Who Would Have Guessed?

If you had told me 48 hours ago that I would be getting married I would have never believed you. No one is ever going to believe this one. But we'll have to hope that grand rulers do.

They had called a draft for the royal army. Anyone 21 years of age and older had to enlist. I had just turned 21 the last time they called an enlistment. My father was dying, so at that time, I was given permission to stay home and care for him. He now lay in the ground and I would have to enlist and surely die.

I had failed every part of training in school. I couldn't sword fight, couldn’t do close-quarters combat, nor shooting…all of it - I was the worst kind of warrior. I couldn't even use magic; I was doomed.

I stared at the letter and could feel the panic rising. The world started to go black…I think I heard someone call my name as I hit the ground.

"Eliza! Eliza, please wake up!" I blinked and saw David hunched over me. "Oh thank heavens, you’re okay!"

"How long was I out?" I asked, slowly sitting up.

"Only a few moments. I see you got your letter!” David picked the paper up from the ground and handed it to me.

I swallowed hard. "David, I'm going to die! You know I can't fight." I started to feel the panic well up again.

"Hey, hey, none of that now. I can't make a plan with you if you black out again," David teased.

I laughed, finding myself feeling calmer. "Plan? Why are we planning? I'm going to die in the royal army and only you will mourn me." I said in a way that I hoped sounded like I was just joking, but I think my shaking gave me away.

David put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm not gonna let that happen."

I look at David. I want to believe him. He is the reason I survived training. He made sure I had a place to go once my father had died. He had been my only family for so long, but even he couldn’t save me now.

"Nothing can be done, David. We both have to enlist. Your being six weeks younger than me won't save you this time." I tried once again to make light of all this.

David paced back and forth. "No, there has to be something we can do." I watched him pace. I hated seeing him stressed like this, especially over me.

"We could find some fool to marry me." It was a joke - of all the women in our little village, I was the most undesirable. I had no father to make proper arrangements for me, my mother died in childbirth and it would have been better had I died with her. Women were meant to produce more warriors for the Kingdom. And due to my mother's inability to survive, it was believed I would fare no better. And with no magical abilities in my family, I was truly worthless. All I was good for was another body to slow down the enemy.

"That's it!" David grinned. "We'll get married!"

"David, you can't be serious. We can't get married," I protested.

"And why not? I care for you and you care for me - that's more than some of the marrieds around here can say. And if you are my wife, you can join the nursing staff or the kitchen crew. I'll also be given longer service breaks..." His face flushed; everyone knew why the married soldiers were given longer breaks.

I shook my head. "The grand rulers will never allow such a thing. You know they refuse all marriage requests made after a draft."

"There can be exceptions made... " David paused. "A parent’s dying wish, a declaration of true love…. You know how Grand Lady Hyacinth loves a good love story."

"But we aren’t in love, David." Did I really need to remind him of that?

"Maybe not, but everyone believes me to be taken with you. After all, I haven't married anyone else. It's not an illogical leap. We could simply say I waited too long."

How can he say this so simply? "David, do you even know what you are saying? This is forever! We'd be expected to...to..." My face burned. "...have children...build a home together, even with the war going on…."

David took my hand. "I know, but think about it. Whom else would you rather spend forever with?" He winked.

"I mean, you're not wrong." I felt my face flush again. "Then let's go convince them." David took my hand and we quickly packed for a trip to the Grand Rulers.

We travelled through the night, taking turns driving the wagon. When the one-off driving duty couldn’t sleep, we talked about our story and points that would explain why we should be married. We arrived at the Grand Lady Court in the late afternoon, after David had made one more stop.

We were one of the last meetings of the day. "Let me guess - another couple desperate for a marriage request." The Grand Lady did not seem impressed. All the words I had vanished.

"No Grand Lady, we are not desperate, but we are hoping you will grant us your blessing."

"And why should I? Tell me, why do you want to spend forever with this man?" she asked me directly.

I gulped. "He…" I paused and looked at David, taking his hand. "My father died, without sorting out my marriage, but I think he'd want me to marry David… David has been my rock for so long. I am a terrible fighter, no one wants to have children with the girl whose mom died giving birth, I have no worth in this world." He squeezed my hand like he wanted to argue with me. "But David keeps me safe, he sees me as worth something, and if we are to die for this war, I want to do it as his wife." I stare at the Grand Lady. Did I really mean all that? Did she believe me?

I flushed and let go of David's hand. The Grand Lady turned to David. “Well?"

David cleared his throat. "Right, yes. Eliza has been my best friend for years. She is an amazing woman, there is no one else I want to spend whatever is left of my life with. In fact, I know I will be a better warrior if I am coming home to her. I need to know she's safe." He took my hand. "Eliza, I know I never asked you properly, but understand that I breathe more easily when you are near. I wish I'd moved faster and then we wouldn't have to do this with war on our doorstep. But for whatever time we have left, I want to spend it with you." He pulled a simple ring out of his pocket. “And should the Grand Lady say no, then let this band show my promise to marry you. And I will enlist to fight by your side."

"Oh, David." I let him slide the ring on my finger.

Grand Lady Hyacinth stared at us, and David and I held hands and our breath. "Either you two know how to put on a show, or you need each other. I will grant your marriage request, but you must wed tomorrow morning."

David hugged me and I let out a squeal. Were we acting or were we in love? At this moment I wasn't sure, but come morning I would be David's wife and we would face the war together.

I looked down at the ring on my hand and then at David's eyes. "Thank you," I whispered.

"Thank you," he whispered back, and we rushed out to find someone to host our small wedding in the morning.

I can’t wait.