•Benjamin•
Classical music filled the ballroom as people danced to and fro. Everybody wore their finest garments and I could tell that they were having a great time eating and dancing on this beautiful night. Even the band that was playing had smiles on their faces as they played their instruments and lightly tapped their feet on the stage.
It was a joyous occasion for everyone but my bride and I. After being swindled off the bride that I was promised, this woman wasn't even trying to look entertained.
Heather and I sat in front of the room as we watched everybody have their fun. Our dance was the last and our only job right now was to look happy and receive well wishes and gifts.
I looked at Heather through the corner of my eye. Despite tying her hair up to show off her elegant jewelry, her short figure was almost drowning in the dress that she wore. I guess they didn't have time for adjustments. Her dark blue eyes searched the room while her full, pink lips were set in a noticable frown.
For someone who said that she willingly took her sister's place, she didn't act the part.
"Smile," I said as I leaned in and she flinched before looking at me. "You dare let your mind wander?"
She dropped her gaze. "I apologize."
I scoffed in annoyance. "The best apology is you actually pretending to be happy. Dare I see another frown from you and I'll make sure that you regret it."
"I apologize." She rose her gaze and smiled softly as she continued to watch the crowd.
The sheer insolence of this woman! She was making it seem like I was bullying her when she was the one who wronged me. If it wasn't for my agreement with the Queen, I would have had her executed the moment she stepped into the chapel.
I let out a deep breath and looked in front of me. When my eyes locked with the Queen Irene's, I tried to not show my hatred for my father's beloved wife. I stood up and bowed to her while Heather gave a light curtsy before we both sat down.
"Hello, dear," she greeted as she stopped in front of me with her chief lady-in-waiting, Sophia. "Congratulations on your marriage."
I let out a tight smile. "Thank you, Mother. How would I reach this far without your support?"
"You flatter me too much." She looked at Heather. "Welcome to the family, Madam Whitlock. May your marriage be long and prosperous."
"Many thanks, your Majesty," she answered softly.
Her gaze was back on me. "Anyway, I will not disturb you lovebirds for much longer although I see that you have a few things to explain."
"I do," I answered, "but this does not change anything and I expect you to keep your word."
She laughed. "Unlike you, I am not a liar."
I didn't respond to her and she walked away with a chuckle. Noticing that Heather was staring at me, I looked at her.
"What do you want?" I asked and she shook her head before looking away. "If you have something to say, speak up."
She hesitated for a moment before saying, "You and Queen Irene don't seem to be on good terms."
"That's knowledge that the entire kingdom is aware of."
"I wasn't aware of that."
"Then you should strive to be more knowledgeable. I'm sure that you are familiar with the rumours about the castle, right?"
"I don't often associate myself with gossip or headlines about the royal family."
"And here you are being a part of us." I sighed. "For your own sake, I recommend you familiarize yourself with these things."
"I will, your Highness."
The night went on merrily and when time for our dance arrived, I offered Heather my hand and led her to the dancefloor. I held her small waist and her hands were on my shoulders as we slowly swayed to the soft music. It was a brief moment and we barely even looked at each other. All I wanted was to leave this suffocating room.
When the dance was over, we finished up with the introductions and left the party earlier than the others. Heather did a good job pretending to be happy but after entering the carriage, both our smiles disappeared from our faces.
When we arrived at the castle that was allocated to me, we got out of the carriage and were greeted with bows and flowers by the servants which neither Heather nor I accepted. I walked ahead while Heather quietly followed behind me.
When we reached the bedroom that was prepared for Heather, I ordered the servants inside to leave and they did. I walked to the bed and looked around me. The room was immaculately decorated with rose petals, candles on golden stands and a sweet smelling essence was left burning. Just looking at the room gave it's intentions and I hoped that Heather knew what was coming next.
I turned to look at Heather, who awkwardly stood next to the door, and said, "Come here." She stood still for a moment before hesitantly walking towards me. When she was in front of me, I said, "Undress."
Her eyes snapped up at me in shock and fear. "E-excuse me?"
I frowned. "I thought I made it clear that I don't like repeating myself. I also made it clear that you have to fulfill your duties as a wife. Are you objecting?"
"I have never.... With a man, I....." She dropped her gaze as a dark blush filled her cheeks.
"That's even better," I said with a smirk. Ravishing her virgin body didn't sound like a bad idea.
"B-b-but!" She stuttered nervously. "I-I can't reach the zipper on my dress."
"Oh? Then let me assist you." I held her shoulders and slowly turned her around. Her body shook underneath my palms but I decided to ignore it. Reaching out, I held her zipper and pulled it down to expose even more pale, soft skin that it made me wonder how often the sun touched her.
What a fragile thing the Harlows decided to give me.
I pulled her dress down her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her neck and shoulders as her sweet scent filled my nostrils. "You know what's expected of you, don't you?" She nodded and I pressed on, "And you can do it, can't you?"
She didn't respond and I proceeded to pull down her dress until it landed on the floor. She only wore white lace underwear underneath and I ran my fingers down the softness of her thighs then up her stomach but before I could cup her perky breasts, she held my hands.
"I can't!" She exclaimed, her voice quivering even more than her body was. "I can't do this, your Highness."
"Of course, you can't. You're shaking like a leaf," I said with a sigh before letting go of her and taking a few steps back. "Any man would lose interest if their partner behaved like this."
"F-forgive me."
I rolled my eyes. "Quickly get dressed in your sleepwear. We've got issues to discuss."
I grabbed my own sleepwear before heading into the bathroom. After getting changed, I walked back into the bedroom and saw Heather seated on the bed in a white, silk nightgown. She was still shaking and I figured that her heart was still unsettled by what happened earlier.
"I won't force you," I assured, making her look over her shoulder at me. I would actually prefer to have her enjoy it than stare at me like I'm a monster.
"I... I see," she said and her eyes followed me cautiously as I approached her.
I stood in front of her. "But you are aware that we'll be expected to have a child soon?"
"I'm aware."
"And you do know how children come about, right? The King will be worried if the heir to his throne doesn't have any children."
"I will try to get used to the thought."
I reached out and she flinched, making me hesitate before stroking her cheek. "I can hold everyone off for one year. After that, I have to get you pregnant. I would have gotten a concubine, but it's too much of a bother."
"I understand," she mumbled as she moved back to escape my touch.
"If anyone asks, we consummated our marriage. Should I hear otherwise, I won't hesitate to get rid of you."
"I won't say anything about this. After all, it's my fault that our marriage hasn't been consummated."
"Good." I turned around and looked at the large painting of the Goudin Forest in front of me. "I will send in your ladies in waiting tomorrow morning and they will tell you the procedures concerning the coronation."
"You're not sleeping here, your Highness?" She asked after a moment of silence and I chuckled.
"I won't sleep here unless you are willing to get pregnant as soon as possible."
"I'm not ready for pregnancy right now but the servants will talk-" she argued but went mute when I turned to face her.
"All that matters is that I slept with you. Where I decide to continue my sleep is nobody's business."
She nodded and dropped her gaze. "I apologize."
Seeing that she had nothing else to say, I walked out of the room and made my way to my own quarters. Seeing that the Queen also noticed that the bride was changed wasn't a good sign but it did not make much of a difference and I was going to make her stick to her word.
All I needed was a decoration to stand next to me and give me children. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered with this entire arrangement. I thought back to Heather's small frame and wondered if she even ate well back at her manor.
Giving my head a shake, I decided to forget about it. She was a noblewoman born from a highly respected family. She was obviously accustomed to being treated like royalty. If there was a problem then it was probably her fault.
My marriage was the least of my concerns. I had focus on the big picture, which was getting full control of the kingdom so that I could rid it of the scum that currently ruled it.
•Heather• "Rise and shine, your Highness," a woman said softly as she gently shook me by the shoulder. "What if she's tired from last night?" Another woman asked and the other gasped. "I hope not. It's not a good day for her to sleep in." I groaned and opened my eyes to see two women, who were standing on either side of my bed, staring down at me. One had brown skin, black hair that was tied in a bun and even lighter eyes while the other was a brunette with green eyes. "You're finally awake," The brunette said. "My name is Bridgette and I'm your lady in waiting." "I'm known as Annie and I am your lady in waiting as well," the other woman said with a light accent that I wasn't familiar with. "Nice to meet you," I said as I rubbed the sleep off my eyes. "The prince did mention that he would send you in today." "We hope that you aren't too exhausted from last night. There's a lot that has to be done today." "That's okay." Despite me saying that, I was beyond exhausted.
•Heather• "So boring," Annie whispered with a yawn as she leaned into the couch that she was seated on. "I hate to agree with you, but you're actually right," Brigette said before looking at me. "Your Majesty, would you like some tea perhaps?" I hummed. "Give me a few more minutes." "Understood." "You have been saying that for a while now. I'm kindly requesting a break for all of us," Annie groaned. I looked up from the document that I was studying. Back at the manor, I was only supposed to look pretty and know how to be a good noble and mother. When I was told that I had queenly duties, I thought that I was supposed to go around the kingdom waving and giving encouragement. But that was not the case. Benjamin ordered that I be given the same kind of work that would be given to him. It surprised that he could trust me with such work, but I was glad that I could put my mathematics and history skills to use after being looked down upon because of those very things. In Reec
•Benjamin• "Is this where the village ends?" I asked as I looked at the open pasture ahead of me. "Yes," Scott, my right hand man and trusted friend, answered. "This is the last village of the Northern district. If you walk past the forest, you'll reach the border in about thirty minutes." "I see. That's good then." The village was doing better than I expected and I was happy that the bags of wheat and fertilizer that I gave two months ago helped the villagers. I looked down at the map that was tucked in my belt. Despite being King, I didn't have as much power as I would have liked. Power was in the hands of those who held the most influence and gaining the peoples' trust was a priority of mine. As much as gaining support from the nobles was a great place to start, I couldn't neglect the poor and I hated seeing the weak suffer because they were not strong enough. "Let's continue to the west," I said and began to walk to where we had left our horses. "Wait a minute," Scott
•Benjamin• Later that day, I went to my study and began to work. I preferred being in the field but Scott would definitely give me an earful if I went back. The time flew by quickly and before I knew it, I had run out of papers to look through. "Where's the rest of the work?" I asked Paul, my butler, as he proofread and arranged the documents that I went through earlier. "I expected more than this or is that not the case?" "The Queen handled most of them while you were gone," Paul answered and I looked at him in surprise. "You made her do paperwork?" "No. You're the one who ordered it, my King." "I did?" He nodded. "You said that we should split the work with her. 'Give her something that you can give to me' is what you said." I sighed when the words sounded familiar but I could not remember why or when I said that. I held back a groan. "How did she handle that? Should I look through them?" "There's no need. From what I saw, she handled them very well actually." "Is that so?"
•Heather• "Hasn't Lady Samantha stayed too long?" "I heard that the King is considering taking her back." "I saw her cuddling up to the King!" "If I was the Queen, I would have thrown her out." "I would rather kill myself than be in the Queen's position right now." By the beginning of the following week, all sorts of rumours had already filled the castle. The servants whispered amongst themselves and kept quiet when they saw me. Some would even gossip outside my bedroom door when they thought that I was asleep or maybe they did it on purpose to taunt me. I didn't know how to feel about this. Despite Benjamin being home often, we rarely talked to each other. He was either occupied in his office or with Samantha. The only time we had to sit and somewhat talk was during meals and he would leave immediately after. What the hell was Benjamin doing? Everywhere I went was filled with gossip that even my office stopped being my favourite place. For even the servants to ridicule
•Heather• "That's all for today," Samantha said as she gathered the papers that were on the table and gave them to her maid. "We can continue tomorrow if you don't mind." "There's no need. I've already gotten the gist of this strategy although I can not approve it just yet," Benjamin said as he looked at the map, that was marked on various spots with a marker. "You can send the rest through letters." She blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?" "You don't have to be here anymore. Your family must miss you." "I understand but it's not like I came here for play." He hummed and looked at me. "What do you think?" "M-me?" I asked in surprise when I realized that he was being serious. "Of course." "If you're satisfied then I agree with you." "And I'm quite satisfied already." He looked at Samantha again. "Have a good day." She stared at him for a while before standing up and bowing. "I understand. Thank you for your time." She left and my gaze followed her. I was surprised th
•Heather• I stared at the document on the table and sighed softly. I couldn't get my head around my interaction with Benjamin last time and I wondered how he could be so charming at times. I followed Bridgette's advice to the best of my capability. Whenever Benjamin would have tea in the courtyard or when he would be taking idle walks, I made sure to join him. We still didn't talk about anything but matters of the kingdom though. I didn't know how to start a personal conversation with him and I was not sure if he would be okay with that. A few days in, Benjamin started inviting me for tea himself. We still could not take each other too personally but it wasn't as bad as it was before. The gossip gradually reduced and I could finally breath. Another thing that never failed to pop up in my head was the Festival of the full moon. I was assured that Benjamin would not force himself on me so, I could just sleep in his room. It wasn't a must for us to have sex but a part of me shame
•Benjamin• "That was fun!" Scott said as he looked over his shoulder at me. I hummed in agreement, pulling the reigns of my prized steed, Trevor, to slow him down. "Although it would have been better to race in the forest than here." "Nope. You've got enough space around your castle so, make use of it." I sighed in frustration but didn't argue. Scott and I were riding our horses in the outdoor horse ring a few meters away from the castle. After declining my offer of a race in the woods, Scott suggested that we have it here instead. I didn't like the idea but it was better than being cooped up in my office. The space was large enough for a good ride but it wasn't the least bit accommodating for a race. I understood that he didn't want me to leave the castle too often but this was ridiculous. "Anyway, what did you think of the report I sent?" Scott asked, his question making me look at him. "It was well done. I want to start working on things right away," I answered. "As g