Taken- a Selection FanFiction

Chapter 6

I was groggy the next morning when I woke up. I wiped my eyes and saw Nathan fully dressed in an armchair near me. He was reading a book with his foot propped on his knee in the cross-legged way men sit.

"I know your tasked with watching me every minute of every day, but can it at least be every waking moment?" I asked. "It's getting pretty creepy."

"Duty never sleeps," he replied in a straight tone without looking up from his book. "Let's go to your room."

We made the short trip back to my cell, which wasn't considerably mine because I hadn't slept in there for several days. Nathan plopped down on my bed, causing the strident noise of the springs to sound.

I grabbed a dress off the rack, and I wasted no time getting ready. I took a quick show in the cool water and got out as fast as I could. I slipped on the short dress and dried my hair.

"Does this look ok?" I asked while opening the door. I pulled the hem down a little.

Nathan looked up from his book and blinked a few times. "Y-yeah, that's fine," he stuttered. "Let's go."

He hopped up from the bed and we walked all the way to Ray's office in the lowest floor, going down a few flights of stairs. Nathan knocked on the door before being welcomed in.

"Do you need me to stay, Father?" Nathan asked.

"Oh yes, of course. Sit down, both of you," he said impatiently. His accent was stronger than it usually was. "How have you two been getting along? Must be pretty well considering you almost killed one of my battle strategists."

"You almost killed him?" I gasped.

"What's your point, Father?" Nathan ignored my question. I sat back in my chair and shook my head.

"Nathan, your about twenty, yes? And the girl is no less than 14."

"I'm seventeen!" I interjected.

"Even better," he smiled slyly. He dug in his drawer before pulling out a piece of metal and slamming in down on the desktop, making me flinch. "Nathan, look at this."

Nathan picked it up before I could examine it. "It's a ring," he said slowly and confusedly.

"Exactly! What do you think?"

"It's a nice ring," he said unsurely he put it back on the desk.

I examined the silver ring. It had a black gem surrounded by other white gems, which could either have been white sapphires or diamonds. It was pretty, but I was unsure why it was being shown to me.

Suddenly, it came to make sense.

"Please tell me that's not an engagement ring," I sighed.

"Isn't it lovely? I believe it was taken from a quaint little jewelry shop in Hampton before we burned it," Ray smirked.

"Why are you showing this to me, Father?" Nathan asked with a clenched jaw.

"You two are to be married," he said bluntly. "I need children to lead this Confederation after I die, and after Nathan. Who better than the Prince's favorite selected?"

"Hell no," I shouted. "Do whatever the heck you want, but I will not be a pawn in your stupid game! I'm not producing your 'heirs', and certainly not with him!" I flung a finger at Nathan. "I see where the idiocy comes from, because he sure as hell did not get it from his mother!"

I stormed out of the room, slamming the doors behind me. I began running down hallways. I didn't know where I was going, and frankly I didn't care. I had to get out of here. I needed fresh air, to see the sky, embrace fresh oxygen, something.

A nearby guard approached me and put a hand firmly on my shoulder. "Miss, I'm afraid I can't let you go any further."

"I'll do whatever I please," I retorted, trying to shake off his grip. His hand grew tighter and I tried to fight back. "Let go of me!" I stomped on his feet, but my attempts were futile.

"What's going on here?" Nathan called, jogging up to us.

"Nothing," I responded as I threw the guard off of me. "I'm fine."

I turned on my heel and raced up the steps to my room. I paced quickly trying to find my room, but Nathan was close behind me, his footfalls loud in the eerily quiet hallways.

"Elisa!" He shouted. "Talk to me, please!"

"I'm tired. I want to sleep," I lied. I didn't look back at him until he forced me to by grabbing my wrist.

"Then come back to my room," he said.

"I'd rather not," I said scrunching my nose.

"Elisa, please don't be mad at me," he pleaded.

"And why not?" I asked. "Because I'm supposed to be your fiancé?" I laughed. "You took away my shot at happiness. The life I could have lived, for this. Isolation, violence, oppression, and now, I have to marry you?"

Nathan stood there silently and wordless. He blinked at me, his blank stare apparent in his rich, golden eyes. He searched for the words, but they never came.

"Well, I can tell you one thing," I chuckled darkly. "If it does happen, it's going to be by force. You are the most pig-headed, narcissistic, heartless asshole I've ever had the displeasure of meeting! And if I never see you again, it will be too soon."

"What do you want me to do, Elisa?" He huffed.

I opened the door and stepped halfway through the door. "Why don't you go cry to your daddy? You seem to be good at that."