War of 3015 (Completed)

War of 3015: Chapter Eight

The crowd in the mansion was slowly diminishing in numbers as the night went on. Soon enough Eithan joined me on the balcony.

"Is something bothering you?" He asks.

Not being able to face him just yet, I keep my gaze on the fountain. I was not ready for this and what it meant. I was still confused about what he meant with those words. 

"No." I lied.

He laughs.

"You can maybe fool my father, but you can't fool me." He pauses. "Tell me."

I decided that I might as well tell him the truth.

"Well, now I am stuck in this royal family for the rest of my life. I will not abandon the royal laws like your father." I began. I turned my gaze away to face Eithan's. "I will have to remove myself of Everlyn's leader, which is pretty much the only thing I knew how to do." I break away from his gaze, feeling annoyed at how I sounded. Everlyn's leader did not like to be depressed and bothered by such trivial things.

"Why do I get the feeling you are not telling me everything?"

I half smile. I can't hide anything from him. He seems to understand my emotions all to well.

"You're right. I am not telling you everything." I stop. I did not want to tell him that he is also causing me problems.

He waits a few moments before realizing that I was not going to tell him.

"Well, if you ever get sick of this royal stuff you can back out whenever you want until the actual wedding. Just make up your mind before then."

"How long do I have?"

"A long time."

His answer hurt me. I don't know what I was expecting as an answer but that was definitely not it.

"If, by any chance, I am the one bothering you, I would like to know. In fact, anything that is bothering you I would like to know." He adds a few minutes later.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you marrying me?"

He laughs. "So that you can go through with your plan on taking down my father."

So that is the only reason. No love for me here.

I look at the fountain, feeling depressed.

Silence.

"You couldn't..."He mumbles. "Roselyn, do you think I asked you to marry me because I love you?" He laughs. "Why on earth would I fall for someone who is beautiful, smart, funny and knows how to defend herself skilfully?"

I tear my eyes away from the fountain and look him in the eyes. Did I just hear right? Did he just call me beautiful, smart, funny and skilful at defending myself?

"The more appropriate question is, could you fall for someone who descends from a devil, someone who has a dark side just like his father, someone who has been corrupted like everything else in the Carlistan castle? Someone who is caging you in a castle, someone who is tearing you away from your life as a leader of a rebellion clan, of your friends...Of everything that is normal?"

I look at his face as he speaks this, and I find myself in front of a man who is clearly beautiful yet his features on his face are dimmed and dark. He reminded me a lot of Dameo. I back away, holding back my flinch. How did I miss it? The similarities in looks, voice, actions...

He grabs my wrist.

"You don't have to like me. But could you at least not look at me like this?" He asks.

I nod, yet I fail to change my expression of horror on my face.

***

In the carrage leading us back to our temporary castle home, he was sitting beside me, yet I felt so far away. I regretted everything I did. I wanted...I'm not sure of what I wanted, but I knew I was in the wrong. I knew what he had said was wrong. He was nothing like his father. He was not caging me. I had chosen to say yes to him. I had accepted what it meant. He was letting me continue my mission. He was allowing me to enter a better life then the one I had...He is allowing me to be his wife, to love him.

I hated that I just figure out that that was what I wanted. I wanted to go out with him, be with him, and of course love him. What a pathetic loser for a leader of Everlyn. I was suppose to be on a mission and ended up falling in love. Only women would think of doing such a thing. No, men would think of such things as well. Well, mostly about the love part.

We arrive at the entrance of the gates to the castle. There are no lights on. As Eithan offers his hand out once more, I decide to take it this time. I had rejected his help when I entered the carriage. I felt bad for that now as well. He was always there for me. Sneeking in my room to talk to me so kindly and offering his advice when I needed it.

He looked surprised when I slip my hand into his.

That just made me regret what I did even more.

I look past him for a moment to find the fountain I was looking at before we left to go to the celebration. I smiled mentally. A plan was forming inside my mind. And I was not about to let it go to waste.

Unfortunately, when I was thinking my plan out, Eithan was saying goodnight to me and was walking inside the castle alone.

"Wait." I said quickly. He turns to face me. "You said you would take me to visit the fountain over there." I said, pointing towards it. "I want you to take me there now."

Since there was no light on inside the castle or on the outside, I couldn't see his reaction. The only thing I could see was his shadow moving closer to me.

When he got into view enough for me to see his shaded face again, he held out his hand.

"Then lets go." He states as I slide my hand into his.

We start walking toward the fountain in silence.

It stayed that way until I decided to talk to him once we arrived at the fountain.

The frontyard was beautiful. The trees and the fountain fitted perfectly together. The bench was perfectly set neat enough to the fountain as well as the trees.

"You know everything you said about yourself isn't true." I start. "You are not caging me here. I accepted your offer. I choose this. I have accepted to be with you. You are not as mean and dark as you say. I know. The many times you came to talk to me at night in my room, giving me advice when I needed it, words of encouragement...Without you there in the castle, I would have killed myself. You were the only one that allowed me to continue this mission to begin with, and then you gave me another chance to finish it by offering me to marry you. When I met you-- when Everlyn was trying to take equipment from your castle, I never would have thought that Dameo's son was nice and would keep me a secret. You are nothing like your father. Don't you ever think that." I continue.

Eithan's hand cups my cheek.

I can see the glimmering shine in his eyes.

My heart races and I know all to well what I want to do.

I hesitate but then made everything fade away as I lean in to kiss him softly.

He returns the kiss as I bring my arm around his neck and allow my hand to graze through his hair. His right arm wraps around my waist as his left arm slides down to my neck.

I never wanted to leave his embrace. Something about his kiss and scent made me feel safe and like everything that I was giving up was the right thing to do.

His kiss was not urgent, was not violent, but rather soft and hesitant. He was obviously trying to control himself and not do something that I might not like.

Dameo would never do this. Just another proof of how Eithan is truly different from his father.

In the complete darkness of the night with the exeption of the moon, I felt safe in his arms.