Tough Love

It is the 19th century. Elizabeth Welling is a young lady, only daughter of Duke and Duchess Harold and Caroline Welling, and she is to be married in two weeks time. She is only sixteen and does not want to be married, for she is in love with another.
One day when she was in the woods behind the castle she’d found a young man. He was unconscious and looked quite ragged. She wanted to help him so she attempted to wake him to make sure he was alive. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and sat up. He looked at Elizabeth like a scared deer. He then fell back to the ground. Elizabeth stayed by the man’s side till he woke once more. It was night by then and she knew she was going to be in trouble for staying out so late.
“Where am I?” the man asked.
“You are in the woods behind my home, and you have been sleeping for over eight hours. I was worried about you, so I stayed here,” Elizabeth said reassuringly, “How do you feel? What happened?”
“I’m not quite sure. I remember I was riding my horse and then it freaked out and it ran, I think I hit a tree and landed here. I bet the horse is home by now. What is your name young mistress?” The man said sitting up.
“My name is Elizabeth Welling. What is your name?” Elizabeth asked.
“My name is... John.” The man said with a bit of hesitation.
“Well hello then John. You may call me Elizabeth.”
“Thank you for helping me Elizabeth. If you don’t mind could I borrow a horse to get home?”
“Sure.”
As Elizabeth went to get a horse she wondered where John had come from. She had never met this man before but already thought she might be in love. She happily skipped towards the barn and found a black stallion for her and a brown mustang for John. She planned to ride with him to his home, and that way she could get to know him better at the same time. She headed back to the woods but could not find John. She got back to where he last was and there in the earth lay a ring left for her. She picked it up and examined it. It was a beautiful ring. Twisted gold with an emerald gem in the middle. It had engravings on the band of the ring. The engravings were in a foreign language, so Elizabeth could not read the engravings. She figured that John was from a prestige family such as her. She then realised, as she looked at the ring more, that this must be true love.
Elizabeth slowly forgot about John as the seasons passed. But she kept the ring from that day on a chain in her room. One day John appeared once more.
“Elizabeth,” someone called from behind the trees.
Elizabeth walked over to see who it was and to her surprise she found the man that she had helped many months ago.
“John? Is that you?” Elizabeth asked.
“It is. How I've wanted to see you. I'm sorry for leaving that day. I could not stay in fear of your safety, but I came back as soon as I could. Did you get the ring I left for you?” John said in a rush.
“Yes I did. I treasure it still but hurry we must hide. My parents cannot find you here. If they did you would be driven out and I will be locked in my room for days.” Elizabeth whispered, motioning to john to keep his voice down.
“Ok” John replied
Elizabeth took John deep into the forest and before they knew it they were at the same place they had met the first time. They talked and told each other they would meet again and from then on John would frequently come by Elizabeth’s home. Before long they were truly in love. They spent long walks in the forest and passed hours just talking. When Elizabeth got the news of her betrothal she ran outside into the forest to see if John was there.
“John! John! Are you there?” Elizabeth called out. “Where are you? I really need you right now.” With that Elizabeth sat down to wait. She buried her head in her hands overwhelmed with what she had just heard. She soon fell asleep on the soft earth.
“Wake up,” a familiar voice called out.
“John?” Elizabeth asked sleepily.
“I'm here. What are you doing out here? Your parents will be worried.” John asked once Elizabeth was awake. Elizabeth then remember why she had come out here to find him and started to cry.
“What’s wrong?” John asked worried.
“I’m...I’m...I’m to be married in two weeks.” Elizabeth choked out between sobs.
“It’s ok... I have something to tell you too.” John said stroking Elizabeth’s hair.
“What is it? You sound a bit down?” Elizabeth said when she had calmed down a bit.
“I'm also getting married. I do not know who I am betrothed to. But I know the date has been set sometime in the next two weeks. So we will be getting married around the same time. But all I want is to be is with you.” John said sadly.
“I do not know my betrothed either and I do not wish to be married. It is you I love.”
“I love you too Elizabeth, but we cannot change our fate.”
“How about we run away and escape this fate?”
“Ok then. I will come to your window in nine days time. Just act normal until then and everything will go fine. I have to go now. You should get going to before your parents come looking.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” And with that John disappeared into the forest, as he had for the past three months.
In the next nine days both John and Elizabeth acted as normal as they could although they were secretly planning their escape. They packed what they needed to and made sure that they would not be found missing till the morning after their escape. They wrote notes to their parents explaining what they were doing and hoped that they won’t be worried and try to go after them.
The night of the escape had finally arrived. Elizabeth waited in her room for the familiar knock on the window. None came. That night was a quiet night. Elizabeth sat by her window looking out, wondering why this had turned out this way.
The days passed and it was soon time for the wedding. Elizabeth got into her white flowing gown. The last four days had been dreadful. All she could think about was John. As she remember their first meeting, she realised she had never gotten his last name and when ever family issues came up he would avoid them. Elizabeth wondered why. She wanted to know why he had played her so long knowing that he didn’t want her. Why had she fallen for him? Her despair turned to anger. She held it in and if she was to ever see that man again she would slap him.
It was time for the wedding. She covered her faced with her veil, linked her arm with her father’s and they walked through doors. As she walked down the aisle she heard whispers. It was a story of a man named Peter Callingway that had been murdered. Elizabeth heard this and gasped. Everything finally came together. The man had a ring on his finger when he had died. It was the match to the one she had at home. That was why he had never shown up, that was why he didn’t tell her his name. He had been afraid of what would happen. John had been Peter Callingway, and he had been murdered the day that they were to escape.