The Mask Ch. 02

"No I'm not," Eric said as he stormed to the fireplace. "Go to hell." he cursed the King as the secret panel opened and he disappeared inside.

He ran up the secret stairs and into his bedroom. He paused, looking around the room. He had no idea what to do. He knew Edward would force him to marry this girl. Although he was attracted to her, and did have a soft spot for her, he didn't want a wife. He wasn't the kind of man who could have a wife.

He was a monster. His whole body was scared and deformed. He could hide it. Hide it behind a mask, but a wife would want to see it all. And then she would be disgusted and would hate him.

He had had enough women scream and faint in front of him as a young man. He didn't want this girl to be afraid of him. He shook his head and leaned against the fireplace mantel. He had no idea what to do.

He had no idea how long he stood there, staring at the wall. Thought running through his head. Memories of how he was before, and after, and god help him, during. He stared to pant as his hands went to the mask. He could almost feel the fire encircling him, the young girl that he was protecting crying beneath him.

He let out a strangled cry and ripped off the mask. Bringing his hands up to cover the scars. The doctor said he could fix his face, make it so it wouldn't look so horrible disfigured. It didn't work. It just left more hideous looking scars.

Slowly he moved towards the bed, he sat down, the mask laying on the bed beside him. He slowly picked it up and frowned.

"My lord?" a soft voice said as the door opened. He didn't move. "The priest has arrived."

"Tell him to go away." Eric said as he moved to put the mask back on.

"I can't. The King..."

"Can go to hell."

"Yes, you already told him that. I'm sure you are the only one who has ever cursed him and lived. You are lucky he hasn't dragged you down to the Tower of London to behead you."

Eric turned, once the mask was in place, and looked at his so called trusted servant.

"You agree with him?"

"She was innocent." Henry said with a shrug. "She is pregnant. Carrie-Anne told me that for the last month she has been very moody, hiding from everyone. She thought it was a good thing she wanted to come out today."

"Carrie-Anne is a child. What does she know?"

"She knows how her sister used to act, before you."

Eric turned and walked over to his desk. "I can't marry her, Henry," he said with a sigh. "If I was normal... yes... but..." he shook his head. 
"So you are hiding behind that mask?"

"I'm not hiding."

"Yes you are. And I've allowed you to." Henry moved deeper into the room. Placing his hand on the shoulder of the boy he watched grow into a man. "Eric, what happened to you was horrible. And for 10 years you've been hiding in this house behind that mask. Isn't time you let go of that mask, and maybe let someone in."

Eric snorted.

"She has seen your face, has she not?"

Eric nodded.

"Why not give her the choice."

"Her the choice?" Eric turned and looked at him.

"Show her your face again, let her decide. I'm sure if she chose not to be with you, the King would find someone else for her to marry."

Eric ran a hand through his hair and sighed. The old man had a point. If she could stand to see his face, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad having her around. He already liked the way her hand and mouth felt around his cock.

"Very well," he said as he moved to a drawer, and took out a small box. Opening it, he took out a diamond ring that had belonged to his mother. If he was going to make this lady his wife, she mine as well wear the ring that went along with the title.

"Very good, my lord," Henry said with a bow. "Now I suggest you use the hallway." He nodded towards the door.

Eric grunted and slipped the ring on his pinky finger. He then turned and walked out the door, down the main stairs to the main hall, where soldiers were waiting just out side the library.

They nodded as he walked by them and back into the library.

Both Miranda and the King were sitting on the sofa when he walked in. The priest was looking at a book shelf. One of the skinny clerks that followed the King around, was busy writing something down.

"Your majesty," he nodded to the King. "May I request a moment alone, with the young lady?"

"Before or after the wedding?" The King asked.

"Before," Eric hissed.

The King smiled. "Very well," He stood up, helping Miranda up and moved her towards Eric.

"We will only be a moment," Eric said as he took her arm and dragged her to the door in the back of the room. He opened it and pushed her into the dark dining room.

He closed the door and looked at her. She stared back at him.

"Is this what you want?" he asked.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"If you tell the King you don't want to marry me, he will find you another husband."

"But it's your baby.."

"The man won't care who's child it is. He will raise it as his own, if ordered by the King. Now do you or do you not want this?"

"It's your baby."

"That's not what I'm asking you." Eric sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, just under the mask. "Quit being a stupid child, Miranda. Either you want to marry me or you don't."

Miranda took a step back and looked at him. Since she had met him two months ago, he had filled her dreams. She wanted to be with him. Want him to touch her again and she wanted to touch him.

"Yes."

"Can you stand to look at me for the rest of your life," he held up his hand. "Before you answer..." he reached behind his head, undid the ribbon, and removed the mask.

She gasped slightly at his face. The scars shown bright in the low light. She bit her bottom lip and stared at him.

"Can you live with this?" he asked again in a husky voice. "Live with a monster."

"You aren't a monster," she said as she moved closer to him. "You just have some scars." She reached up and ran her hand over his check.

He grabbed her and and held it against him. He couldn't fully grasp why she wasn't screaming and calling him names. Then he remembered the rest of his body. The doctor had tried to fix his face, perhaps he had done a pretty good job, if she wasn't disgusted by him, but the rest of his body. The rest of the scars. She would regret her choice. But he had given her the choice.

He took her hand, kissed the palm then placed it again his chest. He moved to tie the mask back on. 
"Very well, my dear, let's get this over with." He opened the door to the library, holding it open for her.

"Yes, Eric," she said. He closed his eyes as the sound of her saying his name. It was like music.

They walked back into the library.

"Is everything settled?" The King asked.

"Yes, your majesty," Eric said, being very formal. He was sure he'd be in trouble later, once the King had him safely married. It wasn't every day you told the King of England to go to hell and lived to tell about it. Maybe young Miranda would be a widow before she became a wife.

The King took Miranda's arm and lead her over to a desk. "Just sign there, my dear." She signed the contract. "Eric," the King said. 
Eric came over and looked at Miranda's name, he frowned. Her last name sounded familiar, he wished he had heard who Miranda said her father was. The king had said she was the daughter of an Earl. The only Earl with Montgomery as a sir name that he knew of was Christopher, the Earl of Rochester. He prayed she wasn't Christopher's daughter.

He signed the paper, the the King turned them towards the priest. Before Miranda could even see the name that Eric had signed, she was saying her vows.

In less then 10 minutes the priest was announcing their married. "Congratulations, Duchess," the King said to her as he kissed her cheeks.

Duchess? Had she heard him right. She looked over at Eric, a questioning look on her face. She was Duchess? He was a Duke?

"Who are you?" she asked him.

The masked man smiled at her and simply replied, "Eric Lancaster. Duke of Ridgemont."

It was then, that she fainted.