Sanctuary -Chapter Two.
Cato
I sat up immediately, my eyes wide in surprise and horror. Clove just looked at me, as if it was a perfectly normal thing for her to be in my apartment.
"What are you doing here? How did you even get in?" I blurted out, as I covered myself with the blanket. Her face was ligthen with amusement.
"Well, your father thought it would be good for us to bond, so he gave me the extra key. I've even made breakfast." She said, still smiling widely and waving the knife. It was only now I noticed the smell of egg and bacon. I blinked a couple times, while cursing father in my thoughts.
"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not really hungry." I excused, rubbing the back of my head. It wasn't even a complete lie, normally I'd sleep until around 12 o'clock, unless I had meetings, so my stomach wasn't used to food this early. Besides, who knew what she'd put in whatever food she was making. She just shrugged, and moved closer, making a big show of swinging her hips as she went. She was no older than 15 years, yet she already had the figure of a young woman.
"Maybe you're hungry for something else.. Another hunger, I will be able to satisfy." She smiled, as she dropped the knife on the floor and crept into my bed, making me jolt backwards. What the hell was she trying too? As she was now standing on her hands and knees, her dress was showing quite enough.
"Clove, quit joking around." I said, though sounding a little unsure. A man did have his needs after all, but they were not to be satisfied by the likes of her, especially not when she was still unwed. Only whores and servants went that low, a daughter of a high lord was not to fool around like that. She was sitting on my legs, though on top of my blankets, but yet she was still way too close.
"Who says I'm joking?" She purred, leaning forwards, as if to kiss me. I was completely stunned, but her lips were dangerously close all of a sudden. Without thinking, I slapped her across the face, making her sit straight up, while holding her cheek. She sat still for a while, but I knew her pride was more hurt than she was physically. "Why'd you do that?" She finally asked, as she got up from my bed.
"You were doing something very inappropriate, and I'm sure your father would not approve of that." I told her with a blank expression. It was the first time I'd ever laid hand on a woman in a violent way, something that my mother had always taught me was unforgivable.
"Who cares what my father thinks? I thought you wanted me. We're most likely to marry anyways, so it wouldn't do any harm." Clove replied, her gaze turned out the window. Tears were shining in her eyes, and for a moment I wanted to apologize. But she had clearly crossed the line, so I decided not to.
"Clove, did your mother have a sister?" I asked her, and she finally looked at me, as if I was crazy.
"Why'd you ask something like that all of a sudden?" She questioned, but as I gave no reply she continued. "Yes, she did in fact. She had an older sister, who was to inherit it all, whenever Grandfather died. He loved her more than anything, more than my mother. I can tell it by the look in his eyes when he talks of her. Anyways, she was whore. Slept around with some nameless guy, and ended up getting pregnant. Of course Grandfather had to kick her out, so he did. I've never heard of her since." She shrugged. I was biting my lip, deep in thought.
"Do you know if she's still alive? If her child was a boy or a girl?" I then asked. She rolled her eyes, as to tell me that she was not pleased with the change of subject.
"It was a girl, if I remember correctly. And as said, I haven't heard of her since that day. Why'd you ask?" She was eyeing me suspiciously. I threw the blankets of me, and got up, grabbing the pants from yesterday, and starting to pull them on.
"I just thought she might be dead." I muttered, lacing the pants and grabbing a clean shirt. Clove seemed to think for a while.
"Actually, it's a possibility. My mother has been suspecting that my grandfather has been seeing her sister on a regular basis, even after she was thrown out of the mansion. Lately, he's been changing. He's lost weight, and haven't been able to sleep for a good while. Might as well be the slut's gone... But how would you know something like that?" She asked me, the suspicion rising even further. By the time she was done talking, I was already fully dressed with my shoes on as well.
"I'll be leaving, you should go as soon as possible as well. Remember to lock the door, and please hand the key back to my father. I won't have you come over without a notice." I made sure that she understood just how serious I was being with the last part. She just looked at me dumbly.
"Where are you going?" She yelled after me, as I left the apartment, slamming the door close behind without an answer. I hurried down the streets, and found an avaible horse carriage. I asked for him to take me to my father as quick as possible, and he surely did.
When we arrived, I gave him the money that I owed for the ride, plus a little extra for the pressure I'd been putting on his horses. He thanked me, but I was always halfways up the stairs that led to the frontdoor to my father's mansion. I rang the bell, and the butler's daugher, who was working as a servant, opened the door. I hurried in, telling her that I had to see my father and that it was a most urgent matter. She didn't seem surprised by this, and ordered her younger sister of only 11 years, who was also working for our family, to take my jacket and shoes, while she went to inform the lord of my arrival.
Her sister, Katri was a shy girl compared to Glimmer, her older sister. A sister with whom I'd shared more than one night. Glimmer was almost at the same age as me, and she'd been one of the first girls that had come to my bed at night. She had also been hopelessly in love with me, and at some point I considered marrying her, just to avoid Clove, but she was not of noble burden, so it wouldn't be allowed. She returned before Katri did, and told me that my father would see me right away.
"Father, I have decided to get married." I burst out as soon as I entered the room. He looked up from the letter he was reading, with a blank expression.
"So Clove did her job well enough?" He asked slyly, with a small smile. At first I was confused, but then I rememered that he was the one who'd sent Clove over.
"No, that's not the point. But now we're at it, I'd like to ask you not to give away keys to my apartment. That girl might as well have killed me in my sleep." I informed him, slightly annoyed.
"That girl is a Belequte." He pointed out, his lips now curving a tad downwards.
"And so is the girl I'm gonna marry. But it is not Clove." I told him, suddenly feeling nervous.
"That is nonsense boy, you know that Clove is Lady Enobaria's only daughter." My father replied, looking at me strictly. "And you better treat her well, if you wish to wed her."
"But I do not, father. It is true, that Clove might be Enobaria's only daughter, but Enobaria wasn't Lord Noveen's only daughter. He had Lyseria as well," I explained.
"What are you suggesting?" He was leaning forwards in his chair, as if eager to hear more, though his face showed no sign of curiousity.
"Lyseria had a daughter, and a son. Since the father of the children was nameless, they had her last name, Belequte, and since they're also of Belequte-blood, I'd be just as good off marrying Lyseria's daughter," I said. He looked at me for a while, as if to decide if I was joking.
"That is a much concerning matter, Cato. Lady Enobaria and Lord Brutus have been expecting you to marry Clove, you know. And since Lyseria was exiled from the mansion, I am not sure it will please Lord Robert either." He looked deep in thought. I hold my breath for a while, before bursting out:
"But even if she was exiled, Lord Noveen loved Lyseria more than Enobaria. Even Clove knew that much. I think he would be pleased if I was to marry her daughter, more than anything. Besides, Lyseria is dead, and he haven't had any contact to her children. I think he may be more than grateful if we give him a way to gain the contact." I suggested, and while I was making it up as I went, I realized that what I was saying, was most likely to be the truth.
"You have a point, son. But even though, Lady Enobaria, and her mother Lady Paylor, would not be satisfied with your choice, and you know it well. I clearly remember how Noveen was opposed sending off his daughter, but he had no choice in the matter, partly because of honour... And partly because of his wife's insistent ways." My father explained, and I shrugged.
"Who cares what they think, father? They are nothing but Ladies, should they be dissatisfied, they can't do anything but complain, and who will listen to a womans complains? Besides, Clove is likely to have other lordlings at her feet, so it won't be that much of a loss." The Lord still seemed uncertain though.
"Noveen might, and Brutus as well, though he has no say in this matter. And I know for certain that the young Lady Clove had her eyes set on you, son. And the young lady usually get's what she wants." He mumbled, though he was obviously considering the whole affair.
"Obviously not this time." I murmured. "Besides, she will soon get over me, and find a man who will be willing to give her everything she asks for, a favor I'm not sure I'd be able to do her. I was coming here in hope of your approval father, but I did not ask you to decide the matter for me. I will take Rue Belequte as my wife, and her brother, Nove, in my care as well." I waited for his reaction, but surprisingly, the only thing he reacted to was the sound of Nove's name.
"You sure must be right that our good Lord and his eldest daughter were on good terms, if she would even go and name her only soon after him, even after being exiled." He seemed to be thinking about it a little, then he sighed in defeat. "It will be as you want. I want you to find this girl Rue, and her brother, and have them live here with us all." He said, sounding more like he was commanding it rather than suggesting it. I blinked a few times.
"Here? In your mansion? Father, I beg your pardon, but I was thinking to have them move into my apartment from now on." I told him, biting my lips a little nervous at his reaction, but he just laughed.
"Nonsense, my dear boy! The two of them will be staying here, this Friday I will have a ball and we will make the engagement official, then we can start planning the wedding, and when the two of you are wed, you can bring her home. Until then she must stay here, as you know it means unluck for a woman and a man to live together outside marriage, unless they are siblings or to be fostered in the same home."Yes, I already knew that, but I hadn't thought that it still meant something to my father, especially not when he would send Clove over.
"If you'll have me excused then, father. I will go and find the two of them, and then bring them here." I was about to leave, when he spoke up.
"How old is she, this maiden?" He asked, and I was a bit taken aback by the question, since I could not answer.
"I do not know for sure, but she seems to be of age with Katniss, while Nove is probably 3 or 4 years younger than Primrose." I told him. The youngest of my sisters were almost 9, while the older had just turned 13. Katniss looked almost like a girl version of our father, while Primrose was the exact copy of our mother. Since she died, mother, our father had done everything to protect Prim from the hungry glares that men would send her, she would surely make a good bride to any soon. Her looks and her loving nature, which was also as seeing our mother again, was the main reason our father hadn't had her engaged just yet, as he had Katniss.
"Very well, though she is very young for a bride." He furrowed his brows, and I knew it was because he hadn't allowed Katniss to be wed before she turned 16. He would seem a bit hypocritical to the Mellark's, when he let his son marry off to her a girl, young like that. "She will probably be able to lend some of your sisters spares, while the boy... The servants have most likely saved you
and your brothers old clothes, so I'll ask them to bring it forth. I expect you to be here in time for the two to have a bath, and get changed before dinner." He proclaimed. I nodded without further words, just celebrating that he was on my side. Even if I did not feel it an urgent matter to marry young Rue, I was happy that I was now sure of avoiding her less than pleasant cousin.
And with that in mind, I went out to find my to-be-wife, and her brother.
(*-*)
Okay, I admit it, I admit it! .
This chapter was boring as hell :(
But in my head, it just had to make sense how he convinced his father to let him marry an orphan from the streets :3
I'd like your opinions anyways, if there's something wrong with the plot, if there's something wrong with the writing or anything :3 Every review is greatly appreciated!^^
Oh and I'd also like to know what you think about the cover for the story? Is it too weird ._.
And as you may or may not have noticed, the story's title has been changed, since the first one really sucked xD Not that this is much better, but it flows better ^^