The Arranged Marriage
Goddess forgive me, I thought as I sat on the edge of the bed, I am going to kill a man.
I was shivering, waiting for him to come up to the room. He'd sent me up first, and my mother and my best friend Isoki had dressed me in a white cotton night dress, and carefully taken the pins from my hair.
And then they left me. Left me to this.
My voice was shaking as I poured wine into two glasses, and they shook even more as I tore the packet and watched anxiously as the powder dissolved in his glass. It was barely gone when I heard pounding in the hall, and raucous laughter - and then Squire Peter's threw back the door, laughing at someone behind him, and then slamming it shut so we were alone.
"Ahh," he breathed, his pale, rheumy eyes scanning my length, and I crossed my arms without even thinking."Aren't you a pretty little thing."
He was disgusting. Crumbs were caught in his beard, and I could see the sweat on his face. Suddenly I was thankful I had poured the powder in, glad beyond measure that I would not have to go through with this.
"Hello, my lord," I tried out, my voice squeaking. "Would you like a glass of wine?"
To my dismay, he shook his head. "No, no," he said, licking his lips. "I want to get right to it." And with that he pulled his shirt off reached for me.
I was shivering, waiting for him to come up to the room. He'd sent me up first, and my mother and my best friend Isoki had dressed me in a white cotton night dress, and carefully taken the pins from my hair.
And then they left me. Left me to this.
My voice was shaking as I poured wine into two glasses, and they shook even more as I tore the packet and watched anxiously as the powder dissolved in his glass. It was barely gone when I heard pounding in the hall, and raucous laughter - and then Squire Peter's threw back the door, laughing at someone behind him, and then slamming it shut so we were alone.
"Ahh," he breathed, his pale, rheumy eyes scanning my length, and I crossed my arms without even thinking."Aren't you a pretty little thing."
He was disgusting. Crumbs were caught in his beard, and I could see the sweat on his face. Suddenly I was thankful I had poured the powder in, glad beyond measure that I would not have to go through with this.
"Hello, my lord," I tried out, my voice squeaking. "Would you like a glass of wine?"
To my dismay, he shook his head. "No, no," he said, licking his lips. "I want to get right to it." And with that he pulled his shirt off reached for me.