For the kingdom

Let The Games Begin

It had been three weeks since their anniversary and Raven had been so happy. Cy had caught a virus so he had had the last week off,leaving Garfield give her the horse riding lessons. Prince Robin had not returned since that night and even though she had a bad feeling in her stomach she just kept saying it was alright. Raven was sitting at the desk in her room looking out the window and thinking about the problem that would eventually come to pass. A meek knock was heard and she did not acknowledge it, but the door opened anyway. "Do you think that if you pretend you are not there I will leave? You should know better." Starfire said sitting down a tray, from the smell it was potato soup. "Apologies, just thinking about what is going to happen when my parents finally decide that I am to be wed" Raven said meekly still looking out the window. She registered Star's sigh and then heard the bed creak. "Listen Garfield loves you so much, he tells me so. He would wait for you for as many years as you are willing to hold out as well. Just think about that because he only wants you to be happy" Star then left Raven to her own thoughts. Raven eventually made up her mind on what is was she truly wanted and went to see him but was stopped. "Oh, princess you saved me a trip. The King and Queen wish to see you immediately" said Bee. Raven nodded and rolled her eyes as she went straight to the throne room.

When she made her way to the throne room the knot in her stomach only tightening. Raven took a deep breathe, and walked into the room. The only sound she could hear was her parents whispers, and her beating heart. Once they finally saw her they smiled and motioned for her to come closer. She slowly walked up the steps to their throne, and bowed before sitting in front of them. "Hello father, mother I was told you wished to see me immediately" she softly spoke.  "Yes my dear your father and I have amazing news. After months of searching, and looking for the perfect suitor we have sat down with the King of Gotham we agreed you are to marry Robin." her mother sounded so happy for her, but why wouldn't she Raven had been pretending to be happy with him for a while now. Her eyes widened, but she dropped her head before they saw it. All Raven could see was the crushed look of Garfield's face once word got around the castle of the engagement. "Raven", her mother said "head up and let us see your pretty face. What will Prince Robin think if your head is always down?" She quickly righted herself, "I am sorry mother, it will not happen again." Her father looked down at her with his cold eyes. "Now listen, this is a very important relationship. You will be good to him." Raven nodded, "May I be excused now. I have riding lessons soon", and before they finished excusing her she was gone. All Raven could think of was Garfield. Him smiling, his laugh, his gentle hands, and how much he loved her. What was going to happen now the thought him smiling at someone else broke her inside. She barely made it to her room before the tears started to fall from her eyes. Curling up in a ball on her bed with only the thought of emerald eyes.

Raven wasn't sure how but she had stopped crying. Once she was dressed for riding she practically ran to the stables. She was greeted with silence upon arrival, and slumped against a column falling to the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest and started to cry. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but then a warm hand settled on top of hers. "Hey hey hey" a gentle voice whispered, "what is wrong. What happened?". Raven raised her head, and Garfield was kneeling in front of her worry evident on his face. With the hand not holding her he began to wipe her tears. The loving gesture only made her want to cry even more. "M- my parents decided, and Prince Robin is going to be here soon." she cried out falling back into a fit of tears. She collapsed into his arms gripping his shirt so her knuckles turn white. "It will be alright my dear. We can weather any storm, and make it through anything that would dare hurt us," he whispered to her rubbing her back comfortingly. Soon her cries dissolved into little whimpers. "Do you promise?" it may have seemed juvenile, but she needed to know. He smiled at her affectionately, and Raven swore in her head that that look would never leave her mind. "Yes, I promise. I will always love you. Always," he whispered, but the emotion was still obvious in his voice. "We have kept this up for such a long time, and I thought I would tire of being a secret. I am a very proud person, but with you everything I want goes out the window and all I think about is what could please you. I love you Rave. I promise I always will". Raven lunged onto him, and attached herself like a koala. "I love you too Garfield, so so much".