by Sarah Olson
“Oh, it is definitely my business,” Davorin said. “James is like my brother and I don’t like seeing him hurt. When he told me he was going to propose to you, he was happier than I had seen him in years—and that’s with a war looming over our heads!”
I felt tears rush to my eyes as and I clenched my jaw to try fighting them. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“That’s it?” Davorin asked. “You’re sorry. I should have known you were no different from Emily. You are just another selfish bitch.”
I looked up at him, at the anger and hatred in his eyes, and while I wanted to lash out at him, I knew he was right. Protecting myself was what I had become good at, even if it meant hurting someone else.
I sat down on the sofa and buried my face in my hands. “I’m so sorry.”
Davorin stood there in silence as I cried.
“Layla,” he said softer now.
I looked up as he walked over and sat down next to me.
“Don’t you love him?” he asked, his fury was gone.
“I do,” I whispered.
“Then why did you say no?”
“Because I’m afraid.”
“What are you afraid of?” he asked quietly.
“Everything,” I said wiping the tears from my eyes. “The last time I agreed to marry someone, my whole life turned upside down. I thought I was in love once but it turned out I wasn’t.”
“You were in love with the idea of being in love,” he finished.
I had never thought of it in that way. “Yes,” I said. “And now my daughter has to grow up knowing her grandfather is a murderer and that her father is a coward.” I felt the tears coming again. “I was hurt, Davorin—and those wounds will never heal.”
“They will,” he said, taking my hand. “James is not Richard.”
He was right, of course. My defenses had been so high up it was a realization I had not accepted.
“Layla, if you are having a hard time believing that he loves you, you need to open your eyes. You have changed him. He loves you with all his heart. I knew him when he was with Emily and I can tell you he loves you more than he ever thought he loved her,” he squeezed my hand. “You two are meant for each other.”
I looked up and smiled at him because now I knew what I had to do.
Chapter 52
AS SOON AS Aria woke from her nap, I left her at the seamstress shop with Betsy and made my way to the camp. When I reached the command tent, I noticed Malanese soldiers roaming through the camp. I had been unaware they had arrived.
“Is the general here?” I asked the guard.
“Yes,” he replied. “But he’s busy.”
“I need to talk to him,” I said.
“It may just work,” I heard a familiar voice from inside.
“He cannot be interrupted,” the guard said.
“I’m the princess,” I snapped back. “I can interrupt whenever I want.” Before he could stop me, I pushed open the flap and walked in.
King Darius and James were hovered over a map. Richard was nowhere to be seen. James glanced up and then straightened. His eyes were just as cold as they had been that first day when I met him. His mouth was a thin line—his whole body rigid.
King Darius turned around and greeted me with a warm smile. “My dear girl! How good it is to see you safe and well.”
“Thank you, your Highness,” I said with a bow of my head. “Where’s Prince Richard?”
James stayed silent, his piercing blue eyes frozen on me.
“He has been moved,” King Darius said. “General Hamilton assigned some rebels to keep him in my camp.
“In your camp?” I asked, trying to keep my eyes on King Darius.
“Yes,” the king said. “The beacons should be lit any day now.”
And then James leaves you.
“It’s good to see everything is moving so quickly,” I lied. “Forgive me, your Highness, but can I have a moment to speak with James.”
“Of course—”
“There’s nothing to be said,” James snapped. “There is a war coming and I do not have time to discuss anything else.”
I suddenly felt like I was going to cry but I fought the tears and took a breath. I looked down at my hands. “You’re right. It’s not important.”
“I think it would be best if the two of you spoke alone,” the king said, placing a friendly hand on James’s shoulder. “There are some things that must be said as soon as possible.”
King Darius left the tent I and looked back up at James to find that he was still glaring at me. “James—” I began.
“Save it, Layla,” he interrupted. “I really cannot do this right now.” He turned back to his desk.
“Please don’t turn your back on me,” I said quietly. “That’s what Richard did.”
He sat behind his desk. There wasn’t a flicker of emotion on his face.
“I did not come here to fight,” I continued. I needed to get everything I wanted to say out before he could stop me. “Just listen to me. I am sorry for hurting you. I am so sorry. I have been selfish and that is not fair to you. I didn’t even realize that until today because I’ve been hiding from so much and protecting my heart with all I could.”
“What brought on this sudden revelation?” James asked, his voice emotionless.
“When Davorin called me a selfish bitch.”
“He called you a what?” James asked angrily, standing up.
It was good to see he still cared about me.
“It does not matter what he said, James,” I said. “It doesn’t matter because he was right. It’s not that I did not or do not want to marry you. I want to, I really do. But I was scared. I am scared and that is why I only thought about my pain if I lost you. I did not think about yours when I turned you down. You know the way my last engagement ended—it destroyed me. When Mitchell died, I saw it destroy Charlotte. The war could start any day now. You could be called off by the end of this week and I could lose you forever.”
He walked over and took my face in his hands. “You don’t think I feel the same way? I’m afraid of losing you too. When you were shot, I thought my life was over.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks. “Charlotte told me even though it hurt her to lose Mitchell, she doesn’t regret a second of the time she spent with him.”
“I only regret the time I spend without you,” James said. It was incredible how fast he had softened. “I love you, and I still want to marry you.”
“And I love you more than you know,” I whispered, brushing my fingers against his scar.
He took my hand and placed it against his lips.
“Yes,” I said. “I will marry you.” I slid my hand from his and took his face between them. “I love you and I am giving you my heart.” I reached up with my lips until they touched his.
His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me close. I let his kiss drown my sorrows and fears. It felt as if a pressure had been lifted off my chest and that is when I knew that I had made the right decision.
When I pulled back, he wiped my tears and held me.
“I’m really sorry,” I whispered.
“Me too,” he said. “I shouldn’t have been so hard on you and I will be having a talk with Davorin on how he treats you.”
“Don’t,” I said, “I deserved it.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, James, and turning you down was the worst. Davorin helped me see that.”
“Then I guess I should be thanking him,” he joked.
I smiled and hugged him tighter.
“So Layla, my love, when do you want to get married?”
“How about tomorrow,” I said.
His eyes lit up. “I think that would be perfect.”
☐☐☐☐
“Tomorrow?” Betsy exclaimed when I told her the news. For a moment I thought she was going to collapse.
“Yes,” I said. “We don’t want to waste any
time. King Darius is going to marry us. The wedding will be opened to anyone in the villages.”
“But we don’t have any time to plan!”
“I don’t mind,” I said. “As long as I marry James, I won’t care.” A knock sounded at the door and I opened it. “Charlotte!” I exclaimed as she walked in carrying a box.
“I just heard,” she said as she placed it on the kitchen counter. “Congratulations Layla!” she gave me a hug. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“I brought you something.” She opened the box and took out her wedding dress. “I want you to wear it.”
“Oh, Charlotte,” I gasped. “Thank you but I can’t wear your dress!”
“Yes you can,” she said stubbornly. “You don’t have one and Betsy doesn’t have time to make you one.”
“She’s right,” Betsy said.
“Please,” she said when I did not take it from her. “We are almost the same size so with a few modifications, it should be a perfect fit.”
I sighed in resignation and took the dress from her outstretched hand.
The three of us headed into my bedroom with Aria following behind and I tried on the dress. I saw that Charlotte’s eyes were moist as Betsy laced up the back.
“Charlotte,” I said, “I’m sure I can find another dress.”
“No,” Charlotte said. “I want you to wear it. I wouldn’t have brought it to you otherwise.”
“Thank you,” I said with a smile
When Betsy finished, I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror—at the lace sleeves and bodice.
“It’s perfect,” I whispered.
“I think I’ll alter it a little,” Betsy said, “but it looks beautiful. You forgot something.”
She moved the rocking chair off the rug in my room and then lifted the rug off the floor. Underneath was a small trap door. She opened it and took out a box where my sapphire was kept. When she clipped it around my neck it began to glow.
“Princess Layla of Asteria,” Betsy said, her face beaming.
“A beautiful princess and bride,” Charlotte said, giving me a hug. “What do you think Aria?”
She squealed with delight and clapped her hands.
“Now,” Betsy said, “do you have a wedding band for him?”
“No. Where do you think I could get one?” I asked.
“Mr. Itamar makes them, that’s where I got Mitchell’s,” Charlotte said. “But I don’t think he can have it done by tomorrow.”
“Well, as long as he gets one,” I said. “Where is he?”
“He’s in one of the other villages,” Charlotte said. “I’ll take you there.”
Charlotte and I rode out of the village and headed toward the one East of us.
Mr. Itamar was an old Malanese man that lived and worked out of a vardo wagon. It was painted in many different colors with patterns and swirls lining the woodwork. An old horse was tied outside of it and grazed lazily in the forest shade. The door to the wagon was open and Mr. Itamar sat outside it in a chair and appeared to be napping. He had white hair and a white beard. His clothes seemed tattered, but despite his rough appearance, he looked kind.
“Mr. Itamar,” Charlotte said.
His eyes opened and he blinked back at us. “Miss Charlotte,” he said when he recognized her.
“Hello, Mr. Itamar,” Charlotte said. “This is Princess Layla.”
“Ah, Princess Layla,” he said, getting up. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. What can I do for you today?”
“I need a wedding band for my fiancé,” I said. “Can you make me one?”
“Of course,” he said. “When will you need it for?”
“Tomorrow,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Princess,” he said. “But it won’t be ready by then.”
“It’s all right,” I said. “You can give it to me as soon as you’re done.”
Mr. Itamar smiled. “What do you want it to look like?”
Chapter 53
I WOKE EARLY THE next morning and began preparations for the wedding. We had decided to use the same gazebo Charlotte and Mitchell had gotten married in. When I arrived to it to help decorate it, I found some of the women wrapping the columns with flowers, and pale blue and white ribbon. A small white table stood in the center of the gazebo for the silver chalice James and I would drink from. Everything was coming together beautifully and I could barely contain my excitement.
The wedding was to take place around six in the evening. It was asked of people in our village to contribute to the tables set up with food so there would be enough to go around. The wedding was the talk of all the villages. King Darius was marrying the princess to the general.
As the hours crept by, I grew increasingly impatient. I was not to see James until the wedding. When Charlotte and Betsy helped me into the gown, tears of happiness welled up in my eyes. Betsy shaped my long curls so they would fall around my shoulders. When the sapphire was placed around my neck, I was done.
Aria was playing with the bows on her pink dress. “Mama!” she exclaimed, blonde curls bouncing. “Pretty!”
“Yes it is!” I said, bending down to hug her. “You look beautiful.”
She gave me a smile showing her small white teeth. My glowing necklace quickly distracted her and she reached out to touch it.
I gave her a kiss on the cheek and she squealed in delight.
“Are you ready?” Charlotte asked. “It’s about time.”
I took a deep breath and looked at my reflection in the mirror. This was it; I was getting married. “Yes,” I replied.
Betsy covered the dress with a velvet blue cape so we could get to the meadow without James seeing me. Out on the porch, Tristan waited to escort us.
His face lit up when he saw me. “You look incredible.”
I hugged him. “Thank you.”
“James is one lucky man.”
I blushed.
Tristan smiled and gave me his arm. “Let’s not keep everyone waiting.”
When we arrived, I was shocked to see that hundreds of people had come. They stood around the gazebo with excitement lighting up their faces. When the quartet started playing Aria walked down the aisle with a basket of flower petals, dropping them. She looked nervous and kept stopping so the people around her had to keep prodding her on. When she made it to the front Betsy pulled her to the side
“Just breathe,” Tristan whispered to me as the music began to crescendo.
Charlotte slipped off my cape and I heard people gasp. I knew it was not just me that caught their attention—it was the sapphire. They bowed their heads as I passed and I felt goose bumps rise on my arms. As soon as James came into sight, the light in his blue eyes filled me with immense joy. The genuine smile on his face made my heart flip. My walk down the aisle seemed to be infinite and when I finally reached the front, he came to me and I took his arm. Betsy took my bouquet and he led me up to King Darius who stood there beaming at us.
I let go of James’s arm and faced him as he took my hands.
“Welcome my dear Asterians,” King Darius began. “It is a great honor for me to marry your princess and your general. These may be rough times, but their union is the very proof that despite a looming war, there is still hope. Layla and James have come to stand before you today and pronounce their love for one another. Together they will learn to honor one another in all things and lead you all to greatness and victory.
“Now, Princess Layla of Asteria, do you take this man to be your husband? Will you love and cherish him through all times, good or bad, for as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” I said, looking into those beautiful blue eyes as clear and cool as a fresh summer spring.
“Princess Layla, do you have a token in which you give to this man to represent your commitment to him?”
“Not yet,” I said, blushing. I had forgotten to tell King Darius and James I was still waiting on it. “I’m still waiting for
it to be made.”
I heard some of the villagers laugh softly.
“I’m sorry,” I said, looking up at James.
“Don’t worry,” James said with a smile.
“Well then,” King Darius said, with a hint of amusement in his voice, “we shall continue.”
I tried to hide my embarrassment by looking down at our linked hands, but I still felt my cheeks getting hotter. James squeezed my hand and I lifted my gaze back to him.
He winked to let me know it really was okay.
“General James Hamilton,” King Darius said. “Do you take this woman to be your wife? Will you love and cherish her through all times, good or bad, for as long as you both shall live?”
James held my gaze. “I do.”
It suddenly felt like we were the only ones standing there.
“Do you have a token in which you give to this woman to represent your commitment to her?” the king asked.
“Yes,” James said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a gold wedding band and slid it on my finger—it was a perfect fit.
We then turned to the table with the silver chalice and two small pitchers filled with wine. I picked up my pitcher as James took his and together we poured the wine into the chalice. It was an old Asterian tradition to symbolize our union.
King Darius picked up the chalice and handed it to James. James drank from it, keeping his eyes on me the whole time, then handed it to me. I took a sip and handed it back to the king. That was it—James was mine now.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” King Darius said.
James pulled me into his arms, and gave me a long and passionate kiss. We turned to the cheers of the villagers and stood before them as husband and wife.
The feast was wonderful. The people were blissfully rejoicing, and eating all the food the villagers had brought. We danced and laughed. People everywhere congratulated us. It was a wonderful time that helped lift the spirits of those who feared the upcoming war. James never let go of my hand. It was as if he was afraid I would disappear if he did. But I did not care—I did not want him to let go, either.
“Do you like the ring,” James asked me.
I had not had a chance to inspect it closer so I lifted it up to the firelight. There was a vine with flowers engraved around it. “It’s beautiful,” I said.