Two years later…
"Alrik! Don't you dare. You're not supposed to see me in my wedding dress before it's time. It's bad luck." Eliza giggled from behind the door that she had forcefully shut in her soon to be husband's face.
Alrik just smiled behind the door. He didn't really believe in that, but for Eliza's sake, he would follow the tradition.
"I just came to give you a gift before it's time for the ceremony. I'll be heading to the venue to wait for my bride in about ten minutes." He replied.
"You don't need to give me a gift. Getting married to the love of my life is more than enough for me. I'm the happiest woman on earth."
"And I'm the happiest man in the world."
Looking back, Alrik was glad that he was disowned from his family, because if he hadn't he never would have met Eliza.
"I'll give you your gift after the ceremony then." He said and left.
He planned to give her a diamond bracelet that cost twenty million dollars, then he would tell her the truth about himself. Since he was disowned, his family name meant nothing to him anymore, even though they were influential. The truth he had been hiding from her was his wealth.
After being disowned, he had started an investment company with the knowledge he had gained from working under his grandfather for years. And his company was slowly rising through the ranks. Eliza loved him despite the fact that he had been pretending to be poor for a few months now. He had met her when he was truly poor, and she never cared. So he was determined to spoil her.
"Do you, Eliza Pratt, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
"I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Before he could kiss her, Eliza's mother, Janet, stepped between them.
"Is this the cheap ring you're marrying my daughter with?" She asked furiously.
"Mum, please. Now is not the time for this." Eliza whispered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
While she may have accepted Alrik's low status, her family did not. They had planned for Eliza to marry a senator's son, and they hated Alrik for ruining it. Janet huffed and returned to her seat, but the moment was already ruined.
After the reception, they both headed to the hotel room Alrik had booked for their wedding night.
"Now we can finally have that kiss your mother denied us." He smirked as he reached back to unzip her dress. "And I can finally give you my gift."
"Not yet. I'm sweaty, and stink of alcohol from all the drinks that were spilled on me. I'll take a quick shower and change into something I got specially for you. That's my own gift." She blushed, and he chuckled and let her go.
There was a knock on the door. "Room service."
Alrik frowned because they hadn't ordered anything yet. Maybe it was complimentary, since he booked the honeymoon suite. But as soon as he opened the door, his face was sprayed with a gas that made him begin to choke, and two men grabbed him. He tried to struggle, but whatever they sprayed on him made him weak, and sluggish. By the time Eliza stepped out of the bathroom in white lingerie, her husband was gone.
Alrik groaned, and tried to open his eyes, but he had a pounding headache. He tried to rub his head, but discovered that his hands were tied to a chair, and so were his legs.
"You're finally awake."
He recognised the voice that spoke, but he was too disoriented to remember.
"W-who."
A bucket of cold water was splashed all over him, and he jerked. It helped clear his dull senses a bit, but made him shiver. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Kalen and his father, Jett.
"Do you know how much money I wasted trying to find you?" Jett snapped, but Alrik was too busy trying to make sense of his surroundings.
They both silently stared at Alrik, probably expecting him to react or question them. But he also remained silent. He guessed that they brought him here for a reason, and they liked to gloat, so they wouldn't be able to stop themselves from spilling everything.
Kalen huffed, and folded his arms. "I hope time away from the family, living as a pauper has taught you a lesson."
"Just get on with it. The sound of your voice is grating to my ears." Alrik responded, and Kalen's eye twitched.
He had expected Alrik to be afraid because of the situation he was in, but Alrik wasn't even intimidated. That made his hatred forAlrik increase. He always hated how composed Alrik always seemed to be.
"We have a proposition for you." Jett said.
"And what makes you think I want anything you have to offer me?"
"Your reputation was ruined after the incident at war camp. We can change that. I can change that. I am a commander in the portal army now and…"
Kalen's words cut off when Alrik began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Kalen snapped, but Alrik kept laughing.
"Stop that!"
Kalen's whole face was red with embarrassment and anger, because he knew Alrik was mocking him.
"If they let incompetent people like you become war commanders, then the whole country is doomed. Your hands are so soft. You know what that tells me? That you're untrained. You have no idea what it feels like to slay beasts on a battlefield, and only those who actually put their lives on the frontlines deserve to hold titles. I wonder how much bribery, and blackmail it took to get you there in the first place." Alrik scoffed.
"I earned my position. I am a Zerdon. But look at you, you're nothing. You should be grateful that we stoop so low to speak to filth like you."
Alrik laughed again.
"Yet I'm here because you need my help, and you were desperate enough to hire mercenaries to find me. So get off your damn high horse."
It was Jett's turn to turn red with anger, but they both held their tongues, which made Alrik guess that whatever they needed his help for must be urgent.
"We have a deal for you. One more year of servitude at the war camp, and in exchange, we will make sure your name is cleared. We have evidence of another person's involvement in the Zerdon sword theft that we can use in your favour."
It sounded like a good deal, but Alrik knew there was a catch. "The army has hundreds of men at its disposal, ready and willing to fight. So why me?"
"Because the troops are demanding that you return. They don't believe you're a traitor. No one has been able to surpass your skills in the army." Kalen forced the words out through clenched teeth, and refused to look at Alrik as he spoke about Alrik's skill.
"I know I'm a good fighter, and while I'm happy to hear that the soldiers believe in my innocence, my answer is no. I have a different life now."
"You don't have a damn choice, boy." Jett slammed his hands on the table in front of Alrik. "We were informed by the mercenaries that you got married today. If you don't come back and fight under the Zerdon name, my men will visit your new bride and bring back her head to you."