Although Elinor wants to refuse, she looks at his expression and decides to suppress the thought for now, nodding obediently.
Arthur tilts his head, observing the two, rubbing his chin between his thumb and forefinger, but the more he looks, the more something seems off.
Noticing Arthur's actions, Elinor curves her lips slightly. Arthur's appearance is quite handsome, embodying classic royal charisma. His face is handsome with distinct features. He has deep blue eyes that appear both wise and profound. His eyebrows are thick, naturally arched.
Arthur's hair is dark brown, well-kept, slightly wavy, usually neatly styled but still relaxed and natural.
Honestly speaking, Arthur is a person with a naturally good temperament. In her memory, she rarely sees him angry. After marrying him, they never argued.
The reasons are simple: first, because of Arthur's good nature; second, because the one he truly loves isn't her; third, because she doesn't love him either, she only likes the title and power of being the queen, so romantic love doesn't affect her heart.
To those unaware of the truth, her marriage with Arthur seems like a match made in heaven, a chance given by God to two loving people.
Elinor looks at Arthur apologetically, thinking it was her impolite behavior that led to William's misunderstanding. So she says, "I am very sorry, Prince Arthur, not only did I fail to thank you for saving my life, but I also hurt you. If there's a chance, I hope to host a banquet to apologize."
Arthur stands up straighter and awkwardly adjusts his clothes after hearing Elinor's words. Being slapped for no reason, it's false to say he isn't upset. And William is acting like he stands on her side for some reason, not giving a damn about the friendship they'd grown up with.
But when he hears Elinor's soft voice, looking at her eyes as if soaked in spring water, the delicate youth's face, as radiant and fair as a newly revealed pearl, with red lips and white teeth, perhaps due to his young age, his facial contours still very soft, making his features look delicate, an ambiguous beauty.
For no reason, Arthur can't bring himself to be angry. He's not one to make others uncomfortable, so he smiles and says, "Your slap wasn't that hard. But since you say so, I won't be polite, I'll wait for your invitation to drink."
William scrunches his nose, suddenly wanting to beat him up.
On the way back to the palace, Arthur's thoughts drift back to the scene by the shoreside. Riding his horse, shaking his head, the more he thinks, the more something seems off. Especially the way William protected that youth, putting him behind himself at the first instance, drawing a sword against a prince. And why is William so anxious about what he might do to that youth? What could he do?
Thinking further, that youth's delicate face, slender figure... Arthur's expression changes drastically. He tightens the reins, thinking William, being several years younger, might not fully understand certain things. It's time for him, the adult, to give some advice. So he clears his throat and says to William, "William, while it's true that some people are curious about the same gender, such curiosity doesn't mean anything. Some men are handsome, but that's not a big deal. There are many beautiful women in the world. The most important thing is you'll be the next head of the Mortfort family, so..."
Riding side by side, William, hearing Arthur's words and before he can finish, immediately interrupts with a dark expression, "Prince Arthur, I'm not interested in men."
Arthur turns his head, looking at William's stern profile skeptically, "Then why were you so concerned about that youth earlier, rushing to show your attentiveness?"
William also recalls the incident, his mind flashing back to Arthur's final words, and the way Elinor looked at Arthur, which made him feel uncomfortable. William's eyes flicker with thought, then he says, "She's not just some youth; she's the young lady of the Clare family."
Arthur's eyebrows rise and his eyes widen in in disbelief at what he was hearing.
Seeing Arthur's shocked expression, William immediately drops his concerns, sitting proudly on his horse, his smile returning.
Suddenly, he says formally to Arthur, "She's a kind and cheerful girl who loves wandering the bustling streets freely, and I accompany her. Prince Arthur, you are like a older brother to me. I'm informing you of her identity today so that you know that she's a girl. In the past, you didn't know, which is understandable; but now that you know, it's good to be mindful and avoid the shock of earlier time."
Arthur nods subconsciously, but then realizes the true implication of William's words, "You mean to say, she might be your wife?"
William gazes into the distance, lifting his chin proudly, his eyes and mouth full of smiles, "Not might be, but definitely! The girl I dote on can only be my wife."
King Arthur looks at him, speechless at his grand claims for such a young age, but then considering his age, he asks, "Does your father know about your thoughts like this?"William, with a nonchalant demeanour, gracefully rotates his wrist in a circular motion, displaying a sense of effortless finesse. With his body held in a poised and refined manner, he proceeds to respond in a composed and assured tone, affirming, "Undoubtedly, it is within his knowledge. In what manner could I possibly allow the young lady whom I hold in the highest regard to endure even the most minuscule measure of distress or discontent? I have already communicated to my esteemed father, with utmost certainty and conviction, my unwavering decision to enter into the sacred bond of matrimony with the esteemed and virtuous lady, Elinor. Not only did he express his agreement, but he also went on to kindly advise me to treat her in a considerate and respectful manner.”As they approach the grand entrance of Avalon P
"When I was very young, my mother told me that the most noble woman in the world is the queen, and that the palace where she resides is called the Avalon Golden Hall. I asked my mother what the Golden Hall looked like."My mother said she didn't know."Sitting under the leaking roof of a country house, I thought how wonderful it would be if I could transform into a swan flying overhead, to soar to the bustling capital, to see the palace and discover what the Golden Hall looked like."The palace gates were secluded, with only a window on the left slightly ajar.The sky was overcast, the light dim.In the once bustling Avalon Golden Hall, not a single servant was to be seen now.Only Elinor de Clare remained, sitting tall in front of an intricately carved ivory white marble table, moving a queen chess piece across the black board with her slender, pale fingers. Her golden gown spread out long behind her, its complex patterns barely glimmering in the dim light."Later, I indeed reached t
Elinor blinked gently. Her thick, curled eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyelids, adding a touch of forlornness to her expression, as if she bore the weight of the world's unpredictable changes.Lilith watched her with a hint of melancholy.Elinor had set aside the chess piece, reaching for the slender wooden box on the table and opening it. Inside lay the King's Cane, and a letter that she had written and also stamped with the seal of the ring.The letter expressed her deep love for Arthur and her willingness to join him in death, pleading with Archbishop John Blackwood to assist in governance and select a worthy successor.Suddenly, Elinor looked out the window, the overnight snow had ceased.Bright sunlight pierced through the gloomy clouds, casting a beam of light into the dreary palace chamber.She murmured, "Had I known this would be the end, why did I bother to work so hard? Better to have traveled far and wide, to gaze upon vast landscapes like a free bird. In this
What a long dream this is, where a lifetime of karma is all muddled, with only the sharp pain of the poison distinctly clear.It’s truly hurts, as if thousands of ants are gnawing from her stomach, spreading throughout her body, acutely aware of death's approach.Elinor thinks: Had I known, I would have chosen a less painful way to die.In the dream, something seems to press on her chest, making it hard to breathe, so she coughs, finally managing to open her eyes with great effort. But what she sees next terrifies her.She is completely submerged in water. As she coughs, water rushes into her mouth relentlessly. No wonder she feels breathless; she is about to suffocate!Struggling, Elinor releases a stream of bubbles and frantically swims upwards.Suddenly, a hand encircles her waist, lifting her upwards with force.Finally, Elinor's pale face breaks the water's surface, gasping for fresh air. The hand continues to guide her towards the shoreside.When she sees the man's face, Elinor'
Elinor thought back to the old days, when she returned to the capital at the age of fifteen, she began to disguise herself as a boy, pretending to be a relative of the Clare family in the capital, and followed William around the capital in a crazy way; she met Princess Winona when she was eighteen years old; and then it was when something happened to the Mortfort family.Elinor recalled in a trance that all of her real young years, she had William.With William she was not afraid of anything.William comes from the Mortford family is a famous knight family, and he had stayed in the border for a period of time, with the capital most of the men do not have the high-spirited and vigorous, he is always by her side, love her and protect her.If there is nothing unexpected, they should have gotten married.Only on this day, when she followed William, she met Arthur who also came to look for William.Once upon a time she did not know Arthur's identity.But the first words that came out of Wi