Victorian Nights: The Arranged Marriage

Mothers' Squabble

“Vera!”

Huh?

“Vera!”

I groan, my eyes struggle to open…I decide to keep them closed, I snuggle back into the warmth of my pillow, ignoring the voice that kept trying to pull me out of my slumber.

“Vera, get up! Your mother is here”

Wait what?

I open my eyes abruptly only to be met by the sight of Marcus’ face so close to mine.

Both our eyes widened as they meet each other, Marcus quickly moves away from my face and stands up straight.

“Your…” he clears his throat “…Your mother is in the palace currently and she wants to see the both of us”

I was still recovering from my drowsiness but as soon as his words sink in I jump on my feet quickly and ring the bell at the side of the bed.

Marcus is already dressed, he is wearing a navy blue three piece suit, a golden crown sits atop his head adding to the beauty of his dressing.

He looks like a prince…well he is but still, he looks handsome as much as I do not want to admit it.

“As soon as you’re done admiring me, can you please get ready? They want to have breakfast with both of us”

My cheeks flamed with embarrassment at this words…I wasn’t staring at him…intentionally.

Mia and Jess were already by the door, their eyes were not on us though, almost like they did not want to see what Marcus and I were doing…they were probably thinking something stupid because of our close proximity.

“I wasn’t staring…” I say lamely in my defense. I don’t want the girls thinking stupid thoughts about Marcus and I…do I? Maybe that’s what is best.

“What ever you say, just hurry up please. I’ll be waiting for you”

I nod and then he leaves, the girls quickly rush to my side and help me take my clothes off, fill the tub with hot water and pick the dress I was going to wear.

My mother is here…

Memories of my childhood make me sad anytime I think about them and thinking about my mother makes me remember the fact that the dream I had held on to for the past ten years has been foolish.

I had always thought that once I got married to the Crown prince things would get better and maybe just maybe I could be happy for the first time since my father died.

Miriam always told me that I would marry a man that would love me and show me the world yet…

Oh Miriam, she must be thinking I am happy, I would not want to ruin that for her.

My mother being here was expected, it has already been two weeks since the three months period had ended, I was expecting her sooner but of course she never ceases to surprise me.

She’s probably here to tell me what I have done wrong and how to become more than perfect and I will have no choice but to listen and who knows maybe the queen would join in as well considering the fact that they’re so similar to each other.

I have not spoken to the queen since our last conversation about how much of a disappointment I am just because I am a human…then I met prince Dane.

I sighed at the thought of the prince.

He is like a pest, of course I won’t say that to his face but still, it is almost like he is everywhere I turn.

“You look beautiful your highness” Jess says. I don’t think I will ever get used to being called ‘your highness' or ‘princess Vera'. It still feels surreal that I’m here after ten years of waiting, probably because what I expected would be a better life turned out to be something else.

I admired my reflection and I smiled seeing that the girls had done a good job.

I was wearing a dark blue dress, long lacy sleeves. The top part hugged my body like a second skin, I could feel the corset making breathing hard for me but it was worth it seeing how beautiful I looked right now.

My hair was let down, Mia has never styled it this way ever since the time the queen complained about how it was not princess-like to let my hair down.

Yet here I was, my wild curls down and still looking as elegant as it could ever be.

The heels they gave me was comfortable, high but I am already used to wearing heels even higher than this.

“It is good to be prepared your highness…we have to show everyone that you look better as a princess and that you are living happily” Mia says, her tone warm. Even though her words sounded strange, I understood what she meant and it brought a smile to my face.

“Everyone will see that I am well taken care of” I say to Mia, there is a faint smile on her lips but it does not go past that.

“Are you ready my princess?”

“Yes, let’s go for breakfast”

…

“Vera is such a lucky girl to have you as her husband and the queen as her mother in law” before I had reached the dining room I could hear my mother’s pointlessly loud voice from across the halls.

“Well she is…” I hear the queen say, her voice much lower than that if my mother.

They all turned to look at me once they noticed my presence.

I bowed. “Good morning my Queen, mother, welcome” I say. The queen is seating at the chair next to the one at the head of the table where the king is supposed to be while my mother is sitting right next to the queen, Marcus and Dane are sitting right next to each other but Marcus was opposite my mother and it was very clear that she couldn’t keep her eyes off him.

My brows raised as I wondered who made this sitting arrangement.

“Oh Vera my dear!” My mother exclaimed in joy or…was it fake? I really couldn’t tell when it came to her. She stood up but didn’t make a move to walk to where I was. There is definitely a certain power and respect that comes with being the crown princess…or maybe it’s just my mother trying to curry the Queen’s favor.

I smiled at her, I was being plagued with mixed feelings at that moment. I was not sure if I really missed her or if it was the maid standing behind her that I missed.

I looked at my mother’s family face, familiar smile, familiar style and those hands of hers…those hands of hers that inflicted so much pain.

“Mother” I say, she is giddy at the sound of my acknowledgement, she gave a look to the other maids like she was trying to brag that the princess had just replied to her greeting…my mother is quite fond of doing that.

Miriam gives me a small smile as I make my way to the table, I return her smile and then take the chair next to Marcus, I’m very sure I won’t be able to handle sitting next to my mother even though I know that she can’t hurt me here.

Marcus pulls out the seat next to him, he is smiling warmly at me…like we are in good terms, like we are actually an actual normal married couple. I make sure to keep my expression neutral.

I wouldn’t want the queen or my mother to notice any thing wrong.

“Thank you, husband” I say. Marcus takes a hold of my hand and puts it on the table where everyone can see

“Anything for you, my wife” his voice is loud, everyone hears it and it gives me goosebumps seeing him act this way toward me.

Ever since we got married we have hardly had reason to pretend to like each other and even when we did, it was only for like two seconds whenever the queen or king were passing by.

“Look how good you too look together, it’s like a match made in the heavens” my mother says, excitedly.

“I couldn’t agree more” the queen replies, her eyes filled with pride like she had anything to do with how ‘good’ I and Marcus’ relationship is.

“They look good together”

“Yes they do”

I studied both women, they looked like they were best of friends yet I could see hostility behind both their eyes. My mother has never like the queen of the Celestials and so she never told me anything good about her but I readied myself and came here knowing fully well that my mother could be wrong because my mother always has a problem with every body.

Now the queen hates humans, she never fails to mention it every time she sees me yet here we are having a conversation like nothing is wrong.

Sometimes I wonder…just how people do it, do one thing today and then do the opposite the other day. My mother and the queen…

Thinking about it gave me a headache so I decided to just focus on the task of eating and forgetting about their drama.

“So Vera…” my mother giggles like she had just told a joke “I mean your highness…” she corrects.

“How has life in the palace been?”

“Of course it has been good!” the queen replies almost immediately, a smile on her face.

My mom seemed to be bothered by her quick reply but she tried her best not to let it show, I saw it though.

“This is the land of the Celestials and despite the fact that Vera isn’t allowed to leave the palace yet, she has been treated with so much professional care that I’m sure she does not even miss her old life” the queen is smiling as she speaks but yet every word that leaves her lips is like a direct hit to my mother.

“Isn’t that right Vera?”

Heavens, they won’t even let me eat in peace.

“I love living in the palace my queen” I said, if she is dissatisfied with my reply, she does not show it. The queen smiles a victorious smile instead and gives a look to my mother. My mother laughs.

“It is good, for a moment I thought she would miss the love and warmth of her true mother but I can see that even if she doesn’t call you mother, she still holds you dear”

What.

The.

Hell.

My eyes widened. I hear a cough from my side, I notice both the brothers next to me have the same expressions on their face. Their lips thinned…like they were trying to hold in their laughter.

I tried to gauge the queen’s expression and I’m met by a glare.

“Please set the table since we’re all here now” the queen says to the butler standing next to the king’s seat…which was currently unoccupied.

She doesn’t reply my mother and my mother has a smug smile on her face, she doesn’t know or she doesn’t care that she is playing with fire.

I keep my eyes down, not sure I want to see how everyone is looking at me. I feel Marcus’ hand grab mine and then his lips move closer to my ear. I couldn’t help but move away as he came closer but he pulled me back to him.

“Your mother…” he whispers “Never ceases to amaze me” he says.

No one at table heard him and they were all staring at us like we were having a secret couple discussion. My fists clenched, Marcus was getting amusement from watching both our mothers squabble, it made me upset.

Did he enjoy the fact that they don’t get along or is it that his everyday life is so boring that he has watch two old women exchange words in order to be amused.

“Neither does yours” I reply, I regretted the words the second they left my lips.