Marked For Death

Chapter 3 the rejected marriage

“Please make sure not to melt these my love.” Victor teased, handing his daughter her contacts. “They’re very expensive.”

“Like you can’t afford it.” Matilda muttered from behind April. She watched as the father and daughter said good bye, tearing up a bit at the site. Never in her most bizarre dreams would she have thought that Victor Constantine, the man who literally locked his princess in a castle, would ever willingly release her. She thought back to their earlier private conversation.

“You must never tell April of my plan Matilda. She would never leave this house if she knew of my plot.” Victor had ordered, pacing in front of her chair.

“I understand my lord, but don’t you think she’ll figure it out eventually?” She had asked, confused with what exactly Victor’s plans actually were.

“Of course, but by then, I plan on her to willingly go along with it.” He had laughed. What an idiot, she thought now. You’ll drive away your daughter and destroy any hope for reviving the blood line. April sat down next to her. Poor girl, she thought, you have no idea what your scheming father has planned.

“Is something wrong Matilda?” She asked, tucking a wave of her black hair behind her ear.

“Oh nothing My lady, just a bit nervous. I haven’t been out of that castle for nearly ten years.” Matilda laughed nervously.

“I’m sure you’ll feel right at home in the suite father had prepared for you and you’ll be able to charter this car anywhere while we’re away.” She explained motioning to the car they were now riding in. Matilda nodded, smiling. She couldn’t help, but see the late Miss Constantine in the girls, contact covered eyes. The blue wasn’t the same of course. A blue like the deceased misses couldn’t be bought, but she had to admit the contacts came very close. Surely Victor’s plan will work, she thought, and those eyes, blue or red, will cry tears that none will have ever seen before.

April was frustrated at the intensity of Matilda’s stare. Honestly, she frowned, were the contacts all that weird? She reminded herself that for ten years Matilda had stared into her bloody red eyes and it must have been a lot to adjust too. Instead, April focused on something much more important. How exactly did people socialize outside of the mansion?

Workings inside her house were quite simple. Everyone who entered bowed to her, greeted her with a ‘Miss’ or a ‘Madame’ or a ‘my lady’, but then again, everyone there was beneath her, excluding her father who would call her ‘my darling’ or chastise her when she was rude and although her father had made sure to educate her on proper etiquette she silently cursed him for her very little experience in actual interaction. She thought back to the one and only time her father had ever allowed her to leave the mansion, her sixth birthday, when he had a dinner he couldn’t miss and decided to take her with him, trying to grasp at anything common in her father’s multiple conversations.

It was a great night, although her father had insisted on making her wear a black veil as if she were still in mourning over her mother. Everyone was so kind to her, she hadn’t known then what she knew now. She didn’t know just how important it was to keep her happy. April hadn’t known that Constantine wasn’t just a last name, but a title. All she knew was that she was surrounded by her own kind and they all seemed to adore her.

Everywhere her father went they followed, introducing them to their sons and daughters, offering her cake and other sweets. Eventually, though, she had gotten lost in the mass, wondering into the courtyard of the mansion she had been inside. “Who dares to trespass on my fort of solitude?” A little boy with natural platinum blonde hair and blue cat like eyes yelled that remind April so much of her mothers.

“Trespass? Fort of solitude?” She had questioned, confused to her core.

“Speak now girl before I have your tongue.” He ordered, charging toward her with a wooden sword in hand. “I’m pureblood royalty so it’ll be easy.”

“I’m pureblood too!” She had cried, spotting a stick in the grass and picking it up, wielding it like his wooden sword. “My name is April Constantine and daddy says that I’m a true pure blood!”

“Then you’re a princess?” He had asked, dropping his sword and bowing. “Your majesty, I’m very pleased to meet you.” He straightened, staring at the girl. “Well drop the stick. I’ve welcomed you to my fortress.” She dropped it. “And why are you wearing that veil? Its rude to wear to parties you know.” He said, pulling it up.

“No.” she cried. “Daddy said to wear it.” but he had already pushed it back and his eyes widened. “What? Is there something on my face?”

“No, its just,” the boy turned red, “You’re really pretty.”

“Matilda says its because I look just like my mother.” April answered, sitting down in the grass, enjoying the air on her face. “she says that’s why I’ll be really popular when I’m older.”

“Then we should get married.” The boy exclaimed, sitting in front of her. “Mommy says that I’m handsome and I’ll be popular when I’m older too.”

“Married?” April asked. “But I don’t know you and Matilda says you can’t get married if you don’t know each other.”

“Oh, well then I’m Asherson Drake and I’m a prince.” He replied. “and you’re a princess so we should get married.”

“I don’t understand.” She muttered.

“its just how things are. Prince’s are supposed to marry princess’s and then they have babies.” He explained. “And since we’re both pure bloods our babies will be extra pure.”

“is that good?” She asked, mesmerized by this boy with all the answers.

“Yes and you’ll really like marrying me. I have lots of toys and friends and you can even have my fortress.” He said, then seemed to regret his use of his beloved fort.

“It’s alright. You can keep your fortress.” April laughed.

“Really? You’ll marry me then?” She nodded . “ That’s great and I promise you can be Queen of the fortress okay? Then let’s go tell my dad so he can take us to the church.” He exclaimed grabbing her hand and helping her up. “You should probably put your veil down so you don’t get in trouble.” He said, flipping the veil to cover her face again. “Okay lets go.” He said, still gripping her hand.

And they did. They marched to their fathers, saying they had decided to get married and ordering them to take them to the church. everyone laughed, including their fathers, saying that they had to wait a few years. After that the party died down, the people stopped competing for April’s attention and she and her father went home. She never saw Asherson again, never left her mansion again, and until that moment, hadn’t thought much about either things.

“Matilda, it seems I did believe in love.” April laughed.

“Hmm, when?” Matilda asked, yawning sleepily.

“When I was six.” She answered, turning to look out the window.

“I wonder what changed.” Matilda leaned over, resting her head on Aprils’s shoulder. I grew up, April thought, that’s what changed.

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