Why Can't I Be Free?

Chapter 1: The Wedding

The warmth of his room surrounded him, he didn't want to get out of his bed but work was calling. Spencer slowly emerged from his warm serenity and put on his favorite plain shirt, some old torn trousers, and his favorite pair of work shoes. "She really is something isn't she," he smiled and went downstairs on to the porch only to see the dirt covered land surrounding his cottage. He simply walked his way down to the bread shop to begin his shift, Spencer kicked some small rocks around and smiled from ear to ear thinking about the letter he had wrote Kassandra about three years prior. "Sometimes society has a real damn way of screwing up people's hopes and dreams." Gently letting out a sigh, he walked through the back door of the shop. He grabbed his broom, began sweeping the floor before having to open up shop. His father turned toward the boy as they swung open the shutters. Spencer looked out the window longingly, "It's always the same damn thing get up, go to the shop, clean, open, sweep, close the shop, and go home. There's never any adventure." The bell of the shop rang as a young, wealthy woman by the name of Kassandra walked in for her daily bread run.

Kassandra looked up only to notice the young man staring at her longingly with his sparkling hazel eyes. They seemed to look straight into her heart. "God, I love him," Kassandra thought while watching the bread-makers son, stocking the shelves of their bread shop. "Why must my love for him be such a secret?" Her thoughts continued, her face turning redder than a ripe, plump, cherry. Spencer looked up at her again flashing his usual handsome smile. Kassandra's heart stopped for a split second, she rushed to the counter bread in hand. She paid the shop keeper his pay and walked out in a hurry.

As she walked out the door she thought how much easier life would be, if she wasn't being told every second what to do, how to feel, and who to love. Kassandra took a glance back before making her way back to the lifeless prison she called "home". She gently muttered to the ground, "Why can't I just be me?" She wore her sorrow on her sleeve, her coach awaiting her presence. The man her father sent to escort her left his post to open the door for Kassandra and closed it behind her. As the coach pulled away, Kassandra stared at the town streets and whispered, "Why am I not blessed with the beauty in town? All I want is to be free." After the extensive ride back to her isolated kingdom, Kassandra had to face her parents.

The soon to be Queen stepped into her home again, with her usual greeting "My darling Kassandra, have you thought about the wedding yet? The Duke is insisting on it." She was getting tired of the same irritating question. I love my father don't get me wrong. But I want to make my own choices. I really only feel like he wants the shared money out of this marriage. She said to herself letting out a sigh as she went to the kitchen to help the house keepers with dinner and cleaning. Eventually after hours of hard work, Kassandra went to her grand escape to continue her composition of dreams, life, and of course Spencer. He's just so different... I love it. Why I can't be like him? Free. No worries. Responsibilities that truly matter.I want my father to see. Unifying our kingdom with some snob will not fix the current state of our being. Maybe it is time someone with a true perspective on the needs of the people came into power. She finished writing and looked around the room and began to doze off before dinner, knowing it will be the same. When's the wedding? Where will it be? Make father proud. Don't disgrace us. Her eyes felt like weights as she laid her head to rest.

"Kassandra Marie, wake up! Dinner is getting cold while you are sleeping away the evening. You have duties you know! You can't rule in our honor if you can't even stay awake for dinner" her father spoke in anger. Kassandra awoke from her daydream of Spencer. Shooting up from the bed she dressed in her dinner robe and rushed down the stairs, taking a seat at the table. The king and queen sat at the heads of the table as they began dinner with the sweet bread, Kassandra had got this morning, and a hearty stew. She knew her comment would cause a fight but she thought she would at least try to ask. The girl looked up as she spoke to her father. "What if I don't want to marry a dunce like Duke Richard? What if I want to make something of myself? Not just be taken care off and boss house keepers and dish maids around. Make them suffer when I could be helping them. Instead we're taking their land, food, and children away. All because I have power and they don't? What kind of 'Queen' are you wanting me to be father?"