CHAPTER SEVEN

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His mother gasps ...'' Williams''!! her hands shoot to her chest while the other to her mouth, she stares at the king and his wife in fear.

''Forgive my bosom friend my king, but he had too much wine and it has somehow disrupted his thinking faculty, I can attest to his humbling nature and his very very obedient attitude. The wine is never a true test of character..'' Theodore steps forward with a hand to his chest and takes a bow joining the Beaumonts.

Williams shakes his head in disbelief. This was not happening to him too, Princess or no Princess, he wants none of it, none. Not now anyways, he had a plan, to birth ideas and all that, not come back home immediately to wife any woman. Well, ofcourse he doesn't mind bedding a maiden of his fancy and who fancies him every once in a while, which was out of mutual consent and the spur of the moment..but that did not tie him down. Not like that slut Theodore who beds anything that smiles at him. But this, this is ridiculous and highly preposterous. Now, they want to tie him down to the ..nooooo! He wants no part in this, he refuses.

''Very well, I do not take any to heart, Duke De Beaumont, I believe that I would get a respectful and positive response before the fortnight of the coming week?''

''Aye my king.''

''Very well, we would take our leave.'' They get up ''Rise son, your king holds no grudges against his future son in -law'' He says giving his hand to his wife who places hers in his.

Williams rises; he is shaking his head ''Thank you, my Lord!''

The king nods, they watch and the Royal family exit with their entourage out of the court and into the night. Duke De Beaumonte and his wife, followed by Adrian escort them out.

As soon as they empty the court, Williams curses in all the vulgar languages he knew.

''Dear God Williams, curb your tongue, the walls have years ''Adrian enters back into the inner court.

''Curb my tongue? Did you know of this brother, did you? Is that why I was sent from outer states barely hours after my graduation ceremony?''

He shakes his head ''Do not be silly, I only knew of it as you did.''

''Oh so father thought it wise to set me up?'' Williams exclaims throwing his hand in the air and pacing the length of the room, Adrian is smiling.

''What is so funny, does this look funny?''

Adrian folds his hands as he smiles more ''forgive me little brother but I need to ask, are you mad or you simply had a death wish?''

''What is that supposed to mean?'' Williams stops pacing, his brow furrows.

''You challenged the king of some sort, word for word. He would have had your head, have you no fear?''

'''Well, it wasn't my intention but....did you hear what he said?''

Theodore goes to the table and pours himself a glass of wine, he turns to him ''Yes, he wants you to bed the princess and birth mini Willys and Princesses''

''Now is not the time to be fancy Theodore'' Williams points to him.

Theodore chuckles drinking wine ''Infact I think it is.. do you know how many men dream to be in this spot you so bluntly reject?''

''I do not care, they can go''

''Have you seen the princess my Duke of William De Beaumont?''

''Yes, when she was a scrawny little wrench of a girl, causing the palace to go on an uproar looking for her only to find her dangling from a tree. I remember that day vividly. I was about fourteen score years and had accompanied my father to the palace because Mama had been ill. They sent the entire guard for a search party and there she was, dangling over my head as I sat under the shade. She was a frightening child. Princesses I know are well mannered and all, but she had dreadful hair, and dirt under her nails and I mistook her for a maid's child and pulled her down by her hair. We got into a fight because she had dared to confront me for picking an apple she tossed to the earth. It was a bloody apple that looked so beautiful not to eat'' He shakes his head ''It wasn't until Papa pulled my hair and gave me a quick smacking did I realize that I was having a ruffle with the crown Princess. But who could blame me, she was a dreadful child, only God knows what creature she has turned into now''

Adrian laughs ''She hasn't changed much..from what I hear, she gives them hell, still climbing trees, going missing for hours and the guards still have to find her and bring her back''

''Right, and they want me to be stuck with her? Noo, that would be hell on it. I will not marry a manner-less girl. My bride would be beautiful, smart and obedient and well behaved like a lady from any caste I choose to lay my eyes on. There is something called falling inlove brother, not what they do here. God, nooo I refuse it''

''Well, I would have you know that She has changed in looks, a beauty if I might add, you may not even remember how she looked them but now..whoof!! the sun bows where she walks. Smart she is, very inquisitive, you will always see her at the royal library with tons of books filling her hand. I hear she wants to travel the world one day and make history''

''I see what you are doing Adrian, it is not working'' Williams points to his brother shaking his head.

''Come on Willy boy, it wouldn't be such a bad thing and to marry into the royal family? That is an achievement in your lifetime, an opportunity that never comes but here you have it. With all your degrees put together, imagine, William Duke De Beaumont to wed the crowned Princess, the prestige, the fame, the respect and the affluence. Aah! Thinking of what it would do for you, think about how your ideas would be given an audience with the king because you both would be in close proximity. And the king do not have a male heir, you are next in line for anything worth royalty. My Williams, surely you must see the big picture here. I was surprised about the proposal but now, I think it is the best we have had in this family in a long time. Trust me, you will make beautiful babies, she is a beauty..that I can assure you''

Williams chuckles ''Let her be the fairest maiden in the land Adrian, I will pick my bride when I am ready and not before. I cannot believe Papa brought me back for this'' He goes to the table, pours himself wine and then gulps the entire contents down, he takes two more glasses and goes for a third.

''Easy Williams, we do not want you drunk in this state '' Theodore takes the bottle and glass from him.

''He did not set you hope my Williams, it was a fatherly instinct kicked in. He wants the best for you and for you to be settled. But the fact remains that you were supposed to be back when done, you have been away from the province for years, coming back once or twice, this was already pre-planned for you to return finally when you are done, this you were aware off to return to your roots, was it not?''

''Yes, to use my ideas and knowledge to transform the province in any way I can''

''Exactly! But for you to get a proposal from the king himself, it is wonderful news. You may not have been ready but...this is good, really good. I was never ready, I wanted to scream and rebel, but weeks with my beloved, I was the happiest man Williams, you will be too. Imagine, Duke Williams..and Princess Annalisa Jane Aurelius Jacobs, heir to the throne and wife to the duke of Beaumont. Ahhh! I see the cheers and whistles already'' he claps and then adjusts his clothes ''We the Beaumont would walk the whole ten provinces with our head held high and others bowing to us, we are the inlaws of the Royal family..how glorious would that be?''

''You have gone quite mad Adrian!'' Williams goes to perch on the chair and stares at the door ''I do not accept. Let Father come, this we would iron out man to man''

''Snr Duke De Beaumont is right, it is not every day one gets a proposal like that from the king'' then he smiles ''And I would be respected as the friend of the Duke of the royal family.. Ahh, Adrian, you see the future!'' They laugh at their joke. ''And many more maidens would flock at my side, but since you be married to the Princess, I would gladly take them off you the maidens and bed them at will. Oh glorious, the gods choose right, my willy would be royalty soon. '' They laugh again, Williams did not.

''You too Theo?''

Theodore takes a seat beside him ''Well, honestly if it were me, I would jump at it!!''

''You chase anything in skirts, of course you would''

''And you chase the trousers mi lord?'' Theodore eyes him ''We both love what's between a woman's thighs, even Duke Adrian would attest to its heavenly sweetness. You have had much as I did back in the hinterlands.''

''No, just not as much as you do but I know what I want, and what I want is not the Princess and most especially to be coerced into this. This is..unruly and selfish. Father is being inconsiderate, so is the king!'''

''Shhh son, the walls have years !'' Theodore states placing a finger to his own lips and looking around.

''Right!!''

They look up when the door opens and they see him walk in.

''Father, I -'' Williams stands up walking to his father to speak, his father silences him with his fingers.

''Let me tell you something Williams, I have known the king, my friend for years and we have created those bonds that will last for a lifetime, and our children can benefit from this too. When the King had mentioned that he had told Lord Middleton about finding a match for his daughter, I had thought that what better match than my son. Was that wrong Williams? Because I know you are a good lad, that I can vouch and she..my lady might be a handful but she has a pure soul and beauty that radiates from within and glows in her appearance. As a father, I spoke to the king and he knowing me and then seeing that my sons are good breed thus greed and he told you his proposal. Now tell me what wrong I have done to put my son first? Shouldn't it be a thing of joy for you Williams? Why would you dare to want to insult the king or his princess?''

''No father, you have done no wrong but I believe my thoughts should be considered before it is arranged''

''We do not consult with children when fixing matches for their future. My father and my father before me and his father and father's before them were not consulted. It is a tradition. Once a child is ripe, he or she is paired with the best match, a proposal is given, accepted, marriage takes place and life goes on. Ask your Madame, she was not given an opinion poll, she accepted and I accepted and we birthed two wonderful boys, do not disgrace me young Williams, for the King to accept my words and thus gave his proposal is a big deal, now you so arrogantly dare to refuse the King?''

''Father, it is my life we are talking about, you cannot plan it for me, your rules are old and needs refining, so does your traditions!!!'' he flares up.

''You will not speak to your Lord that way!"' His father's voice is stern.

''Easy Williams!'' Adrian cautions.

Williams runs his hand through his hair and groans painfully, he covers his face for a second and then drops his hands, going to his father ''Papa, do not confine me to this ..please''

''No! it is a good proposal. You forget that marriage is not about bedding young Williams, it is an alliance between two houses, for support and for allies. Do not act as though you do not know these things..''

''But Papa, we can be allies without marrying into the royal family, without having me thrown into this. I do not want to be forced into this Papa, I will choose my bride but when I am good and ready, please, reject this offer. The Princess is not someone I would want to spend my life with Papa!''

''No, you must have had so much to drink you and you do not realize the blessings dropped in your hands. Sleepover it, have a few days to loiter the provinces and enjoy the freedom of a single man, come the fortnight of the coming week, the De Beaumonts would go to the Palace with our gifts of acceptance and you will behave like the proper gentleman I raised you to be. You will also get to speak and get to know your bride. That is all that would be said about this matter, I , your father has spoken. I dare you to go against my command'' With that Alan De Beaumont turns and walks out of the inner court.

''Adrian, talk to Papa, he would listen to you'' Williams grabs his brother by the shoulders.

Adrian chuckles '' listen to me? if that were possible I may have been married to lady Bibina, and maybe have been in the last provinces shielded away from all civilization and my spawns be midgets and wield axes. You know your father does what he wants and especially when he sees is right, and right now, I do believe this is a good proposal, for you, for us, and for our province, Sleep Williams, tomorrow, this would not be as dreadful as you imagine.'' He touches his brothers face, pulls his head to his ''It would be fine'' as their forehead touches, he raises his and then places a kiss to William's forehead and then leaves them. " by the morrow.. You will be fine my young Duke" he says over his shoulders before he disappears behind the door, letting it shut quietly behind him.

''Well I think that.. "

"Save it Theodore.. My anger would be spitting and you do not want to get in the middle of it. I will not marry the Princess.. I will not. "

"It is the King's order, be realistic! ""

"Well he would just have to accept my rejection. I do not care what Papa orders. I will not. "

Theodore places his hands on his friend's shoulders.. "Sleep on it. Maybe tomorrow you may see the light. " he stares out the window.. " I best be on my way before the parents send a search party for me"

"Nonsense they know their scalawag of a son would be here or between a woman's legs if he isn't home. I will have Lily arrange the guest chambers for you " they are leaving the inner court and making their way down the hall.

"Would she help me with a massage too? I wonder " he taps his jaw.

"Eyes away from that maiden, she is family. Papa would skin you alive. Marriage.. The princess? This is a bad dream I hope to awake from by the morrow"

"Aye.. I pray you bask in the reality from it. "

They disappear down the hallway and into his chambers.