Devin sat stiffly on the horse. She was in the middle of the wedding procession on the way to Lord Marcus's home. It looked to be quite a turnout. Although no one had wanted there daughter to wed him, he was important enough for them to turn out at his wedding. Lord William had sent a maid to get her dressed and fix her hair for the wedding. She couldn't believe it was her when she looked in the mirror. She looked so different. Her hair had been curled and pinned up with ringlets cascading down the sides. The only thing that marred her features was the handprint on her face. Her father had slapped her hard for no reason this morning. You couldn't really tell since she had a veil on. She rode on trying to ignore the pain all over her body.
Mark waited for at the entrance to his estates as was tradition. He wasn't all that thrilled. After all he was getting a little hooligan for a wife. But he had to have children and he supposed she would do well for bearing children. She wasn't much to look at but she wasn't ugly either. He sighed as her horse approached.
Devin swallowed her nervousness and held her head up. She might as well make the best of this he couldn't be any worse than her father. She looked at him and her breath quickened. Why did he have to be so damn handsome? The sun glinted off his hair and made it look like fire. Mark approached her horse and took the rein and stopped it. He looked up at her. Looked like she cleaned up real good he thought. He reached up and helped her off the horse. She weighed nothing in his arms. Devin felt a shiver run over her when he lifted her. He set her gently down. He lifted the veil. My gods could this be the same girl. She was beautiful. What he had mistaken for plainness was just a layer of dirt and a messy appearance. This child was breathtaking. There was a handprint on her face. He traced it with his fingers making her shiver again. "I see you have been in need of discipline this morning." He said. He saw anger light her features. She had done nothing; it had been her father's way of warning her. He bent down and captured her lips. Devin was amazed at how good this felt. He was so gentle. It actually made her heartbeat quicken. Devin pressed her body to his and returned the kiss. Markus was shocked. He pulled back and looked in her eyes. She looked boldly back at him. She was not acting like a normal female. Women would blush when you kissed them or act shy and try to push you away. They lay and let you have your pleasure, but she was actually responding like she enjoyed it. Devin had never had a woman to teach her how she should act with a man. She didn't have anyone to tell her about the relations between a man and woman. So she had responded in a natural way. He was actually being very gentle she thought, maybe this wouldn't be so bad. There were whoops and hollers around them. Markus realized he had broken social protocol by kissing her before there vows. He shrugged. He made his own rules. Marcus turned and made his way into his estate.
The wedding ceremony went off without a hitch. Devin stood and listens to the boring minister drone on and on. She heard the love honor and obey and about choked. Marcus gripped her arm and gave her a harsh glare. She quickly looked down. She managed to get "I Will" out and then so did Marcus. The minister was saying you may now kiss the bride. Marcus turned to her and lifted her veil and kissed her passionately. Devin lifted her arms around his neck and pressed closer to him. Marcus thought he was going to take her right here if she didn't stop pressing herself to him. He pulled back and looked at her. She gazed back steadily at him, no hint of a blush. "Time for the reception My Bride." He said. He led her back down the isle and outside to he reception area.
Devin snuck away from the reception. She walked out toward the rolling hillside of Marcus's estate. She plopped down on top of the hill. It was so quite up her. All the loudness of the reception, the drinking, dancing, and crude jokes were starting to get to her. Her back was in terrible pain from the beating her father had given her. She stared off into the distance wishing she were a million miles away. Marcus walked up behind her. He was coming to chastise her for leaving the reception, but he saw the faraway look on her face and his features softened. It had been a very long day and she looked exhausted. He sat down beside her. She looked at him and turned away. "Why did you leave the reception? Do you not like to dance?" he asked. "I don't know how." She replied. "Its seems like your father has neglected your education in many things. Does your father have no maids that could teach you female necessities?" Marcus asked. She looked at him confused. "I have never lived with my father." She said. Marcus frowned. "I have always lived at the squires training ground." She said. "WHAT?" Marcus fairly shouted at her. She explained to him that she was handed over to them when she was born because her father didn't want a girl. Marcus didn't like being lied too. Lord William had weaved a fairy tale that was not true to him. "So you have had no female instruction." Marcus asked. "I have never left the training grounds before today, the only females I ever saw were the whores that came once a week." She said. Marcus was livid. The squires had probably been at her since she was 13 or 14. Lord William had assured him that she was innocent. Living with all those men with no female chaperone. She probably was used as a whore. That's why she had responded as she had to him as she had. Because she had plenty of practice. Devin could tell he was angry but didn't know why. Marcus stood up. "Get back to the reception, now. Do not leave again." He said and stormed off.
Marcus found Lord William drinking and flirting with a young girl. He shooed the girl away. Marcus grabbed the fat old man by the collar. "You lied to me; you said the girl was innocent. She has been raised on your squire's training ground with nothing but whores and men around. How could you allow your daughter to be raised like that?" he asked shaking him. Lord William stuttered "She is innocent I tell you, I would kill any man that touched her. She is the only investment I had left. She would have been worth nothing to me if a man touched her." He said. Lord Marcus pushed him to the ground "You sicken me. After this reception is over, never step foot on my land again." Marcus said. Marcus turned and stormed off.
Lord William found Devin in a corner of the garden. "You just live to embarrass me, don't you?" he yelled. He slapped her in the face as hard as he could and she fell. He pulled back his foot and kicked her in the side. Devin curled in a ball to protect herself. Lord William felt something grab him. It was Marcus. He punched Lord William repeatedly in the face. Then he dropped him. "She is mine now, If you ever touch her again. I will kill you. Now get off my property. Lord William scrambled to get up and leave. Marcus walked over to Devin. He knelt down and lifted her. "Are you hurt?" he asked. "No." she said. He looked at her cheek, it looked swelled. "I will send a maid to take you to our room. Put a cool cloth on your cheek for the swelling." He said. She nodded at him and rose to her feet. Marcus turned on his heel and left her. Devin wondered what else this day would bring.