Chapter IV

It has been a few weeks after that fateful ball that Becca was forced to go and met Lord Niklaus Dragomir, who she did not know at the time was Duke of Belikov. She thought that everything went south after that dance and conversation that they had but she guessed wrong.

Why?

It was because the duke was sitting on the divan, sipping tea that her mother was asking the maid to pour it for him.

"Thank you for allowing me to meet with your daughter, my lady. I cannot thank you enough," Niklaus stated as Becca was walking into the drawing room. Her skirts were swooshing against each other before Niklaus was turning to look at her. His blue orbs clashed with her green eyes.

"Ah, Becca darling. You're here. It was such a surprise that the duke was coming here this morn to court you, was it, Your Grace?" Lady Georgia asked him before Niklaus smiled.

"That would be correct, my lady, yes," he replied before Becca stiffed.

No, no, no!

"Come on, darling. Don't just stand there. Come sit here," Lady Georgia ushered her daughter to the divan in front of the duke before she was making her way to the end of the room. Lady Georgia will be acting as a chaperone so that Niklaus and Becca will not be left alone. Imagine the scandal, Lady Georgia will not taint her daughter's good name.

But if I was to leave them alone and let the scandal took place, the pair would be married by now, Lady Georgia thought before Niklaus was clearing his throat.

"I am sorry for that night when I was not telling you the truth," Niklaus started as Becca was glaring at him.

"Yes, imagine the shock that I have when my father calls you 'Your Grace', my lord. I am insulting you and yet you did not correct me," Becca said before her mother was clearing her throat. Becca closed her eyes as she was trying to control her sharp tongue when her mother was around. Becca hated it when her mother was correcting everything that she did wrong in public.

It was...unpleasant most of the time.

"No, it was entirely my fault, my lady. I am sorry if I have offended you with my lie," Niklaus said as Becca was hearing the giggle of her mother. Becca thought that her mother was hearing the wedding bells now. She sighed. And to think that he did not correct me again when I call him 'my lord'? That should be an alarm, right?

"And you wish to court me, Your Grace? Am I not suitable for someone of your social status?" Becca asked before her mother was clearing her throat. She rolled her eyes before Niklaus chuckled.

"Please call me Nick or my lord, I don't want you to be formal with me, Becca. Shall we take a stroll, my lady?" Niklaus asked before he stood up and straightening his coat. Becca's skirts swooshed when she stood up as well.

She blushed when Niklaus was being forward as he was calling her by her nickname. Oh well..."Yes, let's take a stroll in the garden outside," she stated before Niklaus was offering his elbow before they were walking to the garden where Becca has spent most of her time there as well.

When she was not in the library, that was.

"Is your mother always like that?" Niklaus whispered to Becca before she was glancing over her shoulder. Her mother was giving her some space to talk with Niklaus in private.

"I would not lie but the answer is yes," Becca said before she was turning to look at Niklaus. Their face was inches away before Becca was looking ahead of the hallway. They were walking through the door that was at the end of the hallway before they were in the rose garden that Lady Georgia loved to do some gardening.

It was Becca's favorite place as well as Lady Georgia's.

"This is breathtaking. I never see so many colors of the roses before," Niklaus stated as Becca chuckled.

"You're meant to tell me that you never see anything like this before, my lord? That was unheard of since you're wealthy enough to have other exotic plants around the kingdom," Becca said as Niklaus was arching his eyebrow at her.

"You read the tabloid about my garden?" He asked before Becca blushed. It was cute on her, Niklaus thought before Becca cleared her throat.

"They have some good insights on the plants and their scientific names. It was for research purposes," she stated as they were walking down on the path that has been made for easy walking. Niklaus chuckled before they were standing in front of the iron-wrought bench before he helped Becca to sit on it.

"Thank you, Your Grace," Becca said before Niklaus was sitting next to her. Lady Georgia was looking at them when she took a seat at the other bench next to them. Then, Niklaus was looking at Becca who was aware that his blue orbs were looking at her.

"Please, Becca, no formality between us. I am courting you after all. So, what do you think of my courtship so far?" Niklaus asked Becca before she turned to regard the duke. Becca was looking at her mother before she whispered to him. "If you could lose my mother, I might think about your courtship, my lord," she said as a joke before Niklaus was staring at her.

"Deal," he said before he stood and he was walking up to her mother. Becca was blinking her eyes before the duke was talking with Lady Georgia. Her mother was gasping before she was walking up to the manor again before the duke was walking toward her again.

*****

Niklaus was smirking when Becca asked him to ask her mother to leave them alone. He thought of the excuse that he would give to the lady before he was standing in front of her. "My lady, if I may?" He said as Lady Georgia was looking at Niklaus.

"Your Grace?"

"I am asking you here to tell Lord Matthew that I would marry your youngest daughter at the nearest convenient date that you would agree for us to marry," Niklaus stated as he was looking at Lady Georgia. She gasped before she was going to the manor, in search of her husband no doubt.

Then, Niklaus smirked as he turned to look at the lady that would be his future wife. Becca was staring at him as Niklaus was striding toward her. She was silent until Niklaus was pulling her up and she gasped.

"My lord, what are you doing?" She asked Niklaus before he was taking something out of the pocket that he has been carrying around during this visit with one intention in mind.

"Marking you as mine," he said huskily before he was producing an emerald engagement ring that he got from his friend, Viscount Vyckos, from Stonelockteco, the region that was known to produce such finery.

Even the young Queen of Niapachad Island was trying to get her hands on them and failed.

Niklaus slipped the ring into Becca's left finger before he was looking at the confused lady. Niklaus was regarding his future bride before the darker side of him was trying to control him now as the ring indicated that Lady Rebecca Davis was his now.

Now and forever.

"Now, the society can go screw themselves with their rules," Niklaus said huskily as he was drawing Becca's face in his hands.

"Niklaus, what are you talking—"

Everything died on her lips as Niklaus' soft lips were claiming her mouth in a possessive, rough manner. Becca gasped before Niklaus was slipping his tongue inside her mouth and tasted her around.

She tasted like an apple and Niklaus loved an apple.

He was groaning before Becca was pushing him away. Niklaus released her before Becca did something that no other woman ever did to him.

She slapped him.

*****

Becca was surprised that her first kiss would be with someone that she just met a few weeks ago. And now, he has the nerves to ask Becca to be his wife, by forcing her to take his ring and then kissed the living shit out of her.

Not that Becca was complaining but...it was beside the point!

"You are insufferable, my lord. And with that, I said no to this courtship with you," Becca hissed before she took the ring off her finger but it would not budge. "Damnation," she cursed under her breath before Niklaus was laughing at her struggle.

"Do whatever you want, my dear, but the ring can only be removed by the owner and since I am the owner of that ring," Niklaus said as he was pulling Becca closer. She gasped as she was looking at his handsome face.

Such a handsome face at that.

"You will be the mother of my children and I will be your husband, Becca," Niklaus stated before he kissed her again as she felt that his lips were smirking. "Now, let's share this good news with your parents, shall we?" Niklaus told Becca before she did something unimaginable by society's rules. Fuck with the rules anyway.

She stepped on his toes.

"Tarnation!" Niklaus shouted before Becca was running away from him. She went into the house before she was stepping toward her room. She slammed the door that she knew the whole town will be hearing about it. But she did not care.

All she cared about was the ring and how to get it off.

*****

Niklaus was smirking as he was looking at the retreating figure of his future wife. Lady Rebecca Davis has such a spirit that would make his life more interesting. And Niklaus knew that she would be much more interesting if she was going to be hearing that Niklaus was determined to beget an heir with her.

He shivered at the thought as the demon inside him was stirring.

Niklaus has to control it before he was walking toward the door as he wanted to meet the Master and Mistress of the manor. He has to ask for Becca's hand in marriage from Lord Matthew Davis.

Which is why he was sitting at the divan right now.

"So, let me get this right on. You have proposed and she said yes?" Lord Matthew asked Niklaus as the duke was nodding at the Lord of the house. Niklaus smiled.

"Yes, we have sealed it in a kiss that we shared in the garden. She did not have any complaints but to run away in shyness. I know how she must be feeling when she has been ignored and shunned by others for the last 5 years," Niklaus said as Lord Matthew was nodding at him.

"And you are sure that you wanted Becca as your wife? Your future Duchess, Your Grace?" Lord Matthew looked at Niklaus with an uncertainty that Niklaus has to smile at him.

"Yes, I have never met anyone as interesting as your daughter and I am certain that she would make a fine Duchess," Niklaus said as he was sipping on the wine that was being served by the Mistress of the manor. Lord Matthew was looking at Niklaus for a moment before he nodded.

"If a peer of this realm was asking for my daughter, I cannot say no to them. You have my blessing for my daughter's hand in marriage, Your Grace," Lord Matthew said before Niklaus was smiling at him.

"Do not fret now. You can call me Niklaus. We're family now," Niklaus stated as he was clicking the wine glass with Lord Matthew but he was still wary of Niklaus' intention to marry his daughter.