The Claiming

Chapter Sixteen

At dinner, I am utterly humiliated.

Prince Walden announced to his parents that because today is my last day of fertility for the month, he's going to try to knock me up tonight.

He said it much more properly than that, but in my moment of fury, I don't care. That's exactly what he's going to try to do, and I have no idea how to stop him.

His parents are pleased with the idea. The queen openly said, "That sounds wonderful! Who will know, anyway? We must have an heir as soon as possible!"

To which the king replied, "I won't live forever, kids!"

I stared at my plate of food, still unable to eat anything. I'm starting to think I'm getting some kind of flu with how sick I've felt recently, but maybe it's just from being in the prince's presence.

"Then you two better get to bed early then! Tomorrow we'll be dealing with wedding preparations and then the rehearsal dinner," the queen says.

Walden looks at me from across the table and grins. Even though this is the first time I've seen him all day, I still feel as if I can't handle anymore of him. Well, I could never handle any, actually.

I dread the end of dinner, but it comes, and that's when Walden insists on escorting me to his bedchamber.

I feel so sick I want to throw up.

Maybe I'll throw up on Walden.

That'd be a dream come true.

Walden laces his arm around my waist as he takes me out of the dining room and into the corridor. We head towards the stairs, and I try my best to walk as slowly as possible, but that's not always easy when the guy who's pushing me is way bigger than I am.

"I know you're a bit timid on this subject," he says quietly. His voice barely echoes in the hallway. "You needn't worry, though! Let's just say this isn't my first run... if you know what I mean."

I look at him in disgust and try to push him away, but he just holds on tighter, pushing my hips to his side. "Here's what's going to happen," he says as we approach the staircase leading up to the bedchambers. "You're going to just do everything I say, and nothing bad has to happen to you!"

"Are you threatening me?" I hiss.

I've never felt so much anger boil in my stomach until now.

"No, no, no!" he says sarcastically. "I'm just... suggesting... that you do everything I want you to. It won't be difficult, don't worry! If you enjoy it, maybe I can bump up the two nights a week to three or four."

I clench my teeth together and ball up my fists to keep myself from punching this idiot in the gut.

By the time we reach the door to his bedchamber, I'm just trying to keep myself together. I can't cry. That'd look stupid.

I'm about to lose my innocence to a stranger.

I bet this is what all those other claimed girls felt the night of their marriage.

The night they were all raped.

And here I am, about to be in the same boat as them.

I really don't like this boat.

When he opens the door, he pushes me in and then closes the door behind us.

His room is much larger than the one I was given. His bed rests in the center of the room, a canopy covering it as well. Large windows reside on both sides of the bed with curtains drawn, creating a dark blue glow in the room.