The Burden We Share

Chapter 6

Location -The Kindom of Aeloria
Season- Winter
Time of day- morning

-Liora POV-

The next morning my brother was sent home with a letter from her highness to the king. It felt like I could breathe again when the carriage was finally far away and out of my sight. I never noticed how suffocating it is to be near him.

I would rather be alone in an unknown place than anywhere near him.

"Shall we go back inside princess?" Asked Amano who had escorted me to see my brother off.

I nodded and we made our way back inside the palace.

As he was about to take me back to my bedroom he was suddenly stopped by a servant. I watched as the servant whispered something to Amano and he then turned to look at me. "The queen wishes to see you" he said.

Her highness? But why?

Amano walked me all the way to the throne room and after knocking once the doors swung open and I made my way inside.

"Your majesty" I said with a bow.

"There's no need for that princess, my name is Elunara Eldarion but you can just call me Elunara or Luna for short" she said

Elunara, that's a pretty name.

"Ok, then I am just Liora then your Maj- I mean Luna" I said correcting myself as I bowed my head.

"Hmm you're still too formal, we must work on that if you are to be my wife" she said. For some reason hearing that word made me feel embarrassed.

I cleared my throat "Yes....right" I said.

"Liora can I ask you something?" She said out of the blue causing me to look up at her.

"I- um yes your- Luna" I said.

I'm still not use to calling people by their names and not their titles. She smiled before her face then went serious, "Is this marriage something you want?" She asked shocking me.

Something I want?, I'm not sure I've ever heard those words but now that I think about it.

I don't know if this is something I want, at first I was afraid, afraid of how the new king would treat, afraid that he was going to kill me or worse.

But now knowing that the new king is actually a queen and seeing how respectful and fair she's been treating me even with how many times my brother has disrespected her and her people.

Honestly I'm just grateful to still be alive.

I don't know how to answer that question there's nothing for me back home and surly she wouldn't let me stay here if I was to decide I didn't want to marry her.

And on top of that even though she's treated me fairly so far who knows what she'll do to me if I say I don't.

Will she kill me?, or lock me up?. Will she send me back home and wage war on the kingdom?.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice that I was trembling and that the queen had came over and took my hand in hers.

"Liora" said a soft voice causing me to look up only to see two sun colored eyes looking down at me. "I am not the type of queen who forces people to do things they don't want to do, if you do not wish to marry me I'm afraid that I can't send you back home but what I can do is ensure your comfortability here in my kingdom for as long as you live" she said.

I looked up into her eyes and it was like I was in a trance. Would marrying her truly be that bad?

I could tell that she was sincere in her words but it felt too good to be true.

Reality started to set in, nothing in this world is free. My only choice is to marry her "I-I'm ok with the marriage, if you'll have me" I said trying to bow but she put a hand under my chin stopping me and forcing me to continue looking into her eyes.

"A marriage with me will not be easy, people will expect things from both you and me, your path will be relatively harder then mine, you are human and you are from an enemy kingdom people who don't even know you will hate you just for that" she explained

"So I ask again princess is a marriage to me something you want?" She said again.