Saving the Stranger Prince (The Stranger Prince Series #2)

Chapter 22: Yours.

He then had seemed to take in a deep breath. The whole table had been as silent as if there wasn't anyone at all. She had looked over at Edgar, but he had seemed to be just as still. She took his hand in hers, and some of the tension had seemed to leave his body.

Of course, he was her brother. And nowhere had she seen a brother love her sister so much. It was written all over his face, that he would do anything he can to be able to keep her happy.

It had bitterly reminded her of Christian, how she still missed him so much, but she pushed it down.

"I can not think of going through one more second of the agony I felt when she was... gone." He had exhaled, "It terrifies me. And I'll do anything I can to keep her protected now. And the only way I can do so is if I have her..." He trailed off, and held her gaze, "... as my wife."

The table had been quiet then, the only sound as the King put his fort down onto the plate. Sebastian, in that moment, had seemed so vulnerable. It was as if he stood naked right there, as if he was bare.

And she had known he didn't like it. Could've seen it on his face, how he wasn't used to let anyone in like that.

But the way Adela had been looking at him right then... it was inexplicable. Like she could see exactly, how broken a mess the Prince was. How he was flawed from so many places, broken and uneven, how he was not whole at all. But she loved it. She looked at him like she loved every one of his flaws, every part of him as if it were her own.

"How are we going to arrange it in such a short time?" The Queen had voiced out her concern at last, after a very elongated silence.

"We don't need anything big, mother." Adela had said hastily, "Just a small ceremony. No one invited."

The same thing had been going through everyone's minds then; how this was a completely crazy idea. She was the first ever daughter of the Kingdom, and holding the wedding in such secrecy and haste was something none of them wanted.

But it seemed like there was this air around them, something that showed how determined they were. We all knew Sebastian was driven by the urge to protect her, but so was Adela.

"It has taken far too long." Adela said, at last her voice wavering a bit, worry filled in it, "Please. It is a request. We want nothing extravagant."

And from the time she had spent getting to know Adela, Lydia knew she hated all the expenses anyway. If anything, she would just feel better about it.

The King had sighed, at last, closing his eyes for a while, "I suppose, I'll approve then."

Sebastian and Adela had looked at each other, as if still trying to process the King's words.

"Your father, Sebastian. He loved Adela so much." The King said, his eyes softening as Sebastian stared at him, "He couldn't wait to make her your bride, and his daughter. But all the consequences delayed that, and now..."

The King had trailed off, but everyone knew what he had meant. The King seemed to be going through his last days, and no one was sure of how much time he had.

"I suppose your father is going to be happy with this decision, too. He'll get to see you two happily married."

No one else had noticed, but from across the table, she could clearly see Sebastian's hand clenching Adela's, slightly trembling. But he had struggled to keep his emotions in check, managing a smile.