The night was not kind to Valkyrie. By the time she got back to her cabin, her parents had already gone to bed so at least she didn't have to listen to her mother's scolding, which she was extremely glad for, as that was the last thing she needed right now. She felt like she had just broken up with a boyfriend, even though she and Skulduggery weren't a couple. She hated herself for the way she had left him, but she didn't know how she could have done it any other way.
She quickly removed her gown and gloves before putting on her nightgown and crawling under the covers. Although her bed was warm and comfortable, it could not warm her cold body and bad conscience. Try as she might, sleep would not come despite being very tired. She tossed and turned in bed unable to settle. She couldn't let go of the thought of Skulduggery and how much she had come to like him, even though she had only known him for a day.
He was so different from Caelan and the other men in first class. Valkyrie had never come across a more open, honest and down to earth person like Skulduggery. He made her dare to come out of her shell and understand that the world had so much more to offer her than an unhappy marriage where her only role was to be treated as an object of exhibition. She was so tired of the role she had been assigned and it was thanks to Skulduggery that she finally realized it.
Sleep finally overtook her, but it was not restful but was marred by nightmares that she could not remember when she woke up. The only thing they left behind was a sense of sadness and shame. She got up with a body heavy with sleeplessness and rubbed her face in an attempt to revive herself.
She saw that her parents had already gotten up as their beds were empty. She listened while looking around but could not see them. They must have gone ahead to the dining room and started eating breakfast already. Valkyrie entered the bathroom and began washing her face. When she was done and about to dry herself, she saw a small note with her mother's handwriting on it, lying on top of the pile of towels next to the sink. She picked it up and read:
Valkyrie, we've headed to the dining room for breakfast. I asked one of the housekeepers to bring in some breakfast for you as I understand you need to sleep after the night you had. Mr. Bliss told us where you were last night and let's just say I'm not very happy with you. We'll discuss this later when we've all had some food in our bellies and have woken up properly. Kisses and hugs, your mother.
Valkyrie didn't think she could feel any worse than she already did, but seeing her mother's message made her angry. She crumpled up the note and tossed it in the trashcan before walking back into the bedroom where she dressed in a green summer dress that flowed freely from her waist down. She was so tired of all the tight dresses and corsets she had been forced to wear during the trip, so this was a welcome choice of clothing.
Valkyrie walked out onto the patio attached to the cabin. The table outside was set with food, and it was only then that she noticed how hungry she was. She sat down at the table and began to cut into the food, which tasted divine. This was exactly what she needed right now: peace and quiet while replenishing her energy.
The sound of approaching footsteps made Valkyrie look up and when she saw who entered the room she froze. Caelan sat down in the chair across from her. He said nothing, just looked at her with such intense gaze that Valkyrie felt a shiver of horror slide down her spine. She didn't know what that look meant, other than it wasn't anything positive. She could tell from his body language that he was angry, downright furious and now she knew for sure that this meeting was not going to be pleasant.
"Good morning, Caelan," she said calmly, taking a sip of her tea. Partly to calm himself, partly to try not to anger Caelan even more.
"Where were you last night?" he asked, and Valkyrie raised an eyebrow in response. "I asked a question!" Caelan said angrily, clenching his fists in an attempt to control the immense anger he felt.
"Why would I have to tell you that?" Valkyrie asked, taking yet another sip of her breakfast tea.
"Why?" Caelan smiled an emotionless smile before his face turned into a mask of rage the next second. "I'll tell you why!"
He stood up and grabbed the breakfast table. He picked it up and threw it, sending food and crockery flying in all directions, causing a horrible sound to echo in the room. Caelan stared at Valkyrie with fire in his eyes as he shouted "Because I am your husband, and you are my future wife! If you haven't forgotten, I own you, Valkyrie!"
Valkyrie pushed herself back against the chair she was sitting in. She stared at Caelan with wide and terrified eyes while her body was shaking with fear. She had no idea what Caelan was capable of or what he was going to do with her. At best he would just scream a little and then leave, at worst he would force himself upon her and consummate their marriage before they were married.
Caelans eyes were glowing with rage, and he walked towards his fiancée with such clenched fists they'd started to turn white. He bent down until their faces were only inches apart while he laid his hands on the armrests so as not to give Valkyrie any chance whatsoever to escape from him.
"I know that when Bliss found you yesterday afternoon before dinner, you were in the company of some third-class kids and Skulduggery, playing soccer. I also know you were with Skulduggery down in the third-class quarters last night, laughing and dancing remarkably close to him."
Valkyrie swallowed and did not dare to let go of Caelan's gaze for a single second, since she was afraid that he would misinterpret her fear as disdain or defiance, which in turn would fuel his wrath even more. She opened her mouth to answer him, but she could not get out a single word.
Caelan grabbed Valkyrie's chin before pressing his lips to hers and began to kiss her both hard and intensely. Valkyrie tried to break free, but Caelan hindered her with his strong body which he pressed against her. He continued to kiss her for a little while longer before breaking it off as quickly as he had started it. He looked into her eyes again and said in a menacing voice "Don't forget that you belong to me and only me, Valkyrie. I'm not going to let anything come between us. Stay away from that Skulduggery Pleasant and nothing will happen to either you or him."
Valkyrie couldn't do anything else but nod, thanks to the chock that currently had its claws around her, and she swallowed hard in an attempt to moisten her dry throat. Caelan nodded and gave her a small, satisfied smile before pulling away from her. He turned and started to walk away from her before stopping mid-step as if he had just realized something important. He turned and walked back to Valkyrie. He looked at her for a second or so before raising his hand in a wide arc and giving her a slap across the cheek that sent both Valkyrie's head and body flying to the side.
It was only thanks to her holding on tightly to the chair that she did not fall to the floor.
Valkyrie gasped in surprise, shock and pain and put her hand to her aching cheek as she looked up at Caelan. He smiled an insensitive smile and said "A little warning, nothing else. If you behave yourself for the rest of the trip, nothing more will happen to you, Valkyrie" before he turned on his heel and walked out from the patio.
As Caelan disappeared through the doorway, Valkyrie saw that one of the housekeepers tending to their cabin was standing staring at her with wide eyes and hands over her mouth in a shocked expression. Valkyrie realizes that she has seen everything that just unfolded, and she can't stop a feeling of shame and embarrassment from washing over her. She hated the thought of anyone else seeing her weak.
The housekeeper ran up to Valkyrie and bent down in front of her. She placed her hand on Valkyrie's shoulder and asked with a worried voice "Miss Cain, how are you? Let me help you. That doesn't look good."
Valkyrie shook her head. "No, it's okay. Instead, let me help you clean up this mess." She was just about to stand up but immediately fell back onto the floor and felt tears stream down her cheeks. She clutched her chest and let out a stifled sob. The housekeeper laid her arms around Valkyrie and comforted her as best she could.
Valkyrie was just beginning to calm down when the sound of a door opening and footsteps reached her ears. Her heart began pounding hard in her chest and her breathing went from normal and deep to ragged and short as she thought it was Caelan who was back to give her another round, even though he had promised her he wouldn't hurt her anymore if she kept out of mischief.
"Valkyrie, are you here?" Melissa's voice was heard calling.
Valkyrie let out a loud moan of relief before she once again started to sob, this time from relief instead of fear. She could hear how her parents' footsteps were approaching and within seconds they were both out on the patio where they saw the mess Caelan had made and their crying daughter being comforted by a housekeeper.
Melissa ran over to her crying daughter and sat down next to her before putting her arms around her. "Valkyrie, what happened here?!"
"Caelan…" was all Valkyrie managed to get out
"Mr. Stephens, he was absolutely furious! He screamed and threatened your daughter before hitting her with his palm!"
Both Melissa and Desmond stared at the housekeeper in horror as they paled. Desmond clenched his fists and said "I'm going to find Caelan and have a serious talk with him! This is unacceptable!"
Valkyrie shook her head. "No, father. It's my fault, I was the one that made him angry. If I had just been quiet, he wouldn't have gotten this angry. Give him a chance to calm down. He won't redo this, believe me. He needs you on his good side if he wants this engagement to proceed."
"But, Valkyrie, he hit you! That's not how you treat your future wife!"
Valkyrie looked her father in the eyes while shaking her head. "No, you're not going to look for him."
Desmond sighed and ran his hand over his face in a frustrated gesture. "Okay, I'm not going to look for him, but take my word for it when I say that if he gives in to you one more time, I will personally see to it that this engagement ends."
"Thanks, Dad."
They all helped clean up the mess and when the room was sparkling clean again, Melissa took Valkyrie into the bathroom. Inside, she helped her daughter wash her face and put a cold compress on her slightly swollen cheek. To top it all off, in addition to the swelling, Valkyrie also had a red mark over the area where Caelan had hit her, and she knew no makeup in the world could make it go away. She hoped that the cold water would make the mark and swelling go away.
"How are you feeling, darling?" Melissa asked her daughter, taking her hand.
Valkyrie looked at her mother and sighed. "I don't know, mom... I'm shocked and sad. I've long suspected that Caelan was capable of this, but now that I've had the truth literally slapped into my face, I've come to understand that the situation is worse than I first thought. All I can hope for now is that Caelan will leave me alone for the rest of the trip as long as I stay on his good side."
"You shouldn't have to feel that way!" Her mother said, squeezing Valkyrie's hand tightly. "If I had known Caelan was like this, I would never have allowed your father to approve the marriage. Your life means so much more than our fortune, Valkyrie!"
"It is my life and my choice, mother. I understand your and Dad's concerns, but I love you both too much to leave you high and dry. As long as your finances are in shambles, I will be Caelan's wife. If Dad manages to renew his deals and secure them, he can surely buy me out of Caelan's clutches. That's all I can hope for at this point."
Melissa's eyes filled with tears, and she embraced her daughter in a tight hug. Valkyrie felt herself start to cry as well and she put her arms around her mother. Both women cried out their sadness at how unfair life could be at times and their frustration at not having found a better solution to their problem.
Later, when Valkyrie had had time to calm down and freshen up as best she could, she walked out of the cabin and onto the deck to gather her thoughts. Now that Caelan had crossed the line and physically hurt her, she was even more unsure if she made the right choice to marry him. She now knew for sure that if she went through with the marriage, her life would be filled with violence, abuse, assault and coercion. Did she really want to live such a life? Could she make that sacrifice to save her parents from falling into poverty?
At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder if she really had any other choice? What would happen to her if she did not consummate the marriage? Where would her parents and she go? How could they make a living? Valkyrie had never worked a day in her life and even though her parents had been workers before she was born, she wasn't sure if they would be able to find a job that they could pull off.
She sat down on a sun lounger and let her gaze sweep over the other passengers who passed her. She couldn't help but feel jealous of how happy they all seemed to be, as if they had everything in order and didn't have to worry about whether or not they would be able to put food on the table while she herself was sitting here on her way into a life she didn't want to live.
She couldn't help but start thinking about Skulduggery, even though she knew she should try to forget him. She thought about how, despite his tough upbringing, he was happy and took the day as it came. How he didn't let anything stop him from doing things the way he wanted to. How he makes her feel things she's never felt before, how he makes her think in ways she had never thought in before and how he makes her want to try new things.
She can't help but feel that the two of them were meant to meet right here, right now. That their paths were meant to cross.
As if sensing that she was thinking of him, Skulduggery suddenly stood in front of her. Valkyrie flinched and looked up at him. Skulduggery's face was serious, and he had dark circles under his eyes, which told Valkyrie that he too had had a rough night with little sleep. Skulduggery sat down next to her but said nothing. They both looked into each other's eyes for a good while as the world around them continued as usual.
Valkyrie felt her worry, anxiety and despair slowly fade away and was amazed at how easily she could forget everything as soon as Skulduggery was near her. Ever since yesterday when she had seen how Skulduggery and the other third classers lived their lives, a small seed had been growing inside her that told her that there was so much more she could bring out in life and that Skulduggery was the perfect person to show her it.
"Mr. Pleasant, I want to thank you for yesterday. I had a very nice time, but unfortunately, I have to inform you again that we cannot continue seeing each other. I have a reputation to uphold, and I am to be married off to another man in a few days. I want you to know that I am eternally grateful for everything you have done for me in this short time we have known each other. You have made me look at life in a completely different perspective, which will help me a lot in the future when I start my new life." Valkyrie held out her hand to Skulduggery, waiting for Skulduggery to shake it, but instead he just looked at her with a sad and disappointed look.
"Valkyrie… I'm going to call you by your real name instead of your last name because I know what you're trying to do right now. You can't fool me. I am fully aware of why you are talking and behaving this way." Skulduggery grabbed her chin and turned her head so he could get a good look at her cheek. "I know Caelan has threatened you and hurt you, which are two things a husband should not do to his wife if he truly loves her. Did you really think I wouldn't notice how swollen your cheek is?"
Valkyrie didn't answer, just continued to look Skulduggery in the eyes, even as her entire being screamed at her that Skulduggery deserved better and that this was the wrong choice. Despite this, she managed to restrain herself and not show outwardly what was going on inside her.
"I know you're only doing what Caelan says to save your parents from being poor and homeless, but you need to start stopping thinking about others and instead focus on yourself and what you want. Caelan, has you trapped and if you don't break free you will die!"
"I know what I want Skulduggery, and I will not die. I have made my decision and there is nothing you can say to make me change my mind."
"Do you really do that, Valkyrie?!" Skulduggery asked in a desperate voice, beginning to caress her tender cheek with a gentle motion. "Is this how you want the rest of your life to be? Filled with beatings, rapes and a body full of bruises that you will try in vain to cover up so that no one will see how badly your husband treats you? Do you want to live in a loveless marriage that will be filled with nothing but suffering? I thought you were stronger than that, Valkyrie!"
Valkyrie felt tears begin to form in her eyes but she somehow managed to blink them away before they started to fall down her cheeks. "Like I said, I've already made my decision, Skulduggery."
"Damn it, Valkyrie!" Skulduggery stood up and began pacing back and forth across the deck. "Don't you understand that I'm saying this because I care about you?! Don't you understand that I'm saying this because I wish I was in Caelan's shoes right now?! Don't you understand that I wish I was the one about to marry you?!"
Skulduggery looked into Valkyrie's eyes with a desperation Valkyrie hadn't seen in anyone before and that she wished she'd never have to see again either.
Even though it would tear her apart inside, Valkyrie knew that the words she was about to say were necessary to make Skulduggery understand that this would be their last meeting. She stood up and looked Skulduggery in the eyes. "Your concern pleases me, Skulduggery, it really does, but unfortunately, it's not enough. I will live the rest of my life with Caelan. I love Caelan."
Skulduggery continued to look at Valkyrie with a desperate look while his face conveyed nothing but frustration. He grabbed Valkyrie's hands and pulled her towards him. When Valkyrie didn't resist, a hope lit up in his eyes that made Valkyrie burst inside, though outwardly she wasn't allowed to show it. Neither of them said anything, just looking at each other as their bodies were no more than a few inches apart. Skulduggery gave Valkyrie a nervous smile before leaning forward and trying to kiss her.
Valkyrie let go of Skulduggery's hands before turning away, saying "I have to go" and left him all alone on the deck of the Titanic.
Another cliffhanger?! I am so sorry, but I promise I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can! For all of you who has seen the movie, you will know which famous scene is coming up next ;)