Toujours Pur | Euphemia Black

Chapter 57 | The Watch

"Isn't it great how we're getting married?" Orion asked Mia as they walked through the gardens of the Black Manor, having been forced by their parents to spend time together.

"Yes, fantastic," Euphemia responded dryly, not sounding enthusiastic whatsoever, a glum look on her face.

After she had slapped Cassiopeia, Mia had paid for it in terms of torture, as her mother had punished her for a solid two hours until Euphemia had actually passed out from the pain.

Cassiopeia had threatened that there would be more of that treatment if Mia didn't agree to marry Orion so the girl had grudgingly obliged but she did promise herself that she would get out of it, somehow.

However, for now, Euphemia was stuck hanging out with Orion during her summer holidays and she wasn't really enjoying it much - their time together usually consisted of long walks or boring games of Gobstones.

"Why aren't you more excited? This is an honour, to continue the noble Black bloodline through our marriage," Orion told her rather conceitedly, puffing out
his chest.

"Yes, what an honour - to be married to someone that you don't even love," Mia responded sarcastically, not noticing Orion's eyes flashing dangerously at her comment.

"I'm sure we'll learn to love each other," Orion said stiffly, his hands clenching and Euphemia scoffed, letting out a disbelieving laugh.

"I doubt that very much," Mia replied, "You shouldn't have to learn to love someone, if you're meant to be together then you should naturally love them," she told her fiancé, raising her eyebrows.

"What are you saying?" Orion practically growled, coming to a stop in their walking and Euphemia also paused on the path, looking at him sceptically.

"We're not supposed to be together, Orion. Any idiot can see that," Mia told him, "I don't love you and I never will. I don't even want to marry you," she said to him plainly.

"It's not a matter of whether you want to marry me or not, you have to whether you like it or not," Orion argued back, his eyes glinting with malice.

"Oh really? And what are you going to do about it?" Euphemia challenged him, her confidence coming out again - it was the Gryffindor side of her personality of her, she guessed.

Before Mia could even blink, she was pressed up against the wall of her house, as they had been walking through her enormous garden, and Orion was right in her face. Shoot.

His grip on her wrist was incredibly tight, so tight that Euphemia was pretty sure that it would leave a definite bruise which made her wince in pain.

Orion had his arms on either side of her head, trapping her against the wall and a little bit of panic rose up in Mia, wondering what he was going to do to her.

She was still aching and bruised from Cassiopeia's 'lesson' so she didn't really want anymore injuries but she wasn't about to just weaken underneath him either.

"You're going to marry me, you don't have a choice," Orion growled, so close to her face that she could smell his foul breath and she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Really? You're so desperate for a wife that you'd marry your cousin?" Euphemia asked in disbelief, her heart beating much faster now that Orion was in such close proximity.

"It's for the greater good of the Black Family," Orion hissed at her before he slammed her head against the wall, causing her to wince and grimace in pain.

"Get off me, please," Mia said as calmly as she could muster as a sharp pain shot through her head, making her close her eyes briefly as the garden span around her, her vision blurry and dizzy.