THE UNTOLD | THE COUSINS' WAR

9

"It was the plan to begin with," She spoke quietly, only to feel nervous when her father moved closer to her.

"What was that?" He snapped at her angrily, "Speak up, girl!"

"It was the plan to begin with!" She shouted back at him without realizing it, "You wanted me to get close to him, you wanted me to catch his eye and now you just want me to take it all back? I care for him, Father. I wish to be with him."

"You wish?" He laughed at her, much to Katherine's annoyance, "What makes you think you have any choice in whom you marry? I choose, not you!"

"Why?" Katherine practically cried out, "Why do you, my father, get to choose? Because I am a woman? Women make up more than half this country, we should have the right like any man to choose who we marry. We do not deserve to be sold off to the highest bidder like some livestock--"

Before Katherine could finish her rant, her father had struck her. She wasn't surprised. She spoke when she should not have. What she spoke of was blasphemous in the eyes of everyone around her. 

Except Thomas.

Katherine held the side of her face, tears forming in her eyes as she stared up at her father.

"I could have you flogged for saying such things," He growled at her angrily and Katherine tried not to cry, "You will not go near him again. I'm warning you."

There was a moment of silence before Katherine slowly raised her head. She stared up at her father, a hateful look on her face. "And what if I do?"

Watching her father rush toward her, Katherine sprinted toward her chambers, a part of her fearing for her life.

"Get back here, Katherine!"

She finally made it to her room and ran in. Just as she was about to close the door and lock it however, her father shoved it open.

Due to her being right in front of the door, the door flew back and struck her in the face.

She gasped in pain, clutching her nose as she fell back against the wall behind the door. She cried in fear as she watched her father move closer to her, on the verge of hitting her again.

"Father, please," She pleaded, crying out as he kicked her in her stomach.

"A witch, that is what you are!" He screamed at her as he struck her once more, "You're no daughter of mine. All this for a bastard!"

"What is the meaning of this?" A familiar voice suddenly spoke up and both Katherine and her father turned, watching as Thomas entered the room.

Immediately upon entering, Thomas gasped, staring at Katherine in shock. Blood covered her face as she laid on the ground in pain, her father standing over her injured body.

"My Lord Bedford, I--" William began to say, only to groan as Thomas grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

"You ever touch her again and I'll have you hanged, drawn, and quartered, do you hear?" Thomas threatened the man in a low tone, glaring at him as his grip on the man's throat became tighter, "Do you hear me loud and clear because I shall only say this once, my lord?"

"Yes, Your Grace," William managed to get out as he stared at Thomas in shock.

Katherine grunted as she forced herself into a seated position. She stared up at the scene, a part of her beginning to smile.

Her father was clearly not expecting such a thing to happen. She could see it on his face. He looked like he could piss himself at any moment.

Finally, Thomas released his grip on Wlliam, allowing the man to slide to the ground as he gasped for breath.