Night Enchanted

I watched as the fair maiden slipped back into the darkness. Panting, my hunting companion Arl Ronan caught up with me. He doubled over, panting. He looked much like me but his hair was blond and his eyes were blue. When he caught his breath he stood up straight.

“Don’t just wander off like that, Elwin,” he lectured. “You could have been stolen by a human!”

“I met one,” I said and he took a few steps back, looking around in fear.

“Where?” he asked. “Did it try to attack? Did it trample you?”

I laughed. “Well, she obviously didn’t trample me or I wouldn’t be here to tell you!”

“Oh. Right.”

“The legends are wrong, Arl,” I said, grabbing his arm. “They are not giants. They look just like you and me!”

He frowned. “I don’t know, Elwin…. The leaders would not lie to us.”

I opened my mouth to argue but we heard a soft horn and I groaned. It was our call to go home. I glanced back at where she disappeared before slipping back into the shadows.

—Camilia—

I didn’t sleep at all that night. I kept thinking about Elwin. I was so excited to have finally met an elf. I couldn’t wait until my father heard! When he called for me, I quickly dressed into my nicest gown and rushed into the room that served as kitchen and dining area.

“Papa! You won’t believe what happened last night!” I gasped.

He was patting his pockets. “Yes, yes, we’ll discuss it later. For now, we must go meet with Sir Jensen.”

“But, papa-”

“Not now,” he sighed. “I can’t seem to find- Oh, there it is.”

He pulled out a handkerchief that was passed down to the men in our family. Unfortunately, he had no son so it would become mine. He grinned and handed it to me. It had our family name – Constantin – embroidered in red thread. The material itself was silk.

“Thank you, papa,” I whispered.

“It is our token to Sir Jensen,” he said excitedly as we exited the house.

I stared at him in shock. “But, papa! We have not even met yet!”

“He’s willing to marry you, Camilia,” he said. “You can’t go to his home without some kind of token.”

“But tokens are only given-”

My father held his hand up. We had reached Theodore Jensen’s house. He knocked three times and a young man opened the door. He was very handsome. His eyes were blue and his hair brown. At first I thought this might be Theodore but then I noticed the wedding band on his finger. He bowed us in and I tucked the kerchief into a pocket on my gown.

The house was large. To the right, a dining table made of oak was set for tea and to the left a small parlor full of books was blocked by a door. The man had us sit around the table and I sat with my back straight, just as a lady should.

I couldn’t help but fidget, though, as we awaited the arrival of our host. Finally, he descended the stairs. My stomach twisted unpleasantly as I recognized the face of the young boy that terrorized me as a child. He had grown handsome now, though, with a full head of blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was tan from working in the fields but I could tell now that he didn’t really do any work at all.

Back when we were children, I had known him simply as Teddy.

“Camilia,” he said, bowing and kissing my hand.

“Theodore,” I returned stiffly. “How nice of you to have us over for tea.”

“It was so nice of you to accept,” he said, shaking my father’s hand then sitting to my side. “I was very shocked to hear you have not found a husband!”

“Camilia just hasn’t been approached by many men,” my father said, accepting a scone.

Theodore frowned and put his hand on mine. I slipped it out in the pretense of getting sugar.

“I can’t imagine why not.” He leaned forward and smiled at me with brilliant white teeth. “I am very much looking forward to spending more time with you. That is, if your father approves,” he added.

My father looked into my eyes. His flickered with regret before he nodded. I swallowed and pretended to brush my hair back to wipe away a tear. He knew I was unhappy.

“Well,” Theodore said in a business-like manner, “I was thinking you and I could go for a stroll.”

“That would be lovely,” I said automatically.

“Wonderful,” he beamed.

After tea, he took my arm in his and led me outside. We walked down to the edge of the village. As soon as we were away from people, he dropped my arm. I frowned at him as he glared at me.

“I absolutely detest this,” he said and I arched a brow, shocked at his words.

“I beg your pardon?”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t you see what’s going on here?” he demanded. “I, the handsome prince, am set to marry the ugly duckling.”

I clenched my hands into fists. “No one is making you do this,” I snapped.

“As a matter of fact, they are,” he snapped back. “Society demands it!”

I shook my head and started walking home. “I will not marry you.” He gripped my wrist tightly and I gasped. “You are hurting me.”

“You will marry me,” he said, gripping me tighter. “And you will not tell your father of this.” I tried to yank my wrist out but it just hurt me more. “This is good for the two of us. You will be married and I will finally have a son.”

“Finally?” I repeated and he smirked.

“Are you really so naïve to think I have not caught the attention of many women?”

I blushed at the thought. “So marry them.”

He sighed dramatically. “Alas, they are already spoken for. But you, my dear, are not. So you will marry me.”

“Let me go,” I snapped and he finally did. I rubbed my wrist. “You are a cruel man, Theodore Jensen. You were when we were children and you still are.”

Without warning, he put his hand on the back of my neck and kissed me roughly. I struggled in his grip. When he finally let me go, he was smirking.

“Don’t worry. Once we are married, that rebellious streak of yours will be gone.”

He took my arm again and all but dragged me back into town. My father was waiting back at his town house.

“Did you have a wonderful time?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” Theodore said and gripped my arm tightly in warning.

“Yes, it was lovely,” I whispered.