AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shrunk inwards when I kept stumbling and stepping on his feet. He held me closer each time, and I felt him chuckling whenever I cringed—the shaking of his body was a terrible giveaway.
“I’m a good dancer, I swear,” I said with a shaky smile, pursing my lips when I nearly stepped on his feetagain.
His hands moved to gently grip my waist before he lifted me off the ground and settled me on his feet, bringing us even closer and making my face boil. I wondered if steam was blowing from my ears.
“I know.” He smiled, his green eyes bright and lovely. “I was watching you from the start.”
I could have vanished right then. “That makes me feel even worse!”
When the music eventually stopped and cheers rang around us, we separated, a smile on his lips and a lasting blush on my face.
And then he was lowering to his knees before me, his right hand over his heart and his left palm pressed to the ground. Gasps echoed around me as I watched green vines twirling beautifully from the earth before they stood a little under my height, a breathtaking blue flower blooming slowly until it stretched its brilliant petals before me.
A few feet away from me, Ayen’s eyes widened in horror, his face losing its warm colour.
The High Elf gazed up at me with mesmerising green eyes, his pale red lips curling into a smile as he stared into my stunned gaze.
“Lady Elf,” he began, his voice soft and warm, hypnotising in a way that had the world around me ceasing to exist and only he remained.
“Your beauty is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
So pure and naive are you
That I seem to struggle between
Wanting to worship you or shout out ‘untrue!’
Lady Elf,
You may see me as a splendid being
But if you were to stand by my side,
I’d become nothing but a powerless King
And my heart will unravel with nothing to hide.
Lady Elf,
I can promise you one thing with all my pride,
And that is to ensure your life tree remains evergreen.
Will you become my bride,
And stand with me, as my queen?”
35
When I scurried away with wide eyes and frantic limbs, those around me cheered and clapped. They thought I was shy; the suddenness of being impressed by such a stunning and majestic Elf perhaps too much for my young self to handle.
That wasn’t it.
I was impressed publicly with many witnesses around.
That placed such inexcusable pressure on me. It was now expected of me to answer to the Elf, and it was expected to be apositiveanswer because he was a High Elf—not only was he from a prestigious village, but he was aplantchild as well. Rejecting him would cause stories to go around from ear to ear, tales passing from unknowing lips and suspicion rising in ignorant eyes because why would I reject someone like him?
Iknewthe Elf didn’t mean any harm, but that was the way of my people.
