A Temptation of Angels

“You are being unnecessarily difficult” King Robert Rimmer yelled at his daughter. This wasn’t so hard, he thought. He never complained when it was his turn. So why was it so hard for his own child to come to terms with it.

“How the hell am I being difficult” his daughter Bonnie Rimmer yelled back. “I’m standing up for what I believe in…just like you taught me to do”

“Don’t take that tone with me young lady, and definitely not that language either” Robert said, “When I said ‘stand up for yourself’, I didn’t mean defying everything I have taught you to be including the traditions of this kingdom”

Bonnie scoffed. “Kingdom?” she repeated. “Dad, I know you are old, but you are not that old. It’s not eighteen, sixty four anymore, Dad. What you are asking me to do is stupid. No offense.”

“Oh, I take offense. I take a lot of offense. You act like I’m sentencing you to death.”

“You are asking me to get married to a man I barely know, so yes. You are sentencing me to death’ Bonnie retorted.

“You are doing it for the kingdom, Bonnie” Robert said, deciding to try a new tactic. Talking to Bonnie calmly always worked. Sometimes, the best way to make someone do something is by making then think the idea was theirs. That way, they felt like they were in control. He placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her down into the couch. “Getting married to Prince Marcus is your duty. It will be good for the kingdom if the both of you get married.”

Bonnie pushed away his hand and jumped to her feet. “Maybe I don’t care about the kingdom” she said.

“You don’t mean that” Robert said.

“Oh I definitely do. I don’t care about the kingdom enough to get married to a man I don’t know.”

“How can you say that? You do know him”

“I met him a couple of times and I found him extremely annoying, boring, and full of himself. Just the thought of getting married to him makes me want to puke over and over again. I cannot even imagine spending the rest of my life with him. You can’t make me do this, Dad. If I ever get married, it’s not going to be for duty so you better drop the topic because I can’t think of anything else more miserable than being in a loveless marriage. You can’t just push someone at me. That’s not the way it works…and you of all people should know that. You have mom”

She turned to go….

“I was in a loveless marriage….once” Robert said.

Bonnie stopped in her tracks and turned to face her father. She was sure she heard him wrong. “What? You were married to someone else before you married mom?” she asked.