by Rose Dalziel
It had an overly salted sautéed flavor as it slid down her throat in agony.
Raphael shook his head vigorously and immediately snatched up his goblet of wine to rid himself of the horrible flavor.
"Detestable." He gritted causing Chastity to chuckle.
"Is it to your liking, darling?" Charles asked hearing her laughter in hopes she had found it more tolerable than he had.
Chastity laughed giving a nod as she kept her focus on Raphael, “Oh yes, it was most pleasing."
WITHIN A FORTNIGHT
"Is it traditional to wear this kind of dress on the farewell of such a long journey?" Chastity let out a groan of irritation as she glared at her reflection in
the bronze full length mirror.
The dress was a dark pink with large ruffles from the long puffy sleeves, down to her toes where the brown boots she insisted to wear poked out ever
so slightly. A maid rushed up to place a small white hat on top of her tightly braided blonde hair with ribbons. She noticed a bright pink feather popping out from the hat making her cringe.
The only thing she liked about this attire was her dark red lipstick that made her cream skin and bright golden eyes stand out. Everything else made her want to shriek from embarrassment.
"You look rather lovely, dear. The Prince requested you wear this on your arrival, so it seemed only proper to fit it on you before meeting
him. " Aunt Elizabeth sighed clasping her hands together as she stood next to Chastity admiring her in the mirror.
"Did he..." Chastity mutters with distaste.
Prince Quinton DeFlores was revealing his true nature of poor taste to her rather quickly, or it might have just been the way noble women of France dressed.
It made Chastity feel disheartened.
"Calm down, it is not so horrible. But you may change your attire after you have left." Elizabeth rubbed her niece's arms before leading her down the
hallway until they were outside in front of the carriage.
Raphael was distracted with loading luggage beneath the carriage in another compartment to notice Chastity and her Aunt.
"Do remember all we have taught you, your mother would have been even more proud than your uncle and I to see you like this." Her aunt smiled as her cat eyes brimmed with fresh tears.
Chastity scoffed on the inside, knowing her mother would not have agreed with the selected dress for they shared similar taste in a variety of many things. However, she knew her mother and father would be proudly standing next to her on this day, saying farewell to their only daughter to be married to none other than a prince.
If it had not been for a cursed plague of sickness to overcome her parents when she was only thirteen. That was when her Aunt and Uncle took
her under their care and have raised her like she was their very own. It was the least Chastity could do in return for her gratitude was bring good fortune to their family name.
"Don't fret Auntie, you are more like a mother to me and I am certain we will see each other again soon." Chastity tries to reassure herself and her aunt as she embraces her.
Aunt Elizabeth chuckles over Chastity's shoulder as she speaks into her ear, “Oh I do hope so, if not,
be sure to write as often as you can and I do pray your future husband will be ever so kind to you."
Once they finish their goodbyes, Chastity is soon lifted into a tight hug from her Uncle Charles as he kisses her cheek.
"I am so proud of you, beauty. We love you very much and await the day to see you again." He whispered with a heavy sigh before he released
her to go over and pat Raphael on the back causing him to flinch.
"Take good care of our little girl, boy. Send word when you have reached France in six months’ time to ease our worried minds." Charles ordered,
his voice firm yet saddened all the same causing Chastity's heart to tighten.
* * *
The morning sun had peaked over the horizon, shining on the four of them as Chastity observed Raphael assure his duty to her uncle as his blue eyes flickered on her.
His lips pressed in a tight line with his jaw pulsing as he took in her overall attire. She could tell he was suppressing a laugh at her appearance, which
only fueled her humiliation further. The day she dreaded the most, was the day she set foot in France.
"Shall we be off now, Duchess?" The coachmen politely asked as the small man readied himself on the seat to which he would steer the three brown
horses.
Chastity nodded, taking her attention off Raphael's alluring features to bid farewell to her family once more. It was only a small thought, but
she felt as if she would never be allowed to return here again. It made her heart ache.
Raphael offered to help her inside the large crimson carriage as she stepped up, but she refused to take it for she could not erase the memory of him silently laughing at her earlier.
Chastity kept her watch on her Aunt and Uncle as they stood on the steps of what she knew as her only home, until they retreated slowly back inside once the carriage had pulled them out of sight.
With her only home now behind her, she proceeded by snatching the infernal white hat off of her head and tossed it aside having it land next to where Raphael sat comfortably.
"Ah, so the dress was indeed not of your choosing after all. I thought as much." Raphael chuckled lowly creating a sharp look being thrown back at
him as Chastity hastily undid the dress.
Discarding it as quickly as she could as if it was the plague itself, Raphael watched in amusement at her aggravated mood.
Chastity let out a sigh of relief once the detestable dress was now off and lying beside her, leaving her in the slip and undergarments.
"Do you have another dress in mind you wanted me to fetch, or did you want to continue the journey in your undergarments?" Raphael teases with a smirk which led Chastity to yelp and hurried to cover herself, even though she was
completely covered, it was still embarrassing to show a man her undergarments.
Her face flamed and she was certain it was now bright red or close to matching her lipstick.
Raphael smiled showing beautifully straight teeth which was uncommon in England. Now that she thought more of it, he could not have been from
here. His striking features were not what she was used to seeing in men of England. Most men had pale skin that did not tan, yet Raphael's was tinted
a light bronze and appeared much smoother than that of her Uncle's.
Raphael handed her a suitcase and she quickly grabbed a light green short sleeved summer gown from it and shoved the previous one she was
wearing into it. She looked up at him before she started dressing and was about to ask if he would close his eyes, when he instantly laid down and
placed her white feathered hat over his face.
"I won't look, go ahead." He told her.
Chastity scurried as fast as she could, throwing the dress overhead and letting it slide down to her feet. The bottom was trimmed with thin silver swirls, the bosom matched giving it a more flattering and feminine approach rather than the monstrous dress she just had on. This one was more flowing and thinner, better for heated weather.
"Is the lady dressed?" Raphael asked with a playful manner.
Chastity undid her tight braids, her golden hair falling in waves to meet where her belly button was as she let the ribbons loose and placed them into the suitcase.
"Yes." She chimed giving the okay for Raphael to sit upright again and remove the hat from his eyes.
"Good, I was getting bored staring at a... hat..." Raphael had been silenced as soon as his eyes roamed onto Chastity, lingering longer than what was necessary.
"What? Is this one horrible to look at too?" Chastity huffed, and ruffled her now wavy long hair feeling defeated as she retreated to search the bag for another dress.
Raphael's hand reached out to stop her and he withdrew his hand j
ust as quickly, “It’s not
horrible." He rushed and glanced away to look out the window as he rubbed his face.
Chastity's heart pounded, not fully understanding why his opinion had suddenly mattered so much to her. Her only concern should be how she was
going to survive her future husband, not what her escort thought of the dress she wore.
When he said nothing more after ten minutes and continued gazing outside, she laid her head down on the small red pillow and embraced sleep.
TRAVELER’S INN
"I'm afraid we must give the horses rest, it's been three days now and they're worn out." The coachmen told Chastity, to which she gladly accepted.
Three days of hardly any exchanged words between her and Raphael. She had no idea why the man was suddenly so blatant and distant, but it only made this journey weigh more heavily on her. It hurt to be ignored, and she was beginning
to wonder if her future husband would treat her the same.
Chastity found took a ribbon and tied her hair up into a loose bun once they had entered a small town with a nearby inn. Raphael's eyebrows
furrowed, silently watching her shove her boots back on her feet angrily.
The sooner she could get away from Raphael, the better. Men were silly in her mind, acting charming and kind one moment, only to be distant and cold the next.
"Ah here we are Miss. We shall stay the night here and be off to the docks at dawn."
She ignored Raphael's hand when he offered to help her step down from the carriage, her eyes narrowed and her expression unpleasant as she stalked inside the inn without waiting for them.
"Oh miss! Wai--"
The door shutting behind her cut off the coach men's plea to wait. Knowing what lay before her, she should have heeded his warning for a bar full of burly men consumed the place.
Curious lustful eyes followed her as she smiled and nodded in acknowledgment once she began walking by all of them cautiously.
"Aye! Wha a pretty thing she is! Look at dat gold hair an' curves !" One of the burly men howled at Chastity causing her stomach to lurch into her throat.
The large bald man stood up from the bar, he rubbed his scruffy long black beard as he peered at her. Chastity stiffened as he came closer, his body radiating mead and sweat.
"What's a pretty lady like you coming to the brewery all by herself? Lonely?" The burly man cackled in a raspy tone, dried from too much liquor she assumed.
"I can take that loneliness away darlin'" He whispered leaning closer to Chastity's face and started to put his arm around her waist when a deadly voice boomed from behind.
"Remove yourself from the lady at once!"
A warm arm had soon found its way around Chastity's waist and roughly pulled into a hard chest. When she peered up, her eyes found Raphael's glaring venomously at the drunken burly man before them.
It was startling, but now she understood why her family chose him to escort her. He was completely a different person when he was presented with a threat.
All signs of his usual playfulness diminished, replaced by an intimidating warrior ready to make the kill at any given moment. Her lips turned up in an admiring smile at the thought, not being able to help thinking it was quite appealing.
Take your wife and go then. I did nothing." The burly man easily retreated, shocking them both. Chastity was led by brute force to the opposite side of the brewery to where the Innkeeper was.
Raphael's hold on her only loosened after they got their rooms. Only two were available, which meant she would be forced to share with Raphael.
"Why did you not wait for me!?" Raphael snapped, his face inches from Chastity's. He was angry with her and he had every right to be, it was her own foolishness that got her in this mess. If it hadn't been for him to come along, who knows what could have happened.
Her gaze faltered from his, too scared to hold eye contact with him for too long, until they landed on one of his golden buttons from his chest attire.
His hand forced her chin up to look back up at him, which only created the regret to flood through her emotions. Her eyes brimmed with tears making Raphael's hardened gaze to soften and release his hold on her.
"I-I'm sorry, I was already upset and did not care at the time--" Chastity began as her voice cracked, but Raphael stepped in.
"Upset at what??" His expression confused as he paced to the other side of the room and sat on a wooden chair.
She threw her hands in the air gesturing at him, “You! Not one word was spoken to me for the entirety of three days! It's like I did not exist at all in front of you!"
Raphael's face twisted and contorted into one of complete surprise, his eyes widened and he ran a hand through his black hair, making it scatter in every direction.
"Heh. So, I was the reason for your troubles." He whispered mainly to himself but Chastity scoffed.
"It matters not to you anyway, this is only a job to deliver me to a stupid man whom I'm to marry anyway!" Chastity raged before she went to the tub only to be grabbed and forced to turn around.
"If he's such a stupid man, then why are you marrying him? I can take you back right now." Raphael spat, his blue eyes glowing from the sunset pouring through the curtains. His hands gripped her shoulders, but not too hard it hurt her, just enough to grab her attention.
"It was not my choice! You think I want to marry a man I have never met!? One who will force me to wear foul attire such as that dress?" Chastity released every emotion to Raphael she had been keeping pent up all this time. She didn't care, her
life was doomed the moment she was forced to accept this proposal in the first place.
Raphael was about to cut in and say something, but she kept going, “No. But I am doing this for my family. In hopes to better their situation and future."
"Better their situation? What do they have that is so bad right now? They're rich! You don't need to better a damn thing!" Raphael argued, clearly disturbed by what Chastity had told him.
Why did he care so much? It wasn't his life.
"It isn't up for debate either way. I am to do my duty, and you are to do yours." Chastity declared, her hands clenched into fists until Raphael bit his lower lip.
He backed away from her, his hardened eyes landing on the worn out wooden floor with his jaw pulsating. With that, she stormed away leaving him there and slammed the door to the tub shut.
SHIPS SAILING
Dawn arose, waking Chastity as she sat up from the bed. Her hair lay damp from washing it the night before as she stretched her limbs.
Familiar piercing ocean blue eyes found hers as her vision became clearer. Raphael was already awake siting silently on the wooden chair in the corner, his face looked ragged and deprived of rest.
"Hope you are fully rested, we leave soon." Raphael told her in a groggy voice and began coughing not a moment later.
Chastity stopped trying to fix her hair to get up and go over to observe him. She took his face in her hands abruptly and studied him closely.
His usual light tanned face had gone slightly pale, dark circles were revealed under his eyes and his lips were slightly cut and bruised.
"Did you not sleep at all?" Chastity asked, her tone full of concern as she ran a hand over his hair but brought it back down to feel his forehead.
His skin was burning up.
"You're getting a fever!" Chastity panicked as she withdrew herself to rush and get a cold wet cloth before returning to press it on his forehead.
His eyes studied her tirelessly, staying still to let her place the cloth on his forehead.
"You don't have to..take care of me, it's my job to look after you." Raphael muttered.
"You should have slept." She scolds him and his eyes lock onto hers with an unreadable emotion.
"You consumed my thoughts, so I couldn't." He confessed boldly, causing her hand to tremble against his forehead. His hand reached out to steady hers, keeping his eyes on her, they roamed over every feature of hers an
d she felt foreign to the feeling.
The burly man in the bar may have watched her with a lustful eye... but the way Raphael was watching her now was not so, it was one of what she would hope to think of as...adoring.
She shouldn't hope that's how he was looking at her, it wouldn't do her any good any way.
"Thank you for last night...all of it." Chastity blurted.
Raphael's lips twitched into a crooked smile as he let out a grunt of acknowledgement.
"We best be off now. The ship sails in the evening." He said as he was getting up, letting the cloth fall to the floor in the process.
Chastity frowned as his steps faltered towards the door and it dawned on her she had still not gotten dressed.
"Wait, Raphael! I'm not dressed!" She called out to him, but he only slumped against the wall and slid to the floor.
"Hurry." He rasped.
Shaking, Chastity threw over another flowing lavender dress and dug her feet into her brown boots before snagging her bag and rushing to kneel next to Raphael's side.
"You must help me get you to the carriage." She huffed nudging his arm. His head rolled to the side to face her with his eyebrows raised as he chewed on his lower lip.
When he did not move she pleaded, “Raphael!"
A broad grin broke out across his face as he relented into finally standing up to open the door for her.
"Never loved hearing my name so much till you came around." Raphael boasted and Chastity could not tell if he were joshing her, or being serious.
After buying fruit and a loaf of bread, the same burly man from the previous night spotted us.
Chastity peered over at him only to see him cower away from Raphael as they walked past. She turned her head to get a better look at the potbellied man, his eye was swollen shut and was purple.
Once out of hearing range, she asked Raphael what happened. "The bloke shouldn't have frightened you." Was his simple answer.
"Are we ready to leave my lady?" The coach men smiled at them as they hurried outside to the carriage.