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The next morning, Elodus found himself standing outside, awaiting his future bride to approach him. The ceremony was being held in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by sunlight and bright flowers decorating the area.

Elodus was wearing black pants and black boots accompanied by a white shirt and a golden vest with a matching overcoat with puffy white sleeves at the shoulders. He had also been given a small golden dagger and a little red jewel that was inside a metal container shaped like an egg that was clipped to his belt.

While he was standing there, he couldn't help but glance to his family that was off to the side, more specifically (Y/n). She had gotten to wear a much nicer dress for the ceremony, and had her hair all done up. Elodus thought she looked beautiful.

But he also couldn't help but notice that she looked a bit sad. Her eyes were looking to the floor and she was frowning slightly. But when she look up at him, she quickly changed to a smile.

Before he could ponder it any further, the double doors to the courtyard opened to reveal Princess Henrietta and her father the King. Elodus had to admit, the Princess did look very beautiful, with her hair all done and the golden dress she was wearing.

When she approached him, Elodus took her hand from her father and led her up some steps to the priest who was waiting to perform the ceremony.

The couple exchanged rings, and when the priest said 'you may now kiss the bride' Elodus leaned forward and placed a small, gentle kiss on Henrietta's lips.

(Y/n) clapped along with the rest of the crowd, trying to ignore the slight ping of jealousy that shot through her body at seeing Elodus kiss another woman.

The Queen then came forward and placed a small golden crown on Elodus' head and turned to the crowd.

"I present my daughter, and new son, Elodus, Prince of Aurea."

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause.

...

After the ceremony, Elodus and Henrietta were descending down a stone staircase towards a golden carriage waiting to take them away. Elodus' family and well as (Y/n) were waiting on the seats to say goodbye to him.

Elodus stopped at his father first. "Goodbye, Father."

Lord Bayford extended his hand and shook Elodus', silently letting him know he was proud of him.

Elodus then moved to Lady Bayford. "Stepmother." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek.

When he reached Floria, he abandoned all decorum and hugged her tightly.

"I hope I look half as wonderful as you did today." Floria whispered.

He broke the hug and looked at her. "Twice as wonderful. I love you."

"I love you too." She replied, the two pressing their foreheads together.

Elodus then moved onto the final and hardest person he was to say goodbye to. He looked at (Y/n) and took her hand in his own bringing it to his lips.

"Goodbye, (Y/n). I hope we shall meet again." He said.

It wasn't the best goodbye, he knew that. But he couldn't really say much with his new wife standing right behind him.

"Goodbye Elodus. I wish you both all the happiness in the world." (Y/n) told him.

Elodus turned to help his new bride into the carriage, and was about to step up himself, when he paused.

He turned back to (Y/n) and handed her a folded piece of paper with a wax seal on it. "This is for you. But you have to promise me you won't open it until you're back home." He blurted out.

(Y/n) looked confused but took the letter. "What..?"

"Promise me, please." He pleaded.

She paused for a moment but nodded. "I promise."

Elodus sighed in relief, and turned back to hop into the carriage. Once he sat down next to Henrietta, the carriage rode off into the forest, with several servants throwing rose petals at them in celebration of their marriage.

"Where are we going?" Elodus asked as they rode through the forest.

"Remember those ancient ceremonies up on the mountains?" She reminded him.

"Yes."

"We're going to pay homage to my ancestors." Henrietta said.

...

The carriage took them to the base of the rocky mountains in the distance, where they climbed out and followed a trail of rose petals up some stairs carved into the rock and under a stone archway. To the right, they came to an entrance to the cave where several people wearing gold masks were waiting for them.

Elodus hesitated seeing all the blank emotionless masks people were wearing but Henrietta squeezed his hand in reassurance.

The Queen, dressed in red robes, smiled. "Welcome, Prince. For generations, it has been our task, our duty, to protect our people. The price is dear, but so too the reward. So tonight, you join a long line of people who have helped to build this kingdom." She said, placing a gold coin in Elodus' hand.

...

(Y/n) was back at the castle helping Floria pack all her clothes for the journey back up North. Every few seconds, her eyes would slip over to the letter Elodus had left her that was sitting on a small table.

Floria looked up from her trunk full of clothes at (Y/n) and saw her staring. "You could always just read it, you know."

(Y/n) snapped her gaze back over to Floria. "No, I can't. I promised I wouldn't read it until we got back home."

Floria gave her a look. "He's not even here. He'll never know you looked."

(Y/n) didn't budge. "A promise is a promise." She stated firmly, trying not to show how badly she wished to read the letter herself.

Floria rolled her eyes, but didn't pester her any further. (Y/n) carried some more of her things over to her trunk and started putting them away, not noticing Floria sneak over to the table and grab the letter.

The sound of the wax seal being ripped made (Y/n) perk up and she quickly turned around and watched as Floria unrolled the piece of paper.

Her eyes went wide with disbelief. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I know you want to know the contents of this letter as badly as I do. You may have promised Elodus that you wouldn't read it, but I made no such promise." Floria argued triumphantly.

"You can't read that, it was supposed to be a private letter!" (Y/n) exclaimed.

Floria didn't listen and started to read. "My dearest (Y/n)..." she began.

"Stop!"

(Y/n) lunged at her, but Floria dodged her and started running around the room, reading the letter as she did so.

"I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to say this in person..."

"Floria!"

"...but I fear that if I don't tell you now, I will regret it for the rest of my life."

"Give it to me!"

Floria hopped up onto her bed. "The truth is...I am completely, and hopelessly in love with you!" She announced.

(Y/n) paused in her tracks and her face morphed from anger to complete shock.

"...What?"

"I have felt this way for quite some time, but was always too scared to tell you for fear of ruining our friendship, and now it is too late."

"Let me see that!" (Y/n) demanded, longing for the letter, but Floria jumped off her bed a just as she landed on it.

"...But I want you to know, that while I am now married to another woman, my heart will always belong to you. All my love, Elodus."

Floria gasped and grinned widely. "Oh, I knew it! I knew he loved you, I knew it, knew it, knew it!" She squealed jumping up and down.

(Y/n) finally managed to snatch the letter away and read it with her own eyes to confirm that's what it actually said.

Once she finished reading it, a million thoughts rushed through her head at once. He loved her? All this time?

"(Y/n), do you love him back?" Floria asked.

"I...I have to go." She announced.

Floria furrowed her brows. "What? Go where?"

(Y/n) didn't answer. She just rushed out of the door. She had to see Elodus as soon as possible. She had no idea what she was going to say to him, or think about how this would affect his new marriage. She just knew she had to talk to him.

And tell him she loved him too.

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