"What I knew the moment I saw him is all I need to know." High Maiden Melissa continued.

"Wife or otherwise, his life before now no longer matters. That is the way of the nymphs, the old must be left behind in favor of a new dawn."

"It was the same when Raina found Lord Farren... and it is the same now." High Maiden Melissa replied blankly.

Estelle was barely holding down her anger, she passed a look to Lord Farren, understanding what High Maiden Melissa was implying.

"Melissa, do not speak of what you do not understand or taint Raina’s name with your evil intents..."

"What Raina and I found was a love true and pure, but most importantly... mutual. I gave up my past by my own will! A choice you clearly have not allowed the young lad!" Lord Farren countered in a harsh tone.

"And who is to say I did not allow him a choice? How confident are you that he would chose you?" Lady Melissa quizzed.

Estelle bit down on her lip to keep a clear heard, Lady Melissa’s words were meant to stir doubts in Estelle’s heart, Estelle understood this clearly.

And for a moment, it gave Estelle pause as she recalled not more than a few days ago, it was already a decade since she had last set eyes on Dante.

They had been apart since Estelle’s mother died, it was enough to make Estelle wonder if Dante was still the same man Estelle knew... the same man that was always by her side, protecting and guiding her all those years back.

The same man she could trust to always have her back no matter how much of a brat she was or how angry she made him, even when Estelle constantly thought only of herself and never of Dante’s own sacrifices.

"When I lost mother... I pushed him away and so he left. I blamed him for leaving me forgetting he only did so because...he must have believed that was what I truly wanted..." Estelle breathed out in a low tone, unsure why she was even saying these words.

"Even if he knew I was only lying, he gave me as much space as I needed... and in the time when he needed me most, when his whole world crumbled, I was not there for him..."

"I was given a choice and I did not chose him." Estelle’s voice broke as she thought of just how much pain Dante had endured during the severing.

And how little consideration she had given to Dante’s own pain and despair.

"Yet right at the moment when I needed him most, even so long after, he was right on time! Not even a moment late!"

"I cannot begin to count just how many times he has saved my life and I surely know that most of these times, I did not deserve saving because I was my own enemy!"

"Even so, he was there! Do you understand?! Dante was always there!" Estelle screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks as her emotions overwhelmed her.

Lady Melissa did not understand that what Estelle and Dante shared was not a bond so feeble that doubts could come between them, Estelle could never doubt his intents.

Dante and Estelle were not bonded, they were not truly married too, but Estelle knew the bond they shared was far greater.

It was why Dante was willing to leave behind his own fortress, his own family and place his life on the line to protect Estelle through her mission.

And Estelle knew if given the chance again, Dante would make the exact same choice.

"He will be by my side when I need him most...he always his." Estelle realized.

"That man you see there...we grew up side by side. All he knows were taught to him by my own parents, he was more a son to my mother than I was a daughter to her and he knows me even better than I know my ownself."

"For as far as I can remember, Dante has been one thing to me... family. And that is never going to change, so yes, I know without a single doubt that Dante will always... always chose me!" Estelle declared with certainty.

"So do not think for a moment that I will let you take him away... I would die first, a thousand times over!" Estelle made her stance clear.

Estelle’s words sent the clearing into silence, the nymph guards exchanging looks.

"Lady Melissa, do you not see it? This is the love I have just spoken of, it is not something you can or should come between... let him go." Lord Farren reasoned.

Lady Melissa laughed quietly, tilting her head to the side.

"You are not the only one he has saved, girl. And from your words, it is clear that you have never appreciated his sincerity... perhaps this is why fate sent him my way."

"The treasure you took for granted, I will make him mine. I will cherish him so he forgets your existence and the troubles you have caused him." Lady Melissa replied defiantly.

Lady Melissa’s words hit Estelle like a dagger through her heart, because Estelle knew they were not far from the truth.

Estelle had been horrible to Dante, to her father too and she had not gotten a chance to make things right with her father...but with Dante, there was still a chance.

"You are right. I have always felt entitled to Dante’s care, and so it was never worth anything to me. But I realize it now... I understand it now." Estelle admitted quietly.

"I have a chance to make this right, and I will not let you take that away from me! This time... I will be the one to fight for him, this time... I will save him!" Estelle said in determination.

"You have staked your claim... and I have staked mine. As it seems we cannot come to an understanding, this shall be resolved by the old ways." Lady Melissa decided.

"The old ways?" Estelle asked uncertainly, passing a glance over to Lord Farren.

"Battle...the tournament..." Lord Farren replied slowly.

"The high maiden is the most powerful nymph of the Nord clan, her magic is strong...even stronger after a successful divination. You cannot face her by yourself..." The head guard of the Druids finally spoke for the first time. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"If this is what I must do to save Dante, then I will do it. Estelle Starron of Fort Blazed accepts your challenge." Estelle replied without hesitation.