The Marriage Contest

Chapter Forty Four - Challenging

This chapter is dedicated to MeepyM because she helped me tremendously. Plus, she told me once again how much she just adores Andrew. I hope, to those of you who are also infatuated with Andrew, that this chapter makes you love him even more! And I hope that you are cheering for Belinda like I was while I was writing this! Woot! Woot! Here you go! :)

Chapter Forty Four - Challenging

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I'm not calling you a liar, just don't lie to me
I'm not calling you a thief, just don't steal from me
I'm not calling you a ghost, just stop haunting me
And I love you so much, I'm gonna let you kill me

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I smiled to myself as I climbed into bed after the ball. Belinda looked absolutely stunning tonight. She always did, but tonight she looked above and beyond. I was nervous for tomorrow to come. I would have to wake early in the morning for the decision of the girls mentors. I desperately hoped that Aleene would be able to get Belinda. I hoped that the other etiquette teachers wouldn't want her since she was 'new' to the land.

The smell of whiskey made my nose turn up.

"You were very cunning, Son." I was on my knees looking down at the white marble floor beneath me. My chest was bare, and my hands were tied behind my back. "It was such a sneaky plan. It was so well thought out. I can tell by this that you would have made a great king. You will never be the king of this land, or any land for that matter." I heard his heavy footsteps echo around me as he stalked my slouched body. I could care less what he did to me now. He already killed my love with his bare hands. Why not kill me? I'd be lifted of this heaviness in my chest. I'd be reunited with Belinda once again. "I will be merciful and spare your life, but only because you are my son. No longer will you be my heir, and no longer will you be royalty. You will now forever be my servant." I kept my head down as he spoke. What did it matter what I was going to do? If I couldn't serve this land with Belinda at my side what was the point in serving at all? "Do you understand?" I didn't move an inch. He crouched down in front of me and jerked my face up to look at him. "Answer me when I ask you a question!" I nodded my head.

"I understand." I started fiddling with the tie on my hands and was able to undo it in a matter of seconds.

"Good. You are lucky that you didn't get the same punishment as that filthy whore that you swore you loved."

"Don't you dare talk about Belinda that way!" I yelled in his face. My hands came out from behind my back to latch around his neck. His hands counteracted me and he slammed me down into the ground.

"I can talk about whomever I want to, however I want to!" The king roared back. I kicked him off of me and grabbed the knife in his belt and backed him up against a wall while pressing the knife to his neck.

"You are a sick, sadistic bastard! I'd rather die than serve you." Instead of slitting his throat I pulled away and plunged the knife right into my heart.

At least I would be able to be with Belinda.

I woke up and sat at attention while wiping the sweat off of my forehead.

I hadn't had a nightmare like that in quite some time.

I looked outside the window to see the sun rising and knew that my maid would be in here in a matter of minutes to get me dressed. Rising slowly out of my bed, I moved over to the mirror so I could examine myself. My face was pale and my eyes had dark bags underneath.