by Lexi Hots
“But Mother,” he had whined, sounding more like a child than ever before, “those days are over. People are getting married later now – you know, waiting for the right partner to come along.”
His mother had laughed and patted him on the shoulder as if he were a simpleton, “Oh my dear, that’s not how it works. Now don’t you worry, we have it all sorted out. You just sit back and relax. We will do the rest. You just have to look your handsome self when she arrives.” She. Who was this she going to be?
He didn’t know what ‘all sorted out’ meant but he was certain that the only thing that they had done was to sign some papers and make some arrangements. There was no way that they had actually tried to find someone that he might like. For all he knew he could be getting married to someone he despised. And the worst part was that it was all happening so soon.
The ship was meant to arrive in the next couple of days, and Albert could do nothing but wait in anticipation. He considered running away but where would he go? He was well known in the area and there was no doubt in his mind that someone would find him and send him straight home to parents. He was a prince and because of this his whole life had always been public property.
Albert was liked by all, although he found it hard to figure out which of his friends liked him for himself and who liked him simply because he was a part of a royal family. Because of this he often found himself on guard around people and didn’t let them get to know him too well just in case.
He’d secretly put his friends to the test to see what their intensions really were. So far he’d already found a few that were definitely not in the friendship because they liked him. It seemed his money and his fame outranked the idea of companionship. If only they knew how much he longed to be more like them. Normal – it was what he had always wanted.
When it came to women he was even more on guard. It was bad enough having to worry about his male friends liking him simply because of his social ranking. With women, it was even worse.
He was a good looking man, nothing outstanding but with his tailored clothes and his fine haircut he always looked a little bit better than those around him. He also had, he had been told, kind eyes and a charming smile – two attributes that went a long way. But when it came to experience he was ashamed to admit he had very little. Many of his friends had been to brothels and had enjoyed time with women on a more intimate basis. But Albert always felt strained at places like that and could never fully enjoy himself.
He’d been twice, both after his friends had pressurized him to go, but after that he swore never to go again. It wasn’t the same for him as it was for them. He was a prince and had a certain image to uphold.
Once, word had gotten out that he had been to one of these places and the whole town had been upset by it. His parents had even pulled him aside to find out if it was true or not. Instead of admitting to it, he had denied it vehemently until finally they had believed him and issued out word to the rest of the people that it had not been true.
Whether the town believed this story or not, he did not know, but he made a promise never to go back there again. He couldn’t quite get over the feeling of embarrassment thinking that the whole world thought he was some sort of pervert. Of course, it was okay for them to go to places like that, but not for Prince Albert James Highmore.
Despite not quite being able to enjoy himself he still never forgot the feeling of Annabelle, if that were even her real name, who had taken a particular interest in Albert. She had led him into a private room and made him feel things that he had never felt before. She had been scantily dressed and her tight corset made her breasts spill out over the top. She had asked him to untie the corset at the back and he had done so with trembling teenage hands. When she turned around her corset had dropped to the floor and her exposed breasts were staring at him. The white mound of flesh was enough to make him tremble. He had gasped, unsure of what to do next. She had expertly taken his hands and placed them over her breasts. They were big and warm and wonderful. He was eighteen at the time and he had almost thought that he might be in love with her. As you do at that age. But stepping out into the cold dark road afterwards and been a slap of reality. Of course he hadn’t loved her. Neither had she loved him. He was simply a young teenage boy on the cusp of becoming a man and desperate to be touched like that again.
Since then he’d had a few run-ins with women but it was always difficult for him. Under the watchful eye of his parents as well as the rest of the kingdom, he was always unable to fully be himself. He wondered, for about the millionth time since finding out about his new bride, whether she would be anything like Annabelle. But he doubted it. The more he thought about it, the more he came to terms with the idea that she might be everything that he didn’t want in a wife. But then, he thought with a sudden feeling of anxiousness, I might be everything she hates too. He’d heard disaster stories from men who were so unhappy with their new wives and he didn’t want to be one of the statistics. Was it really so strange for him to want to meet a girl and fall in love? He cursed his parents.
The next few weeks were absolute torture and he found himself obsessing about the smallest things. The way he looked to the way he dressed, even to the way that he spoke. Would he be good enough? Would he be able to have a conversation with her? Would he be able to go to bed with her? These were all thoughts that he kept milling over and over again in his mind until he thought his head was going to explode. His parents had mistaken his frustration for excitement and kept exchanging smiling glances with one another as if they had definitely done the right thing. His parents had him on a tight leash and after their initial dispute he knew that there was simply nothing more that he could say on the matter.
***
Possibly the only good thing that had come out of all of this was that they had arranged another house for him and he was finally moving out of home. Many of his friends had already left home years ago and he was so jealous of them. It was still part of the kingdom, but it had a separate entrance and was much smaller and more private than the main house itself. This is where he would be living with his new wife and they had allowed him to spend a week before she arrived getting himself accustomed to his new living arrangements.
Albert loved the freedom that this new house had given him and for the first time in his whole life he felt as if he could finally breathe. It wasn’t as if he didn’t get along with his parents but he was at the age where he needed his space and he was tired of them always watching him. If it wasn’t them then it was one of the servants who they had instructed to keep an eye on him. They thought he didn’t know but it was quite obvious.
As the prince he had always been watched and he wondered what life must be like for normal people. Sometimes he longed for it. This week, in the new house, he got a small glimpse into a normal person’s life and he loved it. He knew that this was going to change very soon but for now he was enjoying each and every moment of living alone. His parents came by each day to make sure that he was okay but other than that they had completely let him be, and for that he had been grateful.
The house was moderate compared to the house that he had grown up in but he knew that for most people this ‘smaller’ house was still incredibly big. He by no means needed anything so big for just two people to live but he liked the idea that the space could allow them to live together and still have their own space. If they didn’t like each other than they could simply pretend in front of everyone else and then stay separated back at home.
Today was the day before she was going to arrive and Albert paced around his living area back and forth without stopping. He could not sit down and relax and a million thoughts were going on in his mind. The plan was that the servants would be going to fetch the bride and then the entire family would sit down to a welcome meal together. After that the two of them would be left alone in their own home to get to know one each other.
A ceremony was set for only two weeks after her arrival date, to which the
y would officially get married. His parents were determined to make this all as official as possible and because money was not an issue they were able to organize the wedding very quickly. Albert, once again, had no say in the matter. He was simply to show up and say yes to his new bride.
“But Mother,” he had asked. “Aren’t you worried that you won’t like her? Especially since she is going to be a part of the family and a part of the royal kingdom? Wouldn’t you rather me find someone that we can all agree on over time? Are you sure it’s not too late to change your mind? I promise you that if you give me some time I will find a great woman to be my wife. You should trust me.” He had looked at her pleadingly but she had once again ignored his request.
“Albert, don’t worry about it. It’s not about trust. No matter what happens, we’ll make sure that she becomes the perfect wife for you, and we’ll mould her into the most perfect princess ever. Also, I made sure that I requested a good one.” She had walked away chuckling to herself as if Albert had been completely absurd with his questioning. A good one? He had thought to himself, how is that even determined?
Well, he was about to find out. He took a deep breath, took a swig of whisky to calm his nerves and got himself ready for bed. Tomorrow was the big day.
***
Albert got very little sleep but when he woke up he was wide eyed and anxious – adrenaline keeping him alert. He was to be at the main house by early afternoon while the preparations got underway so he had to find ways to keep himself busy until then. This was not an easy task because he could not fully concentrate on anything. He wondered if anyone else was going through the same thing as him. He knew a few other men that were receiving these mail order brides but as far as he could see they had all been excited – most talking crudely about the things they were going to get up to. Proper ‘man’ talk really. He felt sad for these women and felt bad that some of them would be going straight to men who had no respect for them. He was ashamed that he hadn’t stood up for them, but if he did he knew that he would be mocked by all his friends. He was a big believer in chivalry despite the fact that most didn’t.
He spent the day busying himself with anything and everything. Finally it was time to get ready. One of the servants had come in earlier that day to drop off a freshly pressed outfit for him – one that he was sure had been chosen by his mother. It was a dark suit with a long tail and an ivory waist jacket. He topped this with a black hat and looking in the mirror he finally felt as if he could do this. It was as if putting on this suit had allowed him to become someone else. Someone that was more confident than the nervous man that was really living inside.
He nodded at himself once more in the mirror, took a deep breath and walked to the main house. When he arrived he was surprised by how much the servants had already done in order to prepare for the evening. The house was immaculate and a big wooden table had been set and beautifully laden with flowers.
“Father,” he exclaimed when he saw the table, “how many people are coming later? I thought it was just going to be a family dinner. Nobody told me about this.” His father had simply shrugged and said that his mother had organized the whole thing and that there would be a big celebration with the extended family and friends. Albert groaned. That was a lot of eyes on him and a lot of pressure.
Just then his mother came in, all excited and flustered and wearing one of her best dresses. A dress he knew she saved for only special occasions. “Oh Albert,” she said when she saw him. “You look just perfect. I’m so excited for you. What a handsome son I have. Oh you must be so happy that the day has finally arrived.” He wished he could tell her that he felt the exact opposite but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. She looked so happy and he knew that this was all that she wanted for her son. And then, all of a sudden, the noise in the house started to elevate and a wave of excitement filled the air. Albert’s mother grabbed his hand and squeezed, “It’s time my dear.”
Albert straightened his clothes and walked outside with his parents on either side of him. They stood at the entrance of the house and greeted each and every person that came through, while a servant then took them inside to find their seat. With each person that came through the door Albert felt more and more nervous. Especially since they all either winked at him or nudged him as if this must be the most exciting day of his life. He noticed some of the younger boys looked quite jealous. Although one came through and whispered “I hope she’s not ugly,” which made Albert’s heart jump to his throat. He had hoped so too but he hadn’t wanted to admit it. He didn’t care so much about looks, but more about the attraction and if that wasn’t there then there was nothing he could do.
Soon everybody was in and in the distance he saw a carriage making its way towards the house. This is it, he thought to himself. The carriage got nearer and he leaned against the wall so as not to faint. The driver got out, walked to the back and opened up the side door. Albert closed his eyes and then opened them again.
The woman that was walking towards him was beautiful. Not in an obvious kind of way, but in a more refined and timid way. Her skin was pale and her hair was auburn. Both seemed to glisten against the long emerald green dress that flowed to the ground. As she got closer he could see that she looked just as nervous as he felt and he was grateful for that. He took her hand, which was so small and soft in his that he visibly shivered and he bowed down. “A pleasure to meet you. I am Prince Albert James Highmore. And these are my parents. Queen Alice Elizabeth Highmore and King William Albert Highmore.” Albert watched as her cheeks glistened pink and she bowed forward, “Thank you for welcoming me into your home. I am Anna.”
Anna. Anna. Anna. What a pretty name.
Albert took her hand and led her inside. He noticed that his parents had exchanged happy smiles together and he flashed a smile back at them. Her hands were trembling slightly, but so were his, and when he walked into the room the whole table stood up to greet them. Soon there were loud cheers and whistles as he presented her to everyone. They took their seats at the head of the table and waited for the servants to pour the first glasses of wine. Anna looked as if she had never tasted wine before. She studied the glass as if it were alien to her, tentatively took a small sip and then gave a little smile. “This is lovely,” she said.
Thankfully the noise in the room was quite high and they were able to talk without anyone listening to them. Although for most of the way through dinner they spoke mostly about the food that was in front of them and not much else. It was hard to really have a proper conversation with someone that you had only just met, especially when that person was to soon be your wife.
Albert kept sneaking glances at her all night, unable to believe his luck that the woman he got was so pretty. She certainly lived up to his expectations but he wondered constantly if he had lived up to hers. It was nearing the end of the night and about half the guests had already gone home, when Albert’s mother came gliding up to them, as poised as elegant as always. She thanked Anna once again for coming and said she was looking forward to getting to know her more.
“Anna, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask at all. This is your home too now and we are very happy to have you. I’ve always wanted a daughter. Now you two, it’s been a long evening and I’m sure you have a lot to talk about. Why don’t the two of you head back to your new home and call it a night?” And just like that the nerves were back and Albert felt instantly worried that the two of them would have nothing to talk about. As they left the rest of the guests were yelling out for them to “enjoy their first night together” which had the two of them blushing like crazy. Most of the guest that were left had already had far too much wine and there was no more filter on what they were saying. Whatever they were thinking just came straight out of their mouths. This is probably the best time to get out of here, thought Albert.
He took Anna’s hand and the two of them walked outside. He told her that they would now be living in the smaller house next door and that h
e hoped she would be happy there. She seemed glad that the two of them would not be living in the big house with the family although she didn’t say it out loud. When they got to the house he gave her the grand tour. She seemed happy with it and somewhat surprised by its grandeur. “Is this all for us?” she whispered in amazement. At the end of the tour the two of them stood awkwardly in front of each other, both of them not quite sure where to look or what to do. Finally he spoke, “Anna, thank you for coming. I’ll be honest, I was nervous for today. My parents arranged this whole thing without my consent and I was incredibly worried that the two of us would not get along at all. I have always believed in spending the rest of your life with someone that you love rather than someone that was convenient. But now that we have met I am actually quite grateful to my parents. You are lovely and I’m looking forward to getting to know you. Would you like to sit outside for a while and just talk?” He watched as she breathed out a loud sigh of relief and said that she’d love to talk to him.
As it turns out the two of them could not stop talking and did not run out of a thing to say. Once they had gotten over their nerves and realized they were both in the same boat they relaxed and started to talk. She told him all about her life before and he was surprised at how much she had gone through. She was only nineteen but already she had seen more hardships than he had ever known existed. It made him realize just what a sheltered life he had led up until now and how unaware he was of what other people in the world had gone through. Anna’s parents had died when she was just a girl and she been sent to her uncle who was the only family that was willing to look after her.