Phillip wondered constantly if his father was ever going to be happy. It didn’t seem like it, especially when all they seemed to do was talk about how they were going to be able to get more out of life. Now, Phillip’s own happiness was going to take a backseat, so that his father could gain more power and more money to throw away.
“Why don’t we sell some heirlooms or something, instead of making me do this?”
“I’m not making you, son. Trust me, you could do worse. Danika is a nice girl, but she’s human and you know that it will never work. You need to be with your own kind. Christin is beautiful. Everyone says so. I have asked around and I think she will make you change your mind.”
“I don’t care what she looks like father. I want Danika.”
“Well, you can’t have her and if you don’t do this, I will make sure that neither you nor anyone else ever see her again. Her life is in your hands, son.”
“What if I refuse?”
“You know what will happen…”
Phillip sighed. He had no choice. Why did that always seem to be the case? He already hated Christin and he had never seen her before. Whoever the damn dragon princess was, she was ruining his life. He’d never met her, and he already hated her.
Felt like a good base for a solid marriage…
***
His father was right, and that bothered Phillip even more than he would have thought possible. Christin was beautiful. She had black hair, blue eyes and the most delicate features. They had a connection from the start, but he resented the feelings that she inspired and the way that his body reacted to her. It reacted like it would to any beautiful woman. He wanted her and since she was his new wife, he had to have her.
The marriage had to be consummated. Everyone was waiting for the end of the night, when the black smoke from the fire would stop and it would be known to all that there was a new couple. Christin was surely the proper woman, nice and soft spoken. She didn’t say much, and Phillip liked that part of her. He didn’t need someone that he would be constantly fighting with. Phillip intended to still live his life the way that he saw fit.
When he was done with her the first night, Phillip told her that he would never touch her again. He didn’t want her and would only tolerate her as long as he had to. Christin didn’t say anything, just let her eyes well up and stared at him with wide eyes.
“As you wish.”
Her words and acceptance grated on his nerves even worse. He was sure that there was some way that he had married a robot. She wasn’t supposed to be that way. She was supposed to be upset about their arranged marriage, just like he was. She didn’t seem bothered at all though. Just permissive.
“I wish you to be gone from my bed.”
Christin had pulled her clothes on around her and made it seem like she was going to leave without another word. She hadn’t said much the whole time, barely made any sounds when he had opened her and filled her with his seed. It had all been perfunctory and though he tried his best to like it, he couldn’t. She didn’t either and now, she had fire in her eyes for the first time. Too bad it was anger at him.
“I do not deserve this.”
“Why, because you’re a princess?”
Phillip said it with a sneer, but that didn’t seem to faze Christin at all. She just disagreed. “No, because no one deserves this. You were my first and this is how you treat me?”
He sighed, only letting the regret flood in for a minute. He could have handled it better and Phillip tried to pull himself together and do just that.
“You’re right. It would be better if we slept apart. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Christin nodded her head. “I believe that is a good idea.”
Phillip smiled. “See, this can work. Hopefully that produced my heir, and we won’t have to do it again.”
Chapter 3
Christin
To say that Christin was devastated about the marriage, the wedding night and where she slept, would have all been an understatement. She had always dreamed of marriage, much like many others had, one with love and caring. She hadn’t wanted to marry a guy like Phillip. He had a reputation for being cold and Christin knew firsthand that he was in fact chilly. His heart was probably solid as a rock and after a short amount of time, Christin saw how futile her approach to him was. He just didn’t care, and there was no making him care.
The only thing that saved the marriage, or whatever it was, was the heir that Phillip wanted so much. He didn’t have much to do with the baby, or her, but he was sure that it was just what he needed to cement his place in power. Christin wasn’t thinking of that. She was thinking of their son William and how perfect everything was. Christin finally had someone to love her, even if she had to create him herself.
Time went on for the dysfunctional family. Christin realized rather sadly that her marriage was even more cocked up than she had thought. Not only did her husband not want to have anything to do with her, but he had taken a mistress too. Christin suspected he’d had one all along, but when their son was a year old, he brought Danika over to their house for the party. Christin had insisted that she leave, but she was told that it didn’t matter what she wanted. She was there by his grace and nothing more.
“You had my son Christin, there is nothing else I need you for.”
