She gave no response to him other than to stare blindly into the darkness. She had tears running down her face yet again, the only thought going through her mind was that she was once again being forced into something against her will. Yes, she wanted to marry Dominic but not like this. She wanted to be happy, yet she didn't even know what true happiness was. He may have smiled at her, but his smile held no comfort for his this night.
He must have understood her silence, as he said in a soft and comforting voice, "Oh, my dear Alannah, unlike the faerie tales of old, I am not the monster this time. I am the champion. I am taking it upon myself to be your champion, your knight in shining armor if you will.
"Before you object or try to reject the notion of marrying me Alannah, pleae hear me out. You need someone in your life who will stand up for you - yes? You also need someone who will love you and treat you like the Queen you are meant to be - yes? It is a little known fact that your father has lied to you all your life and that instead of being a Lord as he proclaimed to be, you find that he is nothing more than an arms dealer selling guns to the hightes bidder - yes? And now there is the simple fact that you have escaped him and his control. You have lived off the land, by any means possible. Mow because of the fact that you have slipped past your fathers men you represent leverage to your father's enemies and his competitors. He spent time in the German army before you were born Alannah, how do you think he became as powerful as he is now?"
"Wh…what?"
"Yes, Alannah, I did some digging into your fathers past, he is not who he says he is. Before you were born he was a General in that German Army, he has the blood of thousands of people on his hands. I am telling you this because you have to know the truth, being kept in the dark and given sugar-coated lies is not the way to live. For a young woman your age you have a a very sophisticated grasp of the true nature of the human race that very few people could stomach, even fewer people could or would accept the truth; you have strength and virtue and yet remain innocent, despite everything that has been thrown your way, you have remained uncorrupted in your heart.
"Know this too, Alannah, that I love you for who and what you are. I don't care that you would rather work in the fields than to sit in the house for tea parties. I love you for your strong back and your sun-kissed skin, and for the light and hope that you have brought into the lives of those around you. Mother had all but given up that I would ever settle down, that is until you showed up. Not that she had anything to do with encouraging Rosemary," he said with a chuckle, "but there has been a succession of girls that Mother encouraged to get my attention, that is until I told Mother to stay out of the matters of my heart."