1 Forced to Marry

"I don't want to marry."

Rose wept in her room, her eyes bloodshot and kept on streaming down her face like a river. On the bed, she looked up at her mother who was standing next to her and was looking down at her with inpatient eyes.

"You know this is for everyone's sake."

The Duchess told her daughter who had been weeping for hours now. "You already knew that your body belongs to the Empire. You cannot simply say you don't want to marry Duke David because of your selfish reasons."

"I know that." Rose breathlessly said. How could she not know that as a daughter of a duke, she had duties she must do to keep the Empire safe. "But must I marry a man as old as father? And why does it have to be me? What about my older sisters?"

Rose knew that she was just going to make her mother angry at her rebuttal but she hoped that, as a woman like her and as a mother, the duchess would pardon her from this fate and help her.

"Rose Eleanor D'Ambrey!"

Rose flinched at her mother's shrill voice. Calling her by her full name, Rose knew that her mother's patience for her has ran out.

It was actually a surprise that her mother continued to speak in order to reprimand her rather than hit her.

"I don't want to listen to your useless complaints about this marriage anymore. You will travel to the Elois City to where your soon-to-be husband is and obey his orders when you get married to him. Do not try to make a fool out of our name and sully out reputation by thinking of escaping." The duchess condescendingly looked at Rose and turned around to leave the room to her daughter.

Rose bit her lower lips, the biting and sour tears that was on the verge of spilling started to pool her eyes, blurring her vision as she forced them back.

Even until the day before her daughter's departure to a debauched man's territory, her mother, the duchess, refused to part her any comforting words even just for appearance's sake or just to lie to Rose.

But even if the duchess did all that Rose wanted her to do, the mere thought of being touched by those cold hands made her body shiver in disgust. Until now, she couldn't forget what those hands did to her since she was a young a child even if the duchess suddenly turned into a motherly figure out of nowhere.

'knock'

Rose buried her head on the blankets that covered her bed when she heard the rhythmic knockings coming from outside. Just from how the knock was made to sound gentle and afraid to disturb her, Rose could tell who was standing outside.

"Come in."

Rose called out whilst her voice sound hoarse and nasal.

"My lady…"

A woman opened the door and entered the room. A pale, pleasant and thin face, black hair that was twisted into a clean up-do, and a dress that most lady in waiting wore in the Capital was revealed. Rose looked up at her lady in waiting and drew back all her grievances.

Wiping her face that had traces of her dried tears, Rose faced Melinda and said in a calm manner, "Did something happen to my brother, Melinda?"

Aside from being her lady in waiting, Melinda was also tasked to look after Rose's younger brother who was still in his early years.

Melinda shook her head. "No, milady. The young master is deep asleep. I came here to serve you."

Rose nodded her head and stood up as Melinda helped her wash up and change into a new nightgown before she prepared to retire for the day.

Neither spoke about Rose's departure tomorrow. And Rose was thankful for that since she didn't want to talk about it any more than she wanted and didn't want to show her weakness to one more person.

When sleep takes over Rose, the endless nightmare that came into her dreams suffocated her. The sweat that soaked her back and nightdress was proof to how stressed she was and how she feared for what's coming for her tomorrow.

The dimly lit room didn't help her relax and ended up staying all night.

---

"Remember your duties, child." Rose's father stood before her as he didn't forget to remind her of what she must do for the sake of everyone.

His wrinkly face and brown hair were the same as yesterday, not a strand of white hair grew from worrying about his daughter who was about to depart to another man's territory. On the contrary, the ambitious gleam in her father's eyes disturbed Rose a lot more than she thought it would. To be sold and sent over in a grandeur manner as if she was about to become a Queen, Rose felt even worse and distraught by their lack of emotion towards her.

"Sister!"

A young boy came running from the front door. His black hair that was quite in contrast to Rose's pale, silver white hair bounced on top of his head as he rushed to her.

Rose was about to raise her hand to hug him one last time when the duchess interjected between them and held the boy in her arms.

"Now, now, Lucas. Behave yourself and don't ruin your sister's dress." The duchess told the boy who pouted in turn.

"But I want to hug her." The boy protested in his mother's arms and wanted to reach for Rose, who was standing there while feeling bad that she couldn't even hug the little boy.

"It's alright, mother. I don't think he'll do much harm anyway."

"And how are you supposed to know that? You need to appear remarkable and beautiful in front of Duke David." Rose wanted to say something but before she could even open her mother, her mother continued, "Do not forget what I told you last night."

Rose bit her lips and lowered her head, hiding the forlorn expression on her face and balled her first under the layers of her skirt.

"Yes, mother."

…

In the middle of a forest, the crunching noise from footfalls disturbed the tranquility of the place. The tiny and big animals residing nearby and trying to do with their everyday normal lives suddenly quivered in fear as these footfalls came closer to where they are.

These animals were forced to run and leave their humble abode in order to avoid a catastrophic incident where their lives were at stake.

No one made a complaint being evicted from their homes as something more blood-curdling, dangerous, and terrifying was making his way through this forest.

One little bunny, however, was unfortunate to be left behind by its mother. The little rabbit trembled and cowered when it met the eyes of the beast.

Beautiful golden red eyes stared back at the bunny.