And she was told to stand with Victor as the canon began the mass near the front section of the abbey where a large altar was positioned. Having never been inside of the Benedictine abbey, it was all quite large and awesome, smelling heavily of dirt and incense. Since Annavieve had been raised in a convent, the smells and sounds were rather comforting to her. Here, in the middle of this wild situation, she was feeling some comfort. However, it wasn’t enough to stave off the apprehension, which was growing by the minute.
The canon had horrifically-smelling breath, as if the man was rotting from the inside, as he stood close to Annavieve and Victor, reciting the wedding liturgy. He spoke their vows, askingthem to repeat them, which Annavieve did politely and Victor did angrily. Edward, standing behind his cousin, pasted a fake smile on his face for the entire ceremony. When it was finished, sealed by a silken ribbon provided by the canon which was really part of the drapery that covered the altar, Edward grinned. It was usual to seal a marriage by tying a symbolic ribbon or rope around the wrists of the bride and groom, forever tying them together, but the marriage was so hasty that none of that had been provided by the parties to be wed. The acolytes had to scramble for something.
Soon enough, however, the ceremony was over and Annavieve gazed up into the face of her new husband. She may as well have been looking into the face of the man who hated her most in the world because that was exactly the attitude Victor was portraying. He didn’t want her and he would make sure everyone in the chamber knew it. Annavieve simply felt sick.
Victor was heartily congratulated by the king and his advisors whereas Annavieve was left to stand with Magda, Kevin, Adonis, and Thomas. They stood in an oddly quiet group, well apart from Edward and his congratulatory speeches. But the king soon came away from Victor and made his way to Annavieve, holding out a hand to her as she curtsied before him. When she stood up, he took her hand in his big, rough one.
“Lady de Ferrers,” he said, sounding relieved. “May I congratulate you as the new Duchess of Dorset. ’Tis a prestigious title you now bear. I know you will do it proud.”
Annavieve felt as if she were sinking under the weight of her new title. “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said. “I will do my best.”
Edward squeezed her hand and let it go. “I know you will,” he said, his gaze lingering on her. “I realize that my cousin is somewhat resistant to this union, but give him time. He shall come to see the wisdom of it and I know he will treat youwith the respect your station deserves. If you ever need me, however… do not hesitate to send word. I will answer.”
It was a strangely generous thing to say now that he’d saddled her with what was inarguably the world’s most reluctant groom. “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said, although she wasn’t quite sure what more to say to him. “I… I am sure that will not be necessary.”
Edward simply shrugged, knowingly, as if brushing off his offer altogether. His gaze lingered on her a moment longer before turning back to Victor and his advisors, now standing in a circle several feet away. He held up his hands to get their attention.
“Victor,” he said firmly. “Take your new wife to your rooms. I will not see you again until morning. Is that clear?”
Victor knew exactly what the man meant and it took all of his strength of will not to roll his eyes, stamp his feet, or otherwise display his extreme resistance to what was being suggested.
Victor knew, for a fact, that there was no possible way he was going to consummate the marriage this night or any night. He had no intention of ever touching the woman, ever, which made the production of the heir Edward so badly wanted rather difficult. If Edward did not get his heir, then he might very well take the Scorpion back and give him to someone else. Therefore, Victor knew it was imperative that the girl become pregnant somehow. He only knew he would not do it. Therefore, it stood to reason that if he would not do it, he would find someone who would. That being the case, he might even watch to know that it had been done.
Scorpion.His gaze moved to Hage, standing as tall and silent as the grave several feet away from the new duchess, and an idea occurred to him. Hage was sworn to do his bidding, was he not? The man had declared his taste for women at the feast earlier that night, had he not? Victor eyed the distant figure of Sir KevinHage… tall, powerful, and deadly. Perhaps the duchess would find herself pregnant, after all, and with very fine stock indeed. The seed of a legend would take hold in her womb. Hage liked women; let him complete the unwelcome task that Victor was loathed to consider.
Let Hage father the next duke.
As Victor pondered his devious plan, he realized that Edward was expecting him to respond in some way. With a heavy sigh, one of resignation, regret, and of some relief in the comfort of his scheme, Victor moved towards Annavieve.
“Come with me,” he said to her. Then, he pointed to Hage. “You will escort us.”
Kevin nodded. “As you wish, my lord.”
Victor wouldn’t reach out to take Annavieve’s arm in any fashion. He simply motioned her along with him and as she and Kevin began to move, Adonis, Thomas, and Magda followed. Realizing he had an entourage behind him, Victor came to a halt and pointed at them.
“Not you,” he said to the three stragglers. “Just Hage and the woman I just married. The rest of you will seek your own shelter for the night.”
With that, he stormed off, leaving Annavieve and Kevin keeping pace behind him. Thomas and Adonis went off into the darkness, undoubtedly to find a place to sleep for the night, while Magda rushed off in tears. But Edward wasn’t paying attention to those three. He was watching Victor, Annavieve, and Kevin as they quit the enormous structure of Westminster and headed off into the dark night. When the three of them were out of sight, the king turned to the men around him.
“At least I know that Hage will make sure Victor and his new bride are not disturbed,” he said. Then, he snorted. “And he will prevent Victor from running off or jumping out the window, in any case.”
His advisors laughed at Victor’s expense as the group of them began to head towards the door, still very drunk and somewhat loud. It was well after midnight and the king, tipsy, was weary himself. Soon, the group would disband for the night, sleep off their alcohol, and then convene again in the morning to go over the king’s agenda. That was the usual pattern when Edward was in residence at Thorney Island and not on a battle march. These days, however, the king had a good deal on his mind with the wars in Wales heating up. Subduing them, and marrying their women off to English lords, was all part of the plan to destroy them and water down their bloodlines so much that, eventually, they would be bred out of existence. Tonight was all part of that master plan of elimination and Edward’s advisors were well aware of the fact.
But Edward wasn’t thinking on the destruction of the Welsh this night; his thoughts were lingering on his cousin. He sincerely hoped the man would do his duty to consummate the marriage and not beat his new wife to death in a fit of rage. Victor could be cagey, as well as violent, which was what made him such an excellent battle lord. Although Edward didn’t really think the man would take out his frustrations on his new wife, frustrations directed at Edward, there was still a small part of him that wasn’t entirely sure that Victor wouldn’t turn his rage at the new duchess. Edward hoped that Hage, seeing as he was accompanying the couple, would prevent such a thing.
Something told Edward that this consummation, and this entire marriage, would not go according to plan.
It was just a feeling he had.
*
Victor led Annavieveand Kevin on a confusing route through the darkened palace grounds, heading for the building to the eastof the abbey where the king and other nobles had apartments. It was far from Annavieve’s chambers, now buried deep in the palace complex. Passing through a series of gates until they finally reached the two-storied structure, Victor disappeared inside.
Annavieve followed the man into the very dark building with the low ceilings and close walls. The corridors were narrow and behind her, she heard Kevin grunt when his head met with the ceiling. But she didn’t turn around to see if he was injured. She was too fearful of the man she had just married, of what his reaction would be if she didn’t provide him with exact obedience. She had never been struck in her life and she didn’t want to chance that this might be the first time. The Duke of Dorset, a man she was now bound to in the eyes of God and by the laws of England, was a complete stranger with a dark streak. It made her sick to think of what was coming, of what was about to happen between them. She knew it was going to be a terrible experience and she braced herself.You are strong,she told herself repeatedly. She only hoped it was the truth.
Victor took them up a narrow, wooden stairwell, stained very dark, and elaborately carved. The steps creaked as they made their way up to the second floor, which was also quite dark at this late hour. There were alcoves near the stone-cut windows and servants slept in those, tucked back away from the corridor yet close enough to be summoned should their lord need them. It smelled on this level because of a heavily-used garderobe at the end of the hall, which someone without much foresight had put on the river end of the building so that the breezes carried the smell of urine down the corridor.
Annavieve wrinkled her nose up at the smell, refraining from pinching her nostrils altogether as they made their way to the far end of the corridor where four uniformed guards were milling about. They recognized Victor in an instant and moved back totheir posts as their liege pushed past them to the very last door on the left. He threw open the door and turned to Annavieve.
