The Vet Assistant

Chapter 20

"Excuse me?" She asked shocked as she stood making Hades, Zeus, and Amaya jump up and stand guard. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"Your marriage has been arranged," Jaxon said tapping his fingers on the table casually. "You are to be married in a month."

"No the hell I am not," She shook her head and slammed her hands down on the table. "I refuse."

"You have no choice," He shrugged. "I had no choice in my marriage and Uncle had no choice in his marriage nor did our parents. That is the life of royals Aerwyna, we marry for the benefit of our kingdom. It's the way it's been for centuries and will continue to do so. Our people don't like to see customs and traditions broken. You will marry who Uncle has decided, it has already been arranged. Just learn to accept it, Aerwyna. It's not worth working yourself up and possibly making you sick. The paperwork has already been filed and your soon to be husband has said that you have the final say in preparations for your upcoming marriage."

"Fine," She seethed as she clenched her hands into fists. "I refuse to marry, that is my final say."

"You will marry," Jaxon sighed like this was a huge inconvenience for him. "Even if I have to drag you down the aisle myself."

"You wouldn't," She glared at him. "You won't lay one hand on me."

"Watch me," He glared as he stood. "Quit being a selfish brat and think of your people. They just watched you beat cancer and now they want to see you happy."

"Then let me go and live my life the way I want to," She threw back. "I will be happy when you let me out of this prison."

"Quit being dramatic Aerwyna," He rolled his eyes. "This is not a prison."

"Let's see, I'm not allowed to leave without bodyguards, I can't learn how to cook my own food, my clothes are chosen for me, my day is scheduled for me, my tasks are planned for me, need I go on?" She threw back while glaring, "I have no free choice to do what I want, Jaxon. You are so afraid I am going to do something dramatic and yet who was the one that got caught being unfaithful in their marriage? Oh yeah, that was you! The only time I was able to do anything I really wanted was when I was sick and look, I didn't do anything outrageous. I'm tired of being Uncle and your little puppet, I refuse to marry some stranger."

"Too bad," He sighed as he adjusted his tie, "It has already been decided and you will marry next month one way or another."

"Watch me," She seethed as she stormed off with her dogs following right behind her.

"Hello Aerwyna," King Gilliam said without looking up from his paperwork. "I take it your brother passed on your news."

"I refuse," She fumed. "Call whoever you have made the decision with and tell them that it will not happen. I will not marry some stranger, Uncle."

"I'm sorry Aerwyna but everything has already been finalized," he said sighing softly as he set the papers in his hand down. "Everything is already in motion. There will be no cancellation."

"You are really going to let me marry some stranger?" She asked as tears filled her eyes. "You really want to see me be with someone you have no idea about? You want that on your conscious after promising my parents you will always take care of us. What if he's some sort of abuser? Could you live with yourself if I am even allowed to visit you and I have bruises on me? What if you make me marry this stranger and he locks me away and never lets me see you or talk to you again? What then? What if I get sick again and he doesn't get me treatment? How can you be okay with sending me off to some stranger? Do you really think that low of me?"

"Are you done?" He asked raising his eyebrow at her. "You are being a tad dramatic, Aerwyna. I have done very thorough research on your soon to be husband and you have nothing to worry about. He is going to take very excellent care of you. He has even agreed that if you want you can continue your veterinary schooling."

"Too fucking bad I still refuse," She glared, "I don't care who he is, anyone can look good on paper, hell Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy looked good on paper and they turned out to be serial killers."

"Once again, a tad dramatic," King Gilliam sighed. "I get that you aren't happy about this, but you are just going to have to learn to accept it. You never know, you could learn to love him. Your parents learned how to love one another and I learned to love your aunt. Most arranged marriages actually last longer than people who marry for love. This could be the best thing for you, just give it a chance."

"I would rather die," She glared at him. "I will not go through with this marriage."

"That's enough," He slammed his fists down and stood. "I have tried to be lenient with everything you have gone through but I'm tired of you acting like a brat."

"If you don't want to deal with me then let me renounce my title and set me free," She threw back. "Then you will never have to deal with me and my selfish wants ever again."

"You will marry the tzar one way or another Aerwyna."

"Watch me," She said through clenched teeth before turning her back on him and left, slamming the door behind her.