Chapter Five-Bound

I lay in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling. My brain kept going over everything my mother told me, searching for a way this could be a nightmare. Tears fell from my eyes, traveling back into my hair. Hopelessness sank further into my soul as I closed my eyes, willing my body to become numb so I felt nothing…no fear, no sadness, no anger. Still, doom had fallen upon me, and I could not force it away.

Every now and then, I would open my eyes, hoping I’d awaken, and we’d be in a new place where everything was the same as it had always been. But every time I opened my eyes, I was still in Timbly Mountain, facing a loveless marriage and a father who wanted to kidnap me. The reality that this wasn't a nightmare sank into my heart, breaking it in two. My mother had promised me to a man who hated me, and my father, a rapist, had his own groom chosen for me. Neither was a reality I wanted to face. I finally forced it from my mind and fell into a deep, restless sleep. 

*****

I don’t know how long I slept, but it was deep with images of wolves and the moon haunting my dreams. Only Sophia saying my name pulled me from the darkness. Even before I opened my eyes, I felt her fingertips sweeping my hair from my forehead. It was a strange thing to do for someone who was almost a stranger, but in that act, I experienced something akin to love. She made me feel safe and protected.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and peered into her smiling face as she sat on the edge of my bed. I gave her a shy smile, momentarily forgetting everything that had happened. I frowned, realizing I should be angry not only at my mother, but at Sophia and her husband, too. After all, my mother may have sold me, but they were the buyers.

As I stared at her, I couldn’t force myself to give her the same amount of anger I gave my mother. I realized that my feelings made little sense, but I couldn’t make that matter.

I studied her, my body relaxing. Perhaps it was her expression that calmed me. It contained so much serenity, it reached out and touched my soul. It pushed away my anger. Instead of yelling at her as I intended, I sat up, gazing at her with a passive expression. She pulled her hand away and rested it in her lap, studying me in silence. Finally, a sigh parted her full lips.

“You shouldn’t be so angry with Fiona,” she said, still smiling, but her eyes darkened. “She did what she assumed was best.”

I tilted my head. She hadn’t explained her actions. She only defended my mother. It was almost honorable, and I found myself wanting to confide in her. “How can I not be angry when my mother sold me to your family?” I narrowed my eyes. “It’s not fair to me or Andre. We should be able to marry somebody for love.”

She laughed, filling my small room with its rich, sultry depth. My mouth dropped open, but she reached out and gave my cheek a gentle pat. “You remind me so much of myself as a girl.” She shook her head, then gave me an apologetic smile. “I don’t mean to laugh, but I presumed the same of my parents and Gavriel’s. Only later did I realize my marriage to Gavriel was the best thing that had happened to me. We have made it through some…horrible things. Because of that, I love him so much and he returns that love. There is nothing greater.”

I lowered my head, understanding my marriage would never contain that type of love. “Your son hates me.”

Sophia surprised me by laughing again. Her whole body shook with it as she gave a vigorous shake of her head. “He doesn’t hate you, Aurora,” she said, then shrugged. “Andre only hates that we left him no choice. He’ll come around.”

“What if he doesn’t?” I asked, frowning. “What if I can’t love him?”

She shrugged, as if unafraid of the possibility, then gave me a brilliant smile. “I have faith that won’t happen because it never has before. Only love has happened.” She raised her brows.

The silence stretched for a few moments, then Sophia smiled even wider and gave a quick wave of her hand. “But I didn’t come here to talk to you about this. I came here for another reason.”

Suspicion slid through me. I narrowed my eyes as I studied her face, searching for deceit, but finding nothing. “And what is that?” I asked, frowning.

She bit her bottom lip, then sighed. “Your engagement party is tonight,” she said, rocking back and forth. I opened my mouth to object, but she continued before I could. “I know it is soon after being told of your engagement, but when I planned it, I thought your mother had informed you. I simply can’t cancel it now.”

“A party?” I asked, distressed. This gathering would make everything real. Sophia reached forward and patted my shoulder. 

“It’s better to announce the engagement now,” she said, rising from my bed and giving me a reassuring smile. “Besides, it’s just a bonfire. It’s tradition.”

I almost rolled my eyes. I had just about had enough of their traditions. Instead, I nodded, wondering if I had control of my own life anymore. I didn’t seem to.

“Good.” Sophia nodded with a smile.

I lowered my head. She reached forward and placed her fingers under my chin, tilting my face up to look at her. “Never look down,” she said in a firm voice, her smile still in place. “Be proud of who you are.”

I forced a smile and she kissed my forehead before walking to my bedroom door. She turned back to me. “I will see you tonight.”

I nodded again and she disappeared through the door. My heart trembled as I realized I would be forced to marry Andre and it didn’t matter if we liked it or not. I did not share Sophia’s faith that we would find love for each other. When I thought of Andre, I only pictured him with anger and hate-filled eyes. I didn’t believe his feelings for me would change, and I wasn’t even sure I would eventually like him. I sighed, a tear falling down my cheek. Regardless of what either of us wanted, there was no way to stop our marriage from taking place. Whether we liked it or not, we were bound to each other forever.