The Dark Prince's Bride (the original version of Will You Love Me?)

Chapter 10

Renee made her way slowly towards the dining hall, as if her unhurried pace could delay the inevitable.

"What's wrong?" she heard a familiar voice ask.

She turned to see one of her best friends, Johnathan. She had met him two years earlier when he had fled into the forest where she dwelt at the time. He was a deserter from Drake's army, the first as far as anyone knew.

Together they had fled to the castle of Anoria to deliver vital information about Drake's next attack. Information that ended up saving a whole third of Anoria's army. It had gained them both favor in the king and queen's eyes and they had both been given an important job at the castle. She became the queen's handmaiden and he became a royal guard.

They had been through much together, but she felt that this was one thing she couldn't share with him. "Nothing..." she whispered.

"Nothing? Renee you know I know you too well to believe that. You're my best friend, you're like a sister to me. Tell me what's troubling you?" He placed his hand on her back comfortingly.

"King Henry and Queen Mea have arranged a marriage for me," she answered sadly.

"I take it you don't like the man they have chosen for you?" he asked. "Is he twice your age?"

"No, he is a few years older than I, but not enough it should bother me or anyone else," she replied.

"Is he a cruel man?" Johnathan asked.

"I... I can't really talk about it. I should not speak ill of him," she answered.

"Do I know him?" he asked.

"Probably more than you should like to," she replied.

"Dragoth?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I'm sorry." He looked around. "We're alone, speak your heart. I promise not to tell a soul."

"I've heard rumors that he is a cruel, evil man," she whispered.

"I promise I will protect you. If he should do you any harm, he will face my wrath. And the wrath of King Henry and Queen Mea, you know how well they love you," Johnathan reassured her.

"But he is their son, they would not side with a mere handmaiden over their own son, the prince of Anoria nor should they," she replied.

"King Henry is an honorable man, he would never allow anyone to get away with harming you, not even his own son," Johnathan replied.

"I suppose you are right," she remembered the day she had went for a hunt with him in the forest and he had nearly died saving her from a wild boar.

"But I do not believe that the prince is dishonorable enough to do anything of the kind. He may not be as bad as you believe him to be. Forget not that I was once a part of Drake's army. I know how Drake treats his men. He threatens to kill their families if they don't do as he commands, and those who fail him he punishes with a cruel stroke. I was fortunate to be but a solider, it was the commanders who took the worst of his wrath. Dragoth was one of Drake's generals. I know things couldn't have been easy for him."

"I know that not everyone who serves Drake is evil, Johnathan. But he betrayed his kingdom, his parents..." she looked at the floor. "I've never told you this because I don't like talking about it, let alone thinking about it. Dragoth slayed my father in battle. How can I marry him when all I feel for him is hate?"

"I'm sorry about your father, I didn't know," he answered. "Why don't you tell King Henry and Queen Mea that you cannot marry him? I do not believe they would force you to marry him if they knew that you did not want to."

"I know, but I owe them everything. They have trusted me with their son, with their kingdom. They need me. How can I refuse them? They have never refused me," she looked down. "Besides I could never tell them the truth, it would break their hearts."

"But what about you doesn't your happiness mean anything?" he asked.

"Not when the cost of it is this great. If I do not marry him I will risk hurting the man and woman I love as a mother and father. I could tear their family apart after they have waited so long to restore it. But I must also think of the kingdom, Anoria wouldn't be safe under his rule. As queen I could be a voice for the people, I would have the power to stand for what is right. I believe God has put in this position for a purpose. I have this feeling that I cannot shake, that even though this is not what I want, it is what I am meant to do."

"Perhaps your purpose is even greater than you know. Maybe you aren't just meant to protect the land from his evil, maybe you are meant to guide him back to the Lord's path," Johnathan replied. "I know he has done wrong things in the past, but I do not believe that he is truly evil at heart."

"Only God knows," Renee answered, though deep down she didn't believe that he would ever be a good person. He wasn't the reason God had given her this path. "I will talk to you later on, my friend."

Johnathan nodded. "Best of luck."

She nodded in reply, then turned towards the dining hall. She felt slightly disappointed as she saw Dragoth sitting at the table. She should have know that he would be there.

She sat down, trying to avoid looking at him. Why, she did not know. They were soon to be wed and she couldn't avoid looking at him for the rest of her life.

"Renee, I'm sure you know that you will no longer be working as my handmaiden," said Mea.

"Yes... I will miss the time we spent together," Renee  answered.

"So will I," the queen agreed.

"But you will be spending much more time with us now," said Henry. "You will become a member of our family. You will be treated like our daughter from now on, you will join us for every royal gathering."

"I don't know if I can adjust to being a princess. I don't really know how to behave in the company of royalty," she replied.

"You'll get used to it. Don't forget that I was once a thief," said Henry.

"But you were the son of a knight before you began the rebellion against the sorcerer. You were born into this life and I..." she broke off glancing over at Dragoth. She felt embarrassed about saying where she had come from in front of him. She didn't like him, but she didn't want to be nothing but a disappointment to her betrothed. She didn't want her future husband to know that she had once been an orphan living on the streets.

"It doesn't matter where you came from, my lady, only who you are in your heart," Dragoth said softly.

She nodded, but she was sure that he had only said it to impress his parents. He probably wanted them to think that he was happy with the girl they had chosen for him.

"Now that you are soon to become a princess, you will need a handmaiden. Henry and I want you to chose someone yourself," said Mea.

Renee didn't have to think about it, she already knew who she wanted. Marie, her one of her best friends. She would be glad to have someone to talk to, being trapped in a marriage that she knew she could never be completely happy in.

But it would also make Marie's life a little better as the handmaiden to the princess she would have a much better salary than she had as a kitchen girl and garden hand. And she was sure Marie would be much happier brushing her hair and helping her find the perfect dress to wear instead of milking cows and pulling weeds and washing dishes all day.

"I would like Marie to be my handmaiden, if she agrees," Renee replied.

Mea nodded. "We thought you might say that. Henry and I know how close you two are. I will talk to her this evening, but I'm sure she would agree."

Renee smiled, she knew Marie would probably be really excited about the news.