As Dark As Dusk( Dangerous Stranger Book 3)

Chapter 20

My hands flew to my mouth. He was on his knees and this time I haven't told him to do this for me. "Christin, what is this?" He was looking at me with an unreadable expression. "Please do not say a word until I am finished telling what I wish to Katherine." I nodded not saying a word as he had told me to.

"I don't know what you thought seeing the letter I have written. Doing so I don't how many times I hesitated. And when I started to gather my courage to finally write my words, they don't come easy to me. I don't know how many I have discarded in the pile thinking it wouldn't be good enough." Still, you don't understand Christin.

"I know when it comes to relationships and love, I am not the person who understands it fully. I am learning still and I will make many more mistakes on the way. The last time when I had proposed to you, it was because you told me to do it. I took upon it and perfected it. I wanted the world to know that you are taken, you are mine." He said looking at me.

"I couldn't stand thinking that someone else could have you. That someone else can use you as I should. I felt a kind of right on you, like something I can cage, something I can keep. Not a person, but as a weapon which can be yielded and I shall be the one to bear that." He was like that, still, I don't know how much of it had changed, how much he has changed.

"Back then I was ignorant, I was foolish, I thought love was a weakness. I thought everything has a price and everything can be bought. Giving that one knows the right kind of price and if the person is willing to pay the same. But I was very wrong about the same. I was very wrong and I should have known not everything can be bought. Things like kindness, loyalty, and love do not come with a price tag and every so often cannot be bought." He said looking at me.

"Now I do that Katherine Davis, I know what selfless sacrifice can look like. I know what loving someone feels like and I welcome that now very much. I am not afraid to show you my darkness and let that light into my life. You are my light, the flame that kept burning brighter and brighter no matter how many storms you might have passed through. You always triumph. That is what makes you different. That is what makes you special." He whispered. "So today, I want to ask you, Katherine Davis, would you accept me as your better half? Your husband?" He waited for me to say something to him.

I was still trying to believe that all those words came out of his mouth. "Yes, I am." He stood up and took the ring I was wearing keeping it inside his tailcoat and then slid the ring which was beautiful in many ways. But the most beautiful thing was its simplicity. "This is my family ring, passed to me from my mother for my bride." He told me. "That is beautiful. She must be beautiful too." His eyes turned sad.

"She was Katherine, she was very beautiful. Maybe that is what happened had happened to her." He held my waist tightly. "Will you tell me someday?" I asked him. "Yes, if not you then who would I tell? You are my secret keeper and my equal in every way." He said holding my hand in his. "We still haven't gone the part where I have to take the vow to obey you in every step of my life." He kissed me. That made me shut up. He pulled back. "We will see when it comes to that Miss Davis. Now, I believe we have a royal ball to go to." He told me and then walked towards the ballroom.

"You know Prince wanted to have a dance with me." I reminded him. "Yes, I do remember. I remember you defeating him in fencing. I remember him admiring you for your wits and bravery. I remembered him asking you if you could open the ball with him. None of the things he said about you was forgotten. I wonder often if he could have had the chance to sweep you off your feet with that royal charm of his, would he be the one you had chosen and not me?"

I can feel that seed of self-doubt was growing within him. "I have found my King a long time ago. And no Prince is worthy enough to take his place." He pushed the hair behind my ear. "Yet I found myself asking if I am worthy enough to be your king in any way. I found myself asking if the darkness that I have resided into can ever become light again." I placed my hand on his cheek.