Sword of Honor

Chapter 7

Lucas

Peering down from the balcony of my room. I watched Mei-Li playing with Elian and Syrena with the young Prince of Jin out in the garden.

Matt caught me watching and within minutes, he was beside me.

"Enjoying the beautiful scenery, brother?" He asked, but I didn't turn away from the Raven hair maiden smiling so beautifully. My heart thumped a beat.

"Yeah, beautiful," I sighed.

"It has seemed you caught someone with your love net but she kept cutting it," Matt said. "Something troubling you?"

I sighed again and brushed my hair out of frustration. "Matt, when you first Ella. How did you react?"

Matt also peered to find his wife playing with the children. Her golden locks had grown fully reaching a long length. I watched my brother smiled with happiness.

"At first, I didn't know she was the little baby I played with when Father took me to the Ashford estate until I met her now much older and with great beauty. Never in my life found someone who captivated my heart. Since you and the other brothers already saw how I reacted during our harsh obstacles. In my heart, I knew she's the one for me."

"You're not afraid that she's no longer human but-"

Matt stopped me from saying the word monster. "No, I'm not afraid. When Ravena pushed her down that cliff two years ago and without her mother's glass slipper she would've been dead a long time ago and I already married to Princess Georgette. But, fate gave us the chance to meet once again and, this time, pursue each other's love. Ella may not be human anymore and I was scared of losing her when she fought Ravena alone but she proved to me that she's strong and fighting her nightmare alone was the way no human can do. I love her no matter what. She even gave birth to two beautiful children who are unique like her. A small honesty is that I'm jealous I don't have such ability." He chuckled. Looked back down, flashing his bright smile.

Ella saw the both of us and waved. She's no longer human but she has a heart as one. It's just she's a bit different.

Then I glanced at Mei-Li with Alina on her lap making a flower crown for her. Since the small doctor and Ella found her in the river presumably dead but brought her back to life. I wonder what type of ability she has. Same as Ella?

No, the only Enchantia crystals are part of her body and from the bear, Grace.

I've always wondered what Mei-Li's unique ability will be when Ella told the whole truth to us about her new life as a creation to the small doctors miracle works.

It's not every day you can bring someone back from the dead. But the doctor did.

Then I saw the bear, Grace approaching Mei-Li giving her sniff kisses. Laughter escaped from her mouth that I found it very adorable. I've never seen her so jolly but when she spots me her mouth turn the other direction of a frown. Not happy to see me at all.

Why does she reject me so? Is it because I'm a prince? Ella isn't a princess until she married my brother but that didn't change the fact they love each other. Is she afraid that she's a soldier and not a maiden who needed rescue?

I respect that she can put up a defense especially when she surprised attacked me with a dagger at my neck. The first time I smell sweet Jasmine and honey scent upon her. That aroma had never left that part of me. I would always remember what she would smell like. No woman had ever created such shock through my body with just an intoxicating scent.

"Lucas, I don't know the whole story of Mei-Li and her past." Matt began. "Ella would not say anything either since she's so worried about her. But, soon she'll open up." He did the gesture that our Father always done placing his hand on my shoulder. "Give her time. I can tell she has a thing for you but is denying the fact of it."

"You mean she's scared I might break her heart?"

"Well, you are quite the heart breaker, brother?" He chuckled. "But don't come on to strong for her. She probably has a dark veil she can't break from."

"I couldn't do anything but tease her," I admit.

"We noticed," he said, with a smile. "Just try not to get her too angry all the time. But I guess you wouldn't do so much of it since she'll leave."

I snapped my head to face him. "What are you talking about? Leaving? Whom?"

"Mei-Li of course," he said, "it seems that young prince wanted her back to the Jin Empire and deal with their enemy she fought and almost got her killed two years ago."

"That boy is asking her to defeat some cruel outlaws? It's like she's going back to where hell was when she almost lost her life." I was getting angry and not very fond of the idea of letting her fight alone.

"What choice does she has?"

"She stays!"

"Don't yell at me, brother," he said firmly and not approving of my hard tone. "She is after all, a soldier of the Jin Empire. She's not one of ours. She has the right to leave. It's her choice."

I hate it when he's right. It's true that the female warrior holding two of my niece and nephew with her and Grace by her side. She doesn't belong her as a soldier nor resident here. Since she's alive and well, the choice for her is to either stay or leave and become the fierce soldier of her birth country.

I sighed calming myself from getting any angrier at Matt. I apologized to him but he too calmed down and smile.

"See what I mean," he stated.

I nodded. Understand what it felt like to take interest in a woman. Just one woman. To have her stay by my side forever. In the Amorian traditions when one man takes a serious taken for one woman that would be it for him. He would promise to protect, care, shower her with love and respect.

I've been with different woman and none of them ever caught my mind to give them what they deserve but Mei-Li was different than all the women. She sparks a light inside my heart, it beat more than ten times a day every time I see her deep emerald green round eyes and long silky Raven black hair as it dances with the relaxing wind. Her perfection smile and white smooth skin beauty that I would love to touch just once to know what I'll be feeling forever. If she ever takes me. I doubt the situation. I see hate for me yet, fear.

Fear of what? Commitment? I should be afraid. It's a first for me to taken just one woman who captivated my heart.

What am I to do?

"Brother, you must do what your heart tells you and not your mind," Matt advised. "You can control what's in your mind but not your heart."

With that last words, Matt left my bedchamber leaving me watching the fair Raven hair maiden in the garden. All I see is her, and only her.

Bloody hell.