"I confess, I am enjoying this routine we have begun of starting the day out together. Though I suppose it will be a common occurrence once we are married." Broderick says as he settles down onto the blanket beside me. He smiles as the sun shines off of his light hair. His blue eyes are bright and he appears at ease and I am struck by how much has changed in such a short time from our first encounter. As I look forward to his presence, I have set up a picnic out on the lawn for our breakfast, taking advantage of the warm weather that has arrived. Eating outside also provides us with the ability to speak freely without the worry of being overheard by those lingering about, even though I am sure many are whispering about our appearance outdoors. I smile as he sits and reaches for a piece of fruit.
"I'm glad that you were able to join me."
He smiles and reclines a bit, the picture of calm and ease and he picks up more pieces of fruit and I tell myself to remember how much he appears to enjoy the fruit. I can feel myself relaxing. There is something about his presence that is calming. It is welcome after the torrent of worry I felt last night. "Of course. I am always glad to spend time with you. I appreciate that you are willing to spend time with me as well."
"We are to be married, if we wish to find happiness in our union, we need to know each other. If we don't spend any time together, then we will never get to know each other, and we will be wed as strangers."
"You are right. We can easily agree that happiness is something we would both enjoy but it doesn't typically come between two strangers. So, my lady, you may ask me any question you wish."
"Are you sure? Many may say that is not wise. What if I were to ask you something that you did not wish to answer? Something you wished to keep secret?"
His eyes sparkle mischievously. "Yes, I am sure. There is nothing about me that I will hide from you. I don't believe it is good for husbands and wives to have secrets between them. I know there may be things you cannot tell me, information that you have as a member of the royal family that cannot yet be shared. I will not press you to disclose information if you cannot, but I do not have such limitations on my knowledge. You may ask me whatever you wish and I promise, I will answer."
A warmth seeps into my chest at his words and I find the fragile beginnings of trust starting to form and I smile.
"What did you think when you first saw me?" The question pops of out my mouth and I am slightly mortified by it. I had wondered it, but I had not intended to ask it. I have no desire to appear engrossed in vanity. I open my mouth determined to take back the words, to say something else to make this less embarrassing. "What I meant was,"
He holds up his hand. "No, no changing the question." He has a playful smile on his face. "I had heard various rumors about you, of course, but they did not begin to explain or accurately describe your beauty. Though there were some, women who I assume now are jealous of you, who tried to tell me that you were a horrid sight, with a giant nose and crooked teeth and breath that reeked of onions. However, when I stepped out of the carriage, and you stepped forward to greet me, I was instantly in awe of you. His fingers reach forward to touch the ends of my hair. The dark tint of your hair, the deep green of your eyes, the paleness of your skin, you were mesmerizing, and then you smiled at even though it was a small smile it was like rays of sunlight falling on me." I feel the slight blush, but he does not comment on it. "I confess it was a relief. I knew the alliance had already been agreed upon and signed so I would marry you regardless of physical appearance, but it is nice to be engaged to one so beautiful."
"You are quite the eloquent speaker. One might think you are a flatterer." I resist the urge to fan my face to reduce my blush.
"A flatterer says things that are not true. I have promised you honesty and honestly I can say that I am stunned by your beauty." I am lost in his eyes, in the intensity and honesty and desire that I see there. He leans toward me, just a bit, just to gauge what my reaction to him might be. I am surprised that I want to lean toward him. I want to close the distance that is between us and see what it would be like to feel his lips on mine.
YOU ARE READING
Hail
General Fiction"I would go to my mother and father and insist that I needed some freedom, some privacy, just a bit of space to do whatever I wanted without the watchful eyes of others. Father simply ignored my pleas. Mother stood by his side as usual; however, s...
