The Prince that Saved Me

Deceit

{Arthur’s POV}

“They’ve found me..” she whimpered, frantically looking towards Mrs. Wells. Her words hung heavy in the air between the three of us.

“Mrs. Wells, please take Miss Piper to her room, and do not come out until I say so.” I said, turning my back to them. I listened as they hurried to the guest room, and I made my way to the front door.

I opened the door, finding an older woman standing before me. She had blonde shoulder length hair, dark brown eyes, and pale skin. She looked to be in her mid fifties, and she stood at about 5’8. “H-Hello, I’m Gertrude Martins, I’m so sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for my daughter. She’s run away from home, and I’m afraid she’s unwell. She has some mental disabilities, and she can be a danger to herself and others!” She said, her voice almost devoid of emotion, but trying hard to pretend that she actually has some.

“Oh, that sounds terrible, what is her name?” I asked, trying to seem as though I cared about the obvious lies she was telling.

“Piper, Piper Martins.. I fear that she’s prone to delusions, I really need to find her, if you see her, please let me know. She has dark brown hair, green eyes, and freckles!” She said before turning and walking back to the carriage that she had taken to get here. She must be checking all of the neighbors through here.

After she left I shut the door, and made my way back into the guest bedroom. “She’s gone, Lady Piper Martins, who apparently is prone to delusions, and mad with mental disorders. Your mother had quite the way of painting your picture, though, it doesn’t truly fit your image, does it?” I tilted my head to the side, a small smirk spreading across my lips.

Her face turned red, and I could practically see the anger bubbling within her. “Of all of the awful things that she’s done.. going around and telling people that I’m insane..” she paced back and forth, and I watched as she pulled her lower lip into her mouth, biting down on it. “Such a vile, repugnant, repulsive..” she sneered.

“Well, if that’s how you feel about me, perhaps you should go back with your mother.” I placed my hand on my chest, pretending as though her words hurt me.

“Not you!” She rolled her eyes, obviously not falling for my act.

“Well then, if you’re not crazy, and if you’ve not done anything wrong, then why are you running away?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“I-I.. it’s complicated.” She whimpered, turning to face the window behind her. “Besides, a lord like you wouldn’t understand. Men.. you get to choose what you do. If you run, that’s your right. If you decide that you never want to marry, you can! If you instead decide that you’d like to be a librarian, or a teacher, or a doctor, you get to make that decision..” she scoffed, pacing the floor.

“So I take it that something happened that you don’t agree with?” I smirked, teasing her.

“She’s forcing me to marry!” She shouted.

“So? I’m sure that a lovely woman, of your age, and your class would find a perfectly suitable match!” I said, truly not understanding the problem. It’s the whole point of a noble woman, she is meant to marry someone of the same, or higher position.

She shook her head, tears beginning to slide down her face. “She has given me to Lord Gregor Farrenhall.”

I paused for a moment, slightly taken aback. Lord Farrenhall was known to have a temper, his last wife claimed that he abused her regularly. He also is old, and disgusting to even think about in any kind of marriage minded way. “You have to be joking.” I said, standing a little straighter.

She shook her head. “I refused everyone that she sent to me. I told her that I wouldn’t marry to be a pawn in her game of revenge.” She cried. “I wouldn’t be a tool for her to use, and since I turned down everyone else, she signed the contract with him. I’m supposed to marry him by the end of the week.” Her breath quickened, as tears streamed down her face. “I won’t marry that old bas****!”

That’s when I noticed, her robe earlier had covered it, but now in this dress I could see the outline of a handprint on her neck. I crossed the room, grabbing her chin and tilting her face up towards me. There was a bruise in the shape of a hand, it looked as though she’d been choked. I gritted my teeth, trying hard not to anger myself further, but I had to know. “Did he do this to you?” I asked, my voice deep, and deadly, laced with a rage that I didn’t know how to handle in this moment.

She backed away, swatting my hand away from her and backed herself against the wall. She slid down it, pulling her knees to her chest. “I won’t go back to him! I won’t marry him!” She cried.

Mrs. Wells walked over, tossing a blanket down over Piper’s shoulders. “There, there now, no one is going to send you back there!” She said, pulling Piper into a hug. “My Lord was angry that someone would do this to a lady, it’s not proper! We’ve heard of Lord Farrenhall’s temper, but I don’t think we ever thought it would be this bad!”

“Mrs. Wells is right, I didn’t mean to upset you, or scare you. My lady, you’re welcome to stay here until you’re healed up. After that, I’ll send you anywhere you’d like to go, no matter how far.” I said, surprising not only her, but myself. I’m usually not one to meddle in the affairs of others, but him laying his hands on her, I cannot and will not forgive him.