Heart Over Sword
Chapter 238: Be My Wife

Chapter 238: Be My Wife

[9 Years After Meeting]

Loraven returned late into the evening to the ice palace, her body fatigued from her travel to southern kingdoms not known on their maps. Since Selvin survived the unknown attempt on his life, and Loraven declined Theoden’s proposal and escaped a fate by Gunnalf, the Lyvarian Princess travelled far and wide. Her mother could not bear to look at her and instead sent her on impossible missions.

Loraven assumed Iolena wished for her death. She was nothing more than a disappointment. But their people loved her. She had always worked hard for them, remaining humble and treating her people well.

Since sending Loraven on these missions, her name was becoming more renowned, returning with wild stories spoken of around campfires. The princess did not know why she returned this time. The comforts of her home, like a comfortable, warm bed and food, were a few factors that brought her back after months of being a nomad.

Not to mention the servants. If a bit of hostility and occasional threats were all she needed to put up with until her next mission, then it didn’t seem so bad. King Nuvian, her father, didn’t seem to mind, considering he was the crueller of the two. His eyes did not send glacial daggers her way whenever Loraven entered the room, and somehow she had grown closer to him over the years.

Only by a small amount, though. Loraven was still an unworthy child of the throne, to those of nobility, that was. She didn’t know what Gunnalf promised them in return for her marriage, but in declining Theoden, she kept up appearances of their friendship by visiting once every two years. This kept her parents and Theoden satisfied.

Loraven was basically Theoden’s hostage for the entire time, and her parents did not mind one bit. It kept everyone happy, and Loraven experienced an entirely different life then, making her thrilled she declined his proposal. Not only that, she could not move on from prince- no, King Selvin. He remained on her mind almost daily, and her heart pinched whenever she wondered about him.

It had been nine years; Selvin was sitting on the throne and most likely had a queen by his side and at least one or two children by now. While Loraven’s heart had grown cold since watching him go. She remained the same, living a fun and thrilling life but found it seemingly pointless when there was nobody to share it with.

Loraven did not ask about the King, what his life was like and how the kingdom was doing. It was too painful, and she had to keep up this charade that collapsed years ago. The snow elf was no longer as closed-minded and cold towards humans as she used to be.

Whenever Loraven came upon one, they reminded her of him, and she wondered what he was doing there and then. Had he grown further into his looks? Was he wiser? Did he grow a beard or a bigger belly?

Loraven sighed heavily, trudging through the palace, shaking off the snow from her furry hood. It was nearing summer, but the snow remained. It never left, but the icy lakes did thin, and those walking among it like the fools they were found themselves slipping through and never surfacing again.

"*You have returned.*" Loraven paused at the sound of Edric’s voice. He had become a bit of a nuisance since that day she stopped him from assassinating Selvin.

The elven lord was always in the shadows watching Loraven and reporting her moves to her mother. "*Indeed. My dear mother will be so disappointed.*" She flicked some melting snow from her eyelashes as she passed the man.

"*Her majesty asked for you to return to your room and remain hidden until her guests were gone.*"

Loraven paused, her brows pinching together at that. It wasn’t too strange a request to ask of her now. But she had returned late, and any guests would be leaving in the morning unless they were staying for longer. That wasn’t unusual, either.

Either way, the princess didn’t mind. Loraven was done with pretentious and cruel guests. The life she led now, on the road, meeting people far and wide with an array of experiences, had humbled her. It all stemmed from Selvin, though.

Loraven realised after meeting Selvin, she was prejudiced against humans. Sure, she still believed they could live better, like how they did, minus their cruel behaviours, but she stopped belittling and looking down at them. Life on the road also helped, and many were unaware of who she was outside of the snowy mountains.

The princess turned from Edric, not commenting further about her mother’s command and returned to her chambers. It was a comfort being in her own room, but Loraven still felt empty. An emptiness she knew was because of some foolish, childish feelings she’d had for a prince who remained the same in her imagination.

"*Your highness!* Her handmaiden rushed forwards, eyes wide at seeing the slight bruising on her face. She’d been tossed about by the creatures in the lake. Loraven had been away an entire year and, in her exhaustion returning home, forgot how ruthless the beings could be during this time of the year.

They were in mating season, and anyone even a few meters near the lake was aggressively attacked. Loraven was one of them. But the water creature did not survive her blades.

"*All is well. Please I need a bath, some wine and sleep. You may go, I do not need help.*"

Loraven began stripping the moment the doors closed behind the handmaiden, leaving the smelly clothing on the ground, and she dipped into the pool of water, her views of the mountain range and the side of some of the towns and villages slightly alight in the dark. Above that was the starry night sky revealing how small the world really was.

The princess could only stare as her aching muscles soaked in the bath, with bruises running up her back and a few scars now here and there from missions her mother sent her on. Loraven was not ashamed of them. They reminded her of the choice she had made and stood by. She was not her mother’s pawn.

Sure, Loraven had done Iolena’s bidding. But this had been the last time. She’d saved up enough to live a comfortable life elsewhere, away from the backstabbing and the politics.

Loraven was ready to give it all up.

After soaking in the bath and drinking her wine, the Lyvarian princess dried off and changed into a nightgown, dabbing a towel against her dripping hair as she sauntered into her large bed chamber of dark amethyst crystallised ice. The sconces were of a light blue flame she preferred for nighttime even though one side of her wall to the far right was one large glass window. There never used to be glass, but one of her servants slipped and fell off before.

Now she could still look at marvellous views from her bed.

"Loraven."

The Lyvarian Princess paused, her eyes widened, and her heart almost jumped out of her chest as the towel she held dropped to the floor. Slowly, Loraven turned around to the man standing in her chambers. Dressed finely, with his brown locks swept back and stylish stubble shaped and revealing his sculpted features more, Selvin stood there.

The King of Dunhurst was in her chambers. She knew it had to be true because he’d aged finely. Selvin’s blue eyes were dark, deep, and even wiser than before and all the more captivating.

"Selvin?" She whispered and pulled the robe tighter around her, hiding the dark bruises scattered over her body, but Selvin had already seen them. She couldn’t believe her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The King stepped forwards and stopped when Loraven retreated a few at his approach. "Did you really not know we were coming?" He sounded agonised.

That couldn’t be right. What was the King of Dunhurst doing in her chambers?

Loraven shook her head. "I have been away for 12 moons. I am only told what I need to know about my parent’s affairs." She didn’t state she asked Fiza and her spies to keep any details of King Selvin away from her ears.

If Loraven heard anything about it, it would cause her pain, and she did not want to feel any more than she already did.

"Why have you been away? I heard you did not marry Theoden."

How did Selvin hear that name? Loraven narrowed her eyes at him slightly. "Who works for you?" That was not the point. She shouldn’t be entertaining this.

But who would provide such information to a human? It was unheard of.

"Osian made an acquaintance here the last time we visited. She is quite resourceful, so I hear."

Fiza? That sneaky.. Loraven sighed. She didn’t waste her breath on the fae. Fiza was a spymaster with no loyalty to anyone. If she is paid enough and whatever information she provides would benefit her in any way, then she would sell it.

"It does not matter." Loraven sat on the bed, feeling weary and now emotionally fatigued from looking at the man Selvin had grown more into.

"It matters to me. I wanted to write to you, Loraven. I couldn’t forget about you-"

"You must," Loraven interrupted and looked away, feeling her eyes sting.

"Tell me one reason why?" Selvin took another step forwards. "Did you only want to bed me? Or did you feel more for me as I do for you?"

Loraven’s breath hitched at his words, and she looked back at the King. "What.."

"I fell for you the moment you placed a blade against my throat. Loraven, I came back against my advisor’s wishes.." Selvin took her hands in his as he made that final step to the foot of her bed. "To ask you to be my wife."