Arranged Marriage (MxMxM)

Chapter Thirteen

 No. No, this couldn't be right. William had to be messing with me, and frankly, it wasn't funny in the least. I mean me, a man? That was utterly preposterous. I was a woman and had been since birth. So why was he claiming I was a man?

"T-This isn't funny William. Why would you claim such a thing?"

William's brows darted up, disbelief dashing across his face. He shook his head and grabbed the whiskey, taking a swig directly from the bottle. "Melani, seriously. Look at yourself." He put the bottle back on the table and walked over to me, causing me to gasp in shock when the blond ripped my robe from my hands, exposing my nude body. He pointed down. "That is not the anatomy of a woman."

I looked down at myself, feeling my lips fall into a frown as a tightness began forming in my chest. "B-But..."

My cheeks lit aflame when William groaned in annoyance and began pulling his clothes off, causing me to avert my eyes. Just what was he doing? My question was answered when William walked into my line of vision, his arms crossed over his naked chest as he gave me a pointed look.

"Look at me, Melani. Look at me and learn that you are not a woman."

I was too embarrassed to, but eventually my gaze dropped and dread filled me when I saw William's anatomy just...hanging there. Like mine. Only, his seemed to be a bit larger, but that wasn't really the point. We...had the same thing. William was a man, yet we had the same exact anatomy. So...I was male then.

Suddenly feeling lightheaded, I nearly fell, had it not been for William catching me, before helping me over to the bed to sit down. "Did you honestly not know?" He asked softly, sage eyes studying me.

I felt a tear slip from the corner of my eye and down my cheek at the sudden realization that I had been lied to my entire life. For goodness sake, William sported the same bits as I did, and I had seen the proof. Mother lied to me. They all lied to me. "W-Why would they lie to me, William?"

William tore his gaze away from me, shaking his head and causing his hair to swish at the action. "I don't know for certain...but remember when I said that my father and your mother had a fling? Well, obviously Father chose my mother over her. Perhaps this was just a way of getting her family on the royal court. And you're the youngest, yes? Maybe after she continuously kept having male children, she decided to improvise."

I sniffled and glanced at him. "W-We have to tell your father, surely he-"

"No!" William grabbed my pale hands, shaking his head. "If Father hears about this, you and your entire family will be tried for treason, do you understand?" He shook his head and stood up, a frown forming on his face. "I think your mother knew that I wouldn't risk your life if I found out...that devious little woman." He sighed and walked around, running his hand through his hair. "No. We have to keep up this façade. We cannot have anyone finding out the truth"

"W-What about an heir? Y-your father will be expecting news of one eventually. And sudden revelations shows that I cannot bear children. How will we explain that?"

Those sage eyes darted towards me. "I'll figure something out." He walked over to me and gently cupped my cheeks, causing my heart to race despite the current situation. "But you need to keep this up, Mel. And not a word of this leaves this room." When I nodded, he sighed and went over to his chiffonier, pulling out a couple of night shirts before he held one out towards me. "You can still sleep in here if you wish. I-I just have too much on my mind for anything but sleeping. As I'm sure you do."

I nibbled at my bottom lip, ignoring the disappointment that filled me, and gingerly took the offered night shirt from him, averting my eyes shyly as I pulled it on, covering my nude body. And for the first time...I felt uncomfortable in my own skin. For twenty years, I've always wondered why I was so different than most women, why I was taller and didn't have larger breasts like them. I hated that I wasn't curvy like they were, or sought after like the others. And now I knew why. I wasn't even female in the first place.

I was a man.

I sucked in a breath when more tears formed and kept my face hidden by my hair as I laid on William's large bed, ignoring my reflection above. I then felt the bed dip from behind me, William's warmth spreading against my back as he laid there. And when I took a sneak peek at the mirror, I saw that he had laid on his back, his sage eyes glossed over in thought.

I nibbled at my bottom lip, sighing before I maneuvered onto my back, staring at our reflection in the mirror. "Quite a thing to find out on our wedding night, huh?" I wondered aloud in a lame attempt at a joke.

William blinked and glanced at my reflection, a small crack of a smile forming on those full lips of his. "I'd rather it be this, than finding out you had a third nipple, or something."

I snorted, completely caught off guard as I covered the lower half of my face while I laughed, my freckled cheeks burning bright red. This caused William to laugh, his eyes twinkling as they darted towards me.

"It's true, though. A third nipple would have freaked me out."

I continued giggling, unable to help myself as my eyes watered from the force of my joy, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. We then fell silent after thirty seconds, staring at each other before I finally spoke. "I just wonder if my whole family knew about me, or if it was just Mother and Father. I mean...making your...son, believe he was a woman for twenty years." I frowned. "It makes me wonder what else they're hiding from me."

"There's no telling," William sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Although...this does explain why I've been so attracted to you. You're not a woman."

My cheeks reddened at that, and I had to tear my gaze away from him as I was struck with sudden realization. William was into men. And I apparently was one. Did this mean I actually had a chance at William falling for me? Don't be too hopeful yet, I told myself, biting the inside of my cheek, he was already in love with Anthony.

And what would Anthony think? I mean, he had already agreed to lay with me, although, he still believed me to be a woman. What will he say when he learns that I am male? Would William's offer still be in effect? My face darkened and I flipped onto my side. Would Anthony still lay with me then?

Only time would tell, but it was rather flustering to think about. Especially with my husband lying next to me. Goodness it was strange to say that. Or...well...think that. William and I were married. It was such a surreal thing to think that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. And to put icing on the cake, as they say, I was going to one day rule an entire nation alongside William.

"You keep thinking that hard and your brain just might implode," William spoke, knocking me out of my thoughts.

I scrunched up my nose. "I highly doubt that."

William poked his head over my shoulder, sage eyes on me. "It's true though. Or so I've heard. Thinking too hard causes stress, and stress causes problems with your body."

I turned my head to look at him. "I can't help but think, especially after everything I've learned today."

William's gaze softened. "I understand what you mean. I can only imagine what is going through your head right now." He yawned and pulled away, settling comfortably on his side of the bed. "In the meantime, though, I should try to go to sleep. I have to get up rather early in the morning."

I smiled softly to myself, though, I knew it would be a while before I would be able to sleep. "Alright then. Goodnight, William."

"Goodnight, Mel."