By now, Alexander has completely understood the reason behind Isabella's behavior. Isabella was practically a child. She has never learned anything from humans. Her words confused him in the beginning but the more she told him about her parents, her brothers, her family, the more it made sense. She was smart and probably strong.
She has been trained to lead people. She does not crave the beauty or luxury a king will provide but only someone to protect and hold dear. She has great for leaders and knows every moral a queen is required to know. Sure, a different upbringing may be an issue and she will need to learn some human things. But yet he wouldn't have it any other way.
He couldn't help but chuckle when the memory of the proposal resurfaced. It was not something which he ever expected and neither did he thought, but unexpected things seem to happen when it involves his rare flower.
He took her to dinner in a lakeside. Away from the prying eyes to know her better. And then, to give her the ring of her mother. He will tell her it was a gift for her birthday, but his plan went all in vain. If he would have known he was only required to dance with her and then she would agree to marry, he would have done it ages ago. But the wait, the time duration, was worth everything.
*flashback*
Isabella had finally almost finished her dinner and was going to munch on the last bite of the food. Her eyes sparkled with adoration and interest throughout the night. There were moments when she will let the fork be and expand her hands to explain a moment. Her huge smile when she would tell about an interesting moment. But there was one more thing in the midst of all, longing. Her eyes reflected a certain craving and it was not a big thing to guess the reason.
"Xander? I want to marry you."
One single sentence from her was enough to throw him in a coughing fit. His eyes went wide at stared at her with wide eyes.
In his world, males are the ones who fall in love or ask to court the females. They are the ones who make the first move not the other way around. They ask for permission to marry. Women are often shy and consider it not appropriate to talk about these things. But, Isabella was different. Her confession sure ignited something inside him but it also gave him the greatest shock too.
He was gaping like a fish without water. He quickly blinked twice with mouth agape and tried to look around as if something would magically make him talk. Finding none, he drank the water while keeping his eyes on Isabella. He tried to gulp the water quickly but the innocence in her eyes made him slip and go in a coughing fit.
He was coughing hard and even after he controlled his coughing fit, he couldn't speak a word. His eyes wide, mouth opening and closing. He didn't know what to say. Was she proposing to him? Wasn't it supposed to be another way? And she was just looking at him with love in her eyes. Suddenly a small frown slowly appeared on her face and the love in her eyes turned into a little bit of confusion and hurt.
"D-do you not w-want to? A-are you re-rejecting m-me?"
Isabella was happy and excited. When Alexander asked her about his family, she couldn't help but tell him about it. It started with his father, mother, and brother. Then their fun moments. And ended with mates. By the time she finished, she couldn't contain it inside her anymore and decided to voice out her feelings. But when he didn't say anything, she couldn't help but feel hurt about his rejection.
She had never heard of a mate rejecting its other half. She has heard the wolves die when their other halves die. The pain, the agony, the loneliness, have always brought them closer to death. She didn't want to be rejected. She couldn't help her eyes from turning glossy. Her lower lip started slowly quivering.
"D-do you not want t-that?"
Something again stirred inside Alexander. He was like a dear caught in the headlight. Seeing her quivering lips and glossy eyes broke him from his trance.
"No! It's not like that!"
He couldn't believe the way he reacted. He was always calm and collect. But he couldn't help himself from stopping her from thinking anything.
"It is not like that Isabella. I do want to marry you. More than anything. I was just confused. Your request was all of a sudden, I just got surprised... Isabella, I will marry you. But I have a secret."
"Secret?"
"Something I have not told you about. But, I will tell you. Then, we will have no secret. Okay?"
"Okay. I trust you. You are my mate. My family."
Alexander was ÿet stunned. He was glad his words gave Isabella a sense of reassurance. He could see the way her lips slowly stopped quivering and a smile appeared on her face.
He felt like his heart stopped for a moment and started beating twice its normal speed. He couldn't stop a small smile from making its appearance.
"X-Xander... I want to learn how to use the thing which you used? The shiny one, which hurt others."
Alexander narrowed his eyes at her and looked pointedly. He needs to work harder to understand her words. He may know the reason but that does not mean that he was completely understanding her.
"What shiny thing Isabella?"
"Umm... The one you used. Others did too. They carry it."
Alexander was still looking narrowly at her but when she pointed towards the left side of her waist, the realization drawn upon him.
"Oh, you mean this?"
And thus he draws his sword in front of her to see. When he saw her eyes showing awe, he got his clarification.
"Isabella, you may not. Females do not learn. Only males do."
"Why? "
"Because we go in war. Females do not."
Alexander knows that once she begins her training, she will be hurt. She will be in pain. Now he knows why no one wants to train their females. While some because they want to be superior while others because they could not see them in the pain.
"But, you protect the king. Who will protect our pups? Protect me?"
"Isabella. There will be other warriors. They will protect you and everyone. The-"
"No."
"No?"
He simply quirked his eyebrow. Now he is amused to see what can she possibly say which will make him, the king, defenseless to decline.
"No. You are a warrior. I will be your mate, I will be a warrior too. I do not trust anyone. What if one of the warriors does not like me and hurts me. What if the warriors are defeated and you are far away to protect us? I want to learn. I do not care I am a female. I can do as much as a male can. You can test."
His back straight, chest out and chin up. With an unblinking fixed gaze, he leans back on his chair. Alexander had a different smile. It looked as if he found something he was looking for.
"Let me guess, your family have trained you?"
"My father and mother have trained me along with my family."
"I will train you. You will do everything I say. One question on what I teach you, and it ends."
"Okay."
Alexander believed that girls should learn it but his counselor always voiced against it. In this world, people needed someone to show them the benefit of having a female warrior. They were beneficial for many reasons. No girl ever voiced their opinion or suggested it he was unable to show them.
He calculated the pros and cons and decided that she had a valid point. He knows that if she became queen she will be an easy target for the enemies and neither can he always stay with her to keep her safe. Maybe he could teach her considering her mind is of a young one.
Besides, she has the very and most important thing he was looking for in his queen. Looks like his rare flower is really a rare and special one.
" But you have to wear this. Promise me, you will always keep it close to you."
"It is so shiny... Thank you, Xander."
"Never say thank you, dear."
Alexander gave her a ring to wear on her finger. The ring fitted her perfectly. He knows she will be a perfect queen with a little bit of training, in his presence and absence.
* Flashback Over*
Alexander promised himself that he would try everything in his power to keep her by his side. No girl like her should have been sent out of home at night time. He was pissed at her mother. She was unknown to the reality of what her mother did but he could clearly see and understand.
He couldn't help but think of what could have been happened if it would have been someone else than the wolves or what if the wolves would have killed her instead of keeping her. He was grateful for the wolves to keep her, train her, and make her what she was now.
And now, she is someone important to him.
"You called me king?"
"Ahh... Just the man I was looking for. Please take a seat we have to 'talk'."
Alexander had a pleasant smile on his face while talking but he was not entirely emitting the pleasant vibes. The old man nervously took his seat and waited impatiently for his next words.
"Let's talk now. Shall we?"