A Forced Marriage: Colette and Greg, a Historical fanfic

Greg smiled as he watched Colette help her father into their new hut on his property. Oh, yeah. Finally. The moment he had been anxiously awaiting had come--Colette was now within arm's reach. And when he proposed, her father would of course say yes, once Greg offered him money and food and shelter. Time to go and say hello.

Colette sighed with exasperation and wiped her forehead as she finished putting everything in its proper place. Her father had just been sitting and staring out at the fields where Colette would soon be working. She could tell he was full of guilt, but didn't really have the heart to tell him it was okay. She was still slightly angry with him.

She walked out of the house and stood, looking around. Well, Greg did have a nice manor, she mused. Fields green and plentiful, vassals working them and singing some song, and of course, the nobility primping in their large house. She snarled at the unfairity of the situation.

"Who are you?"

Colette turned to see a little girl staring up at her with interest. By the way she was dressed, Colette assumed the girl was one of Lord Stephen's daughters.

"I'm Colette," she said. "What's your name?" "Evelyn," the girl said. "Are you visiting?" "No," Colette said. "I work here. Do you live here?" Evelyn nodded vigorously. "I live up there, with my older sister Ashie and Greg," she said. Colette hid a snicker. Ashie? "That's great," she said.

Evelyn smiled at her, her blue eyes sparkling. "Goodbye," she said, and ran off, her brown hair waving in the wind. Colette stood staring after her. Well, that was abrupt. Nice girl. Too bad she was gonna be spoiled rotten.

"Hi, Colette." Colette froze, and slowly turned around. "Ah, Gregory," she said, smiling tightly. "I can only presume that you put your father up to this." Greg stepped forward. "Of course," he said. "I told you you'd be sorry, didn't I?"

"You mean my father's a servant because of I rejected you?" Colette yelled, finally losing it. Greg smiled. "Of course." With a scream of fury, Colette launched herself onto Greg and tackled him to the ground, her hands scratching at his eyes. Greg quickly regained control of the situation, and grabbed her hands and rolled himself on top of her, effectively pinning her to the ground. "Hold still," he grunted as Colette's knee connected with his stomach.

"Oh, you're just loving this situation, aren't you?" Colette snarled with fury. "Oh, yes," Greg said, and then groaned with pain, quickly letting go of Colette. She scrambled up, smoothing her braid down, and looked at Greg, who hadn't moved from where he was. Suddenly it occured to her where she had hit him, and she dissolved into laughter. "You're just. . .loving this situation, aren't you?" Greg gasped at her.

"Oh, yes," Colette said smugly, and managed to get back inside the house without laughing again.

Colette was chopping firewood when she got her third visitor of the day. "So. If it isn't Colette," came a familiar voice. Colette rolled her eyes and let the axe sink into another log of wood before turning around to face her visitor. A girl who looked to be about thirteen, with long brown hair and blue eyes, looking very similar to Evelyn, was facing her, arms crossed and a pout on her face.

"Hello, Ashlyn," Colette said coolly. "Or should I say Ashie?" Ashlyn made a face. "Evelyn. What a moron." "Well, she is only eight, after all," Colette said. "Nine," Ashlyn corrected her. Colette shrugged. "Close." "Whatever," Ashlyn said. "What are you doing here?"

"Your stupid brother got my father to agree to become your father's vassal," Colette answered, picking up the axe again and starting to chop. "Sounds like Greg," Ashlyn said. She came over to where Colette stood and glared at her. "Listen up," she said. "You stay away from my brother. Or I swear, I'll make your life so miserable, you'll wish you were dead."

"Yeah," Colette laughed. "Like I actually have a choice. Your brother, in case you haven't noticed, is the one who is trying to get me to agree to marriage. Maybe you missed that point. If he actually asks me to marry him, which I sincerely doubt, he won't ask me. He'll ask my father, who will probably agree. Then I'll kill myself."

"Just stay away from him," Ashlyn snarled, and stomped off back to the castle. Colette shook her head with bemusement, and continued to cut firewood.

Greg waited until after dinner to ask his father the question, knowing that after Lord Stephen had consumed his ale he would be more responsive to whatever Greg needed.

"May I speak with you a moment, Father?" Greg asked. "Of course!" Lord Stephen said. "What can I help you with, s-son?" He hiccuped and stumbled, so Greg caught him before he fell. "I wanted to see if I could have a maid," he said. "A maid?" Stephen said. He pondered it for a moment. "Who were you going to hire?" he asked.

"Colette," Greg answered. "She's a hard worker, and would be delighted to get the job." "S-sounds f-f-fine to me," Stephen said, and be collapsed on the floor. Greg walked off to let the servants get Stephen to his bed, and smiled with delight. In the next few days, Colette would be working for him--personally.