As soon as breakfast was over, I rushed to the king's studio. My steps were frantic and clumsy. I tripped at least four times on my way there.
When I arrived to the studio doors, the guards frowned at me and tried to cross the spears to halt my steps. I roughly pushed the weapons apart and opened the double-doors.
"You can't do this!" I yelled thoughtlessly. My breath was agitated and my whole body trembled.
In front of me, Leverrier was seated behind his mahogany desk with Link by his side. He lifted his gaze and stared at me.
The doors to the studio flung open and a pair of arms grabbed mine. I writhed and cried, "You can't do this to me!"
Leverrier made a gesture to the guards and the pressure on the arms disappeared. I stepped forward, my hands shaking uncontrollably.
"It's your duty." He tranquilly said, going back to his paperwork.
"No, it's not!" I stormed towards the desk and stamped my both hands on the surface, "I'm not marrying him!"
"Be respectful, my lady." Link scolded.
I sent him a venomous glare, "It's not your business."
"Catelyn." Leverrier sternly summoned. He handed the scrolls to Link and sent him outside before focusing on me again, "I'm not arguing this."
As his determination became evident, fear invaded every fiber of me. My heart pounded so fiercely I thought it was going to jump out of my mouth. "He is a sadist! He is a sick, perverted man full of-"
"He is your fiancé." Leverrier promptly interrupted.
The word provoked me goose-bumps. It was as if someone had thrown a cold bucket of water on me. I stayed static and looked into his brown eyes. He returned me the gaze and stood it, challenging me to retort.
"I'm not marrying him."
"This is not your decision." He curtly replied.
His inconsiderate answer fueled my anger, "It's my wedding! I choose who I marry! I'm not another pawn in your games, father!"
"YOU are a PAWN, Catelyn." He stood up and looked down at me, "Or are you so selfish that you prefer starting a war and sacrificing thousands of lives instead of just marrying a man?!"
I narrowed my eyes. Naturally, the least I wanted was to hurt people. I had always believed that our duty was to protect the kingdom and its inhabitants, but, up until this moment, I had never considered at which price.
Defeated, I turned my hands into fists and dedicated Leverrier the most pleading look I could muster, "There must be another way…other options…"
"There are not. Now, stop wasting my time." He sat down again and dismissed me with a gesture of his hand, "You're leaving tomorrow early."
The air escaped from my lungs, "Wha-what?"
"I don't want to hear your complaining. You're leaving."
"N-no!" I stammered, "You can't kick me out like this!"
"A pawn, Catelyn," he didn't even lift his gaze this time. He called a guard and focused back on his paperwork, "Just a pawn."
My sight suddenly blurred and I realized I was crying. Someone pulled me out of the studio and guided me to my rooms. I walked as if I was in a dream, petrified to the core by the sudden turn of events.
A small girl awaited at the feet of the stairs to my tower. She seemed to be concentrated on a candy, but when she heard our steps, she jumped up and ran to hug me.
I stumbled backwards and looked down at her scalp.
"Welcome to the family." Her sing-sang voice said. She lifted her face to look at me, and her malicious, yellow eyes, penetrated right through my skull. A shiver ran down my spine.
"Don't cry. We're gonna have fun." She beamed. "I'm Rhode Camelot, by the way."
They practically locked me in my tower. Guards were posted at the entrance and in the courtyard below my balcony. I paced back and forth while my maids picked every dress and clothes and folded them neatly inside trunks. Every now and then they asked for my opinion. Whether I should take this dress or that one, I didn't care at all. Fashion was rather meaningless compared to what hovered above me.
I walked towards the balcony and looked down. For a brief second, the idea of jumping tempted me. It would be as easy as letting my weight carry me down. That way, I wouldn't have to marry Tykki, neither face the consequences of not doing it. I would be gone by the time the war started. I would be free.
However, as seductive as these thoughts were, I didn't gather the courage to jump. I just stared at the paved surface melancholically, wishing I was brave enough.
I walked back into the rooms and wandered randomly. The maids were like ants, moving things from here to there and packing all the stuff I didn't even look at. I sat at my dressing table and watched my reflection.
My hair was long, brown and wavy. It had to be brushed with a special technique twice a day, with oils and perfume. My skin was smooth and fair, and my brown eyes sparkled with the daylight that sneaked through the windows. I wasn't as pretty as my sister, of course, but I didn't consider myself homely either, albeit having a large nose and a small mouth. I had life in me, and I was afraid it may escape as soon as I arrived to Portugal.
My eyes travelled to the collection of jewelry, brushes and accessories I had on the table. None of them had any value to me at all. Emily was the one who always took care of appearance; I just sat and let her do her job.
Nonetheless, there was a piece in special that I treasured the most. Parsimoniously, I opened the last drawer and pulled out a small, wooden box. I cleaned the dust and opened it carefully.
A pearl necklace lay neatly against the dark velvet.
This was the only gift my parents ever gave me. It was a present for my sixteenth birthday, when I officially became an adult to their eyes. Despite the coldness I showed towards them, I cherished this necklace more than anything else in the castle.
I caressed it and suppressed a sob. Droplets fell on the velvet while my vision became cloudy. I inhaled deeply and swallowed my tears.
"Put this inside a trunk." I weakly murmured to a maid at my right.
"Of course, my lady." Her voice was soft and tremulous, "Do you…do you need something?"
I glared at her, suddenly annoyed by her meddling. She didn't have the fault that things had turned out this way, but she didn't have the right to…to…ask.
I was mad she had seen my weakness.
"No. Just do your job." I sharply barked back and returned to the balcony. I felt angry. It was a mix of emotion, in which I experienced fury, frustration, sadness and, above all, fear.
I was afraid.
Dawn arrived earlier than always. Emily went to wake me up, just to find me writing at my desk with a half-consumed candle beside me.
"My lady?"
I sighed and folded the last letter. I delicately put it inside an envelope and extended it to her, "Make sure this gets to Allen, no matter what."
Emily blinked, confused, "Allen? The guy of the stables?"
"Yes, the albino boy." I confirmed. My friendship with him was a source of gossip amongst the servants, but I never minded them at all. He was my best friend, and I wouldn't let them take that away too.
"Are you sure? Before going with Mikk?" her implicit suggestion made my stomach twist.
"I'm going, alright?" I flared, sending her a venomous glare, "He has got what he wanted, I couldn't care less about what he thinks of me."
Emily stared at me like I had a monkey on my face. Then, she swallowed, bowed nervously and ran out of the room.
I inhaled deeply and messed my hair.
When I woke up the day before yesterday, my only preoccupation was how I was supposed to see Allen after dinner. Now…I may never see him again.
The thought shook me and filled my eyes with more tears. I didn't even want to look at them in the mirror. I knew they were swollen and red for the lack of sleep and the continuous weeping.
I hoped that my disastrous appearance may discourage Tykki from marrying me. Unfortunately, Emily was an expert in making me look decent.
When she arrived, she dressed me in a light, white dress. It was the simplest thing I had in my wardrobe, with only laces to adorn the back and a set of brilliant stones around the waist. She tied up my hair in a clean bun, saying that it was more comfortable for long trips. Afterwards, she put a necklace around my neck and handed me an embroidered umbrella.
"You're ready. The luggage is already in the carriages." She informed.
I nodded and walked absentmindedly towards the dining room.
Nobody except Tykki and Rhode were there. I eyed them warily and sat at the farthest corner of the table.
Tykki slid his chair closer to me and smiled, "Good morning, my lady." He delicately took my hand and kissed it.
I retrieved it as politely as I could and averted my gaze, "Good morning." My reply was short and dry.
Tykki chuckled, evidently amused, "Ready for the long trip home?"
"Portugal is not my home." I snapped.
"It is from now on."
"Hmp."
I pretended to focus on my food, ignoring him completely, although it was hard when his breath was practically on my neck.
"What a pretty necklace." He murmured seductively. His tone gave me the goose-bumps, and I endeavored to not shiver.
"Thank you." I weakly replied.
Then, he stood up and took it off with one swift movement. I grabbed it rapidly and turned to him, "What are you doing?"
"Sshh," he hissed. Out of his breast pocket he picked a small velvet box and placed something around my neck. An uncomfortable weight made me look down at the space between my breasts. A heavy, black rock incrusted in a silver ring saluted me.
Tykki Mikk caressed my shoulders and inclined shamelessly to whisper in my ear, "From now on, you are mine, and you'll wear this so everyone else knows it."
I shivered. I slowly drank a glass of water to rehydrate my mouth and replied, "So, do you have so little confidence in yourself that you need this to make sure I'm yours?" I boldly suggested. My hands clutched the soft cloth of my skirt to hide the uncontrollable tremble.
There was a moment of tense silence, then a giggle, "I believe in me," he cleared cheerfully, "but I don't trust you."
I was not going to convince him otherwise, "Then, why marry me?"
The back of his hand ran down my left cheek and towards my neck, "Because it will be fun to make you trustworthy."
The sound of that made me want to cry. I pictured him on the hill, watching all the women, men and children being slaughtered, and laughing at all the suffering. What, in heaven's sake, was waiting for me in Portugal?
Keeping myself together, I grabbed an apple and bit it, "I'll make sure, my lord, it is not fun at all." I promised, gathering all my anger and frustration in one challenging sentence. I hated this man…I hated him so much!
"We'll see, darling, we'll-"
In that moment, the master-at-arms, Froi Tiedoll, walked in the dining room, interrupting our terrible conversation. I thanked him in silence, watching him move around the room with confidence. Tykki saluted him politely and retired from the vicinity, leaving Tiedoll and me alone.
"Are you alright?" the master questioned as I toyed with my food.
I barely lifted my gaze and nodded.
"You're pale." He pointed out.
I huffed, "I'm fine." Was I so obvious? Why did everyone keep asking the same goddamned thing? I was not weak.
"My sweet child," he extended his arm and covered my hand with his, "you should know none of us agreed to this." He whispered. I heard a sniff, and looked at him. His eyes were red and brilliant.
A lump formed in my throat and I found myself unable to speak.
"If it helps, my darling," he looked around first to make sure no one was listening, and then inclined across the table to murmur, gesturing for me to do the same, "My son is Captain of their guard."
I frowned. I didn't know Tiedoll had a son, less that he worked with the Noahs. A bunch of questions blasted in my head, but I didn't have time to utter them.
"It's a long story," Tiedoll said, as if reading my thoughts, "but you should know that he is loyal to our crown."
"Then, why-?"
"Sh, my sweet child," he soothed me, "if you ever have problems, go to him. Believe me, he is reliable."
For some reason, I found it hard to believe him, but his affirmation filled me with a huge ray of hope I didn't have before. If he was telling the truth, then my desolated desert had an oasis.
"Who is he? How is he? How-"
"You'll know him when you arrive," he assured, "His name is Yuu Kanda."
A/N: Reviews?
