The Usurper's Queen | COMPLETED

28 | the man from lansbury

Since Gilbert and Cecily's wedding took place without her father knowing, the King was not all too pleased by the union and went as far as to claim that Gilbert had abducted Cecily from Almswood Castle.

The King's men arrived at our doorstep to bring Cecily back, but she refused to step out, and we had to deploy our family's soldiers to deter them away.

However, each time we expelled them away, they would always return the next day with a larger army. This pointless charade lasted for weeks on end, and eventually, the King sent his own brother-in-law to bring back Cecily.

Thomas Ainsworth was a short and plump man with thinning blond hair, a forehead so wide and shiny that it reflected the sun, and legs so short that instead of walking, he waddled. It is interesting how the Ainsworth women looked like living goddesses, while the males were like real-life versions of Humpty Dumpty.

"His Royal Majesty King Edward, Our Lord, has ordered me to take Lady Cecily back with me," he huffed, having become out of breath from walking a total of five feet from his carriage to our doorsteps.

"And why should I let you? On what grounds, Lord Ainsworth?" I challenged him while Cecily peeked at her uncle from behind me.

"I am her blood relative, and the King and Queen has decreed that I am to marry her a week before your brother decided to kidnap her in broad daylight," he retorted, now finally noticing Cecily hiding behind me.

His face immediately sweetened, and his tone became strangely mellow. "Oh, poor Sissie! Come with me so we can annul the marriage, and then you shall marry me, don't you like that Sissie? You will become a princess again, and the King will grant me the title of Duke! You will be the wife of a Duke rather than a mere Earl!"

Indescribable disgust filled my chest as I looked at this man-child that was Thomas Ainsworth, who had the guts to insult my father's title despite not having a single title of his own.

"It's a bit odd, don't you think Cecily?" I said, ignoring Thomas Ainsworth's existence. "If you marry him, he will be a Prince Consort, and he will be given the rank of duke. What will you get, Cecily?"

Thomas Ainsworth's pasty white face became red with fury as he balled his pudgy fat fists threateningly. "She is a woman! She should be grateful that I am willing to marry her despite her hideous face! She shall stay home quietly, not overstepping her boundaries like some people, who fail to know their places."

I let out a loud scoff and rolled my eyes in disbelief. Of course he had to be talking about me. How could such a pathetic person exist in this world? "So, you receive benefits and two titles from being her husband, but you treat her as if she is inferior to you? What a joke you are, Lord Ainsworth," I taunted.

"Women will always be inferior to men! This is what happens when we men allow women to read and learn! They start to think! And not about loyalty and morals, but politics! Politics should be reserved for us men, not women like you.

If you were my wife, I would keep you locked inside your room until you shed away your insolence!" he shouted at me, droplets of saliva flying in the air and splattering onto the cobblestone ground.

"But you are not my husband, are you?" I asked him. "Who are you to question me, Lord Ainsworth? My father saw it fit for me to be educated in the same aspects as my brother, so that I will never be slighted or mistreated by anyone, including you.

As for you saying that I don't know how to treat men right, well what do you want me to do? Kiss your feet? Allow you to scold me as you please and smile back in return? Or should I invite you into my bed in broad daylight, because it seems that you think of women as nothing but pleasure slaves.