Caged Heart

Chapter 3

"Genevieve!" Serenity called out again, gently seizing her sister by the arm, to which she shook her head and pulled away from her.

"No," Genevieve said, a small quiver in her voice.

The two sisters looked at one another and Serenity could see the tears in Genevieve's eyes. She slowly lowered the hand that was raised and reaching out, her own eyes filling with tears as she recognized the look on her face. It was the look she'd donned upon realizing fully what her parents had asked of her; the face she'd shown only her mirror that day. She watched with a heavy heart as her sister turned from her and hurriedly walked down the corridor in the direction of her chambers. After a moment, her gaze hardened and her hands clenched, her pity swelling up into anger.

Genevieve was only twenty years of age; she shouldn't have to be married off so soon. She turned to walk back towards the war room, ready to tell her father what she truly thought about the traditions. She knew that ending the war was important, of course, but she couldn't see why it had to be ended this way. The king of Hallow had come up with a treaty in which this wouldn't have to be a problem, but her father had refused. How could he? It was a free way out of the horrid traditions that plagued their kingdoms, but he refused. Refused to turn away from what he knew, refused to care more about his daughter.

But, then again...

The Hallow king was the one who drafted the treaty, and maybe her father was making sure that his terms were what they were agreeing on. Maybe he did this to protect them; to protect himself. And that thought made her hesitate upon reaching the iron doors once again. She stopped in the middle of the hall, the doors to the war room in her sights. She stared at them as if doing so would give her the courage back that she had before she started doubting. With a huff of frustration, she turned towards one of the windows, looking out of it as her fists lay on the sill, and, after catching a glimpse of her reflection, she sighed, un-balling her hands in order to lay her head in them.

"She took it rather well, I presume?" Godric's voice came from behind her, the sarcasm clear in his question.

With a dry chuckle, she lifted her head, keeping her eyes trained on the outside world, "Amazingly well."

She heard him move closer, feeling his hand on her shoulder. He didn't say a word, he only gave the shoulder a reassuring squeeze, knowing there was nothing he could say in the moment that would ease her restless heart. Soon enough, she turned her head to look at his hand and then at his face, watching as his eyes drifted to meet with hers.

"She doesn't deserve this." The princess spoke softly.

"Neither did you," Godric moved his hand from her shoulder to the side of her neck, turning her, using his other hand, to face him, "Neither did we."

Serenity averted his gaze, making a move to turn her head, but Godric pulled her attention back to him, his hand now on her chin, lifting it. His head was slightly bent, and his green eyes bore into hers.

"We all deserve to marry for love, Serenity, but you said it yourself: these are the traditions. It's not something meant to make us happy, only to keep us content and keep the world from crumbling again."

"I didn't think it would extend to them so quickly."

"None of us did, but we knew it was a possibility," his hand on her shoulder moved down to her hand, "and we all know that she cannot refuse this."

Never refuse.

Her own words made her grimace. She had warned her sister of what not to do, and even she knew what not to do, yet they both still acted like fools in front of their parents; she had acted a fool in front of her parents, and the nobles.