"I... I uh..." He stammered. I caught him off guard.
"Either go all out or have nothing. Are you with me?" I asked softly, closing my eyes. If he rejects my offer, I don't know what to do. He is the only position I have considered, and there really is no one who is the spouse I want. My heart seemed to explode in those eternal moments, because it seemed to become thinner in my chest and the air. I swear my lungs are in danger of wilting.
He can't say no, can he? Have I doubted his feelings for me before? I have never thought like this before, and after we have experienced so much, he may still reject our future together. This possibility is worse than Jill's betrayal. Why did you come to this point? How could I marry the wrong person and believe wholeheartedly in the worst spouse choice? I can end this relationship a long time ago, even with a suitable marriage contract. If the other party does not cooperate well, we can choose a marriage partner. I should have done this a few years ago when I first realized that Alec liked me. But I will never be a member of the royal family. On the contrary, marrying Alec will make me an aristocratic woman.
But I didn't, I was there, with my heart in my hands, ready to take responsibility. Now we can challenge Jill's throne and rule together.
I closed my eyes tightly. His silence is maddening.
Warm lips pressed against my lips, interrupting my thoughts, and the rustle that Alec made when he took me into his arms finally gave way to breathing. The way he kissed me tilted the whole world, I have never felt so excited. I kissed him back with every cell of my body, I never want him to let me go.
He was the first person to pull away and stare into my eyes.
"I will be your champion. My answer is yes. It has always been you, Ella. It has always been. I never thought I could tell you, but for you, it has always been all or everything. no."
The council meeting room in the Marktill Palace was suffocating. That's a place I don't often go to. Deportation includes exclusion from all political affairs, unless it is related to the safety and protection of the palace. However, I am here, facing my brother Itan, surrounded by elders. When they watched our discussion from their seats, they stared at us suspiciously. The table is U-shaped, and each of them has their eyes fixed on us.
What makes me relieved is that my job is not to appease them and let them know everything related to the Mark Thiel family. Poor Eaton. Being the first born child brings many unbelievable disadvantages. I am not jealous of him at all.
Alderland, one of the youngest but most outspoken members of the committee, waved his hands in the air uneasily. "You are guessing. The Kerhan people have not been in these places for more than a century. They probably all died in the forests of California or Oregon. It is crazy to believe that they are back."
"We have proven what we have seen. It is possible that they are planning some malicious action, but we cannot approach them without backing up. This park belongs to the territory of Mark Till, but I need permission to participate in order to avoid Break any agreement reached between the wolves." They were testing my patience, but when I waited for their answer, I didn't speak. This is not a question of whether the wolves will come back. Yes. So where is the problem
"The request was denied. You can't have any kind of contact with these strangers. I don't believe they are the Kelhan family. More evidence is needed."
"What if we are wrong, Alderland?" Marianne, one of the oldest women in the council, leaned forward, her face looked firm and worried.
"Marian, if they dare to come back, they will suffer serious consequences. Their lives will be lost for violating the terms of exile. I hope they will not take this risk."
"But how small is their chance of taking this risk?" Jason asked. "What if they have nothing to lose?" He stood next to me, looking like he was gnashing his teeth while listening to the council.
"What can they get?" Alderland asked. "These are all guesses. If they do come back, then please help all of us. They are cursed demons. They were expelled from our land when they were young. The scope of their power is unknown. Taking a step back, This will not be a happy reunion."
"Then we cannot risk not taking action now," I demanded. Looking around the council, I know that I am not the only one who feels this way. But Alderland, despite his relatively young age, has been promoted to the leader of the council. Without his permission, nothing can be approved. When he was obviously wrong, it was simply annoying.
"It's not for you to decide." His eyes were fixed on me, to see if I dared to continue arguing.
There is nothing to say. I took a step back and looked down and watched him send the court and the elders away. This way I could stay in the confinement room for one night and continue to work, so I surrendered.
"Come on, buddy. It's time to get on the road." Jason put his hand on my shoulder and urged me to get out. I shook my head, not believing that the Imperial Conference would be so naive. Well, not all of them. When they emptied their seats, many people showed reserved concern. This is good for me.
I found my brother waiting for me by the side, and his sympathy disappeared from his eyes.
"Eton?"
"I can't help you. You know."
"I know. But the Kerhan people are here. I swear. It might be bad. They will come to you. They may destroy everything before we are ready to fight back." I glared at the last old man who left his seat. . "They will come to all of us, and when they find us, they will also find the bow knight. What then?"
Yitan's silence and serious expression are enough to explain the problem.
I shook my head. It's no use defending me.
""What's wrong? When we were young, you were always so keen to do things well and do it your way. Now you are just an empty shell, everyone is commanding you except yourself. Where is the brother I sacrificed for? I bleed for you, but you are standing here, still a coward. "
"I can't help you!" Yitan said sharply. "Even if I want!" He himself felt very depressed. I love my elder brother, but I know that he is already bound. His lack of fighting spirit rekindled my anger in a way I never expected. It tastes like sour on my tongue.
"You never thought about helping me," I growled.
I couldn't restrain the suppressed anger, I kept it tightly locked in the cracks deep in my heart. Maybe I haven't faced these feelings for a long time, because I haven't completely forgiven Eaton for what happened in the mine. His immaturity and impulsive behavior are the reason why I have been a slave for so many years. Now, when I needed him to fight with me, he cowered in the corner and obeyed his master's orders, like a dog.
It's sad.
I was still shaking my head and strode out of the room. The committee will flatter me. If they are not going to help me, I have my own loyal soldiers, and they will, no matter what happens. I got one thing on the battlefield, and that was every soldier, every soldier, every veteran, whether it was in the fortress of Marktier or in the streets of Temple. No one dared to mess with Efron.
It's time to ask for some help.
There are other people, I can call a career, but I don't have time to negotiate with the pit master at the moment. There are warriors everywhere in Temple. They used to fight alongside me. Now they are sitting in my gym and chatting, waiting for the arrival of those who have fallen behind. Everyone jumped up because of my request. Everyone is a well-trained fighter who forged me in the same pit.
"Well, everyone," Jason's voice came from the crowd in a low voice. "Let's get started!" They are my friends, but there is a reason why he is my deputy. I am a strategic observer, always planning, always trying my best to evaluate the situation. He is the spokesperson, motivator and instructor of the campaign. Under his command, his senior officers were selected for specific purposes. The leaders are all Mark Till, but the crowd in front of us is a mixture of ordinary citizens. They are all shapeshifters of some kind, but only werewolves can belong to the royal family.
"Korhan was expelled from our ethnic group for a reason. The files show that they violated the peace agreement. They stole magic that did not belong to them from the local magician and used it on their own equipment. Unfortunately for them, this use of magic was accompanied by a curse that affected their entire ethnic group.
"This curse prevents them from turning into wolves during the day and freezes them to stone. They usually hide on the edges of buildings, towering high above the street, and will not be harmed when they rest. They are trapped. In the rocks. At night, they can fly around like monsters freely."
"Wow, wait," someone said. "Are they monster shapeshifters?"
A shocked whisper erupted from the crowd.
"Yes. They are monster shapeshifters now. The question is, why are they coming back now? Ephraim and I guessed that they were here for revenge, but they didn't have the weakness caused by the curse. On the other hand," Jason slowed down. He exhaled, his face had a foreboding that bad news was coming. "We cannot confirm, but we have reason to suspect that the fog they created on the edge of the town is just an experience in the future."
The head nodded and agreed. The fog near the park is not an isolated phenomenon. We learned that traces of it were found in all the forests around the temple. It is this point that causes the next question. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)