Chapter 13 - Thirteen
The sun dipped towards the horizon, casting long shadows across the dusty road. The journey seemed to stretch on forever, the rhythmic clatter of the carriage wheels a monotonous lullaby. Ryan, tired of staring out the window at the unchanging landscape, finally tore his gaze away.
A flicker of movement caught his eye. He turned his head slightly to see Suzy, slumped against the opposite seat, fast asleep. The sight that greeted him was... unexpected. Her head bobbed at an unnatural angle, her mouth hanging open slightly, and a low murmur escaped her lips, the words nonsensical to his ears.
Ryan frowned, a wave of annoyance washing over him. Even in sleep, she couldn’t manage to be graceful. The way she slept, so sprawled out and undignified, was opposite to the composed demeanor expected of a noble.
Ryan couldn’t help but let out a frustrated sigh. This entire situation was a headache. His father, consumed with securing an alliance with her family which won’t be beneficial anyway, had thrust him into this unwanted marriage. Now, he was stuck with this... this woman, who seemed determined to irritate him at every turn.
He couldn’t deny that Cassandra was different from the women he was accustomed to. At the Carleton ball, the sight of her posture and manner had him confused. What made her change? Traditional women of noble birth were supposed to be demure, quiet, and obedient. Cassandra, however, was anything but that.
It had been one thing after another. Her constant chatter, her inappropriate questions, her complete disregard for tradition – it all infuriated him. Didn’t she understand that a wife was supposed to be silent, submissive, and above all, graceful?
Back then, her presence had triggered a primal, almost instinctive annoyance within him. Now, as he watched her sleep, her face flushed and peaceful, she seemed less like a threat and more like... well, more like a puzzle he couldn’t quite decipher.
He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration mounting. Why, oh why, did his father have to choose now, of all times, to play his political games? Ryan had been on the verge of leaving on a long-awaited expedition, a chance to explore uncharted territories and escape the suffocating expectations of court life. Now, that dream was on hold, replaced by the death of his father, reality of this unwanted marriage and other things.
A particularly loud snort from Suzy jolted him from his thoughts. He watched, jaw clenching, as she turned in her sleep, her legs flailing out and momentarily knocking over a small leather pouch tucked beneath the seat. Papers spilled out, fluttering to the floor of the carriage.