"Wura tell me my dear" said Lawrence
"What is it that you really want?" asked Lawrence.
He and Wura were currently in his study, he had called her here because he wanted to speak to her privately, Tessa had went to take a nap, while Ireti had gone to the market, which left him with some time to speak to his daughter one on one.
"I do not know father" said Wura as she bowed her head down.
"What do you mean that you do not know my dear?" asked Lawrence.
"You can never not know what you want, you will always know what you want right there, deep inside you" said Lawrence.
"So tell me my dear, talk to me, I am your father, you can tell me anything" he said as he smiled and Wura raised her head.
If she could not express her deepest worries and concerns to him, the who else would she express them too?
"I really do not know father" said Wura as she looked at her Father.
"But what I am sure of is that I do not want to marry" said Wura.
"I do not want to marry the Prince, or anyone else for that matter" said Wura.
"Father, I am only eighteen" said Wura.
"Marriage is the least of my worries at this moment, I do not want a husband" said Wura.
"I understand you completely my dear" said Lawrence.
"And I also do not want you to get married either" said Lawrence.
"But the problem now is breaking off the engagement" said Lawrence as he sighed and rested back in his chair.
"The Prince really seems interested in you" said Lawrence.
"And I am sure that he would not just break off the engagement just like that, he has already set his eyes on you" said Lawrence.
"He even took the liberty to inform us beforehand of his inability to attend the meeting between us that had arranged" said Lawrence.
"That really speaks well of him, he is very serious about marrying you my dear" said Lawrence.
"And I hope that you know that it would not be easy to defy the Prince, because the King is most definitely in support of his decision" said Lawrence.
"Yes I am aware father" said Wura.
Wura was sure that if she came from another family things would have been different, but no she was the daughter of Duke and Duchess Scot, one of the most respected Duke families in the Kingdom.
It would be a joy for the kingdom if this whole thing went ahead, if only she was like other maidens who would die to be in her place, well be her guest she would have gladly switched her position with anyone else.
"Prince Liam is truly a worthy candidate of being coveted at the husband that every maiden in the kingdom dreams of, if only you loved him then that would have been easier" said Lawrence as he sighed, he truly did not know what to do.
He was currently stuck between his obligation to the Kingdom as a Duke, and his obligation to his family as Wura's father, but one thing was sure to him, and that was that he was not going to let Wura do something that she did not want to do.
"That is a different case father" said Wura
Wura did not want to ruin the image that her father had of Liam, she did not want to tell him that he was a scoundrel who only used women like a toy.
She was sure that if her father was aware of that, he would accuse Liam, and that would end in them being banished for treason, because her father was always a quiet easy going man, but when he got upset you could say that he lost all rationality and he did not care about the consequences of his actions at that point in time.
And Wura did not want all that to happen just because of her, so she decided to keep it to herself.
"What do you mean my dear?" asked Lawrence.
"It is nothing important Father" said Wura as she smiled.
"Alright my dear" said Lawrence.
"Umm Father, In your honest opinion, do you want me to get married to the Prince?" asked Wura, she knew that he had said over and over again that he did not want such for her, she had to really know how he felt about this whole thing.
"My dear, In the end I only want what is best for you and what makes you happy" said Lawrence as he stood up and walked towards Wura.
He put her hands in his as he held them.
"It does not matter which path you choose, I will always support you" he said as he gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Thank you father" said Wura as she smiled.
"You are welcome my dear" said Lawrence as he smiled back.
Her father was her best confidant, her favourite person, the one she could talk too about absolutely anything, not to say that everyone else was not easy to talk to, but there was just something that alleviated her heart whenever she spoke to him.
"I love you father" said Wura.
"And I love you to my dear" said Lawrence as he smiled, she was his baby, and nothing could change that.
"Well my dear it is getting late, your mother should be returning any moment now" said Lawrence.
"Yes she should return any moment now" said Wura, she knew that her mother would probably still be upset with her for wriggling her way out of going to the market with her.
"You are worried that she is still upset with you are you not?" asked Lawrence as he could read Wura as well as the back of his hand.
"Is it so obvious father?" asked Wura as she sighed.
"Haha" said Lawrence as he laughed.
"She can never be upset with you, you are her daughter after all" said Lawrence as he laughed.
"Come now, let us go" he said as he pulled Wura up.
"I wonder what your Aunt will prepare for us today" said Lawrence, because if his memory served him right, the last time Tessa tried to prepare something, the entire kitchen caught fire.
"I hope it has some taste" said Wura as she really was not looking forward to Tessa's dish, but then again she did say that she was using one of her mother's recipe.
"I just hope that she does not burn down the kitchen... again" said Lawrence as he and Wura both laughed together.