"I want my pink dress!" wailed Lila.

"You just said you wanted green!" Clara exclaimed back, motioning to the dress she just put on her after taking off her pink dress.

"No!" she screamed. "I want pink!"

Clara sighed and pulled out her pink dress once again, looking at her tiredly.

"This is the last time I'm changing you, okay?"

"Okay." she grinned, as if she hadn't been screaming her head off a second earlier.

A knock was heard on the door before it opened, followed by Hazel's voice calling out.

"In here!" Clara yelled so Hazel could follow her voice.

Hazel entered their room with a grin before she gasped at the mess Lila caused due to her many outfit changes. Her eyes then trailed over Clara's figure, which was covered by a tunic instead of the gown she was supposed to wear to her own knighting ceremony.

"What is it with you and Edwin always being late to your own celebrations?" she laughed while shaking her head.

"Blame this little goblin." Clara laughed while tickling her sides, making Lila giggle and run away to Hazel, who picked her up and placed her on her hip.

"You go get ready, I'll prepare Lila." Clara nodded gratefully before she went over to grab one of her formal gowns.

She picked out a yellow silk dress with lace sleeves that barely reached her elbows. The bodice was covered with the same lace over the fabric that flowed loosely under the waist into a skirt with the shortest trail.

After putting it on and fastening her corset, she brushed through her hair until Hazel came over and put it in an elegant half up half down style with a matching ribbon.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Hazel exclaimed as she put her hands through her gown's hidden pockets, pulling out a small container before opening it, revealing a pink substance. "I made some more lip stain!"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to make me look pretty for someone."

"You don't know better." she grinned, applying it to her lips. "Julian is going to melt."

Clara rolled her eyes with a smile, hoping her blush wasn't as fierce as she felt.

"All of Avelyn will know about me today." she muttered. "I wish Edwin was here to see this."

Hazel smiled sadly, putting a hand on Clara's shoulder before she pulled her into a hug.

"He's so proud of you." she whispered into her ear. "We all are."

"Thank you." she smiled, pulling away and holding onto her hands instead.

"And I know for a fact he would have hunted down that arse if he was here." she pointed, referring to Rowan.

"Bold of you to assume he isn't haunting him now." Clara laughed. "Do you think he'd show up to the ceremony?"

"Part of me doesn't want him to, but I also really want to see that rat." Hazel crossed her arms, letting out an irritated huff.

"We have quite the knack for calling royalty rodents, don't we?" they laughed, the air becoming lighter around them.

"At least Victor is a cute rat." she giggled. "I hope Carmen will attend."

"Me too." she nodded with a smile before another knock was heard at the door.

"I'll get the door, you get Lila." the girls agreed and Clara went back to the room to find Lila struggling to put on her butterfly pin. Smiling softly, Clara leaned down to her level, taking the pin from her and Lila turned around for her to place it firmly into her wavy hair.

"Can I take daddy with us?" she asked, holding onto her new doll, which she thinks is a mini Edwin until they can meet him again.

"Of course, sweetie." she grinned. "We can't have him miss a party, can we?"

"Never!" she giggled and took Clara's hand, following her outside where Hazel was conversing with two dashing knights. "Julienne!"

"Hello there, tiny." he grinned, kneeling down and opening his arms for her to jump into them before he lifted her off the ground, setting her on his hip. "You look like a princess!"

"Thank you!" she giggled and Clara smiled at the scene, too enchanted to notice the adorable exchange between Hazel and Alan.

Julian then looked over at Clara and his breath got caught in his throat. He admired the way her hair cascaded down her shoulders, glittering from the sunlight. All thoughts escaped his mind as he could only think about how truly beautiful she was.

Clara's heart beat fast, and she felt a blush crawling to her cheeks. She crossed her arms, trying to cover her bare skin, ashamed of the scars and bruises that had yet to fade from the previous battle.

Julian gently set Lila down as she played with her doll, holding it up to look like the doll was also watching the two knights. Hazel bit back her grin with anticipation as she rested her head on Alan's shoulder, his arm securely around her waist, both waiting for their friends to finally get together.

They watched as Julian walked closer to her, unfolding her arms gently, holding her at arms length to admire her.

"You're gorgeous, Clara." he whispered, his eyes staring directly into hers as his hands trailed over a scar on her forearm. "The sun could only dream of being as enchanting as you."

She smiled shyly, looking down to hide her red cheeks, failing to use her voice to thank him. Julian takes ahold of her chin gently, lifting her head so their eyes meet once again as he began to lean in, Clara following his movements,

Their lips hovered over one another like the ghost of a kiss, so close to meeting, until Lila giggled loudly while covering her eyes as well as her dolls.

"Ewww!"

Hazel groaned, hitting her head onto Alan's chest repeatedly as she grumbled about how long she'd been waiting for them to kiss, while Clara and Julian separated, clearing their throats and blushing madly.

"Can we go now, please?" Lila whined impatiently.

Julian chuckled, scratching the back of his head, risking a glance at the blushing Clara before he kneeled in front of the little girl and picking her up, placing her on his hip. He then turned to Clara, reaching out her elbow to her.

With a fond smile, Clara hooked her arm with his. Julian's heart leapt out of his chest as he felt the warmth of her hand on his bicep through the thin material of his shirt. The group walked over to the castle, conversing lightly amongst themselves and waving at the passerby who recognized them. A few kids ran over to Clara, asking her if she really was a knight, and once she nodded, the little girl squealed in delight, turning to the boys with a mischievous smile before she chased after them with a stick, pretending it was a sword.

The young adults smiled at the scene, and Clara felt more at ease after seeing the girl's face light up. Her eyes met Hazel's, who sent her a knowing look making her grin in return.

Soon, they arrived at the castle, and it was time to announce her arrival.

"Come here, sweetie." Hazel took Lila from Julian's arm before she gave Clara a quick hug for good luck and entering the ballroom with Alan by her side.

Julian turned to Clara, who looked more nervous at the sight of the doors. He took her hands in his, lifting them up to his lips as he looked her in the eye.

"You deserve this." he reminded her. "You'll be incredible, I know it."

Grateful for his support, Clara took a deep breath and smiled at him before he entered the room to tell the doorman of her arrival.

She hears the music stop from the room inside and takes another deep breath to calm her nerves. The doors then open and she's met with the sight of so many people staring at her. Her eyes nervously trail around the room, seeing exactly what she expected; judgement.

Shaking away her nerves, she holds her head high, her eyes instantly finding those of her biggest supporters. Lila excitedly waves at her, her Edwin doll swaying with the movement. Her friends grin at her as they clap and cheer for her. Her eyes then meet those of the king, a kind encouraging smile on his face. Next to him stood Victor, smiling brightly along with Carmen, who was holding onto his arm.

Many people in the room had met Clara before, and so they cheered loudly for the young woman who always offered to help them with their daily tasks. Whispers by doubters were drowned by the overwhelming amount of cheers she received as she walked in, heading towards the king. She felt glares burning her skin and suddenly she felt self conscious about her muscly arms covered in scars and bruises.

Isabele stood proudly at the front of the council, beaming at the younger girl, further encouraging her to take on this new role of hers.

Clara curtsied when she reached the king and sent a small smile and nod to her two royal friends at his side.

"Ladies and gentlemen," king Harry spoke loudly, silencing everyone. "Today we are gathered here to celebrate the incredible achievements of this young woman. A lot of you may know her, because despite having a full time job at the castle, she never fails to find the time to sneak away to help around in the town."

Clara blushed, unaware that the king knew about that. The townsfolk cheered, confirming the king's words as he chuckled fondly.

"Her heart is the reason she is here today." he continued. "Clara Lux-Virtus has gone through many hardships, yet she still stands strong. She helped keep our country safe from enemies and fought valiantly next to our knights."

"Today, I gathered you all around to publicly knight her." He smiled at the girl and was handed a slim, shining sword. Clara kneeled on the ground, her skirt flowing around her in a puddle. "Clara Lux-Virtus, do you promise to aid our kingdom against any harm that may come our way?"

"I promise."

"Do you promise to be loyal to Avelyn and its people even through dark times?"

"I promise."

"And do you, Clara Lux-Virtus, vow to lead our knights with the best intentions, protecting them with your life, and guiding them through hardships, come what may, as the new General of Avelyn?"

Gasps were heard throughout the crowd, since only a handful of people knew about her becoming the general. People started to whisper among themselves and Clara felt her heart clench and her breathing became shallower. Victor moved into her view of sight and nodded comfortingly, offering a gentle smile, telling her it'll be okay.

"I promise with all that I have to serve Avelyn with nothing but love and respect for everyone and everything within."

The king smiled, tapping her right shoulder with the sword before handing it to her.

"Rise, Clara Lux-Virtus." he grinned. "With the power within me, I pronounce you as the general of Avelyn."

Cheers erupted from the crowd, once again drowning out the protests from those who deemed her as unworthy of the title. Clara turned towards the people, raising her sword above her head, gently smiling at the future that lied ahead of her.

She thought of Edwin, and how he would react to her new role if he were still with her. With a final internal vow to make her fathers proud, she returned the sword to be put back in its place before she rejoined her friends to enjoy their evening.

"Oh please, as if she could lead us." a knight scoffed. "She just got the job because of Edwin."

"What were they thinking?" another knight agreed.

Alan turned to them and glared, his eyes pulsing with fury at the way they talked about his friend.

"You should know better than to disrespect your leader, gentlemen." he warned before he left, his angry gaze never leaving them until Hazel pulled his arm to lead him to the dance floor.

Julian made his way to her with Lila, bowing slightly and asking for her hand for a dance. Clara chuckled and placed her hand in his as he lead them to the middle of the room. Clara had one arm around his shoulder and one holding half the weight of Lila as the rest of her weight rested on Julian, his other arm around Clara's waist.

"It's an honor to be lead by you, lady Clara." Julian smiled, lowering his voice as he whispered in her ear, causing her to blush.

"Oh, shut up." she laughed before leaning into him even more.

Tired of grinning at everyone who approached to congratulate her, Clara slyly slipped away from her friends to the balcony to get some fresh air, overlooking the golden hues of the sun setting. A breeze pushed her hair back, and she felt a sudden urge to itch at her wounds, but knew better than to do so.

"Tired already?" Clara glanced back to the source of the voice, a genuine smile making its way onto her lips.

"Lady Isabel-" the older woman waved her hand with a laugh, cutting her off.

"Please, no formalities." she handed Clara a goblet, filled with a sweet drink. "It makes me feel older than I am."

Clara chuckled and looked back at the sunset, both of them basking in the view.

"I wish Edwin could have seen you today." she hummed fondly. "I bet you 10 coins he would've cried."

"You knew Edwin?" she giggled, knowing for a fact that he would have cried.

"Uhh," she trailed off. "yeah...I did."

Clara debated asking more about them, but didn't know if she should after seeing the sad smile on Isabel's face. Fortunately for her, Isabel continued to talk.

"We were in love." she sighed. "We had planned to get married, but then he got the role of being the general, and he got scared."

"Scared?" she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Scared that he would leave me as a heartbroken widow one day..." she recalled. "He pushed everyone away, scared that if he meant something to someone, they'd grieve over his loss."

Clara's heart clenched, a new wave of guilt washing over her.

"I got proposed to, and my parents liked him because he was rich." she scoffed. "They never liked Edwin, said he wasn't good enough."

Both girls scoffed in anger at that, catching each other's gaze as they laughed quietly among themselves, both knowing just how wonderful he was.

"He came to me when he got the letter from your mother, you know." she said softly, reaching her hand to fix a stray hair. "It was the first time we talked in so long, I thought he had forgotten me, but he didn't."

Clara stayed silent, letting her mind soak in all the new information about her father.

"He was terrified, for the same reasons he didn't marry me." she chuckled. "I've never seen him so frantic, he was chaotic...and that's saying something since he was calm and collected at war."

Isabel smiled warmly at Clara and took ahold of her hands, rubbing her knuckles as if she were a mother.

"But even he admit he was excited." she revealed. "He asked me what he needed for your arrival, and together we prepared your new home. I remember how disappointed he was when he told himself he couldn't have a family of his own, but he couldn't turn you down, and his smile reached his eyes again. As if he'd been reborn."

Isabel reached to wipe away the silent tears from Clara's face, her own eyes pooling with water.

"He loved you both so much even before he met you."

A sob escaped the new general's lips and Isabel pulled her into a tight hug, letting the younger girl let her guard down, recognizing the way she kept herself together for the sake of others. Her heart pained her to see the girl in so much pain, with the world weighing on her shoulders.

A few moments passed and Clara pulled away, wiping her red eyes and sniffling before she offered Isabel a small smile.

"Thank you." she whispered. "For all your support. I can see why Edwin loved you."

Isabel's eyes lit up and she patted her cheek before her eyes fell on two approaching figures. With a playful wink, she bid her goodbye and walked back into the ballroom.

"Clara!"

The brunette barely had time to turn around before Carmen crashed into her, wrapping her arms tightly around her as she laughed joyfully.

"I can't believe you're a knight!!" she beamed as she pulled away.

"General, darling." he smirked, walking up behind them. "She's the general."

Clara rolled her eyes playfully before punching his shoulder lightly.

"I am amazing, aren't I?" she flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms.

"Sorry we didn't congratulate you sooner, my god do people love you!" Carmen exclaimed. "We couldn't find any opening to get to you!"

"Which was offensive," Victor put a hand on his heart, feigning hurt. "I had no one to swoon over me!"

At that, both girls punched his arms.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, looking at the two ladies. "Why?"

"Why not?" Clara retorted.

"She got you there." Carmen giggled.

"You wound me, Cleo. Truly." he joked.

Clara raised an amused brow before gesturing at her arms.

"Same."

"Oh god." he groaned, hiding his face in Carmen's shoulder as the two girls laughed. "I can't believe you made that joke."

"Hey, it's my wounds, I get to joke about it." she pointed a finger at him. "Besides, I'm fine."

"I'm fine..." both Carmen and Victor mimicked her in a silly voice, making Clara gasp dramatically.

"See, now that hurt."

The group laughed, their eyes drifting to the early blinking stars in the purple sky. Clara let out an involuntary sniffle and Victor caught it, suddenly aware of her red nose and pink eyes. He shuffled on his feet, gathering the courage to ask her. Carmen noticed and glanced at him before she pat them both on the shoulder.

"I'm going to go find my brother, I'll see you guys later." she smiled and left, giving the two some privacy.

"Have you been crying?"

Clara's eyes shot up before she turned her gaze back to the trees, letting her hair fall into her face to hide her pink cheeks.

"No, just got some dust in my eyes."

"You know you don't have to lie to me." he said gently. "What's wrong?"

"It's hard, being alone." she admit, her voice small and fragile. She covered her arms, feeling the chill of the night on her revealed skin.

"You're not alone though." he replied. "You have us all, and I know we'll never take his place but we won't let you suffer alone."

Clara didn't know what to say, so she thanked him with a sincere smile.

"Isabel told me about how they were in love." she smiled at the thought of him being so happy. "I can't believe he let her go."

"Love makes you do foolish things, I guess." he shrugged next to her. Clara shivered slightly and tucked her hair away from her face. Noticing this, Victor spoke up: "Come on, let's go back inside."

She agreed and followed behind him, joining the party once more, unaware of the glares sent her way, and the ones sent back to the knights by the prince.

Julian found her again, this time without Lila. He smiled at Victor as they greeted each other joyfully, complementing one another's outfits before the prince left the two knights alone.

"How about one last dance?" he asked. "Just us two."

"I'd love that." she blushed.

One hand intertwined and one on his shoulder, Clara felt her breath get caught in her throat when she felt the warmth of his hand on her waist, chasing away the chill of the night.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are?" he gazed lovingly at her.

"A few times." she shrugged, her red cheeks betraying her attempt at being nonchalant.

Julian chuckled and twirled her around before tugging her back into his chest as they swayed to the calming music. Clara could hear his heartbeat sync with her own and it made her buzz with excitement.

"I'm so proud of you." he whispered. "Of all that you've achieved. You, Clara Lux-Virtus, are the most astonishing and extraordinary woman I will ever meet..."

"...And I am helplessly in love with you."

Before Clara could utter a word, Julian leaned down, hovering his lips over hers, waiting for her approval. Clara stood on her toes, closing the gap between them. Their lips molded together perfectly, sending waves of warmth throughout their bodies as Clara's hands wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him even closer. Julian held her tighter, never wanting to let go of this moment.

A few seconds later, but what felt like a blissful eternity, the two pulled away for air as they rested their foreheads over one another's. Their eyes fluttered open and their grins widened, now looking at each other with nothing but love in their gazes.

"I love you too."

In the far distance, away from their view, Hazel got so excited that she accidentally slapped Alan, barely noticing before she gave him a quick peck and continued to gush over what she had just seen.

I am a complete mess.

Oh btw, hi I'm alive lol.

I just couldn't write because I had a severe lack of motivation. I don't really get much feedback on my work so I'm constantly doubting myself and all, so I sometimes can't write something I love.

HOWEVER-

THIS CHAPTER THO

BRO I AM LOSING MY MIND

I AM SCREAMING

HAZEL IS ME

I AM HAZEL

I TOO WOULD ACCIDENTALLY SLAP SOMEONE FROM EXCITEMENT.

Anyways, please vote and comment, it would mean the world to me <3