Keeping The Royal Treaty CHAPTER 9

Upon hearing those words, I am stunned. “All those time Vince…I thought you’ve hated my existence, and yet again, it’s all about my father. I was desperate to be your friend, to trust me… while you were desperate impressing my father. If you’ve wanted his attention so bad, you could have married him instead,” I said. 

Laughter erupts through the room. Lucien is laughing, except Vince, but there is a sinister smile plastered on his face. Lucien’s arm dangles on my shoulder, snorting with laughter, as tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. 

“Hilarious! Who’s desperate?” Lucien bellows. 

“I am not a piece of meat, and certainly not your possession. I am a human being, just like you. I am sick and tired of you bossing me around, treating me like a prisoner. And yet here you are, having the audacity to claim me as your ‘sweetheart’.” I exclaim.  

Vince stood up and stride his way towards me. Lucien immediately dislodges his arm from my shoulder, as a hard strike made contact to the side of my face. 

The force of his blow caused me to let out a gasp of pain. 

I look at him with horror.  

“How dare you! You—” I saw him lift his hand, and again, another blow came directly at the same spot. 

“I, too, am tired watching you make a fool of yourself. I expect so much from your father, but what did he do? He gave his son ’cause he couldn’t take care of it himself. He must be thankful with this arrange marriage bullshit, so he can get rid of you,” he asserts. “But you were right about one thing, I am desperate, desperate to take him down.” 

I stare at him in disbelief. I met his eyes, searching for any answers. Why would he say that? Not liking the look on his face, I was the one to look down. Shock, stun— no, it’s more than that. I feel— scared, yet questioning. And again I asked myself, why would he say that?  My body trembles with anger, not because he hit me, but scared of whatever comes out from his mouth, scared of the truth. I clasp my hand over my mouth to stop the stifled sound that’s about to break out. But my body betrays me as tears burst forth like water in the dam, moment by moment they fall.

“That’s enough Vince, you’ve scared him enough,” his father interrupts. “Lucien, why don’t you bring our guest in the dining hall. It seems your mother is running late, we might as well start now, we don’t want our guest waiting,” he orders. “We’ll be there in a minute.”

Lucien sets his hand on my lower back as he guides me out of the room and through the dining room as his father orders him. Every step I take as we stride through the ding hall, my mind is screaming at me, telling me to get out of this place. I can see the door, my exit, and instinctively,  my body screamed at me to sprint out the door. I immediately pull Lucien’s arm.

“Please- please Lucien, you have to take me away from him,” I beg.

“That won’t be the best idea,” he mutters. 

He places his hand on my chin and tilts my face a little so he could examine my cheek. “Hmm. No marks, but a rosy tint. It won’t stay long,” he assures. “Violent as ever,” he murmurs. “Is this the first time he laid his hands on you?” he asks.

“Yeah…”

 Lucien shakes his head and clicks his tongue in disapproval. 

My body still trembles from what happened minutes ago. Even my tears have not ceased yet. “I’ve disobeyed him a couple of times before, yet he never hurt me physically. Yes, he threatened me- feed me with violent words, but I thought those were just empty threats,” I whisper. 

“If that’s the case, I might have to extend my vacation. Your banquet is in three days, might as well stay for a couple more days. I think you might need a friend,” he said.

“No! you don’t understand! Please help me get out of here,” I cried.

“Hey, calm down. As much as I want to help you out it’s impossible. Do you think you can set foot outside? Let alone walk pass those doors?” he said. “I want you to calm down and take a deep breath.”

And I did what I was told.

Breath in.

Breath out.

In.

Out.

“Please, don’t leave me,” I cried. 

“I’m not going anywhere. Calm down,” was his response. 

There is a long pause between us and I grew more and more restless every second.

“Why are you so different?” I ask. 

“Different?” he mimics. “Well to be quite honest, I believe they were the peculiar once. They live in a whole different realm, well obviously somewhere greatness and power is all they ever have known. Something I won’t ever understand.” 

“I know this is difficult for you, but I suggest you try and control yourself. Trust me, It was funny telling Vince how desperate he was to woo your dad but those two are ticking time bombs. You have to–“

“You think I don’t now that! Easy for you to say! I am nothing like you! or Vince or anyone else! All my life I did nothing but to please everyone! Especially my dad!” I screamed, wiping the tears in my eyes as I turn my back on him.

 “Is that why you agree into this marriage? To please everyone? Why would you put yourself into absolute misery to please your dad?” he asked.  “You think too little of yourself,” he adds.

“I don’t know! I’m so tired of this Lucien! Why can’t they see me as a human being?!” I yelled as I reach my breaking point and my knees gave out.

“Hey hey hey, calm down. Breath, in through your nose and out through your mouth,” he mandates. 

And again. Breath in.

Breath out.

In.

Out.

“Lucien,” Vince’s voice echoed through the hall. 

Vince is leaning against the wall. I clench my hands, as I  made contact with him, eye to eye. Lucien stood up as and waltz his way in Vince’s side. 

“Go easy on him will you,” Lucien mutters, it isn’t a request but a demand. He made his way through the doors and again, it’s just me and Vince. 

“Thought you could run away?” he asks.

He bends down with one knee and crouches down ’till his face is few inches from mine, so close I can smell whatever perfume he has on.  My body went stiffs, my heart is hammering, waiting for something…anything…

“Shh”, he whispers. He lifts my face the same way Lucien did, and examine my cheek. “So what did Lucien tell you? He always has the talent comforting little kids,” he inquires. His voice is gentle. 

I kept my eye on the floor, choose to ignore his existence. But I held my breath when his hand caresses my cheek.

 His thumb slowly slides down my upper lip- then down to my bottom one. I can’t help but look, and when I raise my chin, his head was tilt to one side, he wore a puzzled expression. 

“You got carried away earlier,” he said. To my surprise, he kisses my cheek. I gaze his eyes for a moment, a pair of eyes are looking right through me- waiting for a reaction, like a predator. 

“Don’t ever raise your voice on me. For a second you remind me of your father,” he adds.

“I’m sure your hungry,” he continues, acting like nothing happened at all.

I instantly free my hand from his hold. “Don’t,” I spat. “You’ve hit me.”

“And I’ll do it again if I have to,” he answers.

“You could have told me to stop,” I argue. 

“As I said, you remind me of your father,” he snaps.

At this point, I’m done. He always takes the win. 

“I wanna go home,” I plea.  A new wave of hot tears trails down my frame. I feel miserable and exhausted, I just want to talk to Hans and protest how unfair life has treated me. 

“It would be a waste after preparing so much food,” he responds.

“I’m not hungry.”

“I’m not asking, I’m telling you. You haven’t eaten all day. Besides, I won’t be letting you go so easily, Francis. I’ve never forgotten whatever happened this morning,” he sneers. “Honestly, it was quite a shock. You went to Dominique and confessed yourself, why is that? I didn’t know you and Dominique are quite close.”

“It was nothing,” I murmur. 

“Nothing, huh? Tell you what, I am neither Hans nor Dominique, and I don’t do feelings. Either I break his arm, or you tell me,” he threatens. 

“He was just trying to help me,” I sob. 

I bury my face into my hands. “Whatever happened between you and my dad, I don’t know anything about it, so please—I beg you, I don’t want to be part of it. If you’re doing this to retaliate, how much more suffering I have to go through to get you even?”

“In case you forgot, you said so yourself, you have your own intentions. I’m not falling for it, you have to do better than that,” he says. 

I kept my face buried in my hands, too exhausted. Silence took over and the only sound I can hear is my ragged breathing and the pounding in the head telling me to give it a break.

A sigh escapes his lips as if the tension has lifted. 

He extends his arm under my knee and swung me in his strong arms as if I was nothing but a rag doll. My head rolled back between my shoulder blades as he stood up and carried me all the way to the front door where a car just pulled over as if on cue. 

A lot of things are running on my mind. I want to protest, to tell him I am worthy of love and a better life, I am. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Vince might have not noticed but he too is my living nightmare.

He staggered down the stairs with weight but gently slides me through the back seat. 

He sits beside me and told the chauffeur to head home. Vince reaches over his pocket and pulled a pack of cigarette. He knew how much I loathe the smell of it. He rolls the window down and lit his cigar. Within moments the stench is creeping everywhere. The smoke eddied down his throat cooly; he puffed it out in rings.

I watched him do it a few times—but my mind is somewhere else, I’m infatuated of the feeling of his hand resting on my thighs. 

“You’ve gone too far,” he utters. “You deserve the world, believe me- I truly do. And now that you are not on your fathers’ protection, I will give you the best thing, which is my world.”

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I’m so sorry guys, took me so long to update. Sorry isn’t enough, and I don’t know what to say – no words can express how sorry I am.