To Wed A King

The Last Option

Tears quickly filled Adeline's eyes as Evander struggled to grab the sword. He was a good swordsman, but she knew Lucan would not give him something he would be able to pass.

She blinked slowly, breaking eye contact with Lucan, then slowly focusing on Evander. He had not seen her and had gone on his feet now as a soldier walked into the grounds.

People roared and cheered as Adeline clenched her jaws hard, anger filling her. She hated to be the sacrifice so many times, but looking at that soldier... she would never be able to watch Evander die.

She already was the reason he had lost everything, including her. She couldn't watch him die in the hands of Lucan, too.

The fight started in earnest, and even though Evander was doing well, it was quite obvious he had the lower hand. He was simply defending, barely at that, and there was a huge disparity I'm height and weight.

Adeline bit down on her lips as Evander used an.opooryunith, went under the bulky soldier, and tore down his calf with the sword he was holding.

The man gave a loud yell, and Lucan smiled as another soldier immediately replaced the wounded one. This one was much closer to his height, and it was a more equal fight this time.

More entertaining, too. Lucan leaned towards the large tray of sweets. They had all been laced with alcohol, and he took a deep breath and rolled the sweet around in his tongue.

He lifted his eyes to Adeline. She had her hand clasped over her mouth now, her eyes wide with tears as Evander fell back into the dust, his teeth gritting, bloodbslowly turning on his back.

The soldier advanced quickly, brandishing the sword, his eyes wide with blood thirst.

Lucan watched Adeline keenly. She was rather stubborn and was not surrendering even though Evander's life was on the line.

Lucan gave a sigh. He did not enjoy cheating in a fight, but seeing her resolve, it made him want to break it. Make him want to watch her succumb. He had never needed a woman on her knees like this one.

He did, however, think he would not want her as much as he currently did if she was easy to acquire. Like all the other women, if she had just gone naked and succumbed in front of him, he would not even notice if she walked away. If she left, or even if she died.

He watched her eyes. They were beautiful with the tears glistening in them, the sun lighting them onto crystals. Maybe he needed to make her cry a bit more. A dishonourable as it was on his part, he wanted to know what was so special about her dignity that she was fighting so hard to protect.

He waved to Angel, who immediately dispatched three other soldiers into the field.

Adeline gasped and, without thinking, ran forward, pushing through the massive, sweating crowd. The veil around her eyes fell away quite satisfactorily, and Lucan watched the slow reveal. Her plump red lips halfmparted. The tears like little diamonds running down her cheek. Beautiful, he had to admit.

"Evander!" She yelled as she got to the front, her eyes wide.

Evander looked up from his wavering focus of the three men, his lips parting. His eyes met hers just as one attacked, catching him unawares.

Lucan looked between the now heated battle and Adeline's jittery self before he raised his hand. The soldiers stopped, with Evander lying back on the hotnground, a sword he was holding with both hands just am inch away from his eye.

He was breathing hard, his chest heaving, the blood from his hand dripping into his face.

Adeline looked up to Lucan, her teeth gritted, her chest heaving.

"Your Majesty. Shall we stop the fight?"

Lucan met her eyes again, directing the question at her. Shall the fight stop, and would she come with him?

He read the hesitation and smiled again, then slowly moved, fixing his light brown hair behind his ears.

"I have decided to be the one to kill him. After all, he is my culprit."

Adeline's eyes fell open completely, her chest heaving. There was no way Evander was surviving a fight with Lucan.

The soldiers pulled out and stood around as Lucan slowly got rid of the outer coat, leaving the lighter coat beneath.

Slowly, his carriage was lowered, and he got down from it, extending his hand to the slightly trembling soldier who handed him the sword.

He did not spare a glance at Adeline as he walked elegantly down to Evander, then extended his hand to the fallen man.

Evander knew he had no choice, and he accepted Lucan's hand, pulling him further. He was soon on his feet and close to Lucan. Closer than ever.

In a small movement, he moved his sword to push through Lucan's stomach but was held in place by Lucan's hand. He lifted his eyes, and Lucan gave a small smile before lifting his free hand.

All went silent as Lucan used the back of his hand and slapped Evander on the cheek hard. Evander's face swerved violently to the right, and he let go of the sword and fell back into the sand, his chest heaving with pain and fatigue.

Adeline watched weakly, her eyes filled with tears she did not even have the strength to cry anymore.

Lucan slowly went down and pulled Evander by the chin, his eyes thin.

"Do you perhaps... remember her?"

Evander swallowed. "Adeline?"

Lucan laughed, pressing his nails further into Evander's cheeks, causing the other man to groan in pain.

"No. Willow. Her name was Willow."

Evander's eyes widened as the memories violently filled his mind. Blood, groans of pain, laughter, lust.

Lucan gave a small smile. "Do you know whom Willow belonged to?"

Evander swallowed. "I... I was not..."

He did not get to finish it before Lucan slapped his hand again, then grabbed his chin, a small wicked laugh escaping his lips.

"Do you think you deserve to live? Do you really believe I should let you go?"

Evander swallowed, his eyes darting quickly to Adeline behind them.

"Is that why you are doing this?"

Lucan laughed. "Oh, no. I want the princess. In the same position you saw us last night, and a lot others. I happen to be a very open man."

"Adeline would never..."

"Say that again," Lucan said, leaning forward, his eyes darkening, his grip on his sword tightening.

Evander stopped talking, his chest heaving with fear.

Lucan slowly stood up, letting him go roughly unto the floor as he stood up and adjusted his coat.

"Let the duel begin!" Angel announced.

Evander immediately ran into the field, attacking first. Lucan blocked the sword with his, then let his heavy boots come in contact with Evander's chest, causing him to reel back, throwing yp blood and spit.

Adeline's jaws clenched hard, her chest heaving. Evander did not stand a chance. She watched as Evander attacked again but was stopped by Lucan yet again, and this time, he came out of it with his shoulder torn.

Knowing Lucan, he would cut and cut and cut till Evander could no longer move. After the fourth cut to the side of Evander's stomach, Adeline could not take it anymore. She peeled off the remainder of the veil she had been wearing, her hair falling down her back in waves.

"He... he is a woman!" Priscilla exclaimed, her hand cupping her mouth.

Adeline grabbed the arrows and set her aim, her eyes resting on Lucan's chest. She took a deep breath, her chest heaving as Lucan cut Evander again, this time on the cheek, and taking a lock of his hair with him.

Lucan gave a small laugh as Evander fell down. He was rapidly growing bored, however.

Just as Evander stood up, his chest heaving, his fingers trembling from the different points of pain in his body, Adeline released the arrow, and it headed straight for Lucan.

Evander's eyes widened as he watched the arrow cut through the air and head towards Lucan's back. It would pierce his heart through his back, and Adeline would never carry the guilt of what she would have done.

Just before it hit him, however, Lucan turned, grabbing the sword in his hand, his right brow lifting.

Adekine gasped and took a step back, her chest heaving, unable to believe what she had just seen.

"Cheating now, are we, Adeline?"

She swallowed, then took a step forward, pulling out another arrow from the cup.

"You would go to any lengths, will you not?"

Lucan shrugged, flicking the arrow away. "I do not enjoy losing. Come back and stop this nonsense already. Understand that you will never be able to break away."

She nodded slowly. "You gave me two options last night."

Lucan raised a brow.

"I took the first one, but here we are. So I will take the second."

His head tilted upwards, his eyes thinning to slits. "You would rather die?"

"I would rather be buried alive, Lucan. I would rather suffer the worst fate than follow you to Vahrenhall."

Lucan felt his anger rise, and he nodded. She could not possibly prefer to die.

Adeline slowly turned to Evander, and her eyes quickly filled up, her lips parting.

"I apologize. We should have gotten married. Those kids we always wanted... I am sorry."

Evander swallowed, stepping forward, but he knew better than to pass by Lucan.

"I love you," she said, her tears streaking down her face.

She slowly turned to Lucan, her eyes wide with hate. "Burn in the pits of hell."

Lucan's eyes twitched, and she moved, raising her hand slowly, her fingers clasped around the arrow.

She closed her eyes and bit down on her lips hard as she plunged it into her stomach hard. She gave out a small restrained yelp, blood splashing out of the wound, and colouring her hands and the clothes she was wearing.

She looked up to Lucan, who had not said a single word still, before she fell back, a small breath escaping her.