Caged

• Sophie Skeen, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2021

As I walked slowly down the seemingly endless aisle, I should be feeling unbridled joy for a new beginning, right? I mean I was about to marry the man of my dreams - rich and handsome - what more could a woman want?
But true happiness is much more than what the eye can see. My ‘dream’ was to fall in love with my best friend, to feel unconditional love. When I close my eyes at night, all I want to see is their smiling face and that feeling of security, knowing they’re always there. Yet, here I was, standing across from my future husband, a man who doesn't even know me and someone more in love with a title than me.
You see, my mother is a Duchess, and my father is a Duke. As a result, you’d think that I grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth, but nothing could be further from the truth. My parents have one job - look after the needs of their people but what about me, their only child? It feels like I was there purely as bait, to portray the ‘perfect’ family unit.
Growing up, I was forcibly encouraged to be silent and never under any circumstances, voice my opinion. I was told where to go, what to say and even how I should think. It felt like I was a passenger in this thing called life, seemingly invisible to everyone around me. This was never more apparent than on my 16th birthday, when my parents sold me off without so much as my own consent. I protested vehemently but to no avail as my parents refused to yield. It was like I was a burden on the family name.
I had no say in this ‘royal wedding’. I had to adhere to strict rules, or the punishment would be severe. I felt almost nauseous as I glanced at my ‘husband’, his eyes staring right through me as he flashed a devilish smile.
Saying I do should be the happiest moment of a young woman’s life, but it felt like the eyes of the world were on me, awaiting my answer. I desperately wanted to scream no from the rooftops - so loud that the ground beneath me would shake. I could almost feel the pain and anguish disappear with each scream.
But this was in my head - in reality, I could feel the tears welling in my already bloodshot eyes as I took a deep breath, failing to hold back the river of tears.
To marry such a narcissistic and arrogant man went against everything I believed in but to say no would serve no purpose, other than to upset my parents and the ramifications would be even worse for me.
Despite the pain of growing up in a house where I felt unloved and unappreciated, my only wish was to please my parents - to make them proud of me. So, this wasn’t just about me and my own ‘selfish’ needs. I had to consider the bigger picture, so I pushed my feelings aside to utter the words ‘I do’ to the relief of the priest and the crowd which had gathered inside the church. So, it was done - emptiness was all I could feel, there was no emotion nor the happiness of a newly married woman.
I had lived all my life inside a hypothetical steel cage and now I was destined to continue this existence as a woman, married to a man I didn’t love. As the tears spilled down my cheeks, I glanced over at my parents. They were crying tears of joy, seemingly proud of their daughter in her pure white wedding gown. Ultimately, that was my wish, to make them proud so in a morbid way, today that wish came true.