The Traitor's Daughter (Complete)

Part 53-Married!

 Zena stared at the bouquet of flowers as if it was a nest of scorpions. They had been delivered to her room that morning. Of course, they were from Luke, soon to be her husband. The gorgeous hot house orchids were far more expensive than the bunch of chrysanthemums brought by Jack for her every day, but Zena much preferred Jack's gift to this showy display. It wasn't as if Luke loved her or cared for her. Hence, his gesture was meaningless.

She picked up the bouquet and threw it out of her first-floor window. There, she smiled with satisfaction, wiping her hands. Did Luke think that he could impress her with flowers or the large solitaire ring glistening on her finger? She had picked up a modest sapphire ring encircled with tiny diamonds, but Luke had insisted that they choose the other one. Zena had shrugged her shoulders. It hardly mattered whichever ring they chose, when their marriage was not based on love.

"You look amazing!" Peggy gasped, her eyes huge like saucers.

Zena had donned her wedding dress, not the one which the seamstress had made for her, but the one which had been sent to her at the last minute. It was Luke's mother's wedding dress, made of heavy ivory silk and delicate French lace. The decolletage revealed a lot of her bosom, making her blush. Although the waist of the gown was too small, the seamstress had made an alteration to adjust Zena's expanding waistline. The accompanying veil was gossamer soft, sheer lace to cover her glorious mane. Her hair had been piled up in a coif which suited her heart-shaped face beautifully. With rogue enhancing the color of her cheeks, and her lips stained red, she was breathtaking.

The strains of a waltz played as she walked down the aisle holding a bouquet of lilies, the symbol of the royal family of Zorbia. A tiara of diamonds adorned her. Nan had come to her room to place it on her head.

"All royal brides have worn it for ages, my dear," she told Zena proudly.

Zena wondered what those brides must have felt at such a moment, for she could feel no joy at the impending wedding. In fact, she could feel the bile rise in her stomach at the thought of being with Luke that night. Would he force himself on her, or would she be able to avoid his bed?

Now, she gazed nervously to see her father extend his arm to her. She took it and walked with him, till they reached the alter. Luke was there, dressed in his royal uniform, accompanied by Dave bearing the rings. Dizziness assailed her as she felt Luke's heated gaze on her.

The whole ceremony after that was just a blur as Zena struggled to stay standing by his side, following the words of the priest and mumbling her reply.

Like an automaton, she extended her hand when asked and Luke slipped the ring on her finger. Hesitatingly, she took the plain gold band offered to her by Dave, wondering for a minute what to do with it, then shaking the wooziness, she put it on Luke's finger. The priest declared them man and wife, and Luke lifted her veil to place a hard kiss on her lips. The grand hall reverberated with applause and shouts of joy. Zena felt the room revolving in front of her eyes and held on to her brand-new husband for support.

"Are you alright?" he whispered in her ear, and she nodded in reply, not willing to create a scene. They walked out to a shower of rice, where the waiting crowd cheered to see them, greeting them with whoops of joy and gasps of wonder.

Later, they sat at the table where a toast was raised to them. She could see her father, beaming with pride, and Jane, clearly dazzled by the royal wedding. She saw Luke reach for her father and the two men exchanged words with a clear camaraderie. Since when had they been on such good terms, Zena mused. Had her father forgotten the wrong done to him so easily? Well, she for one, wasn't going to forget it, nor let Luke think that she had. She would rather show him at every available opportunity what she thought of him.

The servants brought in the platters of venison, succulent lamb, tender chicken, and rare wild game. There was bread and cheese, fruits and puddings, and an excellent wine to accompany the food. Zena knew that bread and meat had been distributed among the poor at her behest.

"This feels like a dream," Jane whispered to her, her mouth widening in a smile and her eyes shining. "Imagine, you're a princess now."

Zena could only smile wanly in reply. It was more likely a nightmare. As the night approached she could feel butterflies in her stomach.

Later, the music played once again and they rose to dance. The newlyweds were the first to step onto the floor, followed by the others. Zena took a couple of rounds on Luke's arm, then stopped.

'I think I have had enough," she told him, her voice lowered to reach only his ears.

Victor cornered her as she came off the dance floor.

"What's the matter, Zena, my dear? Aren't you happy?" he asked.

"How can you ask me that, Father? You know that I'm marrying him under duress, only for the sake of the child."

"That may be the case, my child, but you must now wholeheartedly accept your marriage. Luke is a good man," he said, drawing her further away from the reach of curious ears.

"A good man? Was he a good man, Father, when he accused you falsely and took away everything from us, or when he threw me into the dungeon for no fault of mine? Was he good when he forced me into his bed or humiliated you with that fact?" she threw at Victor, her chest rising and falling in agitation.

"I agree that he has done all that, my darling, but he has realized his mistake and apologized to me. See, he has returned my estates."

"That is because the truth is out that you were never a traitor. He could do nothing else but return our home to us, but if you think that I'm going to forgive him for it, then it's not in me, Father."

"Whatever you may say, Zena, but one day you shall realize that I'm right. I pray that the day comes soon."

An hour later, Zena was led to Luke's bedchamber, decorated to the rafters with roses and heady with the scent. Luke followed behind her and closed the door shut on the crowd outside.

Zena tensed, waiting for him to pounce on her, claiming his rights as a husband. She felt like a fearful doe that had spotted a predator.

He turned to her, casting a searching look on her wan face.

"You must be tired, Zena. Why don't you change out of the dress and get some sleep?" he suggested, pointing to the door leading to the dressing room.

Relieved, Zena made her escape, changing quickly into a silk wrap. When she returned to the chamber, she was stunned to find Luke fast asleep on the couch. It was hardly made to accommodate his tall and broad frame. It seemed far from comfortable, but she thought better of waking him up. Instead, she got into the bed, getting under the covers and feeling her lids heavy with sleep.

How long would he keep up the pretense of a caring husband, she wondered, before he reverted to being the ruthless ruler of Zorbia?