Dreven City; Late Spring 1259
"You're getting married." The words were low, spoken in a dull undertone that carried with it as much pain as anger from the beautiful girl standing by the window.
Duncan's agreement with his father had been put into action before sunset of the same day; Mara had been summoned to the courts to witness and sign a contract that made her the sole property of Duncan Mallory, until such time as the contract was annulled or violated. She'd been so happy to sign it, thinking that perhaps her lover had stood up to his father and won some victory. And then Eric Mallory had informed her of just why she had been bought. She was an early wedding present for his son, a means to ensure that he would know precisely what to do with his new wife when the time came. Those words had struck deep, and though she had not wanted to believe it, she had not been able to see Duncan to have him tell her otherwise. She and Elise had been moved from their familiar, shabby apartments to a luxurious set of rooms barely three streets from Mallory Manor, and by the morning of the third day after her contract had been signed, she was well and truly trapped. She had still not seen Duncan, and the betrothal had been announced in the streets. Thus, when Duncan finally managed to get the time and leisure to find her and explain, she was furious.
She turned away from the window, hands on her hips to keep from clenching them, her face pale with hurt anger. "I'm under contract to be with no one but you, and you're getting married. There had better be a damned good explanation for all this, Master Mallory."
"No, I'm not," Duncan replied, as calmly as he could. He glanced over his shoulder as if he was worried his father's spies might be listening. He knew his father had moved her closer to the Manor not because he was worried for her safety or concerned with her comfort, but so that she was closer and easier to keep an eye on. Yes, the apartments she'd been given were far more comfortable than where she'd been before, but that hardly mattered. He remained where he was, knowing she was angry with him and needing her to hear him out before jumping to the most obvious conclusions, those that everyone else around them seemed to believe. "I'm not getting married. It's a betrothal, nothing more. Do you really think I could marry that cow when I'm in love with you?" he asked, spreading his arms in supplication, the expression on his face one that pleaded for patience to let him explain.
"Well, according to your father, love has nothing to do with marriage," Mara snapped. "Apparently, you're obliged to screw her until she has a couple of babies, which could take years! Why the hell did you agree to getting betrothed" To anyone?" She threw up her hands, aware that her voice had risen far too much in volume and making an effort to lower it in case of curious ears outside. "And Leandra Del Sol. Have you even met her" She's Stefan's sister, you know." A thought occurred to her, and the fury flickered once again. "He knew. He knew, that bastard knew, months ago!" Green eyes flashed warningly in Duncan's direction. "Months ago ..." she hissed, warning him to get his explanation in quick.
"He knew, but I didn't," Duncan interjected, another wary glance over his shoulder, hoping her voice didn't carry too far. He couldn't risk anyone overhearing them or the entire plan would be for naught and her life would be at risk. He moved over to her, reaching for her hands, trying to calm her so that he could explain without the entire city overhearing them. "Please, listen to me. Just give me a chance to explain."
Her jaw had set in a dangerous line as he approached, the stiffness of her hands in his betraying how reluctant she was to let him this close while she was still angry. She loved him too much not to fold if he asked her to, but she needed the explanation. "Duncan, the only reason I haven't thrown something at you yet is because I know you've got an explanation waiting for me," she told him in a tight voice. "Your father really enjoyed telling me that you were engaged. Please tell me he's the one being made a fool of here."
What should he tell her first, he wondered. That his father had threatened her life, or that he was just buying them some time, until they could get away. "I know you're upset and you have every right to be, but I have no intentions on marrying Leandra. You have to believe me."
Oh, how she wanted to believe him. Desperately. "But you don't lie, Duncan," she pointed out, a little of the anger bleeding away to reveal the very real heartache she was suffering with. "Why is your betrothal to that stuck-up gutter slug being shouted all over the city, if you're not going to marry her?"
"Because....When the time comes, I'm not going to be here to marry her. I'll be seventeen soon, Mara. We can still get away. We can still be together. It's you I want to marry, not her. I had no choice but to agree to this....this ruse. If I hadn't agreed..." The explanation was coming out in a confused rush of words, but he halted just short of the real reason for all of this. His expression changed, a look of horror in his eyes, of fear worse than any fear he'd ever felt before. "He threatened to kill you."
Six years of building trust in their friendship was all that had kept their closeness from being torn apart in the past few days. Six years of trusting Duncan's word served Mara in good stead as she listened, the anger in her fading as she relaxed, allowing herself to let go of the sting that had almost broken her heart when she'd first been told. But in those four years, she'd never seen him truly frightened, not until this moment. "He ....what?" The color drained from her face as she realized the real danger that now hung over her head. "Mal ....Duncan ....what ....why would he do that?"
"Because I love you. Because he knows I love you. Because he knows I'd do anything to keep you safe, even agreeing to marry that...that..." He sighed, all the bravado he'd worked so hard to muster these last few days going out of him. He reached for her, to take her in his arms and wrap her up in his embrace, not only for her own good, but for his own. "It's all my fault. I should have never brought you into this. I should have known from the very first day I met you that it was dangerous for you to be with me. I was lonely and you were so kind, so caring, so beautiful. It was selfish of me, and now it's too late. You'd be better off without me, Mara. Safer." His fingers stroked her hair, feeling tears threatening, but not wanting her to see him like that again. He had decided to be a man, and a man he would be.
"No." It was a quiet denial of what he said, but still a denial, spoken softly against his shoulder as he folded her into his arms. Her patience had paid off with an explanation she understood better than either of them might have liked, her anger gone as she wrapped herself around him fondly. "No, I wouldn't be better off. I'd be Stefan's." It was plain fact, no matter how distasteful. Mara hugged tight to Duncan, turning her face against his neck as she sighed quietly, frightened but reassured that he knew what he was doing. "I love you. I was ready to tear that bitch's hair out when I heard the news."
He chuckled, finding just the smallest bit of amusement in her remark. "Now that I'd have liked to see." He held her close against him, pressing a kiss against her forehead. It seemed he'd matured years in the last few days. He'd had no choice really, his mother's death forcing him to become a man and seek a plan that would ensure their freedom and safety. There were a few advantages to this little ruse of theirs, if things went according to plan. Yes, he'd had to lie a little, but it couldn't be helped. He had judged there were worse things than lies when it came to saving the life of someone you held dear. "We can see each other as much as we like now, openly, without having to hide. It's only for a little while. Just until I turn seventeen." He leaned back to meet her gaze. "Nothing has changed really. I've just bought us some time."
"And you will have to see her, too," she pointed out, fierce jealousy rising in her green eyes as she gripped the cloth over his back tightly, holding his gaze with intense emotion. "You will have to escort her to parties and dinners. You will have to, Duncan. And ....and Stefan will be there, smirking behind your back." She frowned unhappily. Stefan had been her friend once, before his impatience had out-grown his sense, but it wasn't Stefan she was concerned with. She knew Leandra wanted Duncan, and she knew that family were not above treachery or deceit to get what they wanted. Her hands tightened on him as she leaned closer. "Stay with me tonight," she said suddenly, a decision that she had been so shy to make only a few days before abruptly hardened in her mind. "I ....I don't want her to win just because I've been neglectful."
"You're getting married." The words were low, spoken in a dull undertone that carried with it as much pain as anger from the beautiful girl standing by the window.
Duncan's agreement with his father had been put into action before sunset of the same day; Mara had been summoned to the courts to witness and sign a contract that made her the sole property of Duncan Mallory, until such time as the contract was annulled or violated. She'd been so happy to sign it, thinking that perhaps her lover had stood up to his father and won some victory. And then Eric Mallory had informed her of just why she had been bought. She was an early wedding present for his son, a means to ensure that he would know precisely what to do with his new wife when the time came. Those words had struck deep, and though she had not wanted to believe it, she had not been able to see Duncan to have him tell her otherwise. She and Elise had been moved from their familiar, shabby apartments to a luxurious set of rooms barely three streets from Mallory Manor, and by the morning of the third day after her contract had been signed, she was well and truly trapped. She had still not seen Duncan, and the betrothal had been announced in the streets. Thus, when Duncan finally managed to get the time and leisure to find her and explain, she was furious.
She turned away from the window, hands on her hips to keep from clenching them, her face pale with hurt anger. "I'm under contract to be with no one but you, and you're getting married. There had better be a damned good explanation for all this, Master Mallory."
"No, I'm not," Duncan replied, as calmly as he could. He glanced over his shoulder as if he was worried his father's spies might be listening. He knew his father had moved her closer to the Manor not because he was worried for her safety or concerned with her comfort, but so that she was closer and easier to keep an eye on. Yes, the apartments she'd been given were far more comfortable than where she'd been before, but that hardly mattered. He remained where he was, knowing she was angry with him and needing her to hear him out before jumping to the most obvious conclusions, those that everyone else around them seemed to believe. "I'm not getting married. It's a betrothal, nothing more. Do you really think I could marry that cow when I'm in love with you?" he asked, spreading his arms in supplication, the expression on his face one that pleaded for patience to let him explain.
"Well, according to your father, love has nothing to do with marriage," Mara snapped. "Apparently, you're obliged to screw her until she has a couple of babies, which could take years! Why the hell did you agree to getting betrothed" To anyone?" She threw up her hands, aware that her voice had risen far too much in volume and making an effort to lower it in case of curious ears outside. "And Leandra Del Sol. Have you even met her" She's Stefan's sister, you know." A thought occurred to her, and the fury flickered once again. "He knew. He knew, that bastard knew, months ago!" Green eyes flashed warningly in Duncan's direction. "Months ago ..." she hissed, warning him to get his explanation in quick.
"He knew, but I didn't," Duncan interjected, another wary glance over his shoulder, hoping her voice didn't carry too far. He couldn't risk anyone overhearing them or the entire plan would be for naught and her life would be at risk. He moved over to her, reaching for her hands, trying to calm her so that he could explain without the entire city overhearing them. "Please, listen to me. Just give me a chance to explain."
Her jaw had set in a dangerous line as he approached, the stiffness of her hands in his betraying how reluctant she was to let him this close while she was still angry. She loved him too much not to fold if he asked her to, but she needed the explanation. "Duncan, the only reason I haven't thrown something at you yet is because I know you've got an explanation waiting for me," she told him in a tight voice. "Your father really enjoyed telling me that you were engaged. Please tell me he's the one being made a fool of here."
What should he tell her first, he wondered. That his father had threatened her life, or that he was just buying them some time, until they could get away. "I know you're upset and you have every right to be, but I have no intentions on marrying Leandra. You have to believe me."
Oh, how she wanted to believe him. Desperately. "But you don't lie, Duncan," she pointed out, a little of the anger bleeding away to reveal the very real heartache she was suffering with. "Why is your betrothal to that stuck-up gutter slug being shouted all over the city, if you're not going to marry her?"
"Because....When the time comes, I'm not going to be here to marry her. I'll be seventeen soon, Mara. We can still get away. We can still be together. It's you I want to marry, not her. I had no choice but to agree to this....this ruse. If I hadn't agreed..." The explanation was coming out in a confused rush of words, but he halted just short of the real reason for all of this. His expression changed, a look of horror in his eyes, of fear worse than any fear he'd ever felt before. "He threatened to kill you."
Six years of building trust in their friendship was all that had kept their closeness from being torn apart in the past few days. Six years of trusting Duncan's word served Mara in good stead as she listened, the anger in her fading as she relaxed, allowing herself to let go of the sting that had almost broken her heart when she'd first been told. But in those four years, she'd never seen him truly frightened, not until this moment. "He ....what?" The color drained from her face as she realized the real danger that now hung over her head. "Mal ....Duncan ....what ....why would he do that?"
"Because I love you. Because he knows I love you. Because he knows I'd do anything to keep you safe, even agreeing to marry that...that..." He sighed, all the bravado he'd worked so hard to muster these last few days going out of him. He reached for her, to take her in his arms and wrap her up in his embrace, not only for her own good, but for his own. "It's all my fault. I should have never brought you into this. I should have known from the very first day I met you that it was dangerous for you to be with me. I was lonely and you were so kind, so caring, so beautiful. It was selfish of me, and now it's too late. You'd be better off without me, Mara. Safer." His fingers stroked her hair, feeling tears threatening, but not wanting her to see him like that again. He had decided to be a man, and a man he would be.
"No." It was a quiet denial of what he said, but still a denial, spoken softly against his shoulder as he folded her into his arms. Her patience had paid off with an explanation she understood better than either of them might have liked, her anger gone as she wrapped herself around him fondly. "No, I wouldn't be better off. I'd be Stefan's." It was plain fact, no matter how distasteful. Mara hugged tight to Duncan, turning her face against his neck as she sighed quietly, frightened but reassured that he knew what he was doing. "I love you. I was ready to tear that bitch's hair out when I heard the news."
He chuckled, finding just the smallest bit of amusement in her remark. "Now that I'd have liked to see." He held her close against him, pressing a kiss against her forehead. It seemed he'd matured years in the last few days. He'd had no choice really, his mother's death forcing him to become a man and seek a plan that would ensure their freedom and safety. There were a few advantages to this little ruse of theirs, if things went according to plan. Yes, he'd had to lie a little, but it couldn't be helped. He had judged there were worse things than lies when it came to saving the life of someone you held dear. "We can see each other as much as we like now, openly, without having to hide. It's only for a little while. Just until I turn seventeen." He leaned back to meet her gaze. "Nothing has changed really. I've just bought us some time."
"And you will have to see her, too," she pointed out, fierce jealousy rising in her green eyes as she gripped the cloth over his back tightly, holding his gaze with intense emotion. "You will have to escort her to parties and dinners. You will have to, Duncan. And ....and Stefan will be there, smirking behind your back." She frowned unhappily. Stefan had been her friend once, before his impatience had out-grown his sense, but it wasn't Stefan she was concerned with. She knew Leandra wanted Duncan, and she knew that family were not above treachery or deceit to get what they wanted. Her hands tightened on him as she leaned closer. "Stay with me tonight," she said suddenly, a decision that she had been so shy to make only a few days before abruptly hardened in her mind. "I ....I don't want her to win just because I've been neglectful."