“And now?” Cole asked, in a flat voice. “What do I know? If you lock me up for the crimes I committed, she cannot receive my magic, which is the best for her. If you try me, I will die, and so will she, eventually. If you let me out, I know that your rule will be forever questioned.”
Alexander said nothing, looking between each of them.
He had never wished that Peter was here more than in this moment, and that was something he wished for daily.
“Cole,” he said. “You will be under house arrest in the palace while Enya recovers,” he said. “You can stay in the medical center with her. You won't be guarded, so I need to have your word and your honor.”
“Of course,” Cole said, and Alexander looked him right in the eye.
“This is your last chance,” Alexander said. “If you break this parole, I will have no choice. There will be no way to get out of this.”
“I understand,” Cole said.
Alexander had his doubts about the promise, but he knew he had to take the risk. If Cole didn't change, then he would have no choice. It would be life in prison or worse. “Good. Go to her then,” he said, and Cole hurried off. Alexander looked at Nicholas and sighed.
“Any ideas?” he asked. “Otherwise, an innocent girl will end up dying.”
Nicholas sighed.
“For once, brother, I have nothing to say.”
Chapter 14
She had been in the medical center for three days, and she had been enjoying every second of having Cole by her side. Without the need to rush through the cipher, or half way across the world, they were ironically having the most relaxing time of their relationship. Cole brought her things to do, entertained her with stories, or occasionally took her on short walks through the palace to show her things that he had strong memories of.
She laughed, she smiled, and she seemed to be growing stronger each day. But the fact remained heavy in Cole's heart that he wouldn't be able to heal her like he said.
“What things did she tell you?” Cole asked. Enya shrugged.
“That she goes back and forth and lives a normal life. I didn't realize something like that was possible.”
“Well, Ariel is sleeping with the King,” Cole replied. “But it is possible, of course. Not forever, but for a time.”
“So, would it be possible for me to do something like that?” she asked. “If things settle down?”
“My love, if we find a way to survive this, I would happily give you whatever you want. But to be honest with you, I’m not quite sure how to get out of this.”
“We'll find a way.” She leaned against his shoulder. “Your brothers are good people, Cole, we'll find a way.”
“You have such faith in them, and you barely know them,” Cole replied.
“Yes, but they are related to you,” she replied. “So, they are good people.”
“Oh Enya,” he replied. “You are such a romantic.”
“Mmm,” she said. “Until then, we cannot change anything, so why don't you relax?” She closed her eyes. She had been through so much, and somehow, she felt the safest and calmest in her whole life.
In the throne room, Alexander and Nicholas had locked themselves away with Ariel, scouring records and books.
“You know how this society is,” Nicholas was saying. “If we can find a way to pardon him by law, then the citizens will accept it. Besides, has he done any worse than any of us when we go to war?”
“The difference is, it was in cold blood,” said Ariel, who seemed undeterred by this. “Unless of course, it wasn't.”
“It was,” Alexander replied, but Ariel shook her head.
“He went into a war-torn zone to take his temperature, a zone that you have been sending fighters to for years. Who’s to say that he wasn't following through with some order, some war? He killed enemies, too, didn't he? Civilian casualties are part of war.”
“So, let's say for a second he did,” Nicholas replied. “He didn't kill in cold blood. He still committed a crime.”
“Argh,” Ariel put her head down. In her time here, she had become fluent in dragon words as much as English. But sometimes, she was simply frustrated with their stubbornness. “There must be something. Look, I love Cole just as much as the rest of you. But if you're going to follow the rule book to the letter, you're going to lose your brother. “
“And then there's the case of this girl,” Alexander said. “To bring an innocent girl into all of this….”
“As you did to me?” Ariel asked. Alexander raised an eyebrow.
“You may have been younger than her, my dear, but you were far from innocent. You had seen and experienced the world. This girl has lived five feet from her parents and always been taken care of. It's a different case. “
“Still, she's not here against her will,” Ariel replied. “She thinks she's in love with Cole, and I wager he thinks he's in love with her.”
“Or they actually are,” Nicholas replied, and Ariel rolled her eyes.
“Whatever,” she said, as she looked down at the book in front of her. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Hold on a moment.”
“Hmm?” Alexander leaned over to look at the book in front of her. “Can you read that?”
“I'm not just a pretty face,” she gave him a smirk. He had a look of pride on his face as she translated the text in her head. When Ariel first arrived, she had stubbornly refused to learn dragon lore. She had struggled with it and gotten frustrated. But now, she was fluent, and even able to take on ancient texts that sometimes confused him. She was growing to be a good partner, his red-headed dancer. “There's some bullshit here about the savior of an innocent–a trade.”
“A trade?” Alexander asked, confused.
“A trade: evil for good.” She squinted. “Nicholas, you must have invoked this half a hundred times. You're a rat bastard sometimes.”
“What?” Nicholas asked with a smile on his face as he leaned over on her other side. “The law of Repentance. I've heard of it before.”
“Your father probably passed it several times without even mentioning it,” she said. “You remember when you saved that drowning girl, and suddenly you didn't have to answer for the fact that you freaked out during a council meeting?”
“I thought Father was just grateful,” Nicholas said, and Ariel rolled her eyes.
“It looks like it's an actual thing.”
“Nicholas had a temper tantrum,” Alexander said. “Cole slaughtered left, right, and center”
“Correct.” Ariel seemed to think. “But Enya isn't going to be cured. He'd have to devote his life to the medicine here, to giving her just the right amount of magic every week. He can't do that if he's in prison or dead.”
“What you're proposing is that he devotes his life to her,” Alexander said. “And it will wipe out the sins he committed. “
“Not wipe out,” she said. “A trade. Will your people accept that?”
“They might be upset, but they couldn't question it if that's the actual rule,” Alexander answered. “Nicholas, do you concur?”
Nicholas ran his hand over his face.
“You're the king,” he replied. “You don't actually need my opinion to do anything.”
“I don't need your opinion,” Alexander answered. “But it might be nice to have it.”
“Hmm,” Nicholas answered. “I think they might accept it, but only if there's a grand gesture. Only if he proves that this is forever.”
“You romantic!” Ariel cried. “You are suggesting that he marry her.”
“He has to do something,” Nicholas said. “Or we lose our brother forever.”
“Is it allowed?” Cole asked, and everyone's head shot up.
“Cole, what are you doing here?” Alexander asked, in surprise “I thought you were with Enya.”
“She's asleep,” Cole said. “So, I thought I'd see what you folks were up to. Which is apparently planning my whole life.�
�
“We are trying to save you, brother. We are trying to forgive you,” Alexander replied.
“I know,” Cole said, leaning against the wall. “But Father wouldn't have wanted this.”
“Father is gone,” Alexander said, raising his chin. “I am King now.”
He had said it before, but Ariel had never heard it with such certainty and such confidence. She smiled at him proudly.
“Yes,” she touched his arm, briefly. “But it is Cole's choice, remember?”
“The truth is,” Cole grinned. “I thought marrying her would be nice. Either that or banishing me with her. How wonderful would that be? We'd have this secret life, and you could send us secret money and–”
“Stop!” Nicholas rolled his eyes. “What is it that you want?”
“Let me marry her,” Cole replied. “It'll be the first dragon-human marriage. We'll go down in history.”
Ariel and Alexander exchanged looks.
“You know it won't be easy,” Alexander said. “You think this will be the end of security and the end of judgment, but it will just be the beginning.”
“I've endured worse,” Cole replied. “So long as I've got my family behind me.”
The princes looked at each other.
“We're behind you, Cole,” Alexander said. “And I think that you've suffered enough. You'll have to repent, but devoting your life to that girl may be enough to redeem you.”
“Thank you,” he said. “And, I know what I did was wrong. But I can't...I mean...”
“Love changes us,” Nicholas said. “There's no one who would deny that.”
“So, help me plan the greatest proposal known to man or dragon,” Cole said. Ariel shook her head.
“You clearly don't know this girl at all. She doesn't want fireworks and a giant billboard. She just wants you. Do you have a ring?”
“I think I can figure that out,” Cole replied. “Where's that ring that mother left?”
“The sapphire?” Alexander replied. “That weighs more than she does.”
“Perfect,” Cole said. “Let's get it then. This is going to be the greatest disturbance to the palace since you brought this red-head here,” he winked at her.
Alexander knew that what he was doing was a gamble. Starting off his reign on shaky territory was not the way he had imagined. If he was truthful, he didn't really imagine starting his rule at all. He had always thought he would be the second prince–the one with all of the fun and none of the responsibilities.
Even now, he felt like he was possibly just a place holder for Peter, and not really the King.
But every day that Peter did not return was another day that he knew he had to shoulder this burden and do what he thought was best for his kingdom and his family.
The ring was found, polished, and a new band put on to fit what they thought would be Enya's finger.
Cole changed his clothes into his formal dress attire, looking like a beautiful Prince. He took Enya's breath away when he walked into the room.
“What are you looking at?” he teased her, as she sat up in bed.
“You look mischievous,” she said. “Like you're up to something. What is it?”
“What makes you think that I'm up to something bad?” he asked.
She gave him a look.
“Did your brothers make a breakthrough?”
“Yes,” he said, sitting on the edge of her bed. “They did.”
“So?” She looked so hopeful, her eyes sparkling, and her cheeks full of color. She looked much better now that the medical team had helped her, and now that the excess magic had flowed from her body. He could see that she would soon be ready to leave and to live life again.
“So,” he said. “It turns out, I could devote my life to doing something good, and I might be alright. Repented, even.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“Well,” he replied. “I couldn't imagine anything better to do with my life than taking care of you, being with you, and living with you.”
“What?” she asked, in shock. “Cole, what are you talking about?”
He pulled out the giant sapphire. “I'm talking about marrying me. If you want.”
Her jaw fell open as she looked at the ring.
“Marrying you? Staying here?”
“Marrying me,” he said. “So, my beautiful, Enya, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she breathed, and he slipped the ring onto her finger. “Yes, I will marry you.”
“Good,” he replied. “Because with you in my life, I will be the best person I could possibly be.”
Chapter 15
When Enya pictured her wedding, she had never pictured something so grandiose. She had wanted a ceremony on Earth–a traditional wedding ceremony. The fact that she had been away from her parents and family for so long had been wiped away with Cole's magic. But she didn't want to continue lying and wiping their minds forever. She wanted them to know that she was safe, happy, and married. She had concocted some story about Cole living in Australia and being a pilot, so she didn't have to be in the same place whenever they wanted to visit. It was the closest to his accent and the closest to his true status that she could get without completely lying.
Her parents and her friends were nothing but happy for her. Enya was thriving–rosy-cheeked and happy–and there was no one who thought this wasn't the best thing for her. She was clearly in love, and her wedding in the local church was a dream come true.
“Thank you for helping me,” Enya glanced to Ariel as she did up the buttons on the back of her dress. “You're so kind.”
“If we're going to be living in the same place,” Ariel replied. “We might as well get to know each other. Besides, I like weddings.”
“You do?” Enya said.
“Sure. It's just like a show, isn't it?”
Enya laughed. “You're such a romantic.”
“I try,” Ariel said. “There, all done.”
“Oh my.” Looking in the mirror, Enya gasped. She felt like a princess in antique lace, with lace sleeves, and a tiara woven into her hair.
She had to look twice to remind herself that she was, in fact, a princess. Marrying Cole meant that she would be a Dragon Princess, and she would have a life that she thought was only possible in fairy tales.
“Are you ready?” her father asked, sticking his head into her bridal room. “I think everyone's here. I must have fallen out of step with your friends, because there are a lot of people here I don't recognize.”
“Oh,” she said. “Probably Cole's friends.”
“Right,” he held out his arm. “They all look alike, have you noticed? All tall with pale eyes. Does he belong to a cult?”
“Dad!” she said, rolling her eyes. “Come on.”
“Just kidding,” he said. “But it is time to go. Everyone is here.”
“Right,” Enya said, and took his arm.
Everything about the wedding looked normal. It was just her best kept secret that her future husband was not human.
Cole was waiting at the end of the aisle, and Enya's eyes focused on him right away. He looked so handsome and so well put together. Alexander and Nicholas stood behind him in nearly identical suits. Perhaps it was because she was looking for it, but she could see the flash of yellow eyes from her dragon lover.
She blushed as they walked down the aisle.
If someone had told her a year ago that this would be her life, she would have laughed. She was supposed to be dead, not happy and married. Dragons had changed her entire life.
When they reached the end of the aisle, her father placed her hands in his. He lifted her veil, kissed her on the head, and then stepped aside.
Cole smiled at her, squeezing her hands.
“Hi,” he said. Enya blushed.
“Hi,” she replied. “How are you?”
“Oh, you know, I have this thing today,” he said with a sm
irk. When they returned, they would have a proper dragon wedding, and she was sure that it would be glorious and beautiful. But this, here and now, was the type of wedding she had always dreamed of.
The priest cleared his throat, and they both turned to him. In yesterday’s rehearsal, the words hadn't felt real. But now, as he spoke, Enya felt them hit her right in the heart. This wasn't just rehearsal. This was real.
Enya felt her heart rate rise, and she squeezed Cole's hand for support. He sent a tiny bit of magic, almost as a question, but she just smiled, and shook her head. She wasn't ill. She was happier than she had ever been.
No one said a word. Everyone in the congregation could see that they were clearly in love. The way he looked at her, the way she turned to him. She felt so in love and connected. Enya had always felt unsure, alone, and out of step. But it had turned out that was because her soul mate just wasn't on Earth. She had been looking in all the wrong places.
“Enya,” the priest turned to her, solemnly. Enya trembled, raising her chin. “Will you have this man to be your husband, to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” she said, looking into his yellow eyes that she had come to love so much. He was the most handsome man that she had ever met.
“Cole,” said the priest, turning his gaze upon the dragon prince. “Will you have this woman to be your wife, to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?”
“I will,” he said. They had already been through so much, and in a lot of ways, had already honored those vows.
“Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?” The priest turned to the congregation.
“We do,” they chanted.
The rings were the bit of dragon lore that Cole had worked into their Earth wedding. Alexander passed over two intricately carved golden and platinum rings that were stronger than any metal found on Earth. They were made for their hands and their hands alone.
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