Forced Love

Chapter 22

My life became a constant cycle after that. Every night I fell asleep with difficulty in the Prince’s possessive arms. Every morning, the first thing he would ask was if I felt any different, if my body was growing with his child. And every morning would be the same answer.

No.

No matter how hard he has tried he has failed to impregnate me. Every time he held me down and forcefully raped me I just knew in my heart that it wouldn’t work. I don’t know what it was that made me believe that I would not get with child every time I laid with him; maybe I convinced myself that God wouldn’t be that cruel. After everything the prince has done to me and my family, surely God would show me some mercy? He would not allow this monster to have a child to convert to his wicked ways. He would not put me in that misery. Or maybe I really am infertile.

So as the weeks passed on every morning would have the same answer to his question. And almost every time he would be enraged. Sometimes he would take his anger out on me, but if I was lucky he would just destroy the furniture in the room. His beatings ranged from a simple slap to a full blown attack which could leave me unable to leave bed for days.

I learned to fear when I have my monthly cycle, which has come twice more. The sight of the blood crazes him. It’s like a switch flips inside him. When the knowledge that once again I am officially without his valuable heir he goes into a rage unlike any I have witnessed from him before. He beats me on the verge of death, until I am sure that I will die. His crazy screams mix with my cries of agony. His fists rain down on me without control and his cruel words cut into my very being.

“No one will ever love you but me.”

“You are just my useless whore. Good for nothing but fucking.”

“How does it feel, my love, knowing that no other man will want you now that you’re spoiled?”

And the list goes on and on.

During the days I’m either with Drake as he does his princely duties, locked in my room, or forced to attend tea parties with the other ladies of the castle.

All of them are dreadful.

With drake I am forced to listen to him plan to decimate villages and torture prisons. Some days we sit in the throne room, along with the Queen and King, and listen to the testimonies of the townspeople. They travel miles to beg the royal family for mercy on their taxes, claiming that they do not have the money to pay them. When it is up to the king or Drake to decide they show no mercy and imprison them. In some cases they send innocent people to be hanged.

While I am locked in my room all I am able to do is read or think. It is dreadfully boring and often I recollect on how much my life has changed for the worst. Staring at the walls of the bedroom can cause some crazy thoughts.

Tea parties are generally held at least twice a week. Young and old, we gather in a grand room and drink tea and eat cookies. Drake forces me to dress up in ridiculous outfits and sit with the most obnoxious women. They believe in all the kingdom’s policies and agree with the merciless killings that Drake has been ordering. They have all been corrupted by the black Prince’s ways and worship the ground he walks upon. It’s revolting. They resent me for my position, even though they all know that I am unwilling to be his wife, and would trade places with me in a heartbeat. When I walk in they sneer at me and stare blatantly at my flat stomach, snickering behind lace gloves at the fact that I am unable to get with child. I refuse to take part in the conversation and sit quietly as they discreetly insult me.