BIRTHRIGHT (complete #Wattys2016)

Chapter 22: (Re)United at last.

1 year.

12 months.

365 days.

8760 hours.

525600 minutes.

32536000 seconds.

That is how long they had been apart. And now, finally, it was time for them to be reunited again. Neither Alexander nor Isabelle could bear the wait any longer, they just had one desire and that was to be back in each others arms. 

Currently, Alexander and his men sat on logs which they had gathered for their temporary encampment. Suddenly Alexander's shoulder was nudged, causing him to look up at his friend, Theodore, who was grinning back at him before seating himself beside the King.

"Well, Alex. That was one hectic war." Theodore sighed as he stretched his legs out in front of himself. "And everyone is injured in one way or another."

Alexander chuckled. "Take Nathan for example, he dislocated his shoulder and broke that arm on the exact same day. And how? By falling down his horse because he dozed off in the middle of the ride."

They both burst into a fit of laughter just as the devil himself walked out of the tent, his right arm in a cast, as he glared at the two. Once their laughter died down, they both sat in the crisp autumn air, letting the fire warm them up as they couldn't wait for the arrival of the morning to come.

"Alexander." Theodore called out, and instantly the King knew that he was serious, for his friend never took his complete name unless he had something serious to say.

"Tell me, what bothers you, my friend?" Alexander asked looking at him from the corner of his eye. "You never take my complete name under normal circumstances."

"You trust me, right?"

"Of course, I do." Alexander chuckled. "With my life."

"Yes." Theodore nodded nervously. "But...do you trust me with your sister's life?"

At that Alexander turned to face him, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Theodore.

"Why do you ask?" He asked calmly.

"Well..." Theodore started nervously. "Before we departed for the war, Natalia had been planning to run away with me to get married. And she was very adamant about eloping."

Alexander raised an eyebrow at that.

"I told her that I did not want to do this without your permission, because if I did then for all I know you could have me killed. It's not hard for you to track someone down when you have your mind set to it."

"Natalia told me that there was no point in it because you would never agree to it, but I told her that I wanted to try and talk to you. Then we got occupied with the war, and now finally I managed to muster up some courage and ask for your sister's hand in marriage."

Alexander remained quiet as he thought about something, looking into Theodore's eyes, looking for any signs of uncertainty, just waiting to appear from the depths of his heart.

"How long have you known my sister?" Alexander asked him.

"Well, I've known her all her life," Theodore informed, confused as to where this conversation was heading. "And well...almost 22 years of mine."

"Why do you want my sister's hand in marriage?"

Theodore looked surprised to hear him ask that question.

"Give me a concrete answer, without wavering, and you can have my avowal for her hand."

"I love her. I don't know when or how I realized that I loved her, but I do. Without her I feel incomplete, I feel hollow. It's one thing to fall in love. It's another to feel someone else fall in love with you, and to feel a responsibility toward that love."