Chapter Seven

"What?!" Both Elizabeth and Jasper cried out at the same time, but for different reasons. Elizabeth was horrified by her father's declaration, but Jasper was ecstatic, his mind already planning the wedding.

"Both of you, please listen." King Elroy waved his hand to calm them down, thinking they were both outraged by his statement. "As I mentioned earlier, this is something that would benefit the entire Kingdom of Brite as a whole." He explained, "I'm no longer in my prime. With my declining health, our enemies watch our kingdom, waiting for the slightest show of weakness so they can swoop in and claim it all for themselves. I can tell. Some of the border villages have been getting more raids in the past week. Their farm lands have been razed, and livestock stolen. These are all signs that our enemies are growing bolder by the day. Only by showing a unified front can we deter them." The king clenched his fists as he spoke.

As a person, King Elroy cared very much for the Kingdom of Brite. When he was crowned king, he had accepted the burden of protecting the kingdom and doing what was best for it. That was why he had pushed for expansion of territory. Only by showing your strength could you deter the opposition that sought to exploit you.

Although Elizabeth understood his point, she couldn't help but feel that he was pushing for an arranged marriage in order to spite her. After all, they had spoken about her marriage plans earlier that day, only for this matter to be brought up. If anything, she felt that even Jasper had a hand in her father's decision.

"How can you say such a thing?! I'm not getting married to Jasper! I told you I wasn't planning on getting married anytime soon. I don't feel like its right for me to just jump into anyone's arms because he's nobility. I don't even know why I'm talking to you about this!" Elizabeth fumed, rising from her seat. She threw a withering glare that was fierce enough to pin Jasper to his seat at him before directing one to her parents, and then storming out of the study.

Everyone there knew that trying to stop her was an exercise in futility. Elizabeth was a headstrong and proud lady who strove to make her own decisions by herself. Being forced into an arranged marriage was one of the least things she wanted at this point n her life.

King Elroy rubbed a hand over his eyes and let out a low sigh. That sigh contained a lot of pain. He couldn't stand seeing his daughter angry, especially when he knew he was at fault, but he truly had no choice this time. Just after his discussion with Elizabeth, a messenger had brought in news to the High Council that was dedicated to advising the ruling king. The news was in intelligence update from the spies they had sent into other kingdoms that were bordering Brite. They had begun mobilizing a great amount of manpower and war materiel. Such massive actions pointed at the possibility of war.

With an injured King ruling Brite, it would be difficult to rally the masses. Surely, if they were able to ride on the waves of announcing the princess' engagement to a worthy noble, they would be able to stall the movement of the enemies while also raising the morale of their citizens.

"Jasper," King Elroy turned to the other noble in the room. "I've known you ever since you were born. Your parents have been close to us for decades, even before I ascended the throne. I'm sure you understand why I'm pushing for a marriage between you and my daughter." His eyes were intense and stern when he spoke. He wanted to show Jasper how much weight his decision carried.

"I do, my king. It is in response to the unstable elements that have been popping up through the lands of Brite." Jasper spoke with certainty, his eyes firm. Although the king had already brought up the idea of an arranged marriage, his mind was still clear, and so he knew that Elizabeth was completely oppose to the idea of marrying him. He knew he would have to work hard to win her heart, especially now that she had been put on guard. It was basically like trying to coax an unwilling porcupine into letting its guard down. If he went about it the wrong way, it would backfire.

King Elroy nodded slowly. "That's good. Since you know what's at stake, I'll leave you with the responsibility of winning my daughter's heart. I don't plan to intervene unless it is absolutely necessary, so just keep it in mind that you are working against the clock. It would be best if you succeeded in making her accept you coming marriage before we become pressed for time. I wish you the best of luck in your coming ordeal. You may leave not."

Jasper got up, and with a strong bow, he turned to leave the room, leaving only the king and queen there to discuss about the coming storm.