"Do you know him?" King Woodshin's question confirmed her doubt.
It was the king of beasts. The same beast her mother warned her about before breathing her last.
"I… I… I don't know him," she stuttered.
"Adelaide, King Cedric is the only one who could save us from the vampires. And for that to happen, he wants you to be his bride or we would be left to…" the words were too heavy for King Woodshin to say, so he swallowed them.
How could he bring himself to say both old, young, male, female and every living being in Shin-ey would meet their end?
It was too much for him to say.
"Father, can I think this over?" Adelaide asked, her gaze fixed on her father.
The last thing she wanted was to go against her late mother's warning… there definitely must be a way out.
For all the Faes. And for her.
"There isn't time left to think, Adelaide," Queen Gloria's voice echoed before King Woodshin could speak. "In three days, all of us would be swept off this world by the vampires if we don't make our decision tonight."
"Adelaide, she is right. We have to fight them off or not stand a chance at all," her father's words were like a rock pressing down on her.
Without giving her the chance to speak, he continued. "Adelaide, our fate is in your hands. With just a yes from you we would have King Cedric's support and form an alliance. One which would make us untouchable."
Every word from him made the words she held dearly slowly shatter into pieces.
For five years, she had been treated as a princess even though she was regarded as a cursed princess. She was raised by her father and his wife like every other maidens of Shin-ey were raised, not as an illegitimate daughter.
She would be an ingrate if she turned her back on her father and the Faes now that they needed her the most.
"Adelaide, I know this is had for you especially given how you want to marry a fae who loves you as much as you love him," King Woodshin reached for her hands, "You have only this moment to decide if we would face the same fate as the witches who were erased or save us from our deadly enemy."
"I would marry him."
The moment the words slipped out of Adelaide's lips, King Woodshin and Gloria embraced her into a tight hug.
"Thank you for not being an ingrate. Thank you, Adelaide," his voice which was once a replication of what sadness sounded like, was now laced with excitement.
"I want to go meet—"
"They must be exhausted from the long journey. Just let them rest and inform them tomorrow morning," Queen Gloria suggested, a faint smile on her face.
****
The loud sound of the chiming bird woke Cedric up.
He climbed down from his mattress, about to go take his bath, when his assistant rushed up to him.
"Your Majesty, King Woodshin of the Faes, invited you to his personal palace to talk over tea," Eric informed him. "I can't turn down the request if you are still too—"
"I need to accept his invitation. Who knows if he might have probably made his decision," Cedric muttered, a sly smile on his face.
He wondered if Woodshin would choose his illegitimate daughter over his kingdom or his kingdom over her.
"Give him my word that I would be there in a few minutes," Cedric added before leaving for the bathroom where he took his bath before going to bed last night.
He let himself sink into the bathtub, feeling the soothing fragrance that eased off the tiredness left inside him.
No matter how much he wanted to take the young female's image off his mind, he couldn't.
She was too petite to be his mate. She is an illegitimate daughter, a cursed fae… none of this has ever happened in the history of the Beast.
But right at this moment, he would claim any female if there is the slightest possibility she is his mate.
Done bathing, he snapped out of his thoughts before returning to the main room.
He changed into the new robe prepared for him. It looked silly but since he only brought a few dresses and didn't expect the surprise of a female he met here, he had to wear his best dress on their wedding day.
He joined the servants who were waiting to lead him to King Woodshin's personal palace.
It was quite a walk, his eyes capturing the mesmerizing sight. Every hall he walked past stole his heart. The decorations, the perfect blend of the sky against the colors and growing flowers.
The servants announced his presence the moment he arrived at King Woodshin's personal palace.
"King Woodshin, your palace is such an eye charmer," Cedric muttered the moment he walked into the room.
He now saw the reason the vampires are trying to fight the Faes— it was all for this gift they are blessed with by the gods.
Without any argument, Shin-ey is the most beautiful kingdom among the kingdoms in the world.
"My palace is not as magnificent as yours, King Cedric," King Woodshin said, then welcomed him to the specially designed seat for him.
Meanwhile, Adelaide's gaze was glued to Cedric.
He was the same person she ran into at the ball… she is about to become his bride a few hours after apologizing to him.
"King Cedric, if marrying my daughter is the only way to form an alliance with you and your kingdom, then I am ready to marry my daughter off to you," her father's words hit her real hard this time.
It is real and happening. The very thing her late mother warned her about…