Reaching her, I bowed slightly and, with a lightness of attitude, kissed the surface of my own finger, as if it were a gesture of deep respect.
"Greetings, miss." I said, my voice firm but with a touch of reverence.
She was a little stunned, her blue eyes fixed on me with an expression of surprise.
"Hi, who are you?" she asked, the surprise still evident in her voice.
"Zaatar Udrick. It's nice to meet you." I replied, my smile sincere and disarming, without trying to hide how charmed I was by her.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Aline." she replied, and when I heard her name, an even bigger smile came over my face. I didn't know what was happening to me, but it felt right. An indescribable feeling, something that told me to act.
Without much thought, I moved in what seemed to be the only direction that made sense at that moment.
"Be my wife." I said, clearly and directly.
She was speechless for a moment, her eyes wide with surprise. The others around her, who were already paying attention to our conversation, froze in place. Silence overtook the room. No sound, apart from the slight rustle of the wind in the trees in the distance. All the students were watching us, the tension rising, and I could only smile even more.
"I thought you were beautiful. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Be my wife." I repeated, with a conviction I didn't know where it came from. The answer was in my words, and I felt that it would change everything.
I quickly moved away from the group, feeling a mixture of adrenaline and satisfaction bubbling up inside me. I couldn't believe that I had just done what I had done. Declaring myself to a stranger, in the middle of a conversation full of colleagues around me... it was crazy. But I couldn't deny how... good I felt. The heat in my cheeks, the pounding of my heart, and that feeling that, at that moment, I had done something that would change everything for me.
I heard murmurs all around, the sound of people turning to look at me, some even laughing quietly, others with their mouths open in shock. "That guy's crazy" was what I heard from one of my colleagues, but I didn't really care. Not now. I just wanted to look at her again.
Aline.
When I saw her for the first time, something ignited in me, something I didn't know existed. Maybe I was being dramatic or impulsive, but I felt I had to act. Her blonde hair, her soft gaze, but with something else... something that attracted me in a way I couldn't explain. She was standing there, in front of everyone, not knowing what to expect, and I, like a fool, threw myself in, defying the rules of normality.
I saw Theodore next to me, still smiling, clearly impressed, but with an air of caution too. He seemed to be trying to process what had happened.
"Aren't you... ashamed?" he asked, a restrained laugh in his voice, as if trying to hold back at the audacity of my attitude.
I looked at him, my mind still focused on the image of Aline, but I answered firmly, without hesitation:
"Shame? No. Not when it comes to what I feel. There's no shame in what's true."
Those words came out with a confidence that surprised me. At that moment, everything seemed so clear. I had feelings for her, a strong and indomitable attraction, and I wasn't going to regret having exposed myself like that. Whatever came next, I would face it.
But then Theodore seemed to worry, which made me turn my focus from my statement to his deep voice:
"But you know... her father will be furious, won't he? He's a big name in town." he said, with a tone that indicated concern.
I looked at him, absorbing his words for a moment, but my spirit didn't waver. I knew what it meant, but I wasn't afraid.
"I will take responsibility. If her father challenges me, let him come. I'll do whatever it takes."
And those words... they came out with an intensity that I could barely understand. I was willing to face anything for Aline. I didn't know if she would be mine, or if she would respond in the same way, but I was ready to face anything.
As I walked away from Theodore and towards the classroom building, a strange feeling came over me. What was that? I still felt like I was floating. Aline's gaze was still etched in my mind. I knew that she would be confused, that she wouldn't immediately understand my attitude. And maybe I was the last type of person she'd expect to declare herself like that, but I didn't regret it. She was... it was something I couldn't pass up.
I was on my way to the classroom, but the focus of my mind was still on her. Genesis, the name Theodore had said, was her surname. The daughter of one of the most influential families, House Rosvilce. And I... I had just thrown my luck to the wind by proposing to her in front of everyone. I laughed softly to myself. What else could I do if my heart was so full of her?
What if she rejected me? What would that mean?
I didn't know. But I felt that, somehow, what was happening was bigger than me, bigger than the fear of being rejected or humiliated. I knew I had to act, and act with all my truth. That was the only way to do something really meaningful.
I arrived at the classroom and sat down in my seat, trying to concentrate on the subjects that would be starting soon. Languages, fencing, math... I knew that the future of my life wouldn't just be built by an impulsive statement, but by my actions, by the skills I developed, by the choices I made along the way.
I knew I couldn't learn fencing. I was at a crucial stage in my training, where every movement, every stance, had to be made with precision. I couldn't misalign my body now, not even for a second. With each passing day, I felt my body getting stronger, my muscles shaping up according to the pattern that had been laid out for me. If I changed my training program now, everything could be compromised, and the growth I was looking for would become imperfect. It was something I couldn't risk.
In addition, I had something else preventing me from getting involved in fencing. There was no way I could reveal my true strength. That was something I had to hide at all costs.
Despite this, something inside me warmed up when I thought about language and math classes. I had never known what mathematics was in the castle. I'd heard about it, but nothing more than murmurs and confused sighs. I was curious.