marry you. He invited only noblemen to the discussion, that's true. But he never said that no one else was allowed to enter." He pulled the dress from the bag as he was talking. In the dim light of the princess' room it was even more beautiful.

Victoria looked at it in shock. "Brandon. It's beautiful. Christian's jewellery doesn't stand a chance compared to this."

He nodded. "I know, that's what I'm saying. Whoever gives this to the king will win your hand, nobleman or not."

"You don't mean..."

"I do," Brandon said. "Your lover is only imprisoned. I'm sure you can get him out if you really want to, before your father even knows. If he gives this dress to the king, then he won't have a choice but to declare him the winner. And even King Edward wouldn't hurt the heir of his crown. The two of you can safely live, together."

"Are you sure? Brandon, you're talking about surrendering the throne. You would do that? Just like that, without wanting in return?" Victoria said.

Brandon shrugged. "I never cared for the crown. He can have it. All I cared for, the reason that I joined the competition, was out of love. And I've found someone I love, why would I want anything else? All I want to for you to be with the one you love, just like me."

Victoria teared up, and gave him a hug. Brandon stood there, not sure what to do. "Thank you, Brandon. Thank you so much," she said.

"No worries," Brandon said. "You deserve it." He pushed her away from him. "Now I'm going to find the one I'm in love with, and tell her. And you should go find yours."

The Golden Fleece hadn't changed a bit in the time they'd been away. It looked exactly the same; with colourful clothes hanging neatly on diverse racks. Even the smell was exactly as he'd remembered. It was just as wondrous as it had been back then.

The two women behind the counter looked up from their work when he stepped inside. "Brandon!" Rose said. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Victoria? You didn't lose, did you?"

Brandon shrugged as he walked towards her. "Not sure. I left before they appointed a winner. Can we talk?"

"I'll the two of you alone," Abigail said, and winked at Brandon before she walked out towards the back room.

"You should be at the castle, Brandon. If King Edward choose you as the winner you should be there."

He shook his head. "He's not going to choose me, Rose. I already made that choice myself. And I chose you."

"I don't understand. Didn't you want to save Victoria from the other suitors? And why be with me now? What changed?"

"I gave the dress to Victoria. She can choose who she gives it to herself," Brandon said. "And as to why now... I realized I was away from Victoria for a full month and I barely stopped to think about her. But with you it's different. Every moment I was away from you I thought about you. I thought about what you were doing, what you were thinking. I couldn't get you out of my head even when I tried. I love you Rose."

Rose smiled, and gave him kiss. "I love you too, Brandon."

A/N And that's a wrap! A perfect ending for a perfect couple! 21710 words, so just passed the mark to count for the ONC. Thanks for sticking with me through my story. I hope you enjoyed it!