Chapter V

Lord Matthew looked outside their manor to the place that The Higher Court lords assembled and most of the gentry were staying. The lord sighed as he was undoing his cravat as Lady Georgia was helping him out of the waistcoat. His wife was arching her eyebrow at him.

"What are you thinking about, dearest?" Lady Georgia was asking her husband. Lord Matthew turned to regard his Georgie before he was taking her hands into his.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing for Becca? Belikov is from The Higher Court. I don't want her to be in trouble," Lord Matthew stated before Lady Georgia was caressing his cheeks. He leaned into that touch.

"I'm scared for our daughter too, dearest," Lady Georgia stated as Lord Matthew was arching his eyebrow.

"I thought you would be overjoyed with this union?" Lord Matthew teased her before Lady Georgia was slapping his chest playfully. Lord Matthew chuckled.

"I am but I don't trust the Higher Court. You know their history," Lady Georgia stated as she was looking into his green orbs.

The ones that Becca inherited from him. And her black hair from his Georgie.

"I know. I know. But I hope she will not be involved in that," Lord Matthew stated as he was staring at the sprawling capital of Royal Molftus. Their manor was situated at the edge of the residency for The Higher Court lords but Lord Matthew never let his guard down.

He learned that the hard way.

"Come, dearest. We have to rest and maybe we can only hope that Becca was headstrong enough to face this," Lady Georgia stated as she was ushering Lord Matthew to the bathtub that was filled with lukewarm water. Lord Matthew chuckled before he was kissing his wife's neck.

"She is but I think we can put this conversation to rest now," Lord Matthew said as he was grazing his mouth on Georgie's neck. Lady Georgia sighed.

"Okay," she replied before Lord Matthew was grazing his teeth to the skin.

"Good, my dear," he whispered huskily before punching his teeth into his wife's neck and drank her blood for his fill that day.

*****

Becca sighed as she was at the seamstress' shop that her mother insisted to get her measurement for the wedding gown that she did not want in the first place. She tried to persuade her mother not to come here but it was an order from her father. And Becca never defied her father, so here she was being fitted by the seamstress as she was humming.

"What a wonderful figure that you have and you will look fabulous with this new design that I have in mind, just for you, dear," the seamstress, Lady Ivashkov was smiling at her as Becca was smiling, trying not to curse or do something unladylike in public.

For her mother's sake and her sanity as well.

"Can you believe it, Becca darling? You will be a Duchess. I cannot imagine what a life you would lead," Lady Georgia was stating as she was looking at her daughter. Becca was sighing before she was sucking on-air as the seamstress was pulling the lace of the corset too tightly.

"Can't...breathe," Becca said as she was trying to get the corset to loosen up as the seamstress was shocked to see Becca's pale face.

"Irrumabo! I am so sorry, dear. I did not notice that you are not breathing. I thought your body was not tight enough," Lady Ivashkov stated as Becca was smiling at her.

"No worries. I just hope that my wedding gown would not be that tight," she said sarcastically as the seamstress was laughing. The charming young woman was not getting her sarcasm.

Well, that's too shame then.

"No worries, dear. It will be splendid," Lady Ivashkov was looking at Becca before she smiled. Becca smiled as she was trying to look that she was looking forward to marrying the duke when in fact she will be killing him in his sleep. You will be the first to die by morning, Becca mused as the seamstress was fusing over the gown and Becca wished that she was out of here.

*****

Duke of Belikov was smiling as his friend, Ian, was looking at him. Niklaus did not expect the couple would agree to their daughter's wedding to him. But who would want to refuse a duke, right?

"I just don't get one thing from this," Ian mused as Niklaus was signing some of the estate business as he was looking at his friend briefly before continuing his ducal tasks.

"What is?"

"How come you get them to agree? Everyone knows that the Higher Court has secrets that we cannot tell our spouses," Ian said as Niklaus chuckled. Maybe Ian did not know the history of the Davis family.

"And you worried that my bride would be running away if she discovered what we truly are?" Niklaus said as he was looking bored at his friend. Ian sighed.

"Yes,"

Niklaus was dipping his quilt into the ink before he signed the tenants' payment to be processed before the wedding this weekend. Niklaus put down the quilt as he was intertwining his hands together while regarding Ian. He smiled. "I tell you what, if my bride is running away after I told her my secret, you can get one acre of my land," Niklaus said as Ian was arching his eyebrow.

"You're that confident that Lady Rebecca Davis will not run away?" Ian asked. Niklaus nodded. Ian laughed at his friend. "My friend, I think you are besotted with her now," Ian stated as Niklaus just smiled at the statement.

Maybe I was, he mused. "Anyway, do we have a bet?" Niklaus asked Ian as he smirked. Ian nodded as he was extending his hand. Niklaus took his hand and the bet was sealed.

Only time will tell the result.

*****

"You look so wonderful, Becca! I think Duke of Belikov is a very lucky man," Lady Emily Moore that was known as Emily was complimenting the wedding gown that Becca was adorning right now. It was the day of Becca's wedding and she wanted to throw up. How come it is a week after the fitting that my wedding is being held? This must be the doing of that stupid duke, Becca mused as Emily was regarding her friend.

"Are you alright?" Emily asked before Becca was snapped to reality.

"Huh?"

"You look like you are ready to kill someone. Did something happen?" Emily asked Becca as she was smiling at her kind-hearted friend. Becca always wondered who will Emily marry but that was for another time. Right now, it was her fate that will be sealed today. And Becca was not ready for it. She sighed.

"I don't know. I don't think that my father would be giving the green light for me to be in this marriage. What if the duke was a terrible person? We can only marry once and if you are a divorcee, especially your ex-husband is from The Higher Court, it would only frown upon yourself when you step out in society. They hated people that were against the marriage with the Higher Court lords. What if I was one of them, Emmy?" Becca asked Emily before her friend smiled. Emily was always the optimistic one about anything between them.

"Well, you can always run away now. Would that your quickest choice—"

"No one is going to leave the church until you are married to the duke, Becca," her mother, Lady Georgia spoke before Becca was closing her eyes. God, why does she had to come here now, Becca thought before she was turning to look at her mother. Lady Georgia was arching her eyebrow at her daughter before Becca was laughing.

"Good Gracious, Mama. No one is running away. What would society say about father then?" Becca said as she was looking at her mother. Lady Georgia was narrowing her eyes at her daughter as Emily was cowering away from her mother as Becca was standing her ground. I am my mother's daughter, after all, she mused before Lady Georgia was smiling.

"Good, that's good. So, your father and I have come up with the perfect present for your wedding gift, darling," Lady Georgia said as she was pulling something from her purse. It was something that was square wrapped in a nice wrapper before Lady Georgia was giving it to Becca. She took it and it was not that heavy. Somehow, she felt familiar with this gift.

"Well, that was...unexpected. Thank you, Mama," Becca said before she was putting it on the table that was beside her. She smiled at Lady Georgia before her mother sighed. Then, she did something that Becca never saw before in her life. Lady Georgia took her hands and squeezed them.

"This is the first and the last time that I will say to you, my Becca darling. So, I want you to listen carefully. That gift can only be opened when you're in a rough patch with your husband. Do not engage it until that time comes," her mother said as she was caressing Becca's cheeks. Becca arched her eyebrows.

"When will I know when that time comes, Mama?" She asked before Lady Georgia was kissing her forehead. Becca was stunned.

"You will know it in here," Lady Georgia was pointing at Becca's heart before her mother was smiling. The crowd was filling the church before Lady Georgia was smiling. "Shall we get to the end of the altar?" Lady Georgia stated as Lord Matthew came into the room as her mother and Emily were taking their place at the seat.

"You're ready, darling?" Lord Matthew asked her as Becca smiled before she was putting her hand on the crook of his elbow.

"Ready as I would ever be," Becca replied as the oak doors opened and the Wedding March was playing. Becca took a deep breath before she took the step forward, sealing her fate forever.