Wildly Yours

"Ow!" Isabella giggled, her eyes sparkling. She tried not to clutch her foot that was almost crushed by the giant she was dancing with.

"Apologies, Milady. Are you okay? We should stop this madness, please." Leofric said, his face reddening.

"Rubbish!" Isabella protested. "You are a superb dancer. I assure you, this is only a minor setback."

Isabella tried to guide him through the steps, but Leofric's feet seemed to have a mind of their own. On many occasions, he would bump into nearby dancers, and send a candelabra wobbling. Isabella's laughter grew uncontrollable. "I am sorry." he quickly apologised.

Tears threatened to stream down her face as she clung to Leofric's shoulder. "Oh, dear sir, you are…you are…" she gasped.

"A natural?" Leofric suggested, a smile made its way to his lips. Seeing her smile and laugh the way she did made him feel good. 

Isabella shook her head in amusement, still chuckling. "More like a force of nature, you mean?" 

As they careened across the dance floor, Leofric's movement became more erratic. Isabella's laughter turned to snorts, and she buried her face in his chest to hide it. Just when it seemed they would collide with the orchestra, Leofric froze. 

After the dance, he would look for a witch to wipe his memory of the evening because he might end up slitting his own throat if he ever remembered any part of it. 

The music finally ended with Leofric bumping into the couple beside them. He apologised and fled the dance floor with Isabella following right behind him.

His eyes narrowed into slits upon seeing the goofy smile on her face, "Milady, you seem to be enjoying yourself too much."

"I am sorry, I couldn't help it. Sir Leofric, perhaps we should stick to conversation." 

"Wise decision, Milady. I will leave the dancing to those with intact toes."

She laughed. "I am surprised I can still walk without support,"

"Oh, don't even start." As they conversed, new music wafted through the hall and people began making their way to the dance floor with their partners in tow. A young man approached them.

"Sir Leoric. Lady Isabella." Lord Jackson greeted, a polite smile plastered on his lips.

"Lord Jackson! What a wonderful surprise to see you." Isabella curtsied

"A wonderful surprise indeed. How have you been?" 

"I have been doing great." She turned to Leofric, "Sir Leofric, I guess you have already met Lord Jackson here," 

"Yes, I have," Leofric replied.

 Lord Jackson turned to Isabella. "I got your letter yesterday on my arrival. It said you wanted to talk about something?"

"Ah, yes. We can talk within the week if that is okay with you."

"Or maybe we can talk about it on the dance floor."

"No, it's not a topic that requires a setting like this." Isabella flashed him a polite smile, hoping he would take the hint and drop the topic. 

She had written a letter to Lord Jackson a month ago after her father had turned down her last arranged suitor. She was well aware of Lord Jackson's feelings for her but didn't consider him as an option because of the man's personality. He was a man of the society. He did everything in a way that was deemed socially right. 

In her letter, she had proposed marriage to him but with conditions which they were supposed to discuss in their free time. She was ready to take a shot with the man if he agreed to give her what she wanted. Unfortunately, Lord Jackson had been out of town. She had left the letter with his household, requesting they deliver the letter to him upon his arrival, which had been done, seeing how the man was eager to talk about everything. She could see the wedding rings in the man's eyes already. No doubt he would agree to everything she was going to request. But that could wait until everything was back to normal—until Leofric and his men left.

"Of course, my lady, but that doesn't mean I won't get a dance. I can see your partner isn't much of a great dancer."

Isabella beamed upon seeing Leofric's frown. "Oh, he is a great dancer. He just needs a little brushing."

"If you say so." Lord Jackson glanced at Leofric before focusing his gaze on Isabella. Oh, how he had admired the young lady for many years but didn't know how to open up about his feelings. He had been surprised when his brother gave a letter to him on the day of his arrival, saying it was from Lady Isabella. His surprise soon turned to ecstasy when he read the contents of the letter. After seeing the word marriage, every other word didn't register in his mind again. All he knew was she wanted to marry him, and he was determined to do everything within his power to make it possible. "Lady Isabella, may I have the honour of this dance?" He asked.

Isabella did something she never expected. She looked at Leofric for permission, which he reluctantly gave. She told herself she had only asked for permission because it was the right thing to do. Of course, it would have been rude to walk away with another man. 

As Isabella and Lord Jackson glided through the dance floor with more ease and elegance, her thoughts whirled. She would give anything to bring Leofric back to the dance floor and watch him struggle to move in accordance with the beats of the music. What she liked most about the man was that he didn't care. He didn't give a damn if he was making a fool of himself in a room full of people. She had enjoyed the man's company too much; a brief respite was needed to clear her mind. 

She was happy that in a few hours, everything would be over. It was expected that Leofric and his men would return to their land the coming morning. The whole drama would be over. She would go back to her normal life. There won't be any need for her to pretend anymore. She wouldn't have to subject herself to Lady Sarah's torture and deathtraps, also known as DRESS. 

Sir Eric excused himself from the ladies he was talking to and sidled up to Leofric, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "You look positively besotted, Leo. Has Cupid's arrow struck?"

Leofric tried to glare at the man, but his face warmed. "Nonsense, Eric. We are merely acquaintances." 

"Sure, sure. Acquaintances it is. Did I tell you that I almost died of shock this evening when I saw you laughing and smiling?"

"Would have been great if it was not an 'almost' scenario." Leofric's brows pulled together.

Eric chuckled. "I haven't seen you laugh or smile so much in one day before. Lady Isabella must be a charmer." 

Leofric's attention went back to Isabella on the dance floor. His eyes narrowed into slits as he watched Lord Jackson laugh over something she said. "I guess she has that effect on everyone." He spoke. He didn't know why he suddenly had the urge to wrap his hands around Lord Jackson's throat. He was too close to Isabella.

"I am going to ask her for the next dance." Eric chimed.

"Why?" Leofric glanced at Eric before focusing on Isabella.

Eric's smile widened. "What do you mean by why? This is a ball. We are to mingle and have fun."

Leofric raised a questioning brow at Eric and said, "I have booked her for the next dance, Find someone else." 

 "Blimey! Jealousy does look good on you!" 

"Be silent, Eric. I am not in the mood for your teasing."

Any reasonable human being would have fled, but since it was Eric, he decided to push his luck. At least he knew Leofric wouldn't kill him in a crowded place. "Are you by chance smitten by Lady Isabella's charms and grace? I thought you hated Ladies."

"Christ's shinbones! What is wrong with you?" Leofric spat at his right-hand man, who also happened to be his friend. 

"Nothing is wrong with me. I am only reminding you of what you said."

Leofric's brows smoothed as his gaze moved to Isabella. "She is different. She makes me feel different."

"Does that mean you are in love?" Eric probed. 

Leofric shook his head. "Love is a big word. She is a good lady and I admire her spirit. She is humble and kind, too, something that is very rare."

"I have known you for more than fifteen years, and I have known you as a man who is stingy with compliments, but here you are dishing it out with tremendous generosity. Devil's toes! Did you head your head somewhere while dancing with Lady Isabella?" Eric's eyes narrowed in concern as he tried to reach for Leofric's forehead to check if the man was burning up, but one look from Leofric was enough to make him retract his hand. 

Eric's eyes followed Leofric's gaze to the dance floor, where Isabella twirled in the arms of a man he had been introduced to earlier but had forgotten his name. Isabella was a beauty to behold. He had been smitten the second he laid eyes on her, but Leofric was more smitten. Her grace and charm were excellent. "I think she would make a good wife." He voiced his thoughts. 

The music ended, and conversations continued. Leofric frowned when Isabella didn't return to him, instead, she went and stood with Lord Jackson. Before he could walk over to them, Lord Griswold clinked a knife against his wine glass, drawing the room's attention. 

"Gather around, friends!" Lord Griswold boomed. "I have something to say. Lord Leofric, can you join me, please?" The room fell silent as he beckoned Leofric forward. "As you all already know, Sir Leofric and his men's bravery and strategic genius have brought us together today. I offer my deepest gratitude." Leofric offered a curt nod to the host, his eyes scanning the crowd. It was one thing to be introduced to everyone one by one, and it was another thing to be under their scrutinizing gaze all at once.

Lord Griswold Continued, "As a token of appreciation, I will grant you one request, Sir Leofric. Name it."

"Lord Griswold. The King has already rewarded me with more than enough, you need not bother yourself. " Leofric protested.

"I know the King has already given you enough, this is from me to you. You can't turn it down, my friend."

"A request," Leofric repeated as he tried to think of something. He sincerely didn't need anything from the man. His hospitality was enough for him. His thinking halted when his eyes landed on Isabella. Of course, Lord Griswold had something he needed. He knew what he was about to do was wrong, but it was his only ticket. He could have requested for horses or a piece of land, but that wasn't what he wanted. "I request…" He paused, his deep voice ringing clear in the room. "I request Lady Isabella's hand in marriage."

Gasps echoed through the room, followed by murmurs. 

"You want my first daughter's hand in marriage?" Lord Griswold asked, trying to clarify what he heard.

"Yes, Lord Griswold. That is my only request." 

Lord Griswold's expression turned blank as the crowd of lords and ladies began to whisper amongst themselves. 

Isabella's face paled as they all waited for Lord Griswold's reply. Her mind was still struggling to make sense of the whole situation. Sir Leofric wouldn't dare utter the words she heard, she told herself, but one look at the man's awaiting eyes told her otherwise. 

She looked at her father with hopeful eyes. She knew her father's chances of turning down the request were slim, but she was still hopeful. She knew her father would rather bite off his tongue than go back on his words. So when he opened his mouth, her eyes flashed with fury.

"Your request shall be granted, Sir Leofric." Lord Griswold stated firmly.

"Father, no." Isabella protested from where she stood. "You can't do that to me."

"Isabella," Lord Griswold called out warningly. 

Leofric's face fell the instant Isabella's furious gaze landed on him. Gone were the gentle, soft brown eyes he had gotten used to. Unable to bear their presence, Isabella hoisted her gown, turned on her heel and stormed out of the hall. She could care less about the murmurs and speculation. Leofric's heart fell further as he watched Isabella's retreating figure.

"Well, that went splendidly," Eric whispered to himself after recovering from the shock of the drama that unfolded.