He looked troubled and upset at hearing this and held her close.
“We will sort this out somehow, do not worry,” he tried to comfort her.
“Nicholas, what can I do?” she asked tearfully. “I cannot bear to go through with it and I need us to be together.”
“They cannot force you into marriage,” he told her strongly. “You have to give consent in your vows. The priest will refuse to do the ceremony if you do not agree with it.”
“I doubt the priest will stand up to a king, especially when it is his decision who I marry and the betrothal is a family tradition.”
“It still does not make it right,” he protested, wishing he could make everything better for her. “I will not let them do this to you. I care about you so much and I will do whatever I can to fight for our relationship.”
She wiped her tears and smiled a little, “I will too. You are the only man I want to be with. I would be miserable having to spend the rest of my life without you.”
“Why not tell your father the truth?” he suggested. “If he will not listen then we need to give him a reason to.”
She looked at him in shock, “you want me to tell him about us, even though we will both be in a lot of trouble when he finds out?” She felt anxiety rise inside her at the thought of it.
“Yes. If telling him is the only way to get you out of this marriage then we have to do it despite the consequences.”
“My father will be furious,” she warned him. “He might never let us see each other again and I am sure he would punish you for it.” Her heart ached at the thought of anything bad happening to Nicholas.
“But this could be our chance and it is the only way we can make them understand,” he persuaded her. “I do not care what I have to risk; I would do anything for you.”
She thought it over nervously.
“Fine, I will tell him,” she agreed hesitantly. “But I will feel very guilty if anything happens to you because of our relationship.”
“I know, but it is worse than the alternative. I cannot stand by and watch you be forced into marrying someone else.”
She nodded in agreement, knowing that he was right. If she didn’t act soon then she would be walking down the aisle, feeling heartbroken and devastated over leaving Nicholas and their relationship behind. If they did take this risk, she had a little chance of escaping it and staying with Nicholas.
On the other hand, if their plan didn’t go well, she could be forced to marry Prince Ethan anyway despite their efforts and Nicholas would be punished. She was very anxious about it, but knew she had to be brave and at least try to get her happy ending.
“Are you sure you want to take this risk?” she asked him carefully. “You will be in far more trouble than I will.”
“Yes. I do not care what they do. As long as we try that is all that matters.”
“I will tell my father everything tomorrow,” she promised.
“Thank you,” he kissed her gratefully. “I know this will be hard for both of us, but we have to do this. Maybe everything will work out and we can finally have a relationship without keeping it a secret.”
“I hope so,” she replied, wishing hard that it would happen, “but if anything does happen to you because of me, I will never forgive myself.”
“I know what the risks are and I am willing to take them for you. None of this will be your fault because it was my choice.”
She hugged him tightly, wishing she could protect him. She felt upset by the thought of her father separating them and didn’t know how she could handle that.
“What if this is our last day together?” she asked him tearfully. “Once I tell him we might never see each other again.”
He didn’t answer for a while as he held her close and she knew he was feeling just as hurt and upset by it as she was.
“If it is then we have to make the most of it and feel grateful for the time we do have together,” he finally replied. “Worrying about it will only make things worse.”
“I know, I just could not bear it if our plan goes wrong.”
They stayed in each other’s arms for a long time, wanting to hold onto each other forever and never be separated.
Chapter 12
Rosanna was so anxious the next morning that she felt ill. Her heart ached with worry and her eyes welled up at the thought of Nicholas getting into trouble. She was starting to have second thoughts and wanted to keep him safe; but she knew she had to go through with it if she wanted a future with him.
Her heart leapt when she saw Nicholas waiting for her in the hall. It was a nice surprise and she guessed that he had arrived early to support her. She went over to talk to him quietly. He could tell how anxious she was and wanted to hold her, but knew he couldn’t in case they were seen.
He tried to comfort her instead, “Do not worry, everything will be fine,” he reassured her, although they both knew there was a good chance it would end badly.
“Nicholas, if you do get into serious trouble because of me, I am very sorry,” she brushed a tear away. “I feel so terrified of never seeing you again.”
“We do not know what will happen yet,” he replied, trying to stay positive. “Be strong, we have to do this.”
She wiped her eyes and hoped for the best.
“Are you ready?” he asked her.
She nodded and took a deep breath, preparing herself as they walked over to her father’s study.
“Good luck. I will be here waiting if you need me.”
She smiled at him gratefully and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” she heard her father call.
She entered and saw that her father and brother were sat working at his desk, discussing something that involved a lot of manuscripts.
“Father, I need to talk to you,” she said.
“I am busy. Can it wait until later?” he answered impatiently.
She took a deep breath and willed herself to be strong, “No, it cannot wait. I must talk to you about the wedding.”
Her father seemed to weaken, “Fine, you may speak with me.”
She approached them nervously and took a seat. She hoped that Jonathon would politely take the hint and leave so she could talk to their father in private, but he stayed where he was. She tried not to mind his presence but it made her feel even more nervous.
“I suppose you have thought more about the marriage?” her father asked her. “Have you come around to the idea?”
“I have thought about it,” she replied, starting to shake with nerves, “but my feelings remain the same. I still do not want to marry him.”
Her father looked disappointed and Jonathon did not seem to approve either.
“I cannot believe this,” Jonathon commented, looking annoyed. “You really want to throw away this wonderful opportunity?”
“Yes, I do,” her heart pounded with anxiety as she dared to tell them the truth. “I cannot marry Prince Ethan because I want to be with someone else.”
They were both shocked by her confession, especially since they had no idea that she had met anyone other than Prince Ethan.
“Who is this person?” her father asked suspiciously. “I was not aware you had taken interest in someone.”
“He is called Nicholas. I met him at the ball on my birthday,” she answered nervously.
“I do not recall anyone by that name,” her father looked at Jonathon to see if he knew who it was.
He was just as baffled not realising that it was an employee. He assumed it was one of the wealthy guests that had attended the ball.
She didn’t know what to say as they both looked at her for answers. She felt helpless, knowing that if she explained who Nicholas was then they would not approve. However, she suddenly thought of an idea that could help change their minds.
“Would you like to meet him?” she asked.
“I am very busy and we do not have time to arrange it,” her father objected.
“But he can meet with y
ou right now,” she insisted and quickly went out before her father could refuse.
She found Nicholas waiting outside as promised and he looked over expectantly, wondering how they took the news.
“I have told them about us. Will you come and meet with my father?”
He looked surprised and nervous about meeting the king, but he agreed to do it for her. She smiled, hoping they would like and accept him now they had a chance to get to know Nicholas properly.
He followed her into the study, where her father and brother were waiting and looking quite confused. Her father looked surprised to see Nicholas and studied his appearance disapprovingly.
Nicholas bowed to him respectfully, “It is a pleasure to meet you, your Majesty. My name is Nicholas Turner.”
Jonathon recognised him and looked furious.
“Of all the people you could have chosen, you decide on him,” Jonathon looked disgusted at Nicholas and then back at Rosanna. “I would have thought you had more sense and dignity than this.”
She met his gaze with annoyance, hating that he was insulting them both. Nicholas felt angry by his comments too. He didn’t expect them to accept him easily so he was willing to let their insults about him slide. Yet, he would never let anyone say a bad word against Rosanna and wanted to defend her. She sensed his anger and gave Nicholas a pleading look not to start a fight or argue with her brother, so he reluctantly kept quiet.
Her father was still in shock and disbelief, “is this true?” he asked her, hoping it was just a silly fabricated excuse to get out of the betrothal.
She nodded and felt upset by how ashamed and disappointed her father looked.
“And you have been spending time together since your birthday?” he asked, looking cross and disapproving.
“Yes, we have,” she answered honestly. “I am sorry I kept it a secret, but I knew you would not approve of him.”
Her father looked annoyed and seemed to consider something.
“Send for Sir Leonardo,” he told Jonathon. “I need to have words with him.”
Rosanna felt her stomach turn with anxiety as Jonathon left to find him. She couldn’t bear to get her friend into trouble. If her father found out that Leonardo knew anything about it or that he had helped them, he would be dismissed from his job.
“Father…” she tried to plead Leonardo’s case, but he interrupted her.
“There will be no more talk of this until I have questioned your personal guard,” he said sternly.
She obediently stayed quiet and waited nervously. Nicholas looked uneasy by the situation too.
Leonardo soon entered with Jonathon, who returned to his seat next to her father. Rosanna looked over at him, mentally apologising for dragging him into their situation. He didn’t look towards her or Nicholas. She hoped he was only avoiding their gaze to seem less suspicious instead of being angry with them.
“You wanted to speak with me, your Majesty?” Leonardo asked, although he already guessed what he was going to be questioned about.
“Do you know this man?” he asked, gesturing over to Nicholas.
Leonardo looked at him briefly, “yes, he works here cleaning out the stables.”
“Were you aware that my daughter was meeting with him in secret?” he asked sternly.
Rosanna felt awful and hoped that he would lie to stay out of trouble.
Leonardo frowned and pretended to look confused by the accusation, “No, your Majesty. I have not seen the princess meeting with anyone new under my supervision.”
“You must have noticed something,” Jonathon snapped. “Your duty is to watch over her. It is evident that you have not done a good job of that recently.”
“I take my duties very seriously,” Leonardo assured them, “but I can only be responsible for when I am supervising the princess, not when she is alone on castle grounds.”
“Father, I never met with Nicholas while Leonardo was watching over me,” Rosanna lied, hoping to defend him. “I wanted to keep it a secret and I knew that Leonardo would report it if he found out. You know how loyal he is to you and how protective he is over me.”
Her father nodded, believing her reasoning and concluding that it wasn’t Leonardo’s fault. He dismissed Leonardo who bowed respectfully and left the room.
She felt relieved that her friend was not punished, but that feeling was short lived as her father started to lecture her instead.
“I am very disappointed in your actions and I disapprove of you meeting with other men,” he said angrily. “You are betrothed, Rosanna; it is time you started acting like it.”
“I understand that you want your daughter to marry Prince Ethan,” Nicholas tried to reason with him, “but surely you realise how unhappy she is. I know that I am not good enough, but I love her.”
She looked at him in surprise and felt her heart melt. He smiled at her lovingly and she smiled back, feeling touched. She longed to tell him that she loved him too, but now was not a good time for romantic speeches. It would only enrage her father and brother more.
“I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of her and making her happy,” he continued bravely. “So, I would like to ask for her hand in marriage.”
Rosanna felt stunned by his request and couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her heart leapt with happiness at the thought of marrying him, and she stared at him blissfully. He met her gaze, knowing he wanted more than anything to have her as his wife, and smiled at her devotedly.
“This is absurd,” Jonathon argued. “What makes you think that she would consider such a ridiculous offer from a peasant like you?”
“I would,” she spoke up daringly. “I love Nicholas and I wish to marry him.”
He smiled at her, feeling relieved that she felt the same.
“I know I cannot compete with a prince and I am not wealthy, but I really care about Rosanna,” he assured them. “I will do my best to be a good husband for her if you would give me a chance.”
Her father didn’t look convinced by his argument and neither did Jonathon.
“We will never approve of you,” Jonathon told him crossly and then looked at Rosanna. “Why are you wasting your time with a man like him, when you have Prince Ethan desperate to marry you?”
“Nicholas is kind and interesting,” she answered, feeling annoyed that her brother was so horrible towards him. “He took the time to get to know the real me and he cares for me a lot greater than Prince Ethan ever will.”
“You are such a fool, Rosanna,” Jonathon replied angrily. “He is obviously after our money. He is not trying to marry you for the reasons you believe.”
“That is not true!” Nicholas protested, angry that they thought so wrongly of him. “I have no interest in your money or anything else. I like Rosanna for who she is. Her status has nothing to do with my feelings.”
“Even if that may be true, you are still not suitable for my daughter,” her father told him. “Nothing you can say or do will change my decision.”
“Please, can you not give him a chance?” she asked desperately. “I know he is not the man you want me to marry, but we love each other. Does that not mean anything?”
“I would like you to leave,” he told Nicholas. “I need to speak with my daughter alone.”
Nicholas was reluctant for her to continue the argument alone, but he knew he had to respect the king’s orders. He left the room as asked, hoping she wouldn’t be in too much trouble.
“Rosanna, you seem to think that you know what is best and that this man is right for you, but that is not the case,” her father insisted. “I still believe that Prince Ethan is better suited for you, and you will respect my choice.”
“I will not marry him!” she protested, feeling very upset.
“You are already betrothed,” Jonathon reminded her. “This arrangement will not be changed, even if you are against it.”
She felt devastated and her eyes watered with tears. Her father felt a little sympathetic seeing his
daughter so upset and weakened a little.
“I am sorry, Rosanna. I know you may be fond of that man, but you both come from such different backgrounds. It would not be acceptable for me to let you marry him.”
“I will never fall in love with Prince Ethan,” she said tearfully. “My heart will only ever belong to Nicholas.”
“You deserve someone better. One day you will understand.”
“I will never understand and you are not making the right choice at all,” she argued. “I would rather die than marry that awful prince.”
She fled from the room crying, feeling so angry and devastated. She didn’t want to see her father, brother or Prince Ethan ever again. She only wanted to be with Nicholas, he was the person who understood her.
She ran into the music room and sat on the stool to cry on her closed piano, feeling miserable. She heard someone approaching and was relieved to see that Nicholas had followed her. She could tell that he was upset too and stood up to cuddle him. She cried on his shoulder feeling heartbroken.
“I hate that they will not let us be together,” she sobbed, holding onto him tightly. “Why do they not understand?”
“I am sorry they do not approve of me,” he replied sadly. “I wish I could be a better person for you.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I like you exactly how you are and I do not care what they think. I love you, Nicholas, and I always will,” she stared into his eyes lovingly.
“I will always love you too. Nothing will ever change my feelings, even if they do separate us and force you to marry.”
“But what will happen now?” she asked, feeling scared. “I could not bear it if they do not let me see you again.”
“Do not worry,” he comforted her. “I promise I will never stop trying to see you.”
Chapter 13
They heard footsteps and looked towards the door anxiously as two knights stormed in. They grabbed hold of Nicholas and forced him away from Rosanna.
“Is this the man you want us to arrest?” one of the knights asked Jonathon, who followed them in.
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