Fables/Fairytales Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction / Romance Fan Fiction ❯ The Empire ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

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

It had taken all his strength to watch as Rose walked away with anger in her eyes as he stood by his friends.

May you have all the happiness in the world.

He felt like reaching out for her as she said those hateful words. But the time and place was not right. Instead, he watched her with pain as she walked back into the crowd and into the gardens beyond. He would find time to see her and ease her thoughts.

He quickly glanced to his wife, relieved that she didn’t seem to suspect anything. He turns back to his friends, his mind wandering elsewhere.

“I hope to never be in a predicament such as what you are in now, my friend.” Blake stated.

“It is only a predicament if I make it be one.” Seth muttered.

“Perhaps your bride needs to know of this situation,” Rafael interjects.

“What for?” Harold exclaims, “I say, let the man have both! To have two women, both groveling at your knees? Mortals like ourselves can only dream of such luck.”

Blake frowns, “Your lust for women repulse me.”

“Your lack of it confuses me.” Harold retorted.

“She doesn’t deserve to be treated like an ignorant young woman,” Rafael continued. “If you wish for this marriage to work--”

“Do not forget who you are speaking to, Rafael,” Seth warned as he shakes his head. “I hear it enough from my mother and my wife’s beauty has made you blind.”

He glances over to his wife once again and realizes that she was no longer there. Quickly he turns back around.

“I will go and speak to Rose, let Cassandrah know that I had to attend to some important affairs and I shall return soon.” Before his generals could object, he turns and heads to the direction he last saw of Rose.

It wasn’t long before he could hear her woeful cries, and he’s heart wrenched because of it. Peaking up his pace, he heads to the voice and after pushing branches aside, he spots her. Sitting on an ivory bench was Rose, her head turned away from him, her cries seeming to become worse. Without a word, he fills the last few steps between them and pulls her up into his arms. Resting his cheek on the top of her head, he closes his eyes and slowly caresses her hair; comforting her as best as he could.

She angrily shoves him away with pain in her eyes. “You made me look like a fool!”

Seth looked slightly confused as he reaches his arms out for her. She side steps him and sits on the bench, dabbing her eyes carefully with a cloth.

“Have you ever loved me at all?” she questions as she looks down on her lap.

“Of course I love you!” he vehemently admits as he kneels in front of her. “Why must you question that?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” she accused, “How should I react when the man that I love, with all my heart, tells me that he loves me and no one else, but can not keep his eyes off of another?!” She glares at him, “What you said to her. The promises you made in front of the whole world, under God, was it all true.”

“Of course not,” he gently comforts her. “You are the only woman I love and will always love. I apologize for staring at her, but I am only a man, and she is but a beautiful woman.”

He had seemed to have said the wrong words for Rose shot right out of her seat, “More beautiful than me?!”

Seth looked up at her, slightly stunned. He had never seen this side of her before. She seemed so angry and hateful,

Realizing she had made a crucial mistake, Rose recovers herself; covering her face and crying louder than ever.

“I fear you will leave me, I could not bear that.” She woefully states as she sits back down on the bench.

“I would never leave you, Rosie,” Seth says reassuringly as he places his hands on her lap.

“Will you ever love her?”

“How can I when my heart belongs to you?”

“I will kill myself if you do,” she warns.

He frowns, “You will not.”

“I can not bear to lose you, my love. I will be better off dead rather than lose your love.”

He sighs, “I do not know what I can do to make you believe, I will never love anyone else but you. However, you must understand the situation I am placed under. My country needs this marriage to work and I need you to just love me and understand this. Cassandrah will never replace you, as soon as she bares me an heir… I will be free of my duty and everything will return to the way they were.”

She sadly smiles at him as she leans down and kisses him passionately. Her hands slowly move down his chest and to his trousers; Seth quickly grabs her hand.

“Not now, my love.” he warns sorrowfully.

Rose frowns as she pulls her hand away. “Must we also not touch each other like two lovers would?”

“This just is not the right place.”

“When can I see you again, darling?” she purred as she places little kisses down his neck.

Trying not to fall into the urge, he holds her by the shoulder and pushes her gently back. “Tomorrow night,” he confirms as he softly kisses her on her forehead. “Till then, I must return to the reception. I pray she may be wondering where I am at.”

Rose slowly nodded as she lifts herself off the bench. “Tomorrow night, then, my love.” With that, she leans down once more and gives him a kiss. Standing up, she heads back towards the orchard, with a sense of accomplishment to her step.

Seth lifts himself off the ground his eyes following Rose’s figure until she disappears behind the trees. He shakes his head in wonder as he reflects upon his situation. The sound of clapping from behind him pierced through his thoughts as he whirls around to face it. Not but a few feet in front of him stood his lovely bride, her eyes stone cold, a slight smirk on her face.

“Bravo, my dear husband,” she stated as she continued to clap. “I was very entertained by the show you both had just displayed. It almost brought a tear to my eye,” she frowns, “though I am sure mine would be more believable.”

Seth’s temper slowly began to rise, “Do you make it a habit to spy onto others private conversations?”

“I do not, unless it includes my husband with another woman.” she seethed.

“You and I both know that we were married strictly for the betterment of both countries.”

“Oh then do forgive me,” Cassandrah began, “silly me to think that perhaps I might find some love and happiness in this marriage since we have vowed, under God, to love and cherish one another. I should have realized that my husband was already taken by someone else, who would have known wives play second fiddle to tramps.”

Seth drew his hand back and slapped it across her face, sending her flying onto the ground. Her head turned away from him, hair in disarray, her hand gently placed on her cheek.

Shocked at what he had just done, he takes a step towards her, cursing himself under his breath; he had never placed a hand on a woman like that before. He leans forward and places his hand on her shoulder.

She quickly drew herself away from him, turning her head to face him, hatred fueling in her.

“I was wrong to think of you differently from any other man.” Her voice filled with resentment, “You are just like any other, though more of a coward than all combined. You could not even get the courage to tell me the truth and now you steep so low as to hit a woman.” She laughs falsely, “I was completely wrong about you.”

He pulls his hand back and clenches it into a fist by his side, his jaws hardening from that remark. If she was a man, he would kill her at the spot.

“Well, now you know where you stand. It will make it easier for the both of us without any false pretenses from now on.” he says with a hardened tone, “Fix yourself up. You have hundreds of people expecting us to be a happy couple. I sure as hell will not disappoint them.”

“I hate you.” She says heatedly to him.

“That’s fine,” he states coolly. “Once you give me an heir, we will go our separate ways and be done with this charade.”

“I would rather die than have you touch me.”

He looks at her coldly, “That can be arranged.”

As those final words were said, Seth turns away to walk back to the celebration; leaving Cassandrah to cry unhappily about her fate.