Forced to Love

The dinner was very quiet.
Not a good silence, but the uncomfortable kind when no one can find the right words to ease the tension. Annabell noticed Nathaniel’s obvious nervousness and uneasy behaviour,
and could nothing but wonder why he was so nervous.
Even though the king was there, Annabell assumed that Nathaniel as a famous and powerful nobleman, surely already had met the king at several occasions.

They had reached the dessert before King Leonard spoke. “For heaven’s sake Nathaniel, let’s not put this off any more. Let’s get this done… she knows the truth, I presume?”
“No, she does not, Your Majesty, and I’d like to keep it that way.” Nathaniel answered with contempt.

“No, no!” The king chuckled, “no need for such harsh feelings.”
With these words he turned towards Annabell with a sneer. Nathaniel rose quickly from his chair and leaned over the table as he let out a growl.

“I told you- do not tell her. Do not play games with me. I can ensure you; you will not be the winner. My threat is real, and I will not shrink for your foolish attempts of negotiations. Especially when you have the nerve to ignore my orders and speak to my wife. King or not.”
The elder man turned once again towards Nathaniel. He was quiet for several minutes while he studied Nathaniel’s features.
“I wonder… why this rush for my silence? It is almost as you are embarrassed of your inheritance. I assume since you have married, that you would still want the deal we discussed at our last meeting?”
Annabell was confused. She did not understand this conversation. At all.
“Yes, of course I am interested.” Nathaniel spoke.
”Then I think this girl have a right to know what she has married in to. She might even reconsider her answer when she knows the whole truth.”
Nathaniel let out a cynical laughter. “I doubt that… if she is to know, I will be the one to tell her.”

Nathaniel turned toward Annabell, with a tender look in his eyes.
“Bell, dearest,” He whispered. “The things you will now hear, you must swear that you will not tell anyone about this. It is crucial that no one knows. People must not think we married for money.”
Annabell was even more confused. “No, I will not tell anyone. You can rely on me.”
“Thank you Anna. I appreciate it.” Nathaniel said.
“You see, His Highness over there has been so kind to offer me great areas of land if I married, and I need those areas. That’s the reason I married you.”

The sincere words made Annabell flinch. Of course Annabell knew he didn’t marry her for love, but it wasn’t flattering to know it was for a mere business deal. For some reason, Annabell had thought of Nathaniel as different. What a fool she had been, she should have known by now that the future did not hold much for her.
She straightened her back, and met Nathaniel’s eyes. “Why did you have to marry before receiving the land?”
Nathaniel refused to meet her eyes. “There are certain events in my past that makes me unfit to receive such large amounts of land,” he said as he studied the opposite wall.
“And marrying me makes you more fit?”
Nathaniel was in loss of words and Leonard interrupted with an indifferent voice. “If Nathaniel were married, I could leave the land under his name, as gift for the expected offspring.”
Annabelle choked, “Offspring?”
Leonard looked at her with surprise. “Of course! Nathaniel has built something, that reminds many of an empire, and for this he needs an heir.”
Nathaniel cut him off. “This is neither the time nor place to discuss this. I won’t need an heir for many years yet.”
“Won’t need an heir for many years yet? Are you insane, boy?! Do you have any idea how many enemies you have? How many people envy you and your fortune? Have you any idea how fragile your life is? Nathaniel, you are, without comparison, the richest man in this country, and you must cherish your fortune. You have responsibility, not only for your wife Annabell here, but also for the people who rent your soil. What is to happen to them if something were to happen to you?”
Annabell had to take a step back. Leonard’s anger had surprised her.
“Nothing will happen to me.” Nathaniel stated.
“You foolish child! You do not know anything about life. In the light of this new information I have to go back on our former agreement. If you two do not share bedroom, the deal will be off!”
“OFF?!” Nathaniel shouted. ”You can’t just call the deal off! I’ve already married! I’ve fulfilled my part of the agreement! You greedy, selfish man! You cannot just change the agreement as it suits you!”
“I am the king! I not only can, but I will!”
Nathaniel’s face had turned to a shade of scarlet and obvious he had problems restraining himself.

“Bell, dearest. Please return to my bedroom. I will join you in a minute; allow me to finish this discussion with his majesty.”
Gratefully, Annabell left the room and hurried up the stairs to the third floor where she knew his bedroom was. As she entered the room, the only sound she heard was the sound of her own heart beating and the blood pulsating in her ears. Surely he would not do anything with her tonight. The thought of children had never crossed her mind before this evening. She felt her legs start to shake with the thought. She had never even kissed anyone, and she was completely unaware of how to react if anything were to happen between them.