His Betrothed: An Arranged Queen

Chapter Four

*****

Princess Eleanor’s Point of View

Did he think that I was just some prize that he could easily get to put up there for people to fight over?

What that all he thought about me? Unbelievable.

I stood frozen after he walked in, I did not know what to do worth I should just run away or face him, but I knew I had to do something about it.

“What are you doing right now? How could you…” I wanted to say but he could not stop staring at me as I swallowed hard not sure what to say to him. This was crazy.

“Is this how you were raised? A woman who talks back to her husband. A woman who leaves before the King. Who can’t even Curtsy before her own king?” He questioned me his deep voice sending shivers down my spine, and I looked down holding on to the dress.

“Tell me, your Majesty, do you really want to marry me?” I questioned him disregarding all the questions he had just asked me.

He walked over where I was trolling over me as I swallowed hard, he did not say anything but just looked at me.

“I believe that if something has to belong to me, I need to earn it.” He said to me saying something different from the question I had just asked him.

“Wouldn’t you say so, your Highness?” He questioned me as I swallowed hard not sure what to say to him.

“Please just let me go. I know that I am betrothed to you but isn’t it unfair that….’ I wanted to say, and he laughed looking at me before putting on a straight face.

“I am a man of my word. Hence I need to see it through that I marry you as I had promised the day you were born” he said to me as I rolled my eyes.

“You are really something else. It didn’t take you long to put me up for someone else to win me as their wife:” I said to him and he was quite coming closer to where I was.

“What makes you think I will lose? I can easily take on five men and end up winning” he said to me as I swallowed hard looking at him.

“Now! If you don’t mind, why don’t we walk back in there and finish this later?” He questioned me as I sighed heavily watching him walk back but stopped in his tracks when he realized that I was not moving.

“Shall we go?” He said to me as I lifted my dress slowly walking over to him and he walked ahead as I followed him two steps behind.

We walked back into the dinner, and everyone was busy as he pulled back my chair for me as I sat down. He walked over to the other side of the table staring at me as I started eating without paying attention to him.

After dinner, a lot of people excused themselves and I thought this was an opportunity for me to leave and retire to bed, but King Michael just had to ruin my evening even further.

“Your majesty. I was wondering if at all you could allow me to walk her highness princess Eleanor to her room?” He questioned my father who nodded his head.

“Of course. I am sure she would be delighted” Father responded on my behalf. I inwardly scoffed as I put on a smile on my face standing up.

“Good night your majesty” I curtsied before walking out of the room as he escorted me to my room. I didn't say anything to him as I walked to my room because I honestly had nothing to talk about with him. If only he could leave me alone. That would be better.

“This will be my room, your majesty” I sarcastically said to him as he looked at me briefly before he turned around to look at Esperanza who bowed her head and walked away.

“Esperanza?” I called out to her, but she was quick to walk away without listening to me. What was she doing?

“Your highness, I know that you do not wish for this marriage as much as I don’t. But you will be my wife and queen, so expect some respect from you” he warned me as I looked away from him.

“You do realize that you just admitted that you don’t want this marriage? Is that why you had to allow other men to fight for me?” I questioned him as he swallowed hard.

“I believe that I have to earn everything in life. I don’t expect to receive a bride that was just given to me” He explained to me as I looked into his eyes.

“Well, then. You should also earn my respect then. Have a pleasant night your majesty” I said to him before I turned to enter my room. I closely closed the door behind me as I took a deep breath thinking of what I just said to him.

***

The entire night seemed long and tiring after what happened between me and King Michael. Why didn’t my father think of marrying me off to such an older man in the first place?

He was in his puberty years when I was conceived? I groaned as I felt the cold breeze hit my face, how I hated having someone open the curtains so early in the morning.

“Esperanza?” I called out softly without opening my eyes.

“Your highness? Did you have a good night's sleep?” She questioned as I complained covering my head.

‘You need to get ready; breakfast will be ready any time and you can not afford to be late” she said warning me as I sighed heavily.

“And what was that last night? You left me with that monster and never came back to tend to me?” I complained as she lowered her head,

“Forgive me your highness” she quickly apologized as I let out an exasperated sigh sitting on the bed.

“Do you think he will lose the fights today?” I asked her as she came to the bed sitting behind me as she combed my hair.

“He’s considered as a very good fighter. I would say you can talk to Prince Edward to challenge him, at least he’s more of a match” she responded as I sighed heavily.

“I don’t want to marry him.” I truthfully said to her trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.

“Then talk to prince Edward. I know he will help you” she advised me as I nodded my head in agreement. I managed to get ready with Esperanza’s help, I had to wear almost five underskirts before putting on the last dress

“How tight do you want the dress?” She asked as she pulled the rope behind me as I shook my head. she helped me behind as I looked at the dress that I wore. A deep green ball dress with long sleeves and a neckline showing my cleavage a little bit.

“Shall we?”

I asked her as she opened the door for me, and I walked out first with her a few steps behind me as I made my way to the dining room.

I walked down the stairs and at the bottom I was welcomed by King Michael. “Good morning your highness” He greeted me as I sighed heavily looking at him. He had no expression on his face. He wore his Armor like he was ready for war.

“May I?”

He offered his arm as I looked at his men behind him waiting for me to take his hand.

“Sure” I replied taking his arm as we walked to the dining room, we walked into the room and my father was just walking in from the door near his chair. He looked at me and smiled vividly and my mother had a smirk on her face like she was enjoying this moment.

King Michael pulled the chair for me, and I sat down while looking around the table, many people looked at me and Michael as we started eating.

“Do you have o fight?” I whispered to him as he shook his head.

“You do realis you are a King?” I questioned him and he wasn’t responding but focusing on eating his fruits.

“It is a long day. Why don’t you have something to eat?” he offered to place bread on my plate and eggs; I pursed my lips together as I tried to hold on tight to my dress avoiding saying something to him that might upset us both.

We had our breakfast then made our way to the shade where the tournament was taking place.

People cheered on us as we walked out to the front as I smiled at everyone. My father raised his hand and silence filled the grounds.

We stood at the top of the shelter and the ground about twenty feet down, it was made of sand, and around it stood the knights who were watching the tournament.

“I want to welcome everyone to this year’s tournament. Many have traveled far just to be here, and we are glad to welcome you. As you were made aware, the winner of the tournament after three days will be declared the winner and will be allowed to marry my daughter Princess Eleanor” He announced as I smiled at the crowds turning to look at the crowd.

The crowd cheered on when they heard that I would marry whoever is going to win the tournament.

“Many the best man wins! And let the tournament begin!” He shouted as people went on cheering and we all sat down on our chairs to watch the knights begin the tournament.

After spending the entire day watching people fight each other and bleeding I grew weary of seeing them.

After the first day of the tournament, I had hope that the man who was winning would end up being my husband because he was fighting very well.

“Esperanza?

Who was the man who was fighting?”

I question her as we made our way inside the dining room.

"He’s Ralendian, one of the best they have” I heard Dianna’s voice behind me as I turned behind looking at her.

“Dianna”

“Still worried about the tournament?” She questioned me as I stopped in my tracks nodding my head. “I just can’t believe that father knew I was betrothed to such a man and never bothered to tell me” I complained to her as she kept quiet letting all the other maidens walk by.

“Eleanor, you might not know this. But your marriage to him is very important, with you in Celidan, our kingdom is assured of an ally. Many enemies are rising, and I assure you will be thankful that you got married to King Michael when the kingdoms go to war” she assuredly said to me as I let out an exasperated sigh.

‘You sound like Edward, I can’t believe that you are also talking politics now” I joked, and she laughed.

‘Well, that’s what happens when you marry a man who has to lead many men” she said coming to wrap her hand around mine.

“Well, how did you end up loving Edward? If my memory serves me right, you hated Edward growing up whenever you visited us” I questioned him.

“Well, let’s just say that with you get to start learning how to love even the most annoying things about the man you married,” she said to me as I looked at King Michael talking to Edward.

I don’t think I will ever love him. He wasn’t what I wanted in my life.

“I don’t feel too well, I will just take a walk around the garden, Esperanza brings me a cup of milk please,” I said wanting to leave but I was stopped by Lukas the man who is serving King Michael.

“Can I help you?” I questioned him before I could step out.

“Yes, may I advise against leaving the room unattended to?” He asked me as I sighed heavily.

“I am fine. There’s no place that is safe for me than the castle, now please excuse me” I said walking past him and walked away.

I decided to go to my bedroom to go and retire. I was tired and the walk was not going to help me, I arrived in my room as Esperanza walk to put on the torches. I decided I would go to my bathroom to take a warm bath before I could sleep.

I opened the room, and I caught a foul smell. “Esperanza?” I shouted as I walked closer to the tub, “Aha!” I shouted on top of my voice when I saw what was in the tub.

I shrieked a loud scream as I moved back. What was happening to me?

What was this?

“Your highness?” Esperanza shouted as she rushed to where I was holding me tight.

‘Oh my god!” she said turning away, I felt like my knees were going weak. I felt shivers on my body.

“Guards! Guards!” Esperanza shouted on top of her voice for the guards to come into the room as I closed my eyes.

One of the guards walked into the room and was rushing to the bathroom as he looked at the body in the tub. “Your highness, please go to the bedroom. Get his highness!”

He said to the other guard that came after him.

Esperanza helped me to my bed as I sunk down, tears couldn’t stop running down my face when I saw Edward and his other men rush into the room.

“Eleanor!” he shouted as soon as he came to the room, I hurriedly stood up rushing to hug him.

“Edward” I cried, burying my head in his chest.

“What happened here?” I heard my father question as he walked into my room, I moved away from Edward and stood at a distance looking at my father and King Michael.

“There’s a dead body in the bathroom” Edward explained to my father as he walked to the bathroom, King Michael looked at Lukas who walked in the bathroom as they went to check the person who was laying dead in my room.

“What do you think?” Michael asked Lukas who looked up at Michael then my father.

“He’s been dead since morning. I would say the person didn’t struggle when being killed” Lukas explained as Michael walked closer to the body.

“Who saws the body?” He questioned,

“It’s Princess Eleanor, what would be the motive behind leaving the body in her room?

There’s been peace in the castle for years” My father complained as Michael nodded his head.

“It’s a message,” Edward said as he walked to the body.

“This is a warning that they can easily get to her without struggling. Princess Eleanor is the only reason that would bring a strong alliance between our two kingdoms. If she is the target that means they are against our alliance” He explained as I swallowed hard.

“She needs to be moved from here. Her room can easily be accessed” Edward said to my father as I looked at my father and everyone.

“I am not going anywhere. This is my room, where” I wanted to protest when my father gave me a glare.

“No time to argue, move her to another room. Make sure that she has guards with her every single time” My father instructed as I shook my head.

“Your Majesty, may I suggest that you allow one of my men to stand guard. It would be better if it was someone I know can be trusted” Michael told my father who looked at Edward who was still deciding what to do.

“Fine! Make sure she is safe; she is now your responsibility. Edward, I want you to find the person who did this before the tournament comes to an end” My father instructed before walking about. We all bowed our heads until he disappeared from my room.

What was happening to me? Was it because people found out that I was betrothed to King Michael?