chapter 32

Her anger waxed away by just staring into his glowing emerald eyes. She found herself wanting to taste his round red lips which had invited her long before now.

Perhaps it was Francis's lips that she mistook for his. She had been yearning to kiss Francis. Eleanor was confused on whose lips she needed the most.

"Why am I feeling for this prince what I feel for Francis. Why am I not specific in my choice. Why would I be feeling a thing for every guy. Maybe I'm infatuated with them". She concluded in her head.

Her sweet Francis whom her father hated. Their relationship has withered before it even began. This marriage has caused it.

It was done on her that she was just a girl and any decision could be taken on her behalf. Even with matters of the heart.

Princess Eleanor loosed free from his soft gripped. She blinked and moved away. Not wanting to look weak and cheap before this arrogance prince whom she just met.

He refused to bow to her father. He looked him in the eye and asked to excused himself with her.

"What an insolent". She whispered in her head. They were now three steps apart

" There is no need avoiding me. You are already mine". Prince Raymond broke the silence.

"What ever you did that made my father married me off to you must have been deep" she reasoned. " why father?" .

"You shall administered medications to my wounds when I returned from war. You shall be there to make sure my stomach is filled. You shall warmed my bed and be the mother of my sons. See to it that all your duties to me is obliged or my wrath shall be incited on you".

" Excused you prince Raymond!" Princess Eleanor said furious. " Even if that is your intentions you can't even hide it. Be a saint at least for an a hour". He looked at her indifferent.

" Was that why my father choose you to marry me?". No responds came from him.

He pocketed his hands and waited for her to rained out her mind.

"Do you considered me an object and not a female Being. A human like you with feelings and emotions. With a voice and a mind of my own". He moved a step closer

" The day you were born a girl deprived you of such right. You shall be mine like my other properties,... Like my fields, my carriages and horses, my jewelries".

He pulled back her strands of hair that missed it way.

" Only that I shall preferred you a little more than these things. I forgive you now. But this should be the first and the last time you talked back at me". He turned to leave

" You shall never have my heart". She yelled at him.

He laughed on hearing that. He turned around. When he saw the furies in her eyes. He walked closer.

"Needless to boil my dear wife. I already have your body. What shall I be doing with your heart when all that shall gratify me is staring at me".

He placed his hands on her bare shoulders. She tilted her head up and parted her lips at his touched. He trailed down to her bust and attempted to dug his hands under her dress. She jerked and stepped back.

She can't believed he attempted to do such an embarrassing thing. "What do you expect" a voice in her head told her. "He is your husband".

"I chose you. Your father knew my kingdom's immunity and might in battles that's why he accepted me for you. If you are not comfortable as my wife then I shall make you one of my numerous concubines".

The princess whimpering ceased. She just realized he might be saying that to get to her. Even if he meant what he say. She is not known to be a weakling and must not start now. She put her self together and gave him a lovely smile.

He was startled at her sudden changed of countenance. She knew the person she needed to talk to was her father and not this total stranger insulting her person and womanhood in the name of arranged marriage. Political marriage.

"Absurd". She voiced out subtly.

He dilated his eyes. She bowed before him.

"Forgive me my husband. Please permit me to take my leave". She smile some more. This one more seductive than the former.

"Prepared! you shall follow me home. Don't keep me waiting". He said and left her instead.

Princess Eleanor went to her chambers. She was pacing back and forth uncertain of what to do. She called on Beatrice angrily to get her out of the ball gown.

Kate was there. Eleanor ordered her to gathered what she could for her journey.

She wanted to speak to her father before she leave. So she stomped out after she changed her dress.

The evening sky set in. Every other visitor were gone. There were left to their own reality. She thought she was going to met her father at the hall. She met the servants cleaning the place.

She went to his chambers. He was seated on the balcony.

"My father... I greet you". She stood near him. Waiting patiently for the king to answer her but it never came. Instead he was smiling to himself.

" Father please speak with your sunflower, your Eleanor". She was hard with the words. He turned and held her hands.

" My child I did what I think is best for you and for our kingdom"

" Father forgive me but I have to say that he is a beast who sees me as an object to be used at will".

" My child our kingdom needs protection. You need a man by your side to be able to fight this battle ahead. Give him time. When he realized how wonderful you are. He will come to love you. Even more than I have ever loved you".

She was staring at him. He kept talking of protection. The other time he told her to meet a demon. Now he married her off. Was the king doing all this to her because of old age. She reasoned.

"Father what battles are you talking about?".

"War is coming against you. Against this kingdom. Against it rich soil and precious stones and against our people. Only you cannot defeat this villains".

"Father what are you talking about?. You talked about me returning the king stone. You married me off. I asked before and I'm still going to asked again. How can I fight a battle for my paternal kingdom from another man's kingdom?".

"I told you to leave fates for fate. Till then. You shall see. I know you must returned with him".

The kingdom stood up from his seat and entered his bedchamber. She went with him.

He opened a cabinet and brought out a sword for her. The ancient sword he showed to her years back in the museum.

"Take it child. You shall need it. Keep it safe and used it when necessary".

She collected it with both arms. Still looking at it. The king pulled her into his embraced.

"I shall missed you my child. Where he takes you, go with him. Be a good and submissive wife. Discussed things with him before you act. He is the man over you. Respect him like you would have respected me".

Eleanor began to shed tears. Her father did this on purpose. To make her like like a child. She bite her lips to contend the tears. King Ephraim brought out a letter for her.

He held her hands and walked towards the door.

"You remember this letter. You picked on the day I took you into your mother's chambers. You hid it from me". He laughed and cried.

"I saw it in your chamber when you left to Serpent Land. I read it. Now is the time for you to read it also. Take your time. At your own convenience".

They were speechless. Staring at each other. She hugged him tight. "father I'm scare. I don't know how it going to be. Starting afresh with a complete stranger outside your supervision".

" It shall be well my child. Have faith. You shall overcome your fears". He pushed her slowly away from his arms.

"Know that I love you. No matter where you are or what you might go through. Don't forget who you are. Don't forget your kingdom and your people. They have no heir except you".

The king opened the door. "Go and married your husband. Go child and be a better wife than your mother".

She wanted to wrapped her hands around him again but he turned his back on her. She wept. Slowly she walked out of the king chamber sobbing.

Bernard informed her that her husband was waiting for her. She was going to her chamber to see what her maids had gathered.

Queen Margaret caught up with her at the corridors to her chambers. Every where was calm and tensed.

Eleanor couldn't controlled herself before her. Queen Margaret gave her a shoulder to lean on. When she looked up to her she turned to Jessica.

Eleanor smiled. She kissed her cheeks.

"Please protect my father, queen Jessica. Do not give him room to missed me".

"I will" she didn't care anymore if the maids who passed them by saw her true self. She felt for Eleanor and was willing to make her smile in the little ways she could.

"Where you are going to, no magic can penetrate. I fear we might not be able to communicate except through letters. That is if your husband shall permit".

Eleanor cried again on hearing that. Her freedom was taken away from her and given to a man she knew not of.

Beatrice and Kate came. The princess turned to them. She thought they were in her bedchamber. But they came through the outside corridor.

"We went to put your belongings in the carriage my princess". Kate said and bowed.

"prince Raymond, your husband asked us not to bring any other thing. He said that what ever you will need shall be given to you in his kingdom. Your new home my princess". Beatrice bowed.

The princess just heaved. "I would have love to come with you if the prince shall permit. My princess".

It was Kate that spoke. Queen Margaret had earlier told her to insist on following her so Eleanor could pressed on her husband to agree.

"I do not know". Eleanor said in a weary tone. They led her out to the palace entrance.

Ken was out there. He walked up and bowed before Eleanor when she approached with the others.

She was surprised to see him. The other time he saw him. He was still unable to rise from his lying position. The physician said the dagger they used against him was poisoned.

"how are you feeling now sir Ken?" Eleanor asked with a lighten mood.

"I'm fine my princess. Beatrice told me you shall be leaving us to your husband's kingdom. I said I must greet you before you leave".

"That was very thoughtful of you". Eleanor gave him a warm smile. He bowed again.

Queen Charlene coughed from behind. "So our sprinter princess is finally married. At last I can have my husband to my self". She hissed.

"You should stop being dramatic every time". It was queen Margaret who interfered.

Carriages was by one side on the palace ground. They could see the prince speaking to some persons from the palace entrance stairs where they stood. The evening sky was deep blue. It told them the day was running out.

Queen Daniella too was there to bid the princess farewell.

"I didn't know I was so special to both of you that you would leave what you were doing to come and bid me farewell". Eleanor spoke.

"You never understood me". Queen Daniella spoke for herself. "Is a good thing you are married. When you go to your husband's home and he happened to married many wives then shall you understand how it feels like for a wife to be loved over another".

"Hahahaha". Queen Charlene laughed. "You shall surely know that you are no more in your father's kingdom where everything and everyone is at your side. Especially this very kingdom you are going where the one that is called your husband is already treating you like some trash".

Eleanor was perplexed. She didn't know how queen Charlene knew that prince Raymond her husband doesn't regard her. Only if she had listen to their little conversation.

"What do you think others would regard you as?" Queen Charlene continues. "You are walking into your doom princess".

"Enough!". queen Margaret yelled.

All of them conformed. Even Eleanor flinched.

"That both of you were doom in your own marriages does not mean my daughter shall be in hers".

The other queens laughed because she called Eleanor her daughter. But this was all Eleanor needed to comfort her to her husband's kingdom. With the way queen Margaret was responding to them.

She knew she would not hesitate to interfered in anything these two shall raised against her father that she may know of. Eleanor smile fulfilled that she had a backbone to watched over the private life of her father till she shall meet him again.

"I apologized but I must say… children" . She looked at queen Charlene and queen Daniella. They were looking at themselves. They became upset for such disrespectfulness by the young princess.

"yes you. Both of you". Eleanor confirmed their doubt and pointed her index finger at them in turns.

"yes my children. Only children whined over spilt milk. I shall go to my husband's house and to my new home to be the best of wife that they ever could be. Better than queen Lucy, my mother was beside my father, the king, your husband".

To queen Margaret. Eleanor turned to her and bowed.

"the mother I didn't opened my eyes to see. I saw in you. Mother I shall made you proud in my husband's house". Queen Margaret hugged her and kissed her cheeks. Warmed water left queen Margaret eyes in a hurry. She sniffed and kept her face up to contend it.

The servants who had stepped back when the annoying conversation began, giggled as they hugged.

The princess passed the hugged to Kate and to Beatrice and a bowed to Ken.

"wouldn't Kate come with you?". Queen Margaret asked. Kate followed her.

The other queens could not say a thing. Eleanor descended the stairs to meet with her husband who was now wondering what she was doing standing so long on the stairs.

"I thought you would be hugging her all night". Prince Raymond said. "we have a long journey ahead of us. Get into the carriage at once".

"My husband please permit only this my maid to come with me". She said in a respectful tone and bow.

"No need". Raymond said. "Maids shall be assigned to you once we get home".

"please do just this one thing for me". She held his wrist. He looked up to her. She looked down. He snatched his hand from her and signaled on his head guard to fixed Kate in one of their carriages.

Eleanor was going to ride alone in her carriage. He didn't allowed Kate to ride with her, not even himself.

They set out on their way. King Ephraim was watching them from the high window until they were completely out of sight.

On their way. They were seven carriages accompanying them and horses. They were running very fast because night was drawing near. Eleanor's carriage was following prince Raymond's directly.

Eleanor tried not to think of too much. She let her eyes see the trees running backward. She smiled at the sight. The wind was humming into her ears. The serenity brought sleep to her eyes. She closed the carriage curtains and reclined on the seat.

"Princess Eleanor". She turned around. "I thought you would never come". She said and closed her eyes back.

It was lord Zane who appeared in the carriage. Eleanor was still relaxed. She folded her hands under her bust.

"I found out late. I can never forgive myself for letting this happened.

"It has happened already. I am now another man's wife. I would advise you stop stalking me. My husband you know would not like to see you here in a closed carriage with his wife. so go away".

Their carriage merely left the gate of Golden Hill into the paths between the woods. They could hear birds murmuring inside the woods. The night was already here. It was the moonlight that ordered their way.

"Stop saying that. Another can't have you if I can't".

Eleanor turned to looked at him. Even in the dark carriage she could see his eyes. It was darker than her burdens. His veins were protruding.

Eleanor laughed. "child". She exclaimed. "lamenting over spilt milk. Where were you when I needed who to save me from that spot I stood where my father happily tied my hand to his".

She lifted the hand. lord Zane snapped his fingers and a burning lamp appeared on the carriage ceiling.

Eleanor looked up to it. She turned to him and then sat upright.

"Don't you ever come to me again. I am married". She emphasized the married.

He looked into her eyes as if he didn't hear a thing of what she said. He saw how red and swollen her eyes were that she has been crying. He listen to her thought. She was thinking of nothing but was crying in her heart. He wept.

lord Zane was sent by his father the devil to a very far kingdom to settled a dispute.

Before he went. He had come to the party of Eleanor. She was not in the hall when he came, so he disguised as one of her knights to her chamber. He saw how Beatrice was dressing her up. The joy she had in her eyes gave him hopes.

He didn't want to interrupt. He left knowing that she was happy. Seeing her now like this is like his has a spear buried deep into his heart.

He wept. The thought that she is married. "another man's wife". he gritted his teeth. Fire started burning in his eyes.

"Stop it" . Eleanor said.

"I must take you with me". He said. He held her hands.

" no let me go". Eleanor yelled and struggled with him.

immediately! the window curtain was flung opened and a sword was pointed at lord Zane's throat.