A Rose For A Rose

Chapter 4

I was startled by the sound of raised voices. I scampered from my bed and picked up my robe as I went, securing it around me as I clamoured down the stairs. It was easy to follow the raised voices, and it wasn't long until I found myself in the foyer, stilling at the bottom of the steps.

It wasn't often that Lissa and Andre fought, but this fight seemed to be the one to beat the band.

"I can say yes if I choose to!"

"Not if I say no!"

"You're not the one being married!" Lissa exclaimed, throwing her hands out to the side.

"And that's true, but I will not allow this," Andre returned firmly. I felt my brows rise as I watched the two argue. I could see Lissa's anger the longer it went on, and by the flush of her cheeks, I could tell she was close to tears.

"It's my life, Andre."

"And as the head of this family, I decide who is suitable for marriage. He is not," Andre snapped, "You will marry Christian Ozera when I am cold in the ground."

Lissa's chest rose and fell rapidly as her breath laboured, her jaw working the slightest bit as she gritted her teeth. Lissa never liked being told what she couldn't and couldn't do, but I understood where both were coming from.

Andre wanted to protect the reputation of his family, but Lissa wanted to marry someone of her choice. If she wanted to marry Christian, she would be determined to do it. Andre and Lissa were too similar in their stubbornness, and I hated being caught in the middle of it. Even if I didn't get into the middle of it by choice.

"Christian proposed?" I pipped up. Lissa looked away from Andre and met my gaze. The tip of her nose was pink, as were her cheeks and chest.

"Not yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was soon," she said with certainty.

"And you will not accept it," Andre bit out, making Lissa's head snap towards him again.

"And what's to say you can stop that. If I say, it's binding."

"Not if I don't provide your dowery. You will not marry someone like that. That is final!" Andre stated before turning and heading out to his study, closing the door firmly behind him. I stepped off the final step and went to her side. I had noticed that she gravitated towards Christian more and more lately, but I didn't think it got that far.

"Liss?"

"He can't do that," Lissa whispered quietly, but we both knew that he could. For Lissa's dowery to get paid Andre had to be agreeable to the marriage. He made it clear just now that he wouldn't pay it and wouldn't agree to the marriage. If Lissa did accept the marriage regardless, she would be disowned. Not to mention the scandal it would cause.

A part of me wished she would rebel, but the part of me that knew how much family meant to her, and how important Andre was to her, hoped that she would head Andre's warning.

No matter how much she wanted Christian.

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The further into the summer we got, the higher the temperatures rose. Most of the women around me would quietly complain about it, but I loved it. I loved the heat, and I loved the feeling of the sun's rays on my skin.

Lissa seemed to have a harder time with the heat than I was, opting to stay under the shade of her parasol while I stayed under the rays.

"You're going to go red like you did last year," Lissa tsked as she fanned herself.

"So?" I asked leaning back against the raised seat behind me, "Maybe I like going red."

"I don't think it's very good for you," Lissa mused but I gave her an indulging look and closed my eyes, sighing at the warmth.