Society's Expectations & Too Many Complications {Finalist}

Chapter 10

This was the most terrible thing. How could this be occuring? What was I meant to say? The answer yes, brought forth the rest of my life being flushed down a toilet and having to spend and do my duty with the loathsome Pig. However, no, gave the impression that Mother might just murder me. 

"Lord Henry..." I began, my concept of what I was going to say, dipping in and out. "I don't like pigs." With his startled expression steeling itself into my mind, I turned and ran for my marriageable future.

The ball had not the slightest intention of dying down and so, it was easy to disguise myself in the throes of ladies and gentlemen. Hearing a call, "Rosalia!", I dug myself deeper into the crowds, hoping I would be able to find Ella. She could tell me of a secret place we could retreat to and then I could relieve my woes and repent my life's sins before I returned home and had my Mother strangle the life out of me. 

To be honest, I preferred being banished to the nunnery. 

"Ella!" I cried out, panicked. If Piggy got his hands on me... well who knows what a man like him would do? Though his last emotions had been only of confusion, how quick would that turn to anger? To rage? To murdersome intent? 

Maybe he wouldn't kill me, but I did not think I was his lovely Rosalia anymore. More like a youthsome chit that had cheated him out of a wife. The fair-haired angel turned and seeing my frenzied expression, immediately grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me outside through another door. 

"Rosalia!" she exclaimed, dropping my arm whence out in the night air. "What happened? You looked like you were going to walk off to your death and now you've returned, you seem to be all in a flutter!" 

"All in a flutter?" I declared dubiously. "More like all in a target zone where my parents and certain suitors might want to brutally kill me." 

"They want to kill you!?" Ella shouted, her mouth an 'o' of shock and horror. 

"No, no," I sighed heavily. "Just maim slightly." Seeing her horrified looks, I rushed on. "Just going to get severely punished, that's all, Ella. I'm not going to die." 

"Well what on earth happened?" 

"You remember that delightful man who managed to wrest me away from your superior company?"

"Lord Henry Chalmers, yes, I remember." 

"He proposed to me."

"A proposal!" she gasped. "Why, aren't you joyful at the prospect of coming marriage?" 

"You didn't think I agreed, did you?" I replied distastefully. "The Pig, that's what I call him, is a horrible man. Though he vies for my hand, I do not wish to grant him such a thing as marriage."

"But...but..." Ella looked so shocked you could have blown her over with a feather. "What would your parents say? How are you in any position to decline?" 

"I am my own master," I said scornfully. "However, I have a deadline of Winter. If I do not find a suitor, my parents will bring me to the Pig. For some dratted reason, he decided to propose early; a matter concerning his ego of surety of my hand perhaps." 

"Are you... are you one of those girls?" Ella asked me timidly, shrinking away from me.

"One of who?"

"You know.. uh... a cherry."

I burst out laughing. A cherry, indeed! Farthest from it; no matter if I wanted to be or not. There weren't many gentlemen who were interested in me, let alone engaging in inappropriate practices.