Devoted Nobility

Chapter 9

Alexander

For such an innocent person, she kissed with more passion than I had ever experienced. After the party, I walked her back to her room. When she smiled and said goodnight, I wanted to kiss her again, but I didn’t. I went straight to my room. I dreamt of her. I imagined her walking towards me wearing a white nightgown. It flew around her when the wind blew. Eventually the wind blew it away completely. I was infatuated by Sophia.

Sophia

Alexander and I didn’t get to spend much more time together in the week following our kiss. We did have a few more talks and a handful of kisses, but not as many as I would have liked. We were both busy. He had to handle a lot of his father’s duties because he was becoming more unstable by the day. I had my own duties.

I had three wedding dress fittings and was beginning to plan the event. I chose colors for the fabrics of the cathedral and the flowers I wanted to be placed throughout the palace for the party following the ceremony.

I even chose which consummation dress I wanted to wear during my own. I had the option of wearing the Queen’s or the King’s sister’s. I chose to have my own made from the fabric left over on the Queen’s. It was pure white and covered in “fertility crosses” as they were explained to me. They were supposed to summon the Virgin Mary to bless Alexander and I with a child. I had mixed feelings on the ritual of a consummation. After our wedding ceremony and the party, Alexander and I would be brought to a room with a handful of noble dignitaries and would then consummate our marriage in front of them to ensure it was done.

That was a daunting thought, but at the same time, I couldn’t wait to be with Alexander completely. The more we kissed, the better it became. I couldn’t wait until the time when we didn’t have to stop. A knock hit my door, interrupting my thoughts. A servant came in with a large letter. He placed it in my hand before leaving. It had a wax seal with the crest of my family. I sighed before opening it. The letter read:

Dear Sophia,

I have been informed that your engagement is going well. That brings me much joy. Our country is very excited for May 3rd. There will be much celebration in court and throughout the country. You are doing the right thing as a child of mine. Unfortunately, I bare solemn news within this letter. Portugal has attacked a village on our coast line. It was practically burnt to the ground. Our armies acted bravely and took care of the guilty parties along with help from our English allies. I am proud of my arrangement between our nation and England. I seem to know how to make things work for the best. Congratulations on your pending wedding. We are all so excited to strengthen our country’s claim and overpowering our enemy. I am sorry we will not be able to attend the wedding party, but we send our joy as I mentioned earlier. I hope you the best.

HRH,

King Ferdinand Of Spain

How could he? My father gives himself credit for Alexander and my relationship. More than that he won’t attend my wedding, neither will any of my family.

If that weren’t bad enough, he didn’t even write the letter himself. His scribe did it. The only thing on that paper that was his was the signature. That was his audacious manner. He expected me to do the right thing all the time. In his words, I did the right thing as a child of his. I was still nothing to him. I did everything he asked and he still treats me with the amount of respect you would give a goat. Maybe less because that goat would be a male as all things should be in his eyes.

I was so angry I wanted to go back to Spain and tell him what I really thought of him. But I couldn’t. I just wanted to do something wrong for once in my life. I wanted to disobey him more than I wanted to do anything else. Then I got an idea. I stormed out of my room and up the stairs to the next floor. I walked down a hall I had never seen before, but heard servants speak of it. When I reached the right door that was flanked by a small army of guards, I knocked. After a few seconds, Alexander opened the door.

“Sophia? What are you doing here?” He looked confused, but smiled.

“I just need to speak with you for a moment.” I said politely and entered his room. As soon as he shut the door, I kissed him with as much passion as I did in the dream I had many nights ago. I didn’t even give him the opportunity to stop me. I pulled him as close to my body as my strength would let me.

I could feel his muscular physique beneath his flimsy shirt. I untied the front and pulled it open, exposing his perfect chest. He seemed as caught up in the moment as I was. I pulled away for a breathe and ran my hands down his body. He kissed my neck as I did so.

I could feel the tip of his tongue tickling me. It was enough to send me over the edge. I had stopped thinking about consequences. I just wanted to be with him. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I didn’t want to wait any longer. He sat in a chair on the other side of his room with me on top of him. I let his tongue enter my mouth. His hands held me firmly and seemed as though they were about to untie the back of my dress. My hands traveled towards his belt. I began to un-do the latch when a pair of strong hands stopped me. Alexander stopped kissing me and pulled my hands from his belt.

“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.

“I was about to ask you the same question.” He replied. He lifted me off of him as he got up. I slumped into the chair. I watched him as he walked across the room and put his shirt back on before returning to me. He didn’t sit again. Instead, he knelt in front of me and put his hands on my knees.

“Look, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but we can’t do this.”

I was so frustrated. “Why? I’m well aware we aren’t supposed to, but I don’t care anymore. I just want to be with you.”

“No matter the reason that caused you to come down here and try to do that, I won’t. I won’t risk someone finding out, putting our marriage and your future on the line, your soul and your place in the afterlife. You will clear your thoughts and see things sensibly again soon and you would regret it. And even if none of that matters to you, it matters to me. I care about you and I won’t be the one to take your innocence or any of that from you.”

I way so angry, but I knew he was right. I was embarrassed that I did this. I tried to hide it by bringing up something that stuck out to me in his speech. “You do realize that you will be the one to take my innocence. When we get married in 2 ½ weeks, we’ll have sex. We have to.”

He sighed. “I know that. It will be different then. We will be married and fully committed to each other.” I understood what he was saying. It would mean so much more when we were completely together. I could wait and do what was right for my country, but not my father.