"What use do sword has for a female? You should serve your man and care for your family not carry a sword. Where is your gown? Where is your dress? You dirty no wonder no one to marry. You leave the sword to the man and look pretty."
"No."
Isabella frowned upon hearing sudden accusations. One moment they were congratulating her the next moment she was shouting at her. Females never liked her but she never hates them.
Now hearing her telling her what to do she felt a different kind of emotion inside her. With narrow eyes and tightly arranged lips she looked at her and continued.
Princess Claire looked at her as if she was a weird creature. Something that has never been seen before. She looked at her with wide eyes and soon her shocked expression turned into a foul one. She frowned and sneered.
"No? Do-"
"No. I do not leave sword. Why you hate me? I talk good, I behave good, and you hate. I do not listen to you. You are no leader of my. You are no elder. You are no one. I do not listen to you."
"If it would have been my kingdom I-"
"This is not your k-kin-kingdom. I no below you. I do not listen to you. You do not tell me what to do."
"Men go in war we stay at home. Why bother learning? You should wear dresses and look pretty rather than-"
"No."
"No?"
"No. Men go to war we stay. Who protect us when they are there."
"That is the responsibility of those who stay for our protection."
"What when they are hurt. They can not protect everyone. Our men worry about their kids and their females then they will not concentrate. "
"That is not for us to think. It is their job. They are to worry we are not. Why are-"
"No. I worry. I protect them. If my dress is dirty, I wash it. If I smell, I wash. I keep them safe if I die so be it. That is my work."
Princess Claire was pissed. With jaws clenched she kept her eyes strained on Isabella. She had no answer to her words. Throughout the argument, she has not let her posture slack even for a bit.
While her respect grew in Xavier and other fighters, Princess Claire continues to glare at her with hate. She refuses to accept that a mere common girl could even dare to stand in front of her let alone argue. She has disrespected a royal in front of everyone.
With her peripheral vision, she saw Alexander coming closer to them.
A smirk appeared on her face thinking of all the consequences Isabella will have to face because of the disrespect. Unknown to her, Alexander has already heard all the arguments. He was in no rush to get entangled but now seems appropriate to come to the aid of Princess.
Princess Claire turns around to say something but before she could have said something he cut her in the middle.
"Isabella. Show them your right hand."
Isabella takes her hand out of the cover and shows them a shining ring. It was not just any ring, the ring of the royal family.
All the people present on the field kept looking at her with mouths agape. Their eyes were wide with shock while Isabella kept her happy eyes on the ring. Alexander kept his cold facade on and looks at everyone.
"Isabella, go tend your wound. And take some rest after washing up."
"Okay."
Isabella walked straight out of the field while others kept an eye on her retreating figure. Now Ethan understood why he asked for her to come out of the shadow. From where he found a girl willing to learn and go through all that hard training. Why he said her family is in support because he was the one to be her other half.
All other warriors, especially the one who fought against her, kept observing her with wide eyes. Soon as if they realized something, they jerked their attention towards Alexander. They felt dread inside their stomach. Saying against a royal family is to be punished let alone fight.
His cold facade was not giving away anything. But after seeing one of Isabella, they felt as if the king was smiling.
"Nothing to fret my dear warriors. It was a competition."
"King Alexander. I never wondered a king will choose a hoyden over a lady or a princess."
"Princess Claire. Being a king, my responsibility is towards my people. Besides, I did not choose a 'hoyden' as you put it. I can very much assure you I choose someone worth standing by my side."
"King Alexander, kindly enlighten me if she is not a hoyden then what is she?"
"A queen."
"A queen does not fight. I believe you need a real queen to show you what being a queen is."
"You are right. A queen does not fight. But have I told you a leader needs to fight sometimes. She said and I quote,' I protect them. If I die, so be it.' Besides being wed to me does not make her a mere lady with a title but a leader. Excuse me. I have some 'royal work'."
It was nighttime when Xavier and Ethan went to Isabella's room to visit her. They could not believe that she was the rumored fiancee of Alexander. When they stepped inside the room the sight in front of them made their eyes soften.
Inside the room, there was a pair of owls sitting on the window. They were hooting as if talking to her. The smell of Jasmine was filled in the room which made it more heavenly.
Ethan's eyes hardened and he clenched his jaw seeing her tending her wound on her own. Alexander was busy per usual and she refused to take their help. He believed that maybe Alexander would praise today seeing how hard she worked, but he did not even pass a single glance to her wound, let alone praise.
Xavier stayed behind while Ethan turned around with clenched jaws and went outside. He will teach a thing or few to Alexander. He could see the loneliness in her eyes. Her facade and covering of being happy were not going to work on him. He calls him, friend. Then he will hear from his 'friend'.
"It is you, my dear friend."
"You say me, friend. I believe you will listen."
"What is it you have to say. You seem angry, perhaps some water..."
"I do not need water. Isabella fought bravely. She is your to-be-wife and yet you say nothing to her. You push her to fight with other warriors. She got hurt and you have not tended her wound. She is not a warrior, she is your fiancee. You say you do not want a relationship like other royals then why this. Praise should be given if not love."
Alexander refused to acknowledge his words. His jaws were clenched and hands were fisted on his sides throughout the time Ethan talked. He did not like that last line he said. The warmth present in the eyes turned colder.
He blinked his eyes and passed a glance at his hands. The flowers present were crushed in his hands. They were dandelions that he chose to give Isabella. The unexpected sudden events caused those soft flowers to be crushed under his strong hands.
He blinked his eyes and put the dandelion on the table beside him.
Was that what people around him felt. God knows how much restrain he put over himself seeing her on the field. His heartfelt if it would come right outside his chest. God knows how his heart constricted seeing the blood gushing from her wound. Her smile makes his whole demeanor change, her presence puts him at ease.
A drop fell on his cheek. He found his cheeks slightly wet and two small streaks on his face. It was raining. A low chuckle escapes his mouth. A man who never shed a single drop was now standing with a heavy heart in the rain. It appears if nature felt the pain.
The crushed looked at him as if taunting him, reminding him of his cold heart. He bit his quivering lip and wonders if this was a sign from above that he deserves not the flower who is to wed him.
He may not know what he feels around. If it is love or if it was some other thing. But he knows that she is the queen his people need and he is also sure that he is unable to stay away from her. He knows that he was someone unable to love. All the time his surrounding people have told him to always think about his people how was he to know love.
Yet he knows that she was the queen his kingdom need. He was being selfish and he knows that. He was being selfish choosing a once happy girl to become gloomy under the responsibility. He should have given a second thought to it but he did not.
A sigh release from his lips and looks at the moon. Once again like every night a howl resonates through the night. Tonight he can sense the pride and happiness in it. He heard a howl pretty close to him and he need not see that it belong to Isabella.
"My dear friend, she does not depend on praise nor she depends on me, you, or others. Your question at my love is not answerable. I may not provide her the love and comfort she desires but I will provide her respect and loyalty. She is queen and a queen never bow to anyone."
"Alexander, love is required. All believe you are incapable other than her."
"Do they now. I will not claim to be otherwise. These crushed flowers prove my incapability to held soft things for you to state otherwise."
"Alexander, it is no true. Every maiden has wishes about their wedding."
"One week you say till the wedding. We will attend."
He glances downwards and looks at the workers bringing the things he ordered for.
He glances at the moon one more as soon as the howl ends.
"Wait for me my flower."