Arranged Marriages

Saja, Princess of Draconia

We stopped dancing- Prince August seemed far away from me, like Rhay when he was sad, I didn't want him to be sad too. I gently touched his cheek, knowing when Rhay was sad sometimes a simple touch would bring him back to reality. Augusts eyes met mine and I again felt lost in their depths.

"My apologies, princess. My mind got the best of me." He said softly, I wanted him to be happy, not sad like Rhay....I couldn't stand another person being so unhappy, but I didn't know how to convey that., so I just gave him a smile- hoping he could understand what was in my heart. 

The Music was still softly playing, couples dancing around us but when I reached for his hands again to continue he didn't take them, instead he slowly lifted one of his large hands to my face and touched my cheek- my heart stopped for a split second. All my nerves seemingly focused on that spot, I could feel ever inch of his rough fingers brush my cheek, and I wondered what made them so rough, did August work with his hands? Then suddenly he began to speak- eyes wandering from mine.

"When I was a boy one of my father's knights told me a story," his hand slowly slipped down to my throat and I stiffened when he began to finger the ribbon around my neck- what was he doing?

"of a princess who had her throat taken out. 'Sir Richard,' I said to him, 'how can a girl live without a throat? How does she eat, how does she talk? Can she still play?' 'Little prince,' he said to me, 'they didn't take her whole throat. Just a little bit, to keep her from getting sick - you see, she was dying. But she can still eat, she can still play. She just can't talk.'" What was he talking about? D-did he think of me? Before now had he thought of me? My heart felt funny and my chest felt tight as I struggled to breathe. 

His calloused fingers slid the Ribbon from my throat- reveling my scar, my hideous ugly scar, I watched his face for reaction- w-would he still want to marry me? a disfigured princess?

"Then Sir Richard said, 'But most importantly she can still laugh.'" His words caught me off guard- how did this Richard know all this about me? I looked into Augusts eyes questioningly, searching for something, something I didn't know what. 

Then he smiled and my mind when blank, his smile lit up his whole face and made him so much more handsome. He put the ribbon back on my neck and gently touched my neck right under my chin- fingers brushing a sensitive spot. I giggled, squirming slightly and stepped back so I could get my little book and pencil I had in my sleeve. I needed to talk to him, I wanted to know more about him. Quickly I scribbled a note and showed him.

~~How did Sir Richard know all this? Why did he tell you? I was only three when that happened.~~