May Death Do Us Part

269 Chapter 269 : A royal decree

Eira looked at her father with a confused expression. “What do you mean I have to find a suitor? You told me I could think about marriage at my own time... You- you said I could be queen and didn’t need any man but you.”

Gareth averted his daughter’s gaze, “you can still be queen princess, I still support your dream of ruling entirely. I just feel that now is the time to find someone to help you achieve that dream.”

“But father-”

“It is already decided princess, please don’t make this any harder than it needs to be, this is not a death sentence, you’re merely taking the time to find a good man for yourself.”

Eira was wide eyed in shock by her father’s words, this was crazy, why did she suddenly have to find a husband?

“Why are you doing this?” Eira asked in a tone that broke her father’s heart into a million pieces. “Is the council putting pressure on you to have an heir to the throne?”

“Of course not honey,” Gareth responded. “My decision has nothing to do with the council.”

“Is it because of Elric then?”

His daughter’s question made his stomach churn. The way she said his name, it was clear she had become fond of him. So his wife was right all along, they had to put a stop to this before it was too late.

.....

“It has nothing to do with that man and everything to do with our love for you,” Gareth explained. “You need someone by your side Eira, to protect you when I cannot.”

“I can protect myself-”

“Young lady,” Gareth spoke firmly. “I will not argue with you about this, you are my daughter and the crowned princess. It’s high time you learned that a princess’ duty to the throne, the kindom and to her parents comes first.”

Eira was flabbergasted, why was all this happening? The last person she expected to disregard her wishes was her father, yet here he was doing exactly that.

“I have spoiled you princess, and for that I apologize,” Gareth spoke in sad tone. “But now I will make things right.”

The elven king stood up and picked up his cup, he raised it and gave everyone a smile.

“Thank you all for coming to my daughter’s seventeenth birthday luncheon, and to those who made it to yesterday’s ball as well, my family appreciates you greatly.”

The entire time her father was speaking, Eira could barely breath, was he serious about her getting married? He couldn’t have been, he must have been joking.

“As you are all aware,” Gareth continued, “the princess is now seventeen years old. And according to custom, she should have been betrothed by now, only waiting to be married when she is eighteen.”

The princess’ heartbeat began to speed up.

“It has taken a bit of time,” the king spoke. “But I am happy to announce that my daughter Eira is ready to seek out a suitor, a royal decree has already been passed, inviting all suitable candidates to throw their hats in the ring and stand a chance to be the husband of my beautiful daughter!”

Cheers erupted in the room as glasses were raised up in the air. For a brief moment Eira thought it all was a dream, did she really not have a say over her own life anymore?

The cheers died down when Jacob clinked on his glass. When everyone sat down, Jacob reminded standing, an excited smile on his face.

“Firstly I’d like to wish the beautiful princess Eira a very happy seventh birthday,” Jacob spoke with a very smug tone. “And with that said I’d would love to present my gift to her.” The elf snapped his fingers and a butler walked towards Eira and handed her a medium sized box.

With the nod of her father’s head, encouraging her to open the box, Eira obliged and opened the box. Inside, wrapped in silk, was a book adorned in gold and Jews.

“It is a spell book princess Eira,” Jacob announced proudly. “It is the only one of its kind, whatever words you write in there will become a spell and come to pass. I suppose in a way, I’ve given you a gift that will grant your every wish.”

There were oohs and aahs from everyone in the room except Zhelimir and Eira’s uncle William. Zhelimir was still against Jacob courting Eira, even though the man had helped him get closer to Janis. As for William, he just had a sixth sense for toxic men like Jacob, he could tell this would be another Elric situation all over again.

“Thank you,” Eira expressed her gratitude with a bow and called a maid who took the book away.

“And with that gift,” Jacob continued to speak, “I would like to throw my hat into the ring, as an aspiring suitor to the beautiful princess Eira.”

William knitted his eyebrows, he knew it. This Jacob fellow would definitely prove to be a problem.

*

“I’m not for this idea Jeffrey,” Roland spoke as he buttoned up his shirt. “You know there is bad blood between king Gareth and Elric, and you’re considering involving his daughter in the mix?”

“Calm down you big oaf,” Jeffrey responded. He set the tray of food down on the table and twirled the ring on his finger around, his eyes fixated on the big blue eyed elf who was getting dressed. “We aren’t planing to actually involve the little princess, just planing on using her name to convince my brother to come out of hiding.”

Roland finished dressing up and turned to look the the lycan who was waiting for him to join him for tea and biscuits, just like he did every evening before dinner. It was a very posh arrangement, but what did Roland expect from having a prince as a partner.

The blue eyed elf sat down and took the cup that Jeffrey had poured for him. “Then how do you plan on executing this nutty plan of yours?”

“I was thinking of using a letter,” Jeffrey responded before grabbing a biscuit from the tray and placing it on Roland’s lips.

“A letter?” The elf took a bite of the biscuit and Jeffrey ate the other half.

“A little love note if you will,” Jeffrey elaborated further. “The note will ask Elric to meet Eira at a specific place at a specific time. But when he arrives, guess who he will find?”

“You?”

“Precisely,” Jeffrey responded and sipped his tea.

“And what makes you so sure Elric will heed to this little love note of yours?” Roland asked. “You really think he will want to meet up with the daughter of his enemy?”

“Did you not see them at the ball?” Jeffrey asked the elven man. “I’ve known Elric my whole life, and from his body language I could tell that Eira means more

to him that he would admit. And him to her if my senses are still as sharp as they were seventeen years ago.”

Roland picked up a biscuit but before he could put it on his mouth he paused. “Are you suggesting that Elric is Eira’s blood half?”

“I am telling you that Eira is Elric’s mate,” Jeffrey responded with a sly smile. “If he too is her blood half, it will make this whole situation a lot more juicier. Oh the uproar will be entertaining.”

“Do you think king Gareth knows of this?”

Their conversation was cut short when the door to their private chambers swung open and their daughter Isabella walked into the room. Her face looked downcast and she was breathing like she had flown all the way home.

Roland got up and walked towards his distraught daughter. “Honey? You’re home early? Aren’t you supposed to be at the palace celebrating Eira’s birthday?”

“Just now I heard you say Eira is Elric’s mate,” Isabella spoke while panting heavily. “Is that true?” Her eyes shifted to Jeffrey and then back to Roland.

The two men exchanged nervous glances, why was she asking such a question all of a sudden? Had Eira told her about Elric?

“Honey,” Roland spoke softly and tucked a loc of hair behind her daughter’s ear. “How do you know Elric?”

“Papa I just want to know if Eira really is Elric’s mate,” Isabella pleaded. “Papa Jeffrey, this is important please don’t lie.”

Jeffrey sighed and put down his cup of tea, he had never been able to lie to his daughter and he knew he would not be able to start now.

“Yes,” Jeffrey responded. “It’s true, Elric’s oxytocin levels were so high when he was around her the stench was almost choking.”

“Oh no,” Isabella gasped. “I have to do something, I have to tell her!”

“Now hold on Bella, what’s going on?” Roland questioned the clearly panicked young woman.

“The king has just passed a royal decree that Eira is to find a husband within the next thirty days,” Isabella responded. “And he says the man she will choose will have to be accepted by both the king and the queen, this means Elric definitely stands no chance if what Eira told me is true. But now I know that she is his mate..”

“A royal decree for marriage?” Roland mumbled thoughtfully. “Isn’t that a bit over the top?”

“The king is trying to keep Elric away from his daughter,” Jeffrey pointed out. “It’s a classic move, it means he knows. But why does it matter? The last time Elric got involved with those two he may as well have lost his sanity.”

“But you don’t understand!” Isabella interjected. “I think Elric is Eira’s blood half as well!”