THE DRAGON'S FATED BRIDE

A TIME TO GROW UP - PART 2

She watched with a chill as the cloaked man outside the window slowly disappeared from view like a wraith. Faye felt as if this was another one of her horrid nightmares when she would fall sick and become plagued by high fevers.

The entire affair seemed surreal.

The family had only buried her mother hours earlier, and now here she was about to take her wedding vows to a man she knew nothing about. Then there was also the King's shocking order that she bear a child with this stranger.

The anxiety Faye felt right now was overwhelming. She took a deep breath to calm her mind and tried to remember happy thoughts from her childhood. She had always hoped for a marriage of love. Since she was the daughter of a royal knight, Faye had imagined herself falling for a brave Paladin and marrying him just like her mother and father had done.

However, that dream died long ago when her father was murdered, and her mother was forced to marry Baron Montgomery to keep them out of the poor house.

At this point, there was nothing more she could do now. It was too late.

Faye had to accept her fate of becoming a contract bride to the Duke. She had nowhere else to escape, and her adopted father, the Baron, had squandered her inheritance many years before on his debauched activities in the gambling houses and brothels. This left Faye and her mother destitute, with no way to support themselves.

In the end, the Baron accumulated so much gambling debt that he had no money to pay a decent doctor or buy medicine for her mother's illness. That was the reason the Baroness was no longer alive.

Now here Faye stood, On a king's accord. Being sold like common goods to the Duke in exchange for erasing the family's debts, and giving them a meager monthly stipend to support the indigent Barron and his heathen brood.

As Faye nervously stood in the parlor, her heart raced rapidly. She heard the Duke's heavy foot strides once he entered the home and marched in her direction, her anxious heart keeping pace with each of his steps. They sounded loud and confident on the wooden floor while he and her adopted father, Baron Montgomery, briefly chatted as they came closer to the parlor.

All of this made it feel as if she were awaiting execution.

When the entourage of men entered the room, she first observed the priest following behind them with his red leather-bound holy book, ready to officiate the ceremony. It was the same man who had presided over her mother's funeral. Seeing the priest, Faye felt a lump rise in her throat, and panic took hold. She clenched her fists tight by her side and swallowed hard while struggling to maintain control and not cry in front of those gathered.

She heard the clanking of armor as her eyes scanned the area, spotting two knights in their cloaks. She assumed they were the Duke's subordinates here to witness the wedding vows. Beside them was her father, who seemed quite diminutive next to their burly stature.

Faye sucked in a lungful of air, her heart still pounding in her ears, as her gaze eventually fell on the Duke. The cloak he wore covered him completely. She watched with anticipation as his calloused hands reached up to remove his hood.

His back was to her, so she could not get a clear view of his face. Although, Faye noticed a thick, luxurious mane of shoulder-length black hair cascading down his nape. The waves of his tresses glowed with blue highlights in the soft, dim light of the room.

She looked around her to gauge her siblings' reactions to the man, as they were turned where they could see his face. Aaron stood stoic with an impassive expression as he glared at the Duke. Then Faye turned her attention to Alice, and she recognized the lewd, desirous look in Alice's bright hazel eyes as she scrutinized the Duke's appearance. For her stepsister to react this way, the man must have been remarkably handsome.