Eoin dragged me inside the room and seeing me the Marquis frowned:
"Where the hell did you go? We have been looking for you for half an hour."
I shrugged.
"Do you really care about the answer?"
The Marquis' frown deepened:
"What are you talking about?"
Winona snarled at the other side of the room:
"I think Zeidan isn't fully awake yet, father. Maybe that's because of all those crazy books that he stays up and reads all night.
-Winona."
Hearing her father's voice, my sister stopped talking. She did pretend that she wasn't affected at all but she couldn't hide her flinch.
"This is not a day for jokes. Don't you understand how big this is for us? We should celebrate. After years of shame, the Gnash name will finally be back at the same level as Grimsbane."
Scelerus Gnash stood up and walked up to me:
"And all this is thanks to you. My dear son. I am so proud of you. You are saving our family's honor."
I pinched my lips. I couldn't believe how happy I had felt hearing this in the past. I had spent years begging for my family's approval but I only got it when they sacrificed me to their enemy. No one asked for my opinion. Had anyone asked me if I wanted to marry a stranger? Adaranth was the only one who ever cared about my feelings. Not that I refused in the past. I thought that this would finally bring me closer to my family.
I thought back to the way I had been treated in the Dukedom. It was exactly the same as back home: ignored and belittled. I had spent so long planning my escape and at the end I was back at the beginning. It was so ironic that I couldn't help laughing.
"I don't give a shit about this family's honor and I am not going to marry a stuck up asshole."
That was what I wanted to say but of course I didn't. Want it or not, I was destined to marry Payne Grimsbane before dying in the attack on the Dukedom by my family. It was really unfair but I had spent months getting over it. I was just a pawn on a huge chessboard that I didn't understand the rules of. Thinking about it, these people weren't any better off. I knew that they would end up executed and that thought somewhat reassured me. They would never have their happy ending. Why not let them dream a bit more?
"I am glad I could make myself useful."
My father cupped my face with a scary smirk.
"You finally are."
My dear sister looked at me up and down:
"We should hurry up and buy Zeidan some acceptable clothes. The Duke will never keep him if we give him in such a state."
The Marquis looked down at my pants:
"Why did you have to go and ruin such nice clothes?"
He sighed before turning towards a servant:
"Bring us the young Master's green and red vests."
Eoin almost dropped his fork:
"What? But father... You bought those for me yesterday!
-Did you just talk back to me?
-I... No..."
Seeing her brother pout, Winona laughed:
"Don't worry, brother. Soon you will be able to buy as many vests as you want thanks to our little Zeidan."
She smiled at me and I felt my whole body be covered in goosebumps. She was so ugly when she smiled.
"Thank you so much Zeidan."
I excused myself saying that I was tired. No one held me back and I heard them talking about what they would make me wear the next day. I was surprised that they weren't sending me away that same day judging by how excited they were.
"Master... Are you okay?"
When I looked up I saw a worried redhead. Seeing my best friend finally cheered me up:
"I told you to call me Zeidan.
-Yes, Zeidan... We should quickly get you treated. Do your knees hurt?"
I shook my head quickly:
"No. It's just a scratch.
-Better safe than sorry."
He gently pulled me to my bed and helped me sit down before he tended to my injuries. It really was nothing big and soon I was in bed. I was exhausted and needed to sleep a bit but before Adaranth left I grabbed his hand:
"Thank you so much, Ranti. You are the best friend I could ask for. Thank you for everything.
-Zeidan...
-Don't worry about me. Everything will be fine. I am not going to stay married to that bastard.
-Mas... Zeidan? What are you talking about?
-You were right. My family doesn't deserve my help. I am done with them. Don't worry, I will go with the Duke but after a few weeks the two of us will run away.
-What?
-You probably think that I'm crazy but I know that our wedding will be pushed back in five months. By then we will have more than enough time to escape."
Adaranth finally accepted the situation and he started matching my energy:
"Yes! Let's leave together. I will make enough money for both of us. Everything will be fine."
I shook my head:
"Don't worry. I will make a lot of money with my singing."
Amaranth went back to being puzzled:
"Singing? I didn't know that you could sing, Zeidan."
I didn't know about any of my talents before leaving the Gnash domain. The first time I married the Duke, I thought that he could be a good partner. After being betrayed three times by his family and him, I gave up on that idea and started looking for money on my own in the hope of running away before our wedding. In those five months I realized that I was gifted with a very nice voice and people paid a lot to hear it. Unfortunately fate caught up to me and the attack was held sooner than expected.
"I can. You will see. We will get months worth of money in a single night."
Adaranth did seem a bit doubtful:
"I am glad to see you so excited, Zeidan."
I couldn't take it anymore and fell asleep. When I woke up next there were five strangers in my room. I wasn't used to being helped getting ready and it was very awkward having five pairs of hands pulling clothes off and putting clothes on me. It was still dark outside and I would have probably fallen back asleep if not kept awake by the awkwardness. By the time I got dressed, my bags were already packed and my whole family was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, smiling.
I rolled my eyes and went down the stairs, ignoring all three of them. They were very surprised by my behavior. They expected me to cling to them and maybe even cry because I didn't want to leave. I wasn't that pitiful even in the past and they weren't going to see me shed any tears. I was tempted to pretend for a second but I just didn't have the energy.
They didn't have time to question me about my behavior because we heard a knock on the door. I waited for the Marquis to open but what we saw behind the door made all of us freeze.