Duty and Destiny

Archer couldn’t help but laugh. The sound of it felt like honey sliding through her. Slowly she looked up at him in time to see him lift his lips in a dangerous grin. She leaned back at the wall and stared at him without blinking, seemingly without breathing either.

He curled his arm around her waist and pulled her tiny frame against his. This time he didn’t pause or hesitate. He pressed his lips against her and feasted on them, moaning in pleasure as the silky taste of her rushed through him.

They walked into the dining room hand in hand. Unknown to them everyone was staring. Archer helped Adalia into a chair and pulled his closer to hers. They sat at the table with a dozen other people, but they seemed to be in their own little world. A space generically furnished just for the two of them.

“Archer, have you studied the plans,” Lionell asked.

Archer’s body stiffened the thought of leaving Adalia’s side ripping him a new wave of panic. What was he to do or say? He had given his word to his men but then-

He felt Adalia’s warm hand curl around his arm as much as he could, and he made his decision. “I won’t be going father.”

“Oh?” Lionell feigned a surprised look. He was sure Archer’s problem had been Adalia but now that they looked like they were getting along well he didn’t expect him to leave.

“I think it would be best if Adalia and I took our vows. But after Novia’s vows,” he wasn’t one to steal the thunder from underneath his siblings’ wings. It was her day, and he didn’t want anything to steal the unique joy from her. And when he saw her mouth ‘thank you’ to him, he knew he had made the right decision.

But then a thought crossed his mind that made him stiffen. He and Adalia hadn’t talked about the vows. All they had done was kiss and he rushed to the assumption that she would leave Xander for him.

“If that is fine with you,” he added.

She held onto his arm and leaned into him. All the giddy excited feelings had wiped her mind clean of anything and everything that had happened before the kiss. This was where she wanted to be at Archer’s side. “I’m fine with it.”

Something inside him eased and he took a deep breath.

***

I think I love him. I love Archer. How ludicrous is that. But when he kissed me, I felt like the world had stood still and it was just us breathing in that heartbeat. I felt like my body would melt in his embrace. He held me so close I could hear his heart beating.

The funny thing is my mother will not believe me if I expressed these feelings to her. She’s so used to me having a sword in my hand, dressed in armor and so focused on the fight to believe that I suddenly turned romantic. Randi will definitely make fun of me. I will never hear the end of it.

But then there is Xander, as soon as they come for the wedding, I will have to tell him that I can’t marry him, that I am marrying Archer. It’s going to be hard for him, but this is how things are supposed to be. This is how I want it to be.

There is no turning back.

Adalia

She had only been away from Archer for the night, but she felt this yearning to be close to him. Although Adalia had to come up with a perfect way to let Xander down she couldn’t get Archer off her mind. She waited for the first sign of sun and walked to his room.

She loves me.

She hasn’t said it yet, but I have no doubt that she does. I felt it in her kisses in her embrace... she makes me feel powerful. Dear God, is it possible to feel so happy, so complete.

Adalia said that she would be my wife. I have to wait for her father to arrive so that I can officially ask his daughter’s hand in marriage. But I am not worried, since they already approve of me. This time when Adalia and I marry it won’t be out of duty but out of love.

Xander, I don’t know how she will solve the problem she has with him. But as long as he stays in the South, we won’t have a problem at all.

I decided not to go out with the troops. Yes, I do feel guilty especially after I had given them my word. But they will have to understand. I will be taking my vows soon and it is important that I don’t leave my wife. But I cannot neglect my crown, so as soon as it is possible, I will join them. I have no doubt that Adalia would want to come too. I think I would be more at peace if she did. Seeing her fight beside me will assure me that we would both be protected as long as we were together. We would enjoy our victories together.

Together, that’s how we will be for eternity-

Archer’s back stiffened when he felt someone’s presence behind him. He relaxed once he caught her reflection in his mirror. He pretended not to have seen her and kept his head low. His heart cooed at the sight of her smile and his soul quivered at the look in her eyes. He studied her face and knew she felt the same peace that he did. With a flick of his wrist and a stroke of his pen he signed his name on the bottom of the page and turned around to look at her.

When he faced her Adalia couldn’t help but want to think of, something to say profoundly romantic; something poetic and so perfect that it would have Shakespeare and Maya Angelou shaking in their boots. But she had nothing, so instead she said,

“Looking at you makes me happy.”

Archer rose from his seat and strode slowly towards her. He lowered his head towards hers so that their foreheads could touch. And once they did, he chuckled when he felt a shiver run through his veins.

“Looking at you makes me happy too.”

***

“I’m glad,” she swallowed hard. She could feel her body begin to betray her. Every cell in her body wanted to wrap itself around his strong frame. But she couldn’t do that, she was a princess, and he was a prince, there were certain strict rules of courting that they had to follow. To keep herself from breaking the rules, Adalia took an unwilling step aside. “So, what were you writing in your diary?”

“Journal,” he corrected then went on. “Haven’t we had this argument already?”

How could she forget? It had been the first time she had felt some kind of connection with Archer. They shared something in common, and that was what made him seem more like a human being other than her future king and husband.

“We did and I won,” she chirped.

“Alright then. I was writing in my diary about you, and about how fantastic the last couple of days have been because I spent all of them with you.”

“Go on,” Adalia was happy to know that he thought of her but knowing that he wrote about her made her feel even more excited.

She thought about what he wrote, her mind toying with the idea that he finally said that he loved her. The only thing along those lines that she had heard from him was when she told Xander that he wanted her. She hoped that his feelings had turned a little softer since then,

Archer wasn’t one to share his deepest feeling and thoughts with anyone except his journal. But Adalia wasn’t just anyone, she was the one. “I wrote that I want to be with you. And that I would rather lose my wings and my crown than be away from you.”

She gave him a weary smile, disappointed that she hadn’t heard the words she was desperately craving. But it had just been a week, she was sure given more time he would soon admit it.

Archer was leaning in for a kiss when Novia crushed into them.

“They are here!” She shrieked as her hands clapped and her cheeks reddened.

Adalia took in a deep breath. Her family was here and so was Xander. Soon everyone would know the decision they had made about taking their vows. She felt Archer take her hand and pull her down the hallway. She tried her best not to turn around and run. She had shattered a couple of prides and egos on the mock battlefield but never had she had to shatter someone’s heart. Her finger’s tightened around Archer’s as she tried to arrange the perfect words for the perfect sentence.

It was as if Archer could feel her getting nervous. As if he saw the color in her face slowly drain out. He squeezed her hand a couple of times then whispered to her. “I will always be beside you.”

When she heard those words from him, Adalia stopped. She stared at his perfect face and felt reassured. ‘Everything is going to be fine’ she thought to herself. But before she could fully convince herself she heard her father’s voice. They turned towards the royals and immediately Adalia saw Xander.

Xander waked in excited about seeing his fiancé. The week away from her had been agonizing, worse than the year they had spent apart. He wanted to pull her into a corner and hold her and kiss her. But when the crowd around them finally cleared and he had a clear view of Adalia, he froze.

Adalia and Archer were holding hands. She didn’t look coerced in fact she looked happy, or happier. He swallowed hard and took another step forward. He was now in middle of the small crowd of royals.

“Gabrielle, I have good news for you,” Lionell announced.

Adalia pulled her eyes away from Xander’s distraught one. She had caught his gaze once he saw her and Archer hold hands. Through his eyes she could see his heart shutter as the excited expression was replaced by confusion. She wanted to tell Xander about what had happened in the past couple of days, but she held her breath knowing very well that King Lionell would beat her to it.

“The rebels gave up,” Gabrielle put in.

“No, we aren’t that lucky. Our children have decided to take their vows.”

“I thought that was why we were here.”

“I mean, Archer and Adalia,” he pulled them forward before everyone as the room erupted with applauds.

Adalia felt herself being pulled in embraces. She was able to catch one glimpse of Xander and the look of betrayal in his face seared through her.

“I need to speak to him,” she whispered to Archer. She didn’t move until he gave her a nod of approval.

“This was where I was standing,” Xander pointed out.

Adalia rushed to the balcony. The same balcony she had her special moments with Archer, the same balcony that Xander had proposed. How could one spot hold so many beautiful moments and such great conflict? She almost didn’t step outside when the guilt crushed into her chest. “I’m sorry.”

“No, that wasn’t what you said,” he pointed at the ground. “You were standing right there and what you said was yes. You said yes.”

“But I have to say no now,” she moved towards him but kept a distance between them. “I am going to take my vows with Archer.”

“Why? Is he forcing you?” Xander’s mind could not register the rejection. “We could run away together.”

Adalia shook her head as she took a step behind with each step, he took towards her.

“You need to understand Xander. This is how things should be.”

“No!” He grabbed her upper arms and began to shake her. “We’ll run away together.”

“But I love him,” she said it in an almost whisper trying her hardest not to cause him any more pain. But that was something she couldn’t avoid.

When Xander wouldn’t stop shaking her, Adalia drew his sword out of his scabbard and held it to him. “You need to calm down. Nothing you can do can change this.”

Xander was about to lurch at her when Archer walked in. He saw Adalia in a defensive position and immediately he reacted. He planted his body between the two of them.

“What is going on here?” His gaze didn’t leave Xander’s.

Adalia dropped the sword on the ground and grabbed Archer’s arm. “Let’s just go. Our parents must be wondering where we are.”

Archer let himself get pulled away. “I don’t understand what made him so angry?”

“I told him I am marrying someone else. I think that was enough to piss him off,” she swore and hurried away. Adalia needed time alone to lick her wounds. She also needed to figure out a way she could be in love with Archer with Xander around them.

Archer didn’t bother going after her. He could only assume what she was feeling. He went to the family room where everyone had been waiting for them. He was going to give her some time to herself, sure that she would come back to him.

Adalia went to her chambers and burst into a storm of tears. It was the only thing she could do apart from feeling guilty. After a while the walls began to close in on her. She straightened her dress fixed her face and walked out.