2. Consolation Prize #2
Skylar gently took her sister's hand. "But Rori, if you had all those feelings, why did you chase this union so fervently? I'm sure if only you were honest, Dad would hear you out. He loves you and wouldn't force you to go through with all this."
"Because it was already too late!" Rori cried.
She opened her eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"So many things were already in motion. And with all my selfishness, I still care about our family name."
She put her hand on her still flat stomach.
"I want this little person to have a choice of how he or she wants to live. And the higher our social status is, the more choices we would get. Also, this union is not only for social gain, and you know it too well."
"The increasing threat from the Blighted Lands," Skylar said.
"Yes, that. That was when it occurred to me for the first time. Maybe I was not the best person to marry the General?"
Aurora turned to face her sister and took both of her hands.
"The King wanted this union mostly because of our knowledge about the enemy. We are the only family aware of this threat, and we must convince the rest of the noble houses that we need to act now. I may be fluent in history and treaties, but you, Sky... You were fighting at the border.
You faced the abominations and dark magic that is swelling in the Blighted Lands. You are the best person to convince everyone!"
"You are out of your mind!" Skylar scoffed, pulling her hands away, her anger rising again. "I'm a soldier, not a politician! No one would ever listen to me! You know I can't even handle our small parties for nobility. What chances do I have in a royal court?! They will destroy me there!"
"Sky, you are the strongest person I know. If someone could do this, it's you."
"That's bullshit!" Skylar shouted and jumped off the bed, her hands clenched in fists. "The truth is, you realised you didn't want this marriage, so you forced me into it!"
Rori raised her chin and looked straight at her sister.
"Yes, I will not deny it. I did what I did for my own selfish reasons. But I was sacrificing myself for this family my whole life, never asking for a thing myself. And you? You've been doing what you pleased since you were born!
I think it is only fair that you learn how sacrificing for the sake of the family's name feels like."
"I can't believe you!" Skylar covered her face with her hands.
"I know you might hate me right now, but I'm sure in time you'll understand."
"Understand what?!" Skylar shouted, looking at her sister again.
"That you ruined my life? I will be stripped of my rank, toward which I worked so hard! Have you seen the way the General was looking at me? He was disgusted! I will be closed in a fancy palace and expected to act like a lady, drinking tea and gossiping all day!"
"Truly terrifying vision," Aurora snarked. "Do you think that's how I waste my days?"
"That is not the point, Rori! You just ruined my life without giving it a second thought! I hope you are happy now," she hissed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door with all her might.
Skylar's whole body was trembling with exhaustion, but she kept raising her sword time and time again, striking the training dummy with powerful blows.
The mannequin was falling apart, but she ignored straw and splinters flying every which way.
She had so much anger in her, and she needed to let it out.
Sky was feeling like an utter fool. She let herself be manipulated and used, and she hadn't seen it coming. Not even for a second. A frustrated, guttural scream escaped her mouth when she struck again, separating another part of the dummy from the main body.
"If you keep bashing your sword like this, you'll ruin it," a voice said.
Sky scoffed and lowered her weapon. She wiped the sweat from her brows with her sleeve and turned to face Colart. "So what? They won't let me keep it anyway."
"Are you all right, Sky?"
"Do I look all right to you?"
"Not really." The man sighed and strolled to the wooden bench. "Can we talk for a moment? I don't think this dummy will survive another of your blows."
Skylar sighed, sheathed her sword, and joined her father on the bench.
"I am truly sorry for how it all turned out."
"It's not your fault. It was all Rori. She planned all this and made fools out of us."
"You know, Sky, your sister loves you very much."
Skylar scoffed. "She has a very interesting way of showing it then."
"If I knew about it, I would never agree to it. But what's done is done, and there is no use in delving into it. You have to focus on what's coming."
"Yeah, this amazing marriage with the man who despises me."
"Sky, I know it's tough, but I'm sure in time, you two find a way to live together happily."
"Please, spare me your truisms, father. You were there, and you saw and heard all I did. If the General had any say in this, I would be the last person in the world he would marry!"
"And yet, he agreed."
"Because the King ordered him to do so! He had as much say in this whole farce as I did. None! Don't you think it's barbaric to force people to live together for the rest of their lives? People who hate each other and have nothing in common?"
"Hate is a strong word, Sky. You don't mean it. Why would you hate a man you hardly know?"
"Because he's a pompous prick, that's why! The whole time he was here, he never smiled once. He only looked at everyone and everything with contempt, as if he is so far above all of us that we are not worth a second of his thoughts."
"Well, he is the Lord General and brother of the King. I think a little arrogance can be expected."
"A little? This man is a personification of foolish pride and arrogance!"
"And did you ever wonder why he acts this way? Do you know why he was appointed the Lord General?"
"Because he's the King's brother, obviously."
"That's not true. During the War of Crowns, he was one of the generals of Gryphonheart armies, and it's thanks to his clever strategy Alarat won the crown."
"Well, that doesn't change the fact that he is a horrible person." Sky rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She would never admit it, but she had no idea about her husband-to-be career, or life, or anything for that matter. She never bothered to learn about the nobility that ruled their kingdom.
"I assure you he isn't. Gawyn Gryphonheart is one of the most respected people in this kingdom. He is noble and has a solid sense of justice. I've heard that his soldiers adore him, simple people, not nobility."
"Now you're just talking nonsense. You're not going to convince me the General is some gallant knight from the fairy tales. He is not. I met him, remember?"
Colart sighed and put his broad hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I know, Sky. I wish you would give him a chance instead of getting all defensive immediately. You know, your mother was just like you when we got married."
Skylar perked up. Her father hardly ever mentioned her mother. He loved her very deeply, and talking about her still brought him pain. "What do you mean?"
"Well, our marriage was arranged too, of course. But your mother was the one with a higher social status and was very unhappy that she ended up as my wife, in some distant countryside of the kingdom, far away from the glimmering capital. And she never failed to show her displeasure to me."
"But I thought... You loved her so much," Sky said, confused. She didn't remember her mother at all, but Rori did. She always talked about how much their parents loved each other.
"I did, but not from the very start. For me, it was just a business transaction to solidify alliances, nothing more. I didn't really treat her like a person, just expected her to fill her role as a wife." He laughed. "Oh, how quickly I learnt to respect her.
"She was like this wild animal trapped in a cage, all sharp claws and fangs, ready to strike me. But since we were married, we had to learn how to live together. With time, when we got to know each other, the feelings came without any warning. At some point, I didn't see her as my appointed wife,
but Thalia, this amazing woman that eventually let me love her and loved me back."
"I didn't know that."
"Well, we never really talked about it. It was not our proudest moment," Colart added with a smirk. "My point is, try not to condemn your husband-to-be from the start. I think you are a more suitable wife for him than Aurora."
Sky laughed. "Now, that's ridiculous. I could never beat Rori at being a proper noble lady."
"No, but that's not what I meant. I've heard the General is an efficient man who hates ceremonies and all the ridiculous social customs nobles love in the capital. He cares mostly for his duties and doesn't waste time on frivolities. I think you two can find common ground."
"I doubt it, but thank you anyway," Skylar said and squeezed his hand. After the mad sword practice and the talk, she felt much better.
They sat in silence for a while. Finally, Colart grunted and looked at her.
"You know, Sky, if you truly hate this union, I can pull out of this. It won't be easy, and it will probably leave us alone and ostracised from the rest of the kingdom. But you are my daughter, and I would hate to see you miserable."
"Oh, dad," Sky felt her eyes watering with a surge of feelings for her father.
She wrapped her arms around him and clung to him tightly, just as she did as a little girl.
"You don't have to do this. I hate this union, yes. But I know that each of us has a role to play to ensure our family survives and prospers. I just didn't expect that I have to fulfil mine so suddenly, that's all."
"You are strong, Sky," Colart said, stroking her back in calming circles. "If anyone can survive the royal court, it's you. You are Shawcross, and we do not bow down to any challenges, no matter how vicious they are. And no matter what happens, you will always have a home here. Remember that."
"Thank you, Dad. I love you. I'll make you proud, I promise."