My gift
1249 Words
The silence did not break immediately after the king spoke, It stayed.Hung in the air like something waiting to be understood. Then finally Nyx opened her mouth to speak.
"I.…do not know what to ask father. " she paused after speaking, then continued
"But I know I have to accept this gift so I humbly ask for this simple request…. Father."
"Anything at all, it shall be given to you in now ,before the witness here, just say it"
The king said he was going to give her anything she wanted. He didn't care what she asked for; all he knew was that he would grant it to her.
Nyx thought to herself, 'what more can I ask for, the only thing so dear to me, and I won't want to lose is Abigail, then she is the one I would ask for.'
After sweeping her gaze across the crowd one last time , she finally asked for her wish.
"Then father...I want my personal maid Abigail to come with me to my new home."
Her voice had not been loud, but it carried clearly across the hall.For a moment, no one reacted. What did she just ask for?.
The king stared at her. Not in anger, not even in disappointment. But in confusion. He was expecting her to ask for something greater, he thought she would want to punish her step sister or something like that. He didn't expect her to ask for this.
"Your… maid?" he repeated slowly.
Nyx nodded in full affirmation.
"Yes."
And that was when the hall finally came back to life.
A soft murmur started from the back, spreading forward like a ripple in water.
"Did she say her maid?"
"That's all she wants?"
"Out of everything?"
"She could have asked for anything…"
The whispers grew, overlapping each other.
Some were surprised, some amused, some clearly disapproving.
Nyx heard all of it. But she did not turn or react in any way, it was like she had expected this kind of reaction from the crowd. So she just simply stood there, calm and steady, as if the noise around her did not concern her at all.
The king exhaled quietly, still watching her.
"You are certain?" he asked. Giving her another chance to change her to change her mind, or ask for something in addition to what she just asked for.
Nyx met his eyes.
"I am."
There was no hesitation in her voice this time. Her voice was strong enough to tell she was determined, and final.
The king looked at her for a few seconds longer, as though he was searching for something beneath her words, something unspoken.
But whatever he was looking for…
He didn't find it. Behind Nyx, the other maids shifted slightly, unsure whether to move or remain still.
The queens exchanged brief glances.
Even the nobles seemed unsure of how to respond.
This was not what anyone had expected.
Not even close.
At the side of the hall, the step-sisters leaned toward each other.
"That's what she chose?" Isabella the younger one whispered, barely hiding her disbelief.
"All that power… wasted," Tatiana replied under her breath.
But there was something else in her tone. Relief. She was grateful to the heavens that Nyx did not ask for her head , or ask for her or her younger sister to be punished.
Nyx didn't look at them.
Her focus remained on the king.
The hall slowly quieted again, waiting for his answer.The decision rested with him now. Everyone itched to hear his reply.
He straightened slightly, his expression softening.
"If that is your wish…" he began.
Another pause.
"…then it shall be granted."
The words landed firmly. Final.
The murmurs stopped. The whole hall was quiet, like they just heard a death sentence. Just like that the king gave his word.
Nyx lowered her head slightly.
"Thank you, father."
The king gave a small nod.
The tension in the room began to ease.
But the whispers did not disappear completely.They simply softened.
Into quiet conversations between guests.
"I don't understand it."
"There must be a reason."
"Or maybe she's just… simple."
"No," another voice said. "No one in that position is simple."
"Or maybe she just wants to pretend, so her husband would think she has a good heart."
Nyx stood still through it all.Unbothered.
Beside her, her husband finally shifted, turning slightly toward her.
"You surprised them," he said quietly, just for her to hear.
Nyx didn't look at him immediately. She did not expect him to talk to her, so she just smiled slightly at him and replied
"I know."
He continued
"You could have asked for much more."
She turned her head slightly.
"I did."
He held her eyes for a second.
Then, slowly, a faint smile touched his lips.
As if he understood something the others did not. She was not what he expected, she was wise, and truthfully she asked for something more. A truer friend and family. They say "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,".
He said nothing more.
Then the priest stepped forward, his robes brushed lightly against the polished floor as he moved, raising one hand to call for attention.
The priest looked between Nyx and her husband, then out at the crowd.
His voice was steady.
"By the authority vested in me," he began, "and in the presence of this royal court and honored witnesses…"
He paused briefly.
"…I hereby declare this wedding ceremony concluded."
A clear ending.
The people began to rise.
Soft conversations returned, this time louder,The tension that had filled the room earlier slowly dissolved into something closer to relief.
The formal part was over. Guests began to bid each other farewell , some offered final congratulations to the newly wedded couple before making their way toward the exit.
Some stayed,clearly still thinking about what had just happened.
"I still don't understand it," a noblewoman said as she adjusted her shawl.
"Neither do I," her companion replied. "But I don't think it was as simple as it sounded."
Across the hall, the step-sisters were already preparing to leave.
Isabella glanced over Nyx side
"She really chose a maid," she said.
Tatiana gave a small shrug.
"Let her," she replied. "It changes nothing."
But she didn't sound entirely convinced.
The king had stepped away, now speaking quietly with a few advisors.
The queens were gathered together, their voices low but serious.
Nyx just sat there, looking at the crowd, her wedding ceremony had finally come to an end.
Her husband turned slightly, offering his arm.
"Shall we?" he asked.
Nyx looked at him, then at the hall, people leaving.A chapter closing.
She placed her hand lightly on his arm.
"Yes."
Together, they stepped forward.
As they began to move through the hall, a few guests paused to bow or offer final words.
"Safe journey."
"May your new home be blessed."
"Long live the king and queen."
Nyx gave each one a small nod.
Just for a moment.
Her gaze shifted, not toward the crowd, but toward a quiet corner of the hall.
Someone stood there. Watching, it was none other than her personal maid , Abigail. As their eyes met she noticed that Abigail's eyes were filled with tears, she didn't want to look too much or she might cry too.
Her grip tightened slightly on her husband's arm.
Then, she stepped forward.
Out of the hall.
And into a new future.
- Writer
