P.S. Lot's a "Awwwww" moments ahead so watch out…
Arranged MarriageChapter 2 "Good Evening and Good Morning"
By LadyHawk225
Vera sat on the bed in the honeymoon suite of the hotel nervously. Sage was in the adjoining bathroom brushing his teeth.
Just breathe…maybe it won't be so bad…he's been so nice all evening…after all it's what married couples do, right?…no problem…I can handle this…oh, god….maybe if I got something between my teeth he'd be so turned off that he won't want to have sex with me…
Vera thought, eyeing the room, looking for a plausible escape. She still wore her wedding dress, the veil spread out on the bed behind her. After the reception, Sage's friends left and he had led her here…if only I had realized sooner where he was taking me, maybe I could have 'accidentally' tripped down the stairs and had to go to the hospital…curses…
She jumped as Sage left the bathroom, flipping the switch off as he went. He smiled at her as he wandered over to his suitcase and put his toothbrush away. Vera took that moment to admire the back of his well-toned body. The black pants and tank top he had changed into fit him nicely and accented his muscles.
Well…at least he's handsome…hmmmm, not bad at all…WHAT AM I THINKING? Gah! He's probably got some sort of weird rash or something, no way can I be this lucky… she thought pessimistically.
Suddenly she realized he was looking at her, and she was still staring. Blushing furiously, she looked away, her eyes widening as he stepped closer until he was directly in front of her. She refused to look up at him, her heart threatening to thunder out of her chest and her hands shaking as she tried to focus on anything but the man in front of her.
She jumped slightly as he touched the top of her hair, fiddling with it gently. Oh gosh…he's playing with my hair…I just know he's going to attack me soon….oh gosh…any minute now…………what the heck is he doing?
Vera suddenly snapped out of her musings as Sage freed her veil from her hair, removing it and gently setting it on a nearby chair.
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He removed her veil and wondered briefly if she would try to run away from him. She looked frightened, expectant, as if she was waiting for something. Sage smiled to himself grimly.
She probably thinks I'm going to jump her. Poor thing.
Setting her veil on a nearby chair, he turned back to her. She was still staring at him with those huge beautiful eyes. He couldn't resist as he came back to her and ran his fingers through her long hair once again, completely enthralled by her beauty.
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She sat nervously on the edge of the bed as he toyed with her hair. What should she do? He seemed so nice, she didn't want to make him angry… Should she undress? Kiss him? Or simply let him have his way with her? She was frightened…no frightened wasn't the right word for it: terrified. But she had long ago decided that there was nothing she could do about her situation. She was married now, and she wasn't one to try and deny things, which were already done.
Suddenly, she felt as though she was being filled with an overwhelming emotion. She was married.
The words echoed through her again and again as her eyes widened. She would be
with this man for the rest of her life. She was his…and he was hers. She blinked back tears as she tried to make sense of her emotions. Surprisingly, she didn't feel angry or even sad. But she didn't really feel love for this man in front of her, still playing with her hair, oblivious to her musings.
Suddenly, she realized it was pride. She was proud that she was married. Proud that she was a woman—an important woman. Society taught girls from a young age that they should get married and have children…and now she was at the beginning of that stage. She felt like her life had meaning. She was proud to be married to this man, even if she didn't know him, or really love him…she was just proud that she had gotten to this stage in her life.
Somehow, she was filled with an overwhelming desire to please him—to make him smile at her. She was still scared, but her sense of duty overwhelmed that emotion.
Having made up her mind, she slowly raised her head to look at him. He pulled his hand from her hair, taking a step back to look at her, confused.
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Sage stepped back and looked at his new wife, no Anna, as she raised her head to stare at him intently. There was a strange look in her eyes—determination? And Sage wondered briefly if she was going to attack him or run away. She was trembling as she stood, obviously trying to stop her hands from shaking as she reached up to her chest and slowly began undoing the small pearl buttons there.
He was shocked to say the least. He watched for a moment as she began working her way slowly down, undoing buttons, her hands shaking and her eyes squeezed shut as though she was trying to deny what she was doing.
Reaching forward quickly, he grabbed her hand before she could continue more. At his touch her eyes squeezed shut tighter and tiny pearls of liquid escaped from the corners of her eyes. He resisted the urge to brush them away, afraid of alarming her further. Instead he simply held her hand.
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Anna blinked at him in confusion. What on earth was he doing? He held her hand gently, stopping her from undressing. Didn't he want this? Want her?
Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she slowly sat back down on the bed. Didn't he like her? Was she ugly? What had she done wrong?
She couldn't stop the tears coursing down her face. It was just too much. She
couldn't even please him.
He must hate me. She thought sadly, crying bitterly.
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Sage was confused at her tears. Was she still frightened of him? Did she think he would rape her? She sat back down on the bed, staring up at him with those beautiful blue eyes, tears streaming steadily down her face.
He resisted the urge to hug her tightly, press her face against his chest and wipe away her tears. He wanted to comfort her, tell her it was okay, that he wouldn't hurt her, but would she understand his actions? Would she shy away from him? Scream? He didn't want to scare her.
She obviously thought he wanted to take her, and he had to admit he did. She was beautiful as she sat in the soft evening light, her hair floating around her shoulders and lower, curling softly. Her white wedding dress made her look like an angel, and her eyes captured him in their intensity. He wanted to kiss her full lips, run his hands through her hair, hug her and kiss her and make her his own…but he wouldn't. He wouldn't do that to her. He wouldn't dare hurt her like that.
He watched, heartbroken as she began to cry more bitterly. Harsh sobs escaped her throat and she pulled her hand from his, covering her face. He stood there a moment, unsure, nervous and worried until he could stand it no more. He darted forward, collecting her in his arms and held her tightly against him, tucking her head beneath his chin. She jumped at his contact, trying to pull away from his arms, sobbing and shaking her head furiously, but he refused to let her go. He wouldn't let her suffer alone.
Pain gripped his heart as he rocked her back and forth. What had she gone through to get here? Why was she so bitterly afraid and heartbroken? He blinked back his own tears as he whispered soft words in her ear…
"It's okay…"
"I won't hurt you…"
"Please don't cry…"
"I swear I will never hurt you…"
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She couldn't stop crying as he held her. This was too much. She was too confused, too weary. The events of the day came crashing down on her as she cried.
He held her tightly, whispering strange words in her ear and rocking her back and forth slowly. Why was he trying to comfort her? Didn't she displease him? She was so confused…his actions made no sense to her.
She cried for what seemed like hours, until she couldn't cry anymore. As her sobs slowly subsided, he continued rocking her gently. She was so tired. No one had held her like this since she had been a small child…it was comfortable, safe and warm. His heartbeat was strong and steady against her ear and his skin smelled of sandalwood…and sleep claimed her.
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She awoke to the sound of birds singing softly through the open balcony doors. She blinked slowly, turning her head towards the sound. Soft, white curtains rustled gently in the breeze flowing through the doors, bringing fresh, cool morning air to her nose. She breathed deeply and smiled.
Scanning the room with her eyes, she saw her wedding dress hanging in the open closet. Picking up the blanket, she looked down at herself. She still wore the full-length slip she had worn beneath her dress. Evidently, her husband and undressed her and put her to bed. She blushed slightly at the thought.
Turning to the left, she was surprised to note that the other half of the large four-poster bed seemed to have been unslept in. He hadn't slept here last night, confused, she sat up on her elbows, scanning the room for any sign of her new husband. His suitcase was leaning against the dresser, so it appeared that he hadn't left her. Where was he?
Her eyes fell on the large armchair in the corner. A blue, silky robe lay across it, folded gently.
That wasn't here last night. She thought, confused, as she rose and stretched, walking over to it. She picked it up, looking at it. A single, short stemmed rose fell from the silken folds to the floor. She followed it with her eyes and then picked it up, pressing it gently to her nose…sandalwood. She grinned despite herself.
Donning the robe and tying it securely shut, she wandered out the balcony doors, smiling and breathing deeply. Stretching her arms above her head, she walked to the railing, leaning against it and smiling out at the lake and trees that surrounded the hotel.
"Ohayo gozaimasu."
She jumped, turning around quickly. There he sat, cross-legged on one of the reclining chairs. Pillows and blankets were strewn about the chair…so that was where he had slept. He was smiling softly and watching her.
"Um…good morning." She blushed.
His smiled widened and he gestured to the table beside him. Apparently room service has already been here as the table was filled with fresh fruits and breads. A steaming pot of tea and two cups waited for her as she slowly approached the table and sat in the chair across from him.
She watched as he poured them both tea, a gentle and graceful action, he didn't spill a drop. She wondered idly how often he poured tea like this. She watched as he picked up a large pear from the pile of fruit and a knife, cutting the fruit in half.
He held out half to her, smiling gently and nodding his head. She stared at it a moment before taking it, blushing as his hand brushed against hers. She watched him eat, slowly nibbling at the pear. She shook her head 'no' when he offered her a piece of bread before eating some himself.
Finishing her pear, she picked up the steaming tea and gently blew on it, trying to cool it down. Sipping it slowly, she crinkled her nose at the bitter taste. Searching the table, she spotted a bowl of sugar near the bread. Grabbing it, she spooned three servings of sugar into the bitter tea, stirring it slowly before tasting it again. Licking her lips thoughtfully, she added a forth. Tasting it again, she smiled and sighed happily, closing her eyes and resting her elbow on the table, sipping her tea slowly.
A low chuckle brought her from her musings. She blushed brightly as she realized he had been watching her. He was staring at her from across the table, an amused smile on his face. He laughed outright at her blush, a low, melodic sound. She listened to his laugh—it was pure and gentle. She smiled, then laughed with him in the cool morning light.