The party thrown by the bride's father in celebration of his daughters wedding was humongous and quite extravagant.

After dancing with her father and both her uncle's Feeling rather overwhelmed Angelica made her way back to her seat at the long table that stretched along and beside the wall of her new husbands castle.

Luckily after the meal, and many toasts to their unborn heirs the rest of the guests had quickly abandoned the table in favour of dancing, or gathering around to watch the jesters and acrobats that her father had hired.

But after a few minutes, and feeling rather hot in the white marital robes that she was wearing, Angelica decided to go stand by the large window.

Stepping beside the gentleman who already stood their, gazing up at the full moon.

Upon a second glance, she realized it was Count Arval, her husband.

When he realized her presence, he gave her a polite courtly nod, unsure of what to do around his mute wife.

Angelica felt the urge to flee when the memory of the discussion her aunt had with her this morning, about what befalls a bride on her wedding night.

But stood her ground, she didn't want the count to think her frightful little mouse.

She had spent the last few days picturing her betrothed as the bad guy, a man intent on taking away her happiness and using her only as a tool for money and heirs. But upon seeing him at the alter she realized he wasn't the bad guy at all.

He didn't want to be married as much as she didn't. He was also a pawn to his Parent, a chess piece to be moved about at his mother's fancy.

Her hand instinctively reached into the satchel that carried the scroll and quill that she kept on herself at all times. She wanted to tell him something, but now even written words eluded her.

Instead she gazed at the vase filled with many varied colored trimmed roses, noticing his breast pocket was devoid of any flower or kercheif, She plucked a particularly red flower from the glass.

Benedict silently watched as his wordless bride snapped the stem off of the blood red rose. She turned to face him, flower in hand and nodded to his breast pocket, as if asking to place the rose there.

Benedict knew what it meant, it was a peace offering.

How sweet. He smiled, and brought her hand to his lips as a gesture of thanks.

"I guess the bright side of marriage to a speechless maiden like yourself is that you can never lie to me." He joked, breaking the silence a few minutes later.

Anjelicas eyebrows furrowed at that statement.

Is he ridiculing me? She thought to herself angrily before concluding that is was just a good natured jest.

Reaching into her satchel she pulled out her inkpot, quill and parchment scroll.

Uncorking the pot, she scribbled something onto the scroll and then held it up before him.

You look unbecoming and poorly dressed this evening.

Upon reading it, he took a step away from her and looked slightly hurt.

She simply smiled and laughed silently, before writing something else down.

See, I just lied to you.

The Count laughed.

"So she can talk. Well, more or less." He joked.

"I'm Sorry for the horrible things the guests are saying when they think you can't hear them." She wrote.

"They say those things with you around?" The count was slightly upheld by the treatment of the lady, Mute or not.

She smiled coyly, as if she knew a secret.

"You'd be surprised of the things I hear, gossips as well as hurtful things. They often forget I am not Deaf, just mute."

"Sly wife you are." He chuckled in good nature, as he peered over her shoulder to read her scroll.

Her expression turned serious.

"I'm sorry, I know someone like me could never be what you wanted. My father explained to me your situation, and I assume your mother forced your hand to marry me. But I want you to know I didn't marry you for your title, I did it only because my father wished it so, I had little choice in the matter."

Now Benedict had grown accustomed to the lies and treachery of females in their search for wealth and power, but looking at the blunt honest expression on this angels face, he knew in his heart she was telling the truth.

"I didn't wish to marry anyone, and neither did you. But hey look, we are married." Joked the Count

There was something different about this girl, as if her silence only added to her beautiful mystery.

They started to politely converse, about their parents, joking about the other guests, and of course, the war.

The royal found himself pleasantly surprised his new bride was on such matters of politics, most girls only cared about new fabric colors.

Suddenly the doors burst open, It was his eldest brothers messenger, panting from exhaustion the man ran to the count.

"Your grace, The Lithuanians are trying to breach the border, Your brother requests you on the field now."