The Foreign Bride

Twenty-One

The door slammed to Annalisa's room, startling her from her position at the window.

Edward stood in front of the doors, with his hand balled at his sides and his face red with anger as he marched into her room.

"What happened?" She asked after a few moments of silence. She was afraid to ask but she had to know what was going to happen.

It had been nearly two weeks since she had seen her husband and she was terrified, during those weeks, that she would never see him again.

But here he was, safe and angry.

"We set up camp right on the other side of their camp. We planned to meet in the middle and discuss the terms of war, on his request. Can you believe it? On his request! Who in the bloody hell ask to meet their enemy in the middle to discuss wartime terms?" Edward rambled on, throwing himself into a chair a ripping off his boots. "His terms of war were outrageous! Impossible to meet even if we had all the money in the world and half the world at our feet. Do you know what they were?

He tossed the boots aside into a pile and continued on, not waiting for Annalisa's reply, "His terms of war— the preposterous terms of war, was you. He wanted you! My wife, my own wife! My queen. My angel. " Edward scoffed and threw the book on the bedside table at the wall, "That bastard!"

Annalisa turned her head back out to look out the window and took a shaky breath in, "What will you do?"

Just right outside the small village, Annalisa could see the glowing lights from two camps separated by a small river. England versus Jacque. A war that would end in someone's death, along with hundreds of soldiers.

Edward did not seem to hear her for he kept in disrobing himself, moving to his shirt, "I should've listened to you, Anna. You told me that Jacque was on our heel and Peter was coming for you but I let my selfish pride stand in the way of a realistic fear. He says that we will go to war if I do not give him back what rightfully belonged to his son. Rightful his? I am the one who married you. I am the one who bedded you. I am the one who has a child with you and took care of you no matter what! If that bastard thinks that you belong to him, he's in for a big surprise because—"

"Edward." Annalisa said, looking back at him.

"England should always be the strongest country. We should win with no problem. Our army is bigger and stronger and—"

Annalisa walked over to him and gripped his face with her hands, her nails sinking into his skin. "Edward!" She said in her loudest voice.

His head snapped towards her, his eyes wide. He reached up to grab her hands off of his face, "What is it, love?"

"What will you do, Edward?" She asked, her voice remaining calm and still.

He shook his head and pressed his palms into his face, "I will have to go to war, Annalisa. There is no other choice. You are mine and only mine."

"Edward, you cannot do that to our people. Your job is to me, yes, but also our people. You cannot throw our people into war just for the sake of one person." Annalisa said, not meeting his gaze.

"No, absolutely not. I will not give you up for my people. You matter a lot to people, Annalisa. I cannot give you to him because our people need you. You are their Queen. You are the one who hears their complaints when I have my ears closed. You are the one who brings little heirs to the throne. You are the one who takes care of me. You are my Queen and it is my duty to protect my Queen at all cost." He turned his back to her and started to pace the side of her room.

Annalisa shook her head, becoming frustrated with her husband, "I will not let people die for me, Edward!"

Edward spun around, "And I will never let someone else have you! You are mine." He walked towards her and grabbed her around the waist, "I will die for what is mine, understood? I will never let anyone else have you as long as you are with me. Even if I am dead, you will still belong to me. This is final."

Annalisa shoved her hands into his chest, "I will not let your stubborn pride kill our people! Just let me go, Edward!" She yelled, her fear starting to muddle her head.

"Annalisa, listen to me!" Edward pleaded.

Annalisa shook her head and walked over to the window, "Just go Edward."

There were a few moments of blissful silence: then the sound of footsteps marching across the floor. And then the door slammed shut to her bedroom, startling her.

It was in that moment, when she turned around to the closed doors, that Annalisa realized that the moment she had just had with her husband, could have been her last.

~~~~~~

"M'lady, you need to get some sleep. You'd be runnin' 'til you drop. 'Tis ain't good for ya." Bridget said as she walked around Annalisa's bedroom, picking up the carelessly thrown articles of clothing her husband had left.

Annalisa could not answer her. Her eyes had not left to small makeshift town since she watched her husband ride out.

There had been once a time in her life where the castle had scared her. She did not like being trapped within the walls, unable to escape in a moments notice.

When she married Edward and became the Queen, things changed. With Edward in the castle, she felt at ease. She was able to make a home out of the castle for her small, three-member family and had even opened her arms to the only maid who had been at her side since day one.

Bridget had become like an ill speaking sister to her after all this time. Annalisa could hardly work without Bridget at her side.

Now, the castle was something that was suffocating her with fear. She was hiding behind those walls due to fear but it was also fear that made her want to escape those walls.

Annalisa turned to look at Bridget, who stared back at her with a handful of laundry.

It would have been a funny sight, one with boots hanging in every direction and a shirt between her teeth, had not Annalisa just realized something.

"Bridget, I have made a mistake."

"M'lady?" Bridget asked, letting the piece of cloth drop to the floor.

"I have made a terrible mistake." She repeated.

Bridget did not answer her. It was common for her to do so when she was confused.

"I have to go see my husband, Bridget." She said, clarifying what she meant.

Bridget let the items in her hands drop to the floor as she rushed to Annalisa's side, "Quickly, m'lady, let me help you dress."