"Mother, father, why are you doing this to ? You can not do this to . I am your daughter, your child! You can not marry off to a barbarian. One who clearly has malice against !" She just could not understand her parents’ way of thinking! Seeing that her father had slapped and scolded her that day in front of the Tragonians, she had thought that he did that just for show, she thought he did that just to make it seem like he was mad at her in front of the Trago empire. And the fact that neither her mother, nor her father talked to her about the matter after that day only affird that theory.
But now, now she just did not know anymore. Now she could really feel it that her parents had no love for her. How else could they approve of such marriage even after the stunt she pulled? Could they not see that her life will be a torturous one if she ended up marrying prince Barak because of what she had done to him?
They approved the marriage and sent the Tragonians back to rest for the day, now here she was trying to understand what her parents were thinking!
"And what makes you believe the prince has malice against you?" Erra asked. She had a deadpan expression on her face, Neriah could not read it.
"Is it not obvious? What normal man would want to marry after I almost had his head? Surely he would have a great amount of malice against ." Neriah explained, seated at the feet of her mother.
"Well then why did you do what you did in the first place?" Erra shrugged and Neriah’s mouth opened wide. She wished to say sothing in return but she just could not find any words.
"Neriah, in this life you have to pay the consequences for your actions. For a long ti now, your father and I have thought you right from wrong but what we failed to teach you was the consequences you face when you decide to take the wrong actions. What you did was stupid and reckless and oh so deaning of a princess, you shall face the consequences."
"But this consequence surpasses what I have done!" She cried out. This was unfair, what did she do to deserve this? He was just a barbarian!! An ordinary disgusting barbarian.
"Enough!!" Gerald slamd his hand viciously on the side of his chair, and rose to his feet. Neriah quickly rose to her feet in fear. The look on her father’s eyes were distant. It almost seed like he was staring at sothing that was soaked in filth.
She could not believe her father was looking at her with those eyes.
"Enough of your nonsense! Oh how I have failed as a father!" He slapped his chest in agony. It pained him. Pained him that he had failed to realize that pampering her had caused her to be raised in a manner where she took no responsibility or bla for her action.
"I have failed mightily. I pray that the goddess will forgive soday for this great failure!" He was red with anger and pain. So, so red.
"For you to believe that the consequence surpasses your sin is clear evidence that I have failed. You seem to not understand the asure of your sin."
"Father what—"
"Silence!" He yelled and she flinched as his hands grabbed her arms firmly. "You pretended to be a spy and ended up sleeping with a complete stranger like the cheapest of whores! And as if that was not enough, you planned to use that innocent stranger for your own gain." He shook her viciously. Almost like he wanted to shake so sense into her.
"You ca in hear crying like a witch about to be burnt alive and accused that stranger of forcing himself upon you!" Gerald paused, for saying these things out loud made him realize that she had really done those things. His little princess was not as pure-heartedly as he had thought.
"Your precious stranger turned out to be the warrior crown prince of Trago! Your reckless actions almost cost the lives of a thousand n because I would have slain that man for your sake and that would have caused a war!!" He breathed and released her. He took so steps away from her with his hands on his head. Dear goddess, he was having a splitting headache.
"And you think marriage to a man whom you already willingly gave your body to will be a great destructive consequence for your actions?" He continued. "Nay! Nay Neriah, it does not even suffice!!" He turned around and faced her again.
"If you were not a princess, your head would have been one of the tokens I gifted the Tragonians as a symbol of my remorse! Now leave my presence before I change my mind and gift your head to them." He did not want to say more. His words were already harsh enough, but seeing her he could not control the vicious words that escaped his lips.
"F_father I..."
"I said leave! Away with you now!!" He bellowed and she flinched and staggered backwards with tears in her eyes. Never in her life had she seen him look as he did. "Guards, escorts the princess to her chambers and make sure there are more than four n situated at the front of her door, her windows and balcony. I do not want her slipping out of her room to go sleep with another man whom she would then use as a scapegoat." Dear goddess he did not want to say these things but he could not control his anger.
"Away with her now." He ordered and Neriah was escorted out of the hall with tears in her eyes.
...
"My Lady, please you have to eat sothing. Please." Aria begged. She did not need to hear anything from Neriah to realize what had happened in the hall today. She had feared it would happen and by watching the unending tears of her mistress soak up the pillow, she could tell. The marriage was not called off.
"Please My Lady, your eyes will swell. Cry no more. Whatever the case may be we can figure sothing out."
"Aria, Aria I am finished." Neriah finally spoke up. "I am finished because I have a father whom I thought loved , but it turns out he hated all this while. Aria can you believe he scolded . Father scolded ! What kind of father scolds his child over a barbarian!" She cried bitterly and buried her head into her pillow again. Riri was already asleep in her own little bed or she would have had so choicy words for Gerald.
"My Lady, but it is—"
"Aria what will beco of now?" Neriah interrupted whatever Aria was about to say. "Father and mother have agreed to my union with that barbarian!" She wailed. "I am finished. That barbarian hates . He hates so much because of the wrong he believes I did to him. So how can I marry such a man? He would surely tornt and torture for all our married life!" She bawled louder and louder as she could already picture the many torturing instrunts he would use on her. She had read about the tortures of the barbarians and it was not a good thing at all.
She did not want to witness it.
"Oh Lyle! My dear Lyle, my love, my heart desire. What will beco of our love?" She sniffled and Aria handed her a cloth to wipe her nose. She blew into the cloth and haded it back to Aria.
"I can not live without Lyle. Aria what do I do? I am to marry that barbarian!"
"Do not worry my princess, certainly the king and queen will co to their senses before the day of the engagent."
Aria’s words were supposed to be comforting but they only made Neriah cry even louder, "Aria there is no longer an engagent! They want to just go forward with the wedding! It was that bastards idea. That bastard suggested that the engagent be thrown out the window!" She said amidst tears and a snotty nose.
"Well he is a bastard indeed! Filthy barbarian he is." Aria hmphed in support of her mistress. "But not to worry My dear beautiful princess, the ti for marriage would take so planning, there will also be a lot of things to prepare for, so surely the goddess in her infinite rcy shall perform a miracle before the date of the wedding." Aria cheered her on but was shocked that Neriah’s cry only increased in volu.
"The wedding_ the wedding is_ the wedding is tomorrow!!"
"What!!!" Aria scread. "Tomorrow? What does this an? How can the wedding of a princess be—" Aria paused as the door to Neriah’s chambers opened and an elderly woman whose old age in no way hide her poise and grace, stepped into the room.
"My_My Lady Bretton!" Aria stuttered as she rose to her feet and greeted, wondering what the queen’s personal maid who was also the head maid of the palace was there for. But before she could even think far, so maids ca trooping into the room carrying baskets and trays of only the goddess knows what.
"The peace of Aveliana be with you, Your Highness. Her Majesty has sent . It is ti to pick out your wedding dress and accessories." The woman calmly stated. And Aria realized that Neriah was not joking. She was indeed getting married tomorrow.
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