The door banged open far before Raine was ready for her parents to return. She spun around on the stool before her vanity and watched as they walked in. Her tears began anew at the sight of them.

Her father scoffed when he saw her. “You’re still crying? How many tears can that small body of yours hold?” Turning to his wife, he pointed to Raine, “Have you not told her the news yet? Isn’t that what you were doing in here?”

Lady Aurora sighed. “Oh I told her. She wasn’t happy about it, but yes, she does know her fate.”

“Not happy?” He faced Raine. “How can you not be happy? Derrin is such a gentleman. Why, in his country he’s set to be one of the rulers. We might lead this small place as the Prince sees fit, but he’s a prince in his own right. Are you not proud that you will join him?”

“I can’t be proud to join him, because I do not love him.” She took a deep breath in and firmly arranged her skirts in front of herself. “I am thankful that you have thought of me and my happiness in this time. But this will not bring happiness to me.”

Lord Rigel walked over and brushed Raine’s hair over her shoulders before he squeezed them. “I promise you child, on Thursday you will walk with me to the church and marry Derrin, whether or not you love the man. You will grow to love him. And,” he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, “should you refuse, you will be thrown from this house.” Pushing her backwards into the table he stormed to the door.

“Wait father, please!”

“Are you mad?” yelled Lady Aurora as she raced in between her husband and the door.

“Please listen to me, father!” She grabbed his coat and dropped to his knees. “Please, I’m begging you.”

Rigel grabbed Raine’s wrists and twisted them off his coat. He tossed her to the ground. “Silence before I toss you into the sea.” He snarled as he took in his daughter and his wife. “I tell you what: you come to the church on Thursday and get married and we will never speak of this again. If you still refuse, I will never see you again. No,” he shook his fist at her, “don’t speak. I’m ready to strike.” Spinning on his heel, he grabbed Lady Aurora’s arm and pulled her to the door. The door banged against the wall, knocking some of the small statuettes and books to the floor. As the ceramic shattered, Rigel left. “I can’t believe you and I thought we were blest to have that as our child. Now I know better. She is nothing but a curse.”

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Raine ran to the door and watched through new tears as her father marched down the hall.

“How dare you say such a thing,” snapped the nurse as she charged after him. “She is a blessing, and you are wrong to say anything else.”

Rigel snarled. “Of course you think I should listen to you and your infinite wisdom. You are nothing but a pitiful waste who seeks no other enjoyment than to gossip about the latest tiff amongst your better. Hold your tongue and get out of my sight.”

“I am not lying,” said the nurse, holding her ground the way Raine imagined only a woman who swaddled Rigel’s infant body could.

“Silence!”

“Is no one allowed to talk? You’ve silenced your daughter. You haven’t heard a word from your wife. Will you now silence me as well?

Raine watched as her father’s face reddened even more and the veins in his forehead bulged. When he spoke next, each word vibrated out of him. “Yes. I want you to be quiet. Go and tell whoever you gossip with what you want to say, but do not say it here.”

“Husband, you need to calm down.”

Rigel spun and glared at his wife. “Can no one understand why this makes me mad? Here I have spent all my life caring for and providing for her on my own. And now, here we are. She’s a woman and a gentleman of noble birth wants to wed her. But will she have him? No? All she can say is she won’t marry a man she cannot love.” Turning, he stormed back to Raine.

She flinched and shrank back into her room as he got closer.

“Since you will not marry a man who would care for you. I’m done. I will not care for you either. On Thursday you will marry him or you will rot in the streets. But by the gods above, if you refuse his hand, I will never acknowledge you again. You will never receive any help from me. This room, the food you eat, the gardens you love, all of it will be lost to you forever.” Turning on his heel once more, he marched past his wife and the nurse.