<span style="color: #FFBF40"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">House of Delecroix</span><br/><span style="font-size: 130%; line-height: 116%;">Castle Devona</span><br/><br/><a class="postlink" href="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o793/Galvin_Fugazi/16aaa03c-d70c-49d0-833d-aa82d7697d9f_zpsf037c19c.jpg">[ img ]</a><br/><br/><span style="color: #FFBF40"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Sir Abel M. Delecroix</span></span></div></span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #0080FF">“Well, I have some concerns. First one regarding my future wife. I have heard that you are monitoring her very closely. I would like to speak with my future wife under four eyes prior to the marriage to make her feel comfortable with this arrangement. And when I speak of four eyes, I mean four eyes. When I am walking around with Lady Iris, I expect that we are granted privacy.”</span></span><br/><br/>Abel stiffened at Hector's words. Not many so boldly pointed out Abel's protectiveness of his sister. But Hector's request was reasonable, so why did he feel anxiety in his chest at the thought of her being alone with him? Hector was going to be Iris' husband, and he would have to let her go eventually. Truth be told, he was becoming tired of the habit of his, but had no way of breaking it. His hope was the marrying her off would not only grant him an ally, but some peace of mind. It was why he had wanted to see Hector in the first place, wasn't it? To measure him? To make sure he could protect his sister? After a moment, he gave a silent nod of agreement. He could grant them privacy, as he would not be able to always be there to protect Iris. He knew that, though he desperately wished it could be untrue.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #0080FF">"The other thing. My father told me that you will marry my youngest sister. Like you, I care very much about my little one and she means a lot to me. Martine is a well-educated young lady with some need for freedom. If I have to learn that you are strangling her by protecting her all the time, I will visit your castle and we two will have a talk under four eyes. A serious one, because I want my little sister to be happy and not to be unhappy."</span></span><br/><br/>Again, Hector's request seemed reasonable enough. He would leave Martine breathing room, something he did not do for his sister. Martine, while she would be his wife, meant nothing to him quite yet. He would protect her when it was necessary, but he had no desire of controlling her. He would do his best to make her happy, not desiring his reputation to be ruined by an unhappy wife. His responsibility would be to her and he knew that. If she wasn't happy, then what would the alliance come to? He had a feeling Hector meant well on his threat, and Sir Damian seemed the type to love his daughters very much. No, Abel would not cross that line and suffocate the younge Martine.<br/><br/>But, he would also not allow her to walk all over him. He could give her happiness, but she would have to accept her stations and position first. If she came into the marriage unhappy already, there was nothing he could do to soften it unless she desired him to. Very few women entered marriage happily, and very few men were able to change that. He, however, was determined to make sure Martine was treated well regardless.<span style="color: #FFBF40"><span style="font-weight: bold">"As you wish,"</span></span>Abel replied simply with a tilt of his head. What else could he say? Hector was being a reasonable man, and even though Abel hated the requests, he had to honor them or lose the arrangement. It was only fair.<br/><br/>He still wondered if this was the right path to go. While Sir Damian and Sir Hector seemed pleased with this arrangement, he felt his instincts war against him. Were they plotting against him? What would they have to gain by making an arrangement such as this other than an alliance? They could easily be trying to take him for a fool, and he was allowing it. He mentally scoffed at himself. If they were planning something dastardly and he were to later find out, he would even the score without hesitance and none could blame him for that. However, he would rather believe the best in people. While his ancestors may have been brutes, he was not.