Without Remorse

she is mine now

"Please dont," I begged. Mother, please don't do this. I do not love him, nor have I even laid eyes on him once. How is this fair?" My pleas fell on deaf ears as she continued to instruct the attendants on what to pack along for my trip to meet my supposed husband to be for the first time. "Why are you doing this, Mother? you know my heart beats solely for Hector. it is him that I love. You know this." Again, no response. "I won't go with you, I don't want to meet him, let alone be his wife." She sighed, nodded her head, and two pair of arms lifted me off the ground and carried me towards the carriage waiting outside while I struggled helplessly to no avail. "Mother, at least grant me leave to say goodbye to Hector one last time. I might never lay eyes on him again. please.. Mother.." I begged with tears streaming down my dolled up face. "Hush now child, Hector could never be able to take good care of you, Elizabeth." she finally said. "Me? Me? take care of me?" I scoffed."Do not begin to pretend that marrying me off to some old decrepit lord is solely for my benefit Mother, we both know this marriage is all about the Pierce family name. I wish I was never born into this family. " I screamed at her. "Once all this is said and done, you will thank me." I turned around to look at the house I grew up in fade away into the night. The rest of the trip was relatively quiet, with the exception of the horses and the occasional whip from the driver. Within a couple of hours of being on the road, we came across a huge gate. A man came towards the carriage, and Mother said, "Lady pierce here for Lord Tobi, he is expecting me." He walked away, and the gate swung open. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the manor. The carriage door was opened by attendants. Mother came out first, then turned around, placed both palms on either side of my cheeks, and said, "Take a moment to gather yourself child. Your new life is about to begin." she walked away, leaving me to gather my thoughts. I patted my face to get some colour in them, said a quick prayer, opened the doors of the carriage, and stepped out. I walked inside, and Mother was waiting she guided me towards the waiting room of what was to be my new home. "So, where is the fat, balding, old fossil who wants to marry someone three times younger than him?" I asked loud enough for the whole delegation to hear." Mother immediately went pale."Please behave. You are no longer a child. Why o why do you insist on behaving in this unladylike manner." I rolled my eyes and continued my verbal onslaught. "it's not enough that he wants to marry someone three times younger than him or that we had to be brought here in the middle of the night like a pair of wanted criminals, now he keeps us waiting? what sort of a man is this? Where is he?". I yelled, pleased with myself. Mother didn't even bother to respond. This time, she just rolled her eyes and waited silently. I was about to begin again when there were three loud taps, and the doors to the waiting room swung open. A short, balding, fat man strolled in slowly surveying us. Before he said anything, I burst out laughing. "You can't be serious, Mother, please reconsider, I can't spend the rest of my life married to that man." My mother placed a hand on my shoulder spurn me back around to face the short man, and he took a deep breath and said,"I give you Lord Tobi." There he was, my husband(supposedly) definitely not short, definitely not old, definitely not balding. This man was a visual delight. Everything about this man was pleasing to the eyes. Tall, with broad shoulders, clad in black tailored fitted silk, which broadened and enlightened his muscles. He walked like a man whose command was not even remotely questioned. This man couldn't be more than twenty-seven years old, I thought to myself. He stopped at my mother, who gave a very detailed curtsy. "Lady Pierce, so nice to see you again, I trust your journey to the manor was not at all taxing," he said. "Not at all, my lord. it was my honour to make the journey. Let me introduce you to my daughter and your wife to be this is Elizabeth Pierce." He took my arm and placed a soft kiss on it. He gazed at me with eyes so blue it made me weak in the knees. He pulled closer till I was close enough to hear his breathing. Dear Lord, this man smells so good. I thought to myself. He put a finger underneath my chin and lifted it up so I could meet his stoic gaze and said, "I am glad you approve of my appearance, Elizabeth" he said as he ran his finger up my arm. The way he spoke my name did something to me. why can't I say anything? I looked into his eyes again, and my heart beat trippled in count. I looked away hurriedly. He smiled and whispered in my ear, "Fat,balding, old fossil? you have no idea what you are in for." He spurn around and walked towards my mother and said,"Say goodbye to your daughter, lady Pierce. She is mine now"