Arranged Marriage (MxMxM)

Chapter Fifteen

Marvin stared at me intently, those icy blue eyes seemingly trying to delve into my head. Not that he could read minds. I mean, those things only happened in fantasy stories, right?

"Are you really not jesting with me, Melani? Because if you are, this really is not funny."

I shook my head, looking down at my fingers. "I wish I was." I lifted my gaze, watching as he ran a tanned hand through his dark hair. "Did you honestly not know about this? Mother and Father never told you?"

Marvin shook his head and sat down on the edge of his bed, icy blue eyes clouded over. "Melani, you have been a sister to me for twenty years. I never, in my wildest dreams, ever could have figured that you were not a woman. So no. Mother and Father never told me." He bit his bottom lip, before lifting that light gaze back towards me. "Are you absolutely sure this isn't a misunderstanding?"

"Do you want me to show you? Yes, I'm sure."

Marvin held up his hands, wincing. "I'd rather that you leave your clothes on, if possible." He exhaled and stood up, wiping the palms of his hands against the front of his trousers. "Do...Do you want me to talk to Mother and Father about this? Surely they should have a reason for falsifying your gender as they did." He paused, eyes widening. "What did His Highness have to say about it? He isn't going to turn you in to the king, right?"

I shook my head, giving Marvin a small, barely there smile. "No. William was the one who told me not to tell his father. And to be honest, I think he's taking this a little better than even I am." I looked down at my pale fingers, picking at the perfectly manicured nails. "Honestly, I'm happy that he had accepted me as I am. I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't accepted me."

"I-I honestly am at a loss of words, Melani. Good god, the amount of inner turmoil you must be going through...I can't even begin to understand how you might be feeling about this."

I sighed. "Well, for one, I feel betrayed. By Mother, and by Father. I was raised as a girl...why would they do that to me? Lie to me for so long, knowing that I would eventually figure it out. I mean, surely they knew that once William and I got married, we would...well, ah, lay with one another. They had to know that I would understand that I was never a female in the first place once William undressed. So why would they go through the risk?"

Marvin frowned and walked over to me, giving me an awkward, but reassuring pat on the back. "I honestly do not know. But I assure you, we will force them to tell us their reasoning's. It was very unfair what they did to you, and they need to admit to their crimes."

"Do you know if any of our siblings knew of this?" I wondered quietly, staring down at my fingers.

Marvin shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "I do not know for sure. I, for one, didn't know. I cannot say anything about the others." He paused, biting at his bottom lip. "But, I do believe this was only between our parents. Surely they wouldn't have risked exposure if this was really that important to them."

I inhaled and stood up, giving my brother a small smile. "Thank you for talking with me. And...I'm glad you didn't know. I don't know what I would do if you had known the entire time."

Marvin nodded towards me. "I wouldn't have been able to keep it from you, had I known, Melani. Although...I must admit that it is strange knowing that you are not...well...you know."

"It was strange to me when I first found out." I wrapped my arms around my chest, nibbling at my bottom lip. "I guess I somehow knew that I was not really...well, who I was. I always felt different from other women...and now I know why." I brushed my hands against the front of my dress, trying to compose myself, despite the growing sadness within me. "William doesn't want this getting out to anyone, especially his cousins or the king. We...We will be beheaded for treason if word gets around."

Marvin nodded. "Of course. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you Marvin, I really mean it." He tensed when I wrapped my arms around his torso, pulling him in for a hug before I let him go and gave him a small wave, leaving immediately after. Once I found myself in the hallway, I exhaled a breath of relief, pinching the bridge of my nose before I began making my way back to my room, hoping that I would make it back before William.

I was lucky enough that he wasn't there when I made it to the room, which allowed me to strip my dress from me and bathe. As the water rippled around me, I leaned my head against the built in pillow, sighing as I lathered soap onto my arms. Marvin hadn't known. So, was it possible that none of my brothers knew? Were my parents the only one with the true knowledge of my body? I sighed and dipped my head below the water, wetting the darkened strands before I surfaced and threaded soap through my hair.

What would I say to them when I finally summoned the courage to confront them? What would they say? What would they do? Would they laugh at me? Mock me? Threaten me to keep such things quiet? Well...I didn't think Father was the type to resort to threats...but Mother? I wouldn't put it past her. I mean, she had always been cold to me, even when I had done as she asked of me. Was it because I was male and not female? I bit at my bottom lip, staring at my reflection in the water. I stared at my freckled cheeks and grey eyes surrounded in long lashes. I looked female, despite the truth. But it did shed some light on why Mother had been so cruel to me my entire life. I hadn't been the child she wanted. Well, the daughter she wanted.

Would she had been so mean to me had I actually been born as a female?

I sighed and shook my head, nibbling at my bottom lip as I rinsed my hair out in the bath. I should probably worry about such things later, so I didn't start graying from the stress. I made sure my body was clean before I exited the bath, wringing the water out of my hair as I sighed when I realized I had forgotten my robe. Excellent. Of course I would have forgotten that.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I made my way into the bedroom, bending to grab a robe when the door suddenly opened, causing me to gasp and whirl around, my hands darting to cover my anatomy. My face burned in embarrassment as both William and Anthony walked inside, both of them seeming to be in a deep conversation before they silenced, their eyes wide when they saw my state.

"So you were not pulling my leg," Anthony murmured, eyes glued to me, his cheeks reddened in, what I could only describe as, embarrassment.

William rolled his eyes and faced the raven haired man. "Why would I jest about something like this? I may have a horrible sense of humor, but I am not that cruel to purposely dispute one's gender."

Anthony barely spared him a glance as he made his way over to me, causing me to squeak when he pulled me into his arms, one hand on my upper left shoulder while the other one rested on my bare, lower back. His warm touch raised goosebumps onto my pale flesh, and I was beyond red in the face as my body pressed against his.

"Knowing that William was telling the truth," he pulled away from me, teal eyes filling with sympathy as he stared at me, "I am so sorry that this has happened to you. If there is anything you need, whether it be just to talk or confront your parents, do not hesitate to ask."

"O-oh...t-thank you, Anthony. That means a lot to me."

He placed a hand on my cheek momentarily, seemingly searching my gaze before he nodded and withdrew, turning to face William. "So how are we going to hide this revelation? What are you going to do about an heir? Surely this can't be kept a secret forever, eventually someone will find out."

I hurriedly threw on a robe so that I wasn't standing there completely naked, and nibbled at my bottom lip as William pointed to Anthony, a sly grin on his lips. "Actually, I may have found an alternative to our problems."