Fables/Fairytales Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction / Romance Fan Fiction ❯ The Empire ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

She looks nervously at herself in the mirror as she smoothes her hands over the front of her gown, watching as the emeralds around her neck glisten against the late morning sun. She liked how it brought out her green eyes.

“You were never one to worry much about how you looked, milady.” Jemma queried as she continued to brush her mistresses auburn hair.

Cassandrah softly sighed, “Today is different if you have not yet noticed,” she watched as Jemma twisted her hair up, pinning it with emerald studded gems, allowing some curls to fall and cascade around her face. “I only intend to marry once. And the first impression is very important.”

“You need not worry, madam, he will thank the Gods years from now the first moment he lays eyes on you.” Jemma praised as she adds the final touch on Cassandrah; a golden veil with a sheer ivory cloth draped at the back edges of it, falling into a long train behind her.

I pray you are right. Cassandrah wishes to herself as she gives her dearest friend a warm smile.

“Must you take so long, woman?” a gruff voice questioned from the entrance of her bedroom.

Forcing a smile to her face, Cassandrah turns to look at her father. “I am ready, sir.”

Jerock merely gave her a curt nod as her turned and walked back down to the gardens to make sure all final preparations were made before their departure.

After years of trying to win his love, Cassandrah had concluded that nothing would make him prouder of her if only she had been born a man. Moreover, since her mother had died during labor, it was yet another reason why he could not so much as be in the same room as her for long periods of time. If she were a man, Jerock would not feel forced to have agreed to this matrimony. He had no sons to take the throne after he was gone and he sure as hell would rather give it to Alexander’s, his rivals, son than to leave it to a woman.

Knowing she was an embarrassment to him, Cassandrah became heavily guarded from the moment the pre-nuptial agreement was signed. Jerock knew of his daughter’s beauty, and thought her to be simple-minded. He feared that as the years passed, men would try to sweet talk their way into un-compromising situations. If she were to be impregnated by any of them, or a scandal was to leak out; they would revoke the contract and his whole country would turn over to the Blackwood’s; a price he was not willing to gamble. Other than his daughter’s insolent maid and himself, with their priest stopping in from time to time, everyone else was prohibited in seeing her.

Though she knew she was merely a pawn in this whole game of chess both countries were playing, Cassandrah had a distant hope that perhaps this will not be so bad after all. Listening to her maid’s countless descriptions of her future husband; he seemed quite intriguing. Perhaps he would love her and fill her life with joy and happiness; things she longed for after the countless fairy tale stories she had read ever since she was a child.

“Where are you now, my dear?” Jemma questioned as she watched her mistress have a far away look.

“Nonsense!” Slightly blushing, embarrassed for being caught daydreaming; Cassandrah picked up the sides of her gown and began to walk out of the room. “Stop dilly-dallying there, Jemma, we mustn’t be late for my wedding.”

Smiling from behind her, Jemma bent down and picked up her long train. “You’re a damn liar.”

Looking back to her, Cassandrah gave a mock surprised look, “Why Jemma Moorley, must we sound so unladylike?”

She snorted, “I am more of a lady than you are, Cassy, more of a woman for that matter. Well,” she continued with a sly look on her face, “I’m sure that will all change after tonight, hm?”

A deeper shade of red crept up onto Cassandrah’s face. She knew that it was tradition for the new bride and grooms to consummate on the first night; but hearing about it so bluntly was quite awkward. She was petrified about it.

Not wanting to show her fear she spun right back around and continued to walk down the hallway; trying to ignore Jemma snickering from behind her.

Holding her sandals in one hand, a disheveled woman quietly creeps up the final flight of stairs to her guest bedroom. Looking cautiously, making sure no spying eyes were around, she quickly enters into her room shutting the door behind her.

She tosses her sandals to a corner, walking towards a full-length mirror, she rakes her fingers slowly through her hair; trying to remove as much tangles as possible.

That idiot! I told him to be careful! She cursed, glancing at the bruises on her arms.

She was aware of the dangerous game she was playing, sneaking out in the middle of the night and early in the mornings. Especially being a guest in the Blackwood’s estate.

Why should he have all the fun? She frowned as she tried to apply powder on the bruises she had.

She would not have been so bold as to bed the men from this kingdom if the bastard had not been treating her like a commoner for the last few days. What was he to expect? That she would wait in this god-forsaken room and wait for him to come and go as he pleases?

Looking at herself in the mirror, she could not help but admire what faced her. She had perfect lips, magnificent cheekbones and eyes as blue as the heavens. She was in her prime; no single man should ever control her.

She gave a devilish smile. No matter how good he is in bed.

She slightly jumped as she heard a soft knock from the door. Cursing under her breath she hurriedly undressed and jumped underneath the covers of her bed. With the sultriest of voice, she beckons the person to enter.

Opening the door slowly, Seth peers in and smiles at the scene in front of him.

“Good morning, my dear. Did I wake you?”

Faking a yawn, Rose looks sleepily at him. “I wouldn’t want to be woken up by anyone else but you, love.”

He walks towards the bed and sits on the edge; placing a hand gently on her cheek. “I wish I could stay here with you for the rest of my life…”

“I wish you could,” she forces herself to sound distraught, “I fear you will forget me once you marry her. I don’t know what I would do if-”

“Don’t think of that, Rosie. You know I will never forget you.” He tilts her head towards him. “After this week’s festival, everything will be back to the way they were.”

She smiles, “You promise to think of me, even when you’re with her?”

“Always and forever,” he reassured.

Leaning closer to him, she lets the covers slowly slide, baring more of her skin. “Do you have time to…” she begins to question seductively.

Seth closes his eyes as her soft lips slowly touch his neck. Trying to regain control, he slightly moves his head away. “I wish I could,” he kisses her forehead gently, “how I wish I could. But everyone is waiting.”

With that, he lifts himself off the bed and fixes his attire. He looks back to her and see’s the sadness in her beautiful eyes.

“Please, don’t look at me that way.” he pleads.

He knew Rose was a gentle soul, if only there was another way than this. From the moment they had met four years ago, her beauty captivated him. She was so fragile, so angelic. He thanked the God’s for giving him such a wonderful gift.

“Will you be at the wedding?” he questions.

“I shall stand at the back and imagine it was I you were vowing your love and life to.” She reassures as tears began to form.

“I assure you, Rose; those words will mean nothing to me; unless it was you.”

She meekly smiled at him as she dabbed her eyes with the blanket. “Now go, before I can no longer bear this.”

Though his heart felt like tearing, Seth forced himself to walk out the room without looking back behind him. At that moment, for the first time, he cursed his family for agreeing to this marriage. He could not bear to see his poor Rose hurt so much.

As the door closed behind him, Rose sighed in relief.

“What an idiot,” she mumbled as she rolled out of bed covering herself with a robe.

Drawing the curtains aside, she looks down to the courtyard and watches as servants pile bouquets, foods, and presents on to wagons for the ceremony. Moments later, Seth appears with his mother by his side as they walk towards their awaiting carriage. She knew that in a few hours, things would drastically change. From then on, she would have to share him with another woman. Something she never liked to do; Seth was hers and she would be damned if anyone would take him or his money away from her.

Turning back to face her bedroom, she looks around in appreciation. It was quite an elegant room, though it was not the best one in the palace; Seth’s mother made sure of that. Through the years, Seth took care of her needs and demands. Not that she was poor by any means, being a widowed duchess and all. She was now very accustomed to the life she lived and to have this slight wrinkle occur; that just will not do. Sure from time to time, she would rendezvous with men here and there; however, Rose was not used to feeling threatened by another woman. Especially a woman she knew nothing about and had wealth that exceeded anything she had ever seen.

Opening her trunk, she begins to remove gowns after gowns, searching for the perfect one to wear on this special occasion. After all, it was a wedding, and she was intending on ruining it.