The Royal Enchantment {ON HOLD}

Chapter Nine

Once dinner was ready, the entire family rushed to take their spot at the table where Javier was able to secure a spot right next to his selfless, beautiful girlfriend. As everybody indulged in their own conversations, Abuela Alma stood up in her seat and held onto a glass with one hand, a spoon in the other and clinked them together in order to gain her family's attention.

"Familia, familia. Hemos pasado por muchas dificultades durante los últimos cincuenta años. Pero hoy, es diferente. ¡Porque hoy marca un nuevo comienzo en la historia de Madrigal! Un gran milagro nos ha devuelto un hijo, un hermano, un tío. Y el amor ha llegado en su forma más verdadera: Isabela ha encontrado el amor de su vida. Puede casarse con quien quiera, y si quiere casarse con Javier, ¡así será! Sed quienes queráis ser, hijos míos (Family, family. We have gone through much hardship for the last fifty years. But today, is different. For today marks a new start in Madrigal history! A great miracle has returned to us a son, a brother, an uncle. And love has arrived in its truest form: Isabela has found the love of her life. She may marry whomever she wants, and if she wishes to marry Javier, then it shall be so! Be who you want to be, my children)." Alma announced joyously.

Everybody smiled at the older woman who observed each person's expression. Alma's gaze drew onto Javier sitting beside his girlfriend when she offered her hand for him to take. Surprised by this, he got up off his chair and walked around to where Alma stood and took ahold of her hand.

"I think it's time we made a new addition to the family - take my hand, niño (child), and officiate your place in the family." Alma stated emotionally.

The feeling of love and acceptance enlivened Javier as he looked over at his girlfriend. A sudden wave of anxiety hit Javier when he and Isabela made eye contact. Slowly, he wandered back over to her and knelt down on one knee. The black-haired woman gasped and covered her mouth as her chair was pulled out and rotated so that now Isabela was fully facing Javier. The young couple were both teary-eyed as he produced a little black leather box from his pocket.

"Isa... for so long I've been living with my eyes closed. I could never see anything right and all I did was stumble into my own mistakes. But when you found me, you opened my eyes to see a whole new world; a new perspective to live out a better life. So will you do me the honour and marry me, most gracious Isabela?" Javier quavered. While he had absolutely no reason to be afraid of her, this was a rare occasion in which he was.

With her whole family witnessing the event, Isabela found herself at a loss for words. High expectations arose that Isabela would say yes. Isabela looked around the room and distinguished all of the proud looks being sent her way before she made eye contact with Javier and smiled comfortably.

"Yes, Javi. I will marry you!"

Happily, Javier slid the ring on her ring finger and embraced her with a kiss. Cheers and whoops escalated around them as smiles broke on everyone's faces, knowing now that they were finally going to have a wedding. Isabela had been filled with nerves for her upcoming wedding. The fact stayed in her mind that she was going to get married - with somebody whom she loved and somebody whom her family appreciated.

By fixing themselves in their seats, Javier and Isabela smiled fondly at one another before his fiancé's attention was drawn onto those around her who asked for a view of the ring as well as sharing their excitement for her engagement. Javier sat by and stared at the love of his life with pure adoration and joy. But he was so caught up in his thoughts, mesmerised by the beauty before him without realising she too was staring back at him.

It was all a dream come true.