Bound Destiny Ch. 4

Dellia hid her surprise masterfully, between the compliments from her father to the reveal of her betrothed, she stayed silent and stone-faced.  Inside though, she was trembling in fear.  "Dellia," Caetan spoke, "I already ordered the servants to begin packing your things, perhaps you should prepare yourself as well."

"Yes, I shall."  She bowed lightly.

"I will accompany her."  Benysu nodded and started to follow.

"May I go as well?"  Aerayo stood up and Caetan gave him a confused glance.  "She is my sister, and I wish to say my farewells.  Please yo-" An angry glare shot from Caetan, "-Father."

Caetan relaxed a bit, "Go on then.  Don't take long though.  I don't wish to keep our guests waiting."  

The three of them nodded again and then left the room.  All of the panic within Dellia rushed to her at once and she was barely able to keep her voice steady.  "Benysu, was this the betrothal my mother requested?  How could she have possibly planned this?"

"Lady Yisula has been planning this betrothal since you were five.  The Runnicai Queen agreed to it when you had turned nine, so long as all other peace treaties were upheld.  But she kept it from Caetan until she died and her documents passed through his hands to mine.  That was when he learned of your fate."

"So all along mother was training you to be the Queen of the Universe?"  Aerayo gasped.  

"It would explain why she was so insistent on me staying up to date with current events for Runnicai.  And why she made me learn as much as we could get on Wizards."  Dellia sighed entering her now nearly cleared out room.

"I doubt any of your clothes will be appropriate to wear on Runnicai."  Binysu sighed out but still started to look for a good dress for her to travel in.  "We should find one with shorter sleeves so that you can at least show some skin."

Aerayo helped Dellia remove her current dress which only revealed a series of bruises and cuts along her skin.  "Binysu, better to have it long sleeves and full skirted."  He sighed out, rubbing his head in frustration.

Dellia's eyes watered as she was reminded of Caetan's brutal beating last night.  Elerti had protested him again and she had stood up for her sister, therefore getting her punishment instead.  "Brother," Tears poured from her eyes and he wrapped his arms around her in comfort.  "What shall we do about Elerti and Renhom?  I can't protect them if I leave."

"Caetan cannot delay my wedding much longer, within a few weeks I will be King and I will protect them.  Caetan thinks that I will spare him since he is our father, but he is wrong."

"Caetan approved of all of your matches because he believes that it will place him at a seat of power beyond King."  Binysu pulled out a dress for Dellia.  

"What do you mean?"

"In less than a month Aerayo will be King of Myrevona, which is the most powerful country in this world.  Dellia will soon be Queen of Runnicai which is a very powerful position.  And Elerti's betrothed to the noble family that Caetan plans on making the ambassadors for Itova.  Together the three of you control the very fate of this planet, and you are all his children."

Dellia gaped as the words sunk in.  "He honestly believes that we would allow him to manipulate us?"

"He's mistaken if he thinks that will work."  Aerayo finished tying up Dellia's dress.  "Ignore father, at least you won't have to deal with him any longer."

"No, now I must learn to live as His Excellency Cormir's wife."  Dellia trembled.  "What if he is as bad as father?!"  The panicked thought left her mouth before she could stop it and the sudden harsh sobs wracked their way through her.  Her knees buckled and Aerayo caught her before she fell down.  "I'm not even going to get to say goodbye to our siblings!"

Aerayo rocked her there for a while, calming her down.  "Shh, please, I know this isn't what you expected.  But we have no choice anymore.  You have to do this, mom wanted this.  We can throw dad's plans right back in his face.  We will become the most powerful family for this planet, and make him pay for everything he did to us, and mom."

Dellia's sobs stopped and she took a deep calming breath, pulling away from Aerayo.  "I will do this…for you, and mom, and Elerti and Renhom.  I can do this."  She stood up, Binysu was instantly there to clean up her face and make her look presentable again.  

~
Dellia kept her feelings bottled up as she watched Itova drift out of sight from the window of ship.  She placed her hand against the cool window when the painful longing for home was too much, but she didn't cry.  

The queen sighed, standing up.  "I know all of this is going to be new to you, and I am sorry for taking you from your home.  My husband and I will leave you two be, so you can at least start to get to know each other."  She motioned towards Cormir, who looked less than happy with the idea.  What if he beat her because of his anger?  She wondered if he would have the decency to not hit her face, or skin she couldn't cover up.  The queen and king both left and suddenly she was alone with Cormir.  Would he attack her now?  Would she not even get a chance to arrive in her new home without being hurt by him?  

Cormir sighed as he approached her and she tensed in preparation for his attack.  "I can tell that you miss your home."  He sighed out.

"I apologize sire, I will not drag you into my affairs any longer."

A frustrated sigh passed his lips and she could feel herself stiffen for an attack again.  "Look, first of all, please call me by my name.  I don't need you to call me any sort of honorific okay?  Just Cormir, alright?"

"Yes your-"  She winced when he tensed, "Cormir."

"Good.  Now loosen up, you are wound up way too tight.  You act like I am going to kill you or something."

"Yes Cormir."

"Please just calm down."  He rubbed his temples.  She tried to take a deep breath but it came in shaky and out as nearly a sob.  He was showing signs of agitation, he was angry and soon it would be just like Caetan.  To her surprise he knelt down in front of her, forcing her to meet his eyes.  "I want you to understand something."  She was too terrified to even respond.  "I was forced into this as much as you were.  I hate the idea just like you do.  And I will do everything I can to stop this whole thing from happening alright?"  She held back sobs but the tears continued.  They weren't in relief though, it was fear that drove these tears out.  But he stroked her hair to comfort her, as though the touch from the man who was trying to ruin her life would mean anything to her.  "Until then, you are my queen and you will be treated as such.  There is no one that you have to bow your head to, not even me.  You may address me however you like, but as I mentioned I prefer just my name.  I want this process to be as easy as possible for us.  Do you understand?"

She nodded, "Yes, I understand.  I will uphold my duties as Queen.  I have already come to terms with the fact that I will eventually marry you, and bear your heir."  The words stung as she spoke them, knowing that these were probably the same ones her mother spoke at one time.  "Then you will be able to acquire a mistress, someone that you truly love, so that you don't have to deal with me as much."

"What?  No!"  He stood from his kneeling, pacing in frustration.  "You don't understand at all."  He laughed lightly.  "Runnicai isn't like Itova at all."  A sympathetic smile stretched across his face.  He kneeled in front of her, brining his hand up to cup her cheek.  She jerked away from his cool touch, confused with his words.  "And we wouldn't marry.  We would bind our souls to each other and therefore connect our lives.  There are no mistresses in a binding, it's impossible because a binding cannot exist without love, or the souls' agreement and understanding that they need the other.  We can't be forced into something we don't agree upon, get it?  So long as we don't agree it won't happen.  You don't have to worry, I will fix all of this."

She nodded again, this time understanding more.  She visibly relaxed and he seemed much happier at her reaction.  He stood up and sat back down in his chair in silence.  She reveled in the silence, finding joy in the fact that he hadn't lashed out and attacked her.  But the fear of what was to come still lingered within her, still chilled her to the bone.  If Cormir didn't accept her, then what would she do?  Where would she go?