The Second Book in the Bride Series
Katharine was a peasant girl, living in the streets of Paris when the Lady Eleanor found her and turned her into the a rich aristocrat. Posing as her cousin, she goes around to different parties enjoying the life...
Thomas Drake had gone through life with very few surprises. He appreciated the simplicity of life and the joys that derived from it.
This, though, was definitely not one of those simple moments.
He had done it, at last. He has professed his undying love to Katherine. He had gotten down on his knees and asked her to marry him.
And there she stood, dressed in the lightest lilac colored dress, crying. His heart was broken into pieces at the sight of his Katherine crying.
"I am with child."
Those four words put his world on hold. He loved Katherine. He wanted to marry Katherine. He wanted to grow old with her, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to be a father.
He did not have much experience with his own father and feared that he would have the same relationship with his own, despite his reservations against that.
Katherine was now sitting on the bed, the tears falling freely down her face, "I wanted to stay in France and I did not want to burden you but Eleanor insisted that I come."
Drake could feel the anger boiling in his chest as she said these words, "You thought to keep our child from me— his father?"
A sob passed her small lips as she continued to look down at her lap, "I did not want to burden you."
Drake knelt down in front of her, grasping her chin in his hand, "You are not a burden."
With that said, Drake stood and stormed out of the room, in search of Lady Eleanor.
He knew that she would be within Lord Jacque's chambers. He did not even bother to knock in the door when he burst through and sought at the Lady Eleanor, "I wish to marry her."
He definitely had caught the Lady by surprise for the woman's face fell nearly a whole foot as she drew the blanket around her, "What on earth are you talking about?"
Her husband, Lord Jacque, laid out beside her, his hands pressed over his face in irritation, "My darling, he wants to marry Katherine!"
Eleanor covered her mouth in shock, "You want to marry Katherine!"
Drake nodded and ran his hands through his hair, "I want to marry Katherine but I need your permission first. I know you care a great deal about her. I know that she may not be a noble-born woman, but I still want to marry her."
Eleanor stood, the blanket trailing behind her, "You have my full support! How fast does she want this to happen? We could have the wedding here, or if she prefers, in France! Oh, I have to have a wedding dress assembled!"
Drake turned on his heel and ran back to Katherine's room. He found her in a heap on the floor, her face hanging low.
"Katherine, marry me." He said, placing his hand in her hair, "Marry me. Grow old with me." He moves his hands down to her belly, "Let me raise the child with you. We can raise it together, as a family."
"You have to swear something first."
~~~~~
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Katherine never thought, in the eighteen years she had lived, that she would find herself dressed in a wedding dress. She has grown up an orphan, her parents having died during the revolution. She knew very little about marriage and the way of life while raising a child.
She could only hope that Thomas was better at it than her.
She looked over at Lord Jacque, who had graciously agreed to lead her down the aisle. He smiled softly at her. Ever since his return, merely four months ago, he had been like a Father to her. He was kind and understanding, which surprised Katherine a lot. She suspected that Eleanor had put in a good word for her, but nonetheless, Lord Jacque had been good to her.
"You ready?" He asked, patting her hand.
Katherine nodded and swallowed her fear, "As ready as I could be."
"He's a good man, Katherine. You're lucky, I did not even know what Eleanor looked like on our wedding day. I cried when I saw her because she was so beautiful— I was relieved that she was not ugly." Jacque whispered, grinning widely.
"How do you know if this is the right choice?" She asked.
Jacque shook his head, "You will never know until you try."
They stepped out into the chapel, amongst the crowd. From a distance, she could see Thomas Drake waiting for her next to the carefully selected priest. The King and Queen of England sat in the back, watching quietly.
It had taken Eleanor another three months to plan the wedding, which had allowed Katherine's child to grow substantially. Drake and Katherine had conjured up a small, civil wedding ceremony under Eleanor's nose just to cover their bases, but they still had to hold a large, traditionally ceremony.
"I, Thomas Drake, swear to take thee, Katherine Marque as my dearly beloved wife. To have and hold, through sickness and health, though rich and poor from this day forward."
Katherine repeated the vows back to Drake, grasping his hand tightly.
With the vows exchanged, the only thing left to do was seal the marriage with a kiss. The nervousness was starting to set in as his lips brushed against hers. Her hands gripped his even tighter.
"King Edward!" A man screeched as the doors to the cathedral opened with a loud bang.
Drake snapped his head to the back of the cathedral. One of the Kong's men stood at the doors, his chest heavy heavily, "It's the village, sir. They have destroyed the village."
The King sped out of the cathedral with Drake right behind him.
Lady Eleanor rushed up beside her and wrapped an arm tightly around her, "Do not worry, darling. Things will go well."
~~~~~ She found herself in the middle of his room, dressed in her nightshift which was pressed tightly around her swollen middle.
She stared at herself in the mirror with her hand over her belly, "It's alright, Little one. Daddy will be home soon. I know he will."
She felt the slightest little kick against her hand, causing a smile to erupt over her face.
Katherine looked down and rubbed her hand soothingly over her unborn child.
"Is our child kicking up a storm?" A voice asked from the door.
Katherine looked up in the mirror and smiled even wider, "You are back!"
Drake wrapped his hands around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head, "Yes, my darling Kat, I have come back."
She turned in his arms and rested her head against his chest, "I was so worried about you, Thomas."
"I know, I know." He sighed.
"You can't join a war. You have a new life now, one with me." She said, looking up at him.
Drake sank to his knees and pressed his lips against her belly, "I made a promise to protect you and our child, no matter what. You are my only concern and our baby."
