A Fine Line (Being Rewritten into The Pursuit of a King)

Confessions

Today was the day.

As she looked up at the canopy of her bed, Violet could not shake the acute feeling of desolation that threatened to consume her. In approximately twenty minutes she would be expected to rise and prepare her sister for her wedding. It would be a grand and lavish affair, that could not compare to her own simple ceremony.

She had cried more than she had smiled on her wedding day. In the morning she had been shaking with sobs and needed her maid to assist her to get out of bed. Each step that she took down the aisle further sealed her fate. Trapped tragically into a marriage that was declared beneath her to a fool of a man.

Violet sat up and scrutinised her husband asleep on the sofa opposite her bed. They usually slept in separate rooms, yet here it had been assumed they had a normal marriage for all intents and purposes. William and her had not slept together since they first consummated their marriage, and what an absolute disaster that had been. She was however, a hot-blooded woman and occasionally found herself thinking lustful thoughts about her handsome husband.

Then he would open his mouth and the confusing feelings would disappear as quick as they had come.

Violet decided that as much as she wished she could lock herself in her room, her mother would certainly not allow such behaviour. She had been practically fawning over Amelia, desperate to make amends for her slip in judgement, yet nothing had worked. Nothing she had done would dissipate the gnawing guilt or the anger in Amelia's gaze.

Her remorse manifested itself in the violent twisting of her stomach whenever she laid eyes on her sister or her fiancé. Unfortunately her repentance did nothing to sate her acute jealousy, which seemed to grow as the wedding neared.

Violet found herself torn between the desire to fall at her sister's feet or throw the wretched woman from the battlements.

"Where are you going?" she had evidently woken William up when she rose from her bed.

"Where do you think?" Violet snapped already testy

"I'm going to ready Amelia for her wedding day"

"You enjoy that" he smirked; completely aware that this had been the day his wife had been dreading. Happy that he had managed to vex Violet without even rising from his makeshift bed, he promptly turned over and went back to sleep.

Violet seized one of the pillows from her bed and threw it violently at him. It missed hopelessly and he ignored her, only serving to worsen Violet's mood.

She could kill him right now. To think, that only two days ago she had been terrified at the thought of him meeting his death. Of course it had been a false alarm, only the King's brother and some inconsequential knight had been hurt.

Now she wished some rogue had had the sense to run William through when he had the chance. Then she would finally be rid of him.

She did not look at her husband lightly snoring on the sofa as she left with a huff. With each step she took towards her sister's room Violet was further incensed. Standing outside the door she arranged her features to exude extreme joy.

It was in times like this that Violet hated herself.

"Oh sister!" She exclaimed bursting through the door before she could decide to just run back to Rington where William could ignore her in peace.

"Today is the day you become next in line!"

Amelia as usual, was looking bleak and unappreciative. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot as though she had been crying all night. Violet felt a stab of frustration in response to her sister's dreary demeanour. Had she been in her place, she would have awoken at dawn and greeted the day with a song.

She could not understand her sister, it was insulting that not only would she be marrying the future King, but also that she did not have the good sense to be happy about it.

Her mother would arrive soon and begin barking orders. Violet only wished this day would end and she would be allowed to return home.

Even now with her sister staring blankly as though all good sense had left her, Violet still felt the sting of guilt. William had returned to their rooms that night seemingly unaffected by his wife's actions, contrary to his behaviour earlier in the evening. He seemed to suddenly decide that he did not care what Violet did and for some reason this hurt her.

***

William looked at himself searchingly in the mirror as his servant dressed him. He was running late as usual and he supposed his wife had forgotten about him and had gone to the chapel with her family.

No matter, he knew it was a cliché but his mother-in-law was a dragon and the less time he spent in her presence, the better. His thoughts briefly touched on Amelia and he found himself feeling sorry for the girl. Today she was undoubtedly marrying an impervious letch and he could not see happiness in her future.

Then again, if his marriage was to be used as an example, the institution was less about happiness and more about barely repressed mutual hatred.

As he neared the chapel, memories of his own ceremony haunted him. He had practically run to the church after not being able to sleep all night, desperate to make the most beautiful woman in the world his wife. What a fool he had been.

William managed to sneak in through the side door of the chapel and immediately sought out the brightest dress in the room. Thankfully Violet had sat in the front of the church reserved for close family and he was able to find a seat beside her.

"I absolutely abhor weddings, don't you?" he grinned sitting down and gazing at the mass of guests. He had arrived just in time to see Amelia float down the aisle, anchored by her father.

"You are late." Violet replied in a clipped tone, looking determinedly ahead.

"Does your sister not look beautiful today?" he whispered leaning closer to her. William felt the slow burn of desire in response to his mouth being so close to the creamy elegance of her neck.

Even though he had enough experience to know better, he still wanted her more than any other woman he had laid eyes upon.

Violet did not reply to his impertinent question but merely stiffened beside him. The flush of her cheeks betrayed her nerves at his sudden proximity. William, satisfied that he had made his wife sufficiently uncomfortable for now, shifted away from her again to view the proceedings.

He watched Amelia and Henry standing at the altar and was struck by both their expressions.

"Amelia looks absolutely miserable," he murmured to Violet. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes well she shouldn't be. Then again no one is ecstatic about a marriage arranged by others" she replied, her features clearly expressing her displeasure at her sister's lack of excitement.

"I was."

"Pardon?" Violet looked at him for the first time through her lashes.

"I wanted to marry you" William answered quietly "More than anything"

"Don't be silly" Violet sighed, turning back to watch her sister. He was suddenly struck by the need to have her understand what he had felt, to know what she had done to him through her cold indifference.

He reached for and grasped her hand tightly, she turned to look at him in surprise.

"I loved you Violet," he whispered, his breath fanning down her neck and sending shivers down her spine.

"I loved you like I'd never loved anyone before."

He released her hand and turned back to the ceremony as if nothing had happened, before looking back at her with his usual mocking smile.

"So yes, I feel one could say some are ecstatic over their marriages even if arranged. As for immediately afterwards, speaking from experience the overwhelming feeling is a keen sense of regret and dread."

"I would prefer it if we could remain silent from now on" Violet snapped, reverting to her chilly disposition. William was merely satisfied that he had managed to unsettle her.

Perhaps she was not as heartless as he had always thought.