Chapter 14 - A Proposal (Patreon)

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“Should I chase after him?” Remi’s voice popped up behind me. “Do I need to remove a body part from him for his unwarranted touching?” Her head slowly crept over my shoulder. A smile built on her lips. “Or did you… instigate, perhaps?”

I pushed Remi’s face away from me. “Leave me alone.”

Remi swiftly avoided me. She whipped around, positioning herself in Gai’s vacant chair. “Who was that? He was a very handsome man.”

“Gai Regal.”

“Who?” He nose crinkled, and her eyes lifted up to the ceiling as she paused in thought. “That last name’s familiar.”

“I thought the same, but I have no idea who he is.” I paused, too. My brain did another round of search, but eventually gave up. I focused instead on my simple four-word summary of Gai. “He’s a sarcastic alcoholic.”

“Oh, then you have a lot in common.”

“Right?! New best friend!”

“I don’t think he wants to be friends,” muttered Remi.

“Oh, yeah, no. The whole face-touching thing was super weird. And he kept looking me up and down.”

“It’s not like you haven’t experienced stuff like that before. So have I.”

“Dressed like that?” I pointed at her admittedly showy leather outfit. But she wore it all the time and had complained to me about it before. I thought it looked good on her, but I was an asshole, so I teased her whenever I could. 

“Shut up,” Remi cursed, rolling her eyes. 

“Oh, ladies. Your knight in shining armor has arrived,” a voice suddenly interrupted our conversation. Only Alexander could have said something so annoying at such a perfect time.

“What’s up?” I craned my neck to see the man. He was built like a mountain. In the same armor Nigel wore, he looked even more imposing. You wouldn’t even be able to tell he was a douchebag. A lovable one, but a douchebag all the same.

“I’ve been informed by Lord Embers that you’re needed by the throne,” said Alexander in a less than jovial tone. “The prince wishes to give a gift to your entire family, and you need to be in attendance.”

“Oh. All right then.”

“No questions?” Alexander raised an eyebrow.

“Not surprising. It isn’t every day a prince visits our part of the world. It’s annoying, but it’s the job.”

Alexander, oddly for him, rested a comforting hand on my shoulder. “It’ll be all right. You’ll get through this.”

Remi’s face contorted into shock. I myself nearly had a heart attack.

Is Alexander being… nice? What the hell is wrong with him?!

“Thanks, Alex,” I said, calling him by his nickname. “I appreciate it.”

Hmmm. I don’t think I’ve ever told him Rebecca likes him. Should I reinforce this good behavior with a reward?

“Hey, what if I told you I could grant you an amazing wish?” I asked.

“Do I get to watch you two get drunk and kiss again?” he asked, pointing between Remi and me.

Silence.

I patted Alexander on the shoulder and walked past him. “Never mind.”

“What? Did I say someth—Ow! Remi!”

“Why are you like this?!” screamed Remi. “And we didn’t do that! It was an accident!”

I crossed the room until I reached an array of three thrones set out at the back. The baron and his wife moved from the floor and settled there. The thrones were slightly elevated upon steps so that those sitting on them could look down at the party. The baron sat in the middle, and the baroness was to his right.

“Alexander didn’t have to drag you kicking and screaming?” the baron mocked.

“Not this time. This dress isn’t made for fighting,” I said, matching his energy.

“Please, stop bantering and settle down.” The baroness waved for me to take a seat. “The prince will begin in a moment.”

The baron waved to a knight across the room, who just so happened to be by the prince. He whispered to an associate of the prince, and the prince nodded. A brilliant, bright smile overtook his face. He pulled a sealed letter out of his jacket and handed it to the knight. The knight crossed over to us quickly while Prince Christopher took his time reaching us. He was in front of us at the same time the baron had the letter in his hand.

Why am I getting a sudden sense of deja vu?

“Baron Embers, it is an honor to be before you today,” said Prince Christopher, gathering the entirety of the room’s attention. His clothing and looks created a sense of magnanimity that silenced all onlookers. “I come before you with a request and an invitation—that which is placed before you. I shall give you a moment to read it, if it pleases you.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” said the Baron.

The Baron opened the letter. He read it. His expression was steady at first. Then it morphed into surprise. He peeked at me out of the corner of his eye, looked back at the letter, then stood.

“As her father, I would like to hear the request verbally,” he said.

“Of course, sir.” Christopher dropped to one knee and looked at me. “Lady Scarlet, I would like to ask for your hand in marriage.”

“The fuck?” I said immediately. Thankfully, only my parents were close enough to hear my startled words. 

It was dead silent. Everyone was looking between the Prince and me.

I immediately found Remi.

Just wanted to meet me, my ass!

Remi caught my gaze. Her eyes widened, and she immediately looked away. She squinted as if she was looking really, really carefully at something else far, far away.

Traitor!

“That decision is entirely up to my daughter, Your Highness,” the baron said after a moment, sitting back in his chair.

I stared into the side of his head, surprised. But then I saw him barely holding himself back, and all familial love I had vanished.

His face was twitching. He gripped his throne so hard, it looked like he might tear it off. The way he looked at me screamed, Say yes, you ungrateful brat! Which, fair. With what I put him through over the past year, and the thought of me being unmarried into my twenties, a prince proposing must have seemed like a miracle.

“It’s all very sudden,” I said, turning to the Prince. My voice was projected so more people in the room could hear. “We’ve hardly spoken for more than a few moments. I’ve never met you before today.”

“Call it love at first sight,” said the Prince. He was still on one knee. “You fight with grace. You’re strong, funny, and beautiful. Your very essence blinds me.”

What a load of shit.

“I could think of no one better by my side,” he continued. “With royal patronage behind your father’s work, Hopeful Lake would never be treated as some distant territory again.”

Ah, so a bribe. And in front of everyone, so I’ll look selfish if I say no. He really doesn’t know me, huh?

I smiled.

The baron could tell what my smile meant. His face was already boiling red with anger, even though he gave me the permission structure to say no.

“Your Highness, I—”

“I object!” a voice interrupted.

Huh?

The crowd began to mutter. All eyes, including mine, the baron’s, the baroness’s, and Christopher’s, shot toward the back of the room.

Gai staggered forward carrying another bottle of wine. He drained it before tossing it behind him. “Delicious,” he muttered. “Was that the right thing to say? I object? Or should I have shouted something else to get your attention?” Gai openly pondered. He looked toward me and waved. “Hello, my love!”

I sank in my seat, mortified. Every cell in my body wanted to collapse in on myself until I turned into an invisible smudge of nothingness.

What the hell is that stupid drunk doing?!

“What is the meaning of this?!” The baron was so baffled by Gai, I couldn’t tell if he was angry or just confused.

To Gai’s credit, he didn’t flinch either way. He stared at the baron as if he were the most boring, inconsequential being on the planet.

Murmurs filled the room. Those closest to one another exchanged tantalizing gossip.

“Who is that?”

“I think I know him.”

“Isn’t he a mercenary?”

“No, he’s a noble. Why else would he be here?”

“Is he drunk? Does he know what he’s doing?”

“Is he one of Lady Scarlet’s lovers?”

“Sir.” Gai bowed before the baron ,for some reason not calling him a lord. The strained, drunken smile remained on his face. “My name is Gai Regal, son of Duke Hazien Regal.”

Ah! I did know the name. 

Wait.

Duke Hazien Regal?! His father owns all the territory in the Southwest. Why the hell is he here? Right! Pilgrimage. But he’s a count’s son. They never do them. What’s wrong with him?!

At that, the Baron perked up. Any signs of anger dissipated altogether. “Ah, I believe I have met your father.” He settled comfortably back in his chair, much calmer. “He’s a good man. That tells me who you are. As for my next question: why do you object to the Prince’s proposal?”

He didn’t have any reason to reject what Gai was saying. At a glance, his clothes were more expensive than most others in the room besides the prince. He wore jewelry hardly anyone could afford. And he had an air and confidence about him that only came from the upper nobility. 

Why didn’t I notice any of that before? Am I stupid?

“I had a lovely conversation with your daughter not too long ago,” Gai began. He raised his head, stood straight, then put his hands behind his back in a respectful way as he told his tale. “We connected so easily, like lifelong friends. I’ve been on a Pilgrimage for the past year searching for my fated destiny.” He turned to me. “I would say I’ve found it. Growing old with Scarlet would be a gift beyond my worth.” He peered at the prince, almost sneering. “And I’d say our support would equally go a long way to helping this region.”

Other women in the audience looked at each other in awe. They giggled, talked to one another, and pointed in my direction with what looked like happy envy.

Gai winked at me.

I frowned. My gaze averted as a pink shade tinted the skin around my cheeks against my will.

“If I may,” Prince Christopher cut in. “You have no right to what you’re doing.” His tone was slightly annoyed. He eyed Gai like a hazardous roadblock.

“Ah, but I objected. That’s what a man does when love is at stake!” Gai cast his hand about like a net. “We were together until only a few moments ago, yet I felt a lifetime of regret grip my heart. A lifetime empty of what I always needed. True love.”

“Lucky,” muttered a bunch of women in unison. It made the men in the audience shuffle with annoyance.

All eyes landed on me.

I stared at my feet as I counted the specks of dirt on the tiles.

Why is this happening to me? I don’t like this. I was never good at being the center of attention. Well, sober. Drunk is fine. I was always a bubbly, happy drunk. Most people are. I’m merely a statistic in that category. But I can’t get drunk, so this is bullshit! 

I could feel a new set of eyes turn to me from my right. I looked in their direction and met my parents’ gaze.

“Yes?” I squeaked.

“The decision is yours,” said the Baron. “I will not meddle in your love life. It wouldn’t bode well for the poor men.”

The poor men? Really? You think I’m that bad, huh?

My body sank deeper into my chair as I tried to hide myself. It only made things worse.

Gods, I wish I could disappear. I don’t want to get married, but I can’t really say no to them either. I mean, I can. And I’m going to. But I’ll be a national laughingstock who, at the very least, insulted a duke’s son and a prince by rejecting them.

It was one thing to piss off my parents and the locals. This was waaaaay beyond me.

The edge of my tongue nervously rode across the top of my lip as I tried desperately to think of a solution.

Screw it! Rejection in front of everyone it is! To the both of them! 

“Oh, sorry. I forgot.” Gai turned to Prince Christopher, took a piece of fine cloth out of his long coat, and tossed it at him. It hit the prince’s chest and bounced off, drifting slowly to the floor. “Under the eyes of the Gods, I challenge you to a duel. I invoke this in the name of the Pantheon. May their grace forever reign.” He touched two fingers to his eyes with the third tapping his forehead, then pushed his open palm out to the prince. “You are seen.”

Oh, thank the Gods! Wait, what the hell is he doing?

All the eyes in the room angled away from me and docked back on Gai.

The muttering picked up again.

“A duel?”

“Between the Prince and a duke’s son?”

“He invoked the Gods. They have to do it now.”

“How exciting!”

“Lucky bitch… having two men fighting over her. Wonder what that’s like?”

“Of course, the Prince will win!”

“Sore loser shouldn’t have interrupted. What a waste of time.”

Christopher grimaced. He looked at Gai, clearly pissed. The way his hands trembled, it was obvious how much he was holding back.

As soon as the onlookers said the word “duel,” I remembered some of the earlier texts I’d read when I was first trying to become a Chosen Child.

The world was ruled by a collection of Gods called the Pantheon. While each country had a God they idolized more than others, all were respected and could be worshipped, mostly. There were good Gods and bad. The bad gods were called “Demons” and were banned. Worshipping them meant execution. 

Duels were considered sacred affairs of love. The Goddess of Love, Dia, was adored by the Demon of Pride, Lucel, and the God of Justice, Andor. They dueled for her heart, and Andor won. Since then, it had been tradition that, when there were disputes over matters of the heart, they could be resolved with a duel. Those duels would be honored above common law.

I vaguely remember something like this happening out east some decades back with the northeastern Duke’s son, a merchant’s daughter, and her childhood friend. Pretty sure the friend was hacked to pieces due to his lack of experience. But the duel was honored, regardless of status.

Prince Christopher’s eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before calming. His entire body relaxed, and he smiled. “I accept.”

Wait, don’t I get a say in all this? What the hell?!

I tried to speak, but the baron beat me to the punch.

“As Scarlet’s father and witness to the duel, I shall honor the challenge,” said the baron.

When I looked at him, I could see the wheels in his head turning. He didn’t look pleased. I couldn’t blame him. Duke Haizen ruled the territory directly south of us. We had our own ruler, Duke Dallinger, who presided over and technically owned the Hopeful Lake territories. It wouldn’t look good to have a competing duke marry into one of Duke Dallinger’s vassals’ families, and one of the most important ones in terms of regional and economic security.

On the other hand, now that religion was invoked and a duel was at stake, no one could contest the duel or the requested prize at the end, including me. I’d be labeled a heretic, which would ultimately ruin my life. Either way, one of them would be engaged to me. 

I was pissed. I’d been played.

“We shall make it a festival then,” the baron continued. Two weeks from now—” He held up two fingers. “—the two of you shall duel. The winner, be it by forfeit, injury, or death, shall have the right to marry my daughter. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Prince Christopher nodded. There was fire in his eyes.

“But of course,” replied Gai.

“Then you two shall be granted a stay in the castle until that time comes. Eat, sleep, drink, and train at your pleasure. You’ll be granted hospitality on the western side of the castle. My daughter shall be at the east. I would advise you to keep this in mind and stay where you’re supposed to,” the baron informed the two men with a deep, cold breath. It was very much him inferring that they were not allowed to “try” the “product” before they “buy.”

“Damn,” Gai jokingly hissed to himself.

Prince Christopher scowled at him. “Disgraceful.”

My face burned red as I seeped further into my chair. “Fuck my opinion then,” I whispered.

“The circumstances are out of our hands. I’m not happy either,” the baron said to me as he stood up. “May the best man win!” he yelled to the crowd.

Bullshit, you’re not happy. You get a prince or a duke’s son out of this. 

The weary horde of onlookers broke into a roar at those words, cheering throughout the room.

“And with that, we shall conclude the night.” The baron humbly bowed before his audience. “May your journeys home be safe and secure.”

At his word, the party ended.

The baron stopped right beside me. His hand patted my shoulder. “They are both fine choices, willing to fight for your heart. Please, give them a chance. For me.”

“No,” I said immediately.

He smiled at me. “You don’t have much a choice anymore. The dye has been cast.” He walked past me. “Love you!”

“H-Hey!”

The baroness abandoned her chair as well. She dipped down behind me to whisper in my ear. “You are lucky. They both seem to genuinely like you.” She kissed me on the cheek before turning away to follow the baron.

The guests were slowly exiting the room. Gai and Christopher were still present, though. In fact, the two of them were moving in my direction. I gulped as they stood before me. Those remaining looked on, interested, craning their necks to hear what we would say before they were made to leave. 

Prince Christopher was the first to speak. “I appreciate the opportunity to prove my worth to you.” He bowed gently. “I’m sorry there will be such a delay before our union.”

“Yeah, it is kind of annoying that I’ve got to wait so long before the whole marriage shit,” groaned Gai. “Took the words right out of my mouth, prince.” He patted the prince on the shoulder. That formal showing in front of the crowd was long gone.

“Why are you even doing this?” Prince Christopher growled. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Gai. “To cause a scene? To insult me?”

“Nah, I do what I want. That’s about it.” Gai chuckled. 

“Is that so?” Prince Christopher closed the gap between himself and Gai. “Then this is just some game to you, isn’t it? You’d invoke the Pantheon for such reasons?” He spat at his feet, earning the shock of some onlookers. “You weak, useless, wet little boy.”

Gai laughed. “Whoa, there! Save that for later.” His eyes suddenly darkened. “Wouldn’t want your pretty blood all over the floor now, would we?”

I stepped between them. “Okay, enough.” My arms pushed them apart.

“Hm?” Gai grabbed the hand I used to push him away. His fingers rubbed over my palm. “Firm, but soft. You have lovely hands.”

Quick as hell, I snatched my palm away and held it close to my chest. “S-Stop that!”

“Ha, sorry to embarrass you, but how could I not touch you when you were acting so brazen?” Gai eyed me carefully. His gaze relaxed as it glazed over my figure.

I shuddered. Should I just stab him right now? It would be so easy.

“Depraved,” judged the prince.

Before I could speak again, knights moved toward us. They stopped right before me.

“We are here to escort the prince to his quarters,” one of them said. “His men are securing the floor for him.”

“Ah! Good! Okay then,” I muttered, glad to have a new conversation to go off on. I turned to Prince Christopher. With a smile, I curtsied before him. “If anything is not to your liking, please reach out.”

Prince Christopher’s eyes lit slightly, thankfully. He bowed back. “I will. And I shall reach out to you regarding a time to meet. I feel we have much to discuss.”

“I look forward to it,” I lied.

The guards led Prince Christopher out of the ballroom. One guided him forward while the other took the rear. They exited the room as two new guards, likely for Gai, entered after them.

“Whew! That was crazy, wasn’t it?” Gai said to me once Christopher left. “That guy’s got a lot wrong with him, huh?”

“Why are you doing this?” I whispered hurriedly. “I don’t want to marry either of you. I’ve thrown multiple guys out windows just for trying to touch me. What do you think I’ll do to you two?”

“That’s why I’m doing this,” said Gai. “Miya,” he stressed with a smile. “For you.”

I frowned. “You knew?”

“I put the pieces together.” He raised his hands defensively. “Listen, I’m here to help. You don’t want to get married. The Prince proposed. You couldn’t really say no. I intervened.”

“Bullshit. I would have said no regardless. He has no power over me, and I don’t give a shit about what others think about me. Besides, why would you do something like this for someone you barely know?!”

“It’s why I’m traveling. Just wanna help people and experience fun, new things.” He rolled his eyes. “Couldn’t really do that at home. But out on the road? Freedom.”

I stared at him, mildly impressed but still perplexed.

He had helped. Maybe. Christopher did his announcement on purpose to corner me. Then again, Gai did, too. But what else could he have done if he was truly intent on helping me?

I don’t trust him, though. He wants something from me. I’ve been screwed over too many times in my past life. I have no reason to believe his words. He’s trying to steal from me, do me, or both.

“Liar,” I stressed.

“I guess we’ll see.” Gai smiled. “I will say, after looking you over—” He stared at me once more, looking me up and down. “—everything about you is sexy. Plus, you can hold your liquior, and I bet you’re great in bed. I couldn’t pick a better wife.”

Instinctively, I put my hands over my chest. Heat blazed through my cheeks as both embarrassment and anger fueled my blood. “Dick.”

“That is what I’ll use.”

A sword made of blackened energy appeared in my hands.

Gai stepped back, laughing. “Kidding, kidding! We’re friends now, aren’t we? I just wanna help.”

“Since when are we friends?!”

“Since about an hour ago!”

His laughter filled the air.

Even though he was finding this all funny, I was already preparing for the screaming match with the baron I’d have the second I got him alone.

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