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#Post#: 378749--------------------------------------------------
Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 14, 2014, 3:29 pm
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She was in the middle of a dream when a maid servant woke her
from her slumber. Essie had always hated waking up before a
dream could be completed. It was like reading a story and never
finding out the ending. A groan slipped from her lips as she
turned onto her side, pulling the blanket over her head as she
went. The prying, slender of the servant's fingers poked her
shoulder, demanding her to get up. When it proved unsuccessful,
the girl sighed heavily and left the woman alone.
Once she had closed the door, Essie opened her eyes and peeled
back the blanket, allowing the sunlight to break away her
exhaustion. After stretching her limbs, she sat up and glanced
out of the window. There was still snow on the pane but the sun
had melted most of it. It was sure to be muddy outside from the
melting snow, which meant she would have to wear leather boots
instead of her new shoes her father had gotten her last week.
Perhaps, now that it was beginning to warm up, she would be able
to wear them in the next few weeks.
Essie dressed, choosing a green dress with a laced up back and a
low neckline. Her father would not approve of the attire but it
was not as if she was going to be able to show it off to anyone
aside from him and the servants.
The halls were bright with decor for the upcoming ball which she
was not allowed to attend due to her upcoming trip to France. It
had been something she had been planning and looking forward to
for months. She had not been any where outside of the palace
grounds except to visit a friend in the northern kingdom. Well,
friend was an incorrect term. More like an annoying, arrogant,
jerk who her father wanted her to end up with. As if that was
ever going to happen!
Going into the dining room, she sat at the table, next to her
father, the king, who sat at the head of it. Servants hurried to
place food in front of her and poor her a glass of milk. She
waited silently, watching her father wade through several
official documents that needed his immediate attention. After a
few minutes, she began to eat and he glanced up from his
paperwork.
"Good morning," he greeted, lifting his cup to his lips. He
swallowed the red liquid and placed the glass back onto the
table. "I was hoping we would be able to talk."
Essie glanced up, looking at her father as she finished the
strip of bacon. "Father, if it's about the trip, I assure you I
have everything worked out."
He had always been overprotective since the death of her mother
seven years ago.
He shook his head, his expression stern. "Essie, you are
nineteen now and old enough to know the truth. When you were
born, your mother and I made a deal with the northern kingdom."
Essie frowned. "What kind of deal? Like a trade aagreement?"
"No," he corrected. "An arranged marriage. Between you and their
prince."
She went cold, as she held her breath and glared at her father.
"You can't be serious," she said. "That is not fair. Do I not
get a say in who I marry?"
He sighed and waved to the servants, motioning them to leave
him. Once they were gone, he met her gaze evenly; as her king.
"I know this is not what you want. Perhaps, it is my fault for
letting you be so independent. Either way, Essie you are a
princess and have a duty to your country. By marrying this young
man, you will ease tensions and bring about more trade
accessibility and also expand our borders as well as theirs.
Your mother and I had an arranged marriage. It worked out just
fine for us and it will for you too. Now get properly dressed.
You are leaving today to stay in the northern kingdom in order
to establish a bond with him. At the ball next weekend, we will
announce your engagement."
She flailed her arms and stood up, causing her chair to fall
back in a clang. "No, I will miss my trip to France! You know
that I have been planning this for months! Plus why do I have to
leave today! I don't have to get married yet!"
"Essie, we have a contract with them. You have to get married
before you are twenty which is at the end of next month. You
will have plenty of time to travel after you are married. This
is your duty, Es. We all have to make sacrifices."
He leaned over and kissed her forehead before going to leave the
room when he turned and said, "you have an hour to get ready."
An hour later, she was on her way to see her future husband. The
thought it caused her to shiver in anger. This was not fair!
Part of her wanted to run away but she knew that it would not
solve anything.
#Post#: 378865--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 14, 2014, 7:40 pm
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Jasper sat in his room, tapping a pencil against his windowsill
as he looked out at the passing villagers. As time passed, the
rapping sound became more prevalent, more rapid. Red and black
swirls traversed the surface of his irises, as irritation played
on his eyebrows. Essie was on her way to the Kingdom again. But
this time, it wasn't like her other visits. She was coming to
stay! Since birth, their parents had been deciding their fates
behind their backs!
In only a few days his engagement would be announced, and his
normal life would be left behind. The days where he was known as
the "Renegade" for his tendency to abandon social events, and
responsibilities as a Royal to "Mingle" with the citizens. Women
of the Kingdom loved the Renegade, and he loved them in return.
But that would soon be a thing of the past... The red swirls
turned to a pattern similar to lightning bolts, striking through
a black night sky as his frustration grew...
And then the worst part, They were giving him away to ESSIE?!
That Bi- Pain in the ass was going to be his WIFE?! I mean,
Yeah, she was hot... But what else did he really have to say
about her that was good? A few hours... A few hours of
freedom... Jasper wasn't going to let them go to waste. As soon
as the coast was clear, he took off into the town! He might come
back, then again, he might not... This engagement shit was for
the birds...
#Post#: 378876--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 14, 2014, 8:26 pm
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It had yet to set in yet. Essie couldn't concentrate on the
faces that passed the carriage as her mind obsessed with the
coming wedding. Her heart felt heavy but she wanted to please
her father and due the right thing for her country. Yet, she
could not deny the devastation it caused her. No longer could
she flirt with eligible men of the court, or dream of a man
sweeping off of her feet. Her life just started but it felt like
it was suddenly ending.
The coach came to a sudden halt as they pulled up to the black
marble gates. Speaking to the guard, the driver explained the
presence of the princess and proved his story with the letter
sealed with the royal emblem and the king's signature. It was
not long until they were permitted entrance and were in the
courtyard of the castle.
She hopped out, her black dress scrapping the mud as she did.
Her father did not find the color of her attire humorous but he
had not objected due to the strained emotions. Es noticed the
fountain with a beautiful woman statue in the middle whose hands
cupped water as it fell from a spout on her opened mouth. When
she had been eight, Jasper had pushed her into it after she had
cut all of the strings on his shoes off in attempt to seek
revenge for him teasing about her braids.
Reminded of the incident, she huffed and started up the steps of
the castle. Servants were whispering to one another but
immediately hushed when they saw her approaching. They both
performed a curtsy and then directed her into the common room.
Es sat down in a chair and asked for a cup of tea as she waited
for her things to be carries to her room.
It was so quiet...
#Post#: 378877--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 14, 2014, 9:31 pm
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The Renegade strikes again! That would be the word traveling
through the castle when Essie arrived, and Jasper was nowhere to
be found. At first, it was assumed that it was a prank from the
playful prince, but after almost two hours of searching, it was
confirmed that he was not within the castle walls. Meanwhile,
the Prince with the dynamic colored eyes was out on the town as
he often was, buying people drinks, flirting with women and
having a jolly old time. The last thing on his mind was his
fated engagement...
At least, that's what he wanted to be true. The truth was, in
the back of his mind, throughout the night, He couldn't shake
the fact that when he returned home, Essie would be there
waiting for him. His feelings about this fact were mixed, since
a part of him -did- want to see her, but for the most part, he
was simple dreading it. So much so, that he stayed out until the
wee hours of the night, but even then, he didn't enter the
castle, opting to wander the grounds instead, despite being sure
that everyone must have been asleep by that point.
#Post#: 378883--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 14, 2014, 10:14 pm
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Eventually, the princess was informed of his disappearance
and she had retreated to her room for the remainder of the
evening. She was extremely exhausted from the trip but had
little luck falling asleep. In a white night gown with lace
trimmings, she grabs the lantern on her nightstand and leaves
the room to investigate the castle. After the numerous summers
she had spent there, she knew almost every nook and cranny by
heart and could probably find them in total darkness if
necessary. Every step of the way, she found herself battling
memories of her time spent here with him. There were forced
into seclusion from their peers and play together. Once they
had gotten too old for child’s play, they were made to study and
practice swordsmanship as well as musical instruments. They
were both well educated in preparation for the kingdoms they
would someday inherit.
Essie soon found herself walking on the muddy floor of the
castle grounds. She sat on the concrete, circular structure of
the fountain and glanced up at the starry blanket above her,
causing the long black curls to sweep down her back. Before she
could get too lost in her thoughts, she heard footsteps. At
first, they were very small but they grew louder, signaling the
approach of someone. She sighed.
“Look, I know I am out late without guards, just give me five
minutes,” she said to the dark figure before the moonlight
uncloaked its owner.
Instantly, Essinianse frowned and folded her arms over her
chest in defense.
“I thought you had disappeared,” she snarled.
#Post#: 379139--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 15, 2014, 8:23 pm
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Dark red eyes peered through the eyes, giving off a light glow
as Jasper approached the Princess They were filled with
frustration, as well as exhaustion, but when the princess spoke
up, they picked up a mischievous glint, ripples of yellow
floating across them, like raindrops landing on the surface of a
body of water. "As if I could pass up my engagement to your
royal painfulness." He said, hopping up onto the the fountain,
and walking around the side to where Essie stood.
"You know, if you're going to start misbehaving, you should
commit to it more fully." He said, walking behind her on the
edge of the fountain. "You don't ask permission to break the
rules. You just do it." He then pulled the string on the left
side of her dress, causing one side of her dress to fall down.
He then laughed and plopped down in place. "See? Now would I
have been able to pull that off if I asked your permission
first? Consider this a lesson learned..."
#Post#: 379140--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 15, 2014, 8:43 pm
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"You would not know what manners were even if they smacked you
in the face," she said.
Why would she want to break any rules, anyways? At least, why
would she when she was hoping to break the engagement with good
behavior. The only thing she was guilty of was staying up too
late. Hardly, anythibg news worthy. Hopefully, her father would
have a change of heart once he realized that she deserved more.
It was a long shot.
When her dress began to fall, she caught the gown with trembling
fingers and gasped. The winter air nipped at her the bare skin,
causing her to shiver. Quickly, she tied the dress and glared at
him.
"Lesson learned?" she growled in a near whisper. "How dare you!"
She mumbled incoherently under her voice though it resembled
words along the lines of 'I will teach you 'lesson'. Reaching
into the fountain, she allowed the cold water to wrap around her
hands before splashing water toward him.
"You are a spoiled..." she stammered, trying to think of a
proper insult. "... jerk! You are a big, fat, jerk."
He's not fat, a voice in the back of her head rebuked but she
waved it aside.
Flustered by the inability to correctly insult him, she went to
stomp on his foot but instead, the darkness concealed a large
rock and she tripped and landed on her hands which rescued her
face. She then stood up, brushed off her dress and waited for
the jibes that were sure to come after the embarrassing fall.
#Post#: 379187--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 15, 2014, 10:43 pm
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Jasper chuckled as Essie scolded him for his lack of manners.
"That's where you're mistaken, Princess." He said, hints of
orange mixing in with his multicolored eyes. I was in the same
etiquette courses as you as a child, and if I recall correctly,
my marks were higher than yours." Jasper may have been t he wild
child of the two, but he was well studied as Essie, even better
in some areas.
Essie immediately fell into a temper tantrum when Jasper pulled
his first prank. Her disdain toward him was fuel for the fire.
When she splashed the water toward him, it soaked his shirt. In
the cold night, wet clothes were not a smart decision. He
immediately removed his shirt, tossing it at the woman's face
before she attempted to stomp on his foot, instead finding a
rock, and forcing herself toward the ground. Out of instinct,
the Prince caught her before she could hit the ground, however
he didn't lift her back up. "Clumsy as ever..." He said, before
releasing her, allowing her to fall to the ground, much more
gently than she would have falling from her full height. He was
fine with being a jerk. It was easier being the target of her
hatred than... Well, it was just better that way.
#Post#: 379351--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: guest1268 Date: December 16, 2014, 12:14 pm
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He had minimized the fall but she would rather suffer physical
damage than be touched by him. Essie stomped on his shirt that
was now on the ground. Mud soiled it as her toes pushed it into
the earth.
"We both know why you scored higher," she said. "Tell me, did
the teacher teach you manners in bed, as well?"
Folding her arms over her chest, she looked at him with a narrow
gaze. It was freezing but she was not going to bed until she
won. What she was winning, she had no idea but she always felt
like they were in constant competition.
Finally, as she sighed and shook her head. There was no way in
hell this marriage was going to work. Essie looked away from
him, stealing a glimpse at the castle.
"You know, I hate this too, " she said. "Why don't we address
the elephant in the room and set up some kind of truce? They can
force us into marriage, not love."
#Post#: 379416--------------------------------------------------
Re: Arranged Marriage
By: Renegade Date: December 16, 2014, 5:08 pm
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Blood red eyes watched as the woman's foot assualted the shirt
he had abandoned, though no words came in exchange. He smirked,
however, when she challenged the way that his grades surpassed
hers. "Maybe your grades would have matched mine if you were as
good at networking as me. Something tells me she would have
favored you more anyway. Large swirls of light blue mixed into
his iris as he spoke. His face showed confidence and humor
toward the discussion, but in truth, he was only a fragile 14
year old boy at the time, unknowing that he was being taken
advantage of by one of many women, hoping to make their fortune
by way of the ignorant young Prince.
Those multicolored eyes saw many things when they looked at
Essie. She was too cold to remain outdoors, but too stubborn to
go in until he conceded defeat to her. As if that would
happen... His eyes narrowed, all hints of playfulness fading
from his expression upon hearing her next statement. "A truce?"
He said the words as if they were the most implausible thing he
had ever heard.
His eyes turned to a solid brown color as they settled on his
bride to be.It was rare to see them all one color. It was just
as rare, for him to expose the level of sincerity, however harsh
it may have been, that came with the words that followed.
"You're a fool if you think our parents care if we're in love."
Swirls of red accented the brown, glowing more intensely as his
emotion spiked. He took a deep breath, and lowered his voice,
causing the light in his eyes to dim once more. "The only thing
they care about is us upholding their tradition. We'll be
expected to produce an heir to our Kingdom; An heir that one day
will share the very fate that we face now. Our role is nothing
more than to be another rung on the ladder of our history, and
our significance is barely even that. Keep your thoughts of
rebellion, Princess. They won't do us any good..." With that,
Jasper turned toward the Castle, Elegantly climbed the wall, and
snuck back in through his window. He was no longer in a mood to
play games...
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