All I Need ✔️

Chapter 57

Third Person POV

The crowd fell deathly silent. Not a soul dared open their mouth as they waited for the King's response. Cassius stood up in shock but didn't say anything either.

Advisor Melli was the first to speak. "Women aren't allowed in this tournament."

"I'm sorry advisor, I didn't realize," Safania apologized. "I don't remember hearing that restriction."

"We don't have to say it, it's the way it's always been," Melli replied through gritted teeth, giving Safania a glare.

"Please forgive me. I'm not from here so I didn't know," Safania said kindly, which seemed to anger Melli even further.

"Your majesty, you can't..." Advisor Melli began, turning to the King.

"Advisor, please, sit," the King commanded, cutting Melli off. "You and you," he pointed to Safania and Cassius. "Please come join me in my tent." Though his words were polite, his tone made it clear it was a demand, not a request.

Safania looked over at Cassius while she walked to the tent and found him looking back at her absolutely furious. She still had adrenaline coursing through her from the fight, but now the uncertainty started to sink in.

"Both of you, sit," the King commanded once they were inside his tent.

Cassius and Safania obeyed. The King let out a deep sigh.

"Well this is quite a situation, isn't it?" he said to them both. "Violate the rules of the Oske tournament or allow my son to marry a runaway slave. Cassius...I trusted you when you told me you had made a decision. Why would you go behind my back and do this?"

"Father, I assure you I had no idea of Safania's intentions. I thought she had left the kingdom." He continued to talk to the King, but now turned to look at Safania. "I certainly would not have allowed her to compete in this tournament, given that it's extremely dangerous and she could have been killed," he said pointedly.

"Prince Cassius told me he would fight for us to be together, but he was unsuccessful. I thought it was my turn to try to fight for our future," Safania told the King, though clearly directing her words to Cassius.

"Perhaps Safania had good intentions, but I was still as shocked as you were to see her out there, father, given the fact that we had promised to not keep secrets from each other," Cassius said, continuing to speak to Safania.

"And I'm sure you understand, your majesty, that if I had told Prince Cassius he would have forbidden me from entering, despite the fact that I'm perfectly capable and, in fact, won the tournament," Safania said, meeting Cassius's icy stare with one of her own.

"Quiet! Both of you," the King commanded. "Dear lord, you two are already fighting like a married couple."

The King sighed and massaged his temple.

"The match I had chosen for you was going to provide 100,000 men to our army. Do you have 100,000 men to add to our army, Safania?"

"No," Safania replied.

"Then you understand..."

"I'm sorry your majesty," Safania interrupted, "but I wasn't finished. I don't have 100,000 men. But I can get them."

The King cocked his eyebrow. "Oh? How do you plan on doing that?"

"I don't know," Safania admitted. "The same way I didn't know how I was going to fight to be with Cassius. The same way I didn't know how I was going to survive on my own once I ran away from Irado. The same way I didn't know how I would win this tournament. But I've done a pretty good job so far, don't you think?" Safania said the words gently, so she wouldn't be seen as challenging the King's authority.

The King leaned back in his chair. "She's very persuasive," he said to Cassius, amused.

"You have no idea" Cassius responded, irritated.

The King let out another long sigh. "How about this? If, in the next month, you add 100,000 men to your army at the Western Fort, you can get married. As an act of good faith, and because I don't want to ruin Oske, I will announce your engagement today. But if you fail, you will both leave the kingdom. Permanently."

Cassius looked at Safania. "It's your decision," she told him.

"I'm not happy with you," he replied.

Safania bowed her head. Had she done all this for nothing?

"I accept your terms father," Cassius told his father.

Safania's head shot up in surprise. The King smiled.

"I really am hoping you both pull this off," he told Cassius and Safania. "Come on, time to make the announcement."

The three walked out into the arena.

"My people!" the King exclaimed. "This has certainly been an unconventional Oske. One for the history books. As many of you know, I've been looking for a suitable match for my dear son. I wanted to marry him to a woman of noble blood. Someone with connections, influence, a reputation.

"But there is something more important than that to me – my promises. I am a man of my word. And it is vital that you all have faith in me, especially as we watch our neighbors build up their armies in an attempt to overthrow our long and peaceful rule.

"It is for that reason that I have agreed to allow Safania to marry my son, Prince Cassius." The crowd began to murmur, but the King continued, undeterred. "Safania may not be royalty. She may not be nobility. But she has the heart of a lion. She knows what it is like to have nothing, and yet has pushed herself to win this tournament against 35 other worthy contenders. Let her be a reminder that in Peria, all are valuable – commoners, nobles, and royalty. In Peria, we must fight together, or we will fall apart."

The crowd began to cheer. The King turned to Cassius and Safania, and gestured for them to come forward. "I am thrilled to announce the engagement of my son, Prince Cassius the Wise, Guardian of Eritrus, Commander of the Western Fort, Keeper of Knowledge to Safania of Eir."

The commoners went wild, clapping and cheering. They flooded the arena and lifted Safania and Cassius onto their shoulders. The nobles were clapping reluctantly, clearly not thrilled, but not wanting to go against the unruly mass. But there was no celebrating in the royal booth. Orphasius and Melli both looked irritated, and Alterius was fuming. Cassius only caught a glimpse of his eldest brother before he stormed off.

The crowd walked to the castle while singing celebratory songs. They dropped Cassius and Safania off in front, but then every commoner wanted to come and meet the new future princess. Person after person came up and blessed them both, kissed Safania's cheeks or hands, or told them how excited they were to have her as their princess.

Cassius had never experienced this kind of adoration from the kingdom's subjects. As far as he knew, none of his family had. He supposed this had something to do with Safania being like them, someone without noble blood.

They stayed for at least an hour, greeting people, Safania giving out hugs. Cassius watched in frustration, but also with pride. Frustration because they had so much to discuss, but pride because Safania had been his fiancé for less than a day and the kingdom already seemed to welcome her with open arms.

When the sun started to set, Cassius told the crowd, "Thank you all. You'll see Safania again soon."

He pulled Safania inside the castle gates, with the guards holding back the still cheering masses.

Safania and Cassius walked upstairs to Cassius's wing and ran straight into Emalina and Alton. "Saffy!" Emalina cried. "I can't believe it," she said, walking to hug her best friend. Cassius stopped her.

"Not now Emalina," he said firmly, guiding Safania into her old room.

Emalina tried to look to Safania, but she didn't make eye contact. Instead, Safania walked into the room and Cassius closed the door behind her.

"We need to talk," the prince told her.

Publishing this chapter tonight (early) because I won't have a chance tomorrow. Enjoy lovelies!