That realization made her next words all the more painful. “What about Delilah?”
What Fleur wanted didn’t matter so long as he was still set to marry her.
“She is nothing to me,” Theo insisted with a vigorous shake of his head. “My men are helping her pack as we speak. As soon as you agree to stay I shall have her put on the next boat back to the mainland.”
For a fraction of a second Fleur allowed herself to imagine that everything would work out. She allowed herself to think of what it would be like to be his, to sit by his side and be his queen.
Then another question hit her. “What about King Lucius and Queen Lyra?”
“Need I remind you that I am a king in my own right?” Theo gripped both of her hands then and squeezed gently. She no longer needed his fingers beneath her chin to look at him. She could not take her eyes off him. “My parents gifted me the Summer Isle to rule as they will gift each of my brothers’ their own isle when they come of age. It is me and only me who decides who will be the one to sit on the throne beside me.”
Fleur only wished it was that simple but she knew as well as anyone at court that royal politics were way more complicated than that.
As if he thought she needed more convincing, he added, “Don’t forget that my parents were also fated mates. They could not deny their love any more than we can. They will understand.”
Before she could say another word, Theo suddenly dropped down onto one knee before her.
It was then that she realized an entire dockful of people had begun to creep from the surrounding warehouses and shacks, all drawn by the commotion of the royal presence.
This can’t really be happening!
But it appeared that it was. A crowd of people was gathering all around them, whispering questions.
“Who is she?”
“Is the king about to propose?”
“Is she a commoner? She doesn’t look like one!”
Theo’s voice broke through all the others and suddenly all she could see was him. “Fleur, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and my queen?”
“I…” Fleur began to speak but found she was speechless. She could do nothing but watch as he removed an emerald ring from his little ring and held it up to her hand, his expression eager, waiting for her to say yes so that he could slip it onto her ring finger.
How could I possibly say no in front of all these people? she thought. Then another thought occurred to her. Why would I ever want to say no?
Looking down at Theo she asked, “Are you sure?”
Chapter 17 - Theo
“I have never been more sure of anything in my life.”
It felt like an eternity since he had answered her question and now he awaited her answer, kneeling down on one knee, pain beginning to radiate up his leg. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to urge her. He had to be sure that when her answer came it was all hers. He had to know that she was as sure as he was.
He could feel the eyes of the crowd watching from all sides and knew that if she said no there would be no escape. They were thronged on all sides with no through route in sight. If he ordered it, his guards would shove aside any amount of people to get him to safety but he found himself praying he would not need to.
The people will be pleased that I have chosen one of their own to rule at my side, he thought, trying not to imagine what might happen if she rejected him. That was too hard a thought to bear.
The tension inside him was growing too much, he could hear his pulse pounding in his ears. It was so loud and intense that he almost missed her answer completely.
It was only when she began to smile, nodding with tears in her eyes that he realized she had accepted. The crowd was cheering and yet he could barely hear a word they said as he slipped the ring onto Fleur’s finger, thinking, I must get her a better ring.
She appeared delighted with it however and gazed at it for a few moments as he rose to pull her into his arms. Their lips met so forcefully that it was almost painful but he gripped hold of her face, determined not to allow her to pull away. He wanted every single person on the dock to see his claim upon her. He wanted word to spread far and wide so that everybody would know. He was going to marry his fated mate.
With a brilliant smile on his face he refrained from kissing her and pulled her hand up to admire his ring sitting upon her finger.
“It is a little big,” he observed. “I shall have a new one made for you.”
Fleur shook her head and snatched her hand away, wrapping her fingers tightly into a fist to protect the ring on her finger. “It fits perfectly.”