The Crown's Fire - Chapter 264

Chapter 264: Talk of Marriage
While the palace buzzed with activity, it didn’t deter Elijah from meeting Greta for dinner every night. Despite his exhaustion from the day’s duties, he always seemed to find a burst of energy when evening approached.

But tonight, Elijah inwardly cursed as he urged his horse to move faster. He was running late after inspecting the borders and, unfortunately, no mage was available to teleport him from his last stop.

Practically breathless and panting, Elijah finally reached the pavilion where they always had dinner.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said with a wide smile, relieved to see Greta still waiting for him. He was still trying to catch his breath.

“You didn’t eat yet?” he asked, noticing the untouched meals.

“I’m waiting for you,” Greta replied.

“Hmm, but you could have eaten first if you were already hungry,” he gently scolded as he began serving dishes onto her plate. “I love that you waited for me, but you could have done so with a full stomach.”

Greta didn’t comment. She was truly starving, but for some reason, she had no appetite to eat alone. Throughout the evening, her eyes kept drifting to the direction where Elijah usually appeared, anticipating his arrival.

“It’s fine, try catching your breath first. Look at you, sweating,” Greta said, grabbing her handkerchief and gently wiping the beads of sweat from Elijah’s face. She stopped when she noticed how closely Elijah was staring at her.

Blushing, she turned away and started eating. “I’m starving. Let’s eat. Next time, I will definitely eat first and not wait for you,” she mumbled.

She could still feel his gaze on her, so she hissed, “Eat! You’ll give me indigestion if you keep staring at me like that!”

Elijah finally chuckled and started eating, and Greta smiled as they shared a comfortable silence.

“The king will be back tomorrow,” Elijah suddenly commented.

“Everyone knows that, Elijah,” she mumbled.

Greta turned to him when she felt him grab her hand. She rapidly blinked as he placed a ring in her palm. “I want to marry you, Greta. Think about it some more. If I see you wearing this ring, then I’ll take it as you agreeing to marry me, and I will immediately go to talk to your parents and ask for your hand.”

He took a deep breath before releasing a heavy sigh. “If you return this ring, then I’ll take it as you rejecting me… But if you keep it and still don’t wear it, then I’ll continue to wait for you.”

Greta stared at the ring in her palm and whispered, “I understand.” Then she looked up at Elijah and confessed, “I’m honestly confused at this point. I can’t seem to sort out my feelings just yet. I just want to make sure before making a decision.”

Elijah gave her a thoughtful smile and remarked, “I understand. Just let yourself go. I mean, like I said, if you are curious to do anything with me, just do it without inhibition, and I won’t hold you responsible for it. Just be yourself and do whatever you feel like doing whenever you’re with me.”

Greta’s face flushed. She remembered kissing him out of curiosity. This man surely knew what she was doing. Every day, she felt like she was falling deeper into his trap. It was probably one of his ways of seducing her, and she was honestly curious to find out more and experience the extent and lengths he was willing to go for her.

“You’re going to be busy once our king arrives. How about we stop this setup now?” Greta suggested.

“Huh? Don’t you want to see me every night before going to sleep? Because I want to see you every day and night as much as possible,” Elijah muttered with a sigh.

“Well, you can always look for me, and I will do the same. Look for me if you want to see me, and I will look for you whenever I want to see you,” Greta emphasized.

She tried to suppress her laughter as Elijah pouted, complaining, “But you’re one stubborn lady. Will you even look for me?”

“Who knows? I might look for you,” Greta teased.

“Stop acting cute like that. It makes me want to kiss you,” Elijah mumbled, making her blush furiously.

“Why not?” she unknowingly voiced out.

“What?!” Elijah burst out, staring at her.

“You said I can do anything with you and you will not hold me responsible. It’s only fair if I give you the same offer as long as you promise to stop if I want you to.”

‘I must be nuts!’ Greta scolded herself. How did she even find the courage to voice out her thoughts like that? Maybe it was because she found Elijah’s kiss so good, right?

“You… Do you even know what you’re saying, Greta? You’re playing with fire by saying those words. Do you even know what I want to do whenever I’m with you?” Elijah murmured in a hoarse voice.

He leaned closer, and Greta could smell the masculine sweat and sweet scent emanating from him. She liked it.

Her heart pounded in her chest as Elijah’s eyes bore into hers. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, and her mind raced with conflicting thoughts. Part of her wanted to pull back, to retreat into the safety of her guarded emotions, but another part of her was irresistibly drawn to him.

Elijah’s gaze dropped to her lips, and his breath hitched. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me, Greta.”

She bit her lower lip, feeling a mix of fear and excitement. “Then show me,” she whispered, surprising even herself with the boldness of her words.

He hesitated momentarily, searching her eyes for any sign of doubt. When he found none, he closed the distance between them and gently pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was initially soft, a tentative exploration, but as she responded, it grew more passionate.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer, and deepening the kiss. Every sensation was heightened—the warmth of his touch, the taste of his lips, the intoxicating mix of desire and connection.

When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless. Elijah rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed, savoring the moment. “It’s getting dangerous, Greta. You make me lose control.”

“Maybe I like the idea of making you lose control,” she unknowingly voiced out.

Elijah chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “If ever you feel uncomfortable or want me to stop, tell me immediately. I’ll always respect your boundaries.”

“I didn’t even tell you to stop,” she mumbled, complaining. She truly liked it and didn’t want Elijah to stop because she was feeling something strange in her body—but in a good way.

“But I need to stop, or I might end up doing more than just kissing you,” Elijah confessed. He hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, “Do you know that kissing should be done by two people in a romantic relationship? If I do more than just kiss you, it means I should take responsibility for you already, Greta.”

Greta was not naive; she was well aware of it. But… she was still unsure about the talk of marriage. She simply wanted to explore more of how her relationship with Elijah would grow.

Greta didn’t respond and she felt Elijah backed away. A deafening silence lingered between them. Finally, Elijah broke the silence. “How about we finish our dinner and then take a walk? I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”

Greta nodded, and they returned to their meal, eating and chatting about lighter topics, enjoying each other’s company. After dinner, they strolled through the garden, the moonlight casting a soft glow over everything. Elijah held her hand, and Greta felt a warmth spread through her heart.

“How about you tell me tomorrow how you feel once you see our King?” Elijah suggested. “I mean, I want to understand your feelings more—to see if I somehow managed to capture your heart.”

“Are you sure you want to know?” Greta asked as they walked back toward her bedchamber.

“Yes, I want to know, and I hope you’ll be very honest with me,” he hummed.

“Alright, I will do that,” she replied with a sigh. She, too, was curious to find out what she would feel upon seeing Ezekiel again.

As they reached her door, Elijah gently squeezed her hand. “Goodnight, Greta.”

“Goodnight, Elijah,” she whispered, giving him a small smile. Her heart skipped a beat when Elijah stepped closer to kiss her forehead, whispering, “Sleep well.” She nodded and quickly entered her bedchamber.

Once inside, Greta leaned against the closed door, her thoughts swirling. Tomorrow would bring answers, and she needed to face her emotions head-on. She touched her chest, feeling her heart thumping hard.

She never expected Elijah to make her feel like this. He was once a man who used to vex her, but lately, she had been getting used to being with him. She picked up the ring he gave her from her purse and slipped it onto her ring finger. “How come it fits so well?” she muttered with a wide smile.