Duchess of Hope

Another Day

~~~~~Sebastian~~~~~

                Sebastian looked up at the sky as he made his way through the market. He was doing his best to remain inconspicuous, but most everyone knew who he was thanks to his link to the Bennett Family. He was often an interviewer for those that wished to set up stalls on the off chance that Rebecca’s father was unavailable, so he was a familiar face. Ducking into a dark alleyway, he met with a coconspirator that was helping him get information on other kingdoms in which he and Rebecca could find protection. Getting away from Rel was just the beginning.

“I’s wondering when you’d turn up.” The man murmured from where he leaned against the wall. “I still ain’t found what yer looking for.”

                His speech took some getting used to, but the man was from a Kingdom far to the South. The only requirement he had given him was that he did not want a Kingdom in which Rel had entered a treaty with. Unfortunately, without access to the Royal Archives, there was no way to know for sure which Kingdom had treaties with a country as old as Iwinge. The only option they had was to trust this foreigner, who could just as easily sell them out. The man pushed himself off the wall, coming to a stand, and turned his back to Sebastian.

“Alls I know is, yer best chance is South.” He continued as he took a few paces away. “There’s a lot less chance of there being a treaty down there.”

                As the man finally walked away, Sebastian considered this information. He could take her south as he said, but what were the chances of them getting out of Rel safely? Even if she did not love him, Sebastian wanted her to live happily, not miserably. If the thought of marrying Prince Aaron caused her this much distress, then what of their lives together after the wedding? Rebecca does not realize that Sebastian had heard her pleas the other night to be taken away, but the next morning, she at least looked a bit more rested. That eased the pain in his heart a little.

                It has been a month since the family announced that Rebecca would marry the Prince, and though the surrounding people were planning for it, Sebastian planned to steal her away before it could happen. Firming his resolve, he made his way back home, where they were once again to play host to the Royal Family. He had stood to the side, playing along with this for long enough. He could not let her marry him, despite her words. Arriving back at the mansion, he felt surprised to find the maids in a panic. Something must have happened while he was at the market. Sebastian held up a hand to a passing maid, and she bowed a little before explaining.

“Lord Sebastian… Lady Rebecca has fainted and the meal with the Royals canceled.” She said, rushing up to him. “Lord Bennett is angry and Lady Bennett is yelling.”

“Thank you for letting me know,” Sebastian replied, taking a few gold pieces from his pocket for her. “I will go assist. Please take the day off.”

                Sebastian hastened his steps to the bedchambers, where he could hear the shrieks of Rebecca’s mother. Bile rose in his throat at the words leaving her mouth, but he held back. It was simply because it made it appear the Bennett’s were not caring for their daughter properly. Truth was, they were not, but the Royals did not need to know that. Not at least as far as her parents considered. Knocking softly on the door made silence fill the room. He waited for someone to invite them in, but when they did not, he opened his mouth to announce himself.

“It is me,” Sebastian said gruffly, hoping his voice did not betray his emotions. “Is Becca okay?”

                He opened the door to find her mother standing at the foot of Rebecca’s bed with her hands on her hips. Lord Bennett was standing off to one side, hand pressed to his forehead. Rebecca herself was lying in bed, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Sebastian kept promising himself that he would not let her cry anymore but kept breaking his promise to himself. Hatred curled in his veins, but he walked over to the sofa and sat on it, waiting for one of them to explain. If he said something now, her parents would likely stop him from seeing her, and being her only hope, he did not want that to happen.

“How could you let yourself get so weak?!” Her mother was the first to talk, but only in a screech once again. “Do you not care about the fact that you are to be a Royal?! You cannot walk around pretending to be a child anymore, Rebecca. You are to marry Prince Aaron in less than a month. You OWE your father and I this much!”

“MARY!” It was Lord Bennett’s yell that interrupted the woman’s rant; and a good thing, too. “That’s enough! Go to our chambers; we will talk about this later.”

                The woman huffed before turning her nose up, crossing her arms, and leaving the room. Sometimes, Sebastian could swear, that woman acted worse than a child. He locked eyes with Lord Bennett, who sighed before taking a seat on Rebecca’s bed. It was a show of kindness that he rarely offered her. Reaching out, her father gently took his hair in his hand before letting it fall to the bed, no longer holding the same health that it once had. His expression was full of disappointment and anger, and Sebastian felt annoyed that he expected otherwise when Lord Bennett first sat down.

“You are my daughter and have expectations placed upon you.” He said, pressing the tips of his fingers to her cheek. “But I cannot call off this marriage, Rebecca. For the sake of our family, marry Prince Aaron. Especially since it was your hand he requested. This is your responsibility.”

“Can I not marry who I want?” Her voice was so quiet he barely caught it. “I know I need to carry on the family line and that involves marriage, but should it not be who I wish like mother was with you?”

“NO!” He returned, raising his hand as if to slap her, causing Sebastian to jump to his feet. “You will marry who your mother and I have selected for you, and that is final.”

                He lowered his hand, stood, and left the room, the door slamming shut behind him. Silence fell over the room, making the air feel heavy and stifling. Trying to find the words to say, Sebastian opened and closed his mouth several times before settling on approaching her bed slowly. For now, he still could not speak of his plans, just in case she gave it away, but he could not stand to see her this saddened. Another knock sounded on the door before he could fully approach her, making him sigh softly. Walking over to the door, he frowned at who was on the other side.

“I heard Lady Rebecca had fallen ill and our plans this evening had to be canceled.” It was Prince Aaron standing there, concern creasing his brow. “I remember Princess Evangeline had suffered something similar and thought I could check on her while I was here.”

“I do not wish to see him in my current state.” Rebecca’s voice came from behind Sebastian, making him tense. “I look far too frail to host visitors.”

“I see. Then, we will make plans for next week.” Aaron smiled slightly as he turned to leave, and Sebastian noticed her father was standing next to the door, shaking his head. “I look forward to it.”

“You should stop encouraging her behavior, Sebastian.” Lord Bennett said once Aaron had disappeared down the long hallway. “You are the reason she believes it is okay to act like this. She does not need to be coddled; she needs to grow up and accept her responsibility. To both me and her mother.”