The Duke's Masked Wife 2: The Prince's Outcast Bride-Chapter 63: Run away with me (4)

Peter stepped out of his home to get a better look at the young couple. Their clothing screamed that there was trouble looming in the air. It was easy to point out that they both came from well-off families.

Peter sighed. "Listen, I know you young folk have one dance and you feel certain you are in love, but marriage doesn’t need to come this fast. Take time to dance with each other or go on a walk. Think it over before you disturb me. Go on."

"We’ve known each other our entire lives. Will you marry us or not?" Tyrion asked, placing his foot so the door couldn’t close.

Peter stared at Tyrion, getting a sense of familiarity. "I’ve seen you before. Where have I seen you before?"

Peter scratched his head, trying to place where he had seen the young man before. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t get it out.

"Will he do it?" Penelope asked, going closer to listen. She was startled by the sound of the stranger screaming. "What did I do?" She inquired, standing behind Tyrion to hide.

Peter trembled as he pointed his finger at Penelope. "You," he said, knowing her face well.

There was something which haunted him for many years. There was one face he could never forget and while seeing that face, he remembered the face of that man’s wife.

"What is your name?" Peter asked.

Penelope poked her head out from behind Tyron. "Penelope Collins," she replied.

Peter clutched his chest. "Your father is Duke Collins. I can’t help you."

Tyrion grabbed the collar of Peter’s shirt before he retreated inside. "Your crown prince is ordering you to help us."

Peter cried even more as it finally clicked where he had seen the young man before. How tired was he to forget the face of the crown prince?

"I just want to rest," Peter said as he was pulled out of his home. "Haven’t I suffered enough? I left the church to get away from your father, and now you come to me."

Penelope was intrigued by the story the man told. "Were you the one who did their wedding?"

Peter nodded his head. "It was against my will. Your father had something against me. You two should go to the church nearby. The priest there won’t turn you away. We don’t ever turn anyone away."

"No, but you’ll send word to the palace that you’ve seen me. We only need you to wed us and we’ll be on our way. We won’t speak of you. For now," said Tyrion.

Peter waved his hands around to try to get Tyrion to let go of him. "No, no, no. I finally have peace after I was stabbed by a madman years ago. Your aunt’s husband came after me. Nothing good comes from your family."

"I didn’t know that part," said Penelope.

"I don’t care about your past with the Collinses. We are only here to get married and be on our way. Should I change this from a wedding to a funeral?" Tyrion asked, pulling Peter close.

It wouldn’t be so hard to snap such a frail little man’s neck.

Peter tapped Tyrion’s hand, needing the hold on his shirt to be loosened. "You’re hurting me," he said, almost out of breath.

Penelope touched Tyrion’s hand, deciding to speak so Peter wouldn’t turn them away. "Can you please help us? We have no one else to turn to. We won’t bring you any harm. Please," she pleaded.

Against his better judgment and his need to survive, Peter nodded his head.

Tyrion released Peter.

Peter glared at Tyrion. "You have the same awful picking as your mother. He’s the crown prince, but you don’t have to go through with him. Say the word, and I can close the door on him."

Tyrion regretted coming here. How was someone like this a priest?

"I want to marry him," Penelope answered.

"Right," Peter replied, not believing her. "No one ever listens to me. Not your mother, your aunt, and now you."

"My parents are still happily married," Penelope said, puzzled as to why her mother needed to listen.

"Yes," Peter said, stepping to the side to welcome them in. "She’s still stuck with that monster and has made children with him. If only you knew how many times your father has either scared or tried to kill me. He’s no saint."

Judging from how the crown prince grabbed him, Peter was certain Tyrion wasn’t a saint as well.

Tyrion entered the small home first and, after seeing that it was safe, offered his hand to Penelope.

Peter had many questions about why the crown prince was getting married like this instead of in the palace. He spent his days either in the church nearby or at home, but he had heard all the excitement about the future king’s wedding.

It was mostly the women curious about what Tyrion’s bride would wear.

Peter inspected Penelope’s dress. It was grand, but still far from a wedding dress. It was far from the dress he had heard the young woman imagine.

It was odd that the daughter of a duke and the son of the king had to resort to this to get married, but then again, he had wed the duke to the current duchess like this.

’And they call me cheap,’ Peter thought.

In his younger days, Peter had every right to try taking from the wealthy who didn’t know what to do with their money. It was unfortunate that his methods to steal got him tangled up with Edgar.

"Are you ready?" Peter asked, wanting to get it over with.

Any other day, Peter would be thrilled to perform a wedding, but he could not shake the feeling that he would be stabbed again.

"I am," Penelope said, taking off Tyrion’s coat.

Penelope looked down at her dress, wondering if her appearance was good. This was a moment she would remember for the rest of her life, and since Tyrion would remember it as well, she wanted to look beautiful now.

"It is fine," Tyrion said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

The wind had made a mess of her appearance thanks to how fast they rode to get here, but she was still the most beautiful woman in his eyes.

Peter frowned, annoyed by the young couple. "Where are the rings? You do have rings, don’t you?"

Peter was starting to remember the night with Penelope’s parents very clearly now.

"Oh," Penelope responded, turning to Tyrion.

"You don’t," Peter sighed. "We’ll have to see if I have a ring or maybe some string lying around."

"I have rings," Tyrion said, revealing the rings he had made. "I suggest you act like a priest and not be someone who is ruining our wedding."

"I am ruining it? You’re the crown prince and you’re getting ready in a stranger’s home," Peter mumbled. The wedding was ruined from the start. "I’ll do it right!" He exclaimed as Tyrion tried to reach for him again.

Peter looked at Penelope, silently trying to ask if she wanted to go through with it, but all she did was smile.

’Another young lady walking into the arms of a monster,’ Peter sighed.