Whew! A lot of stuff happened in the last chapter. But things are just starting to get better; all the problems are surfacing and just starting to come to head. I think it is going to be quite a journey with these characters. I really do love exploring the other characters. But maybe you could see it in the last chapter— the Spoby love triangle was my focus, but there were a few scenes dealing with other characters. I do not want to make those B Plots overtake the Spoby of the story, but they are definitely going to be there, especially since they all are important characters. I apologize if you are not interested in other drama or romance, but all that is not going to diminish Spoby's journey. :) Thank you and enjoy the new chapter!
At World's End
Chapter 9
The ear-ringing sound of battle horns and trumpets filled the town of Rosewood that morning. Invaders from Ravenswood had been spotted approaching Rosewood by a spy that the king sent to be on the lookout for trouble. He had sent a messenger back to the castle as soon as he could to warn everybody. With this well-in-advance notice, the King's army was able to prepare itself for battle to take down the filthy intruders. And it was Toby's first battle since joining the King's army.
The King's army trotted on their horses down to the farthest borders of Rosewood, ready to attack as soon as Frederick Mason's army from Ravenswood arrived. And his army was shocked to find that David Campbell's army was waiting for them right when they got there. The fighters of Mason's army were rudely greeted with the slashing of kingly swords in their bodies, falling to the ground bloodily. Frederick Mason himself did not come to the attack; he merely sent his men to take them down, much like what David Campbell would do.
Unfortunately for the fighters of Rosewood, that meant that it still was not the day that Frederick Mason was taken down. That meant that Ravenswood would continue to exist. But in good news, the men he sent that day were taken down, and the Rosewood army could report a positive word back to their king. And the best part? None of the people of Rosewood was harmed during the attack. Some of the fighters were wounded severely, but the mere citizens were untouched. That was something to be relieved about.
Toby unmounted his horse, settling her down carefully before passing through the castle's guards and entering. When he stepped inside, everybody was eagerly waiting in the hall. He raised his eyebrows, startled to be greeted by so many people. The other knights walked to their rooms to settle down after the fight, but Toby stayed there to talk with those who had been waiting for the army to return.
"My royal messenger already has informed me that the battle was a success, and that the invasion was taken care of cleanly," King David told him with a wide grin. "Thank you for your bravery in the fight. My messenger also informed me that you took on a great leadership role during the battle. For a new royal knight, you are moving quickly. Excellent work, Tobias. Excellent work. I can see a future for you here, my boy."
Toby smiled at the praise.
"Thank you, sir. I was just doing my job," he chuckled modestly.
"Your job was not to be a leader out there today. Your job was merely to fight with the other men, but you acted as a leader and led our men to victory," David said. "And that is something to be proud of, boy."
He smiled wider. Andrew just rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and looking away from the knight. He hated the praise that his father was giving Toby. The others (Jasper, Cynthia, Margaret, Paige, Emily, and Spencer) gave Toby their praises as well. Soon, David, Cynthia, Jasper, Margaret, and Andrew headed off to the dining hall to eat the breakfast that was interrupted by the invasion that morning.
"Shall we go get breakfast?" Toby asked. "All that fighting really makes a man hungry."
Spencer chuckled. Without thinking much, she naturally approached Toby and pulled him in for a long hug. He was not sure that this was the right thing to be doing after the events with Andrew last night, but he could not refuse her. He simply hugged her back, enjoying the embrace and the closeness while he could. Being near her was warming for him— it made him feel amazing things inside. He just hoped that he could eventually get over these feelings.
"I am just happy that you came back in one piece," Spencer joked. "I always have my fears when anyone goes to battle. There are always battles that go awry..."
"Some of the men are hurt, but we assisted in bringing them to the doctors on the way back," he explained. "I think everyone will be alive, but amputations may be necessary."
Spencer frowned.
"That is never good to hear," she sighed.
He nodded his head.
"That is the worst part of being in battle— losing those you care about. Even for me, the men whom I knew for merely a short time, I still feel a pit in my stomach when I lose them," he told her sadly.
"How can you even eat breakfast? I would not have the strength to stomach it after fighting like that!" Spencer cried.
"Ah, well, you get used to it after being exposed to so much fighting," he shrugged his shoulders. "I am still starving. Let us go now before I die of starvation instead of war!"
The four of them laughed together before heading to the dining hall and joining the others.
At the breakfast table, Emily avoided eye contact with Paige the entire time. Paige hadn't really spoken to her all morning while they were waiting for the army to return to the castle.
"How long are you going to be angry with me?"
Spencer tensed up when the man placed his hands on her shoulders from behind her, squeezing them thoroughly. She took a deep breath, not bothering to turn around to face him. His hands remained there, hoping to spark some kind of connection that made her realize that what they had wasn't worth giving up over some petty fight.
"I can hold grudges for a very, very long time."
He sighed.
"Spencer, please. You know me," he spoke pleadingly. "You know that I am a good man. You know that I just got frustrated and made a bad decision at that moment. I just cannot stand the thought of any other man touching you because I love you so much and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I promise, I will control myself around him if it means keeping your heart. You know that I would do anything for you, my love."
She had to admit, his words were convincing. He could be very sweet when he wanted to, and he treated her very well when he wanted to, too. Giving in, she turned around. Andrew's hands dropped to his sides as he waited for her to make a move. And she did— she kissed him heavily, wanting to ignite something inside of herself and feel something real again. She was desperate to make herself love him the right way. He eagerly accepted her lips, throwing his arms around her body and pulling her closer so that he could kiss her deeper.
When he finally pulled back, he asked, "So, we are all right, then?"
She faked a smile.
"Yes, we are all right, Andrew."
"Wonderful," he said, keeping his hands placed on her waist firmly. "That means that we are good for tomorrow night, yes?"
"Yes," she smiled. "It will be a magnificent night."
Tomorrow night was the grand ball that the Campbells were hosting in their castle's extravagant ballroom. Andrew, of course, was meant to escort Spencer, but there were doubts in both of them after their fight about Toby. But all was good again, so he could escort her. Spencer was glad as well, because she did not want to answer a barrage of questions from David and Cynthia, who would be wondering why their son was not escorting Spencer if they did not attend together.
"Why exactly did you invite me to go dress shopping with you for the ball? Could you not have called one of your pretty little friends, who probably actually have got a clue about dresses?"
Spencer chuckled.
"I needed a man's opinion."
"And your fiancé's opinion is not sufficient?"
"I cannot ask him to pick my dress! He is the one who is escorting me, so it has to be a surprise."
Toby pressed his lips together.
"So, I'll take it that you two have resolved your differences?"
Spencer nodded her head.
"For the most part. I did not want to keep on fighting with him, so I decided to just end the war."
He nodded his head as well.
"That is good. I was worried that he would have me executed for coming with you to the stores to find a dress."
Spencer laughed, shaking her head.
"Well, he will not be doing anymore of the jealousy thing. He promised me that he would control himself around you. He is not going to be concerned with us spending time together anymore."
Toby raised his eyebrows.
"Jealousy is a feeling, not a choice. One cannot simply turn it off just like that. It comes to you... naturally."
"Let him feel it, but he cannot show it. He promised me."
"I suppose a promise is a promise."
As she scanned through the dresses in the shop, she asked, "How is everything going with your father? I am sorry that I have been absent in that whole ordeal— things have been quite hectic in my life."
"I know," he chuckled. "I have been there. But... I am trying my hardest to be okay with him. He seems really happy with this new woman, and I do want him to be happy. Maybe he truly loves this woman."
"Maybe," Spencer smiled. "I am glad for you. It is quite big of you to try to accept him because you want him to be happy."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Is it? Or is it just something his son should have always done from the start?"
"Give yourself some credit, Toby. I cannot speak for you, but it seems difficult to accept your father falling in love with somebody who is not your real mother."
Out of his modesty, Toby did not want to say anything. He turned his head and looked at one of the dresses at the shop, pointing his finger at it. Spencer turned her head as well, seeing what he was pointing to.
"What about that one?" he suggested. "It is quite nice. I think it would suit you well."
"Hmm," she nodded her head, approaching the dress, running her fingers down its fabric. "Could look quite nice. Why don't I try it on and see?"
Emily, Casey, Hanna, and Caleb were all sitting down at a table at the Rosewood Tavern together. Each had a drink in their hand.
"I agree..." Casey sighed, bringing the cup to his lips and taking a sip. He set it down on the table. "I was not very fond of Elliott's behavior last night. It was... arrogant, to say the least."
"Perfect for Alison then, is it not?" Hanna joked, and the group laughed. Except Emily.
Emily glared.
"Why are you taking a jab at Alison for Elliott's behavior?" Emily demanded, folding her arms. "She is not the one who said anything. In fact, she was a victim of Elliott's uncomfortable words. She is a lot different than she used to be, you know. She is not the same woman."
Hanna raised her eyebrows.
"Well, well, you are quite defensive, aren't you?" Hanna scoffed. "It was just a joke, Emily."
"And I'm sure that Elliott thought that all of his comments were mere truths and jokes," Emily said.
"All right, all right. I am sorry for misspeaking," Hanna sighed, putting her hands up in surrender. "I suppose that what he said about Caleb last night struck a nerve."
"I do not think Alison enjoyed what he said, either," Emily said.
"Ladies, please," Casey calmed them down, chuckling. "Alison is your friend now. We should try to remain civil. She is not responsible for Elliott's words."
"I know. I do blame Elliott," Hanna nodded her head.
Caleb sighed, frowning.
"Do you really believe that what he said about me is true?" Caleb asked, feeling insecure. "Maybe I am fooling myself if I think that I can support a woman like Hanna with my inferior status and wealth—"
"No way!" Hanna interjected, shaking her head. She cupped Caleb's cheeks, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "Caleb, nothing he said can change the way I feel about you. Your wealth was never important to me. What matters is that... I love you, Caleb Rivers. I truly do."
Caleb was surprised by her words; it was the first time that he was hearing her say that she loved him, and his heart melted to know that she loved him even though he was not a successful man. He smiled harder, looking into her blue eyes deeply.
"I love you, too, Hanna Marin," he smiled.
With their love expressed, Hanna leaned in and kissed him again, still cupping his cheeks. This time, the kiss was longer and more passionate. Emily and Casey chuckled nervously, unsure of what to do or say while the other couple publicly showed their affection for one another. Casey felt even more uncomfortable because he noted that Emily had never told him that she loved him, despite the fact that they had been together much longer than Hanna and Caleb had. Hanna and Caleb's relationship was relatively new, but they were already sure of their love for one another. Casey was afraid that Emily would never say it to him. He was afraid that she did not even love him.
Casey turned to look at Emily, hoping to steal a kiss from her, but sensing his gaze, she quickly picked her cup up from the table and pressed the edge of it against her lips, taking a long, exaggerated sip until Hanna and Caleb were finished kissing, breaking the tension.
"You said you had no idea what you were doing when it comes to dress shopping, but I think you spotted a magnificent dress just by looking at it in the shop!"
Toby chuckled, shaking his head.
"It was nothing... and besides, it was not really about the dress. You were the one wearing it."
Heat rose to Spencer's cheek because of his compliment. He wanted to stop complimenting her and being flirtatious, but it just came naturally when he was around her. The two of them were walking out of the boutique together, side-by-side. As they were about to get on to their respective horses, a young woman with dirty blonde hair stepped up to the two of them with a radiant smile on her face. Both of them looked at her quizzically.
"May we help you?" Spencer asked, raising her eyebrows.
"No, not really help," she replied. She turned to look at Toby. "I was just wondering if you are Toby Cavanaugh."
"Um... I am," he nodded his head. "Why?"
The girl smiled wider now.
"Word around town is that you led our men to victory in today's battle against the forces of Ravenswood!" the girl exclaimed, a light in her eyes when she looked at Toby. "I just wanted to thank you for being a hero for our nation."
He smiled back at her.
"Well, thank you. I would not have been able to do anything if it were not for the King's talented men, though," he chuckled modestly.
The girl reached out and offered her hand to him for a shake.
"I am Samantha," she introduced herself.
He nodded his head, and reached over to take her hand and shake it. While they were shaking hands, they both looked up and met eyes for a sweet gaze. Spencer furrowed her eyebrows as she watched the whole scene, a growing uneasiness forming in her stomach.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Samantha," he said as he let go of her hand and brought his arm back down to his side.
"I was wondering... are you going to the ball at the Campbell castle tomorrow night?" she asked with hopefulness in her eyes.
He remained smiling, nodding his head again.
"Yes, I am," he replied. "I assume I will see you there, then?"
"Indeed, you will," she said, her eyes sparkling more than ever. "You better let me steal a dance, sir."
He chuckled.
"We will see," he said. He turned to Spencer, who was visibly uncomfortable. "Um, we should probably get going back to the castle now." Turning back to Samantha, he said, "I will see you tomorrow night."
Samantha walked away with a smile still on her face, and Toby stood there in the same spot staring at her with an equally bright smile on his face, not moving at all. Spencer could see the way that he was looking at her.
"Please stare a little longer; it's not obvious at all," she commented, running her hand down the back of her horse to calm her down.
Suddenly snapping back into reality, Toby turned his head and hummed, "Hmm?"
She scoffed.
"Your eyes said it all, Toby," she said.
"She seems nice," he observed, and began petting his own horse.
"I suppose you can find out tomorrow night, then?" Spencer smiled weakly, pulling herself on to her horse.
"I suppose so," he agreed.
"You and the knight seem to be getting closer and closer, hmm?"
Spencer looked up at her blonde friend, shaking her head.
"That is not the case, Hanna," she denied. "We are remaining friendly, though."
"Are you sure?" Hanna pried. "I mean, you invited him to the festival with us. And he sat through dinner just for you."
"What was he supposed to do? Refuse?" Spencer rolled her eyes. "He is a very good man; he is extremely polite. You are looking for something that just is not there."
"Maybe you could say that if you had not already slept with him," Hanna smirked, falling back against her bed.
Spencer rolled her eyes.
"Hanna, you know... he met a new girl today," she revealed. "She was quite beautiful, too. I think he really likes her already."
"How do you know how he feels?" Hanna asked curiously.
"Well, I mean... nothing is a sure thing, but the way somebody looks at you says more than enough," she shrugged her shoulders. "We went to this boutique to find me a dress for the castle's ball tomorrow night, and this lovely woman came up to him as we were leaving the shop. She is also going to be there at the ball tomorrow. I could just feel it between them— there was something there. And he would not stop looking at her with these big and interested eyes as she was walking away from him. It was obvious how he felt. He did not have to say a mere word."
"It may become something soon if you do not intervene. If you want him, you better act now," Hanna advised. "He is not going to wait for you forever, Spencer. He is already starting to fall for somebody else. Speak now or forever hold your peace, you know?"
"What makes you think that I am going to speak anything?" Spencer squinted her eyes. "He and I made a mistake. We are not going to be anything more than friends now. Besides, I am still marrying Andrew, unless you have forgotten."
"I really almost have forgotten," Hanna laughed. "You two never even spend time together anymore. I never see you two together anymore! It is almost as if you are not even together anymore!"
"We are," Spencer insisted. "We have had our fair share of disagreements and arguments lately, but we are still together, and we are still going to get married when the time comes. And fear not: he will still be escorting me to the ball tomorrow, so you can see us together again, since you apparently desire that."
"I do not desire it," Hanna laughed. "It would just be nice to see you two together again. I have seen you with Toby so much that you would think that you are getting married to him instead!"
Changing the subject, Spencer asked, "So, you definitely are coming to the ball, right?"
"Yes, I would never miss a good outing! Besides, now I know that you and Andrew will be attending together, so my 'desire' will be fulfilled," she joked.
"How cute," Spencer rolled her eyes. "Why would he not go? It is being held at his castle."
Hanna shrugged her shoulders.
"I truly was wondering if there was too much disagreement between you two for him to be able to calmly escort you to the ball," she explained. "I suppose I knew that he would physically be there; I just did not know if he would be there with you."
"Well, he is," Spencer confirmed. "Now, can I expect to see you with Caleb tomorrow night?"
"You can," Hanna nodded her head. "We are together and happier than ever! In fact, I told him that I love him today... and he said it back!"
"Oh, Hanna!" Spencer exclaimed, looking excitedly at the other girl. "I am so happy for you! That is wonderful!"
"It is," Hanna gushed. "I have never been this happy in my life before. It is like wealth does not even matter. We are just happy together, and we work well together."
"Wonderful," Spencer commented. Nervously, she looked directly into Hanna's eyes and asked, "How did you know that you love him? What made you feel it?"
Hanna thought about it for a moment, laughing quietly.
"I do not know... it is just in my heart," she replied. She pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek. "I suppose it is the way that he makes me feel when I am around him— the warmth that I feel when his lips are against mine. The happiness that I feel whenever I am near him. And certainly it is how we can always have a wonderful time whenever we are together because we make each other happy... and he just understands me, and I understand him. It is an overwhelming sensation, but what everyone always says is true— when you love someone... you just know it. I just knew it when I looked into his eyes and could not imagine a life without him, despite how short we have known each other."
Spencer certainly was intrigued by Hanna's speech. It seemed like what true love really meant, and frankly, it was scaring the brunette. She was starting to wonder if she even had that feeling when she was with Andrew. Whenever she said that she loved Andrew to him, she never really took the time to decide what that meant to her. She said it because they were supposed to get married and be the Prince and Princess of Rosewood together— because they were always meant to be together and everybody believed that. They were supposed to love each other, so she said it without knowing what love even was.
"Why are you asking me this, anyway?" Hanna chuckled. "I thought you would already know what true love is. You have got it with a stunning prince, hmm? Don't you already love Andrew?"
"Of course," Spencer smiled weakly, nodding her head. "Of course I love him."
That night, she was heading to her bedroom with Andrew because they were going back to sharing a room since their fight was over. On her way down the hall and towards his room, she ran into Toby, who had just finished dressing himself for bed. He smiled at her when he saw her.
"Hello, Spencer," he greeted. "How are you?"
"Lovely," she replied, unable to move her eyes away from his, looking into his and gazing into those blue orbs deeply, searching for a meaning that she quickly found. She was almost left breathless just from the way that they were looking at each other.
"Heading to bed?" he suddenly asked, not breaking their gaze.
She nodded her head.
"Okay," he said. "I will see you tomorrow morning, then. I cannot wait for the ball tomorrow night!"
"Me too," she smiled.
He walked away, slipping into his bedroom and shutting the door. Taking a deep breath, Spencer continued walking towards her bedroom. When she entered, Andrew was already in bed with the blanket covering his body and a book in his hand, intently reading it. Spencer shut the door and crawled next to him in the bed, pulling the blanket over her own body as well. He put his book down for a moment, turning his head to look at her with a small smile curling on to his lips. She looked at him, too, smiling back weakly.
"Hi," he breathed, unable to stop smiling. "I am glad that you are back here with me, Spencer. This feels right."
She nods her head, muttering out a quiet, "Yes."
Andrew picked his book back up, opening it to the page that he was previously on, resuming his intent reading. Spencer's mind went elsewhere, completely unfocused on her fiancé. She could not stop her mind from thinking about everything that Hanna had been saying about how she knew that she loved Caleb, and then the encounter that she just had with Toby before bed. It got her thinking that maybe she had the wrong idea about love all along. She wondered if what she had been feeling for Toby was, indeed, love.
There were strong feelings for him that she had been trying to suppress because of the mistake that they had made together, but she kept thinking about him all the time. She always wanted to be around him, and she deeply enjoyed their conversations. She knew she cared about him so much so quickly, and it was starting to scare her now. Because when she was looking into his eyes just minutes earlier— really looking into his eyes— she felt a strange sensation inside of her that was beyond the excitement of butterflies in her stomach.