Chapter six: A pin for Jamie.
King Alexander watched with a hint of wicked smirk as his new bride was escorted to the dungeon by his guards. He thought Janessa would object but surprise! She made no fuss at all. She just stood up and adjusted her clothing and followed the guard with her dignity intact.
"Stop!" Alexander ordered the guard and his new bride. And they both stopped.
He stood up and walked around her with eyes, one could use to watch a prey. She was pretty enough. Not as much as her sister that looked so delicate than Alexander imagined a little yelling would send her to the edge of tears.
Janessa on the other hand looked like she could put up a fight. It was okay but until she learn about her place by his side, he had to handle her with the same causal ruthlessness he used for neighboring kingdoms so they don't take his silence and love for peace as weakness.
"Leave us!" He ordered and they bowed and left.
"I have a proposition for you, Janessa"
"I go by Jamie, milord" Jamie was getting irritated by the minute and the smug look on his face made her even more angry.
"Queens don't shorten their names, Janessa" Alexander wanted to sound pleasingly but it came out stronger than intended.
"I do. I must insist you call me Jamie, Milord"
"My name is Alexander. You don't have to call me, Milord or his highness. You are my bride, after all"
Jamie looked at him. She didn't know what to think of him. She had expected an old fragile man with bad breathe and hunger for power but instead, she was here with a man she could mistake for an angel. She wanted to ask him one question. Jamie wanted to know why her sister ran. Was Alexander wicked to her? Did he break lovely and kindhearted Arabella? Did he drive Arabella crazy? Will she go crazy herself?
"What proposition?" Jamie asked instead.
"I don't want you in a dungeon. I want you up here by my side as my Queen"
"What are you suggesting, Milord?"
"We consummate our marriage and we will keep out of each other's way. You won't attempt to escape either"
"B-by consummation y-you mean..." It was the first time she stuttered in front of Alexander. Alexander could see her as clear as day. She was red in the face.
"I will make love to you, Monisha and then you will be mine truly by law" Alexander told her. He expected her to turn redder in the face but her face lit up instead like she was hatching a plan.
"So, if we don't do that then I am not yours to keep, right? You are not my husband and I am not your wife" Jamie said with a hopeful countenance "I can return to my kingdom"
"Make no mistake Janessa. I am going to make love to you and consummate this marriage between us" Alexander knew exactly what she was hatching in her mind.
"You see, Milord, I will never give you consent to ravish me or is his highness, the type to force himself on a woman?" A little tingling fear crept inside Jamie's heart. Alexander was fondly called the devil of Aradale that meant he was capable of such monstrosity.
"No, I would never take what you are not willing to give."
Alexander's reply to her question came to Jamie as a shock, and for a moment she was relieved. But it didn't last long.
"But I can sit on that chair right over there and watch as I make you touch yourself" Alexander was serious.
"You wouldn't dare!" Jamie cried out in disgust.
"Actually I would but I will make you a new deal. Our customary marriage rites will be performed in a fortnight, you will smile and pretend to enjoy it and afterwards when we retire to bed as husband and wife by law, I promise to ignore you" Alexander had no idea why he was saying that to her.
His whole body screamed at him. The more close he was with this little woman, the more he had to fight to keep his hands off of her. When he had kissed her earlier, at first it was to quiet her and safe her life but then he hadn't want to stop. She wasn't anything like her elder sister yet he never felt this way for beautiful Arabella.
"And if I don't sit still like you want during the marriage rites, what exactly will happen?" Jamie had this nasty habit of pushing her luck. As a child she always had to know the punishment for a particular mischief before she commits them. She would weigh the thrill of the mischief with the punishment and then decide if it was worth it.
"If you make a fuss at our marriage rites, I will chain you to that bed and make you watch as I make love to another woman all night. And before you ask, if you run away again I will chain you to that bed and put a baby in you"
"I won't make a fuss then" Jamie murmured.
For some reason the image of Alexander with another woman made her nauseous, even more than she hated the idea of being a breeding cow to the arrogant king.
Alexander watched her as she gave in to his demands without further problems.
"Great! If you will excuse me, I have to punish the vile men that caused that mark on your neck and hands" Alexander stood up to leave but Jamie stopped him.
"I don't want anyone punished on my behalf, Milord"
"If you call me Alexander from now on, I might consider taking a finger instead of an entire arm" Alexander saw the look on her face. She was unhappy about the punishment "I have to punish them somehow. I can't let it stand that you can tie up the future Queen of Aradale without consequences"
"Then have them flogged in public.... Alexander"
"Okay, I will think about it"
Alexander kissed her cheek and left. Jamie heard the sound of the lock as he locked the chamber and took the key with him.
She smiled and pulled out a small pin from her hair.