Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Chapter 9: Wake-Up Call

~Alice~

This was never how I imagined my wedding day.

Not being sold off to some Templar twice my age. Not being surrounded by Templars at my reception. Not having my wedding and the rest of my life planned out for me. Nothing was as it should be, at least not for me. In another woman's case, this was a dream come true.

This was my nightmare.

"Good morning, my lady!" A cheerful, Scottish woman entered my room bright and early that morning. Her face was full of cheer and happiness. I pulled the blankets tighter over my head and pretended not to hear. She sat down the metal tray on the desk and yanked the sheets clear off of me. "Come now, Alice! It's your wedding day. We have a million things to do in such little time."

I curled into my body searching for heat but gave up when the chilly morning air froze me to the core. This woman I had never seen before. Her hair was a chestnut color and her eyes were a light green. She was older than me by about 10 years but that wasn't slowing her down.

"Not to be rude, but who are you?" She laughed loudly and nearly woke up the entire estate. She dusted off her apron and bowed.

"The lady of the house can't be rude. My name is Ellie Reid. R-E-I-D. I am your wedding planner. So if there is a wedding to be held, you must get up!" I lazily climbed to my feet and rubbed my eyes. Ellie fetched me a chair and insisted I sit. "Now eat. The bride needs her energy." She leaned down next to my ear and whispered, "Especially for the honey-moon!"

"Don't remind me..." I fumed to myself. I wrapped my arms around my waist and knitted my eyebrows together. Ellie wouldn't have any pouting. Oh no, not today. She rubbed the crease between my eyebrows roughly and slapped me on the shoulder. I waved my hands back and forth to try and shoo her away.

"W-what are you doing!?" Ellie held onto my shoulders and began to massage them like it was their last day on earth. Her pep talk really confused and irritated me.

"Alright Alice, this is the big day. The day every little girl dreams of. You must stop being a grouch and deal with it. So what if this isn't your ideal wedding, most marriages aren't." Ellie walked over to the vanity and grabbed a brush.

"Well, I'm sorry if I seem agitated. It must be....because I am!" My anger snapped and I couldn't see my to focus. Ellie put my vision back in line with a sharp smack to the side of the head. I hissed and rubbed the sore area.

"Really?"

"Yes. Now let's comb out this issue you have going on here." The wooden brush nearly tore out my long blonde locks with each stroke. My neck popped quite a few times but I wasn't one to complain. I just cleaned my teeth and bared with it for the time being. Might as well make conversation.

"How do you know Shay?" Her strokes slowed, almost to a complete stop. Had I struck a nerve?

"Mister Cormac saved my life. I was a young woman making a living on the street corner. Shay bought me for the night, and instead of violating me like the rest of the men do. He treated me to a hot meal and tea." I could see the way her expression softened in the mirror. "The next day, the man I worked for found out I wasn't bringing in enough money. So he dragged me outside by my hair, tore off my clothes, and whipped me with his riding crop."

"I'm sorry-"

"It's alright, dear." She smiled and her hard exterior broke. "Shay rescued me just before I lost consciousness. Beat the fool to a pulp. I've been in his debt ever since." I knew that stupid look and dreamy eyes Ellie wore. Those were the same eyes I had looked at Connor with for the last year.

"You love him." It wasn't a question. Just a fact. Ellie didn't disagree either.

"It doesn't matter now. You two will be married and have a bundle of lovely children. The boys will look like you and the girls will be a replica of Shay." She tried to hide her pain with sweet words and smiles but I could see the pain. "You love someone else as well. That native man."

"With all my heart." I sadly smiled at my own reflection and dropped my head. Ellie laughed out of the blue and I turned in confusion.

"Look at us Alice," Ellie kneeled down behind me and pointed at the faces looking back in the mirror. "A couple of wallowing women who will never learn." She leaned her head against my shoulder and sighed. Then, she sprung to her feet and clapped her hands. "No time to waste. Hair is first then the makeup, the dress..." She muttered to herself and walked out of the room for a second.

I made sure she was gone before I wiped the tears out of my eyes. My emotions were running rampant at the moment and I couldn't control them. I wasn't sure what to make of this messed up situation, and it seemed easier if I didn't try. Ellie returned with a dress draped in a heavy sheet.

I tried to hide my emotions and clear my face of any signs of sadness. Ellie had a sharp eye. She hung up the dress on the door and walked over to me. She wrapped her arms around me in a hug and I cried into her shoulder.

~Chapter End~