(ATTENTION THIS IS CHAPTER 3 THERE WAS A CONFUSION DURING PUBLISHING.PLEASE READ CHAPTERS 1 AND 2 FIRST. THE EDITORS ARE FIXING THIS SOON THANK YOU )
Gianna sat on her cosy bed, was she really to marry that man? That would mean she would have to commit the rest of her life to him. He was so annoying. She doubted he would treat her well after the encounter she had had with him, and by well Gianna meant being treated like a human with her rights; not just a mere possession. Would he even let her continue working as a castle healer after their wedding?
Gianna was a free spirit, she didn't imagine living trapped in a gated manor for the rest of her life like a bird trapped in a cage forever all in the name of marriage.
Gianna turned in bed to see what time it was on the water clock, it was already past midnight, yet she wasn't the least tired.
Gianna vividly remembered how her day had begun and her conversation with her father and Alvilda. It was still early when the clouds gave off their rain to the grass and trees. Standing by the window in her room, Gianna saw the road become alive with more splashes than her bright green eyes could appreciate. Yet together they brought such a soothing sound, a natural melody every bit as beautiful as a mother's hum. It was a sight to see the trees and plants drenched in rain appearing greener and brighter.
In the master bedroom, Hilton dragged his tired boy out of bed and sauntered into the the bathroom. It was raining heavily accompanied by lightning and thunder. The day wouldn't certainly end well. Hilton Kent found her daughter in their living room playing with her cat. She was in a black and gold dress , her cheeks and lips painted a bright red. She looked up at him as he entered.
"Good morning father?" She smiled warmly.
That smile was his weakness, further increasing his guilt as a father who had failed in his role. It reminded him of his happier days when he was deeply in love with her mother who was an adopted princess. Her worried expression brought him back to the present world.
"How does my princess fare today?" He tried to maintain a confident demeanor but he could hear how shaky his voice was.
" I am well father thank you for asking." She smiled again, tears nearly welled up in his blue eyes thinking of what she was going to tell her.
"Going somewhere?" He asked instead.
"Yes. I were to join Lewis and Kara to tour the hills. Kara is very interested in herbal medicine; she thought we would collect some medicinal herbs on the hillside." She explained.
"I see."
An foreboding moment of silence followed . The thought of marrying his daughter to someone she hardly knew was like a needle jabbing on his skin. Gianna had just stood up to get her father some breakfast but he stopped her.
"Actually, breakfast can wait. There eas some important matter I wanted to discuss with you."
Gianna took her seat apprehensively.
Hilton cleared his throat nervously. After much contemplation, he decided to be brief and frank.
" Earl Ferdinand approached me asking me to marry you to his son Kyler who is to become the Earl of their region in the coming days and I agreed. Tyler saw you in the castle while attending the monarchs summit in the castle and was impressed by your beauty. The wedding is on..."
Gianna listened no more. Her father was marrying her off without her consent, to a stranger no less?
It was true most girls her age were already married but she had thought her father was different and was progressive in his thinking. It was only now that it dawned on her that her father had already sold her; the expensive gowns and jewelry were all from Kyler . There had been even a golden ring in the latest arrival of jewelry and she had thought it was her father's doing as he usually bought her fancy clothes; but not this time!
She felt a sudden freeze of disbelief as the reality of the situation sank in. The room fell into stunned silence as the shocking revelation hung in the air. It was a heart-stopping moment.
Gianna finally stood up, her hands firmly clasped on the table to prevent them from trembling.
"I am never marrying that Earl Ferdinand's son."
"But Gianna our safety and welfare..."
"No, don't 'but Gianna' me, don't you dare! For your information I am not a trade item that you can merely exchange whenever you want to clear your debts. Just pay up to Earl Ferdinand."
"Listen to me Gianna dear, we are only trying to look out for you. You know we have your best interests at heart. U'll be happier there am sure. We are growing old and maybe one day we won't be here to defend you against..."
Gianna had heard enough of her lies.
"Stop with the pretense of having my interests at heart. Maybe it's time you stop worrying about growing old and think about growing up" She snapped and immediately rued it.
Hilton glared hard at his daughter. He walked in hasty steps towards her.
"I am..." She didn't get a chance to finish as a hard slap landed on her left cheek sending her hitting her occiput on the wall.
The commotion had attracted company. Isabella came running and helped her granddaughter up.She cast her son a look of disapproval.
She wasn't supporting his decision to marry Gianna off. But her son was far from finishing;
"Now you listen Gianna. Hera is going to prepare in accordance with the instructions I give her and you better not show any resistance."
He clicked his tongue irritably and left for his room.
"Are you okay?" It was Alvilda's annoying voice. Gianna knew she was taunting her. She wiped a tear from her face and looked away, ignoring Alvilda.
" This is just not the time Alvilda." It was Isabella.
"I was just checking on her." She smiled and followed her husband.
Gianna rubbed her left cheek where her father had slapped her hard, the immense pain had ceased but the memory lingered.
Gradually her eyelids grew heavy and she surrendered to slumber.
*****
"Arise and shine sleepyhead."
Gianna started to wriggle and stretch within her warm bed. As parts of her body were gradually turning on, she realized it was her wedding day!
She slowly opened her eyes to see Hera drawing the curtains and opening the windows.
Hera had taken care of Gianna since her infancy and they were close, more close than a maid and her master's daughter should be. Gianna enjoyed Hera's company; she was her mother figure.
"What a beautiful day to start your big day!" Hera remarked trying to cheer her up, Gianna forced a smile.
Hera helped Gianna bathe in with scented oils. Gianna sat in front of her mirror as Hera painted her cheeks and lips.
"You look like a princess. Just missing a tiara!" Hera smiled genuinely in awe of Gianna's beauty.
"Thank you."
"Now to pick a dress as beautiful as you. I see Earl Ferdinand spared no expense at ensuring you have an extravagant wedding. I mean, these these are all luxurious wedding dresses; which one would you like to wear?"
"Any dress will do." Gianna answered without taking a look at the dresses.
Hera had noticed her anxiety.
"Being married isn't as bad as you imagine . I got married at sixteen. I was very scared, but my husband turned out to be quite a good man."
"Sixteen? And here I thought I was way too young."
"You aren't."
How was your first night with him?" Gianna asked out of curiosity. She had never been intimate with any man, and know she would as it was part of her obligation during the consummation of their marriage and all the days that would follow.
Hera shot here a surreptitious glance.
" Why don't we save that talk for last andget you ready first? So which one of these beautiful dresses would you like to wear?" She asked running her fingers over their silken material.
Gianna knew Hera was being evasive to avoid scaring her; and just by so doing Gianna became nervous. Would it hurt that much? She could feel goosebumps developing on her flawless skin.
"Why don't you pick one for me, they are all equally pretty for me." She lied. She wasn't the least interested in the dresses due to her nervousness.
Hera picked her a white dress adorned with flowers. Gianna slid into it with Hera's help and once again sat down. Hera combed her black hair nicely and held in golden hairpins.
A knock on the door signaled it was already past time.
A well-groomed coachman made a half-bow as she approached and opened the carriage doors. The elegant carriage was swift as it weaved through the crowded streets of Xantropolis, the capital of the kingdom of Ailton. If you didn't look in time, you'd miss it.
As planned it was a joint celebration as Kyler became the Earl of Xentael as well as got married.
The carriage stopped just outside the park's gates. Immediately Gianna stepped out of the carriage her knees began to judder. The city park was packed to capacity. Her lips grew thin and firm as she gaze traveled through the pavement to the reception table where she was supposed to sit.
Mustering carriage she took a step forward. It was hard for her to maintain an upright posture with the long train of her wedding gown, her incredibly very high heeled stilettos and her now wobbly legs .
There were small pools of water all over the park as it had rained heavily the previous day. She could see Kyler already seated at the reception table, his cold gaze inscrutable. He smiled wickedly when their eyes locked.
Suddenly, her head begun to spin and she could hardly keep her balance . She tripped on the hem of her dress and was suddenly falling.
Her attempts to grab anything to steady herself proved futile as she grabbed thin air before falling into a small pool of water with a loud splash!
Everyone dropped their gazes, but still, she could hear their whispering.