A Tale of Romans and Slaves | PJO/HOO

Chapter 11: Reyna

I slammed my fist on the table.

"Reyna, stop acting like a child," My father growled.

"I will act however I damn hell want to act!" I shouted. "I am not getting married."

"Of course you are," He spat. "It's your duty as my daughter."

"You may have put me in my mother's stomach, but that does not mean I have any duty to you," I growled.

"You will get married," My father said. "Whenever you like it or not!"

"And to whom will I be getting married, father?" I asked. "Satan? Last I checked, you two were good friends."

My father glared at me. "You'll meet your fiance once I finalize the engagement with his father. Now go."

We stared at each other for a minute, but then I turned on my heels and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind me.

I stomped up to my room, opened the door, and then slammed it behind me. Then I flopped on my bed, buried my face in my pillow, and screamed.

I didn't want to get married! To become some uptight lord's wife, and to be dehumanised to nothing but a babymaker. I had a dream! And a husband would demolish it!

"What happened?"

I turned to Hylla, who was leaning against my doorframe.

"I'm going to get married," I said angrily.

She laughed. "My little Ra-Ra's getting married? Who's the lucky guy?"

"I don't know," I complained. "Father won't tell me."

I sat up, and she sat down on my bed next to me.

"I don't want to get married," I said truthfully.

"I didn't either," She said wistfully.

"But you're not married," I said. "You're never going to get married."

"I know," Hylla said wistfully. "When I figured out I was barren, I couldn't have been happier. I thought it had opened the gates to a better life, one free from responsibility, where I could do whatever I liked."

She sighed. "But it doesn't work like that, Reyna. If anything, the gates closed. Because in our society, a woman's only purpose is to get married and have children. But when everyone found out that I couldn't, I lost that purpose. Suddenly, I was worthless in everyone's eyes, including our fathers."

"But you're not worthless!" I protested.

"To you, the girl who thinks that women are smart, strong individuals who are worth more than what's between her legs. But the problem is, very few other people think like that, Reyna."

"But it's the truth!"

"The truth is forgotten when it's never told."

A tear ran down my cheek. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're getting married, Reyna," She said. "And you have to grow up."

"I am grown up!" I protested.

"No, you're not," She said, crying. "Because you don't understand the fact that nothing ever goes your way! You still think that if you try really hard, you can accomplish anything!"

"Because I can!"

"No!" She shouted. "You can't. Because you were born a woman!"

"That doesn't matter!" I shouted.

"Yes, it does!" She shouted. "Because that's all anyone will ever see you as. A woman."

Her next words broke my heart. "And that's why you'll never be praetor, Reyna. Because no matter how hard you try, now matter how hard you work, no one will ever think you're more than that. A woman."

"But I am more than that," I cried.

"I know," She sobbed. "But the problem is the fact that no one else does."

We both sat in silence, sobbing. Because I knew she was right. No one would ever take me seriously, because nobody would ever look past my gender, to me, and see who I really was.

But then, I stopped crying. Because I now knew what I had to do to become praetor.

"If no one will look past my gender," I growled. "Then I'll make them."

Hylla looked at me. "Reyna-"

"No, Hylla, your right!" I said. "No one will think I can do anything because I'm a woman. But I'm going to change that."

Hylla opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. "I'll marry this mystery man, maybe even let him impregnate me. But I'm going to control that relationship, mark my words.

"And then, I'll use him. He'll bring important people to me, and I'll impress them. I'll change them. It may take awhile, but I'll do it."

"Reyna, that is the stupidest-" Hylla started, but I cut her off again.

"I am Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano," I said. "And I am going to show the empire that I'm more than just a woman."