Chapter 23: A bet
"My dear grandson, sadly, there is no backing away," his grandfather said, then got up and walked to Riven.
"You have to win the heart of the duke's daughter and marry her because you are already engaged. Normally, I would say this is because your family's face is on the line, but no, it isn't.
The reason is because I, along with my three friends, have agreed to the four of you marrying, and there was a very deep reason to it.
And until the four of you are truly in love, you will never know what that reason is. But beyond that, you are Grave, the grandson of one of the greatest knights that walked Vermilion. You don't back down, and you don't give up."
"Your father and mother have always believed that I loved you more than I love your siblings, but that's wrong. You carried something that none of your siblings had—a resilience that couldn't be shaken.
And that was why when you put your mind to something, you went through with it no matter the repercussion. Sure, you did wrong things, but you still have that resilience, and I knew it was only a matter of time before you finally changed and used it for the better."
He placed his hand softly on Riven's shoulder and looked into his eyes. Riven nodded after hearing everything. He turned to his father and spoke.
"I'll do my best, no matter what."
"Good. No one knows of what we discussed here, no person aside from us three. I will not treat you any different when we are outside. You must earn the trust of your mother and siblings on your own," his father said.