From Protector To Lady

From Protector To Lady Chapter 19

"You cannot be serious, your majesty," Stanton pleaded, his eyes shocked and bewildered. "A wife is, well, I have never imagined myself to marry."

"Oh Stanton, you are a foolish man. How do you expect to run an entire duchy without a wife?" the king asked, his voice light, enjoying his game.

"Very easily," Stanton said, his voice stiff and his body rigid.

My head was spinning and I felt as if I might pass out.

"My king," I said quietly, my voice nearly refusing to work. "What does this have to do with me, if I might ask?" I asked, dreading his answer, but needing to know at the same time.

"Why Rebecca, you will be Stanton's wife!" the king said before clapping his hands together loudly, as if the news was brought cheerfully.

     My hand shot up to my mouth as I stopped the cry of defiance that was bound to come from it. I squeezed my eyes shut in disbelief, my mind racing to think of something to say, some way to get myself out of this situation.

"But, your highness, she cannot, she has her duties tying her here," Stanton spoke quickly. My eyes snapped open and scanned his face, it showed desperation. He did not want this as much as I.

"Nonsense. I only brought her here because Amelia had been disappearing and I didn't know where to, so Rebecca was the perfect solution. But you see, now Amelia will have permission to be with Arden and Rebecca is relieved of her duties," he said, smiling a sickly sweet grin at me.

I shook my head, "My family, I could not leave my brother for any longer than necessary," I said hopelessly.

"You have told me yourself that your brother is doing quite well," he countered.

My heart dropped.

     The king knew neither Stanton nor I ever hoped to marry. He knew Stanton was not the man to settle down with a woman. I was not the type of woman to ever want to be affiliated with a man in any way.

"But your highness," Stanton spoke lastly, his voice rattled, before the king cut him off.

"Enough! You will not carry on in this babbling manner. The two of you will be wed. You will become the Duke of Tarantsmo and she will become your wife and the duchess," he spoke vehemently, his eyes narrowed and voice tight.

     I looked at the floor, my entire body seeming to have lost its light. I wanted nothing more than to disappear. Erase myself from this moment in time.

There could possibly be no worse end imaginable for me. My body, my independence is being given to a man who does not have careful hands. A forced marriage to a woman who does not have the intentions of ever being wed, of ever having a family; is there anything worse?

"Yes, my king," Stanton spoke quietly, his voice laced with shock.

"Wonderful!" The king spoke, his voice holding its fake charm once again. "There will be a ball in three days time to celebrate the victory of you and your men, Stanton. I will announce the marriage then. The ceremony will be held a week after," he instructed. "You are excused," he said finally.

     I did not lift my eyes from the floor as I quickly fled from the room. I needed to escape. I felt as if my entire life force had been encased in iron bars and there was no way to escape.

     How could I marry this man; a man I hardly knew? I could not pledge myself to another for eternity, it was just something that has been unimaginable for me for as long as I could remember. You give your life, your independence, your everything to somebody else who can do with it what they wish, they could hurt you in the worst possible way. Why would I bring a weakness such as that upon myself?

"Rebecca!" Stanton called after me. I did not stop, I did not hesitate. My body was in flight; I had to get out.

"I am sorry. I did not ask for this. I do not want this as much as you," he called from behind me. I threw my hand in the air behind me, acknowledging that I heard his words, but also letting him know I would not reply.

     I could not face the man. I would not be able to look into his eyes without feeling a sense of desperation and antagonizing sadness.

     I walked quickly to my chambers before slamming and locking the heavy door behind me. Once inside, I could not contain my emotions any longer. I stormed to the jewelry table and grabbed the delicate vase that sat upon it, hurling it across the room, the sound of it crashing to the floor in pieces only fueling the fire. I went to the closet, taking all of the delicate dresses and pulling them from their hangers, dropping them on the ground in a disheveled heap.

"Damn you!" I screamed, as if it was their fault. I sank to my knees, my chest heaving as I breathed.

"I cannot do this," I said to myself. "I cannot become a married woman."

     I became disgusted just thinking of myself as a wife. I did not know how to be a wife. Would I be expected to cater on him hand and foot? Would I be responsible for the washing, the stitching, and other things I had no clue about?

     My heart stopped as I realized another factor came into play.

A child. Surely a Duke would want children to continue the name, the family legacy. I swallowed hard as I fought against the bile that burned my throat, my mind spinning as I struggled to calm myself.  Shaking my head in denial, I could not push the thoughts that surfaced to my mind.

    Rebecca Morin. Once a fighter, strong, protector of her family, now a lady to a princess, stripped of her independence and promised to another against her will.