Married to the Beast

BREATHE

Rose

“ It’s been a week since I’ve made two requests to see him and he’s yet to even respond!” I groaned to Miss Gwen who was busy wiping down the windows in the room even though there was nothing to wipe. If there ever was a hard worker it was this amazing motherly woman before me.

“ I know but understand that the King has duties and things to do.”   Great, now she was making excuses for the cruel man.

“It wouldn’t take him more than ten minutes. This is life or death. He hates me. Plus he has me here locked up in a cage like some prisoner. I don't even get to go outside.” I said softly laying down on the satiny pillows on the bed. I hadn’t seen the King since the breakfast incident. I was to accept all my meals in my room. I didn’t get to leave either and the only time I saw outside was through my window. I don't know if it was the breakfast incident or they just thought it was best I stay locked up. I felt like I was in a cage and it didn’t help my anguish as to what my future held for me and my children seeing as there was basically nothing I was allowed to do now.

Miss Gwen placed the cloth down and walked over to me worriedly.

“ What do you mean life or death Rose?”

I begged her to stop calling me my lady seeing as I’m not royalty yet and she finally accepted that she would in private. I turned to her.

“Miss Gwen how would I survive having children for a man who hates and disgusts me then have them taken from me and raised to be terrible people?”

She sighed. It was a relief to finally speak to someone about what was weighing down on my heart for the past few days. 

“ This is why you want to speak with the King?”

“Yes, I couldn’t survive it Miss Gwen. Especially having your first born taken from you. I don’t think I’d live after the first” I said in daze.

“Did he say he would take your child Miss Rose?”

I turned my head to the side on the pillow and looked at the sky through the glass panes of the window. 

“ No but if he disgusts me so much he wouldn’t allow me to raise a royal would he? Plus the King is a cruel man Miss Gwen. He’d take my child away from me. I am certain he is evil”

A tear rolled down my face and I finally just let it all out. Miss Gwen brushed my hair back and hummed to me, telling me in between hums that it would be alright while I sobbed my heart out. This must be what having a mother felt like and it caused me to sob even more at the thought that I may not do this with my own child. I didn't even know of the king to have a mother maybe that was why he was so cruel. 

When I stopped crying from lack of tears she rubbed my shoulder and hummed a tune I'd never heard before. It soothed the anguish going on inside me. 

“Miss Gwen do you have children?”

“ Of course a beautiful daughter Lily and Rupert a son”

“Could you imagine that ever happening to them?”

Her eyes became sad and she let out a heavy sigh.

“ Cheer up, you have a party in the next two days followed by a wedding that you will be fitted for tomorrow.” she changed the topic. I was puzzled. 

“ A party?”

“ Yes a party for the soon to be King and Queen with all the rich and important people in the kingdom. Maybe you could talk with the King then?”

This could work I thought, if he didn’t ignore me. Seems Miss Gwen was a clever lady herself. Thinking over the party I wondered what it would be like.

“ Would it be out of place?”

“ Is this not a life or death situation my lady?” she asked shocked I would even hesitate.

“ Yes Miss Gwen it most certainly is” I said smiling back at her. Miss Gwen was my silver lining in this palace. 

Two days later

“ Are you coming out any day now Lady Rose?”

I looked at myself in the large mirror in the changing room of the bedroom. The gold dress hugged my body in all the right places, and sparkled. It was made with tiny crystals on top that curved with the design and shined like diamonds. I ran my hands over it, it was unlike anything I’d ever seen. I'd never worn anything so beautiful and I looked surreal. The top had a plunging neckline and the back dipped dangerously low. The end of the dress flared out leaving a small train behind. I wore flat gold slippers with a small heel because I didn’t quite manage heels well and I didn’t want to add tripping in the middle of the room to my list of recent embarrassments.

I didn’t recognize the woman in the mirror with bright red stained lips and faint blush. My hair was sleeked back in a bun and I was given a pair of beautiful diamond earrings for the event. This woman looked like a queen. My father would have passed out to see his daughter dressed so elegantly. I almost passed out seeing myself dressed like this. Who was I? 

I walked in the room and smiled waiting for Miss Gwen’s approval.

“ Well I dare say out of all the royals and women I’ve come across while serving this palace. You are without a doubt the most beautiful” she clapped and I beamed at her compliment. This was a whole new world. 

 I hugged her tightly and made my way out to where the guards were waiting for me and made my way to the dinner. I was slightly relieved to finally be out of the room even if it was for such an event. I could hear the music as we neared the ballroom and I tried to calm myself. 

The room was beautifully decorated with gold carpets leading towards it and around the edges of the grand room. I could see there were a lot of persons in the room and I could feel my anxiety starting to kick in. When I reached the entrance to the room King Kadmus stood waiting looking very handsome in a black suit lined with gold to match my dress. My breath caught for a bit as I took in his dark hair that was sleeked back and he had a light beard that made him look even more sexier than I thought possible. Cruel and sexy I tried to remind myself. They go hand in hand. 

He looked up just as our eyes caught and I couldn’t breathe and I saw his eyes slightly widened and travelled up and down the length of my body fully taking me in. 

I finally stopped beside him and he placed his hand in the small of my back and as his warm hand touched the cool of my back it sent off sparks and I gasped. He looked at me and smirked at my reaction. 

The music stopped and there was a deafening silence when a man dressed in a green suit announced.

“ We are now joined by the great King Kadmus and the divine soon to be queen Rosemarie Fraser”

All eyes stared at me and everyone in the room smiled and gave a small bow. I didn't know what to do so I gave a small smile and I felt examined under all the eyes of the richly dressed people in front of me. 

King Kadmus leaned sideways into me and whispered “Breathe sweetheart”.

And I could smell the mint from his warm breath along with a deep intoxicating scent that radiated off of him that smelled heavenly creating warm pool inside me. 

I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding in and smiled at him as we moved forward. We took the first of the wine being offered before the guests could receive theirs and then the music started playing again and one by one everyone came up to introduce themselves to the new soon to be queen.