4 Princes

XIX

ELAINA
"Marry me," he said.

I clenched my eyes shut as though that would help the situation.

"Rook," I started off. I didn't know what to say. Even after I lied to him, even though I probably wasn't his best option, he still wanted to marry me.

I technically hadn't even had my first kiss with him. And he wanted to marry me?

"I know, I'm moving fast, but I want this." He grabbed my hands, bringing one up to his mouth to kiss my knuckle. "I want you."

I didn't want to bring on the negatives but somebody had too. "Are you sure that's the right option? Now? With everything going on? Rook... you're going through a lot."

He kept my hands in his as he looked into my eyes. He was so handsome I couldn't get over it. His eyes were like swirls of stormy clouds, and just as terrifying as well as settling. "I've never been more certain about anything in my entire life," he argued.

"You were trying to marry the mystery royal just two night ago," I pointed out.

He let go of my hands and grabbed my face. "I wanted to ask Ella, I wanted to ask you. And I think I only liked her because of how much she reminded me of you, it all makes sense. No matter who you are, who you're acting as, I'll always fall for you."

And when he put it that way it was like my life was aligned, like everything was perfect. I didn't have a terrible stepfamily nor a secret about the Queen's Death. I wasn't a dirt kitchen wench. I was someone Rook Fairisles wanted a future with.

A future he wasn't guaranteed. It's why Princes didn't marry. They didn't want something to live for. They didn't want something to hold them back. And, as selfish as it was, that scared me.

Did it scare me away though?

"You've asked me to marry you how many times, now?" I asked.

"Three. I believe. Maybe four if I'm forgetting a moment. Maybe two if I don't remember successfully psyching myself out of it once, and in my head I did it," he laughed.

He had gone from being crumpled on the floor, unable to deal with his own problems, to laughing. I had to hand it to him, he dealt with emotions about as well as I did. That wasn't a compliment.

I laughed too though, because Rook was infectious. He made you want to follow along.

"So say yes, now. Give me an answer," he pleaded. "Stand up."

And I did. I stood up, looking down at him. Rook got onto one knee and grabbed one of my hands with his.

"I don't have a ring, because things like this come out of nowhere. And I will not say I love you, because I don't. But I will, I could, I picture us now, grey and old and living off of my brother's wealth. Marry me, Ella. You may not be the Heart Of West Gertrude, but you're my heart, the Heart of Fairisles," He finished.

It wasn't what a future fiancé wanted to hear, but I respected that he was starting this relationship off with the truth.

I took a deep breath, coming up with my final decision. "You can court me," I said.

He blinked back, dazed and confused. "What?"

"Court me," I said. "You're not ready for this, and I'm not either. But surely this will satisfy your father and the both of us."

He stood up and wiped his pants off, irritated that he got on the ground to hear less than a "yes" but more than a "no" from me. "Court you?"

I nodded a couple times before smiling a wide smile. "Where you convince me to marry you by feathering me with gifts, by taking me out and showcasing me, and we get to know each other. More than we already do."