Chapter 6: Propose

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CHAPTER 6

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : - ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ - : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

HALLS of the castle were quieter now, as if the storm had raged around for fun.

➽Rhiannon's POV

Some days had passed. Simon in some royal meetings. Saying he'd been busy. Whatever that's supposed to mean. Probably cleaning the mess that happen.

I returned to my normal schedule. Cleaning chambers, sweeping floors, cooking, baking. Whatever that guy, the royal steward, wanted.

Sneaking some nights to the armoury, without the prince. I had become used to it. I missed my bow and arrow, that's what I've been practicing without him wanting to ping me down with a sword at my throat.

I've been liking one on one combats. It wasn't really my thing. Or at least never tried it. I'll re frase that. Or at least never had no one to tried it...

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She found herself outside, beneath the moonlit sky, standing near the training grounds. The night air was crisp, carrying the distant sounds of rustling leaves and the faint echo of armored footsteps.

A presence behind her sent a shiver down her spine-not of fear, but of something deeper, something unfamiliar.

She turned, and there he was.

Simon Riley stood a few paces away, arms crossed, his usual unreadable expression in place. But there was something different in his stance-something almost hesitant.

"It's over" he said, his voice quieter than usual.

Rhiannon nodded.

"It is"

A beat of silence stretched between them. He shifted slightly, as if weighing his next words.

"You should be relieved."

She let out a breath, looking away.

"I am."

"Then why do you still look like you carry the weight of it?" Rhiannon hesitated, then shook her head.

"Because it was never just about the brooch. It was about power. About how little it takes for someone like Lady Evelyne to turn suspicion into truth... It makes me think what more injustice the world has. How many more like me had suffered the same. Worse."

Simon's jaw clenched. He knew it too well.

"People like her" he muttered, "they've spent their whole lives believing they're untouchable."

"And people like me" she said softly, "spend our lives proving otherwise."

Silence again. But this time, it was different. Thicker. Heavy with something unspoken.

Simon exhaled sharply, as if making a decision. He stepped closer, close enough that she could see the moonlight catching the sharp angles of his face, the flicker of something raw in his gaze.

"I need to ask you something."

Rhiannon swallowed, her pulse quickening. "What is it?"

His fingers twitched at his sides, as if resisting the urge to reach for her.

"You are allowed to live in the village, if you want." He continued "You've fought. You've endured. You've earned your place here, if you accept, or you could go to the the village. Have a more peaceful life." His voice dropped slightly, rougher. "But before this ends, before you go back to your life and I to mine..."

Her breath caught. 'What's going on-'

He took another step forward, slow, deliberate, careful. His voice was lower now, edged with something dangerous and gentle all at once.

"Rhia" he paused "I want to kiss you" he admitted, each word measured, deliberate. "But only if you'll allow it."

Rhiannon's heart pounded against her ribs. He wasn't demanding. He wasn't taking. He was asking. The choice was hers.

She lifted her gaze, searching his for any sign of deceit, of jest. She found none. Only sincerity. Only him. A slow inhale. A careful step forward.

"Yes" she whispered.

Simon didn't hesitate. His hand lifted, fingers grazing her cheek first, barely there, as if still giving her the chance to pull away. When she didn't, his touch grew firmer, his other hand resting lightly against her waist.

And then-

His lips met hers. It was soft at first, a slow, deliberate exploration. As if neither of them quite believed this moment was real. But then, the hesitation melted. The warmth between them deepened, and for the first time since this whole ordeal began, Rhiannon allowed herself to let go.

To trust him.

To trust this.

When they finally parted, Simon's forehead rested against hers for a lingering moment, his breath warm against her skin.

"I suppose that means I'm in trouble" she murmured, voice teasing but breathless.

His lips curled slightly.

"Oh, you have no idea".

And for the first time in a long while, Rhiannon smiled sincerely.

The quiet of the night enveloped them as they stood there, their breath still mingling in the cool air. The world felt impossibly still, as if it had all paused in anticipation of what came next.

Rhiannon pulled away just slightly, enough to look up at Simon, her heart still racing from the kiss. Many questions in her mind.

But there was something else in his eyes now, something that made her stomach twist in a way that was both terrifying and exhilarating. She knew there was more to it. More than choosing her own life between the castle or the village.

He had asked. And she had agreed. But this... this was more than a stolen kiss beneath the stars.

"Rhia..." Simon's voice broke the silence, low and steady. "There's more I need to say."

She looked at him, her eyes searching his. "What's going on, Simon?"

His gaze never wavered, as if this moment had been a long time coming.

"I want you to be more than just a servant in my life. More than just someone who helped in the shadows. I want you by my side. Always."

Her breath caught.

"What are you saying?"

His hand reached for hers, his grip warm and strong.

"I don't care about titles. I don't care about what's expected of me. I don't care about what my mother or the court thinks." His gaze softened, but the intensity didn't fade. "I want you, Rhiannon. I want you as my future queen." - "Stay with me!"

She froze, her mind reeling at his words.

"Your queen?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath. "But I'm... I'm just a servant. A commoner. I can't-"

He gently cupped her face, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"You're everything I need. Everything I want."

Rhiannon could feel the weight of his words pressing against her chest, as if they were both too heavy and too wonderful to be real.

"But your mother-"

Simon smiled, a small, quiet victory in his expression.

"My mother has already approved it. She just wants her son to be happy. She sees what I see in you. She knows what you mean to me."

A soft laugh escaped her lips, though it was tinged with disbelief.

"You're telling me you've convinced the Queen to let you marry me? I mean letting me marrying you?"

His grin deepened, and he nodded.

"I've never cared about titles or the rules. I care about you, Rhia. And I will do whatever it takes to make you my princess. To make you my queen."

She felt something shift inside her. The impossible had suddenly become possible. He wasn't asking her to be a pawn in some political game. He was offering her something real. Something that didn't come with strings, except the ones that tied them together, two hearts beating in time.

"I don't know what to say." Her voice was a soft whisper, barely audible.

"You don't have to say anything." His voice was tender, his hand moving to rest gently on her cheek once more. "Just say you'll be with me. Say you'll stand beside me, now and always. You are already the queen of my heart."

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, though she fought them back. How was it possible? That a servant-someone like her-could find herself at the heart of this?

But the truth was in his eyes. He wasn't asking for permission. He was asking her to step into the future with him.

With a deep breath, she finally spoke, her voice steady, despite the whirlwind inside her.

"Yes," she said, the word filled with certainty and promise. "I'll be by your side. As your princesse. As your queen. As your future."

His smile was the brightest she had ever seen. He pulled her close once more, his lips finding hers in a kiss that spoke of everything they hadn't said, everything they would become.

And for the first time, Rhiannon believed in the possibility of a future that had once seemed impossible. A future with him. A future where she was not just a servant, not just a shadow in the court's games, but his equal.

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The castle seemed to glow brighter in the days that followed. Whispers of the new queen-to-be traveled swiftly through the halls, through the kingdom.

Some were skeptical, others uncertain, but none dared to question the royal decision when the Queen herself had given her blessing.

Rhiannon's heart swelled with every passing day. Her life had changed in ways she could hardly comprehend. But with Simon by her side, every step forward felt certain.

Together, they would rule. Together, they would write their own story.

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