บท 18: 17
Dedicated to all my readers. Storygirl thanks for the powerstones and comments you kept leaving while I didn't update. I'm sorry I haven't been updating all this while. I recently started updating two chapters daily for my other book ' Twisted Secrets ' which has been contracted but the way. The battery of my new phone is not all that strong as I expected so it usually runs down before I can write any chapter for this book. I'll try updating daily from now on so please forgive me. I'll be posting another chapter in a couple of hours. I need to go write before reset. I hope you understand. Thank you 💜
***
Leonard froze, wondering if he heard right. " what? " he asked quietly.
" They want me to marry the Lord of vampires, a man I don't know, just to save them from the Eradains. " Clarissa said heatedly.
She felt like punching something, anything, her world seemed to be crashing down on her.
Leonard closed his eyes and tried to wrap his mind around what she had said. He had always known that his love for her would never amount to anything. As the princess, it was expected of her to marry royalty and in situations like this, she had to make the choice to save their people.
A part of him wanted to fight desperately for the love he saw in her eyes but he had always promised himself that he would protect her and if letting her marry the Lord of vampires was the only way to keep her safe from the Eradains, then he would do so no matter how much it hurt him.
He had made a promise when he was younger and now would risk his happiness to keep it.
She turned around confliction in her eyes as she stared up at him. " Leonard, what should I do? "
He knew what she wanted from him but he could not do that to her.
He had watched her grow. When they had been rescued from the forest, she had lay unconscious for weeks and he'd refused to budge from her bedside as he carried out the last instruction her mother had given to him.
The king could have had him thrown out into the streets or given him to another family to care for him but he kept him and cared for him as his own, protecting him as her mother had also protected him on that fateful day.
Now it was his turn to do the same for them although with a heavy heart. " I think you should consider the request the council has made. "
There was shock in her eyes as she took a step back. She had waited for so long for him to tell her he loved her but now he was asking her to marry the Lord of vampires.
She crossed her arms over her chest as a cold feeling entered her chest and she felt this need to cry but she pushed it away. She would never cry over any man.
" Marrying him is the only way you, your father and his people would be safe from the Eradains. "
" his people? " She asked, getting angry. " Do you mean the same people who betray us time and time again for their greed and self-interest? I have no desire to help them. "
" Clarissa, not everyone is as shallow as you think. Not everyone is out to get you. There are kind hearted people out there who would protect you, even without knowing you. Not everyone would hurt you. Your mother proved that to me. "
But he had hurt her.
She turned away from him and looked out over the kingdom. She closed her eyes.
She desperately wanted to ask him if he loved but she would not belittle herself for a man who could not even fight to keep her.
She considered what the council had asked of her. The only reason she had refused their request was because she had thought that perhaps Leonard loved her but apparently she was wrong.
" Thank you for your advice Leonard, as always you're a good friend. " It was hard for her to say and with every word her heart broke. " I will go tell my father that I will agree to marry the Lord of vampires. "
She left him standing there in pain but neither could go to each other now. Their choices had been made and there was no going back.
***
She entered the throne room to see the council rowdy with tension and fear in the air but the second they noticed her, there was a pin drop silence that could have sliced through a log of wood.
The council wondered if she had changed her mind and decided to kill them after all.
But she stood where she was without going to her seat next to her father and addressed the room. " You can send your messengers to Shadow's Kiss. I have chosen to marry the Lord of vampires as you wish. "
They could hardly believe it and were silent. What could have changed her mind?
She turned around to leave.
" Clarissa, " her father called out to her.
She stopped, wondering what her father had to say. Right now, all she wanted was the comfort of her room.
" We'll still try negotiating with him. Who knows he might want something else. "
But everyone knew this was very unlikely.
When Shadow's Kiss still communicated with the rest of the world, their riches were far greater than anything any other kingdom had ever seen. There was nothing they could not provide for themselves and with most kingdoms, they only offered their help if alliances were made.
So she did not put her mind on this and walked out the door to meet Leonard talking with someone familiar. Taking a closer look, she realized it was the sister who had caught councilman Ernest.
Could she be the one Leonard cares for?
***
Leonard walked towards the direction of the throne room to assume his position.
" Excuse me. " He heard someone call out and he turned towards another hallway which was joined to this which was the main hallway that led to so many places in the palace.
He saw it was the sister of light from before. She walked towards him in no hurried steps.
" I've been looking for you. "
He looked towards the doors of the throne room and then back at her. " How may I help you? "
" How can you see through the cloak of invisibility? " she asked, going straight to the point.
He stared at her with an expressionless look on his face. " If there's nothing I can do for you I'll be taking my leave. " he said walking towards the door to wait for the princess.
Author's note
Thank you so much for reading. Don't forget to vote, comment, share, rate/review, add to your libraries and reading lists. Thanks again💜
ของขวัญ
-- ได้รับของขวัญแล้ว สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง