The wish of the people

ㅤ Despite his apparent frivolity and carefree demeanor, the Chosen still had many responsibilities. He belonged entirely to the Church, so he didn't take the new Pope's words about the planned wedding as a joke. "A perfect match, a more blessed reality couldn't happen!" the Pope exclaimed enthusiastically, sending Zelos to the king for details, unwilling to answer the question of the sudden decision himself. The question of marriage was never raised, much less an arranged one. Only occasionally was the need to leave an heir mentioned. But no one was particularly concerned about that, given Zelos's amorous nature and the abundance of mistresses who followed him, peacefully sharing him with one another. The king granted the Chosen the honor of meeting in his private chambers, not wishing to discuss the matter in front of witnesses: who knows what insults might be involved. Zelos accepted the offer to sit in the chair. He tried to relax as best he could, lest he inadvertently lose his temper with His Majesty: Zelos valued his crumbs of freedom too much. "I can't understand why you suddenly want me as your son-in-law? You've always hated me." "Such is the will of the people," the king said, holding his head high. "And it is my duty to fulfill it!" "Oh, come on!" Zelos chuckled, not believing a word of it. "My honeys wouldn't have handed me over so easily. What will of the people are you talking about? What nonsense?" 'Unless their husbands, fathers, and grooms could have conspired…' he mused gloomily. "Even they understand the prospects of such a marriage: mixing the blood of the Chosen with the royal blood! You won't find better heirs to the throne!" the king spoke enthusiastically, wincing: he clearly didn't like the idea. "You're the king," Zelos said with a disapproving, irritated tone. "If you're so against the idea, you can easily find a way out. Neither of us wants to see each other as relatives. Let's make things easier for each other." "Yes, I'd be happy to," the king sighed sadly, throwing off his mask. "But my daughter's already made up her mind… I've already resisted as best I could." "Then you resisted poorly." "You try it yourself! It would be fine if I only had to contend with one force, but I can't handle both the people and my daughter at once…" Zelos considered the puzzle pieces as they seemed to fit together. Hilda had expressed her feelings to Zelos more than once, and he, like a true gentleman, hadn't broken her heart by refusing, though he hadn't returned his sincere love, offering only light flirtations and a flurry of compliments, usually flowing from his lips. And while for him she was just one among many, for her… Hilda considered her father's stubbornness the only obstacle. And better than anyone, she knew how to break it… "I will fix everything," Zelos said gravely, standing up. "So that neither you nor I will have to tolerate each other." The king looked questioningly at Zelos, but received no answer. Zelos headed straight for the princess. She was overjoyed to see him, unaware of the disappointment that awaited her… However, she quickly trailed off under his stern gaze, which boded ill. "…Father has given permission for the wedding," she began hesitantly, her resolve gone. "Isn't that wonderful?" "I always thought marriage was a mutual decision. So why did you forget to ask me?" "I thought our feelings were strong enough and that we were destined to be together… How could it be otherwise? All your words and glances…" "Not just for you," Zelos interrupted. "I don’t want to marry. I belong to everyone, but at the same time, to no one. My feelings for everyone are the same, be it a princess or a candy seller. This is the little I have of my own. Our fates already sealed by our origins. So why take away the last of our freedom? I've been chained by the church since birth, and now you want to force the collar of the royal family on me. It sounds more like hatred than love," he tried to root out the selfishness in the forced love with cruel words. Hilda wasn't prepared for Zelos's unyielding reaction. She expected to see joy on his face, to hear words of gratitude and love. She was a princess, after all! Marrying her would be a great honor. And then there were the feelings she thought they had… And now she didn't know what to do. Zelos's confession, though painful, hadn't reversed her feelings, and she absolutely didn't want to lose her beloved. And she still clung to the hope that Zelos would change his mind, unable to refuse. She would surround him with care and attention, and his budding love would blossom into a true passion, unquenchable over the years. She so wanted to believe… Even though she knew nothing of the sort would happen, that Zelos would rather go left in protest… "The wedding can't be canceled," Hilda said guiltily. "Not at all," Zelos chuckled. "It's as easy as pie." "But what about the will of the people?" she tried to grasp at a straw. "You're not the only one who can influence it. I'm sure my honeys will be only too happy to know that no one will take me away from them. And how they love to gossip! Soon the news of our wedding will turn into a misunderstanding, a ridiculous rumor. The will of the people is just a tool. Is it surprising that someone else will use it? Marrying a princess isn't such a bad prospect. However, Zelos had his own plans, his own values. And even if he suddenly decided to settle down, he would definitely prefer another woman, the one he couldn't help but think of… Zelos quickly brushed her aside like an annoying fly, thinking to himself: 'No. Impossible. Not in option…' ㅤ