Edward raised his eyebrows, looking back at Isaac. “She chose to come. There was no force involved.” After a moment, he took a step closer to Isaac, looking him over more intently. “You were the one Derek had guarding her. Why would you think I would treat you differently? Have I reason to fear you?”
“She had thought for so long that she had no family, and when she was finally given some, why would she refuse to come with you all? She wanted to get to know you, to love you — believe me, had I been in her situation, I would’ve done the exact same thing,” Isaac admitted and held his ground, lifting his eyes to lock with the Prince’s. “I’m not a true Hale — I would’ve thought that you might’ve resented that. And I want to take Summer back with me, to my home.”
“I did not require that my daughter be married off to another Prince. You are both strong and charming, that is all I require.” Edward shrugged. “You place the greater focus on your name, where I see alliances and connections.” He paused again, contemplating Isaac. “I am surprised you are more concerned for her, and not for your new inheritance. You do not wish to remain here and learn the lands you will rule when I die?”
“So, you made my daughter smile,” Edward said, turning away to examine a tapestry on the wall. “And you won my tournament. Both a courtier and a warrior. Yet you came in disguise. Why?”
“With all due respect, Sir — I made your daughter smile long before she was … brought here,” Isaac stated as politely as he could manage, wondering just what the other male was planning to say (or do) to him. Hesitating then, he pondered over the right way to word his explanation, before sighing. “I…I didn’t want her to know it was me and be disappointed if I were to fail. And I wanted you to treat me like all the other Knights, which you might not have done had you known who I was at the time of the tournament.”
Edward raised his eyebrows, looking back at Isaac. “She chose to come. There was no force involved.” After a moment, he took a step closer to Isaac, looking him over more intently. “You were the one Derek had guarding her. Why would you think I would treat you differently? Have I reason to fear you?”
Although no one the pair passed said a word, every guard standing at attention, every maid or manservant in the antechambers, had a nod or a smile or a friendly gesture for Isaac. Apparently, regardless of what their Prince might or might not have to say, the folk of the castle approved of Isaac — or they loved their sad Princess.
Prince Edward waited, all but alone, in a small room somewhere near the centre of the castle. Like his guards, he kept his hands clasped behind his back, and watched Isaac enter with level green eyes, the same shade as his daughters’.
Isaac had planned to walk with his head bowed low, so nervous and tense that he might be a man walking to his death, but the unexpected silent acceptance of the employees of the castle astounded him, and he found his spirits being lifted. By the time he reached the destination after following the guard, his previous grim mood had all but vanished, and he even managed to muster up a small, polite smile for the Prince as he bowed and awaited further command.
“So, you made my daughter smile,” Edward said, turning away to examine a tapestry on the wall. “And you won my tournament. Both a courtier and a warrior. Yet you came in disguise. Why?”
Summer gently kissed Isaac, for reassurance. “He won’t go back on his word,” she murmured. The guard came over and offered his hand to help Isaac up before stepping back with his hands behind his back.
“If you’ll just come with me, m’lord.”
He allowed the guard to pull him upright, stopping only to kiss Summer soundly on the lips and briefly pull her into a tight embrace, murmuring soothing words in her ear. Then, he moved away and stepped out of the room, taking a series of deep, calming breaths as he allowed the guard to lead the way.
Although no one the pair passed said a word, every guard standing at attention, every maid or manservant in the antechambers, had a nod or a smile or a friendly gesture for Isaac. Apparently, regardless of what their Prince might or might not have to say, the folk of the castle approved of Isaac — or they loved their sad Princess.
Prince Edward waited, all but alone, in a small room somewhere near the centre of the castle. Like his guards, he kept his hands clasped behind his back, and watched Isaac enter with level green eyes, the same shade as his daughters’.
Someone cleared their throat in the doorway, quietly, and the two glanced up in startlement. “His Majesty wishes to speak with you,” the guard said, face utterly impassive, but eyes indicating his approval.
“Me?” Sir Isaac was not proud of the slight squeak that emitted from him then, but he was actually nervous as to how this meeting would play out. It had been said that he had won Summer’s hand in marriage, but a large part of him felt that her father wouldn’t be as willing to give her up just yet, especially to someone from another Kingdom.
Summer gently kissed Isaac, for reassurance. “He won’t go back on his word,” she murmured. The guard came over and offered his hand to help Isaac up before stepping back with his hands behind his back.
“Once she was wed, her husband took her back to their home. Since I haven’t left this castle since I got here … ” She shrugged. “I haven’t seen her.” She leaned her forehead against his shoulder. “I may be related to them, but these people aren’t my family. Too much time has passed, they don’t know me. And I don’t know them. Princess Cora is more my sister.”
She looked up at Isaac through her lashes, that small smile stealing over her lips again. “If — when — we wed … you will be a prince too. Prince Derek’s equal.”
“Then you’ll be happy to know that I’ll be taking you back to the Hales, at least for the moment — we can discuss at a later date if we want to stay with them, or find our own place,” he offered up and pressed a kiss to the top of her fiery hair, fingers mapping out her back, then curling innocently around her hips.
Someone cleared their throat in the doorway, quietly, and the two glanced up in startlement. “His Majesty wishes to speak with you,” the guard said, face utterly impassive, but eyes indicating his approval.
“You don’t understand,” she whispered, smiling gently. “There’s no need for compromise. Once we wed, he has no control over me.” She glanced down, and added, “It was my sister who truly wanted me, and she’s not here anymore.”
“You’re absolutely sure?” He questioned softly, wide eyes roaming her face, searching for any lingering traces of doubt, and seeing none, he finally began to relax. Smoothing some hair back, he captured her lips in a kiss, only to pull back with a frown. “What happened to her?”
“Once she was wed, her husband took her back to their home. Since I haven’t left this castle since I got here … ” She shrugged. “I haven’t seen her.” She leaned her forehead against his shoulder. “I may be related to them, but these people aren’t my family. Too much time has passed, they don’t know me. And I don’t know them. Princess Cora is more my sister.”
She looked up at Isaac through her lashes, that small smile stealing over her lips again. “If — when — we wed … you will be a prince too. Prince Derek’s equal.”
Summer closed her eyes with relief, virtually climbing into his lap to return his kiss. After a moment it shifted from tender to more passionate, and she pulled back, breathing hard. “Isaac,” she whispered. “Not only did you win the tournament, but you did the thing no one else could do — no one else would have been able to do. My father would give me to a barbarian out of the steppes if that man had done those things.”
She brushed her fingers through his curls again. “He doesn’t even know about our history together. To him, you are merely the knight who rescued me from Sir Kit, and that is all. And now you are the knight who has completed his tasks.”
He wrapped his arms around her, fingers splaying out innocently across her lower back, the material of her dress crumpling as he curled his fingers slightly. “You have no idea how much I missed you…” he choked out thickly, voice wavering tellingly as he shook his head, before he quietened, listening to her talk. Then, he smiled a little wider and nodded, leaning to kiss her once more, unable to move away from her for even one moment.
“Are you ever going to tell him? Even if you come back with me, you…he won’t let you go just like that, I’d imagine, and I can’t turn my back on my family. Would he agree to a compromise, do you think?” He pursed his lips, brows furrowing together for a moment, his forehead resting against hers.
“You don’t understand,” she whispered, smiling gently. “There’s no need for compromise. Once we wed, he has no control over me.” She glanced down, and added, “It was my sister who truly wanted me, and she’s not here anymore.”
She pulled back a little, startled. “Isaac, you’ve won. Don’t you realise? You’ve won! My father will expect us to wed, and you’ll be his heir.” She faltered, a slight frown creasing her eyebrows, and searched his face again. “D-do you not want to be married to me?”
“Do you think he’ll accept that it’s me?” He blinked and tilted his head to the side, before the latter part of her words registered and his eyes bulged, “I never…oh! I was so determined to win that I never…of course I do!” He tugged her close and captured her lips in a tender kiss, cupping her face in his hands.
Summer closed her eyes with relief, virtually climbing into his lap to return his kiss. After a moment it shifted from tender to more passionate, and she pulled back, breathing hard. “Isaac,” she whispered. “Not only did you win the tournament, but you did the thing no one else could do — no one else would have been able to do. My father would give me to a barbarian out of the steppes if that man had done those things.”
She brushed her fingers through his curls again. “He doesn’t even know about our history together. To him, you are merely the knight who rescued me from Sir Kit, and that is all. And now you are the knight who has completed his tasks.”
“I was so alone,” she whispered back, stroking his face. She ran her thumb over his mouth. “I thought there would be people here who wanted me, but my sister left, I never see my mother or my father — I have no friends here. I never stopped thinking about you. About everyone.
“But especially you. Say you still love me.”
“Will…will you come away with me, Summer? I wanted to just take you now, but I’m scared..your father especially wouldn’t take kindly to that after taking so long to find you…” Isaac whispered and parted his lips, pressing a tender kiss to her thumb as he smiled. “I love you, Summer, so much.”
She pulled back a little, startled. “Isaac, you’ve won. Don’t you realise? You’ve won! My father will expect us to wed, and you’ll be his heir.” She faltered, a slight frown creasing her eyebrows, and searched his face again. “D-do you not want to be married to me?”