Chapter 7
1159 Words
“Don’t tell me you never thought about it, Gideon”, Keatar chuckles, “Such a union would be blessed by the Holy Brighta, the Goddess of Light. Two prominent families uniting as one…”
A chill goes down my spine when I hear those words. My gaze meet with Fabian’s and he winks at me in his usual careless manner. I can’t help but roll my eyes at that. Just a week ago one of my friends was sure that his father would come to her house for this conversation. And yet here we are.
“Of course I was thinking about it,” my brother surprises me and when I open my mouth to say something, he squeezes my hand briefly and walks forward, “It would have been perfect, wouldn’t it?” And right when both Martens smile happily, he continues, “But unfortunately I am the one person who know both Lara and Fabian the best… They would never work together. Fabian is a warrior to the bone, but so is Lara. Even if she will never be accepted as a Warrior of Light, she will not be the kind of wife that Fab here needs. She is not cut for it and…”
“But she will have to marry. And pretty soon. She will be twenty next year and by that time the law of Light obliges a woman to pick a man by who’s side she’ll be standing until the rest of her life…”
“We don’t know what her exact age is exactly,” Gideon cuts Him off, “When she was found she was young and father put her age as 6 but it could have been five or even four… From what O remember she was tiny.”
“She is still not that tall. What if she was seven?” The leader of the Glowing Citadel smirks.
“That’s my point, we don’t know her age and need to play safe here. It’s best to wait and not to offend the Goddess of Light. Right?”
As always, my brother won this little war. Yet it annoys me that none of them has actually asked my opinion on the matter. They are deciding my destiny after all.
“You are right, my friend,” Fabian says , he’s been quiet all this time too, “I’ve been waiting for your sister for the last two years. I can wait another two if it is required. But it would be nice if you at least let us know to get to know each other better. After all, sooner or later it’ll happen.”
I swallow. Of course, I knew the laws of the White Archipelago. We marry only our own, and Girls have to find a husband by the age of 20. The rule does not apply if you become a Warrior of Light or take a vow of Glowing sisters. Unfortunately, a foreigner like me can’t be either. Gideon helped me to train for a regular warrior just as I wanted and I was hoping that at least. I can stay that… I was sure that I wouldn’t have any proposals. I am supposed to be an outcast after all.
So, what is going on here?!
“I think this is enough for one day. Lara is still tired after her little adventure,” Gideon says, stepping in front of me and covering me from the guests, “I am hoping for your understanding.”
“But, “ Fabian wants to say something else, yet his father stands up as well.
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy to deal with you Arteses!” He chuckles and taps Gideon’s shoulder, “But this is also one of the reasons why I agreed with my son’s choice. Think about everything we said and… We’ll talk to you at the Glowing Citadel”.
They leave and I am still not sure what exactly happened. How comes that Fabian is suddenly interested in marrying me? He never even flirted with me while he does it with every other girl!
“Deon,” I call for my brother who doesn’t look too happy with everything, “ What was all that? Why did Fabian just say that he’s been waiting for me for two years? What…”
“Lara,” he turns and gives me one of his dazzling smiles, “You know far too well that everything that this guy says cannot be taken seriously!”
“I also know that everything that his father says should,” I retort and he brushes his palm over my cheek.
“ That I will take care of. Don’t think about it to much. You trust me, right?”
“Of course,” I nod. And it’s true. There is no doubt that Gideon is the only person who can deal with any kind of trouble in my life. He did it more than once before.
“And now, Lara, let’s come back to what’s important here,”he shows me to one of the chairs, “Tell me about everything that happened to you while you were at the Gerdian Empire. Every single detail.”
When I come back to my room at night, I feel even more exhausted. I fall to my bed and recollect the interrogation that I just had. You can’t call it any other way. Gideon interrogated me. And one thing for sure – he didn’t like what he heard.
But another thing that I am worried about – why exactly I haven’t told him about the gerdian that I see in my dreams? Not that it matters.. Maybe I am just seeing things after the fall.
I don’t even know his name…
I close my name, thinking about him…
Dark room is only lit by the light from the fire in the fireplace. I see a small sofa in front of it, empty, a desk in the far corner of the room, wooden and massive. And the gerdian with the perfect face and black hair is sleeping peacefully in a golden and black chair.
I have seen him a few times already but I never saw him like that… so relaxed and unprotected…I don’t even notice how I am already close to him and my hand almost touching his face.
When blue eyes with purple rings around irises shut open and look at me.
“What a nice surprise, Lara!” He smirks.
- Writer
