The Caged Bird

Chapter 5

I was plunged into a state of shock upon hearing those words. My breath caught in my throat, leaving me utterly speechless. The idea of marrying a complete stranger was unfathomable to me. I couldn't wrap my head around it.

I admit, I had a limited understanding of relationships and marriages, but what I did know was that two people marry out of love, not as part of a business arrangement. That's what all the romantic novels and movies had taught me, after all.

Sure, I had read about arranged marriages, but the impression I got was that it wasn't practiced often anymore, at least here in the West.

I noticed my silence. I had to say something, but what?

"I-I am afraid I-I do not understand." I stuttered. I hated how insecure I sounded. 

As the words escaped my lips, a sinister smile crept across Edric's face, sending a shiver down my spine. If his demeanor had been kind and warm-hearted, perhaps I would have agreed to my father's proposition. But there was nothing warm or inviting about him. Instead, his expression was malicious, exuding an aura of darkness and coldness that chilled me to the core.

I attempted to push those thoughts away as I reminded myself of the lessons in etiquette I had diligently absorbed. A proper lady must never, no matter the circumstances, judge a book by its cover. A proper lady must therefore never judge another human being.

Nevertheless, my instinct told me that every fiber of my being wanted to run away from this cruel person.

"You will have to forgive my daughter. She was quite protected during her childhood as you can understand." My father said to the two males in front of him. He turned to me, "Ava when you are eighteen you will marry Edric. You know what I mean by that, right?" He pressed his last words, not wanting to be embarrassed by his ignorant daughter anymore.

"I-I know what you mean father, but why?" I asked hesitantly. I wrung my fingers, in a means to calm myself down.

Laughter erupted from the men in the office, spurred by my father's initiation, but my brother remained silent. "You don't need to concern yourself with the details; it's grown-up business," my father asserted, his words laced with a chilling edge, his smile devoid of warmth. "That is not something you should worry about with that little head of yours," he added dismissively.

It felt truly degrading. If he did not want me to appear naïve, why was he this condescending towards me? Why even bother at all bringing me here to his office? Why keeping me locked up and keeping me ignorant, only for him to make fun of me?

Somehow I always put my father on a pedestal, despite our difficult relationship. However, I noticed I started to slowly push him off of it. 

I stood there in stunned silence, oblivious to the men leaving the office. Only my brother remained by my side. "Ava, I'm sorry. I tried to prevent this, but Father..." His voice trailed off, heavy with a mixture of regret and helplessness.

"It's not your fault Xavier. I only want to know why I must marry him. I mean I don't love the guy, even better, I have never even met him. Xavier, please tell me why. I have learned that people only marry out of love for each other, but that is not the case with us."

Xavier sighed. "Oh, Ava..." He walked towards me and embraced me in a big hug. "I wished you could stay forever like this, this pure." He murmured against my head.

I'd heard about staying pure before, but I still didn't get it. Why do people say that? Frustration bubbled up as my questions lingered without answers. "So, you're just gonna leave me hanging?" I mumbled into his chest, feeling the weight of uncertainty pressing down on me.

"I'm sorry little sister, but I can't. Father will kill me."

I was shocked at hearing those words. Father would not kill his own son, he loved Xavier, right?

*** 

It was a couple of days after our father broke the news to me, about my arranged marriage. He did not speak about it or elaborate on why he had planned this marriage. He had only told me the wedding would be held a week after I turned eighteen. That was now three months away.

I did not know how to feel about this. Something deep inside of me told me it was wrong. However, the reason why I remained oblivious to the reason why this marriage was happening, dominated my feelings about the matter.

Not until today the wedding was not brought up. Until some days later I was reading in the library while Mary kept me company cleaning the room, a woman appeared. "Excuse me?" I looked up at the woman, but she was not talking to me. She was talking to Mary.

When Mary looked at her, she slightly bowed her head and excused herself from the room. The moment she left; the mystery woman turned to me. "You must be Ava. Hello dear, nice to meet you."

I stood up from the couch. The woman looked in her late forties, early fifties. She looked neat, with her pencil skirt, blouse, and matching accessories. Her nails were polished, and her hair was properly styled. She was the true definition of a proper lady, according to my etiquette teacher.

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you?" I asked politely. I closed my book and held it in front of me.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, how silly of me. I am Miranda, the mother of Edric, your soon-to-be mother-in-law." She said with a smile, but it did not look quite genuine.

"Well, nice to meet you too." I remained polite as I did not want to get on the bad side of my in-laws. Although I did not want to get married, I did not even want to think about it, yet here she was, my mother-in-law. Reminding me about what was to come.

"I see you are a nice young lady. You look neat, are polite and I see you are educated." She said as she was pointing at the book I was holding, which was a book by Popkin about historiography.

"Thank you," I said in a low voice.

"Please sit down, we have matters to talk about." I got confused, what matters were needed to be discussed.

"I'm afraid I do not understand." A frown appearing on my forehead.

"Well, the wedding of course dear. We need to discuss that. But you do not need to worry. I have already drawn out some plans and I got some magazines, so you can look at dresses." She took some forms and magazines out of her bag. "Look I have already selected some dresses that might fit you. And I have already thought of some themes for the wedding. Oh, and I have already thought of the catering."

I was overwhelmed with all the information. "Can't this wait Miranda; the wedding is still three months away."

"Oh no dear, most women plan their wedding months, sometimes even years, ahead. We have to make decisions now before we can't get anything ordered for the wedding."

Right then all the feelings I had suppressed about the wedding, hit me like a tsunami.

I did not want to get married.

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