- Jade -

"It's not fair! You gave me away to the first man who asked for my hand!" Jade protested loudly, fighting the tightening sensation in her throat which made it hard to breathe. "You didn't even ask me first!" She continued when it didn't feel like any of her parents listened. Jade threw looks back at her mother repeatedly while they descended the stairs, one step at a time.

As soon as Jade saw the man again, she looked to her mother for confirmation that this was truly happening. Her mother didn't say a word when their eyes met. Instead she discretely shoved her daughter towards her future the very moment their feet hit the ground floor.

Jade looked him up and down. He stood with such elegance and good posture, patiently waiting  for her. He seemed to be watching her closely as well. Only for a second though, then he exited the house without as much as a word. Not even a 'hello'? Jade scoffed in her mind.

"You cannot be serious, father?" Jade spat while her parents ushered her out of the house. "Is he a mute? No, he isn't! He can't even say hello to me?"

"You slammed the door in his face." Her father replied sternly. "What did you expect? That he would like it? He is of r..."

"Royal birth? You don't say?" Jade interrupted him. "How did this even happen? Is he going to keep me as one of his whores, while his real wife sits with her needlework?" She asked with a sharp tone and didn't consider the volume of her tone as they approached the carriage.

"Jade, that is enough!" Her mother snarled. This meant that all of her patience was spent. She wasn't having Jade's snide comments or protests any longer. "He heard your protests! He knows that you do not wish to marry him! Show your father and me some respect, not to mention this young man! Do us the favor and at least give him a chance before you hurt his honor with another word!" Her mother's words felt like arrows, piercing Jade all over. How could they do this to her? "I will not have you bring disgrace upon yourself like this!" She whispered sternly with a finger pointed at Jade. "He is the best match for you. You couldn't find anyone better if you had the chance. He will take good care of you."

"Take good care of me?" Jade snickered disrespectfully at her mother. She hit her mother's finger away from her face, turned around and watched the carriage that stood with the door held open by the driver. Her future husband had definitely heard every word they had said, but she didn't care. 

Jade walked towards the carriage. It was black and looked very steady. Its wheels were large and not as battered as the one's on her father's carriage. Intricate details of metal works decorated the carriage's doors and sides. The metal was shaped into slithering branches and leaves.

Why does it need to be so extravagant?

The driver held his hand out towards Jade. She took it and let him help her inside the carriage. There were two metal steps fastened to the carriage that she had to take before entering it. There was no heart-felt goodbye to her parents, no tight hugs or reassuring smiles. Jade did not say a single word to them as she stepped into the carriage. They could reap the fruits of their betrayal for all she cared. She didn't even turn around to look at them one last time.

.  .  .

Inside of the carriage it was quite dark, apart from small candles which were attached to each of the two windows. The shed a little light but did not stand a chance against the darkness surrounding Jade. The door closed behind her with a determined slam.

Jade sat down on the soft seat with her hands in her lap and the overwhelming feeling of being abandoned and alone. In front of her the man sat quietly. The faint light of the candles played faintly upon his facial features. She studied his jawline and high cheekbones.

Does he really have to be this handsome? She thought very bothered by the fact that she couldn't find a single feature in his face that she did not find attractive. She turned her gaze to the window when she realized that he was looking at her. Embarrassed, she tried to pretend that she hadn't just done the same to him. 

Suddenly, the carriage started to move and Jade closed her eyes in despair. It was too late now. For what, she didn't know. All she knew was that it was too late. 

There was complete silence between them. They were an hour into their journey and neither of them had said a word yet. It had started to rain heavily and Jade listened to its aggressive drops. They crashed against the roof and windows of the carriage. She felt bad for the driver who had to sit in this terrible rain. He must be soaked by now. She thought to herself. 

It was now completely dark inside the carriage by now. The candles had burnt out and the sun had set. Sometimes, the moonlight broke in through the window when they passed a field and no trees blocked it. However, the bleak light only reached her, not her companion. He was completely covered in darkness. Jade tried to lean back so she would also be drowned in the darkness. It proved futile.

"You must have questions." The man spoke first when they had played cat and mouse up until now. Before darkness had fallen, he had caught her studying him, several times, and vice versa. Jade looked outside the window instead of answering.  He waited patiently for a couple of seconds before he spoke again. "Are you not going to ask me anything?"

"I don't see how my questions, or your answers, matter?" Jade replied mumbling. "What am I even supposed to ask you?" She added.

There were so many questions but she didn't want to ask him. She wanted to go home and scream at her parents. She wanted the answers to come from them. The man waited for her answer. There was a tension in the carriage that Jade wanted to be rid of, but not badly enough to keep talking to him. 

Your parents aren't here and they won't answer your questions... so you might as well just ask him what you were going to ask them. 

"How much did you pay my parents to convince them into giving me away?" Jade asked without trying to conceal her rude tone. "Did you not wonder if I was even remotely interested in you before you and my father came to an agreement? Why wasn't I included?" The questions spilled out of her and they were not even a fraction of the ones still in her head.

"I did not purchase you like some mere object, and whether or not you are interested in me isn't relevant." His voice was dark and cruel when he answered her. Jade's bad temper bubbled up inside her. He doesn't care if his future wife is interested in him? What kind of marriage does he have in mind exactly? Jade wondered and shot a venomous stare in his direction.

"No, my apologies." Jade chuckled in offense. "That is not of importance, is it? It doesn't matter that I didn't even know you existed until this morning." She mumbled out the last words. A humorless chuckle erupted in front of her in the darkness. "Was something I said funny?"

"You are disrespectful enough to make even the most patient man give in to frustration." He said and seemed to be amused but there wasn't a trace of kindness in his voice, just like when he had spoken to her parents. A shiver went through her body. His tone made her very uncomfortable.

"Then it must be a good thing that I can't see how irritated you are." Jade answered.

"Agreed."

"What do you even need me for?" She asked , speaking into the darkness where she thought he was.

"I do not need you." He answered her darkly. Even though she wasn't surprised by his answer,  his words still hurt. "I want you." He added. Jade looked towards his voice and thought she had misheard him. 

What? He wants me? She thought. Why would a person of royal birth want me? 

"You might not be so frustrating to talk to when you have learned how to control that mouth of yours."

"Excuse me?" She exploded, her eyebrows flew upwards in astonishment of his rudeness. A low laughter erupted from the darkness when he heard her reaction. Again, he seemed to be amused on her expense, and she did not appreciate being laughed at.

"I want to marry you." He informed her simply. His statement was not uttered in a warm romantic manner. It sounded like their 'engagement' was a practical convenience to him. Something he wanted to get out of the way as quickly as possible.

"Why do you want me? I am neither of noble or royal birth. It seems very... strange." Jade said, trying to understand why on earth he had chosen her.

"I think you would be a good wife." He answered but didn't address the part of Jade being from a lower social class than him. How would I be a good wife to him? 

"As your queen?" Jade wondered curiously, simultaneously scared of the answer. She didn't want to be a queen. She wanted to be who she was now... in her own home.

"I never said you were gaining a title." He replied darkly. Jade thought she could see him squirm in his seat, even though she could barely make out where he was exactly. Maybe she imagined it.

"My mother called you-"

"The title you will, or will not, gain when we are married isn't important." He interrupted her abruptly. "It is of no importance." He repeated himself.

Jade raised her eyebrows again. Now, it was she who were amused. He really didn't want to talk about their differences... Which she deemed strange because he didn't seem to care about them when it came to marriage. Furtermore, he didn't seem to appreciate when she talked back to him either... This could be fun... Jade smiled when she had just thought of how she was going to entertain herself all the way to his home.

"You sure seem unwilling to talk about it..." She teased.

"Why would I want to talk about it? It holds no relevance, therefore there is no need to talk about it." He answered dryly.

"If so, than there is no harm talking about it, is there?" Jade countered, hoping for a better answer. The man started to chuckle and she felt relieved that he obviously found her amusing. If she could make him laugh, perhaps it would make this hell easier?

"You must think I'm utterly stupid to believe that I would fall for that." He answered, still chuckling but now at her. 

Jade was just about to retaliate when he suddenly leaned forward. The soft but cold moonlight lit up his face. There was a soft smile on his lips. His eyes were dark, looking directly at her even though there was no chance he could see her in the darkness. She swallowed nervously as her eyes explored his face once again. The jaws were sharp and the nose straight, both perfectly sculpted. His eyes had a depth to them that one would willingly drown in. Any girl would fall for that face. Jade thought as she had to draw herself out of the dark blue eyes' gaze. Why did he choose me? 

She couldn't deny that he was extremely handsome. There was this undeniable force to him, but at the same time he seemed dangerous and frightening. The cold gaze in his eyes didn't make him seem anything other than unpleasant to her right now though. Jade reluctantly confessed to herself that if she had passed him on the street, she would have looked twice. She even admitted to herself that she could fall for a man with his looks, but not his personality. Luckily, she wouldn't have to admit it to anyone else than herself. 

"If I were to be... queen. You would only need my company at feasts and occasions were you would want to... make heirs?" Jade provoked him. "Could I spend the rest of my time in any way I see fit? Not with you, correct?" She asked rudely. He leaned back, exhaling slowly. Jade could see that he was insulted as the darkness swallowed him. 

"It seems like I am in for a challenge no matter how much, or little, time we spend together." He muttered and silence spread inside the carriage once more.

. . .

The journey was very long, eternal almost. The seat wasn't soft anymore. It was worse than sitting on her father's wagon which didn't have padded seats. Jade bit her lip every time they drove over a hole in the road. Every blow was torture and her buttocks were so sore she could cry, but she kept quiet so he wouldn't notice how uncomfortable she was. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if he was awake. He hadn't made a sound since they stopped talking to each other.

After an excruciating amount of time, the carriage finally slowed down. Eventually it stopped. Jade didn't wait for the driver to open the door. She got up and went outside in the fresh night air.  It was pitch black outside. All of a sudden, a hand grabbed her tightly by the arm. It squeezed firmly and she grimaced in pain.

"Let me give you your first lesson in manners; You do not leave the carriage before me, understood?" The man growled from behind her and pulled her against himself. Her right shoulder was pressed against his chest. She could feel his face close to her ear, his breath hitting her cheek hotly. Jade was holding her breath. His closeness bothered her in a bad and good way. He smelled amazing but his strong painful grip kept her alert. She could feel her fingers going a little bit numb when he didn't release her.

Jade shivered, hoping he didn't notice. He leaned in closer to her ear. "It would be wise of you not to leave my side while we're here. This isn't exactly the safest place to spend the night. So I suggest you control that mouth of yours until we get you a room in which you can... "

"You don't seem too keen on manners either." She hissed and pulled her arm away from him before he could finish what he was going to say. She pressed her arm gently with the other one while smothering a burning desire to say something extremely rude. 

Before she knew what happened, he had draped her in a cloak similar to his. It was dark, reaching her feet. He pulled the hood up over her head so it covered her face completely. While doing so, his fingers lingered when they touched her left cheek. Jade froze, silently looking at him. She couldn't see his eyes because her hood concealed them from her. 

The only thing she could see was his lips. His fingers continued down her cheek to her chin. To her surprise, his thumb pressed softly against her lower lip, as he did his slightly parted. It almost made him look... enticing? 

What is he doing? Why do I not hate it?

They didn't say a word to each other as long as he touched her. When he finally let go of her, he pulled his own hood over his head. He then put his hand on her lower back and motioned her toward the inn. Rain was still pouring down, it almost felt like it was following them.

"Keep your head low and stay quiet." The man instructed her. Jade did as he said and turned her head and gaze downwards.  Jade was soaked all the way to her skin when they finally reached the door.

When they passed the threshold, the warmth hit Jade's cold face and her wet stiff fingers. She looked down on her shoes, if they could be called that. They were practically just wet fabric on her feet.

"Not a word." He reminded her and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her along into a room full of people. Jade remembered what he had told her and immediately lowered her head again. There was no need to look at the other guests to know they were... working outside the law.

Two men to their right gambled. It was a game of dice and they were discussing their cut of the day after robbing an old man. Jade took a small step to her left in fright and forgot that he was standing there. He said nothing when she bumped into him. Instead he made room for her, let her take shelter, close to him.

The man, still holding Jade's wrist, brought her with him across the room. No one seemed to notice them. A very plump man came up to them, making Jade move closer to the man again. He mumbled something to the plump man who disappeared for a short moment and then returned with two keys. His sausage shaped fingers handed them over to the man and received coins in return.

Minutes later, Jade stood in a room on the second floor of the inn. It was double the size the one she had at home. The bed was bigger than hers and it looked so soft and welcoming. Candles were burning on a little table next to the bed. The man closed the door behind them. 

Jade turned around when she heard the door being shut. Pulling down their hoods at the same time, Jade caught him looking at her. Closely. His eyes were taking her in, completely. For a second, she liked it. Then her anger bubbled up inside of her and she remembered what he had done to her, what he was going to do to her. 

"Goodnight." 'She said with a harsh voice and crossed her arms to hide anything he could possibly be staring at. He awoke from his daze and nodded at her, seeming embarrassed that she had caught him.

"Goodnight." He replied and left. When the door shut, Jade could hear a key being turned. He locked the door. She thought nervously. I am trapped.

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Hope you liked it!

Love Jenny

 Updated: 2nd of September 2020