Legends From The Highlands: Unwilling Devotion

Part 20

By the time we were finished with the arrangements, the ball had come to its end which meant that I had missed all opportunity to even speak with Harry. I walked into the carriage and my mother and father followed. It was an eventful night and it left me feeling exhausted.

The next morning, everyone was up early except for my cousins. I for one, did not feel like getting up at all, but had no other choice since the carriage would soon arrive to pick us up and take us to the castle.

As I walked in for breakfast, I found mother chatting to Aunt Lily and Aunt Heather, who attentively listened.

"And then, the Queen kept insisting that we go reside in the castle until the end of the season--" Mother paused as I walked to my usual seat.

"There you are! Quite the lady of the hour..." Aunt Lily smiled as she looked at me. "A monarch in the making I daresay."

"Save yourself the trouble Aunt. I did not accept a marriage proposal, just a courtship." I clapped back, my voice sounding quite snippy. I was in a mood, especially after what happened the night before with Harry.

"What's gotten into you Juliana this morning? I thought you wanted to enter into courtship with the Prince..." mama remarked.

"I do. I just do not understand why we must make such a big deal of it. People enter into courtship all the time." I snapped again as I picked up a spoon and scooped up some breakfast onto my plate.

"Juliana. You do understand what a formal courtship with the Prince means?" Aunt Heather asked. "It makes you a front-runner to becoming the future Queen of England. Furthermore, it means that you hold a position of great influence over the crown which could be of great use to us."

"What are you saying sister?" Mother enquired, her tone instantly turning serious.

"You could save Titania and this entire family from ruin!" she blurted, her nostrils flared and her cheeks turning red. I flinched slightly at her words.

"Isn't there any other way?" Aunt Lily asked quickly.

"We have exhausted all other options. You have to marry the Prince. It is the only way."

"No!" I said, raising my voice. I knew this behaviour could land me in hot water but I refused to surrender my free choice in the regard of marriage.

"You dare speak to me as such?"

"Well you dare force me to sacrifice myself for the sake of your daughter. I will make no such promise to you. The choice as to whom I shall marry will be made by my own free will and nobody else's."

"You forget that I want what is best for my family." Aunt Heather scowled at me, as her eyes bored into mine.

"Yes, but I am not part of your family." I got up from my chair and stormed my way out of the room. Feeling tears starting to prick my eyes, I quickly ran up to my room. I refused to cry in front of Aunt Heather as it would just give her the satisfaction she did not deserve. I threw myself on the bed and lay there for a while with my eyes closed. Upon hearing the door creak open, I shot my head up to see mother walking in slowly.

"May I come in?" she asked and I nodded. She joined me on the bed and held me close to her. "You know, I'm not sure I ever fully told you the story of how your father and I got together."

"I know it's not the typical fairytale story mama... so you don't have to--"

"I think you should know. Would you like me to tell you?"

"If it's not too much trouble..." I trailed off.

"I met your father when he came to town one evening. He walked right into your grandfather's tavern and ordered half the food on the menu. At first, we all thought he was just hungry but when he barely finished the second plate, my siblings were so sure that I had charmed him." she paused to catch her breath. "The next night he came again and the next one too. Then, one evening I was feeling particularly unwell so I stayed at home. However, he asked for me and demanded to send for the doctor even though I only had a slight chill."

"You bewitched him." I teased her and she immediately rolled her eyes at my comment.

"Eventually, he began inviting me for long strolls away from people and we grew close. However, deep down I knew I could not become attached to him. He was from a noble family so he was expected to marry in high society as well. When he expressed his wish to marry me to his father, he got into a heated argument with him and his brothers who wanted him to attend the season to find a wife with good fortune. Your father of course, wouldn't listen and he enrolled in the royal army to make a good living and be able to marry me since his father denied him his inheritance." I looked up at mother who seemed to recall everything as though it had happened only the day before. "Your father only managed to convince his mother and two of his cousins to attend our wedding. Of course, seeing that his other two sons were uninterested in continuing his business, your grandfather eventually found it in his heart to give your father his inheritance back, but I did not ever feel truly accepted until after he had passed away."

"That is so unfair. It is very clear that you and father are the only couple in this family who dearly love each other. Heather and Benjamin are too busy plotting and scheming to be in love and Aunt Lily and Uncle Archibald are more mismatched than oil and water."

"My intention was not to turn your view of your aunts and uncles sour and certainly not to turn you against your grandfather, but promise me that you will base your decision upon what you truly feel. Do not be afraid to fight for what you believe is best for you."

"I will Mother, I promise."

***

The carriages arrived as planned and took us to the castle. I would get to take Anne with me so at least I knew I would have her company when the Prince was not around.

The room I got was large and airy. The bed was grand and the chamber was complete with dressers and a vanity. Back home, we lived in luxury compared to the rest, yet here it seemed the commodities they could afford were beyond us. Anne also got to have her very own bed in a room adjacent to mine. I was obviously very pleased at the treatment we were being given, however, a part of me could not help but think that there was more to it than meets the eye.