LOVE UNREFINED

CHAPTER FIVE : FINAL VERDICT

"I can't believe you're getting married to your worse enemy" Chad said to Aine who was lying down lifeless on his bed trying to think about his current situation

" please don't remind me about it, I feel like I’m in a very long nightmare and I'm not allowed to wake up" he replied as he took a deep breath wondering what his next step would be

"But I'm a bit confused, if you eventually get married to Fitz what would be your title king or queen" Chad asked as he scratched his head trying to think

"Would you shut up, you are not helping me in anyway with your foolish questions, I'm worried about other important things and you're talking about title, you can't be serious" Aine blurted as he closed his eyes tight trying to wake up to reality, he was done with this nightmare and wanted to wake up.

"No I'm serious, come to think of it what would you be called because I would want to know, I can't believe my friend will be crowned queen, doesn't it sound exciting?" Chad burst into laughter.

" I can't believe you right now, Meridith and I just got together and now look at what's happening. It's all Fitz's fault and my so called best friend is here worrying about what my title would be" he palmed his forehead feeling really frustrated

" argh!!! I curse you Fitz, I curse the day that you were born" Aine said covering his face with a pillow the only thing on his mind was Meridith, he didn't know how to break the message to her, the more he thought the more difficult it was to be put in words

"What's wrong with you, don't you know that it's not advisable to curse at your husband to be" Chad laughed again, he really wasn’t helping matters and received a hit on the head by the pillow Aine held in his hand. Honestly he was lucky Aine only had a pillow.

"I warned you once" he said as he hit him again, Chad ran across the room trying to get away from Aine who started to pursue him. While they were playing with each other, a servant walked in and informed them about the presences of lady Meridith and Aine's heart sunk down into his stomach. He was not ready to face Meridith, he had no idea how to explain his situation to her.

Meridith stood outside with her back facing the entrance of Aine's house,

"Meridith" Aine called as he approached her, she turned around in response to Aine's call and to his greatest surprise she was in a very bad state, her eyes were swollen and red – she had been crying, Aine's heart was shattered into a thousand pieces, she knew

" is it true?" Aine was silent, he had no words to say even if he knew the answer to her question.

"Aine I asked you a question, is it true?" she asked again but this time more louder than the first time and tears rolled down her cheeks, Aine bowed his head

"Did you even fight for us?" she asked, she was fully aware that Aine only followed his father's words and orders

"I'm sorry" that was all he could say he was standing there with the love of his life in despair

"I knew it, how could you have agreed? what happened to our love for each other? what happened to our future together? you're ready to throw it away just because of a crown?" she yelled in anger while Aine tried to avoid eye contact with Meridith, he couldn’t bear to see her hurt.

"it's not what you think, he said it was for the good of our clan" Aine tried to explain

"What good? what about us what would it bring to us? tell me?” Aine didn't know what more to tell her, he reached out for her hand but she quickly pulled her hand away

"Don't you dare touch, don't you dare, you're just like the rest of the clan… greedy and I thought you were better than this but clearly you're not" she walked away, he stood for a while watching her leave before he chased after her and pulled her into a hug

" Please don't leave me, I had no choice, I love you, please don't leave me" he begged as he held her from leaving him. She slowly remove her body from his hug, it hurt her more, she was the one that confessed to him after all these years just to find out that he didn't even care about what they had at all.

" You already made your choice Aine and I can't keep you in my heart. You chose a crown over our love and I can never forgive you for that, it over let's end to this now,l. I don't want to talk to you" she left and this time for good and that was when Aine realized his problems had just began.

King Fitz woke up and turned to his side with the hope of seeing Cessy but couldn't find him, he stood up to go in search of Cessy. He could hear his voice coming from Keera's room, he walked to the door and saw Cessy reading a bedtime story to Keera who was already asleep. He hugged Cessy from behind and whispered in his ears

"Thank you for been here" his words made Cessy to smile

"No need to thank me, I love you and I'll be here always, now let's leave before she wakes up, it wasn't easy to put her to sleep" Cessy said and Fitz laughed

" welcome to my world"

They both walked back to their room with their hands intertwined together

"You and Keera seems to getting along" Fitz said as they walked towards the room

" You can say that, we went out for ice cream and guess what" Cessy informed happily

"What?, you know I'm not good at guessing, so tell me"

"she finally accepted me" he said with a smile

" Wow, I missed a lot just in one nap, that's great news"

"It was a very long nap" Cessy said as they finally got into the room.

"Have you thought about the solution to the matter?" Cessy asked causing Fitz to take a deep breath before answering

" I don't wish to discuss about this any further, My answer is still the same. No, I can't marry another person, if that person is not you. You’re the one I love and that's it" he said with a straight face,

" What about your people? you can't do that to them" they both took a sit on the bed

" I am nothing without you, if they can't understand that, then I no longer want to be king. As long as I have you, you and Keera are all I need… to hell with the throne" his words came as a shock to Cessy. Cessy knew Fitz loved him but not to this extent that he would want to leave the throne just for him.

"What are you saying, you'll leave the throne, why? you want forsake your people, your clan? Think about how your parents will feel if they were still alive, you can’t leave the throne just because of me, No I'll not allow that" Cessy stated, he knew Fitz leaving the throne would hurt him more than him leaving.

" They will be over joyed to watch me fight for what I feel is right. Are you willing to watch me get married to another man?" Fitz knew Cessy's answer even if he was going to lie to him, he knew Cessy was destroyed by the situation more than anybody. He had proposed to Cessy once but he refused because of the fact that Keera wasn't comfortable around him yet, and now that Keera had finally accepted him they couldn't still be together.

" To be honest I can't but I also can't watch you give up your title and position as King just to make me happy" Fitz tightened his grip on Cessy

" I can't and would never lose you, you mean the world to me"

" I can't be compared to the thousands of people that may lose to their lives if a war actually breaks out or if there's a king who can’t lead as well as you" Cessy could not stand Fitz's idea

"Can you for once think about yourself and not others? think about your own happiness and not others just this once, think about me and my feelings, can you do that?" Fitz asked, he had already made up his mind, if he wasn’t allowed to get married to Cessy then he would drop his crown, the only reason he couldn't marry Prince Cessy and stop the out come of war was because Cessy was not a king and also he was the second in line for the throne of his father, which made it difficult for him to call his army to fight against the Meaths.

For the passed four days Fitz felt like he couldn't breathe he needed to discuss everything and put an end to it once and for all, he called for an urgent council meeting of all the elders of both clans of Leinster and Meath in order to discuss his final verdict, the a morning before he’s council meeting, Keera walked into his room

"Good morning Fitz” she greeted

" Good morning my princess" he greeted he in return a he lifted her to his lap.

" you look sad" King Fitz rarely smiled but Keera was aware something big was troubling her brother and she wanted to know what it was

"I look sad?" she nodded her head in response

" I'm sad because someone I love is going to be taken away from me” he said forcing a smile on his face

" And who's that" she asked

"Well my princess, uncle Cessy, they want me to give up uncle Cessy " he voiced out, Cessy stood at the entrance of the door listening to their little conversation,

" Why would they want you do that?" her question made Fitz smile at her naive nature

"Well the reason is that I have to protect my people"

"protect your people?, I may not understand what you mean but if given up something you love will cost you pain why give it up in the first place?" she asked,

" I know if I was asked to give you up, I will never because I can't live without you" she said with a smile, her answer made Cessy smile unconsciously

" I may not have been nice to Cessy, that because I was jealous he gets to spend more time in your room than me but I'm glad he makes you happy. Why do you have to give that up?" Fitz pulled her into a hug so she wouldn't see his tears

"Look at my Princess giving me her special advice I am honored"

" Of course you should be I know I am the best, it's only free because it's you" she said as she hugged him back.

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On the day of his final verdict everyone was so anxious about his answer, but Lord Nevin was ready to use all he had to make sure that Fitz would agree, as usual Fitz entered into the council meeting with his normal facial expressions, the proceedings went on as usual.

" Good morning everyone, I am sure you are all curious to why I have requested for your presence. As you all know the clan of Meath proposed a request which I have slept over and I have finally decided that I the King Fitz of the kingdom of Ulster, agrees to get married to the son of Lord Nevin" he said trying to control his tears from falling down his eyes.