To Wed A King

The Dynamic

VAHRENHALL; JADE FORT

The torches illuminated the large grounds used for archery practices, from every corner of grounds. The majestic Jade Fort of Vahrenhall served as a backdrop against it, the very man who had made it what it was.

Lucan's right eye closed as he aimed from his left, his strongest hand. His left hand was jokingly called hand of demons, for the sheer number of people he had killed with it.

When he threw, he never missed, and he swung, his dagger never came back clean. Trained heavily from the day he had turned six, he had grown to understand his role in society. He was not to be stepped upon, and to ensure it, he had to step on them first. Crush them so hard they could not stand.

"Bull's eye!" Came a loud yell accompanied by the flag.

Lucan dropped the bow, his eyes narrow as his thoughts reeled back to his earlier encounter. He had met quite an unholy amount of women, and more than a few times, he had known of women who had been rejected right at the altar because of him.

He honestly did not regret it. A man wanted some pleasure, a different sort of blood from the ones on the war grounds.

This particular woman... She was like a headache. Adeline. Who would have thought a woman would be dressed as a man... a woman so beautiful, in fact?

She had been quite spectacular with that light hair colour. He could imagine that hair sprawled all over his pillows. Or his shoulder. Or her bare back. Depending on what way he intended to take her.

He chuckled to himself, then kept the bow and shook his hands off.

"Angel."

The short man walked forward, then gave a small bow. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Find that woman from earlier. Do whatever it takes."

Angel nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Lucan sighed, then looked up to the sky. "Tis a clear sky. Just wine will be enough."

Angel bowed again, then slowly walked away, leaving Lucan basking in the falling dusk.

OLYNDRIA; THE FEATHERSTONE FORT

Adeline stood in front of her father's chambers, her hands wrapped around her now torn clothes, her lips quivering from the cold. It had been unavoidable that King William had found out she had gone missing again, something her rebellious mind had convinced her that he should have gotten used to by now.

Obviously, he had not, and she was serving the same punishment she had been serving since she was eight. Her feet would bruise, and she would feel the cold seep deep into her bones. But would she stop?

Not quite.

The spirit of adventure worked to keep her alive, and amidst the endless demands of royalty, she could find solace.

"Your Majesty, The Duke of Carvalon has arrived!"

Adeline gave a yelp and turned, just as the caravan came in. The majestic white stallion was leading the caravan as usual, and she swallowed.

Evander can not see her this way. He was her betrothed, sealed from the very day she had been given birth to. Even though it was arranged before she even had the senses to realize what it was, Evander had been so perfect a man that she was convinced she would have hated her parents if they had let him slip through her fingers to another maiden.

He walked with the exact same vigour that a leaf parted from its tree with, and with the same effortless grace. He had a smile that resembled the parting clouds on a grey day, and once they had taken that first dance on their engagement and her coming of age birthday ball, she had fallen completely in love.

Evander had ensured she stayed that way, too. And she was sure this rather surprising visit right after dusk was for her too. He, after all, had little business with her father. His elder brothers, the ones in line to the throne of Carvalon, dealt with that issue.

"It seems you really do not learn."

She lowered her head and then gave a small bow. "You... you are welcome, Your Highness."

She could hear his small chuckle.

"Is this your attempt at innocence? I believe Royal Father would not leave you standing here had you listened to him."

She looked up, her eyes wide. "A little hunt will not kill a woman."

"But it will get you in trouble, injure you, hurt you, and then possibly kill you too. I do not want to believe that you would let the offspring we spoke about remain only imaginative."

"Your Highness! Father could hear."

He laughed. "We are to be married in a fortnight, my princess. We will be as good as traitors then if we do not bring them forth."

She blushed a deep red. "Why have you come?"

He cleared his throat. "To be honest, I found a flower growing in my garden and decided to bring it to you. Once I saw it, it reminded me of you."

"Unfortunately, Father will not..."

"Take her," came the slightly amused husky voice from within the chambers.

It made her blush even harder, the prospect that her father could have overheard them. Evander did not seem as bothered, however, and he held her hands and then led her away.

"You have really come all the way just to see me?" Adeline asked as she sat on the small rock close to the river bank. Evander was sitting next to her, in his hands, a bag of the sweets she loved so much, and a bunch of flowers he had picked on the way to add to the one he had brought for her.

"Why not? I grow increasingly desperate every day to take you home. To our very own palace in Carvalon. It will be perfect."

She smiled, her dimples sinking. "Do you really believe so?"

He looked up to her, his smile small. "Have I ever lied to you?"

She did not say a word but leaned further, her forehead resting on his, her eyes closing.

"Prove it to me that you mean what you speak, Your Highness."

He smiled, putting the flowers away so he could cup her neck. "Tis my pleasure, my princess."