6 - Marriage

It's been a month since Prince Owen confessed his feelings for Maria and the whole month was never been easy for Maria. There were times that the Prince will suddenly pop out in front of their house and invite her to dinner or to walk around the Kingdom. All those times, Maria doesn't want to go with him anywhere but she can't say no to the Prince. The primary reason for that is the difference between their social status. While the other reason is her father. Michael is convincing her to go with the Prince every time the Prince will invite her to go somewhere. It's not like she doesn't want to go because she doesn't want to be with Prince Owen. She just felt like she doesn't have any right to stand next to the Prince. So to avoid problems or misunderstanding, she's just tagging along with the Prince.

The mysterious girl that is always wearing a white mask and cloak also became one of her regular customers. Not like the Prince who's buying vegetables at her stall almost every day, the mysterious girl is showing up at least once a week to buy. Not like the first time she bought in Maria's stall, she had never spoken with Maria again. Leo, the guy who's always with her is the one who's doing all the talking. Alaia is just standing behind him and watching Maria from the corner of her eyes, pretending to be not paying attention to the 17-year-old girl.

One time, Maria greeted her, hoping to hear the mysterious girl's voice again but the girl just looked back at her for 2 seconds and then looked away from her again. Maria was disappointed at that result because when the mysterious girl first bought vegetables at her, she's been asking her questions but after that day, she no longer say anything to her, not even hi or whatever one word she can possibly say. Leo, the guy with the mysterious girl, is a good guy. He's kind of loquacious but every time Maria will ask him about the mysterious girl, he will only giggle and then bid his goodbyes.

The Holmes family just finished dinner. Maria's three little brothers and sisters immediately flew out of the dining table to continue what they are playing earlier while her 12-year-old little sister helped her gather the plates from the table.

"Maria," Michael called, still sitting at the dining table and looking serious as ever. He has his hands clasped on top of the table and staring at them.

Maria looked back at his father in confusion but didn't bother walking toward him and just proceeded with washing the dishes.

"What's wrong father?"

Her father didn't speak for several long seconds so Maria looked back at him in worry and found his father staring at her with sadness reflected in his eyes.

Without blinking his eyes at least once, Michael said, "What do you think of marrying Prince Owen?"

Maria suddenly became deaf at his father's suggestion. She can feel her heart slowly quickening its pace, as the unknown irritation slowly eats up her brain. Maria stared at her father for almost a minute, waiting for him to take back what he said but he didn't. He just stared back at Maria without moving at least an inch.

Maria felt like she was being suffocated so she looked away from her father for a split second and then returned her eyes again to him when she finally caught her breath.

"F-Father what are you saying? Why are you suddenly asking that question?"

Michael looked back at his younger daughter, Ema, who was awkwardly standing there and looking between him and Maria.

"Ema, can you leave me and your sister for now? We just have something important we need to talk to."

After drying her hands, Ema left them alone but not after shooting a worried glance at her older sister. Maria's father stood up and walked towards Maria. When he's finally only two steps away from his daughter, he speaks in a lower voice, "Maria, I think you should marry the Prince. He loves you so much and I'm sure he would be more than willing to marry you."

Maria blew out a breath in irritation, "Father, why should I marry the Prince? Whether he's willing to marry me or not, that shouldn't be the basis for me to be tied with him. Are you even hearing yourself, father? I'm only 17 and yet you already want me to get married."

Michael sighed and ran his hand on his messy hair. "You're not understanding anything Maria. You need to get married already. That's the only way that I can think of so they won't be able to take you away from us."

Maria only became even more irritated at his father's statement. He looks so scared of something and Maria doesn't have any idea to what or to whom.

"What are you saying, father? Who are you referring to as they that will take me away? Why do I need to get married already? You're not making any sense. I'm not understanding anything." Maria's voice is getting louder and louder, and her words are getting sharper and sharper as her irritation just keeps on hitting new highs.

"I can't say it for now but listen to me." Michael grabbed Maria's both shoulders and held his daughter so Maria will look directly into his eyes. "I know you don't want to be married yet but I also don't want you to be taken. We only have 1 week to sort out this problem and that's the best solution I can think of. If they learned that you're already married to the Prince, maybe they will just leave us alone because they don't want to be on the Kingdom's bad side. So, Maria, I want you to just listen and do what I say: Get married to Prince Owen."

"B-But Father-" Maria tried to protest but her father didn't let her. "I'll head out and talk to the Prince and King about this. Take care of your brothers and sisters while I'm gone."

Michael let go of Maria and walked towards the front door after picking up his hat. Maria hurriedly walked toward his father and tried to stop him.

"Father, who are you referring to as the people who will take me? Why would they do that? Please tell me, Father!" Maria begged but Michael ignored her and just kept on walking away from their house in the middle of the night.

Maria frowned. She felt like crying. She wanted to chase her father and beg her to drop the whole marriage idea but she felt helpless with all the confusion from everything that she discovered. Her father left her with questions that didn't let her sleep. She was awake throughout the night, waiting for her father to come back but her father didn't come home until morning.

"Father," Maria called when his father opened the front door, looking like he didn't get any sleep last night.

Maria stood up and led his father to their wooden chairs to take a seat.

"Father, what happened? Why did you come back just now?"

Michael heaved a long sigh and instead of answering his daughter's questions, he asked Maria to get him a cup of water which she immediately did.

Maria waited for her father to finish first the water before she asked the same question. "Father, what happened?"

Michael put down the cup and smiled sadly at her. He reached for his daughter's face and ran his hand on Maria's hair. "Maria, they agreed. The wedding will be next week, on your 18th birthday."

--

Alaia has her right foot resting on the wall that her back has been glued on for a couple of minutes already. Losing her patience, she clicked her tongue as she uncrossed her arms beneath her breast and pushed herself away from the establishment's wall with her right foot. She took a peek at where Maria's stall is but still failed to find the blondie behind the stall.

Alaia frowned. Maria should be here already a couple of hours ago but not even her silhouette appeared before Alaia's eyes. It's not like she needs something from Maria. She just wants to see the young lady, that's all. The compensation she asked for from the peasant 18 years ago is still blurry in her mind. She doesn't have any idea what she can do with Maria. She had enough servants already and also, Maria is a human, a creature that she doesn't have trust at all. So, she's thinking of just letting Maria off but she's still not sure about that.

"Your Highness, why do think Maria is still not here?" Leo asked watching his master walk back in forth in the small alley.

"I don't know. It's weird, right? That woman had never missed a day in selling their crops."

"It's actually you who was weird. I have never seen you be this agitated." Leo whispered to himself, looking in the opposite direction of where is her young master.

"What did you say?" Alaia sharply asked.

Leo flinched in fear and immediately shook his head. "N-Nothing, Your Highness. I-I said maybe I should go there and ask someone about Maria." Leo nervously said, pointing his trembling index finger in the direction of Maria's stall.

Alaia just mumbled a low "Okay", finding Leo's suggestion better than waiting here without any idea if Maria will ever come. Alaia just stayed in the alley and watched Leo approach the stall next to Maria, looking even more jittery.

"Hi Miss, can I bother you for a minute?" Leo charmingly asked, giving the young woman a sweet smile.

The woman's eyes lit up when she saw Leo. Leo assumed that the girl is in her early 20s already. She doesn't look that bad. She actually looks cute but her looks would be a thousand times inferior when she was compared to the protagonist of this story, Maria Holmes.

The woman tucked the loose strand of her hair behind her ear and shyly looked at Leo. Unfortunately, Leo isn't interested in things called love, he's a wolf after all and not a human being.

"Y-Yes? W-What can I do for you, Mister?"

Seeing his effects on the woman, Leo kept his charming smile plastered on his face, "Do you perhaps know the woman who is also selling crops on the stall next to yours?"

The woman looked back at the stall that Leo is pointing with his thumb, "Are you referring to, Maria?"

Leo eagerly nodded his head while the girl frowned in disappointment. Her shy appearance suddenly became sulky as she averted her eyes from Leo and directed them instead to the crops in front of her.

"Maria will no longer sell crops here. She will just enjoy her new wealthy life in the palace. Lucky for her to be able to seduce the prince." The woman uttered in distaste and oozing with envy.

Leo was about to ask what does she mean but Alaia suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stood beside him. Alaia uttered the question for Leo in a stern voice, sending shivers to the girl. "What do you mean that she will no longer sell her crops here?"

The girl's eyes widen in fear and surprise with Alaia's sudden appearance and stern voice. She only blinked her eyes once and yet, a mysterious girl, wearing a white mask and a cloak was already standing before her. She was so sure that the mysterious girl is nowhere near her stall. So she doesn't know how the mysterious girl suddenly ended up standing in front of her.

Leo grabbed this opportunity to talk with Alaia in a low voice while the woman is still dazed.

"Your Highness, please calm yourself or else she will suspect us and doubt our identities."

Alaia didn't speak any more words and just clenched her fists harder under the cloak.

"Ahm. Miss?" Leo awkwardly called. He somehow gets the girl's attention but she is still not done processing the fact that she maybe witnessed someone teleported.

"So, why Maria will no longer sell crops here?" Leo sweetly asked.

The girl finally gets back to her senses as she blinks her eyes rapidly and looks down for a second. "M-Maria will be married to the Prince on the same day of her 18th birthday, 3 days from now. So, she no longer needs to sell crops here."

Leo trembled in nervousness when he sensed the aura that His Highness is emitting. He no longer needs to look back just to confirm that what they heard brought a terrible mood in Alaia. He has never witnessed Alaia be angry over something or someone since he started serving her more than two decades already. This was a first and he doesn't have any idea what Alaia could possibly do after knowing this.

"Let's go." Leo heard Alaia say in a low voice and started walking away from there. Leo vowed his head and uttered his thanks to the girl then followed Alaia, quietly.

Alaia is no longer emitting a dark aura. She was calm but Leo is sure that she was planning something.

"Mortals really love to betray my trust," Alaia whispered. Leo doesn't know if she whispered it to herself or for him to hear but whatever it is, it's not really important. What's important is what will happen after this.

Alaia looked back at Leo and stared directly into his eyes. Her green forest eyes turned darker as one corner of her lips arched up, "We're going to crash that wedding and take what's mine."