More than a pretty face: Chapter 2

Tagguns' Confession

Thank you thank you everyone who reviewed! This is my first story and I really had no idea whether anyone would like it, so my 5 reviews gave me a real boost in confidence! So thank you too Ardelis Mercy, mistyqueen, Miss Inocent, Lulai and Ancient princess 2815! You're the best!

Luna

P.S: Mistyqueen: I made up that name. It sounded right to me, so I used it.

P.P.S: You're right Lulai, Athroaten is pretty cocky. (Heehee!)

Claimer/disclaimer: I own everything here because I made it all up. MINE! ALL MINE! starts patrolling hallway surrounding the computer and sets burglar alarms on all the doors

Now on with the story!

Rose was obviously thrilled with Taggun being there to greet her, and Taggun himself was grinning like a madman – clearly Athroaten had held up on his word to inform the foreign prince of Roses' love for him. And as soon as the princes' erstwhile companion noticed Shauna, he two started to grin – though he supressed it better. They walked up the stairs, Rose clearly trying to accept Athroatens' obvious closeness to the prince. The two men took the ladies arms and escorted them in, Taggun taking Rose to see his family (and no doubt get acquainted), Athroaten guiding Shauna to the dance floor.

"I can't dance," she protested as he practically dragged her onto the floor, which was filled with graceful couples waltzing to a slow, but cheerful tune.

"That's all right," He replied. "I can." And Shauna was left wondering how that helped her as he finally managed to get her onto the floor and began to guide her steps, wincing elaborately as she stepped on his toe with a high-heeled dance slipper (no reference intended to Cinderella because it would never actually happen that way).

"Well it's your own fault for dragging me out here when I told you I couldn't dance," she told him reproachfully.

"You're right," he said with a sigh, scanning the ladies that waited along the wall for someone to ask them to dance. "Perhaps I should find another partn-" He was abruptly cut off by the sudden tightening of Shaunas' grip on him. He chuckled. "Ah, females… so predictable…"

She stepped on his foot again – this time on purpose. When he turned and scowled down at her in a glare that did not reach his eyes, she smiled simperingly and sighed, "Ah, clumsy me…"

As they continued to dance, Rose and Taggun finally reappeared, Rose casting a surprised look in Athroaten and Shaunas' direction, and giving her maid a reproachful look that seemed to mean 'we will speak of this later.' The royal couple waltzed up to the other two. Taggun, face slightly red and seeming rather exhilarated, clapped a hand on Athroatens' shoulder.

"Sorry to take you away from your dancing, Athroaten and charming girlfriend to whom I have not yet been introduced, but Roses' and my parents need two witnesses for something, and we were wondering if you could oblige?"

Athroaten looked to Shauna. "I don't mind," she said.

"Me neither," said Athroaten.

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Demanded the Prince with a chuckle. "Come on!" And then he dragged them off to the Grand Hall. "What is your name, anyways?" He asked Shauna.

"It's Shauna, my lord," she replied.

"I'm not 'My Lord' or 'Sir' or anything like that to you," he said sternly. "Athroatens' my best friend, and any friend of his is a friend of mine." She nodded, astonished, as Athroaten smirked, vainly attempting to hide it behind his hand, but they were distracted as an unfamiliar mans' voice – Tagguns' father, Shauna assumed – called out from the throne room.

"Taggun? Have you found your witnesses yet?" Taggun beckoned them into the room. In the throne room, the King and Queen of Essalia and they're eldest son – one year older than Rose – sat in their usual ornate thrones, Roses' empty as she was clearly not in it. Three other highly elaborate chairs had been set up for the King, Queen and Heir (Taggun) of Shankone. Shauna curtsied and Athroaten bowed before the various monarchs than straightened when Taggun, now sitting in his chair, impatiently motioned them up.

"Are these your chosen witnesses?" Barked Tagguns' father.

"Yes, sir," replied Taggun stiffly.

"You're task," said the King of Shankone, "is to bear witness to the betrothal of Prince Taggun and Princess Rose."

Shauna barely managed not to take in a shocked breath. But she supposed she shouldn't be surprised.

Tagguns' father droned on about all the vows and sentimental stuff , although you could tell he really just wanted a bride for his son – and probably not because he wanted his eldest child to be happy. He hadn't seemed to care who he married his three daughters to – he had married them off to some powerful noblemen who were willing to pay to have a pretty girl for their sons or themselves. And then, with Athroaten and Shauna as witnesses, Taggun and Rose were, to their joy, promised to each other, and it was settled: Taggun and Rose would become King and Queen of Shankone.

Then Tagguns' father curtly dismissed them: "Go off and do what you want, Taggun. But don't bespoil the girl till your married." He peered at her parents, who already seemed shocked at that rude comment. "She IS a virgin, right?" Roses' father, struggling to keep his face civil, nodded stiffly. Taggun marched them all out, shaking his head in disgust. His mother still had not yet said a word – she had just sat there checking her nails and redoing her makeup.

Taggun sighed, and turned to Rose and Shauna. "Sorry I didn't warn you about my parents. My father's an insensitive jerk and my mother's a stupid, primpy airhead who cares about nothing as long as she has unlimited funds with which to buy things for herself. The country HAS improved in the past few years, but that's because the countries management has been turned over to me by my lazy father, under a guise as training, while he takes credit for al my hard work." He shook his head again. "I can't wait until I'm King, and can finally take credit for things I'M doing, not him. Many still believe it was a sad day for Shankone when he was crowned King. In fact, half the reason I'm the way I am is because I didn't want to be like my father, and so acted exactly the opposite of him." Rose, it seemed had finally recovered from Tagguns' fathers' crude remarks.

"How dare he talk about me that way!"

Taggun sighed again. "I know. Awful, isn't it? You should have seen him marrying off my sisters – just throwin' them to the first rich, influential noble that came their way."

He told them the story of Aramentias' betrothal.

Flashback

Tagguns' elder sister, Aramentia, stood nervously beside and behind her father as he described her to a pontential suitor, not knowing that Taggun was listening to his descriptions.

"Small breasts, I know," he said with a shrug, "but once she gives off a healthy child, you can always get a milk nurse. And she is well-developed for her age, you know," he told the man. "She's already started her monthlies. You could take heron your wedding night and she could get pregnant. And, young as she is, she'll last a long time!"

The other man considered for a while, then, after what seemed like careful deliberation – and not a few greedy glances at the girl - ,said, "Done. I'll take her." Taggun had been only 10 at the time, but very well-educated, he knew what his father was saying, and now he was nearly twenty, but he still vividly remembered trembling in rage from his hiding place behind the stables that any father could treat his own daughter like a mare for sale! And that other man – what kind of nobleman would treat a girl like she was a horse at the market?

He remembered even more vividly leaping from his hiding place and jumping on the mans shoulder, smacking him wildly about the head and trying to strangle him with too-small hands until his sister, 16 at the time, managed to yank him off her newly – and unromantically – betrothed and cradling him to her chest, crying quietly.

"Oh, Taggun, it's alright, it's alright, you don't need to that - "

He had cut her off, yelling "They're treating you like a horse for the selling! Like a mindless crop animal! They've got no right to do that to you, you're a living, breathing human being with a brain and opinions and they've got no right to treat you like a cow or a horse or like a – an object because you're not you're my sister and I – I don't want them to!" Then he, too, began to cry, burying his face in her chest and sobbing his heart out as she rocked him back and forth.

Later that day, his sister had been carted off to the mans' lands – at a discounted price, no less! – And Taggun had been beaten.

End Flashback

Tagguns' face was cold and stony. "My sister died later that year." Athroaten nodded, biting his lip.

"Oh, no! That's awful!" Cried Shauna, who found the story particularly moving. "How did she die?"

"Committed suicide," the prince answered. "While pregnant," he snarled angrily. "And don't think she submitted willingly!" He yelled. "That man effing raped her, dammit, she told me so! And she told me never to tell anyone, he did it almost every night, and I did tell, I told my father, and he didn't even care, he said she was that mans' to do what he liked with her!"

His breathing had quickened and he was clearly furious, but not at any of them – at his father, obviously, and that nobleman, and, it seemed, himself. "She told me she was considering committing suicide," he said, nearly crying. "She told me! And I didn't tell anyone, because I knew it was shat she wanted, I knew she couldn't take it, I knew she would never get through the labour, knew she didn't want to have a baby at 16! So I never told!"

His breathing was even faster now. Athroaten was practically holding him up, and he was nearly in tears, his words constricted. "When I visited a month later, she was in agony. She told me the only reason she hadn't killed herself yet was that she wanted to say goodbye to me. So she hugged me and kissed me and told me she loved me forever and I said the same, and then I helped her. I helped her do it. I drew her a bath so that she could slit her wrists and ankles and bleed to death, nice and comfy, in a nice warm bath. I held her hand as she lay there in the tub, the water slowly turning red as it filled with blood, her blood, and when she died, slipped away, right there in the water. And the last thing she did was smile and tell me, 'Get that man, Taggun. Make sure he gets what's coming to him.' She gave a funny little gasp, and said 'I'm sorry,' and then went all limp, and her hand slipped out of mine. I didn't say anything – not one word – for days – until I realised that the nobleman who had married my sister had a new wife, only a few days after my sister died. So I went to the court and told them everything, and they convicted the man of rape and he's still in prison, and I'm glad, I'm glad, because he was nothing but an effing ass!" With that, he finally did collapse into tears, and Athroaten, Rose and Shauna practically carried him back to his room, deeply shaken by his telling.

Rose seemed the most deeply affected of all, because she was marrying someone! But Taggun told her the next day, with utmost respect and firmness in his voice: "Don't worry, Rose. I will never, ever treat you that way, or make you do anything you don't want to do, or treat any children we may have some day like crop animals. Rose, I will always treat you and any other girl – or person – like the individual you are."

She hugged him. "Thanks, Taggun."

End

Authors Note: some of you may consider this kinda short, but… I'M THE AUTHOR! ONLY MY THOUGHTS COUNT! WAHAHAHAHAH! No, just kidding. Your thoughts count too. That is why I would really, really like you people to review this story, not just stare at the fruits of my labour (which lasted for a few hours) then leave. If you are the sort to do this… IT WOULD ONLY TAKE THIRTY SECONDS TO VALIDATE MY EXISTENCE ON THIS PLANET! REVIEW IT, YOU FETID PILE OF COMPOST! Yes, that spiel comes from Dilbert.

So review, dangit!

Luna

Thanks again to those of you who already reviewed!