Chapter 9: Chapter – 9: Entangled / My Fiancé

"It is not the first time we are doing this, are we?" Elizabeth leaned on her chair with a sigh, asking Leon the good old question she always had. Her face was dull, devoid of any emotion as her eyes looked hollow, uninterested in the conversation she was having.

For her, it all seemed like a repetitive drama, where nothing significant would ever happen.

He would do something to degrade her position, then after a couple of days appear before her to apologize. Then after some time he would do something moronic and the cycle would repeat itself. Something she was never fond of. Just when was he going to learn to value a relationship, even if it was a fake one?

"Yes. It is not the first time, neither it will be the last. I am a human being. I am bound to make mistakes." Tim answered in a modest tone, picking a cookie from the plate. He now had a perfect picture of what he had done to make her this much insensitive towards him, but there was nothing more he could do except salvage the situation.

"We all know that, Lord. You will keep doing what you always do."

Leonhart was hopeless, and it was for the entire empire to see in clear daylight. There was no changing him and from the prodigal manner he was speaking, it didn't seem like he was in the least bit regretful of his actions. He was still the same ignorant young master.

"Well… Not anymore." Tim put his hands on the table, finishing the cookie and drinking some water. The seriousness in his face returned as the princess prepared herself for the nonsense to come.

Tim expected Elizabeth to say something, but she didn't care to open her tender lips. So, he continued. "I know, I have acted like a moron not once but a million times and have disrespected you. I have broken promises. I have failed many people, myself included."

Elizabeth blinked twice to confirm what she just heard as she fixed her posture to an attentive one. The most prideful master of all was accepting his mistakes. He would always give some nonsensical reasons to justify his actions, but now he was acting like a mature guy who understood the gravity of his own doings.

"Yet those people always stayed by my side. Never pushed me away. Still, I never learned. I kept being a moron, hurting others."

Leon spoke in a soft tone with a melancholic smile on his face, staring at the porcelain plate before his eyes. He was speaking from his heart, or rather he was just voicing words someone else gave him. His mood had taken an abrupt turn for some reason, and it was clearly reflected in his actions.

The princess and her attendant, who stood two steps to her right, looked at each other with surprised expressions on their faces. They could not understand how this man could mutter those words from his mouth, which only praised himself and none other. He was a brute who never understood other's feelings or was considerate towards them. But now he acted like he was.

"So, I will say now, with all my heart. I am sorry for what I have done. I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused for you. I am sorry for all the disrespect I have given to you. You are someone who deserves much respect, and I have failed you again and again."

Elizabeth raised her brows, unable to hide her astonishment. He always used the word Sorry to cover all his doings, but now, his wording was different yet the same. It carried emotions. It seemed he felt regret. He felt remorse for his actions, which was totally impossible. Was he perhaps an imposter?

"But not anymore." Leon paused, looked at the sky exhaling a deep breath, recollecting his thoughts, and continued again. "It is the final sorry I say. It is the last time I appear before you, carrying the same reasons you have always expected from me. I will never set foot in this palace of yours bearing the same mistakes. It is a promise I make and will fulfill, no matter the cost."

Too dumbfounded from what she just heard; the princess opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Her entire mind was in ruins, trying to figure out who this man was before him. Certainly, it was not the Leon she had always known. There had to be some kind of mistake, otherwise it was a lucid dream she was having.

Expecting the reaction he didn't get, Leon pushed the one-sided conversation ahead. "This marriage you and I are entangled with is not out of love but is of pure greed where neither yours nor mine's consent was ever taken. It was the elders who decided our fate without foreseeing the future. We cannot break this marriage between our families, but cannot just sit here like little ducklings waiting for their mother to feed them. You and I both hold power and don't need each other to live a life. You are free, so do I."

"Where are you going with all this, Leon?" asked Elizabeth with a confused expression on her face, leaning forward. This small matter had taken a turn towards something she never wanted to touch upon.

"I am settling this matter once and for all. So, hear me out in the least." Not waiting for any reaction from the princess, Leon continued. "I know you do not love me nor should you be, because that is for the greater good. From this day forward, I will do everything in my power to break off this pointless marriage and if I succeed, you will never see my face again, but if I fail you and I will meet again, doing whatever they demand us to do.

And by any means, if we become husband and wife, I promise I will never lay a hand on you and will leave you for you to be however you want. Like I said, you are a free bird who deserves to fly, touch new heights, not get chained by responsibilities."

Leon slowly got up from his seat, fixing the black coat he wore. "That is all I wanted to say, and it is my last goodbye, milady. Hope You will forgive me and will never see my face again, as it has always brought unintended misery upon you. And last, I am sorry."

Finally, giving a deep bow to both the princess and her attendant, which they didn't need, Leon left the vicinity with a tranquil expression on his face, but his steps halted once he heard some words from behind.

Elizabeth was momentarily shocked by what her eyes had just witnessed, but seeing Leon lowering his head so deeply, her heart ached. Just what had happened to this man? So, wasting no time, she spoke her mind.

"What if I am in love with you? What if I want to be your wife? What if I want you to come here, to see me? What if I don't accept your farewell?"

Leon smiled in a supple manner. "You do not need to love me. Because I cannot be loved, nor do I ever deserve it. And that answers every question you have. Thank you."

"You are being delusional…"

He heard some loud words muttered by the princess, but didn't turn around and left by the way he came.

***

"What just happened?" Elizabeth tilted her head to see her attendant, who was in an equal condition as her. Unable to process anything.

Leon acted like a mature person who understood every inch of the word he spoke. He was calm, concise. Said nothing to distract the princess. She could not even counter his words.

"I don't know Milady, but why did you say you love him?" Shatrina inquired, as she had no memories of seeing Elizabeth acting like she was in love.

"I never said I love him. I just wanted to find out the truth."

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"You found it?"

"Yes."

"What is it then?"

"It is that he was indeed saying the truth. I have never seen him so serious or so composed. It is as if he is entirely someone else. I thought he was faking all this, but now it seems he was not. He wanted to settle it." Elizabeth sighed in disappointment as she fell back on her chair.

"Yes." Shatrina nodded, saying nothing as she was no wiser on the matter than anyone else on the matter.

"He is dreaming, Shatrina. He thinks he can break off this marriage like it is nothing. But in reality, no one holds that much power."

"Except Lord Leon…"

"What? Did you not hear what I said? Breaking this marriage means going against the emperor or the duke? He could not possibly do that."

"He is Leonhart, milady. These petty things do not concern him. He will even go against gods to prove himself. You know why he is called the reincarnation of the devil. He is a brute force that can neither be controlled nor stopped. He is a loose cannon. Everyone remembers what he did with the bandits when he was just fifteen."

"Well… you are right, but if he calls off this marriage by any means, then I will have to suffer again with the same choosing game. I have already accepted him as my fiancé and now changing it won't do any good. Without him, any other prince or someone else will take me. He can choose, but I cannot. What is my role in this world, anyway? Produce the next generation." Elizabeth gave a broken smile, staring at the blue sky above her.

"What do you want, milady?" Asked the attendant in a soft tone.

"I… I want him as my husband. No matter how bad he is… at least he is an honest guy who speaks his mind. And I believe he can be changed. Slowly but surely. And there are far worse people than him in this world"

"So, you don't want to cancel the marriage?"

"Some part of me wants, some part of me doesn't. He is the best shot I can ever have, to a certain peaceful life. And if he wants to love me, then I am happy to oblige."

"Really…"

"Duke and the Duchess of Esper are prime examples, right? They were just randomly chosen, but now they love each other more than anything."

"That is an exception, milady."

"If he wants, we can make another exception, but he has to open up to me, which will never happen, not in this life at the least."

"Why do you keep contradicting yourself? If you want to marry him, then say it. If not, then too say it. What is the point of being in the dark when you know where the light is?" Shatrina couldn't comprehend why Elizabeth was acting like a kid when she knew what could be done to save everything.

"Am I really doing that?" Mumbled the princess with a gentle smile on her face.

"Yes, you are."

"Let's just see what he does." Elizabeth sighed again. "If I see that he really will succeed, which is impossible, then I will talk to him from my side and if he fails, which is an indisputable fact, then you know the rest."

"As you wish milady… but you too should open up. No one is going to listen to you if you are going to shut your mouth like that."

"Yes… yes… let's go inside now. It is too hot here." Giving a broken smile to Shatrina, Elizabeth rose from her seat and moved towards the castle with a heavy heart that begged for answers.

***

With the same tranquil expression on his face, Tim rode the carriage towards the mansion of Duke Esper. He then lay on the seat, tired from all the mental turmoil he had just done.

Tim never knew what took over him or why he badly wanted to settle things, but in the end, he felt everything he did was right. Every word just magically surfaced in his head, and he followed it.

Leon's memories had given Tim enough evidence to prove the many injustices done to her, which needed to be fixed for many years and now he fixed it. She could never love him, nor did he deserve it. And a loveless marriage could not proceed, not in his book.

She was a princess, a lovely girl who deserved everyone's love and respect. But he, or rather Leon, did the opposite. Never valued the relation nor the human being. And that was a grave mistake which must be fixed.

Everything was done by Leon, but Tim felt the guilt. He carried his emotions. He carried the pain.

Soon, Tim's eyes weighed a little as the slow swaying motion provided by the carriage welcomed the sleep. His exhausted brain needed a nap, and the condition was good. So, delaying no further, it switched itself off and with that, Tim was asleep until he was awakened by someone or something.