Our Arranged Romance

Chapter 4

The time is 18:45 in the afternoon and I am sat at the dining table with my father. We eat in silence, enjoying our meal.

I use my knife to cut a piece of roasted chicken before putting it in my mouth. Warm flavours erupt in my mouth as the gravy on the chicken blesses my tongue. Feeling piercing eyes on me, my gaze turns upwards to meet my father's, who is smiling at me for absolutely no reason. Again.

I sigh, placing my knife and fork down and dabbing my mouth with a napkin before saying , "Okay. Out with it Father". My words cause him to chuckle, somehow amusing him. It was so soft, that I could barely hear it, but since the dining room is only occupied by us, everything echoes.

"Whatever do you mean Flower?" He attempts to hide his smile behind his goblet of wine, taking a sip. My eyes narrow. "You have been grinning like a mad man, while staring at me for the past 15 minutes without cause and it is starting to both; frighten and concern me, so please share the mysterious reason behind your joyous smiling." My voice is flat and I raise a questioning brow at him.

Melodic laughter ripples throughout the room, as my father seems to no longer be able to hold it in.  He wipes under his eyes before asking, "How was your greeting with the suitors?" He leans back, placing his left leg on top of his right, his fingers caressing his jaw.

I clear my throat, straightening my posture.

"They were...decent." I lie. He hums thoughtfully. I feel his eyes capture mine and he smirks. "Honesty above all, Flower. I haven't raised a liar, have I?" The sound of drumming slithers into my ears as father's fingers tap against the table, matching the beating of my heart. My chest haves as I breathe.

"It was the most dull moments of my 20 years of living. My poor ears had to endure their bragging and boasting about themselves and I was most certainly not pleased or impressed with any of them. It was becoming unbearable and I was struggling to remain polite whenever they opened their prideful mouths. I have never felt the urge to remove a man's tongue so strongly." Everything spilled out at once, like tea from a teapot into a teacup. I exhale before taking in a long calming breath.

To my surprise, he cackles loudly, his head tossed back as his body shakes with laughter.

He wipes under his eyes with his thumb before pushing his hair back. "So there was not a single suitor who had captured your attention?" He asks with a slight tilt of his head. For some reason I felt like he already knew the answer, just by the way his eye glinted with expectancy.

Almost instantly, an image of the god like man that is Lancelot invades my thoughts. My lips turn upwards as I look down at the back of my hand, exactly where his lips touched. "I will take that as a 'yes'." He wiggles his eyebrows at me, leaning forwards, placing his chin on the back of his intertwined fingers a smile dragging on his lips. "There was one that was not entirely disappointing." I couldn't stop my smiling in memory of thinks that happened a hour ago.

'Get a hold of yourself' I scold myself mentally.

"Ooo, who was it?" He asks with excitement in his voice as he leans forwards. "Are we to gossip like the maids in the kitchen at dinner time?" I raise an amused brow at him. He made a dismissive face, his shoulders rise and fall, a grin plastered on his face. That was not the answer I wanted.

"It matters not who it is. I would not want you to have your hopes set on high, just for them to be crushed like a flower under a stampede. That would be, more than likely devastating to you and I couldn't possibly lead you on so heartlessly." My tone is a respectful as I can possibly make it. I finish the content inside my goblet.

"Shame. I was quite curious." A pout makes its way to his lips but is cast away by his resilient smile. "That is too bad now, isn't it?" I tease with false pity.